The Damsel and her Knight

17th ☾ Puppet on a String

I've loved you in the stillness of the night,

Like words lost in the wind as they might.

17th ☾

Puppet on a String

"Lancelot..." I said in a weak voice, unable to move.

Bryce lifted his face to look at me. "What did you say, kitty?"

"Why did you beat him up?" I asked, trying to withhold my anger. A part of me knew that this would happen if the two of them would meet; that was the reason why I'd been so cautious. But seeing it with my own eyes, I felt helpless. They were both important to me, and it was hard to be angry at one and pity the other, without prior understanding where they were coming from. "Do you really have to do that to him?"

Bryce laughed, humorlessly. "Shouldn't you be asking instead why I didn't kill him? Or why I haven't killed him yet?"

"Bryce!"

"Enough of this," Anthony said, raising his voice.

Bryce let go of Lancelot, which made Lancelot lose balance for a moment, stumbling in loose motion before he was able to steady himself when his knee hit the grass and he was able to hold on to the ground. Pointing to Lancelot, who was catching his breath, Bryce asked me, "Now, tell me, why are you in constant communication with this worthless scum?"

"He is not a worthless scum," I emphasized, going to Lancelot and helping him get up. I felt bad about his bruises. It hadn't been that long since his own father beat him up. I couldn't help but blame myself, because I was somehow involved on both occasions.

"It's alright, Miles," Lancelot said as I untied his hands.

"Hardly," I replied.

"I'm okay. There's no need for you to—"

I got up, abruptly cutting him off. I went to Bryce, utterly riled. Holding the ropes that Bryce used to hold Lancelot captive, I shoved him back. "You shouldn't have done that!"

Bryce flicked me on the forehead in response. "This isn't how you treat your master."

"You should have asked me first!"

"Why?" Bryce seemed oblivious to the thought.

"Because I could have explained it to you," I told him.

"Kitty, I could do whatever I want. There's no need for me to explain anything to you," Bryce replied. "And it should be the other way around. You should be the one doing the explaining."

"If you have asked me!"

"Aw, did I hit a sore spot? Because I hit poor Lancey?"

I pressed my forefinger to his chest. "You knew that—"

"Shut it!" Anthony shouted. "Stop your bickering before I lose my patience."

"It's his fault!" I didn't back down. I had already told them multiple times that Lancelot helped me. It was true that I'd kept the fact that he was also here in Wedgemore, but it was because I feared that this would happen.

Bryce threw his hands in the air. "My fault? How long do you plan on keeping us in the dark? Until we see this Alec Forthwind? Is there even an Alec Forthwind or have you been fooling us all along?"

"I'm not lying to you. It was only a coincidence that Lancelot was also here in Wedgemore when we arrived," I reasoned out.

"That was why you'd kept in touch with him? Saw him without telling us? How many times had it been now? More than twice, for sure."