I’m running a little late tonight. I was working on an assignment for my Western Civ class (which I was doing last minute because DRAMA and also CARP but I won’t go into that.)
To be honest, the assignment was a little difficult. Not the part about “you’re a vassal for two different lords, who are about to go to war and both have called you up to fight. What do you do?” No, that part was pretty easy. The hard part was doing only the assignment, and not going beyond.
By my oath, I owe fealty to Count Moliere. By my oath, by tradition and right, I owe fealty to Count Lumiere. When this bleak winter ends, the two shall meet on the field of battle and I am called to take my place–on both sides of the argument.
Five years ago at Christmas, I did homage to Count Moliere and spoke my oath, took my place as his vassal. He gave to me the lands and rights to this castle through which the wind blows. This castle he reclaimed when my predecessor broke his oath of fealty, and bore arms against him.
This castle stands, cold and drafty, amid a manor my lord Moliere had nearly emptied of useful persons. He gave me a fief of the old, of the infirm, of women and children. When we meet he boasts of his generosity as a true knight and pokes at my lack thereof, when I have sunk my fortune into caring for a manor near devoid of its workers.
In desperation I went to my lord Lumiere, and as fief my lord Lumiere gave me a mill. The miller was old, but he knew his work and his son was taught his ways. With great care I have conducted the mill, combined it with the work of the manor, and at last I begin to find fortune in these grants I was given, to support my family and supply my war needs. Now, Moliere and Lumiere go to war, and I am likely to be crushed between them.
I should have gone to the crusades.
To be continued…
Maybe. Okay, probably not.
Despite my best intentions, I have not been writing lately. I’ve been working on homework, learning to cook healthy food, chasing my kid, cleaning my house…the list goes on, but writing hasn’t been on it. Then an assignment comes due. Oh no. Gotta write. Priority one, go write something! Hmm, what if the reason my imaginary vassal chooses this lord over that is that he’s in love with his lord and–oh, that reminds me of [my story in progress and in limbo] Beast. Now there’s an aspect I hadn’t thought of. What if I threw the lord-vassal bond into…hmm. Maybe not.
The muses get eager to help after enough neglect. I know they just want to lead me into a story-swamp and abandon me, but at least they want to lead me at all! It’s extremely hard to resist eager muses.
Next week. Heck, maybe tomorrow. I got the assignment turned in tonight, after all. Tomorrow I’m going hiking because I have new hiking poles that must be tried out, but when I get home I will probably still have energy to clear my desk and pull something out.
Hmm, if I’m gonna get left in a swamp, I should probably find my hip-boots…can I get a promise that if I start sinking in quicksand, someone will throw me a rope? Or at least a snake?