Jose waited outside the main building of the Starlings Horse Farm and Riding School, owned by Lord Aberforth’s friend Carlos Gonzalez. Lord Aberforth had instructed him to wait while he made final arrangements for Jose’s new employment. It had been tempting to stay in Haversfort, but he knew if he stayed it would be for the wrong reason. Here, he was hiding in an even better location, could make valuable connections, and even had a higher wage. The anti-Estrellian sentiment in Starlings was also lesser, thanks to the high Estrellian population. Yes, he would miss Adania. But there were pretty girls everywhere.
Lord Aberforth exited the building. He held out a hand. Jose shook it.
“Congratulations, you are officially employed with Carlos Gonzalez,” Lord Aberforth said. “He has agreed to cover your room and board in exchange for your work in both the riding school and the horse farm.”
“But of course,” Jose said, bowing his head. “Thank you, Sir.”
“Not a problem.” Lord Aberforth smiled. “And I will return Sierra to you once she has given birth and weaned her foal.”
“Thank you, Sir.” Jose hoped to no longer need to be here by then, but he had a feeling he would be stuck as Jose the stableboy for quite some time. Maybe even long enough for Sierra to give birth twice.
“Take care of yourself. And do not be a stranger. We will gladly let you tend to our horses any time you are in Haversfort,” Lord Aberforth said. Jose merely smiled and nodded. Lord Aberforth got into his carriage and rode away. An Estrellian man with skin even darker than Jose’s exited the building. He looked Jose up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on the amulet around Jose’s neck.
“So you are the young Jose Ramirez?” he asked in Estrellian. Jose nodded. “I am Carlos Gonzalez. I can tell by the way you speak that you were born in our home kingdom of Estrellia. Tell me, what brought you to this country?”
“My father married a woman who worked in the Capitol. I found employment with the Palace as a stableboy,” Jose replied, also in Estrellian. After so long, the lies came so easily that they almost felt like the truth. “He was slain during the coup, but my stepmother was visiting her family in the Eastern Hills at the time, so she is still alive. I wish to join her as soon as travel is safe.”
“What is your stepmother’s family’s name?”
“Copperstone.”
“A witch family?” Carlos seemed surprised. “Remarkable that your father fell in love with a witch. After all, Estrellian culture is most superstitious.”
“Not all of it,” Jose said. A sudden memory had come to him. One of his concubines, an Estrellian girl named Rozalya, had told him of the mountain village she came from. It was a rare Estrellian community that praised witches, rather than looked down on them. A witch had saved their village from a catastrophe once, at the cost of her life. Since then, witches were respected and revered.
“Hmm. Yes, now that I think of it, there are a few isolated villages that buck the trend,” Carlos murmured. “Which one are you from?”
“Santa Anka,” Jose said, supplying the name of the village Rozalya had come from. The village had renamed itself in honor of the witch that saved it.
“Oh!” Carlos seemed surprised. “I have not been there myself, but one of our riding instructors, Tello, is actually from there.”
“…Really?” Jose asked weakly. Hopefully he wouldn’t come across this person. He didn’t know if he could keep up the lie if faced with someone actually from Santa Anka.
“Yes.” Carlos smiled. “And you are in luck. He has been assigned to teach you the requirements of your new position.” Carlos looked over Jose’s shoulder. “Here he is now!” Jose turned, his heart in his mouth. He was shocked to see that Tello was…