Tales from Tauren

Fairevale

Fairevale

1085

"Disgraceful, Yorick," Master Aldehyde decried, examining the crisp parchment in his hand as he stood before the fire in the vast stone hall. "Even Della got better marks than you, and Mericaide knows she's more than a fair shade less bright than you are."

Despite the backhanded insult, Della grinned proudly at her father, rocking on the balls of her feet and sticking her tongue out at Yorick when their dad wasn't looking.

"It isn't my fault," Yorick argued. "It's this forsaken excuse for a castle. I can't focus. It's too cold here, and I mean that for the Fortress as well as the people in it. I want to go back to Sapphire -"

"Ungrateful boy," Master Aldehyde seethed, cutting his son short. "A great honor has been bestowed on our family. I am third in line to become the King's personal physic, and after he so graciously offered us lodgings in the Fortress and you an invitation to study at the Royal Academy, you throw the opportunity away as if you'd rather become a shopkeeper! I have half a mind to ship you off to Gladeshire; at least there no one would notice what a scatterbrained fool you've become."

Della giggled with malicious delight to see Yorick so wounded by their father's words. He had been insulted enough times not to be affected by most of his jibes, but to be told he was unintelligent...well, he knew nothing could be less true, but he still could not help taking offense.

"I am no fool, father," Yorick retorted carefully. "The teachers here punish me for speaking truths that they would rather ignore. They have no wisdom to convey to me that I could not more easily obtain from my books. Della received better marks than me because she is a parrot. She can repeat the lies they feed her just as easily as the instructors themselves mindlessly echo the words of their king."

"King Mericaide is our -"

"King Mericaide is barmy!"

With that, Yorick ran from the hall angrily, slamming the heavy oak door behind him.

He had no destination when he stepped foot outside the bleak stone walls of the Fairevalian stronghold, he only knew that he wished to be as far away from his power-blinded father and the chill of the Fortress' dank corridors as he could get. Yorick stomped off into the damp marshlands that surrounded the castle, quickly disappearing into the thick valley fog.

He stopped only when the looming walls of the Fortress were completely obscured from his sight by distance and mist. He stared into the dark, glassy water of the pool at his feet, his own reflection staring back at him. His black hair and cool blue eyes were all together too similar to his father's.

"Worthless," he spat at the likeness in the pool, causing the water to ripple and distort the image of his face strangely.

As the tiny waves dispersed and disappeared across the surface of the pond, Yorick swore he heard a voice. A girl's voice - faint, as if it was coming from far away - singing a sweet melody.