Chapter 11 - Birthday

Eshent was shaken awake as soon as the sun had risen, the thin, pale face of Corrin staring down at him. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and the sheets of his bed had been wrapped around him as if a serpent looking to strangle him. 

He glanced over at Corrin, his gaze shaking as he spoke in a cold tone, "you're alive…"

Eshent placed a hand on her cheek, tears pooling up at the edges of his eyes. 

"Are you alright, Eshe? Are you still feeling ill?"

His hollow stare became imbibed with life as he fully awoke, cringing as he retracted his hand. He sat up at the edge of his bed, letting out a sigh. "I'm alright, it's just these dreams that won't leave me be…" 

Corrin shook Masha awake next, who had been fast asleep on the bed above Eshent's. After all, he had worked far more than he usually would the previous day. The two siblings were sure that their older brother was decimated by his exhaustion. 

On most days, they would let Masha rest, but today was a day far more special than any other. They simply couldn't pass up the opportunity, and he had made them both a promise. While Eshent would give up excitement for his brother's sake, he was sure that Masha's spirit would be renewed by seeing Corrin have so much fun for once. 

Today was the day that Eshent and Corrin turned fifteen! Not only that, but it was the day that the Witch-King's return from sea would be celebrated! There were to be performances, festivals, and food, all at no cost for its attendants!

It was definitely something they couldn't pass up! 

Eshent, free of greed or want, still felt his mouth water at the thought of rich, fatty meat and bread that hadn't been charred by the flames of their stovetop. After all, he was still someone who had come from rich splendor and wealthy means. Just like Corrin, even though he acted the part, he couldn't completely abandon the tastes he had gained throughout his life. 

"Ah, you little fools…" Masha groaned as he let out a loud yawn, sitting up in bed. He rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes, looking down at his two younger siblings before smiling. "Happy birthday, you both. Are you excited for today?"

Corrin nodded vehemently, Eshent bowing his head as he frowned. His head still pulsed with an inconsiderable pain, left behind from his slumber. These dreams, accompanied by discomfort, were starting to leave him deteriorated. Now that he was fifteen, he could look for work at the harbour or in other less-reputable parts of the undercity. But if he couldn't rest himself, what kind of husk-of-a-person would he become?

"Corrin, have you already made breakfast?" Eshent asked in a low, soft tone of voice. She nodded her head in response, smiling.

This had always been the arrangement. There had been many arguments over it, not between Corrin and the others, but between Masha and Eshent. While their older brother was happy to shoulder the burden of their living costs by himself while the other two sought out higher education under their aliases, Eshent just couldn't accept that. 

While he was certainly in agreement that Corrin should rise above them both, Eshent wished to work as Masha did. This was for two reasons. The first was that he simply couldn't bear to see the exhaustive state Masha always arrived home in. He wanted to lessen his older brother's burden. The second was that Corrin's schooling would cost a great amount, and the family couldn't afford to save as it was. 

While Masha would be content to take whatever debts he could, working them off until he had died, that wasn't something Eshent wished for. If he were to give himself up to work as well, they would definitely be able to save for Corrin's schooling!

So, in their final arrangement, it was that Corrin would make breakfast for the family in the morning. Afterwards, she would attend school, while Masha and Eshent went out to seek work. During lunchtime, Eshent and Corrin would return home, where Eshent would make their meal, while Masha continued working throughout the day. In the evenings, the two would shop for ingredients, and then return home to make supper in preparation for Masha's arrival. 

In essence, Eshent would only work half of the time that Masha would, but that was something he could deal with. This was the only offer his older brother was willing to accept. At the very least, it meant they would be able to save for Corrin's schooling, lessening Masha's workload, and at the same time, it would allow Eshent time for housework.

There was always something he could do for the family, that was all he sought to do.

The three entered the living area, which was also the place they used as a kitchen. The place they had been able to rent because of Mr. Graylise's kindness had three rooms- one used by Masha and Eshent as a bedroom, another for Corrin, and then the main room used as a kitchen and leisure space. 

They sat down at their dining table, which had chipped along its edges, but had been polished and sanded with care by Corrin, who wished to retain some sort of regal sense in their everyday life, even if it meant the smallest things. 

Even their plates, silver, carried some hint of their past life with it. They had been stolen by Masha in their escape from the Summerrich household. He had hoped that they would support their living for a time, but to date he had not found a single buyer for them. That was because in the center of the plates, the Summerrich crest, a triangle with the insignia of a round-bottomed flask had been carved. It was representative of their mindset, that progress was born in the bottom of glassware, of human ingenuity. 

The presence of the crest meant that the plates could not be easily sold, they were obvious stolen commodity. Thus, they could only be used, which Corrin was happy enough to do.

On the table, there was an assortment of charred tomatoes that had been sprinkled with coarse salt, bread that had been charred, fruit that had been- well, everything was charred.

However, it was the wooden platter at the center that shocked them. There were three fried eggs, crisped around the edges by oil, which glistened against the bright-yellow yolk.

"Where did you manage to find eggs?" Masha questioned, surprised. It wasn't about money, that wasn't his shock. He was just unsure about where she would have procured an egg in the undercity. While goods made from grain and salted meat— albeit the latter a bit rarer— were most common in the stalls that lined the streets of the undercity, goods that were far more perishable, like raw meat and eggs, milk, and fish were uncommon. Of course, there weren't many spots in the Blackbaast that you would wish to eat fish from, mostly freshwater lakes and rivers.

"Ms. Revuarde from the Redroost. Her children's clothes had torn, and in preparation for their schooling term, wished they be mended. Of all the things mother could have taught me, this was the only thing… well, she was grateful enough to give me three eggs. I've had them for the past couple of days, I didn't think they would spoil too fast. I'd been saving them for today."

Masha and Eshent looked towards her, and then back towards the fried eggs. Eshent felt water pool up in his mouth, aching to savour the flavour of what was now to them a delicacy.

"Go." Corrin gestured with her head, smiling. "Do not just stare, enjoy it."

Eshent was the first to reach forward, filling his plate reasonably with the food she had spent so much effort preparing. He speared a piece of egg with his two-pronged fork, placing it against his lips.

The flavour was rich, the oil nutty. The salt lingered on his tongue as he took a bite of the bread immediately after, the runny yolk of the egg soaking into the not-yet stale fluffiness of the bread. The tomatoes were slightly bitter, and the char on the fruits cut through the immense sweetness. 

Masha did the same, his expression growing pleasant and warm, almost reminiscent as he commented, "it's wonderful, Corrin. You've done so well. It reminds me of the way mother would prepare our meals, with such care…"

It was all a perfect balance, and Eshent knew he had much more to learn in that regard. 

Although, Corrin was far ahead in these fields because she hadn't had to face the experimentation of their father. That man had assumed that whatever he had been looking for, a 'key' within his children, wouldn't be in one child if their twin didn't display such a trait either. While he had no idea what this meant, or to what extent that man had been planning to use him, it ultimately meant that Corrin had been free to learn many things from their mother and servants. 

This was why both Masha and Eshent looked to bolster her progress in the future. 

She was kind, she had not yet been ruined by the world.