...(K)Night?!

[Ankhu]

[Ankhu]

I was almost out. I really was.

I had a bunch of time to kill before I had anything I absolutely had to do in Corus, so for a while I was just wandering around the page corridor and trying to appear as inconspicuous as I could. After a while of wandering though I simply couldn't stand to be inside anymore. I'd crept around the palace, trying to keep out of the eye of my father as I went toward the kitchens. It was always good to grab some food to take with me before I went out. But, when I was almost to the kitchen door a knight caught me and said my father was looking for me and he 'ever so kindly' escorted me to him.

Ugh, knights were such a pain sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I liked them most of the time, and I really respected all the stuff they had to go through to become a knight, but sometimes.........it was really the whole 'unwavering loyalty to the king' thing that really bugged me.

I went without a fight though; no sense in causing trouble for anybody. I wasn't really surprised when I was led back to the page corridor, for it was much closer to my father's chambers than the kitchens were. I watched the other knight leave for a moment and then met my father's eyes with a glare, crossing my arms over my chest. I figured he was just going to reprimand me again for trying to sneak out like he always did, so I didn't even waste my breath to ask what he wanted. I leaned against the wall, eyebrows raised as I waited for him to start his tirade.

He surprised me though. He regarded me with a pretty indifferent look and turned his back to me. I almost turned and ran, but I heard footsteps coming down the other end of the corridor and stopped in confusion. Was my father meeting someone down here? "Ah, Night, just the man I wanted to see" my father said as the footsteps got closer. I saw blonde hair over the top of my father's head, so whomever he was talking to must have been rather tall. I didn't recognize the name either. Why would my father call someone simply 'knight'?

"I have a proposition for you Night," my father said in that voice that made my heart sink. Oh man, this was not going to be good for me.

[Night]

[Night:]

I walked without paying attention to where I was going, wondering silently. I traced the lines in the castle stone until I caught myself, and then reprimanded myself harshly. I needed to focus on something that could help me, and all I could do was get distracted. It was really starting to get on my nerves.
“Healer, healer, I need a healer.” I muttered, hoping that maybe saying it aloud would help him to focus better. ”We have one in the palace… but I don’t want everyone in the world to know what’s up, and that would be a sure way to let the whole castle and everywhere around it know. No, too many people would use that against me… someone I trust… someone not in the castle, because I’m almost sure that it would get around… Uh…” I continued to mutter under my breath, so quietly that I could hardly hear it. I figured I was safe from other ears. I put my fingers on my temples, rubbing silently. It was giving me a headache, concentrating this fiercely on something. I hadn’t even used this much energy to focus when I was training, or even when I was in battle. But this would kill me in a battle, the problem I was having now. I wouldn’t be able to focus long enough on the person in front of me to keep myself alive. I was of no use to anyone in this state…

I leaned against the wall for a moment as a particularly nasty headache rolled its way through. I gritted my teeth. I’d had war wounds, for crying out loud, and I could stand those better than what I was feeling right now… I’d have to go to a healer for the headaches, if nothing else. I couldn’t do anything if I had to stop every minute because I couldn’t see past the pain in my head! I dug my short fingernails in my palm until the pain subsided and pushed away, eyes still closed. I started forward, a hand against the wall to guide me. I found it helped slightly if I couldn’t see the things that took me off track. The headache faded gradually until it was just a dull throbbing.

”I’ve gotta get to town.” I muttered to myself. There was a healer there that I used to know… maybe she was still around. That was my best hope right now. She had been a good friend, and I thought I could trust her, more than anyone here, at least. I turned around, stopping mid-step as my headache flared. Then I continued on, eyes closed, focusing only on the way I knew would take me to my horse. Other than that, it didn’t matter.

I sensed someone coming, but chose to ignore them, wrapping myself in my own thoughts and mental maps. I needed to turn right soon, and I counted my steps.

1…2…3…

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[Ankhu]

[Ankhu]

I heard mumbling along with the guys footsteps. I couldn't make out what it was he was saying from where I was, but the tone of his voice made him sound like he was in some kind of pain. I pushed any thought of running out of my head for the moment; I never could ignore somebody who was hurt.

"Night?" I heard my father call after the blond haired guy as he walked past him. He was grimacing and holding his head, and didn't seem to really be watching where he was going. If I didn't move out of the way he'd probably run me right over. I moved out of the way but kept walking alongside him. "Hey...are you all right?" It seemed kind of a foolish question even to me, but I felt compelled to ask anyway.

From random stories I'd heard from other knights who'd had a "night out in the town" and from what I've seen in my own nights in Corus, I assumed he probably had a hangover or something similar. Or maybe something else. ...........Maybe I didn't want to know. "Do you want to see a healer or something?" I didn't think it would take very long for me to find the palace one, but......couldn't he just do that himself?

Hmm....maybe he could be a good distraction for my father while I got out of here. He was a knight though, so maybe not......

[Night]

[Night:]

I started at the sound of my name, stopping suddenly midstep. What now? I didn't know how much more I could handle, with the headache pounding with every pulse of blood. I forced myself to open my eyes and grinned slightly, trying to ignore my head.

"Yea-" I started, and gasped as I saw who I was talking to. I dropped to one knee immediately, hitting the stone floor and choking slightly as my knee hit the bare stone. I was going to regret that majorly later, but I couldn't afford to worry about that now. I'd been ignoring the king, for crying out loud. I had to stay focused right now. "Yes, your majesty. How can I be of service?" I said, proud that I didn't show an ounce of pain in my voice. I could make it through this and then get to a healer. After all, what could the king possibly ask that would affect my plans? He wouldn't seek me out for most anything, just because most of the things he wanted didn't warrant the kind of distraction I'd assume.

The pain flared up in the back of my skull for a moment, and I couldnt manage to keep it concealed. I gasped quietly and then assumed my air of 'nothing's wrong'. Hopefully his majesty hadn't realized anything was wrong. The last thing I needed was the king thinking that I couldn't carry out even the simple tasks that he'd asked me to do. Ugh, what was wrong with me?! Why couldn't I manage something so simple as having a discussion with my king? I was incredibly grateful at that moment for healers; I would never underestimate them again, never undervalue them. Especially if they could help me with the pain.

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[Ankhu]

[Ankhu]

I could have sworn I heard a crack when the guy's knee hit the hard ground; I winced at the noise. He must have been feeling it too, but he kept his expression under control as he knelt before his 'king.' Ugh, knights. I rolled my eyes and started the opposite direction. I didn't want to watch this disgusting display of humility to a man who flatly did not deserve it.

My father grabbed me by my wrist before I even got two steps away. I pulled against his grip only once, and half-heartedly at that. If I fought too hard now it would mean more trouble for me later, when I actually had things I had to do. I wouldn't face him, but it didn't surprise me when he ignored me and started talking to the knight like I wasn't there. I got the feeling my father liked being the taller one now. "Well Night," He said in the honey-sweet, belittling voice that made me shudder. I tugged against him again, hoping to maybe irk him a little. "I know it hasn't been very long since you went through the Ordeal (tug) but I was wondering (tug) if you had by chance found a squire yet."

I almost went to tug on him again when my head snapped around in shock. Why in the world would he be asking if such a young knight had a squire? Unless...

My father's eyes flickered down to me for an instant and he gave me a cold smile. My stomach dropped as the gut-wrenching horror of realization hit me. No. No no no no no no NO. He knew I skipped most of my page training, and knew how much a didn't want to be a knight, or he wouldn't be doing this. Even a page who had taken all the lessons wouldn't be taken yet at my age. And page training I could skip out on, but if he had a knight keep a leash on me... I began to pull against him in ernest almost slipping a couple of times in my haste. My father reached around and grabbed the wrist of my free hand with his other hand, but I still jerked against his hold. I would be subject to this without a fight!

[Night]

[Night:]

I grimaced as my headache pounded, and I assumed that was why I had heard wrong. I mean, I was't exactly the ideal knight to have a squire, especially not now. Sure, I thought about taking one on eventually, but not yet. And especially not who I was sure he was talking about. The prince... I knew of him. I knew he didn't care for knights or his own father, and I knew how often he'd gotten in trouble for skipping out or otherwise doing things that had been forbidden him. I also remembered when his brother left... but that was a different story altogether. I need to keep focused on the present, I told myself firmly. I looked up at the king, hoping my face was the mask of respect that was acceptable when talking with his majesty.

"Ex-excuse me, your majesty?" I noticed the prince tugging against the king's hold, and the wicked look that his majesty gave his son. It made me feel bad for the kid. Sure, he had a bad reputation, but the way the king was treating him now, as well as myself, made me think about when his time on the throne would end. I wouldn't trade being a knight for the crown for anything, but sometimes our current king made me wonder if we wouldn't be better off after his son took the throne. However, with some of the things the prince had done... I couldn't decide which I would prefer. I missed Kara, and the days when he'd been promised the throne. He would have made a good king, I had no doubt in my mind about that.

I cleared my head and returned my attention to my king, who struggled with the prince. I was nervous about what I was getting into... or what I was being put in. I doubted it would be easy to take care of the prince to the king's satisfaction, and I doubted, as well, that the prince would care to be my squire, the way he was acting now. But I wasn't getting a squire. This was a mistake. Of course. I wasn't old enough to have a squire, and no where near fitting material yet. No, I was just having a discussion with the king, and he was keeping the prince near him for his own reasons.

You keep telling yourself that.

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[Ankhu]

[Ankhu]

As I gave a particularly violent tug my father let go. I lost my balance and fell backward, hitting my back hard against the stone floor. I winced and hissed through my teeth, clenching my jaw to keep from crying out. Well, that was painful and humiliating, but then again that was kind of the whole point. I tried to sit up but the effort hurt so much I lay back down again. My tail bone was probably bruised.

I found myself almost wishing I was hurt even worse. Then I'd be unfit to be a squire for sure.

My father started talking to the knight again. "Well Night, if you haven't a squire in mind yet, perhaps you wouldn't mind doing a bit of a...favor," He tacked on the last word at the end and he looked at me again, his eyes showing a disgust that someone who dislikes animals has for a wet, muddy, mangy dog. I sat up as much as I was able and gave him my hardest death glare, enhanced by the pain. He was too lazy and preoccupied with taking over the world to keep tabs on his own troublesome son, so he was going to pawn me off on somebody else. Most people would be offended, but I'd been treated as such since Kara left, so I was quite used to it.

"You see, my son (I'd also grown used to the fact that I rarely had a name anymore, just a title or acknowledgment of relation) "is rapidly becoming of age to become a squire. Though he is a bit young still, I think the sooner he starts training the better prepared he'll be to take m-, er, the crown. Ah yes, I was "taking" HIS crown. Not inherit, but "taking." Like he cared if I was prepared to rule or not (which by the way I wasn't, and I doubted I would be anytime soon). He would probably rather I wasn't; actually, he'd really rather I throw Tortall into such chaos that people would beg him to be back on the throne. That would give him at least some good public opinion, which he had very little of now.

"So Night," (I still wondered what this guy's real name was) "if you would be willing, would you take the prince as your squire?" I doubted the knight would really get much choice in the matter. I'd resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't getting a choice. I sat up to see his reaction, glad the pain in my back was dulling.

[Night]

[Night:]

A favor? I was almost afraid of what that would be, but I didn't say anything; if I didn't take it as a favor, I'd take it as an order, and with a favor I got a little bit of recognition at the end. I listened, even as the Prince fell on his butt and glared at his father. I would have laughed at it but for my headache and the overall seriousness of the situation. I listened intently, trying to push the throbbing of my headache to the back of my concious thought. I needed to listen to him while he was here, and then I'd be able to do whatever he wanted and find a healer, or vice versa if time allowed.

"So Night if you would be willing, would you take the prince as your squire?"

Say WHAT?![/color][/u]

I was hearing wrong, I was sure. But I knew even my mind wouldn't hear such a thing any differently, even with this headache. Especially with this headache. I gaped for a second before I bowed my head. Sure, I'd been thinking of taking on a squire, but not quite yet! I'd hardly gotten out of the Ordeal, and it would take me a while to even figure out what to teach a squire. Besides, I didn't really want to take the prince on, and I was sure he'd be 'un-assigned' from me as soon as the king realized what he'd done. But at the moment, I could see no way out of it. It wasn't like I really had a choice with the king. If he wanted me to do it, I'd better do it, or I would be on his bad side for longer than he was King.

"Yes, your majesty." I muttered, acting for all the world that it would be a pleasure to take on his troublesome son as a squire when I didn't hardly know what was going on right now. Because that's totally everyone's dreams, right? To try to teach a squire, especially one like that prince, with no clue as to what to do. Oh yeah, every peasant and every other person in the world dreamed about the opportunity, and here I was, recieving it on a golden platter from none other than the king.

Splendid.

I closed my eyes as my head was bowed, hoping the king didn't notice. Oh, what a plague headaches are. Especially ones like mine. I'd known a boy, once, who'd had terrible headaches, but I didn't think his could even compare to mine. He had lived in Goldenlake, and he'd died early. I wondered if anyone attended to his grave. As far as I knew, no one who knew him resided in there anymore. Either they'd died as well or they'd moved away from the bad memories. I'd have to go back and tend to it. It was cruel that the grave of an eight year old boy should be unkempt.

But that was way off topic. I brought myself back to the current problem, which was accepting the Prince as a squire. Oh, delightful.[/color][/blockquote][/size]

[Ankhu]

[Ankhu]

I thought I caught a flicker of surprise and maybe disgust (if not, at least disappointment) cross the knight's face, but perhaps I imagined it. I certiantly wasn't deaf; I knew the rumors that knights carried about the palace about what a deliquent and ill-mannered kid I was, and I assumed this knight carried very much the same opinion of me.

Which, in all reality, suited me just fine.

My father smiled genuinely at the knight. "That's good to hear, Night. he said in a syrupy tone, clearly heading for a dismissal. "I know you'll teach him well." Pfft, yeah no pressure or anything dude. I rolled my eyes as I finally got into a sitting positio, wincing only a few times. It was times like this when being small and scrawny really sucked. I bruised like a woman. For sneaking out of the palace my stature was perfect, but when things came to blows it was really a hinderance.

As my father left to tend to more interesting things, I worked myself into a standing position, leaning against a wall. I considered the knight for a moment, wondering if I should ask him his real name. But I decided against it and opted for getting out of this mess instead. I sighed. "Okay look," I said in a level voice, "I've got nothing against you; I don't even know you. But I'm fairly certian that neither one of us is happy about this situation." This was a partial assumption on my part, but given most of the palace's opinion of me, it was to much of a guess.

"So I'll make you a deal," I continued in a level voice. "You forget this ever happened, and I'll take whatever heat there is from the king. I'll make something up to get him really mad at me, which believe me isn't hard, but you'll be completely out of this. We never have to see each other again. Just forget it, fair deal?" Without waiting for a response I turned around and started walking best I could, intending to find a healer in Corus. I'm sure Mrs. Withers knew of one, and maybe while I was there I could pick up some regular medicine in case Aeriel or little Myrus got sick in the cold seasons. Of course, with as much pain as I was in now, maybe it was better not to see Aeriel yet.....

[Night]

[Night:]

I blinked when the king left, taking in all the responsibility I'd just taken on. Had I really just taken on the prince as my squire, much less only a year after I'd gone throught the Ordeal? Sure, I knew the king wasn't quite the best one on the job, but I hadn't thought he was stupid until this moment. With the prince's... well, and my own reputations, this wasn't a good answer to anyone's problems.

'Especially for me right now...' I thought, rubbing my head.

The prince was talking to me, I realized, and immediately turned my attention to him. "...forget this ever happened, and I'll take whatever heat there is from the king. I'll make something up to get him really mad at me, which believe me isn't hard, but you'll be completely out of this. We never have to see each other again. Just forget it, fair deal?"

I was surprised. I hadn't thought the prince would sink so low as to go behind his father's back, no matter how... but I took back the thought immediately. He went behind his father's back alot, both literally and figuratively. I shook my head, and I cringed and paused for a moment, leaning against the wall. Shaking my head had not been the best idea I'd ever had, not with this headache. I grimaced before turning my attention back to the prince.

"Look, I was given a task by the king, and I wouldn't make a very good knight if I just decided to... uh..." I was having trouble thinking, now that my headache was back in full swing again. It was throbbing against my skull, making it hard to think about anything other than that. "I wouldn't be a very good knight if I acted as if the king's orders held no sway in any important matters in my life, okay?" There, it was out. My headache was getting bad again... I leaned heavily against the wall, forgetting for a moment that the prince stood before me. Red explosions behind my eyelids blinded me, and I cringed as each one went off, sending off a new wave of pain.

Suddenly I lost control of my body, only for a moment, and collapsed to the floor. The moment it happened, I was fine again, the only reminder the throbbing that seemed so small after that attack. I stayed where I was, feeling the bruises forming already from the collision with the hard stone of the floor. That would hinder me quite a bit if I was to teach any squire...

I opened my eyes again, suddenly remembering my new mischievous squire. With my luck, he'd probably run off or otherwise taken advantage of my situation. This was not going to work out if I couldn't get this fixed.[/color][/size][/blockquote]

[Ankhu]

[Ankhu]

I turned my head to look over my shoulder as I felt the knight's eyes on me. For the first time I really caught what kind of pain the guy seemed to be in. Something told me it was more than just a simple hangover, though I'd never had one, so I couldn't be sure. Without thinking, I rolled my shoulders a bit; the pain was dulling to an incessant throbbing now. Something told me the knight wasn't so lucky.

"I wouldn't be a very good knight if I acted as if the King's orders held no sway in any important matters in my life, okay?"

I whirled around, fully facing him now. "Oh please" I half-shouted tersely, rolling my eyes. "Is that all you knights really think about? Getting good favor from a king who really doesn't care if his people live or die? I mean I understand loyalty but come on!" Though I was exasperated and annoyed outward, inside I couldn't help but feel a grudging but deep respect. If a knight can really stay loyal to a king like that, that really showed a level of devotion. Vaguely I wondered if any knight would ever be that way toward me, but I quickly pushed it out of my mind.

"Aren't knights supposed to have a sense of- Hey!" Before I could finish, without warning, the knight crumpled to the floor (now that is an odd thought). I rushed over to his side, way too late to catch him, but to be sure that the fall hadn't hurt him at all. "Hey, what was that about? Did you pass out or something?" I should have remembered he was a knight. I should have remembered that he had just been assigned to be my knight. But right now, while he was in pain, he was just another one of my people; so many of whom were in pain and needed help.

I quickly looked him over, not seeing any obvious external injuries. Of course, I'd had no practice in this field. He needed someone who was, and I told him so. "We really need to get you a healer or at least some medicine. Come on," I said as I tried to help him to his feet. "I know someone in Corus who would know a good healer. Unless you'd rather find one in the palace." A crazy thought crossed my mind, of how I probably be running away as fast as I could right now. But I ignored it.

[Night]

[Night:]

I glanced at the squire after my head had stopped spinning, who still sat beside me, to my surprise. "I'm not loyal to the king, I'm loyal to my country, which would fall apart without my king." I growled. I didn't care what else he said, but calling me an idiot to follow a king unquestioningly to get good favor was not something I would put up with, and he was going to learn that quickly.

I stood up shakily, leaning heavily against the wall. My head was still pounding, and I could barely think straight... a healer? "Yeah... I was going to get one, before... " I grimaced and fell against the wall as a flash of pain drilled through me. Everything was spinning wildly in front of me, and then a flash of white light blinded me...

And then my headache was gone. Just like that. Of course, I found myself on the floor again when I finally realized what was going on, but that was only a few bruises to add to my collection... I was more amazed that the headache had gone away, just like that...

I pushed myself up again, still leaning against the wall, looking around me in slight wonder and waiting for the headache to return in it's full pounding force. But it didn't, and the longer I waited, the more sure I was that I was fine for now. I pushed away from the wall and, when nothing happened inside my head, I grinned. "Yes." I muttered, glad that I could do my duties now. And glad that the incapacitating headache was gone.

I turned back toward the prince. "Gone, apparently. You ready to be a squire?"

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[Ankhu]

[Ankhu]

I was taken aback by the knight's evident anger at what I'd said, and despite myself some fear started rising up within me. I stepped back a few paces. It was the kinda fear I got right before someone snuck up behind me and was about to hit me.

It was a pretty odd feeling to have about a knight who had just crumpled to the floor moments ago.

I convinced myself that I was just worried about his well-being and shook the feeling off, for the most part. I still felt a bit uneasy; more than ever I wanted to bolt, but I forced myself to stay put. I had to make sure this guy was okay first. I quick brushed back his blonde hair from his forehead (I had to stand on the very tips of my toes to do so, for he was tall for his age and I was short for mine) to check if he had a fever... He leaned against the wall and grimaced like a spasm of pain was shooting through him.

Being jumpy already, I jumped back and flattened myself against the opposite wall of the narrow corridor, stareing at him wide-eyed. What the heck....I'd only touched him...... He fell to the floor and I fought the urge to go to him, fearing what my touch might have done to him. I....couldn't have used any kind of magic, could I? I never have before except on my necklace.

While I was freaking out the knight opened his eyes and looked around, his pain clearly gone. He looked around a bit, like he was trying to get oriented, and I de-plastered myself from the wall. Whatever had just happened, I doubted I had little to do with it. I mean it's ot like I had used magic without even knowing it. That was impossible. Well, at least the knight was okay now.

"Gone, apparently. You ready to be a squire?" Oh wait, that wasn't a good thing was it? I stared blackly at him through half-lidded eyes. "Nope" I responded simply and headed away from him down the hall at a brisk walk. I wasn't exactly sure of the time, but I knew I had to get to Corus soon.

[Night]

[Night:]

It took me a moment to register what he was doing, but as soon as I did, I reached forward and grabbed his collar, not bothering to worry about the fact that he was the Prince, and thus, my liege. He was now only my squire in my mind. I hauled him back toward me, dropping him to his feet. I had heard that he was hard to control, but this was insane. If he was going to try to get away from me within five seconds of becoming my squire… well, he had another thing coming. I wasn’t a push over like he seemed to think. I was going to train him, and train him hard. He was going to be the best dang knight there was, because everyone would remember me for my first squire. Especially if it was the Prince.
”And… where did you think you were going?” I asked, grinning at him. I was working hard to keep my attention on him, but there was some kind of insect crawling along the floor behind him, and it was drawing my eyes… no. I stared at the Prince, waiting for some kind of answer. I needed to focus. This was going to be interesting enough, seeing as it was my first squire and I had absolutely no idea what to do. I wasn’t going to let my attention problems get the best of me, not here, not now.

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[Ankhu]

[330099][Ankhu]

Luckily I stopped before the knight's hold on my collar started to choke me, or maybe the sheer surprise was the reason I didn't continue walking. We he set me back on my feet I glared up at him. Who the heck did this guy think he was? Your knight, some part of my brain answered for me. From what little I'd observed of the whole 'knight-squire' relationship, I knew that some knights really wielded complete control over their squires, while some didn't wield enough.

Personally, I didn't want this guy having any hold on me whatsoever.

I loosened collar a bit, which was too tight against my neck after he had pulled on it. "No concern of yours," I snapped at him when he asked me where I was going. "Look, we can do the training thing later, but I've got to go." I don't know if he was really paying attention; he seemed to be looking through me more than at me. Oh well. I turned again and continued walking in the direction I had been before I was so rudely interrupted.[/color]