From Protector To Lady

From Protector To Lady Chapter 5

"Sir Stanton! It is good to see you again, I assume you are well?" Will, the blacksmith said to me as I entered his shop.

"Ah, Will! Yes, yes, I am well," I said as I pulled my sword out of its hilt at my side and laid it upon his table. "My blade needs sharpening."  Typically I would have sharpened it myself but I found myself bored and having wandered into the shop.

"I will fix you up just right, it will be finished in a few hours," Will said as he tapped on the table with his fingers.

"I thank you," I said as I nodded curtly and left.

I stepped out into the bustling town of Somersham and scanned the crowd. My eyes narrowed as I saw a figure that sparked a flare of recognition in me. She looked like that woman, Rebecca I had had an encounter with earlier. 

I winced as I remembered how I had spoken to her. I did not mean to be so cross with her, but I was greatly on edge because of the news the King had given to me just that morning.

"Sir Stanton, I thank you for meeting on such a short notice," the King spoke as he welcomed me into the war room.

"It is no problem at all," I said as I stood over the large wooden table that had maps and orders lying upon it.

"Now, I believe you know that you are my most trusted knight and dear friend. Which is why I have something rather personal I'd like to ask of you."

"Of course, Your Majesty. I will do anything you ask of me," I said as I nodded. It was surely something to do with the raiders that had been troubling many of the villages to the east. He had been contemplating initiating war against the stronghold of the vagrants.

"Please, do call me Charles," the King spoke with a wave of his hand.

"As you wish...Charles," I said, awkwardly. What was this about?

"It has to do with Philip. He will soon be reaching his twentieth year and he has never properly been trained with arms. The boy will be king someday and he needs to know how to protect himself as well as his future family. Not only that, but he has been disappearing for long amounts of time and I'm sure he is up to something. I want for you to train him and be his guide for a while," he said as he ran his hand over his forehead.

"Oh...but, the men, I have been preparing them for a possible battle against the raiders, how am I to ready the men and train Philip as well?" I asked. I could not abandon my men now, they have been under my hand for many months.

"Somebody else will be able to handle the men until you are finished with Philip," he said confidently.

"But, I have been with them for months, some for years, many of us trained to be knights together, to abandon them now would be an insult to us both," I said strongly. I was their commander, their leader...and the King wanted me to drop them to train his son, who had no experience what so ever, at an age that most men have already gotten their first blood. He would learn slowly and be awkward. Most knights and warriors have been wielding swords since they were young, because it is what they want to do. You cannot make a man a fighter who does not wish to be one.

"You will do this for me. You do want your title and your estate do you not?" The king said as he eyed me, his facial expression stern.

My eyes opened wide. The king had promised me he would award me the title of Duke and my own estate, with many acres of land and a village to look over. He would take that away from me if I refused to train his incompetent son? It was not my fault that he had neglected his son while he was growing up as a boy.