Doomed Knight
“I’m sorry Lord and Lady Payne, but the results of Scar’s physical don’t bode well for hum becoming a knight,” Scar had to cover his mouth to stifle a gasp as he listened in on the conversation his parents were having with the doctor who had come to evaluate him before his parents could send him off to knight school. “Scar’s body is, to put it simply, built improperly. The boy is hypermobile and he has brittle bones. Meaning any activity to strenuous risks causing Scar’s knees or his hips to pop out of place or worse. Even page training would likely put him through a daily cycle of torment, if you care about your son, I would start looking into other options for his schooling.”
“You understand that this is not good for us, yes?” His father asked, his voice clipped and cold as it always was. “There has been a Payne knight in every generation of our family for over two centuries! For the tradition to stop here it would be a pathetic stain on the family name!”
“Well Lord Payne I doubt I have to tell you this, but you do have another son who is capable of filling the role as the Payne family knight,” The doctor pointed out dryly.
“Cub has always wanted to be a scholar, we can’t take that away from him, he’s a smart boy!” His mother protested.
“We’re not taking anything from him, Scar is, just another tally to add to the list of problems that boy has caused for our family,” His father spat. Scar was more than familiar with his list of failures, but to hear his father talk about it with such wholehearted disdain made tears well up in his eyes. Which he frantically tried to dry so none of the servants would see it and report it back to him. “Doctor, would you have time to perform a physical on Cub?”
“It would be an additional fee, but I would be more than happy to do that for you Lord Payne.” The screeching sound of chairs being pushed back from the meeting room table was Scar’s sign to leave, lest his parents catch him eavesdropping and punish him even further. He ran to his room, and curled himself up into a tight ball in his bed, sobbing into his knees, more worried about his parents making Cub hate him over anything else.
Luckily for him, Cub came to disprove his worries not even ten minutes later. His twin brother seemed rightfully angry, but Scar could tell that none of that anger was directed at him as Cub climbed up onto Scar’s bed next to him, sitting there in silence until Scar chose to speak up again.
“The doctor said I have brittle bones, that training would be hell for me,” Scar explained softly, “I don’t believe him, I think I could run laps around that guy and be just fine. Knights have to deal with pain all the time anyway, I don’t see why a little bit more pain would set me back.”
“You’re strong,” Cub nodded, “You’ve always been stronger than me, even since we were little, but for some reason the doctor thinks it would be a better idea to send me to knight school. I think that man needs to have his eyes checked.”
“I’m so sorry I ruined your dream,” Scar mumbled.
“Scar it’s not your fault,” Cub insisted.
“But it feels like it is! If I could have been better than maybe I would be on the way to knight school right now and you would be going to the best school for actual schooling in the world!” Scar sighed, flopping back onto his bed. Cub just rolled his eyes and ruffled his twin brother’s hair.
“It’s not your fault,” Cub repeated, more firmly this time.
“Then tell me another reason why I can’t go to knight school and you can’t go to regular school!” Scar insisted.
“I don’t see a reason at all actually,” Cub shrugged, laying down next to his brother, “Picture this, we swap lives for two weeks, just long enough for you to be sent off to knight school in my place and just long enough for me to be sent off to regular school in yours! Our parents hardly pay any attention to us anyway so they would never notice!”
“You think I can still be a knight?” Scar sniffled.
“Scar you are the strongest person I know, even if you are starting at a disadvantage I know you’ll be the best knight there, no contest.” Cub assured him.
“And you really think this could work?” Scar asked.
“If it doesn’t, maybe our parents will finally realize that I’m not the golden child they always make me out to be,” Cub said, seeming genuinely excited about the prospect.
“Then let’s do it.”
There were still a few hours before dinner, so Scar and Cub set their plan into action right away. Both boys had dark brown hair and green-ish blue eyes, so that part was of no concern, but everything else was. Cub carefully cut Scar’s hair down so it matched the length of his hair, and he gave his brother the glasses he needed to read. After that they raided their mothers cabinets for makeup, covering all of Scar’s many scars, and adding them to Cub as best they could. After that came the attitude training.
“So I pretty much just have to ignore my tutors, shouldn’t be too hard considering I won’t be able to read.” Cub sighed, already getting a headache from losing his glasses, “And with our parents I just need to be a general annoyance. Unfortunately you have the harder job here.” He noted.
“I’m ready to do what I have to,” Scar nodded firmly.
“Good. I know you have trouble reading, but to convince the tutors you’re me you’ll have to do your best, and you can’t goof off during lessons. You have to at least pretend to be paying attention to them,” Cub advised, “As for our parents, just treat them like you would any high profile visitor. Always address them formally and always speak as properly as you can. So long as I keep their eyes on me, there should be less pressure on you to be perfect.”
“Any other notes?” Scar asked.
“Just one, I think they’re expecting me to hate you.” Cub sighed. As ridiculous as it sounded Scar knew it was true, after all he had heard it from his own father’s mouth. “I think you should pretend to be angry at me, just to sell it.”
“I… I can do that.” Scar assured him.
“Good, now the servants should be coming up any minute to bring us down to dinner, so you should go back to my room, so they don’t find us hanging out.” Cub was clear with his instructions, but Scar didn’t move. “Scar?” His twin brother moved forward and wrapped him in a hug.
“I don’t know if I’ll get to do this again, so I just wanted to let you know that I love you,” Scar explained, his chin resting on Cub’s shoulder as he squeezed him tightly.
“I love you too, Scar.” With that Scar let his brother go, making his way to the balcony of his room (conveniently right next to Cub’s). As he had done many times before when the young Lords would stay up late telling each other stories and looking at the stars, he used the vines that snuck up the wall between the balconies to scuttle across. It was only a few minutes after getting into Cub’s room that one of the servants came around informing Scar about dinner.
Despite the fact he walked side by side to the dining hall with Cub, he never looked at him once. Making the key choice to sit next to their mother once they arrived at the grand dining hall, rather than sitting next to Cub. He saw his father smile at the action and he shivered at the view.
“Scar, has someone informed you of what is happening?” Their father asked, not even looking at Cub as he went to cut into the piece of meat on the plate in front of him.
“Cub told me,” Cub stated bluntly.
“And what did he tell you?” Their father prompted.
“That I failed my physical, and because of me he would be the one going to knight school and I would be the one going to the regular one,” Cub muttered. Scar had to give credit where credit was due, Cub was good at pretending to be him. It was like looking at an uncanny reflection of himself.
“That’s right, do you have anything to say?”
“I’m sorry,” Scar knew it was his que to speak up.
“Not good enough.” He snapped firmly.
“Cub I said I was sorry,” Cub pleaded weakly.
“Sorry doesn’t bring my dreams back.”
He couldn’t believe it. Somehow, after two whole weeks, they had done it. Scar was being loaded into a carriage headed towards knight school, and Cub would be sent off to his own school the following day. It was like a dream come true, and Scar almost blew his cover as excitement overtook him. He was actually going to be a knight!
“We wish you the best for your travels,” Their mother said, pressing a kiss into Scar’s hair. Scar tried not to react.
“Thank you Mother.” He said in a total deadpan.
“I know this isn’t what you wanted, but that’s still no excuse to let us down,” His father informed him sternly.
“I would never dream of it, Father.” He assured him. Cub sat silently behind the two, doing a phenomenal job of looking as ashamed and embarrassed as possible, and while Scar wished he could run up to his brother and hug him, he knew he was still supposed to be mad at him. “Be sure not to make a fool of our family name Scar,” He warned.
“I won’t,” Cub muttered as their mother and father hugged him. Even if it wasn’t real, Scar couldn’t deny the flutter of happiness that arose in his chest when they held him. It had been years since they had hugged him like that, and Scar wasn’t all too eager to let go when they backed away.
“I will make you proud,” His father nodded and Scar climbed into the carriage. It started rolling moments later, and rather than making a scene, Scar just pulled out one of Cub’s books and made a show of starting to read it.
They had actually done it, Scar would be a knight.