The Assassin and the King - SOTUS

The Guard

I wait outside as Lord Em, comes out of his office and sees me.

"Good your here, I have a job for you." He tells me, seriously. "Follow me."

We make our way through the palace, towards the private wing of the King, I look around, only the higher officials and trusted people of the King, get to be here. We stop outside the huge, elaborately designed door.

"You will guard Arthit." He tells me. "Let him wander the palace as he pleases, but protect him."

"Who is he?" I ask.

"The Ambassadors new secretary." He answers. "If anything happens to that boy, the King will lose his temper."

His temper! That's not a good thing to happen, I remember being told what happened the one time he really did, it was truly terrifying.

But I know who he is, I don't believe gossip, but I do pay attention.

I wait outside, but Lord Em waves me in. The room is enormous, elaborately decorated, vibrant tapestries, warm ornaments, and the softest rugs I have ever walked on. There is someone in the bed, Lord Em moves towards him, checking his forehead.

"His fever is down, he has more colour." Is he talking to me?

"Have word sent, I want the Head Healer, home!" It's the King.

I bow quickly, the King walks to the bed checking the figure again. He seems tired, but refusing to show it.

"Can't we..." The king begins.

"No. The delegates will cause trouble, get it done quickly, so I can get rid of their group."

"Guard!" The King looks at me.

I have been on palace duty for a few months, never this close to the King. He really is intimidating this close, I bow as he comes to stand near me.

"Watch him carefully." The King tells me. "He will leave, be prepared."

"I'm trusting you with him, don't let me down." Lord Em pats my shoulder, before leaving.

That coming from the High Guard himself, is a great honour, I will do my best.

I never believed a sick person could be this troublesome. The moment his eyes opened, he got up, changed and headed out. No matter what I said, he would not listen. We made it to the Ambassadors room, he walked right in.

"Where is he?" Arthit asked.

"You need to be resting."

"Tell me, what happened? What did you do?"

"Arthit, go rest. We will deal with this." The Ambassador tells him.

"Did you kill him?" Arthit's voice shakes as he asks.

Before the Ambassador can answer, he is called away. As he leaves, he instructs me to take the boy to his room to rest.

But Arthit makes a few more stops before finally returning. I walk with Arthit back to his room, he tells me to wait outside, he wants to change. After a while, when I hear nothing, I knock and call, but no answer comes. I worry, he wasn't well, did something happen to him?

Once inside I search, he is no where to be found. He slipped away? Why that little weasel! My own fault, I was warned.

I look around nearby, he couldn't have gotten far, when the conversation from earlier comes back to me. Kill who? I remember talk of someone being captured, did he know someone?