As far back as he could remember, Liam Connor had learned the harsh reality of life when he was nine years old. His father, who was a minor baronet in the south, had inherited the title after his own father and brother died during an epidemic. Liam's father had been second in the line of succession, and therefore his education had been somewhat neglected, allowing him to pursue his passion for scholarship instead. As a result, when he inherited the title and realized that the barony was already heavily in debt, he handled the situation very poorly. That was how the Connor family began its descent into ruin.
"Why do we have to move to another house?" Liam asked his mother, who was packing the few possessions that the creditors had not been able to seize.
Liam saw his mother swallow her tears and immediately regretted asking the question. The problem was that he truly did not understand why, all of a sudden, they had to leave their castle to live somewhere else, and why his father, who was usually so cheerful, now spent all his time locked inside his study.
"We are going to start a new life somewhere else. You will see, you will make many friends there and…"
His mother could not finish her sentence because of the sob she was trying to suppress.
"Don't worry, Mother. Look, I've become a real knight now. Even if we move to another house, I will keep training to become the greatest knight in the empire," Liam said, showing her his wooden sword.
His mother could no longer hold back her sobs and pulled him into her arms.
"You're right. Wherever we go, you will always remain my knight."
After that, the Connor family settled in the Viscounty of Kelley. From nobles they became simple servants. Connor's father became the instructor of the two sons of the household, while his mother became one of the viscountess's maids. Unlike his parents, Liam did not suffer too much from the situation. He eventually became friends with the two young masters of the house and was even allowed to train with them during their sword lessons.
They had been given a small house not far from the castle, and little by little it went from being a source of shame to becoming a warm home. Thus a year passed as they grew accustomed to their new life with the Kelleys… yet one day everything collapsed.
That day his father came home earlier than usual.
"Father is here!" Liam shouted as he ran around with his wooden sword in his hand. "Father, can I show you the new moves I learned with the young masters this afternoon?"
Liam noticed that his father looked more tired than usual, as if he had just gone through a particularly exhausting day.
"Go sit down, Liam. Dinner will be served soon," his mother told him, as she too had sensed the strange mood of her husband.
"Did something happen at the castle?" she asked.
Liam knew that his mother had not been working that day, and that was actually one of the reasons they were eating at home instead of dining at the castle with the other servants as usual.
"Bad news," his father said with a sigh. "The viscountess has passed away."
His mother looked devastated by the news. Liam knew that she worked for the viscountess. She always spoke well of her, saying that despite her chronic illness she was a great lady with a kind heart.
"When did it happen?" she asked.
"This very evening. The priest came to give her the last rites."
"Does that mean there won't be sword training tomorrow?" Liam asked, not fully understanding what was happening.
"No, there won't be. We will organize a funeral for the viscountess. It is very sad, Liam," his father replied.
After the death of the viscountess, Liam's mother was promoted to the position of the viscount's personal servant. She worked much more and Liam rarely saw her anymore. His father, however, was more present, and Liam enjoyed spending more time with him than before. To him, his mother's rare presence was simply because she was busy with her new responsibilities. Yet one day the truth revealed itself clearly.
That day he returned home after spending the afternoon practicing swordsmanship and found his father sprawled on the floor with several bottles of alcohol at his feet. He was mumbling incomprehensible words in his sleep and looked like someone who had cried a great deal. That was the first sign.
The second sign came when he went to the castle kitchens to have lunch with the other servants and overheard two maids talking.
"A real disgrace," one of them said indignantly.
"To think she took care of the lady when she was alive. What a slut," the other said with contempt.
"She must be doing it to obtain a respectable noble title. Being a fallen baroness must be too shameful."
"Look, her son is here. His father should wonder if the boy is even his," one of them said, pointing at Liam.
"Poor child. To have such a mother…"
Liam abandoned his meal with his throat tight and ran through the castle corridors searching for his mother. He heard shouting coming from one of the rooms that served as the viscount's private chamber, and he recognized his mother's voice.
"I beg you. I can't do this anymore," she was saying to a man who was grabbing her arm.
"Have you forgotten what will happen if you keep defying me like this? Your miserable husband will be accused of some crime and thrown into prison, and as for your son…"
"No, not my son, please…" his mother said as she fell to her knees.
Liam recognized the viscount when he bent down to lift his mother up.
"Then do what is best for your family instead of being so stubborn," he replied.
Liam ran as fast as he could. Far… far away from what he had just witnessed. A few minutes later he realized that he had reached the knights' training ground. He stared at the empty field for a long minute before turning around and running in the opposite direction. He ran with all his strength back toward the room where his mother had been with the viscount. He was going to protect his mother, be her knight like he had promised… but when he arrived, the room was empty.
Weeks passed like that. His mother never returned home, and his father sank deeper and deeper into alcohol. Liam avoided the castle and spent his days wandering in the surrounding woods. He only went to eat when the kitchens were nearly empty of servants and even began avoiding his knight training. Yet one day everything seemed to return to normal. His mother finally came back to their small house and began spending more time with them again.
"The master has found a new woman," the servants said, laughing at how Liam's mother had been discarded.
But Liam was happy with the situation. His mother, although less joyful than before, was finally back in their lives. The only problem that remained was his father, who could not stop drinking. One day he would be violent with them, the next day he would cry while promising that he would stop and pull himself together for their family.
That evening Liam was sitting at the table waiting for his mother to serve dinner. He had missed their evenings together so much that even his father's absence barely saddened him.
"Enjoy your meal, my little soldier," his mother said, ruffling his hair.
He began to eat when he realized his mother was not eating.
"Aren't you eating?" Liam asked.
At that precise moment the door opened, and the foul smell of alcohol mixed with vomit—an odor Liam knew better than anyone—filled the room. His father staggered toward a chair but missed it as he tried to sit down. His mother stood up to help him sit, but he pushed her away violently.
"You… it's because of you," he said while lying on the floor. "No… it's me… I'm too much of a coward… I…"
Liam noticed his bloodshot eyes and his extremely dirty clothes.
"Don't touch me!" he shouted when his wife tried once again to help him up.
He stood up and went into the kitchen, where he stayed for several minutes. Liam could clearly see that his mother was troubled and trying to hold back the tears that were rising to her eyes. She walked toward the kitchen, and Liam, sensing tension in the air, climbed down from his chair and stood at the kitchen doorway.
"None of this would have happened if you hadn't seduced him!" his father shouted. "Did you want to become viscountess? Maybe what people say is true—you're nothing but a filthy whore."
"No, please. You know I did it for us…" his mother tried to say before his father shoved her violently against the wall.
Liam felt paralyzed. He watched the scene as if his soul had detached from his body. His eyes saw, his ears heard the screams, but he himself was not there. Yet one sentence finally reached him.
"Run, Liam. Run away, quickly…"
He finally snapped out of his trance and realized that his mother was struggling on the floor with his father while the latter tried to stab her with a kitchen knife. Liam noticed another knife nearby and remembered the last time he had hesitated to protect his mother. This time he would not turn his back on her. He would be her knight.
He grabbed the knife and rushed toward his father.