Affairs Of A Knight

To Rule a Royal-29

AOAK-29

"Believe me, I've never met a person as cruel as she"

                                   -Aline, AOAK Chapter 1o.

The young royal nearly jumped out of his skin when he was the first order female knight waiting for him. His heart leapt in danger. Did she somehow know of the discussion he had been privy to?

"Young Howard."

Aline flinched further, swiping his head furiously, hoping no one had heard her call him by that name. "What are you doing here?" his nerves made him growl.

He knew she tilted her head, even without looking. "I will pretend that the contempt placed in your voice is self-directed." Aline sighed.

"Won't you usher me in? Treat me like a proper guest? Or have a few days being a knight under a barbarians ruled taken hostage of those courtly manners?"

"You can't say that!" she cocked her head further. "Can't I? The more I stand outside without receiving proper manners, I lose grasp of what I can and cannot say."

Aline unlocked the door. "I hate you."

"Save those petty emotions for Cromwell."

The young royal sighed and tossed his key, the object clattered on the centrepiece. With the sounds of swords kissing, signs of early morning sparring and the sounds of chicken and goat bleating, the village was slowly rising but the castle was already awake.

"Why are you here?" he asked again. on the edge. Hosting sir Louis, actually Sair Louis in total was never a sign of good tidings. He kept his eyes on her as she drifted by his personal effects, touching lightly and making sounds he could not decipher. She got to his dressing table where he had dumped forsaken armour and little knick-knacks. As her gloved fingers ghosted the first drawer, Aline held his breath and willed her to move on. She did. And drifted to his bed, her hands resting on her sword and looking upon it with a distant sense of contempt. Before his shoulders could relax, she drifted back to the drawer and tore it open.

"NO." Aline said. "Why? Skeletons in your cupboard, your Highness?"

She tutted at the content, at the skeleton she had found. "Unimpressive." she added, "as always."

Aline's body was strong and tight and somehow was able to jar out of the way from the dagger she threw at him. "No." but he didn't come closer. The knight of first order rummaged around the drawer, grabbing a handful and dropping them right back, before kicking it close.

"I would suggest you burn every item there but you are known for your foolishness."

"Those items are-"

"Of sentimental value and has no place here."

"You don't understand." he shook his head.

"But I think I do. Those things are your straight ticket to a straw basket."

"They are-" she raised a finger. "Wallow in your disgusting sentimentality. I came to speak of better things."

Aline sighed, sagging into his seat, already exhausted. "What?'

"The village."

She extracted her dagger from his headboard

Aline bolted back to his feet. "I have suddenly become weary Child. You know where to find me."

With the dagger safely tucked into her boots, she left. He was still stuck even after his door had closed.

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