Troubled Child

In the days of winter, a manner hires a new attendant for a royal child. A homeless man looking worse for wear, getting to the front door and knocks on it thrice. The door opens to a fine gentleman, a butler finally dressed in all black entire, he ushers him in.

The ginormous palace with an enormous foyer, the inside coated in gold, it so shiny you thought it would be day even if it was in middle of the night, paintings on the ceiling depicting the great war that passed a year ago. The floor marble polished so clean you could see your face clearly if you’d look down.

Many off the workers looked on with disgust as he passed them walking through the building with the head butler, they both go straight to the last room on the right of the building, the brown door with clippers symbol on it, he walks in and was greeted by the barber.

The barber asks with a smile “sir, please sit here.”

And the man obliges, he sits on the chair and an awkward silence ensues, as his long-knotted hair was cut short, near bald, the barber also once finished with the hair started on his clumped beard making it clean shaven as to make him look proper for the house and nobility.

Moments pass and he walks out of the room, and the butler there awaiting him once more “come along.” The butler says, walking at a quick pace to another place just up the hall to a bathing room.

The butler says, “undress and take a shower, I’ll be back in an hour with your formal attire.”

He looks at him and begrudgingly agrees and watches him go outside before getting undressed. The room had pipes along the ceiling that lead to a shower head, the door closes, and he takes off his raggedy clothes and his body black with dirt and muck that dried onto him, the same goes for the lower half of the body. One noticeable scar went across his abdomen near his bellybutton. He stepped under the pipes and twisted the nob, turning on the water, stepping under it scrubbing his entire body, taking all the time up for that hour he was given.

That hour had passed like a flash, yet he was clean as a whistle by the end, He turns of the water and as he does the door opens with the butler walking in holding the formal clothes like he knew, like he was just outside, the man covers himself with his hand over his genitals.

Plain faced the head butler says, “it's nothing I haven't seen before, now put this on be out here in five, ok.”

The head butler hands the clothes to the man and walks to the old clothes picking them up, then walks out once more. the man puts them on his dry shoulder picking out the underwear putting it on, then pants, after that the white shirt then black suit the socks and shoes and finally the white gloves.

Two minutes pass of this happening and he’s out the bathing room door, to the surprise of the head butler, the man nods his head waiting for orders.

The head butler remarks “before we continue, why did our lord of the house choose you of all people?”

The man shrugs his shoulders.

They both start walking through the house, as the head butler shows every room that the man was allowed in, while the head butler lectures and complains “I've not been informed of anything you are, the lord I think has gone crazy cause of the war, I'm still loyal to this house don't get me wrong, but he changed since he came back, so I'm worried that his sense has gone, but putting aside my opinion for now. Let me start of by saying this, you need to get to know the persons basics like there wardrobe, their food, stick to a routine rather than change things, you will build up a trust with the person you are under, and that trust becomes a bond and you just get to know him or her but you still got to keep that arm's length as they say, privacy is very important don’t speak about any troubles outside the manner, if you have a urge to either steal or betray this house in any way you fail as a butler. Because this was thrown on us you will not meet everyone at once, you’ll meet them individually throughout your time here, there's only one person in this house that has no butler as the last one left this house in disgrace, so you are looking after the troubled child, the bastard child as the royals call him in this house, the boy is sixteen, he is disabled to a severe extent, he’s in a wheelchair and he has only one working arm, the right one to be specific, he is near mute like yourself yet when he does speak it comes out in slurs, and that is the person you’ll look after. I will give you a book on his routine in your room, he likes to get up at nine for a heads-up.”

This talk continued throughout the house tour, he gets to what’s known as the old section of the manner, the layout of the hall changed dramatically, instead of marble and shine it was brown carpets and wallpaper, there were four rooms each that had names on them Montague, Margaret, Solomon and the last one Walter, the head butler walk to Walters door, under his name was writing that just degraded this Walter, even though the man couldn't read it.

The head butler says, “I'll have someone clean this right away.”

The man stands at the hallway entrance and the head butler turns around and walks to him “what's wrong?”

The man speaks for the first time “I think I should, go in on my own.”

The head butler asks “why?”

He says, “well wouldn’t it be better if one person went in instead of two as it would overwhelm him.”

The butler thinks for a moment then says, “there’s already a person in there sitting with him, but your probably right, but I'll come in for a moment as the other person will not know who you are, oh yes that brings me onto your name I forgot to ask you it at the beginning, because my head been off today for some reason, anyway what is it?”

The man says scratching his eyebrow nervously “its David.”

“Ok, David I'll take Orla out of the room, and you will swap with her.” the head butler says.

The head butler walks to the door knocking on it before walking in, moments later the head butler and a maid walks out, with the head butler gesturing David to walk in, with the maid confused on who this person is.

The head butler turns to the maid saying, “I'll explain later.”

He steps into a colorful condensed room, one table, a bed and a wardrobe that lined the walls, just about, one chair at the table plus a single boy that looked nothing like the head butler said.

The child looked normal as can be, the only thing that was different was he sat in a wheelchair nothing more, the boy leaning back on the wheelchair looked at David, the boy with brown hair held his left arm as it lay on his lap.

Sometimes hours feels like minutes and sometimes a single second can last a lifetime, that moment of his standing there, felt so long. He wishes he was better at starting conversations, Walter sighed heavily struggling to get words out yet eventually said “you come here to mock me?”

Shaking his head, David quickly responds “no sir, I'm here to help you, I'm your new assistant.”

Rolling his eyes at that the boy stammers out “fine, your name?”

David thinks for a moment, putting his hand on his chin then utters “you give me one.”

Walter rubs his eyes thinking in confusion then says without stammering “William.”

David smiles “William it is then. I see there's a chess board up there on the cabinet would you like to play?”

Walter nods his head and smiles while David grabs it placing it on the table, then pushing him to the table and they set it up.

David says, “it is going to be no time on it ok, and I'll be black?”

With Walter agreeing they started playing, the first move Walter did moved pawn to e4, David responded black pawn e5.

Walter says while moving white bishop to e2 “are you good at chess?”

David pauses for a moment thinking (I’ll go easy on him.) Moving the black pawn to c6 “ah no I just know the basics like how they move, so I think I’ll go here, what about you?"

Moving the white knight to h3, “I played only a little with father, but that’s it, think I’m the same skill, OK tell me who do you know my father?”

Black pawn moves to d6 while he says “well, the portrait of the war that is painted above the foyer I'm in there of course another face on where I stood but yea since then.”

Walter nodded his head in acknowledgment while unknowingly using his left-hand castling, David put his hand to his mouth thinking (why do that it won't allow him to move the king?).

Two moves happen without a word between them a black bishop to e7, and a white pawn to c3.

Black pawn moves to g6, while David asks, “why did you choose William?”

Moving the white queen to a4 Walter responds stammering only slightly “why you ask, well, ah, hmm, I just like the way it sounds, don’t you?”

He holds the black bishop “ah yea I do its just I was curious that’s all” Moving the piece to d7.

While they played, a noise like scrubbing could be heard at the door, confused David holds his finger up “one second.” He gets up while Walter moves the white pawn to b4, walking to the door opening it, it was that same made holding a sponge ringing it off, they both lock eyes for a moment, he smiles nodding his head closing the door glancing at the door seeing it cleaner.

The door closes not looking at the board says, “black pawn to b6.”

Walter moves the black piece to where David said so he thinks for a moment moving looking at each piece thinking (if he takes that this will take that hmm.) He decides that would be the right action, so he moves the white bishop to a3.

David sits down while moving the black knight to f6 without even thinking. The white knight moves to g5 David confused putting his hand over his mouth once more thinking (he hasn’t moved any of those three pawns, and he’s locking up nearly everything what is he doing?)

David moves black pawn h6 without saying a word, “well I guess I have to start this chain.” So, he moves white bishop b5, Pawn takes bishop b5, Queen takes pawn b5, Bishop takes queen b5.

Frustrated Knight takes the black pawn on f7, King takes the knight back, really struggling the only move he could see was White King to 1h, plane face David puts the Black queen to c7, still unable to see a move he moves the White king again to g1, he asks kindly “can you not see a move?” moving the Black queen c4.

“No, I can't, please help, oh wait I see it the pawn, isn't it?” David nods his head in satisfaction smiling Walter moves the pawn to d4, raising his eyebrows sighing David moves the Queen taking the rook on f1.

“Checkmate.” David says

Walter says, “looks like it is, I’d say you are better than me like everyone else.”

Shaking his head “no sir, no you are much better than me, if you only moved the pawn one square instead of two you would have stayed alive.”

Yawning Walter says “yea I see move the knight to take your queen. I am tired so I'll go to bed now. I'll get in bed myself.”

Walter, using his right hand grabs the right wheel moving it turning himself to the bed, he puts his right hand onto his armrest pushing himself onto the bed clinging to the opposite side of the bed.

“I’ll help…” David stands up says not thinking.

“No!” Walter shouts.

His feet dangle on the edge of the bed, David takes a step but stops and he uses his right hand holding his hand out to mean stop he eventually he gets into bed much of the dismay of David.

David shakes his head walking over, pulling the blanket over Walter.

Walter says stuttering and stammering his way through “William, get this through your head I don’t trust you, I don’t want you here because like everyone tells me I’m a complete waste, not worth remembering.”

David narrows his eyes for just a moment, yet his face smiles a kind smile formed on his face, keeping what Walter said close to his heart “sir don’t worry, things won’t stay the same, one day is only that, one day. I'll stay here sir until you fall asleep, ok.”

Begrudgingly he agrees, Walter closes his eyes tossing and turning getting conformable in bed, as David grabbed the chair turning it sitting and watching him fall asleep, thinking, the scrubbing stopped moments later.

Fifteen minutes passed and Walter was asleep, David looked at the pocket watch that was hanging in the drawer, it was nine o’clock when he got up and opened the door looking at the cleanliness of where the writing was.

He walks to the dining area where the only person there was the chef, he walks up to the man as the chef cleans the tables, the chef hearing a slight noise turns his head to see who it might be.

He walks to the dining area where the only person was the chef David walks up, the chef loudly says, “oh you’re the new guy, if you’re looking for a massive meal were all out, if you want soup, I can get you that.”

David gladly accepts and sits at one of the tables facing the door he just walked in, closing his eyes rubbing them, he sighs opening them looking at the door as that same maid that was cleaning the door. She sits directly in front of David just looking at him.

“What?” David says.

Orla smiles “oh nothing, just checking out the new person that the Lord dare to take in.”

The chef comes back with the soup and some extra bread.

Orla says, “here Joseph, how long do you think this man will last?”

Joseph shakes his head, going back to wiping the other tables.

Waving at him in disappointment she says, “ah your no fun, anyway what about you, hopefully you’ll answer how did a handsome man like you end up in a bump of a manner here.”

He says nothing while drinking his soup and eating his bread.

“The both of you are so sour.” She said putting her fist onto her cheek.

The chef says rather Loudly “we were both in the great war, the Lord, him and me. We would follow the Lord through hell and high water, let’s just say that.”

That shut down Orla’s enthusiastic attitude, David picks up the bowl and starts gulping it down as Orla then says, “so you Joseph lost your hearing and this man went mute, what about the Lord?”

David finishes his soup and slams it on the ground and Joseph sighs in defeat putting his head down, David gets up and walks out without a word spoken.

She looks at him as he walks away “what’s up his ass?”

Joseph shakes his head once more “you really need to learn when to shut up.”

“OK I’m sorry I was out of line, what happened.” She says.

Joseph sits down where David sat and his voice actually sombers. “The battle of Somme happened, four days of excruciating battles me, David and the Lord nearly lost their lives but thanks to the Lord we survived.”

Orla intrudes “but I thought the lords where not allowed to fight?”

Joseph says “Who said we knew who he was, he acted as a non-royal, he was basically the leader when there was none, when there was cannon fire and I lost my hearing more or less, he was the one who helped me back on my feet, I don’t know what happened to the other guy but I’m sure where on the same boat to respect the Lord in his divisions.”

Orla notices the bread David left she grabs it and runs after him, she notices him at the edge of the hall scratching his head, she gets to him holding out the bread.

Breathing heavily, she says, “you forgot this.”

Grabbing the bread, he says “oh thanks, ah where are the room, this place is like a bloody maze where are the sleeping quarters?”

She decides not to say anything about before we’ll not yet “ah there… ah, you know what I’ll show you the place you know what number you are?”

Shaking his head “nope the head butler only says some like I’ll leave a book in your room, I think that’s what he said.”

She agrees to take him, and they head downstairs to the lowers floor, lower than the first floor. On the stairway down a not filled Orla’s stomach.

“Can I just say sorry, for earlier.” She says stopping in front of David.

Bumping into Orla dropping his bread that he was about to eat, which her stepping on as she turned around, “for what?”

She utters “in the dining room.”

“Oh…” He goes quite once more.

“You don’t have to speak, but I just want to say I’m sorry that’s all, OK now I feel better.” She says while continuing to walk to the sleeping quarters.

Annoyed by the food going to waste but he continues to follow Orla. They go down to the lower levels and as she opens the door to another hallway which there were five rooms going down it, a board on the side as they get in the hall that held keys.

Orla explains “there are butlers for each child, and they live down here, away from the public eye. Of course, there are the cleaning crew, but they live outside the mansion, there's a board there for the keys, looks like your room four, I'm the room across from you room five, so... anyway it is getting late, oh yea one more thing place the keys back every morning, goodnight.”

He nods his head watching her go to her room, he then reaches out grabbing his keys and goes to his room. The room looked plain, only a bed and desk with only one chair beside it, on the table was a pocket watch and the book that the head butler said would be there, sitting lighting a candle looking at the book sighing.

He thinks out loud “go read this book, yea how can I, when I can't read, ah David why did I not say a word to him, like I couldn’t read, no fretting over it now have to be up by nine so I’ll head to bed now.”

Getting up and blowing out the candle he heads to bed, takes of everything going under the covers closing his eyes, calming down, yet as he drifted into sleep the dream, he had of the time he was in war, made him drift in and out of sleep.

In the morning he wakes up jolting clenching his abdomen, he looks at the pocket watch on the desk and it was eight, so he puts his clothes on and puts the pocket watch in his chest pocket, heading out to the dining area, not before leaving the keys on the board out in the hall.

He gets to the dining area where he sat at the same seat waking up fully.

Joseph walked in soon after he says quite loudly “you always where the first one awake.”

He sits beside him with David nodding his head “I'll tell you one thing David that’s not two things, each one of the butlers where in the war, some gone crazy others mute, each one was helped by the Lord in some way, Orla was one of them, she was a medic that treated her brother, which it traumatized her, making her have two personality's in her head, so don’t be angry with her.”

Confused David replies “I was never mad, I just don’t like hearing or talking about it, I... I... I’m just bad at speaking, I'm forcing myself to speak most of the time, otherwise I wouldn't speak, enough about me who else is here butler wise?”

Joseph nods his head “I'll tell yaw, after I'll get food for you then I'll tell you.”

He walks in and a few minutes later comes out with toast and tea, sitting back down saying “there’s you that works with what they call the problem child, Walter, there's Orla that works for the most recent, the youngest, Margaret, there's Ethan who's completely mute uses sign language and everything, he works basically under Augustus, and lastly Benjamin who is shy but the most normal I guess, working for Solomon.”

And again, David said nothing, starting to eat the toast as Joseph gets up going to the back to start cooking for the royal. He finishes up while the others walk in, Orla walks with Ethan overly chatty, Orla sees David and waves vigorously as she grabbed Ethan's arm pulling him to the table.

Orla says, “how did you sleep?”

David responds “good, you?”

Orla says, “I slept very well actually; I don’t think you met Ethan, he’s mute.”

Ethan waves as does David, Ethan starts signing (nice to meet you.)

David signs back (nice to meet you too, you sleep well.)

Ethan nods and Orla confused on what they're saying asks Ethan “what you are talking about?”

David looked at the pocket watch and it was five minutes to nine. He gets up and walks out to Walters room.

He gets there to the door with only two minutes to spare and there stood the last butler Benjamin at the door waiting for nine o clock David assumed.

Benjamin says “hi.”

David smiles and nods his head while standing at the door of Wiliam's checking his pocket watch which had only one minute remaining.

That one minute of silence passed quicker so Benjamin walked in as did David, David walks in saying "Morning." With Walter open his eyes and look at him rolling his eyes.

He says, “your still here William, fine, pick me up, put me in the chair and we’ll have lu... breakfast you’ll bring it here to the room, ok?”

David smiles “yes sir, hold on their two seconds I'll be with you now.”

David walks to the door putting his right arm under the two legs and the left arm placed in the middle of his back, lifting him up and walking to the chair placing him gently onto the chair. He fix's the legs on the wheelchair and places two towels at each bar, near his knees, then picks up a pillow with Walter shaking his head so David puts it back the way it was.

He then walks to the door asking, “you want anything else sir?”

He shakes his head angrily, David walks of getting the food, he quickly gets to the hall where he meets all the butlers sat with the others the children and other royalty, the pretentious arrogant looks that these children gave would be enough to sicken even the most healthiest person, at there on a table with no one sitting around it was a bowl of beans toast and tea on a tray, David asks Joseph “is this for Walter?”

Joseph nods his head in agreement, so he walks back to Walters room and at the door he met a child writing on the door once more.

“Is that nice to do, young man?” David said.

Augustus turns and says, “I'm allowed to do what I want!”

Ethan runs up behind David tapping him on the shoulder miming sorry.

David nods “it’s ok, can you just take him away to use up is creativity somewhere else.”

Ethan nods his head but Augustus objects “no I'll stay here and do what I want you're not my father.”

David turns to Ethan asking, “could you bring this into Walters room.” handing him the tray.

Ethan grabs it and walks in the door and Walter looks at Ethan walking in noticing David kneeling down to talk to Augustus.

Ethan let the tray down, smiled and walked out, opening the door and Augustus stood silent wiping away tears. David walks past Ethan going in the door, as Ethan walks Augustus away, David then pushes Walter to the table.

He picks up a shirt out of the drawer as Walter unbuttons his shirt with his right hand, David then takes of the shirt easily and slowly through the right arm then the left, taking the new shirt putting it on him too. Next up were the trousers, he then helped Walter take them off and put on trousers as fast as he could, as Walter was embarrassed. David grabs a jacket putting it over the t-shirt also, then David sits as Walter asks, “what you say to him?”

Smiling David says, “oh nothing, I basically said if you don’t be nice the boogie man will get you.”

“But William, the boogie man doesn't exist.” Walter responds.

Smiling while he nods his head he says, “smart man, you are a smart man indeed, which you are right, there is no such thing as that.”

He starts eating with his right hand, dipping the toast in the tea, and eating it, then moves onto the beans grabbing the spoon and digging in eating it as fast as he could, everything was eaten within minutes.

Walter asks, “you not eat?”

“I ate before.” David responds.

Walter nods his head while David asks, “do you want to go outside?”

Heavy breathing starts from Walter as David continues “just out at the sitting area, everyone's at the food area eating breakfast, so it’s a good time for it I guess.”

“No, no, no, no, I will not.” he says frantically.

“How about this let's play chess, if I win you go outside and if you win, we’ll stay in here, is that a deal?” David says.

Walter thinks for a moment (it’s not that I want to leave, but I don’t want to be hurt anymore by anyone, but I don’t think William is bad but... never mind that now I must win, so I don't go.)

No words spoken during this match Walter took the black pieces while David took the white, Walter thought more about going outside while playing, David moves pawn to e4, so Walter responds with pawn to g6, David then moved a pawn to f3, with Walter moving the bishop to g7, next David moved a pawn to d3, and Walter moves the knight to f6, David moves the bishop to g5 while Walter castles.

David smiles while Walter starts to talk but still stammering “you know what William, screw it call it a draw and we’ll go outside now.”

David nods his head saying with excitement “we’ll be back in before anyone can notice.”

Sighing with nerves Walter remarks “ok, ok.”

David walks behind grabbing a hat placing it on Walter's head with him giggling then grabs the handles and pushes him to the door but before they leave Walter says, “ah William could you grab a book called A Friend Never Forgotten, it's on my desk.” sighing silently he walks to the desk picking up the only book there thankfully, he puts it in his pocket and walks to the door opening it pushing him through, out to the hall no one there.

(Thank God.) Walter thinks.

Going and turning right at the corner they meet Orla, David smiles while Orla frowns not saying a word, David walks past her as she glared at them the entire time, ignoring that they continued down the hall with a slight smile forming on Walter's face.

They get to the stairs where David says, “ah bugger it, listen Walter it will be a bit bumpy.”

Every bump Walter laughs all the way to the main floor. David turns and goes out back of the building to the sitting area, and at the corner of it is a gazebo which David places right up next to the table, facing the large open field.

Walter looks nervous but David asks, “what is it sir?”

He stammers “William can I ask something?”

David nods his head “aye shoot.”

“you're a man that looks like he has no faults, if you know what I mean. The question I'm trying to ask is, do you have faults?” He sighs relieved that he spoke mostly without stammering.

David smiles “before I answer that, you did great at speaking, but I do have faults yes, everybody does, like for example I'm not good at speaking or I... I can't read.”

Surprised by this Walter says, “then I'll help you read.”

Again, David smiles agreeing which Walter asking for the book holding it in his right hand flipping it to its back “try and read this.” he says.

David tries “A.... Fwend N... Never F... F... For... gotten.”

Walter claps his right hand against the left one he stammers “fair play, I'll help you through this book if you want.”

David again smiles, but that didn’t last long a woman walked up to them “what are you doing with this bastard child out here, he supposed to be in his room this hour, because everyone is discussed by him just look behind you, these butlers that he chose are supposed to be there for the new lord of the manner, my youngest son Augustus will take up that mantel, not this troubled child.”

David pushes the wheelchair facing this woman, he glances over at the window which there was a lot of people just staring in curiosity, he gets up standing in front saying with a flare of anger in his voice yet calm he kept it, “hey, you don’t get to order this man around, he’s allowed to do what he wants to.”

“I can easily fire you, so easily just by talking to... the lord as you call him, I call him my husband, now do as I say and leave.” the lady demands

“Be quiet old hag...” David responds.

The lady slaps David on his face, while his head whips back he looked at Walter, which he was looking away saddened David looks back at the lady, but before he could say another word Walter grabs David’s shirt looking at the floor. David looks back again to Walter, his left hand reaches for the book giving it to David in surprise to him, people seen it but didn’t take note of it.

Walter stutters “let's leave.”

David smiles saying “ok.”

He walks behind the wheelchair pushing it indoors, while people stair’s and murmured at this (troubled child). They reach the stairs while Benjamin walks the opposite way to them.

He runs over and says, “you need help.”

David accepts with jubilation, Walter stays quiet looking away, Benjamin and David lift the wheelchair to the second floor. David then thanks Benjamin and walks straight to the room with Walter's head down Avoiding eye contact with everyone.

The get to the room and in they go, David closes the door behind him, Walter turns the wheelchair with his right-hand stammering, “I knew we shouldn’t have gone outside; we made a complete fool out of ourselves.”

Shaking his head David smiles “no we didn't, you got outside, you did fantastic, you picked up the courage to go outside and you did, there no foolery about that, you are a normal boy…”

Walter intrudes stammering “with a disability.”

“Yea you do have a disability, but it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t say what you are, you are still an intelligent, kind-hearted, brave person no one can take that from you…” as David continues tears fall from Walter's face until he started crying full out, which David go’s in for a hug which Walter did as well

Moments pass with them both gaining their composure, Walter begins to speak wiping away tears without much stuttering “shall we finish the chess game?”

David pushes the chair to the board and sits him next to black as he sits beside white. They play on with Walter moving the black pawn to d4, as Walter says, “William, can I ask something?”

Walter Moves the black pawn to c6, David nods his head replying, “yes you can, what’s up?"

Walter stutters while David moves another white pawn to b3 “I don’t know much about you; can I ask what you did before being my butler?”

“Ah… I was homeless before this.” He responds as Walter moves a black pawn to b5.

While David Moves another pawn to a4, Walter asking, “how did you know my father?”

David thinks for a moment while Walter moves a black pawn to a5, David says, “through the war.”

“What age.” Walter jumps in.

David moves the pawn to d5 saying “what age am I now twenty-one, ah… I was sixteen when I joined the army and went into the great war, two years after that in the battle of Somme, I met the Lord, ah… then I got blown up by a bomb and shrapnel flew into my abdomen and your father, a medic, stitched me up but through those few bad days, the Lord, the chef Joseph, and I still had to fight till allies arrived a few days later and that’s it, and that's as far as I'll say.”

“Oh god, sorry for asking if that upset you.” Walter says

He smiles “is ok sir, you asked, and I responded don’t worry so much.” as Walter moves the black knight to a6.

The conversation stopped there, playing the rest of the game in silence. David moves the queen to d4, Walter moves a pawn to d6, David moves the pawn to c4, Walter takes a pawn on e4 with the knight, David thinks for a moment as he takes the bishop with the queen on g7. (he got better placement now, he has opened up, so I have to take that then, if takes, take move take, sure that will do.)

Walter's king takes the queen on g7, the white pawn takes the black knight, Walter moves the queen to d7, David moves the bishop to d3, Walter moves the pawn to f6, David moves the knight to f3, Walter takes the bishop on g5, David takes the pawn on g5 with his knight, Walter moves his queen to g4, David moves his other knight to d2, Walter takes pawn with his other pawn on d5, David takes the pawn on d5, Walter moves his only knight to b4,

David takes the pawn with his bishop on g6 thinking to himself smiling (yes now he's open, I'll let him win but, he's open, he's not trapped, good.)

king takes the bishop on g6, David takes the pawn takes pawn on b5, Walter moves the rook to b8, David takes the pawn on h7, Walter quickly moves the rook to h8 without thinking.

Knight moves to f8 and its check, Walter takes the knight with the rook on f8, David moves the pawn to h3, Walter moves the queen moving to f5, David moves the rook to c1, Walter takes the pawn with the rook on b5, David takes the rook with the pawn on b5, Walter moves queen moves to f2 and that’s check,

David moves the king to d1 thinking (smart.)

Walter moves the queen takes pawn on g2, David moves the rook to f1, Walter's rook takes rook on f1, David knight takes rook on f1, Walter queen takes the knight on f1.

David pushes his king down, giving up.

“Fair play Walter.” David says smiling.

David face then turn to concern “sorry Walter, I made you worry, I won’t do that again.”

Shaking his head Walter says, “no you didn’t make me sad, it's just sad that people had to go through that, that’s all.”

This conversation continued up to lunch, David gets up saying “I'll get your lunch now, sir.”

Nodding his head Walter says slightly stammering “OK, just please don’t take too long.”

He goes to the food hall with it empty except yet again Joseph making the food one tray of soup bread he shouts, “is this Walter’s?”

He agrees so he picks it up and walks back to the room with nothing notable to say. Yet going into the room there was Orla making the bed and Walter looking at the floor in silents.

David sits down placing the food in front of Walter with him saying, “thank you William.”

Orla razes her eyebrow turning around as David looks at her smiling as she looks at David angrily then turns to Walter with a grin “your bed is finished.”

Walter looks at her nodding his head smiling, once he done that, Orla went out of the room not saying another word.

“You don’t like her?” David asks as the door closes.

Walter says, “I do just she's a bit odd, like one minute she’s happy the next stone face plane, I don’t get it.”

“Ah she’s a bit odd as you say, don’t worry you could just say it’s a part of her charm.” He says.

Throughout the rest of the day Walter helped David read to some extent.

Nothing more notable happened for the rest of the day, so at ten o’clock Walter went to bed with help from David, then with him leaving goes to the dining hall once more for the last time of this day.

No one there only a bowl of soup and some bread with a note that read (This is yours.) Even though he had trouble reading it, he sat down on something that hurt is ass, he takes the sore thing out of his back pocket. It was the book Walter gave him. He opened it and tried reading it while he ate.

Orla came in once more and sat in front of David and the first question she asked was “why William?”

Putting the book down saying, “it wasn’t me who chose it.”

“Still a bit weird though.” She says

Steering the questions away from him he asks, “how are you feeling you’ve been quiet all day?”

“I’ve been in bed all day sleeping so, I’m fine.” She reply’s

Not wanting to push her on it he leaves the conversation there, a moment of silence happens where Orla’s mood changes, her eyes narrow and changed from a happy face to an almost angry one.

She says, “so you’re the one I seen this morning.”

David says, “and you’re the other half, nice to meet you.”

“What you mean other half?” She asks.

Shaking his head “oh no don’t worry, I just thought I talked to you somewhere before.”

“No, this is the first time speaking, What’s your name?” She asks.

He replies, “I’m David and you.”

She responds, “I’m Orla.”

As he says her name, she closes her eyes and the other personality comes back, David finishes his food and says, “I’m a bit-tired Orla, I'll head to bed if you don’t mind.”

She smiles as the bubbly personality comes back “yeah sure I'll do the last rounds of the day.”

David walks out the door and to the sleeping quarters where grabbing the keys he heads to his room, he notices a letter underneath the door frame, opening the door picking it up of the floor placing it on his desk as he takes of the jacket unbuttoning his shirt opening it seeing if he could read it.

It read “your presents is required at the Lord's Court tomorrow at nine o clock in the morning, your duties will be replaced by another member of the house, the head butler will guide you there.”

The words jumped all over the place but eventually he got through it, worried he went to bed closing his eyes as his heart raced yet somehow, he slept soundly.

Waking up the next day David sat up wiping his face, but before he could do anything someone started banging at the door, putting on his trousers and went to the door, opening it. There stood the head butler he says, “you got the letter last night, didn’t you?”

David nods so the head butler follows up with “then follow me.”

The head butler walks away, David quickly puts on the rest of his clothes and gets out the door and runs after him, catching up quickly up the stairs. They reach the main floor, and he follows him down some halls that weren’t shown in the house tour when he arrived here, they go without speaking a word, he walks down a long hallway to two big double doors.

Before they go in the head butler turns and says “ok the Lord won’t be able to speak loudly, I'll be the one standing in front of him speaking what he says loudly, you will stay at the door until I walk up and call on you then you walk up then kneel at the stairs speak only when spoken to ok that’s it.”

And so, the door opened, and they took a few steps in, enough for the doors to close behind them. A large room with pillars lined the center of the room going to the throne, behind the pilers where a crowd of nobles. The stairs up to the throne held twenty steps, and the throne covered by a sheet of heavy white cloth, behind it was a figure sitting on the throne.

The head butler walks up the stairs and stands in front of the cloth he nods his head to guested David to come up, which David walked only hearing only his footsteps, feeling the intense glare of everyone but he continues up and at the base of the steps and kneels.

The head butler looks at the cloth with the lord speaking so softly only the head butler could hear, the head butler then says, “so you’ve been working here for three days now, with my son I hear.”

Snickering from the crowd, the lord as well as the butler looked in the direction of the laughing with it immediately stopping.

The butler then says, “so how is my boy.”

David replies, “ah he… he, he’s fine sir.”

The head butler then says, “you don’t speak much, do you anymore?”

David says with pride “no sir, I have trouble speaking, but your son is helping me speak read, he is an amazing person I wouldn’t want to work under anyone else.”

The head butler says, “I am pleased to hear that.” but he could finish what he was saying it was stumped short by a person in the crowd “you are kidding me, that troubled child?”

David shouts “he is not troubled!”

Each person in the room looks at him appalled as how dare he speak out of line.

He asks, “may I speak freely?”

The head butler looks at the cloth then back at David saying, “you may.”

David gets up continuing “he is not troubled, no what he is, is belittled by each and everyone in this room, you all complain about him like he’s not there, like he’s some bad thought, he is a better royal than any of you here, let me say this you all say that his disability makes him weak, when in fact he is much stronger than any of you, another thing is you wouldn’t even notice it, if it wasn’t pointed out, which you all constantly do, I’ll tell you all one thing, when he was outside that day unknowingly he grabbed a book, and you all say the left hand is a problem, he gave me it using his left hand. You all are so ignorant to his feelings have you thought about your son, brother, cousin as a regular person, I guess not as you would of treat him better, you trap him in the room like he’s some sort of wild beast but he isn’t he’s a lonely child looking for companionship which no one here ever gave him. You all are the rotten ones in this house, and he is the shining gem, his ideals beliefs are much higher than anyone of yours, I would recommend taking a page from his book, but it’s almost guaranteed you won’t.”

Sighing calming his voice, while everyone reeled in shock “it is your choice now my lord whether I stay or go I’m the only one that helped this child, and I've been here three days, but I cannot make the decision only you, my lord only you.”

The End.

#storytelling #shortstory #troubledchild #butler #richstory #realisticstory #thegreatwar #realisticfiction #sadstory #disability