Stay

You decide to stay.

With the silver Lord Addam rewarded you for slaying the beast, you expand the farm, buying more land, more livestock, ensuring that your family will never know hardship. The fields you once toiled in as a boy now belong to you, and soon, others work them under your guidance.

And, of course, you marry Nissa.

The village boys who once dreamed of her in secret now look at you with envy, knowing that the most beautiful girl in Dunford, the fiery-haired tavern girl who could make men stumble over their words, is yours, now and forever.

Each night, she welcomes you into her arms, her laughter ringing through the farmhouse as she teases and tempts, as she begs for more. And you give her everything. Spilling your seed inside her. Again and again, until you are both utterly spent, tangled in the sheets, the scent of sweat and love lingering in the air.

It is not long before her belly swells with your child.

A year after you slew the beast, Nissa gives birth to your firstborn: a strong, healthy son with your dark hair and your wife’s striking green eyes. You name him Cenric, a name that binds you both together in blood and legacy. The first of many.

Your farm prospers, and soon, another child is born, a daughter with her mother’s fire-red hair and your brown eyes. You name her Nedisa, honoring you both.

Then come the twins, a boy and a girl, Roderic and Celissa, born in the midst of a bountiful harvest, their cries filling the home you have built with love and labor.

The years pass. Your wealth grows. Your family grows. You are no longer just another farm boy from Dunford. You are a man of standing, respected, admired, sought after for wisdom and leadership.

And when Oswin finally steps down, there is no question of who should take his place. The people elect you mayor, the hero of Dunford, the man who built a life with his own hands.

It is a good life. A prosperous life.

And yet…

Some nights, when the village is quiet and the fire burns low, you find yourself staring at the chest in the corner of your home, the one that holds your iron sword, the weapon that once carved your name into legend.

You think of the road not taken.

Of other monsters lurking in the dark, of lost ruins and forgotten kingdoms, of gold and glory waiting just beyond the hills.

You wonder what might have been.

But then, the sound of laughter fills the house, Nissa’s voice calling your name, your children’s footsteps pounding against the wooden floors. The weight of a small body jumps onto your back, and you turn to see Cenric, wooden sword in hand, grinning up at you.

"Tell us the story again, Father!" he begs.

The story of the beast. The story of the night you became a hero.

You smile, pushing aside those restless thoughts. You gather your children around the hearth, Nissa watching with a knowing smirk, and you begin.

And when you speak, you do not speak of regrets.

Only of the life you chose.

And the love that fills it.

Ending 1: Prosperous Farmer