However, the universe did not allow your peace for long. The king had fallen ill. Everyone eventually met their end and he was coming on in age. But what truly turned the world on his head were his orders.
Holy men and law makers alike were up in arms about the decision. The king’s children protested the possibility of this historical change.
The king would possibly legitimise a bastard son.
It was unheard of and improper. The existence of this bastard was an open secret, but no one expected that he would ever be allowed to set foot into the palace halls. In fact, the rumour was that the crown prince would have him killed as soon as he was coronated. A man like that would only cause problems until his last breath and the royal family would have none of it. The only reason he was allowed to live up until now was the soft spot the king had for his mistress; any other potential bastards were killed as soon as they were discovered, and the king made sure of that, keeping a record of the women he had shared the bed with.
The task of retrieving the man was up to you. You expected someone of a higher ranking to be given the task, but the palace needed to be protected by the most experienced during the kingdoms vulnerable period.
////
The journey was long and difficult. Your party had a three-day journey to make on horseback, into the furthest reaches of the kingdom. Your plan was to only spend one night in the area, as the man had been informed of the move weeks prior.
You breathed a sigh of relief when you spotted the large iron gates. You dismounted from your horse and pulled the hood of your cloak down. The guard leered at you before noticing your uniform, quickly standing up straight and letting you into the manor grounds. You thanked him with a nod.
A short and dark-haired woman was waiting for you at the manor entrance, he all black attire made her almost blend into the night that surrounded you.
“State your name and your business here,” she spoke out to you.
“Dame Y/N Y/SN, a knight a royal order, I am here by order of His Royal Majesty the King,” you held a scroll out to her. “We are here to ensure Lord Michael Langdon arrives to the capital safely as his presences is requested by His Majesty.” You held your head high and met her gaze with the same intensity.
She closed the scroll and smiled. “We’ve been expecting your arrival, I am Miriam Mead. Please do come in, the servants will ensure your horses are looked after.”
You simply nodded and followed behind.
////
It was obvious that this manor was a former royal residence, apparently it was the King’s favourite before it was gifted to his mistress. Everything was artisanal and expensive. Fabrics and furnishings from lands afar, hours of painstaking work in every piece. It was all well looked after, not a speck of dust. You weren’t surprised, the king provided a healthy stipend that paid for the staff and luxuries. You were also sure that Michael had his own business too, as far as you were aware, he was well educated and well connected.
You never were one to involve yourself in rumours, but your stop in the nearby town had you worried. The man had a reputation. But then again, who were you to judge, the royals you served were also involved in scandal and debauchery, they did not have a leg to stand on when it came to socially acceptable behaviour.
Lost in thought, you didn’t realise that you had stopped in an elaborate dining room. You looked at Ms Mead with a questioning look.
“My Lord would like to dine with the knights that have come to escort him,” she explained.
This was very strange; nobility didn’t usually dine with knights. “I’m not really dressed for dinner,” you joked with the woman, pointing to you travelling armour. You men snickered at your comment.
“Please disarm before you are seated, your gear will be retuned to you in the morning before your departure.”
You gave her another confused expression, looking back at your men that wore the same look.
“I’m being serious. Lord Langdon has many enemies, so we have to be extra careful, just in case.”
You couldn’t really argue with her reasoning. You nodded and removed all your weapons, handing them to the staff that was waiting. The doors swung open just as you were handing you sword over. A man with blond curls walked into the room. He walked with authority and confidence; you knew by looking at him that this was the man that you were here for. His blue eyes glimmered in the candlelight as he sized up your crew.
“I see, the king thinks I do not need a high security escort.” The sound of his voice halted every other sound in the room, you were sure you were holding your own breath.
“And what about you?” he moved closer to you, not hiding his wandering eyes, “a gift from my father?”
You couldn’t hide your expression of disgust. Upon a closer look, he looked more like his father than any of the King’s other children. He seemed to have the same attitude too. This was going to be a long few days.
“I’m Dame Y/SN,” you bowed slightly, “I am here to over see your journey to the Palace,” you gave him a polite smile.
“How interesting,” he moved away from you and to the dining table.
“Well, I must thank you for travelling this far, please, join me for dinner,“ he gestured at the table, before seating himself at the top of the table.
You hesitated before making your way to the table. You chose the seat furthest away from him as you weren’t prepared to engage in any small talk. He had already left a bad taste in your mouth. However, his eyes never left you during the mean, his gaze burning into you the whole time.
////
It was finally time to retire for the evening, a long journey ahead of you. You breathed a sigh of relief as you pulled your hair out of its tight bun, lightly massaging your scalp to ease the ache. Luckily for you, you were placed in the female servants’ quarters, engaging in light chatter and trying to listen for any information about your host. A maid was bashfully explaining her encounter with him in the library just before you had arrived. None of this shocked you though, his father and brothers were the same type of men. The egos on these men were bigger than their dicks, the vice of pride had an iron grip on them.
You settled into bed as the chatter continued around you, the tiredness finally caught up and you drifted off to the white noise.
////
The sound of footsteps woke you from your slumber. You could feel a presence in the room, the smell of cinnamon wafting through the air. You kept your eyes shut and reached underneath your pillow for the dagger you hid in you boot earlier. You never fully disarmed, a lesson you learned at Robichaux the hard way.
You felt a weight on you, you shot up, dagger pointed at the intruder. Your eyes adjusted to the darkness and the identity of your assailant shocked you.
It was Michael.
He let out a low chuckle, bringing his finger to his lips in a ‘shh’ motion.
You looked around the room to see everyone else in a deep sleep. As you looked back at him, you realised your dagger had grazed him, a light trail of blood trickled down his cheekbone.
He said nothing as he gripped your hand, pulling the dagger away and towards his mouth. He smirked, before licking the blade, keeping his eyes locked with yours.
Your breathing was heavy, hand trembling in his vice grip. After he had finished, his grip on your hand tightened enough for the dagger to slip. He said nothing as he took it, inspecting the blade. He stood, pocketing your weapon, and without a word, he left.
////
The incident from last night had you on high alert. You had breakfast with the rest of the staff, going on to give out instructions to all the staff that would be travelling with you. The carriages were double checked for any security issues and the final bits of luggage was loaded. Your weapons were returned earlier in the day.
You were talking to Ms Mead, before you were irrupted by Michael himself.
“I thought id come ask the two ladies in charge myself if we were ready to depart or not.”
“The final checks have been completed my Lord. We are ready when you are,” you answered.
“Very well then. I need to confirm my lodgings during the journey with Ms Mead then we shall be on our way.”
“There is no need,” Ms Mead interrupted, “I was just speaking to Y/N over here, your lodgings haven been organised by the king my lord, you will be staying in royal residencies along the way.”
Michael simply nodded at the information.
You bowed as your name was called by one of your men, leaving the pair as they were whispering to one another.
To your benefit, the royal lodgings had separate barracks for knights, allowing you to avoid the man for the next three days.
////
You had never been more thankful to see the city gates of the capital. The past three days had been difficult. Your charge just couldn’t seem to behave himself, causing problems in every little town you had stopped in. The money you had to pay off was so much it had eaten into your personal allowance. It would be returned to you, but you still had to fill out the long expenses report. Your horse also seemed excited at the prospect of a long rest, speeding up through the city, knowing her way to the destination.
You dismounted to pass through the rear palace gates. Michael was not yet important enough to be let in through the front. The thought made you chuckle as you were sure he was scowling at the fact.
Your superior was waiting to welcome the guest, u made sure you conveyed the emotions you were feeling through your facial expression. He bit back a smile.
You handed the scroll of orders to him, transferring all responsibility to him from here on out. You hoped to never meet Michael again, not even for the return of the army issued dagger. You were sure you could explain why it was missing.
You left before the carriage door even opened, hoping to relax in the nice and warm bathhouse.
////
Michael would have a personal meeting with the king, no one else would be present. All Michael knew was that he had to prove himself to his father. To show the king that he too was worthy of the title of prince. He had suffered with a lowly title for years, knowing in his heart of hearts that he was destined for more, destined for greater things. His mother and Ms Mead raised him to hold his head high no matter what, and take every opportunity that he could, even if he had to fight for it or snatch it away.
He had spent most of his life doing whatever he wanted. Living under constant scrutiny in the palace would be difficult, but he’d adjust, he prided himself in his adaptability.
He’d do anything to get to where he wanted to be and the royal family was not prepared for how far he would actually go.
////
You headed to the dining hall after your bath. You looked forward to sharing a meal with friends. However, you were stopped by your superior before reaching the dining hall.
“Y/N, you need to get changed, your presence has been requested by the king,” he ordered.
The look of shock on your face was spectacular. Had Michael told the king about the dagger incident? Was this the end of your career? All for harming a bastard prince.
You nodded and ran to your quarters, changing into the clothing you had for the occasion.
Your superior stood waiting for you, not saying a word as you walked to the destination.
You wanted to run as the doors slowly opened, revealing the king on his throne and Michael with his back to you.
You stepped into the room and bowed low to the king, going through will all the formalities before standing up straight.
“Lord Langdon has praised your work, Dame Y/SN,” the king spoke.
Michael ground his teeth at the ‘Langdon’ moniker. It felt like a kick in the teeth to him, he was just as deserving of the ‘Morningstar’ name as the rest of his siblings.
