Chapter 46

  Two months.

  Two months ago that Hektor’s world had been turned upside down. His life plucked apart and put together with cracks for a distorted future. All at the hands of others, without his knowledge and say-so.

  Hektor had been a man overboard in a storm, swept in the waves made by those more powerful. Fearing the depths, caught in the vortex of fate. Most he could do was tread water and not drown as the currents took him to wherever. Powerless to do anything beyond enduring.

  Or he was prey caught in a web, at the whims of the spider who was to devour him or string him for a puppet to do its bidding.

  Two months.

  A lot could happen in two months. A lot could change. In fact, a lot had happened. A lot had changed. Not the world, no. The world had remained the same. It was Hektor who had changed.

  And it all seemed to culminate on July the thirteenth, his sixteenth birthday, with the ceremony in the throne room.

  In fifteen minutes, Hektor had received a surname, been ennobled, received a county and a fiancé.

  Hektor to Hektor Ashborn. Hektor Ashborn to Lord Hektor Ashborn. Lord Hektor Ashborn to Count Hektor Ashborn. Count Hektor Ashborn to Count Hektor Ashborn engaged to Gwen Croft.

  All in a quarter of an hour, having only repeatedly said the words ‘I do and I will’ and ‘I do’. That’s it.

  It was surreal and strange.

  Surreal that Hektor had finally crossed a threshold that had been on the horizon ever since Sabina had summoned him that fateful day. The future that she had laid out for him had come to pass. He had been ennobled to become a count. Once betrothed, he was now engaged.

  And strange in that Hektor didn’t feel any different. Yes, he had changed, but on the day, he was still the same person he was yesterday and the man he had woken up that morning. Despite their significance, his turning sixteen and the ennobling hadn’t transformed him or brought forth some divine revelation. He was the same Hektor he was before and the same Hektor after.

  Good or bad, it was anticlimactic and Hektor was more than content that it was so.

  All for it, he was immensely grateful for the swiftness and simplicity of the ceremony. He had no complaints rushing through his new titles and wrapping up his engagement in one fell swoop. At the end of it all, he was thankful to get it done with and quickly at that. In the thick of it, he cared little for appearances or public opinion, not bothered as to how others would think about him on the day.

  He had even opted out of reciting his own vows, with Sabina citing him the oaths to submit to instead. She wasn’t most pleased about it, but had veered on the side of caution and spared her anxiety-prone son from public speaking on the occasion.

  As relieved as Hektor was at its conclusion, it had all felt hollow.

  Given a surname. Ennobled. Made Count. Engaged. Bestowed all that by his mother, yet Hektor felt like a fraud in his new identity. Like he was wearing someone else’s shoes. That it was all happening to another person.

  Oddly, enough, it made things easier. Hektor could pretend and don the role of how he was expected to behave. He was good at that, matching expectations and playing pretend. He would have a think about it, work out his feelings later when he had the luxury of time. As it were, there was still a lot to do.

  After his engagement with Gwen, the guests had been ushered to one of the great halls of the castle.

  Poor na?ve Hektor could never have imagined that the ensuing party after the official ceremony would prove to be the more difficult of events.

  There were so many people. And they all wanted to a piece of him.

  At the start, Hektor had tried to be brave and face the task with a conviction. He had begun with the best of intentions, engaging and putting names to faces as his ordeal started with the more distinguished of personalities.

  He had put his best foot forward in associating with the Ithican high nobles. From a prince and princess of Ithica to dukes and baronesses, all states of hierarchy from all over the nation had come to bear witness. And those that hadn’t come personally had sent representatives in their stead.

  After Hektor had run the gamut socializing with his fellow nobles, came the foreign delegations. They proved to be the most brief and formal of the lot, quickly moving along after exchanging a few rehearsed congratulations and toasts with halfhearted promises of a future rendezvous.

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  Then descended the horde of lords and ladies, sirs and ma’ams, misters and missuses.

  Hektor tried his best, truly tried to be attentive and charming with everyone he met, irrespective of their social status or affiliations. But after dealing with his first hundred or so patrons, they all started to blur together. If it weren’t for Miss Lloyds by his side whispering the names and small snippets of information about the approaching guests, Hektor would have made a fool out of himself many times over.

  There didn’t seem to be an end to them. Even when Hektor was allowed the smallest reprieve to stretch his legs and take a gander, they all shuffled over in his trail and mobbed him.

  Hektor felt like a mannequin on a pedestal floating across in a sea of faces. Wherever he was placed, there were people circling him.

  The most aggravating were the hangers-on who were intent to monopolize Hektor and seemed to make it their mission to ingratiate themselves to the fresh noble in a matter of minutes where others who were civil only took seconds and bestowed a few kind words before moving on. These lot were hardly discouraged even when those from Hektor’s side would be forced to ask them to step aside.

  With a plastered smile, Hektor suffered through. That he was a solo act made everything more difficult. There was no buffer, no one to stand by him and take the scrutiny off of him.

  He was the star of the occasion and was to stand alone as the people presented him with tributes and allegiances. It was what was expected of him.

  Hektor’s eyes found Gwen a small distance away, surrounded by admirers herself. Unlike him though, she was a fish to water, in her element being the center of attention. She talked, laughed and charmed as easily as she breathed. Had everyone in the palm of her hand and she made it seem effortless.

  At least she was divvying up the crowd from overwhelming Hektor to a greater extent. From time to time, she would step by his side and they would be inundated with congratulations on their engagement, before excusing herself and generating a fresh crowd of those eager to make her acquaintance. Unsurprisingly, majority of her admirers were of the younger generation. And men.

  While Gwen navigated the crowd with a casual freedom and ease, Hektor was limited to observing etiquette and formal exchanges in light of his new station. It was as much a help as it was a hindrance. The code of conduct provided him instructions as to how to act, but it also constrained Hektor to his role of playing host and observing guest rites to all those who came up to him.

  Regardless, Hektor didn’t have the heart to turn anyone away, whether they were genuine or conceited. Good manners wouldn’t allow him to, nor would his duty.

  The ceremony had ended after high noon and by two o’clock Hektor was well past putting names to faces. His anxiety had progressively increased, but through constant repetition he managed to discover a routine to mechanically deal with one guest after another.

  Flustered and finding it all too hectic, Hektor bemoaned the time passing at a snail’s pace.

  With the people becoming indistinguishable, Hektor started sorting them on how they treated him.

  A good number saw him as a child. Not just with condescension, but also with genuine concern as to the fact that he was indeed only sixteen years of age. Needless to say, Hektor preferred the latter.

  There were those who were only concerned with the formality of Hektor’s ennobling and him becoming a count. They were mostly taken with their obligatory introduction and extended welcome to the new addition to aristocracy.

  Then came the sycophants, whom Hektor liked the least. These were the hangers-on who were bent to take advantage of an inexperienced and young lord, and leech on to the new count for their selfish gains. The only good thing about them was that Hektor could spot their kind easily and ignore them while appearing to do otherwise.

  A surprising number seemed most interested with his engagement to Gwen. From good natured teasing to innuendos to unconcealed envy, Hektor found these lot the most difficult to deal with. Unprepared and without rehearsed replies to fend them off, he had to think on his feet to match wits with them.

  The last were Hektor’s favorite people, those closest to him who showered him in love and support. Unfortunately, they were the fewest in number, which made Hektor cherish them all the more.

  As long as the day was, with dusk approaching, Hektor could see the finish line in sight.

  With the setting sun, the party moved to the adjoining dance hall and Hektor was finally afforded some respite. The guests surged to the music and catering, looking to enjoy themselves.

  Customarily, Hektor and Gwen graced the first dance on the floor. Not quite a virtuoso, Hektor held his own leading Gwen through an easy tempo.

  To his great surprise, with Gwen in his arms, Hektor realized how desperately he needed this dance. It was the first time in hours that he could hear himself think.

  Sensing Hektor’s stressful state, Gwen obliged and wordlessly swayed in sync with him. The melodious orchestra and the easy rhythmic motion becoming a medium for Hektor to decompress and vent his exhaustion. Before her eyes, Hektor recovered some of his spent vigor and she could see his demeanor turn livelier.

  Following the first dance, the pair of them were approached by their parents for the next one. Hektor paired with Sabina while Gwen took her father’s arm. With their entry, the floor was open to the guests and they took up the opportunity eagerly.

  With music flowing, food and drink in the adjoining dining halls, the party took a more casual and freeing turn as the guests became less reserved and found the means to mingle and entertain themselves.

  Meanwhile, Hektor found the perfect excuse to be unavailable as he took every opportunity to dance with the ladies queuing for a chance. Hektor didn’t care who they were, as long as they kept him away from playing host and entertaining others, he was game.

  And to think he didn’t like dancing!

  Unfortunately, he was eventually summoned by Sabina. On arriving however, Hektor learned the good news that most of the more distinguished guests were departing. Having fulfilled their obligations and paid the appropriate respect to the Duchess, it was good form for them to leave rather than linger. In some circles, it was even considered benevolent for the nobles to withdraw early, thus paving the way for the festivities to become less reserved and for the public to enjoy themselves more freely away from the discerning eyes of their peers.

  By seven-ish, Hektor was done in bidding his farewells. The day was so close to being over.

  As much as he was done with the festivities, returning to his duties of a host, Hektor decided that it would be prudent that he spent the remainder of the evening by Gwen’s side. It would show a united front and he would also do well to favor the Croft family and extol their virtues.

  Hektor didn’t find Gwen in the great hall, so he made his way over to the dance hall and arrived in the nick of time to witness trouble brewing.

  Hektor groaned. He was so close! And now he had to deal with this mess.