A Commoner

You were born to a simple family in the countryside. What you lacked in funds and education you made up for in practical survival skills and a loving if boisterous family. When you were young you'd often bound through the woods and fields surrounding your village, playing out all the things you could become. The gallant knight, the dashing rouge, a mystical druid and even being ruling as a King... of the Bog! But as you grew older the truth become harder to ignore. You lived in one world, and the heroes of legends lived in another, there was no way of crossing the gap. So you focused on the work that needed to be done on the homestead and slowly buried the impossible dreams under a mountain of exhaustion, only recalling them during . On the morning of your 18th birthday you awoke to an uncomfortable surprise.

"Alex wake up," your mothers words cut through your oblivion in a wave of disoriented lethargy.

"Hey ma," you reply or at least attempt to though all you really succeed in is producing a yawning: "Haaaah mmaaah."

"Son we have... we have something to tell you. I know it's your birthday and your Da and I are so proud of the strapping man you've become, but..." Ma's voice starts off strong but fades.

"What is it?" you ask, your tone managing to be much more centered than you feel.

Ma lets out a long sigh, "We're selling the homestead." You blink in confusion as your mother continues, "With your elder brother learning his trade in the city and your father's bum leg you and your sister are really the only ones able to work the land as it needs to be worked and there's just so much to do. It's not fair to you and Lord Bennett made an offer we couldn't rightly refuse."

You nod slowly letting the news sink in. The last few months since your father's accident have been rough but you never imagined that things. And why tell you now on your Birthday no less.

"We can use the sum to buy a small house somewhere we don't need to work the land to survive. And the place that makes the most sense to do so would be to live with your brother in Camelot," Ma continued, "But... there won't be enough to... that is to say. Sigh... you and your sister are both well past the age to be leaving the nest and the truth is we can't afford to house you if you can't find a job once we get to Camelot."

So not only are you going to be abandoning the farm and country life but all your parent's money is going to be going towards buying a house... for your brother. Oh it might be the family's in name but you are under no delusion that whatever percentage of the cost your parents put into the new place in Camelot someone as controlling as Adam will consider the house to be his and you to be the interloper.

"Honey, please say something." Ma begs.

You don't know what to say just yet. In some ways it's the opportunity of your life to move to Camelot, Camelot! A place where it is said any dream can come true with enough perseverance. Yet, at the same time, it'll mean setting aside everything you've ever know. You know you need to talk with someone, the rising tide within you needs a stable shore to crash upon. You'd best speak with the member of your family that understands you best.