The Momentary Pleasures
an excerpt

The bell would ring forty times. They had that much time to return to the castle, and pass through the gates. Being late was considered as bad as not following an order in the mistress’s household.

They entered just after the long ring of the bell. The mistress came down and met them in the courtyard. She wore a long dress, with all the colors of the rainbow, and her blond gold brown hair flowing over her shoulders, down her back, the bangs of which were swinging back and forth in front of smiling eyes. Her face was powdered to a winter pale, and her lips had been painted a rose red. She appeared as a young snow white almost, only with different hair, but just as beautiful.

Once inside the gate, she rushed to them and hugged them both. She was only tall enough to wrap her arms around their waists. Daren placed his hands on her shoulders, which were so small and fragile compared to his and his brothers. Jay stroked her hair, which was so much softer and shinier than his or Daren’s, even though the mistress always had them brush it to a gleaming shine first thing in the morning, after Daren brushed her hair first.

“I missed you!” She said, looking up into both their eyes with genuine emotion. Smiles danced onto both of their faces at her simple and young beauty. Pity she wasn’t several years older. “Did you bring home the thirteen fish you promised me?” She asked, turning her eyes on Jay. Daren felt his stomach clench, and then watched as Jay dropped to his knees in front of her, so he was at eye level.

“Sorry my little mistress, but tonight the catch in the river was terrible.” Jay said, smiling in a guilty fashion, and then he pulled the flowers he’d picked, out from where he’d hidden them behind his back. “Forgive me?” He asked her, and held them up to her. She looked at them for a moment, looked up at him, took a deep breath of the flowers, and then wrapped her arms about his neck.

“They’re wonderful!” She announced. She took them from his hands, and then continued to begin dancing around the courtyard with them. It was such a cute sight, her hair and skirt whirling, the flowers scattering petals on the patches of gray stone she stepped on. The petals got into her hair, and made her appear like a gypsy, or perhaps, the word “fairy” might be more fitting. When she halted, Jay went up to her, and brushed the petals from her hair.

“Cute little fairy, you are.” He told her, and she gave a cute giggle. She hugged the flowers to her chest. Jay handed them to Daren.

“These would look grand on the dining room table, don’t you think?” Daren asked her, taking a whiff of the flowers himself. The mistress was right, they did smell wonderful. Somehow, Jay had grown to also be very good at gardening, of course, that might have come from having now done five years of it.

“Jay, go start the fire.” She said, and Jay rushed up the stone stairs to the red oak double doors to the castle. He disappeared through them, leaving Daren standing in the courtyard with mistress Leniasa. She took his hand, and smiled up at him. “I’m cold.” She said to him, hugging his leg.

“Well,” Daren replied, smiling. “We can’t have that.” And he swept her up into his arms. She was so light, even at twelve years old, that it was no trouble. With her arms wrapped around his neck, he headed up the steps to the castle doors. He nudged them open with his shoulder, hugging the girl in his arms to his chest. She was so cute, and seemed somehow smaller, in his arms. One day, she would grow to be a beautiful woman, with long legs, lengths of gorgeous hair, and perfect breasts. That would be much later though. For now, she was a little girl, who had a great vast of land to protect, and it was Jay and Daren’s job to protect her.

He nudged the door shut behind him, and then breathed in the warmth of the castle. It was always kept heated by several fires that burned throughout the castle, so that every room, or every room that they used, was never cold. The mistress liked it this way, since she would often explore them. Daren had done this too, on the day’s mistress Leniasa was content by herself in her room, or on the days she spent with only Jay.

Daren wound his way down the hall, through the first room which was the living room, with red rugs on every patch of the floor, and two couches of the same color set in front of a gigantic fireplace. A fire of course burned within it, heating the room. Daren breathed in the faint smell of wood smoke. He shook his head. Jay had always said the smell of burning wood calmed his nerves. It had never had the same affect on Daren.

He wound his way into the next room, the dining room, where he found his brother kneeling in front of a slightly smaller fireplace. He had the fish dancing with the flames, cooking them to a nice crisp, brown. He glanced over his shoulder when he saw Daren enter.

“Not asleep already, when I just started dinner, is she?” Jay asked. Daren looked down at his female bundle.

“I would not miss the meal of fish you went out into my lands to catch, Jay.” Came a voice from the bundle, and Daren set her down. He saw her yawn.

“You may not be asleep yet, dear mistress, but you seem as if you’re getting mighty close.” Said Jay, continuing to slowly revolve the fish in the fire.

“I think my brother is right.” Daren said, and ushered the girl to a seat at the table in the middle of the room, at the head of which was the fireplace Jay was kneeling at. It was maybe fifteen feet long, and made of the same red oak as the doors to the castle were made of, only cleaned to a much shinier sheen. Daren looked down at the table, and saw his reflection staring back at him. He smiled as he admired the handiwork he’d done that afternoon after lunch.

Daren went to the door directly opposite the wall with the fireplace, and at the other end of the table, and went through it. On the other side lay the kitchen, which was gigantic in its vastness. Both the left and right wall were covered in cupboards, of which held glasses, plates, silverware, pots and panes, and other miscellaneous things kitchens often possessed. This was the only room of the entire castle that Daren knew of, that didn’t have rugs on the floor. Instead, it was a wooden floor, of which was cold under his feet because there was no fireplace in this room to be lit. He quickly gathered the things he’d come for.

“Daren,” he heard his mistress’s voice from the door. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw her rubbing her eyes. “Jay says if you don’t hurry your batoottie up, he’s going to burn the fish.” She yawned. “What’s a batoottie?” She asked, and Daren laughed. He grabbed the last of the things he needed, and then walked back through the door, and into the warm comfort of the other room.

“Just another of Jay’s ways to say hurry up, is all.” He replied to her, as she retook her seat. Daren set a large platter on the table, and as Jay lay the fish one by one onto the shinning silver, Daren set out three plates, three gold goblets, and three sets of silverware. He poured liquid into the goblets and then both brothers sat down too. Daren closed his eyes, and clasped his hands in front of him. He disliked this part the most. It always seemed such a silly act, but after five years, he learned to put with things he didn’t care for.

“Mistress is good,” Daren said,

“Mistress is great,” Jay echoed the second line, and than joined him for that third and last one.

“Thank you for this food we eat.”

They eat. The fish was delicious, but there really weren’t enough of them. They were small and not really quite filling or so Daren’s opinion went. He didn’t say a word though, he was just thankful there was food on the table at all. The harsh winter outside was taking away most opportunities for food. Jay was having a terrible time finding anything to bring back since his gardens had died this season, and soon, Mistress would get to the point where she couldn’t be sated by a mere apology and a bouquet of flowers.

When they’d first arrived here five years ago, there had been other servants in the castle, and there were whole cupboards and rooms especially set aside for food storage. Those had quickly run out though, when those servants slowly began quitting their jobs, well….that’s how Daren thought about it when he brought it to the mind. The other explanation for why they weren’t around was a much more gruesome tale.

Daren looked up from pushing his food around his plate, realizing his appetite had disappeared again. This had kept happening over the last two weeks. He’d quickly realized this was also part of his illness. When the intense seasons hit, with their very high and low temperatures, his appetite would vanish. If he forced himself to eat anyway, he would get headaches and dizzy spells later in the evening. If he just didn’t eat, his energy reserves would disappear. He never showed these symptoms to Mistress Leniasa though. She’d gone into a full scale panic attack the first time he’d made the mistake of letting her see him during an attack. She’s been terrified, ranting about how he was going to die, and leave her, and that he wouldn’t come back, like everyone else, and she didn’t want to be alone. Jay had tried to comfort her, but it was like at the time he didn’t exist to her. Only Daren had been in the room to her eyes, and he was kneeling on the floor, trying to make the world stop tipping.
No, he made sure if he was ever having an episode like that again, he was in his room, away from her eyes. It had scarred him to see her like that. He hated when she cried. It reminded him she was the young 12 year old girl she was, which she caused him to often forget.

Mistress had just finished her last fish, and was pushing it away from her, and toward the platter that had held all the fish at the beginning of the meal.

“I’m still hungry, Jay.” She said, and handed him her plate. Daren watched his brother for an answer. “I want another fish.”

“There aren’t anymore.” He replied, and tried to smile at her sweetly. “Remember? I only brought in six.”

“You promised me thirteen!” She snapped. The brothers connected gazes. Daren had no advice to give, no answer to give to the question his brother’s gaze was asking.

“I’m sorry, mistress.” Jay said, getting to his feet, and came to her side of the table. He leaned over her, and kissed her hair. “Remember? I brought you flowers to make up for it.” He glanced over to the other man in the room. “Where are those flowers, Daren?” Daren opened his mouth to reply he’d forgotten them in the courtyard, but Mistress Leniasa didn’t give him the chance.

“I don’t want flowers!” She yelled, shoving at him. Jay let her go. “I want more fish.” She said to him. Daren got to his feet, hoping he could do something to help. He hated when she got like this.

“Why don’t you let me fetch your flowers for you, Mistress?” Daren asked softly, trying to be a source of serenity for her, so that she might take his example, as she’d sometimes done in the past. “It wouldn’t be good for them to be left to the oncoming winter winds would it?”

“I don’t care about the flowers, Daren!” She snapped at him, his attempt in vain. “I just want Jay to fulfill his promises.” Jay did the only thing he apparently could think to do. He got down on one knee like he did earlier when he apologized to her, and took her hand. He kissed it.

“I’m sorry Mistress. This won’t happen again, I swear it.”

“I don’t want your empty promises, Jay!” She snapped, and promptly slapped him across the face. A red gash appeared on his right cheek, because of the two rings she wore on that hand. A trail of crimson ran down Jay’s face. The girl paused, seemingly shocked at what she’d done for a second, and then she turned her back to him. “Go out and get me the thirteen fish, Jay.” She spoke. Daren’s eyes widened, so did Jay’s. “And the ones you already brought don’t count.” She finished, her tone was cold.

“Mistress,” Jay started.

“I don’t want to see your face inside my castle again until you have those thirteen fish in your hands, Jay.”

There was a couple seconds of silence, and then Jay pulled himself to his feet. He went into the next room, so he could head toward the exit of the castle. Daren made to follow him, knowing how freezing would be out there and that Jay hadn’t had the chance to grab a jacket on his way out. Mistress Leniasa grabbed onto his hand. He looked down and saw tears in her eyes.

“Don’t go, Daren. I don’t want to be alone.” She said. “Please tuck me in?” He sighed, the innocence in her eyes, of which had no right to be there right at that moment, causing him to give in.