Resisting the Expectations: Cale's Journey to Freedom

“I’m not the one who should be here.”

Cale approached the docks, his eyes trained on the ocean. The quays were packed with people carrying crates and carts of goods to and from the boats that bobbed in the water behind them. Cale made his way through the crowd, feeling their eyes on him as he tried to make his way to a spot at where he could see the king’s ship dock. He heard a woman shout out to him, “What are you staring at? Get back here!” But Cale didn’t turn around. He just kept walking forward, trying to stay inconspicuous.

He found a place at the end of a pier that was far enough away from everyone else that he felt safe standing there. The king’s ship docked, and slowly he watched as people began to disembark. It wasn’t until an older man walked down the plank that Cale recognized him as King Aldric himself. As the rest of the men walked down the plank, they all bowed their heads to him as they passed him.

Aldric was tall and lean, with dark brown hair and dark eyes that seemed to stare right through you if you caught his gaze. He wore a long white tunic with gold embroidery on it, but he had no crown or any other jewelry on his person. He was followed by two other men dressed just like him- both in white tunics with gold embroidery on them- so that it was hard to tell them apart from each other once they began walking onto land together. They stood together for a moment in silence, taking in their surroundings before Aldric suddenly said something back to them and started walking towards the castle. The other two men fell into step beside him, one of them whispering something in Aldric’s ear before they all disappeared into the castle gates behind them.

Cale stood still for a moment after they had gone, then turned around and started walking back to town. His mind raced as he went over everything he knew about King Aldric and his kingdom: how he had been born in Ireland but fled with his family when some war broke out there and ended up here; how he had quickly married Princess Caroline after she arrived here with her father; how they now ruled this kingdom together; how they had put into law that anyone who spoke Gaelic would be arrested and sent home if they were caught speaking it anywhere outside of their homes (but only in Ireland).

Cale shook his head at all these thoughts while he continued walking along the stone path up from the docks towards town. It was because of this law that Cale had been living in fear for years now- ever since he arrived here ten years ago with nothing more than what he could carry on his own back from Ireland (other than his Gaelic accent) - afraid that one day someone would hear him speaking Gaelic and report him for it. He knew this because many people already had: every time there was a big festival or celebration going on in town, someone always noticed Cale being there and heard him speaking Gaelic among everyone else speaking English or whatever language they spoke here, before reporting him for it later when things quieted down again and those men came looking for him. And every time they did manage to find Cale alone somewhere - usually while walking home late at night - they would cuff him behind his back before dragging him away without letting him explain why he was there or who he even was or anything at all really...

* * * *

Cale stared out across the crowded marketplace, tapping his foot against the cobblestones impatiently as he waited for Mackintosh & Sons Dry Goods & Provisions stall to open up again so he could get inside it where no one could see him. He felt like banging on its wooden door again but thought better of it when another customer walked up beside him waiting too but not wanting to disturb anyone else buying things from those stalls further up ahead of them by shouting out loud for this Mackintosh people to hurry up already...

* * * *

Cale jumped almost out of his skin when someone touched his shoulder from behind; too busy watching everyone around him shop in silence not to notice someone approach from behind...