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?
I make my way down to the cells, past the guard tower, I know this place well, I move fast. I find Arthit, I want to wring his neck, but he falls to his knees after opening the last door. The pained look on his face, makes me calm down, he was looking for someone.
I wait a few moments before I go speak to him.
"Why are you following me?" He's angry. "Go away."
"I have orders, get used to me." I tell him.
"I don't need a guard."
"My orders come from the King." I tell him calmly. "There is another level."
He looks up at me sharply, he understands instantly, not just a new favourite of the King then. But I never understood that remark, I had grown up around the palace, the King never had a favourite before.
"What do you want?" He asks suspiciously.
I respect his caution, if he had agreed quickly I would have thought him a fool.
"To do my job, without too much trouble." I say as I offer him my hand to stand.
"We'll see." He says. "Where is the door?"
"This way." I say walking. "And I'm Bright."
The door isn't hidden, but if you don't know what it is, you wouldn't even bother to open it. He follows me down the narrow stairs, this floor has 5 cells, 2 to each side and one opposite the door we entered.
Arthit moves forward, slowly opening the doors, they're mostly unlocked, only the last one needs a key, which is hanging by a hook not far. Arthit opens it, his hand shakes as he looks inside, before a relieved name leaves his lips.
"Knot."
"Why are you here Arthit?" A voice from inside asks.
I stay outside as they talk, Lord Em gives clear orders. He never said I couldn't bring him here, I was to protect him, that I would.
I bow, as I see Lord Em and the King come down the stairs. When the shouting starts, he stands against the wall to listen.
"Rewarded handsomely." Knot asks. "Who did you want found, and brought back across the border?"
"Jay..." Arthit whispers.
"Have you lost your senses?" knot asks. "You did this for him?"
"He's my friend." Arthit sighs. "And..."
"What else Arthit? Tell me."
"Namtan is pregnant." Arthit tells him. "If I didn't do this, she would have gone to find Jay and..."
"When will you learn?" Knot shouts. "You liked Namtan, but Jay still married her, when he knew the truth. How can you still..."
"They're friends Knot." Arthit says back. "If my life is worth ..."
"Your life is worth a lot more to some people." Knot's shouting now. "I came back for you."
They talk a little more, before Arthit comes out looking sad, but the King pulls him into his arms.
"Your life is precious to me Kitten." The King whispers before kissing Arthit.
I don't know where to look, but Lord Em seems to be used to this. We follow the King and Arthit back, a guard is returned to his post, of course there would be a guard, so they knew Arthit would come here.
The King stops to speak to the Ambassador, but I follow Lord Em back to the Kings chambers. We move threw a side door, into an adjacent room, with a small opening. Lord Em motions to me, I help him move the large, stone wall panel back into place, hiding the opening.
The secret entrance, I have heard of this. It's a trap, they set when they need to, very few people are aware it's here, my knowing, means I have Lord Em's trust. Its pure mountain stone, to match the walls, great effort is needed to move it.
I hear noises from the other chamber, the King has returned with Arthit, they seem to be talking. My hand slips as I hear a moan, I look surprised at Lord Em, who sighs and tells me to hurry.
"I never want to hear such a thing again Kitten." The King, says angrily.
"I can say what I...no...wait...wai..." Arthit moans and gasps.
"Your mine now Kitten." The King tells him.
I can hear kissing and whispers of words.
"I do no...let me .... Brea...." He whimpers.
"I want to hear it Kitten."
"Don't.... aahh ... why... ..."
"Say my name Kitten." The Kings breathing hard, his voice barely in control.
"K... Ko... Kong..."
There are no more words, only whimpers and moans fill the night, as they echo across the rooms.
We quickly finish and leave out of the window, a net waiting to catch us. This is the only exit out of the room, and three different sets of guards watch it.
"Go sleep, Bright." Lord Em tells me after sending the others off. "I will speak to you in the morning."
Sleep? I head to the bathhouse, hopefully an ice bath would help, before I really can sleep.