Several days passed by, and Emmet would watch the construction of the tourney grounds progress with each sunset. Every day he would finish work and lean on a nearby fence, catching his breath and watching the workers wrap up their duties for the day. Nearly a week went on, and soon banners local nobility were fluttering in the breeze as carts carrying supplies were being dragged in. This went on until the morning when the entire town seemed to be preparing for the arrival of Duke Bennet and his family.

Emmet was usually one to rise early, but he had been getting up even earlier leading up to the duke’s arrival. While the grand reception in the castle would be for the Forcetti family and other prominent residents of Elksbrooke, Emmet would still have his part to play in receiving the Bennet’s horses upon their arrival, and he wanted to make sure he was present and correct for such an honor.

The sun was hardly peeking over the horizon when Emmet had the stables prepared. Frost, Stone, and Grace already let out into the field and sought too, so that he might take the duke’s steeds and make them comfortable after the trek to Elksbrooke. Once the morning work had been completed, it was off to the gates of the town.

Everyone seemed to have pitched in for festivities. The sides of the road were lined with flowers of all colors, and the scents of sizzling meat wafted through the air. Rarely were the streets so packed with people this early in the morning, Emmet had even heard that Lord Forcetti was offering incentives to businesses that closed for the day so that as many people as possible were in attendance. A few friends from the tavern had asked if he had wanted to join them, but he had work to see to. While everyone else got to have the day off, Emmet would be with the Forcetti family when the Duke arrived. And while he wouldn’t be there as part of the welcoming group, he would at least get the chance to show Duke Bennet how competent of a caretaker he could be for the family horses.

It was only a few hours past sunrise when Emmet was arriving at the castle grounds. The guards recognized him as both a close friend to Aaron and an employee of the family, and paid no mind as he made his way through the service entrance. The stables of the castle were located as far from the main grounds as possible. Both so it could be next to the roaming field where the horses roamed, and to keep the odor of horses and manure as far away from the nobility as possible.

His father, Gerald, was already hard at work in the stables when Emmet arrived. The poor man had even slept in a cot in the corner so that he could make everything ready as early as possible. “Please tell me it’s already over, and we get to go home.” His father joked, giving his son a mischievous smile. Emmet chuckled along, leaning next to an empty stall and looking around to admire how clean everything was. Or, rather, as clean as the dirt floor of a stable could be. But the troughs had been scrubbed until they shined, and he had dusted the cobwebs out of every nook and cranny. Frankly, it made Emmet feel a bit insecure about the work he did at his own stable…

“No, no. Quite the opposite.” Emmet teased. “But it looks like the duke should be soon, we’ll know once we hear the people cheering down by the gate.”

His father nodded, taking a drink from the canteen that hung from his belt. “So, you know what to do then?” He asked, giving his son a stern look.

“Of course.” Emmet replied. “Wait for Lord Forcetti to welcome the duke, stay to the side, say nothing, then take his horses,” He said, walking between the rows of empty stalls. “Then bring them back here, undress them, feed them, let them rest, and take them back outside the walls in the morning for the tourney.”

“Good man.” His father said, standing up from his spot on the ground and walking up to Emmet. “Nervous?”

“No, not really.” He replied.

His father just chuckled. “You know how bad of a liar you are, right?” He said, gently shoving his son on the shoulder.

“Alright, alright.” Emmet confessed. “Maybe a little.”

“Well, don’t worry too much. Last time I cared for an honored guest, a servant handed me the steeds and I didn’t have to say a word to them at first. Makes it easier when they come around for the tourney, the nerves should be gone by then. And when they do eventually address you, just stay respectful. Yes your grace, no your grace, kiss a little ass.” He said, punctuating his fatherly advice with a hearty laugh. Emmet joined in the laughter, having learned ages ago that any sense of formality outside of noble affairs goes out the window once appearances are on the line. The earful he got from his parents when he called Aaron a “Wannabe prince, dressed as a wannabe jester,” while one of the Forcetti’s distant cousins was visiting the town was something he would never forget.

The two sat in silence for a moment, saying nothing, until Emmet’s father spoke up.

“I’m gonna miss you, son.” He said, looking at his boy for a moment before staring back at his boots.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s just… I know you’re going to do a good job caring for the horses. And if the Bennets need another caretaker, you might be gone by the end of the week. And if that’s the case, you’re gonna be far enough away and–” he fell silent, giving off a sniffle that Emmet knew was exaggerated to hide his emotions. “Well, you know how your mother is going to be. Wailing and bawling once you’re gone. And I’m gonna be the one to put up with it.” He jested, slapping his hands on his knees as he huffed.

“Dad.” Emmet said, feeling himself choke up. “I’ll miss you too.”

The two shared a silent moment, sharing a nod and a smile, before they gave a quick embrace, Emmet feeling his father pat him on the back.

Afterwards, they both made the trek to the courtyard to get ready for a long day of work.

Emmet and Gerald took their place amongst the rest of the help in the courtyard of the Forcetti castle. The servants decorated the open space with banners of the Forcetti crest, the diving eagle, as well as the coat of arms of the Bennet family, the visage of a snarling bear. An emerald green carpet stretched the length of the courtyard from the gate to the front steps, with flower petals peppering the grounds. An entrance truly fit for the guests they were receiving.

It seemed like ages; the staff waiting along the courtyard while the Forcetti family waited before the front steps of their home. Aaron, his parents, and his younger sister waiting at attention.

Emmet, along with his father, stood as close to the Forcetti family as they could without risking taking notice from the Bennet family before they needed to. Several dozen people, all standing around, hopelessly bored and waiting for this pageantry to be over with so they could get on with their lives.

“How long does this usually take?” Emmet asked his father, who scoffed in reply.

“If we’re lucky, we’ll only stand around for another hour.”

Emmet tried his best to pass the time by counting all the petals he saw on the ground before him, losing count at least a dozen times before he finally heard the cheering coming from the main road of the town. Everyone stood at attention, looking down towards the entrance to the courtyard, where their guests would arrive. Emmet looked over at Aaron, who just shook his head in reply.

“Don’t be so sure. Blue bloods love to milk the applause.” Emmet’s father whispered to him, clearly annoyed. The young man was getting the feeling that a lot of noble life was just waiting around, or following a set of rules laid out long before you for the sake of tradition. Often, he thought Aaron was lucky to be born into such a position, but he found himself envying his friend less and less.

Everyone around Emmet seemed to be eager for this pomp and circumstance to be over with, but he was becoming more and more anxious. This might have been nothing new to them, but for him, it was his only chance to make a good first impression. His mouth felt dry, and he tapped his foot restlessly as he heard the parade growing closer and closer. The beating of hooves on stone became louder until he finally saw figures turn the corner. Standard bearers were the first to enter the courtyard. The chroma-guard, dressed in purple and gold surcoats, carried the banners depicting the roaring bear of the Bennet family seal. Behind them, on one of the tallest steeds that Emmet had seen, was Duke Bennet himself. An older man with a full gray beard and a face worn from a stressful life. Even from a distance, Emmet could tell the stitching of his clothes was that of a master tailor. His knuckles glistened in the sun from the rings he wore, and a long gold chain hung around his neck. He wondered how much a family could eat if they were to sell just his jewels…

Following the duke, Emmet assumed, were his children. The first was a man who looked to be several years his senior, sharing his father's jawline while struggling to fill it out with more than sparse whiskers. He rode in on a horse whose bridal was fringed with gold studs, wearing a full set of carefully crafted plate armor that was far too clean to have seen any actual use. Next to this young man was who Emmet assumed to be Lucile. He only spotted her because of her dark hair, which helped her stand out from the lighter colors her family sported. Dressed only slightly more humbly than her father, Emmet could see why Aaron had mentioned wanting to win her over. She was certainly lovely. Beside her was a younger girl, who looked shockingly similar to her sister, but more plain in her appearance. Not at all ugly, as the rumors made it sound, and Emmet began to wonder if it were some cruel tavern rumor that she had a face like a salmon.

As much as Emmet wanted to turn to his friend to see his reaction, he knew better than to break rank and kept cheering with the rest of the group, sure to give a hearty applause.

The parade approached the Forcetti family, and the Bennets were helped off their horses by a group of attendants. Lord Forcetti welcomed the duke, who thanked him for his hospitality in return. An exchange that sounded altogether disingenuous and rehearsed, but expected from the occasion. Emmet watched as Lady Forcetti greeted Lucile, and Aaron greeted her brother. Aaron had tried to move closer to Lucia, but had been blocked by her brother, who leaned down to whisper into a suddenly nervous looking Aaron’s ear.

The two families conversed for a brief time. About what was unclear, but they all eventually shuffled into the castle. Once the doors shut, the gathering of staff seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief. The nobles are happy! Back to work! Emmet quickly noticed a few Bennet servants gathering the horses by the reigns, and he promptly approached them.

“Stables are that way, around the corner.” He said, pointing the two men in the right direction. “I’ve got a few empty stalls ready, you can leave them there and I’ll see to them.”

“Aye,” one man replied. “Give us a hand, then?” He asked, handing him the reins to one of the horses. Emmet took them and started leading the way. It was surprisingly easy to get the men to listen to them. He had worried that someone would feel they had more experience or authority than him and would cause trouble. But the men did their jobs, helped him lead the horses to the stables, and left them in their stalls before moving on to carry out whatever other task they were given.

That left Emmet alone with the horses. One by one, he stripped them of their riding gear and any other ornaments they had been wearing. Saddles, bridles, and all other harnesses were neatly hung aside as Emmet admired the craftsmanship that went into every piece. His father’s assistants had already filled their troughs with feed and water, so Emmet went to check the hooves of each horse, scrubbing them clean of any dirt and debris while checking for damage. Six in total, everything seemed to be going well. These were some of the healthiest and well cared for horses he had seen, save for one.

The last horse that Emmet had done a check of, the youngest of the group, acted skittish around him. At first he thought he might have just been shy and scared. It was the youngest, he thought it might have been the young stallions first time away from it’s home. But Emmet was taught to never leave anything to chance. He felt around the horse, feeling for any signs of injury or discomfort. He felt around the back, the hips, the flanks, and everything seemed good… but then he felt it’s left leg, just below the knee. It felt warm, and swollen. One of the first thing that Emmet learned about horses from his father was that their legs support a lot of weight, and that a leg injury for a horse could be fatal if not cared for swiftly.

“Damn it!” Emmet hissed, running his hands through his hair as he let out a sigh. His first chance to make a good impression, and he had to tell the Duke that one of his horses was injured. But then he looked back up at the creature. Many people just saw horses as beasts or tools, but Emmet learned that they were anything but. They were intelligent creatures, each with their own personality. In a lot of ways, horses were like people.

He brought his hand to the horses, neck, rubbing it gently. He couldn’t help but feel guilty, he had worried about his own appearance when this creature could very well be in serious pain. Or it could be facing more than that, and at such a young age.

“Don’t worry.” He said gently, trying to soothe and reassure the horse. “I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”