"Tell me a story, Grandpapa," the young boy said. He was laying on his bed. Grandpapa had just walked in when the boy spoke.
"What kind of story tonight?" he asked, rummaging through the boy's meager collection of stories. "Pirates? Dinosaurs? Monsters?"
"Read me this one." The boy pulled a book from under his pillow. Its dusty cover was a faint shade of red, with a small insignia on the bottom and the word "d'Armor" in the middle.
Grandpapa grasped the book and looked it over. He opened it, and a small cloud of dust floated into the air. The binding has all but stopped holding the pages together. Grandpapa leafed through the first few pages.
"I don't think you want to listen to this," the old man said. "It's not what we normally read."
"I don't care. The cover makes it look interesting." The boy squirmed as he tried to get comfortable.
"Ah, but have you forgotten the old adage 'don't judge a book by its cover'?" the old man said as he sat on the edge of the bed. He knows he won't win this fight, but more than once has he had to stop telling a story because of the child's disinterest.
"I haven't. Please, Grandpapa, read it to me. And show me the pictures!"
"Very well." The old man turned to the first page and read aloud d'Armor, by Guy IV de Bretencourt.
***
Chapter One:
A woman's screams echoed through the castle corridors. She lay in her bed, in immense pain. Clad in little more than her slip, the woman squeezed with all her might, for she was giving birth. Her name was Jeanne, wife of Guillaume Comte d'Armor.
Jeanne was born to unimportant nobles, Philippe II Seigneur de Conlie and his wife, Isabelle. The Comtesse's marriage to Guillaume was merely a political union, in an effort for the Seigneur to gain more respect from the neighboring lords. She was not unhappy, and enjoyed the attention she received from the servants, but Jeanne wanted more.
That was until today. She was bringing into this world her first child, and, despite the pain she endured, Jeanne was looking forward to raising her child as a good and upstanding Christian and noble.
The woman's screams faded as the sound of a baby's crying replaced it. The maidservant who had assisted Jeanne washed the child and presented it to the Comtesse.
"Your child is quite healthy, my Lady," the maidservant said. "He will grow up to be a fine gentleman."
"Thank you, Marie," Jeanne said, taking the child into her hands.
"Have you decided on a name, my Lady?" Marie asked.
"I shall call him Guillaume, after his father," she responded. The Comte was not present, for he was busy fulfilling his feudal duties to the Duc de Bretagne.
***
Grandpapa finished the paragraph and looked over at the young boy, finding him asleep. He was barely into the first chapter, but decided against reading ahead. He closed the book and placed it on the boy's nightstand.
Turning off the light, Grandpapa walked into the hallway and closed the door behind him.
"What kind of story tonight?" he asked, rummaging through the boy's meager collection of stories. "Pirates? Dinosaurs? Monsters?"
"Read me this one." The boy pulled a book from under his pillow. Its dusty cover was a faint shade of red, with a small insignia on the bottom and the word "d'Armor" in the middle.
Grandpapa grasped the book and looked it over. He opened it, and a small cloud of dust floated into the air. The binding has all but stopped holding the pages together. Grandpapa leafed through the first few pages.
"I don't think you want to listen to this," the old man said. "It's not what we normally read."
"I don't care. The cover makes it look interesting." The boy squirmed as he tried to get comfortable.
"Ah, but have you forgotten the old adage 'don't judge a book by its cover'?" the old man said as he sat on the edge of the bed. He knows he won't win this fight, but more than once has he had to stop telling a story because of the child's disinterest.
"I haven't. Please, Grandpapa, read it to me. And show me the pictures!"
"Very well." The old man turned to the first page and read aloud d'Armor, by Guy IV de Bretencourt.
***
Chapter One:
A woman's screams echoed through the castle corridors. She lay in her bed, in immense pain. Clad in little more than her slip, the woman squeezed with all her might, for she was giving birth. Her name was Jeanne, wife of Guillaume Comte d'Armor.
Jeanne was born to unimportant nobles, Philippe II Seigneur de Conlie and his wife, Isabelle. The Comtesse's marriage to Guillaume was merely a political union, in an effort for the Seigneur to gain more respect from the neighboring lords. She was not unhappy, and enjoyed the attention she received from the servants, but Jeanne wanted more.
That was until today. She was bringing into this world her first child, and, despite the pain she endured, Jeanne was looking forward to raising her child as a good and upstanding Christian and noble.
The woman's screams faded as the sound of a baby's crying replaced it. The maidservant who had assisted Jeanne washed the child and presented it to the Comtesse.
"Your child is quite healthy, my Lady," the maidservant said. "He will grow up to be a fine gentleman."
"Thank you, Marie," Jeanne said, taking the child into her hands.
"Have you decided on a name, my Lady?" Marie asked.
"I shall call him Guillaume, after his father," she responded. The Comte was not present, for he was busy fulfilling his feudal duties to the Duc de Bretagne.
***
Grandpapa finished the paragraph and looked over at the young boy, finding him asleep. He was barely into the first chapter, but decided against reading ahead. He closed the book and placed it on the boy's nightstand.
Turning off the light, Grandpapa walked into the hallway and closed the door behind him.
