Chapter 5: Chapter 05: Hidden Agenda
Kilian placed his feet down on the cold floor, and set off from the bed, walking to the end of the room and back several times.
The sweat was forming on his skin, and he caught his breath.
The pain had lessened over the last few weeks with continuous training and massaging of the thighs and calves, and he noticed they started to feel more firm and filled out, as muscle was building.
He could now take a small stroll around the room, but after a while, his body would feel exhausted and he needed to take a break.
He picked up one of the books Mr. Kilga had sent him, looking through it one more time before placing it on the table, with the rest of the books he had finished already.
There was a knock on the door, a new habit of some of the maids recently, and he quickly made sure to cover his legs with a blanket as he sat in his wheelchair.
"Come In," he replied to the knock.
One of the more frequent young maids came in. She must have been someone new, cause it did not seem as if she treated him with the same indifference, as other maids had done.
"Lord Kilga sent you an Invitation".
She handed him the letter in her hand and continued with a bright smile.
"His servant sent this over personally, and let me know to tell you the theme is 'Green in the White of Winter'"
He nodded at her and opened the letter, reading through the contents.
"What is your name?".
He asked, his eyes still focused on the letter and didn't look up while addressing the maid.
"S...Stella... Sir".
The girl was almost as timid when addressing him, as his own personality had been before, but it was not out of fear of him, but more nervousness from being in his presence.
He looked up and gave her a dazzling smile, using his features to give off a bright look.
"Stella, it seems I am invited to a Gentleman's Club in Town, Mr. Kilga will be sending me a few outfits to try out for the occasion as I have to be dressed to meet the dress code".
Kilian paused, letting her take in the words, enjoying seeing her face turn into an excited expression.
"I will need your help to dress me for the occasion on the day of the event, can you do that?".
"Yes!".
She exclaimed happily and bowed slightly at him as a thank you.
Kilian rolled his wheelchair over to the desk, and brought out a piece of parchment, scribbling down a short reply.
"Here, please make sure the servant you talked about receives this right away, do not hand this matter to another maid."
He knew if someone else than the maid in front of him got wind of this, they would decline the invitation instantly.
It was expensive to have to prepare a Young Lord for an outing with several prominent people.
If he had been brought up as had been expected, he would already have received a fair share of what he would have needed.
It seemed as if this face of his had helped him again he thought, as he handed the letter to the maid who carefully took it from his hand with a slight blush.
"Yes, Master Kilian".
She mumbled before turning away and leaving the room.
In front of this maid, he didn't need to play the timid young man, and the head maid had been visiting less and less recently.
It seemed they were all busy preparing for the annual Yule Ball which was a big event that had been hosted by the Count's family for generations.
Nobles from all over the country would attend as well as prominent and rich members of the upper class, like merchants and different trade associations' top members.
It was as much for socializing as it was to form contracts and trading between fiefs.
Kilian smiled. He needed to make a good impression at the Yule Ball, making sure the rumors of the timid, useless, crippled son were proven wrong.
He stood up, feeling his legs shake from the exercises he had done.
"I won't be able to stand on my own at the Yule Ball yet."
He clicked his tongue, annoyed he couldn't show off with him walking among them all with confidence.
At most he thought he would only be able to stand around for a maximum of an hour before he would no longer be able to endure it. Walking would be even more painful.
"I need something... that can help me".
Kilian raked through his brain, it was too late to ask for a knight from his Father.
He did not have an argument yet, that would gain him what he wanted, and if he received a no, it would be hard to ask for the same thing later.
He had to make sure it was the Count's idea, or come up with a reasonable excuse.
"I have to use... that then."
He sighed and took out another parchment, quickly jotting down some words.
When the maid came in the evening, he handed her the note, asking to have it sent to the head maid.
The maid scoffed at him, and didn't reply, looking like she had been rudely asked to be an errand boy, but took the letter nonetheless.
The reply came the next morning.
"How dare you call for me!".
The scream woke him from his sleep, and a rough hand grabbed him by the arm.
He was still skinny, and not big for his age, and the Head Maid pulled him out of bed, making him fall to the cold floor, barely covered in his nightly shirt and underwear.
A sudden sharp stinging pain soared through his cheek, as she bent down slapping him across the face.
"Asking for money! Wanting to go to town!"
She was fuming.
"Ridiculous, how dare you ask that of us when we are busy getting ready for the Yule Ball!".
Kilian looked down, trying to hold back his anger, but the pose made him look like a shaking child, and the head maid couldn't see the sharp Ice blue eyes staring holes in the boards on the floor.
She grabbed his hair, and pulled, moving him across the floor with her.
Flashes of the whip and scars on his legs crossed his mind.
He had to figure a way out, he could not get discovered now, it was already a wonder that she had not noticed how his legs were less skinny than they had been.
"Mr. K...Kilga is e...expecting me!".
He said out loud. The tremble in his voice was from anger, but made him sound like he was stuttering.
"What?"
She stopped, still pulling at his long hair.
"What are you talking about, answer!".
Kilian breathed in fast, blinking his eyes repeatedly to bring some tears to his eyes, before looking up at the Head Maid.
"There was an invitation, I...I thought it rude to refuse a direct invitation, I thought it would look bad".
He looked up at her with a teary apologetic expression.
"There is a theme... and I thought instead of burdening the maids with getting me the items, I could go to town on my own".
He didn't mention the part that Mr. Kilga would provide most of those items he had meant.
"Ridiculous, why would we send you to town on your own...". The head maid suddenly cut herself off, and a creepy smile formed on her lips.
She let go of his hair and looked down at him, with a sour expression.
"Fine...
You can go, you can bring one maid and you will get an allowance to spend".
Kilian was dumbfounded and looked up, quickly adjusting his expression from disbelief to false happiness.
"T..thank you Miss Olive."
He addressed her by name.
'Why? why had she given in so easily?'
He mistrusted her words, but had achieved what he wanted, and was unable to question her motives.
The Head Maid Miss. Olive left him as he was, on the floor.
"Be ready to go out tomorrow".
She gave him a smile that frightened him, it made it look like she was looking forward to him going out.
'Why?' he thought to himself again.
"Why don't you bring the young maid Stella with you tomorrow, she seems to enjoy serving you." She continued, the smile still stuck on her wrinkly face as she looked down at him.
He didn't trust it, but could not figure out what she might be thinking. It also seemed like she already knew about the young Stella treating him nicely lately.
He could not shake the feeling that getting what he wanted may not be as good as he thought.
"Y..yes".
He replied, watching her leave in long strides, leaving him behind still laying on the floor.
His mind raked through every possibility he could think of, as to why she had been so accommodating suddenly.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Rain_Corn
Rain_Corn I almost...almost feel bad writing these bad situations that happen to Kilian.
There are more... certain situations to come!
Hope you enjoy!
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