3 Robert

Guillaume opened his eyes.

What greeted him, was the view on an oak paneled ceiling, looking left to right he could see tapestries of different sizes hanging down on the walls made of massive stone blocks, depicting different scenes of love and betrayal, grand battles, heroic deeds with kings and their Queens.

"What happened? Didn't seem like Hades wiped my memories as he promised." Guillaume thought to himself.

"Looks like I'm definitely in another time frame, since this really gives me the vibes of a castle."

Trying to raise himself up, Guillaume could feel exorbitant pain in his right leg, looking down, his view was obstructed by a bulging belly.

"WTF?? Did I become a fatty in this lifetime? Oh, you Hades, so this is your payback. But if you think that I will cower from only this keep dreaming." Guillaume cursed the old god in his thoughts, remembering that he triggered a dispute between spouses.

As he couldn't get up with his own strength Guillaume started calling for help, but no one answered to his pleadings.

After half a day of wasting away in what Guillaume presumed his room, he could hear footsteps approaching.

"Quick help, hurry up I'm in a predicament here."

As the door to his room opened an alarmed voice rang out.

"Young master Robert what happened." A melodious voice rang near Guillaume's ear.

"Ahh, what happened to your leg young Master? I'll quickly fetch some help please bear the pain till then."

"No no no, don't leave me alone again stay, please stay." But Guillaume's pleading came to late the footsteps and the voice coming with it, already walked away at a fast rate.

"And who the f*** is Robert?" Guillaume cursed to himself.

After a little while a group of people came into the room, looking at Guillaume's predicament, but since he couldn't move, he didn't see the look on their face, would he have been able to, he would definitely be seething with rage.

They were silently laughing at him.

After a few moments, the people started helping Guillaume respectfully and placing him on his canopy bed.

Now he got a clear view of the group of people. Men in their 30's large build, packed with muscles, long black hair and braided beards.

"They definitely look like warriors." Guillaume thought to himself.

Now he could also see the person with the melodious voice. A girl no older than 12 with blond hair and wearing a typical servant garment, gray woven linen. She approached Guillaume on his bed.

"Young master Robert, I informed Lord Governor about your accident, he will pay you a visit in the afternoon. In the meantime, please recover a bit as the quack is already on his way." The young girl said respectfully.

The warriors that put Guillaume nodded reserved in his direction and made their way out of the chamber.

Guillaume got finally the time to gather his thoughts, the little girl should be his personal servant the lord governor as she told him probably his father? And the men that helped him should be his father's lackeys. So, his "family" was definitely of some prominence. Lord Governor should also be a title given only to the ruling class.

After a few moments, a stout person entered the room with a big belly putting even Guillaume's newly found "abundance" into shame.

The charlatan arrived and immediately got busy, he first checked the leg that hurt Guillaume and then continued examine the rest of his patients body.

"Mister Brunswick, please tell me is the leg broken?" the young maid asked fearfully

"Ah no no, Miss don't be anxious. Rest assured Young Master Robert is in perfect condition, its just his ankle that is sprained. What concerns me more is the bump on the back of his head, it already swelled to the size of a pig trotter, should have happened as young master sprained his ankle." The quack said.

"He should definitely stay in bed the next days an recuperate, injuries to the head are no small matter." As he finished, Mr. Brunswick started packing his equipment.

Guillaume was stunned, as the quack explained his diagnosis, he could first see reluctance but then schadenfreude on the face of his maid. This was definitely not the normal behavior of a trained maid; this was really strange and gave Guillaume a bad premonition.

"Could it be? The former owner should have died in that fall, right? So, looking at the behavior of his servant, it couldn't be that he was one of these spoiled and extravagant second generation, right?"

Even though Guillaume had always been part of an affluent family with rich heritage in his past life, he was never really appreciated as it turned out that he was without any noteworthy talents and spend most of his time outside on the flower fields.

But looking at himself now it didn't seem like the previous owner of this body had any noteworthy talent either.

Before Guillaume could finish his thoughts, the door to his chambers opened again a women in her 40's entered and without as much as glancing through the room she made her way to Guillaume. Scrutinized him from top to bottom, and then hugging him.

"Oh, my poor boy did you hurt yourself? Show mommy where it hurts." The woman said worriedly.

"Quack, tell me what's wrong with my boy? Why is he suddenly shaky on his legs?"

"Milady I can't tell much all I could diagnose was a sprained ankle, and a bump on young masters back-head probably from the fall. But in any other way Young master is healthy, even so I suggest for him to stay in bed for the next few days."

"Well tell me then, does he look healthy to you? Look at his pale face, he is definitely in great pain, and you want to tell me that he is perfectly fine? Charlatan get the hell out of here!" The before so kind face of the women was contorted in rage as she yelled overbearingly.

The red-faced Quack grasped his equipment and stormed out of the room.

Being only left with the maid servant, the women looked at the 12-year-old child and ordered,

"Go grab some water and towels and be quick."

As the chamber was empty now, Guillaume could catch a new glimpse at the women that called herself mother, the facial features were definitely exquisite and showed no sign of a worry full life let alone manual labor. Looking at the smooth features that were distorted with worry, a warmth filled Guillaume's heart.

"Is this how a mother should worry about her son? That's definitely a new one for me. Even though the behavior is a bit over the top and overbearing it does feel nice." Guillaume scoffed to himself.

"Poor Robert, does it still hurt? Was your father already here? Doesn't he care about his only son? Ah I'm worried sick." The women complained.

"I know, I'll get one of your elder sisters to accompany you this definitely can't happen anymore."

"Only son? Elder sisters?" As Guillaume didn't have any memories of the original Robert pretty much everything was new to him. Silently contemplating this issue Guillaume decided that in the near future he would have to do some inquiries. And since presumably this family was of status it should have at least a study with all necessary information.

As the time went on Guillaume continued to play charade with his "mother" since the pain from his ankle subsided long ago.

In the afternoon another procession approached, the chamber. Guillaume could hear the clattering of armor, heavy boots hitting the oak floor.

The door swung open, and a troop of fully armored knights entered. In the middle of the troop flanked by 2 Men in shiny armor, stood a man in his 50's a bear like chest, and arms massive as tree trunks, the face of this man was rugged with wrinkles and a scar directly under his left eye.

Wearing a fully blackened armor which was in direct contrast to the shiny armors of the men surrounding him, he gave Guillaume a ferocious feeling who could already feel sweat on his forehead.

Behind this man stood a young woman in her 20's. She too was armored but giving off an elegant feeling as the finesse of her figure could still be seen through the thick steel sheets of the armor.

"Dear, what took you so long?" It was the mother that broke the silence.

"We were still on our ride out when we got the message, it still took us some time leaving the forest and coming back here." The bear like men growled.

As Guillaume looked more closely at this men, whose identity was more than clear by now, he discovered different patterns on that mans armor, forged bear heads as epaulets, and the helmet that the men had under his arms was a recreated bear head, looking even more ferocious as the fangs were painted red, or were they?

The man looked directly at Guillaume, and as he didn't avert his gaze the man seemed surprised.

"So what is it today Robert? What sickness do we have today?" The father asked dismissive.

Before someone could say something he continued in his monologue.

"Ahlala, I can only blame myself, how could I let your mother spoil you to death. How old are you now? 17? And never rode a horse? Where did my face go? I was definitely to soft hearted with you. Look at your sister."

The man gestured to the only woman in armor.

"She could already be the head of the guards, but you know what? She prefers to be a regular member the scouting division." The man shook his head.

"Woman! Tell me, what is it this time? Which sickness does my dear Robert have this time?"

"A sprained ankle…" the mother replied softly.

"Aha, a sprained ankle." The man turned around,

"Why do you think the ankle is sprained Maria."

The only woman responded.

"Dear father, I think my brother is to fat and can't control his body anymore."

Oh, now that you say it, it does seem like my son has gotten a little fat, right?"

No one answered.

"Right? "The man asked again, now with an urging tone.

All the men of the troop answered.

"Yes Milord." The answer came as cannon fire.

"Since everyone sees the issue, then we have to do something against this. Starting next week my dear son will start helping on the farmstead along the serfs." The man said in a self-satisfied tone.

Before the mother could interject the man cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"The decision is made."

The man turned around and left the chamber. Everyone present gaped in shock, even the sister Maria, the younger master working on a farm? Unimaginable. This will definitely create a stir.

The mother directly followed behind her Husband still trying to persuade otherwise.

But no one looked at the person in question, first Guillaume had bulging eyes the presence of his "father" when angry was definitely scary. But looking at the outcome it didn't really bother him much. He was used to hard work on the fields, even if this body was weak as a kitten he would definitely be in his element.

As the chaos in his chamber subsided, and the people left. Guillaume was only left with his maid.

Looking back, Guillaume made a decision. This would be his life starting now his one and only chance. And he would become Robert as Guillaume died back in Grasse on an operating table.

Guillaume smiled and said.

"Thank you, Hades!"

avataravatar
Next chapter