A Lord's Hunger

Loud pounds on the door woke Einar up. He groggily went to the door and is met with Thoman. The shorter man smiled as he gave a nod and went away. Einar slept very late last night. The continuous screams made it hard for him.

And now he woke up late as well. It was already afternoon. He changed into normal clothes and ditched his shoes and made his way to the barracks. They were empty apart from only one knight stationed there.

He entered the storeroom of the barracks to find some food but he only finds moldy bread and diluted broth. He took them outside and sat on a table to eat. As soon as he took the first bite, he gagged. Memories of all the great food he used to eat back in the Empire but he's quick to forget it.

'Stop being ungrateful Einar, your people eat this daily. Endure this for them.' He laments in his thoughts.

Anger comes from deep down his heart whenever he thinks about his family. He looks at the broth an bread again, only this time he forces himself and eats it all. 

After he is finished he walks outside and into the outer district. He sees Hedra and Thoman in the distance working on fixing the wall of a building. A small girl walked to him and offers him a carrot out of her small little bag. The carrot was wilted but Einar takes it with a smile and pats the girls head.

On the left he saw an old man trying to fix broken wagon axle. Einar helped him up and made him sit while he fixed it on his own. The people saw him, they saw what he did, his effort all of it. Multiple smiles formed on the faces of the people looking at him.

He was a prince, now a nobody. Despite living a life full of luxury he kneeled on the ground and fixed a muddy wagon. Being born as a noble doesn't define how a person will be, sometimes they turn out to be like his father while sometimes they end up being like him.

"I've fixed the axle, Aemond. Be careful and tell me if you need help with anything else." Einar shook his hand and continued his walk. He went to fruit vendors, the blacksmith, even the bakery.

And now he was in shock. Cadus had brought him all the files. No functioning steward, the last one died months ago defending Blackvale when Sir Cadus was on another mission. No official garrison, just deserters and old knights.

No taxes, because the people of Blackvale are in no condition to pay taxes. They barely have enough food for one meal per day. And all external funding from the Aurion Empire stopped years ago. 

Hedra knocks and enters the room, apart from being a farmer she was one of the more skilled knights in Blackvale. She saw him, head in hands as he looked at the poor condition of Blackvale.

"We're ghosts at the point, Einar. Even the capital pretend we're not here and ignores all letters Sir Cadus has sent." She added.

"Father...well my former father was not someone like this. These past few years he has changed, in ways I never thought he would. 

While Sir Cadus taught me everything, he was not the shinning ray of light in my eyes. It was always my father. But that same father threw me away without even talking to me once." Einar grumbled.

Hedra sat down in front of him and poured herself and Einar a glass of wine. The wine was made at home by her. 

"Take this Einar, I think you would need this." She chuckled as she took a sip and breathed deeply.

Then she looked at him with a smile, a fake smile to be exact. Her eyes were devoid of emotion and she looked like a puppet forced to smile.

"You know, I understand your frustration because my father also threw me out like I was nothing. Last I heard he became the leader of the Obsidian Vow. A former Brandbearer, he was ordered to take over a village by force.

He asked me to assist him, but I knew they would kill innocent people to instill fear in them. So I declined, and for that I got stabbed." Hedra moved her shirt up and showed a stab wound just missing her right kidney.

"I ran away from the Dominion that day. My fathers sword still inside my body as I rode towards Blackvale." She added.

"To asshole fathers, I guess." Einar raised his glass for a toast along with Hedra.

*****

In the middle of the main intersection where the barracks and other residential buildings were preset, Einar hammered a notice board along with Hedra and Thoman. The wooden board was big enough for Einar to add everything to it.

First and foremost he added a paper, which had some some tasks written on it. While others had job listings, law formation and military recruitment notices. He did not force the people to look at them and do work which they didn't want.

He just wanted the betterment of the people. Cadus came to him and threw some keys towards him.

"Take these cub, they are the keys to the sealed catacombs under the Castle." Cadus explained.

"Why are you giving me these? Do you expect me to go in there." Einar asked with a deadpan expression.

"Eventually you will, every lord does." Cadus smirked.

"Alright you old man, tell me did you do what I asked?

I'm plan to take them to the mine not far off tomorrow. We need resources." Einar questioned.

Cadus took off his sheath and threw it to Einar with his sword inside.

"Yes, I did tell them my little cub. You've got seven men ready. Take this. Your sword won't be able to handle your vessence.

I was lucky enough to keep the sword and this old armor." Cadus sighed as he walked away.

Einar finished his round of the city, he took notes about the infrastructure, the sewage and the condition of the buildings, roads, water supply and other important things. This was too much work, but he was not going to give up.

Seeing the people here gave him new hope, that maybe he could make at least their life easier. The sun had started to set as Einar walked alone towards the Castle. The wind blew fiercely and thunder cracked in the sky.

Rain was imminent, he picked up his pace and entered the castle. Instead of going to his room he made his way to the throne room. As he opened the door he saw a huge hall, massive pillars on both sides were craved with different animals.

The carpet on the floor was torn in places but its design was magnificent, and in the far end of the hall on an elevated platform was a throne. Made out of iron, it was rusted in places. Despite all that had a charm to it.

Swords were driven into its back as pommels of a few dozen swords were visible from the front. Einar approached the lone throne. Thunder cracked and the room shone from the lightning and the sound of raindrops falling on the glass sounded like a melody.

He went up the platform and touched the throne with his hand and then turned and sat on it. He felt a plethora of emotions. Discomfort was one of them, since he failed to notice smaller daggers incorporated in the design, his right arm was cut by one.

But he didn't flinch nor move. He sat there all alone, only the thunder and rain being witness to the moment. Then a sudden chill encompassed the whole hall. The wind became cold and made him shiver.

The wind howled and it felt like someone whispered something to him. It was too quick...too low that he couldn't fully understand it but he did hear it say that, "The hollow crown never starves."

Einar looked outside through the window. Raindrop fell on it continuously and thunder roared. Tomorrow was the first day for the comeback of Blackvale. He had thought that if fate willed it he would get revenge. And that might be possible if he made Blackvale into a prosperous territory.