Chapter 47 Lord of Surrey

" Father, how long do we have to suffer here? Sure, people respect us but we can't feed ourselves with their respect.

We eat dry bread every day with a little bit of fish, unlike other nobles. We are in the upper ranking yet we live like a dog."

Hennessy hit the table with fury, demanding an answer from his father while Georgia remained silent. She silently peeked at her father's expression, guessing what he was thinking inside his head.

Since they were children, he would always preach about noble deeds but his age was slowly catching up. Once noble figure was no longer there, only to be replaced by haggard men strand of white. His kindness cost the life of their mother, leaving them in an empty space where they wondered if they were living right.

All other heirs would drown in gold and gifts with exquisite dishes that they never tasted before. They didn't have to worry about their tomorrow's food or clothes, getting them from the tributes.

Their lives were much better than theirs who had nothing but the empty castle in the diluted town of the south. For all of their lives, the countryside was the prison that chained them here from the rest of the world while they had to perform their duties.

They diligently learned weapons, and governing skills but that didn't bring food to their mouths. Instead, it made them more poorer because they had to share food with the poor.

" Silence, boy. You have no action here without my permission. Even though I lost my teeth, I am still your father.

Do you expect me to abandon my people just because they shunned us? How dare you utter such nonsense in presence of the God?"

Caiman hit the table with his knife, looking at him with daggers that sent chills to his spine. He looked at the cross on the wall, silently praying for the divine grace because he received it at a young age, meeting with the eternal love that God had taken away so young.

He would never doubt the intents of his God and he would never abandon his people who begged for his help for they were all his family.

" But father, we don't have any money left. We are drowning in debt that could pile a mountain near us. The royal family used us like we were fools and left us with a death sentence.

They took away our mother's life by banishing us to here to die. How can you expect me to be calm when we could die tomorrow?"

Hennessy grumbled with a shadow of sadness on his face, clenching his fists with disappointment for the people. He didn't want to live here anymore to damn himself further.

" Then what do you expect me to do? Do you think the king will let you go? Who will protect our people? I can't even properly pay for my soldiers and knights.

Yet they serve us out of loyalty and patriotism for their home."

Caiman never forgot the faces of his knights who would hunt for their meals just to help him. They would always greet him with a smile and share their gains with the people to show their appreciation.

It was impossible to abandon such good people just because they were poor. His vassal was the lifeline of his entire life.

" Father is right, brother. We can't leave our home in ruins. We made this place better for everyone and we can't leave this place to rot again.

Mother's sacrifice would become meaningless. She didn't die because of disease, she died because she loved everyone in this territory, including those with diseases."

Georgia gently touched the cross on her chest, feeling the warmth of her Mother's soul in it.

She was such a brave woman who would always devout herself to people but ultimately that led to her demise when she caught incurable disease from the poor serf.

She spent her remaining days feeding the children while coughing blood from her innards. Her resolve to make this land better was purer than anyone here.

" Lord, it is an emergency. We spotted lord Holiman with cavalry that was marching toward us. He said he had order of the royal family."

The knight knelt on the ground with a heavy face.