The Serf and the Soldier

by Holly Law

  “I will try my hardest,” Corden assured him. The surgeon bowed to Corden and left.

  “Daliscas!” Lady Elisa exclaimed then.

  “You will be silent,” Corden said sharply.

  “I take it that name means something?” Lairk asked hesitantly.

  “Yes, it means…”

  “You will be silent!” Corden said again, even more sharply and Lady Elisa fell silent looking a bit frightened. Elara looked at them confused. “That name is not to be said outside of this room. Is that understood?”

  “Yes,” Lady Elisa said softly. “I think that surgeon was correct. Elara is likely to regret asking to be freed.”

  “Perhaps, but that is of no concern of yours. I think it would be best if we looked up the baths in the basement of the building.”

  “A bath would be heavenly,” Lady Elisa said seeming to relish the idea.

  Elara had never had access to a normal bathtub before. Once a year all the women in the village would go to a local river to bathe, but that was a treat and very rare. She had never had the opportunity to use a bathtub and found it odd, but pleasant. She found the tub full of hot water to be the most relaxing experience she had ever had. The fragrant soaps were even more pleasant. She had never felt as clean as when she emerged from the tub. She found herself wishing her dress was cleaner after she spent so much time cleaning herself.

  Elara let herself back into Corden's room after she was finished bathing and was running her fingers through her hair even as she entered. Corden proved to be the only one back from the baths. He was sitting at the desk examining a large pile of papers.

  Corden looked completely different to her. His clothes were no longer stained with dust from the road and were instead completely spotless. His clothes were clearly designed for comfort, but were still finer than anything the men in her village wore. His hair was brushed and styled. The stubble that had been beginning to form over the past day was gone. Elara wondered at that moment how she ever could have thought him a common soldier.

  Corden looked at her when she entered. “There is a dress for you in the other room,” Corden told her as he looked back at the papers. “I thought you might appreciate the change after getting yourself clean.”

  “Oh, um thanks,” Elara said, feeling a bit uncomfortable by the generosity. She curiously stepped into the second room closing the door behind her. She found it to be a decently sized and comfortable looking bedroom. A fresh dress was laid out for her on the bed.

  Elara touched the new dress in awe. It was simply cut, but the fabric was far finer than any she had ever woven. It was a pale blue color and was a slightly different cut than she was accustomed to. She eagerly slipped on the dress and found that it fit well, but not perfectly. It was immensely comfortable after having the bath. She walked back into the other room feeling the most relaxed she had in years.

  Corden looked at her for a long moment. The look he gave her was one of judging and apparently he was satisfied because he gave her a smile. “That dress is an improvement over your last one. I wasn't certain it would be.”

  “It is the finest dress I have ever worn. Thank you,” she told him earnestly.

  “You are most welcome. Perhaps tomorrow we will have a bit of free time before we continue to your village and I could show you some of the town.”

  “I would prefer to simply head home. The harvest will be hard enough without my father. Delaying will only make it worse.”

  “I hadn't thought of that,” Corden confessed. “Thank you for reminding me. I had hoped to delay for a day or two, but you are correct that would only injure your family's circumstances further. I don't wish to make things more difficult for you.”

  “Thank you,” Elara said and made herself comfortable on the couch. “I'm surprised you're not out with the rest of the soldiers.”

  “I have business I must catch up on,” Corden said, resting a hand on the pile of papers before him. “It seems to have taken on a life of its own in the one day I have been gone.”

  “If you have so much work then perhaps you should simply point us on our way home. You don't need to accompany us the whole way.”

  “Honor dictates that I must and even if it did not I would accompany you. I'm not going to let a lady and two injured serfs wander the country alone. That would be asking for trouble.”

  “Adding an injured soldier would not help things much.”

  “I have enough skill to deal with what may arise. I can handle anything that may arise from horseback and Corscan weaponry is superior to what we find here. I am unconcerned. We should all be fine as long as you do not grab the reins of my horse again.”

  “You're not going to make me feel bad about doing that, Corden. I don't doubt my brother and Lady Elisa would be dead had I reacted otherwise. And I don't regret that I am not your prisoner.”

  “Hardly a prisoner, Elara. You would have been here with similar treatment. I would not have treated you poorly. I still would not, should you change your mind.”

  “My mind won't change, no matter what you and Lady Elisa seem to think.”

  “That is more Lady Elisa’s opinion than my own. I tend to think you have a stubborn streak and are not easily swayed from an opinion once it is formed. Such as, you wish to think of me as a villain no matter how I have treated you.”

  “I think you have a very high opinion of yourself and your character.”

  “That is possible,” Corden agreed readily, “but I tend to think you judge me harshly. I remain curious about one matter. Why did you save my life, Elara? You could have easily left me to drown. It would have been a far less risky choice for you.”

  “Less risky, but I don't think I would have felt right about it. I couldn't have left you to drown.”

  “I am grateful you feel such strong conviction about the circumstance. I had been hoping you had not regretted saving my life.”

  “I do not regret it.”

  “Thank you.” Corden stood with a stretch. “I suppose we had best work out the sleeping arrangements before the others get back. It will be easier with two opinions rather than four. It seems two will sleep on the floor, one on the couch, and the other the bed. Who do you think should sleep where?”

  Elara was surprised to be asked. It was his room and she expected him to have made that decision already. “I had thought you and Lady Elisa would have the two more comfortable spots. You are nobility after all,” Elara told him, still feeling slightly confused by his question.

  “True, but we are not the worst injured. That would be you and your brother.”

  “I think you are more badly injured than me and do you really want to have to explain to Lady Elisa she has to sleep on the floor?”

  “It would be good for her. It was my thought you should have the bed and your brother the couch. You are the two who have suffered the most these past couple of days.”

  “It's your room though. You shouldn't have to sleep on the floor.”

  Corden shrugged. “It isn't so bad.”

  “I don't think it's right for you to sleep on the floor.”

  “And I don't think it's right for an injured lady to sleep on the floor,” Corden said, walking over to her. “I insist on these arrangements and will not hear otherwise.”

  “Then why did you ask me?” Elara asked confused.

  “I simply wondered what you thought. Go get some sleep. We'll be travelling again tomorrow.”

  Elara found sleep difficult to come by. The bed was incredibly comfortable and the thick comforter kept the night chill away from her. But every time she closed her eyes she saw the battle that had taken place.

  The Corscan armor was even more terrifying in her dreams. They seemed to become living monsters. The faces of the dead came to her and she watched their bodies crushed under the feet of the Corscan war horses. She saw her father die again. And once more she was pulled on to Corden's horse. As they went over the edge Elara woke.

  Elara opened her eye
s and felt herself shaking. She sat up slowly and found her hands were clutching the comforter tightly. Her cheeks were damp from tears that had fallen in her sleep.

  A moment later, she became aware that she was being watched. The door was open just a crack and Corden stood on the other side watching her. His expression was unreadable. Elara looked away from him, wishing her grief had been private.

  Corden entered the room after a few more moments closing the door behind him. “Are you alright?” he asked her softly.

  “Just nightmares,” she told him honestly, hoping he wouldn't pry more.

  “About the fight?” Corden asked her.

  “Yes,” Elara admitted.

  Corden carefully struck a match and lit one of the oil lamps. It gave off a soft glow. Elara looked at it and found the gentle light comforting.

  “What frightens you?” Corden asked her. “What do you dream about?”

  “I'd rather forget it,” Elara said, looking away from him. She stared at the pattern on the comforter, hoping he would leave her.

  “But you won't,” Corden told her. “I understand, Elara. I've had nightmares about battles many times. Let me help you.”

  “How could you possibly help me?” Elara asked bitterly. “You can't bring my father or the rest of those men back from the dead. You can't undo what you did.”

  “No, I cannot,” Corden agreed. “I can live with my decisions. I have to. Every day I make decisions that result in others living or dying. What frightens you in your dreams?”

  “I just see the whole thing again,” Elara told him. “Only it feels worse and you Corscans are even more frightening.”

  “What about us frightens you?” Corden asked her. “You have seen Corscan soldiers down stairs and none of them hurt you. You know I won't hurt you.”

  “You've frightened me more than anyone else ever has,” Elara told him, unable to meet his eyes. It was a difficult thing to admit with him sitting in front of her. Corden seemed so calm and normal at the moment. He was nothing like the soldier who had grabbed her only a day or so earlier.

  “Because I tried to take you for a prisoner-bride,” Corden stated simply. There was not even a hint of a question in his voice.

  “Yes.”

  “What did you think would happen when I took you?” Corden asked her seriously.

  “I don't know,” Elara confessed. “But Corscan soldiers have always been one of those stories they tell you about as children.”

  “What happens is really very straight forward and honestly, the girls involved are typically only unhappy for a short time. No man wants an unhappy wife. When a soldier takes a woman as his prisoner bride in battle the woman is brought back to the camp and they are married before the sun sets. It is a real marriage in almost every sense of the word at that point. The soldier is expected to treat his wife with courtesy and respect. The only difference is that the wife is not entitled to any of her husband's wealth until she accepts the marriage.

  “To be more exact on the situation, in your case, we would have come back to Velshire. I would have expected you to be upset and angry. I probably would have tried to get you to calm down on the ride and most of the other soldiers would have left us on our own. The time after a prisoner bride is taken is considered very private. We would have been married very quickly in the camp just outside of the town. There probably would have been extensive celebrating by the soldiers afterwards. And you would have been staying in these rooms with me afterwards. When my term as a soldier was up, we would have gone together back to Silcor where we would have had a second wedding that would have been a grander event and I would have hoped by that time that you would have been comfortable enough with me to willingly accept your role as my wife. I think you would have been very happy, Elara. Not immediately perhaps, but by the time we arrived in Silcor, I think you would have been happy.”

  “I am glad I got away from you,” Elara said firmly as she met Corden's eyes. They looked slightly pained at her statement.

  “You would no longer have been a serf. You would have been a noblewoman. Your life would have been much more comfortable.”

  “Yes, and I told my brother this very trip that if I ever said I wanted to be a noblewoman that he should knock me upside the head.”

  Corden let out a short laugh and grinned. “I think you would be a much better noblewoman than your Lady Elisa. I would imagine she has been very demanding of you.”

  “She's obnoxious,” Elara said sourly.

  “She has improved considerably in the past day,” Corden observed. “I think this trip has been good for her.”

  “I haven't paid her much attention.”

  “I have noticed. I would suspect you will not get all your pay for your service when you return home.”

  “I was promised no pay. It makes no difference,” Elara shrugged.

  “They weren't going to compensate you?” Corden asked sounding appalled. “Your lord is very inconsiderate of you. How long have you been a lady's maid without compensation?”

  “I only was for this trip. I think I heard that Lady Elisa frightened away her previous maid. I was convenient because my father and brother were on the trip.”

  “Would you allow me to compensate you for the neglect your lord has shown you? In all likelihood, your lord's lands will be a part of Corsca within the next month. It would be part of my responsibility to see to it you are treated respectfully anyway.”

  “I am not a beggar,” Elara said at once.

  “I did not think you were. I simply think after what you have been through you deserve some form of compensation.”

  “Because my father and brother were helping the soldiers we weren't going to be taxed,” Elara informed him.

  “That does not include you.”

  “I can't imagine my service is worth much.”

  “You risked your life for her,” Corden reminded her. “I remember that very clearly. In my mind, your service and loyalty just for that moment would be worth a great deal. I would have been very thankful to anyone who would have acted in that manner on behalf of a daughter of mine.”

  “You are not the lord I serve,” Elara reminded him. “And my lord is not a Corscan. That might make a difference.”

  “Very easily,” Corden agreed with a smile. “A Corscan lord has spent part of his life as a serf and knows to appreciate the hardships of your life.” Corden took one of her hands then. He ran his fingers over it and look at it. “Your life has been hard. Your hands tell me that. You've burned them, I would assume from baking, cut them at various times, and in general have calluses that tell me you have worked hard. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a day off? To not have to work and just relax?”

  Elara looked at him confused. “That's not possible. There is baking and cooking. Not to mention the mending and the…”

  “Noblewomen have others who do those things for them,” Corden cut her off. “They have days where they can just relax and not even think of work.”

  “That must be nice.” Elara frowned slightly. She didn't understand why Corden was talking about how well noblewomen lived and how relaxing their lives were.

  Corden lifted one of her hands then and his lips touched the hand he had just critiqued. “I'd like to see these hands as soft as a noblewoman's,” Corden told her and Elara was even more confused. “I'd like to know you were able to relax and enjoy life.” Corden seemed to notice her confusion and smiled. “I would like you to stay here with me, Elara. I would like to take you for my wife.”

  Elara stared at him shocked and instantly pulled her hand away from him. The very suggestion made her angry. He was a Corscan. She didn't even know how he could think to suggest that.

  “I would like to get back to sleep,” Elara told him and was aware that her tone was unfriendly.

  “Why do you refuse me?” Corden asked her seriously. “What are you afraid of? I offer you a life most serfs would dream of.”

  “I have no i
nterest in marrying a Corscan.”

  Corden looked angry then. “What reason do you have to speak so ill of my people? Your prejudice is unwelcome.”

  “Forgive me for disliking a kingdom that is invading my own! And if that is not enough reason you forget that it was your people who killed my father!”

  “And I saved your life!”

  “And I saved yours,” Elara snapped softly. “You're making me regret that I did.”

  Corden looked wounded by her words. “I am sorry you find my presence so distasteful. I assure you, the reverse is not true. Good night. Sleep as well as you can. We have a reasonable distance to travel come morning.” Corden stood and left her alone.

  Elara glared at the closed door for several moments before she laid back down. She found it difficult to get back to sleep after her conversation with Corden. It made her so angry. He had no business asking to marry her. She had escaped from him, he should have had no reason to think she would desire him as a husband.

  Elara had slept longer than she intended and found the others ready to go when she woke. “You're lucky we're not at home, sleepy head,” Lairk teased her with a grin. “Mother wouldn't have been too happy to have been left with all the morning chores.”

  “I didn't sleep well,” Elara said with a yawn. She deliberately did not look at Corden. She wanted to forget about their late night talk.

  “I didn't either, but I was sleeping on the floor,” Lady Elisa reminded her grumpily.

  “Elara was hurt and deserved the bed,” Corden reminded her. Elisa did not argue just as she hadn't the night before when Corden had announced who was sleeping where. Lady Elisa clearly wanted to argue, but cast her eyes downwards submissively. “When you've had breakfast, Elara, we will go.”

  Elara wordlessly sat at a table and ate the cold eggs and bacon. All of it had clearly been sitting for awhile. The others waited around for her. Her brother and Lady Elisa were both clearly anxious to get home.

  “Time to be going,” Corden had said briskly when she had finished and within a matter of minutes, she found herself in the stables where Corden's horse had already been saddled. Corden did not immediately help her onto the horse however. Instead, he forced an apple into her hands, which she looked at blankly for a moment. “Give it to Scratch.” Elara remembered what he had said about Scratch the day before and offered the war horse the apple. It disappeared from her hand instantly as the horse munched it down. Scratch affectionately rubbed his head against her as he ate. “Now you have a friend for life.”