What followed was a blur of polite words, congratulations and some gifts. Adrian was so overwhelmed that he remained in a daze, exchanging pleasantries with lords and ladies until he finally found himself seated behind a large table overflowing with food.
A small celebratory feast had been hosted by the Lord of the castle in his honor. Socializing was the last thing he wanted, he needed time to process everything what just happened. However, it seemed that being a Lord meant facing these obligations regardless of his own thoughts.
He was thankful when, after a short time, the more prominent figures, especially the Prince, departed early.
Only the relatives of lords remained, most of whom looked bored, save for a few men who were already deep in their cups. A band played on the side, and soon people began to dance in the center of the hall, bringing a flicker of life to the feast.
Adrian watched with an absentminded smile. Eventually, he released a long breath and stood from his seat. His stomach was full, but thoughts a mess, so in a move that surprised the other dancers, he joined them.
"Haah! A sailor once saw a treasure in the depths! Haah!" They sang, they danced, and for a brief, flickering moment, Adrian forgot the weight of the title that now rested on his shoulders.
When the feast finally ended, Adrian was shown to his quarters, luxurious by his standard. It featured a massive bed, enough space to host guests, and a servant stationed outside the door at all times.
Adrian dragged a chair onto the balcony and slumped into it, his gaze fixed on the stars above.
He had wanted to visit Gareth Harrow, but it seemed that after pushing himself through the ceremony, the Baron had lost consciousness and been moved to a private room.
'The former Lord Baron' Adrian corrected himself.
He was the Baron now.
"You know you can sit, right?" Adrian glanced at Sir Cordell, who was standing straight and silent.
The knight smiled, dragged over a small stool, and sat. "Strange." the knight said suddenly.
"What's strange?"
Sir Cordell gestured to the room and the fine clothes Adrian wore. "Forgive my bluntness, Milord, but many would give everything they own to earn a position like this. They would be overwhelmed with joy... but you..."
"Milord...." Adrian repeated the word. He had been referred to as such in the past when acting as a representative, but it had never been true then. Now it was.
"Do you truly believe I lord over you now?"
"Of course." the knight responded immediately, his voice ringing with certainty.
Adrian examined him, finding no lie in his eyes. "So, if I told you to die for me, would you?"
Sir Cordell gave a minute shrug. "Yes."
"Even for something stupid?" Adrian challenged.
The knight only raised an eyebrow in response. Adrian sighed and looked back to the stars.
"Since I'm a Lord now, I suppose I can say this... I always thought a Lord's power was... ridiculous."
"Ridiculous?"
"Yes. People believe Lords have power, but outside of that, a Lord is just a human like everyone else." Adrian hesitated before he continued, "I mean, for people to follow someone just because they have great history, or their ancestors help built this place and protected you or worse, they just declared that they lord over this place now, without the consent of its people, now you must follow every whims of theirs, or you'll be punished! Is it not ridiculous? It's not… real… whatever power a lord has, if a servant suddenly woke from that illusion, he could simply ignore orders. He could kill the Lord or declare himself the new master. So I thought it all ridiculous... but now… I'm in that position…"
Sir Cordell tried to follow the thought but struggled. Adrian couldn't blame him, his own mind was a tangle of complicated emotions tonight.
"I don't know. I'm just babbling. I just need time to adapt, I guess." Adrian shrugged. "I never dreamed of being a Lord. Then again, I'm only 15. There are many things I haven't dreamed of yet." He snorted at himself.
After a moment of silence, Adrian spoke again. "What will happen to Lord Gareth Harrow?"
"The physicians gave him a brew that allowed him to be conscious for your ceremony. I don't know if he will survive the night however." The knight admitted.
Adrian nodded solemnly.
"The Lord saw his end coming." Cordell continued. "He made sure to prepare everything for your arrival and even pleaded with the Prince to oversee the ceremony himself."
"Is that a good thing? Having a Prince handle a Baron's inheritance?"
"Of course. Your inheritance ceremony was handled by a royalty. That is something any family can boast of for generations."
"And I suppose it wasn't free, right?"
"In exchange for the Prince's presence, Lord Gareth promised the barony would offer full support for the Prince's plans."
"Of course." Adrian sighed. He was already in debt and he had only been a Lord for a couple of hours. Then, he remembered someone else.
"What about Lady Harrow?"
"What about her?"
Adrian rolled his eyes. "What do I do with her?"
The knight simply smiled. "You are the Baron now. Her fate is in your hands."
"Oh, right." Adrian leaned deeper into his chair, rubbing his temples. "My first night as a Lord and I'm confused as hell."
The knight chuckled and stood up. "Rest, Milord. You've had swift journey here, and immediately plunged into lordship without stop, sleep will do you good."
As the knight reached the door, he paused and turned back. "I wouldn't worry, Milord. I think you will make a great Baron. You'll see."
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Morning arrived with news that didn't surprise him. Gareth Harrow had passed away in his sleep.
Adrian leaned against the doorway, watching silently as the servants wrapped the Baron's body. He heard footsteps behind him.
"You know... you don't need to come with me," Sir Cordell said. "You could stay here, make connections with the lords, the Earl's people, and His Grace."
"I'll have plenty of time for that once I arrive at Sandhail Bay." Adrian replied. Sandhail Bay was a territory near the edge of the Sawhead lands, where the new port city was to be built. Sir Cordell had briefed him on the Prince's plans early that morning. "Besides... better to face the people now than later."
He gave a small shrug as the servants began hauling the deceased Baron toward the boats.
The knight nodded. "A messenger was sent to the village last night, just after your inheritance ceremony."
"You sent one already?"
"It is customary to immediately announce the new Lord of a territory to its people and the surrounding lands."
Adrian nodded, walking slowly through the hall. "Well, I can only imagine the expressions on their faces back home."
The knight followed a step behind, a small smile playing on his lips. "Then we had better leave now if we want to catch the people awake for your arrival."
Adrian sighed at the thought of the scene awaiting him. "I'd better say my goodbyes, then."
He found Wolfred, the castle steward, to ask where the Prince and the other lords. He eventually found himself trudging toward the same hill where he had first met the Prince.
"Lord Harrow... we have heard the news. Our condolences." Lord Sean said. A new scar stood out on his neck, and he was the first to notice Adrian's approach. "Please, take a seat."
Adrian shook his head. "I won't be staying long. I've decided to escort Lord Gareth's body back to the territory myself."
Lord Bronsone, who had been deep in conversation with the Prince, turned to him. "Will you be taking all of your people with you?"
"I will. And after the burial, I will head immediately to Sandhail Bay to join the Prince's efforts." Adrian bowed slightly to the Prince, who returned the gesture with a nod.
"Then you will need more than a few boats for your retinue." Bronsone offered. "Please, you may borrow mine."
"I thank you." Adrian nodded gratefully. Between the soldiers and the late Baron's servants, there were more than a dozen people to transport. Borrowing the boats was a far better option than trying to rent them.
Lord Hardinge wasn't present, but an unfamiliar, graceful woman sat in one of the chairs. She had soft, curled blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Adrian remembered his conversation with Sir Cordell from the night before, if he wasn't mistaken, this was one of the Earl's sisters.
"This beautiful lady must be Lady Serella... it is an honor to meet you," Adrian said with a slight bow.
"Lord Harrow, my condolences," she said simply, her tone aloof.
"And you have mine, Lord Harrow." Prince Cale added. "It is a shame you are leaving so soon. We haven't had a proper conversation since our first meeting."
Adrian smiled. "We will have plenty of time for that, Your Grace. I shall be at Sandhail Bay before you know it."
"Indeed we will." The Prince nodded.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries with the gathered nobility, Adrian turned to make his exit.
Adrian immediately set about getting ready. The servants of the late Baron, villagers, really, and the soldiers he had once fought with, and even did jobs for them in the past, now treated him much differently.
To those who had been with the late Baron all along, it wasn't a shock, but Adrian watched as Dudley and Garly's expressions turned incredulous and awkward.
The easy familiarity they had shared seemed to have vanished. It wasn't long ago that they had been drinking and swapping stories in a village tavern, now, a clear divide stood between them, no matter how much Adrian tried to ignore it.
But that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun with it.
"That's right! Faster, minions! Muahaha!" Adrian laughed, watching the expressions on Dudley and Garly's faces as they hauled crates into the boats.
Garly grumbled something under his breath but didn't dare speak it aloud, while Dudley simply shook his head with a smile.
Soon, everything was ready. Adrian looked back at the castle in the distance one last time before turning toward the boats.
"Let's go."
He had arrived here a distant cousin to the Lord Baron, but when he reaches the village, he will arrive as the Lord of Harrowfield.