"And why exactly must I do that father, do you not already has him under lock and key?" He crossed his legs, one ankle over the other's knee.
"You know exactly why Ruth, need I explain word by word?" King Dilherra growled.
"I...no father, forgive me," Ruth rose from where he was seated, bowing.
"Keep an eye on him, we both know he will find a loophole if left to his own devices,"
"Yes father,"
"I need this alliance Ruth, do not let him act out of character, use whatever means necessary,"
"Yes father,"
King Dilherra waved him off without a glance.
Bowing to his father, Ruth made no hesitation in leaving.
¤¤¤
"Your highness," putting one fist against the other palm Ruth inclined his head.
"My new body guard Yes?"
"Yes your highness, I'm Ruth Dilherra"
"My brother-in-law as well, I suppose?"
Yeran narrowed his eyes at him.
"Aki and I share only the blood, your highness, my relationship with him will not hinder me from duty." Ruth replied.
"Hmm...." Yeran hummed without replying.
"You need not shadow me day and night prince Ruth, be here at morning, before I leave room and you may leave after I retire at night, if I were to have a need of you, out of those times, I shall summon you." Yeran stated.
"Understood, your highness."
"Since we are to be working together closely, I hope we can get to know each other some other time, at least enough to be called aquintances?" Yeran asked with a chuckle and a playful smile.
Ruth inclined his head with a barely noticeable lift at the corner of his lips.
Yeran took his time to evaluate his new guard, twin brother of his darling husband he had just left in their marital chambers.
Just as Aki, Ruth also had pitch black hair, though only reaching barely past his shoulders, purple eyes and pale skin, where the similarities ended outright.
While Aki's face remained impassive with an empty smile, Ruth's was stern. He stood straight with one hand resting on the sword hilt at his waist.
Though they both were handsome, they rested in different wave lines, Ruth's was not something he would find charming.
¤¤¤
Ruth stared, arriving just in time to see the doors close behind Aki's back.
There was a servant at door, a girl, whom Ruth barely spared a glance.
Not even a few minutes late the doors banged open to reveal an already frowning Yeran so early in the morning.
Ruth glanced inside to see the stockstill face of his brother, standing unmoving.
'Interesting,' was all he thought before turning on his heel to follow Yeran.
¤¤¤
"This is Zeke, prince Ruth, my Head Knight and the son of the Prime Minister."
Yeran introduced, gesturing at a grey blonde haired young man with deep black eyes. He was handsome and dignified with a charming smile, more of a smirk, a bit self satisfactory.
"Lord Zeke," Ruth inclined his head.
"Prince Ruth, a pleasure, I met your brother in morning," Zeke replied.
Ruth's eye twitched, his face showing no change,
"Anything wrong, Prince Ruth?"
"I would prefer to have an identification of my own than being 'the brother of Prince consort', Lord Zeke,"
Zeke blinked and burst into laughs, Yeran joining soon.
"I like you," Zeke smirked, to which Ruth did not replied verbally, but with another inclination of head.
"Zeke, come, come, I have something to show you,"
"Prince Ruth, you stay here, have knights show you the training grounds and armory," Yeran's next words were directed at Ruth.
"What? Your highness, but I must decline, I was given orders of making certain of your safety, where ever you may go." Ruth protested.
"Prince Ruth, I have Zeke with me, I do not have to say that I am the safest I can be, not to mention that I am not as helpless as you may imagine." Yeran narrowed his eyes offering no room for argument.
Ruth bowed, neither offering an acceptance, nor a decline.
¤¤¤
"The new guy, yes?" It was a knight in his early 40ies at most, two full decades or so older than Ruth.
"Yes, Ruth Dilherra," Ruth replied, not very eager for a conversation at the moment.
"Ah, the consort's brother," another one joined in, slinging an arm around Ruth's shoulders.
Ruth stiffened, not comfortable with the proximity and slipped out, a glare marring his face, standing a good feet or two away from the blond haired man with a flirty smirk.
"Hey, I'm not gonna eat you," the kinght laughed nervously, his hands up in the air, cowed away by Ruth's menacing aura.
"Hope you wouldn't expect any favors for being related to the consort, we don't care about politics, that's not how things work at the battle ground." The 1st knight, offered in warning.
"I would much prefer the knowledge of my relatives to be forgotten." Ruth replied.
"Good good," the knight nodded.
"Let me introduce you to everyone, I am Vies, Deputy General, the one u just glared away is Nickolas, 2nd knight, don't worry, he's mostly harmless,"
Vies replied with a chuckle.
"We have heard that you are a good weapons master, I'm itching for a match," Nickolas butted in.
"It is tradition to test the skills before recruitment actually, but yours came as a direct order of the king, but that is not to say we cannot give you a good pounding or not," Vies agreed nodding his head.
¤¤¤
Of all things Yeran expected when he left Ruth with the knights was not to see him bashing knight after knight into dirt.
"Ruth!" He yelled, shocked, forgetting courtesy.
All knights in the arena immediately halted, turning in attention to his voice, bowing their heads they saluted as one.
But Yeran's attention was on Ruth.
"What...what are you doing?"
"Ah your highness, no worries, no worries, we were just testing his skills, if I'm not wrong this lad could give you and Lord Zeke a good challenge too,"
It was Lord Vies, the kingdom's Deputy General, in charge today as the General commander must be occupied with new recruitment for the army.
"Did he defeat you too, general Vies?" Zeke asked in wonder.
"Not quite, he didn't had a chance yet, but he has been working his way through the mid ranked knights, and gave good for Nickolas," Vies chuckled.
Yeran glanced at Nickolas, who was rubbing a hand on his shoulder, even if there was still a smile on his face, and back at Ruth, standing silently in the middle of the Arena, his face stern and impassive.
"Good to know his highness' safety is in good hands." Zeke added.
"I can take care of my self." Yeran rebuked.
"Extra help is never unwanted your highness,' Vies said with a small bow.
Yeran huffed to himself, knowing it to be true.
¤¤¤
"Prince Ruth could you please take a seat, my neck hurts looking up at you."
Yeran complained.
Ruth looked at him in silent denial.
"You and I both are princes of respectable countries, we are of the same social states, you need not stand in attention all the time."
"The five seconds it will take for me to stand will be enough for an assasin to have slit your throat, your highness."
"I believe I can hold myself for that five seconds you take to stand. Just, sit!" Yeran replied, miffed.
"Tell me about yourself, prince Ruth, we may as well get to know each other, while I have a rare free time." Yeran inquired from a now, thankfully, seated Ruth.
"What does your highness wish to know?" Ruth asked.
"Let's start simple, how old are you? Since I already know your name,"
"I will be twenty in a couple months time, your highness," Ruth replied begrudgingly, seeing no point to these question, but also having to obey the command.
"Two years older than me," Yeran replied thoughtfully.
"Say Prince Ruth, if you are twenty, how old is my husband?" Yeran asked, feigning ignorance of intel he'd rather not say how was gathered.
Ruth blinked, 1st expression Yeran saw that bleed through his mask.
"Were you not informed before marriage your highness?" Ruth asked.
"I was not exactly in a mind space to ask." Yeran replied, pulling a look of sheepishness.
"Prince consort is my twin brother your highness, he is same aged as I,"
"Twins? And yet you two are not close?" To say Yeran was surprised is not an understatement, he had not expected Ruth to admit it outright.
"We..have had our disagreements, after our mother's death, it only continued to grow." Ruth replied.
"I..see.."
"And how ab.."
Yeran was cut off mid sentence with a knocking on his door.
"Your highness? It is time for the court meeting." A disembodied voice spoke through the door.
"Well, duty calls," Yeran stood, fixing his jacket and belt.
¤¤¤
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Ruth Dilherra.
Hi,
Here's you chapter, as promised, I know, I know, a few hrs late, but here all the same.
Hope you enjoyed,
Arkhane.