The Apathetic Knight

Chapter 3.2 - Kynareth

"The thing about the subjugation is that it doesn't matter how well liked or received you may be...if a knight is very physically powerful, it will take quite a toll on both bodies."

I was suddenly very nervous. What if my chosen Knight simply could not be subjugated by me...? I hadn't even considered that as a possibility.

The sorcerer glanced at me, a smile on his face. "Alright, my lady, have you chosen who it is that you wish to have as a personal knight?"

My heart thumped wildly, but I kept my voice even and steady, calm. "I wish to have Seryn Von Leonhart as my personal knight," I said.

The entire room fell silent, everyone gaping at me in shock.

"Um, excuse me, my lady," the knight said, voice strained. "Are you sure you wish to have him as your personal knight?" He asked, surprised.

"Do I not have the right to choose who it is that I wish?" I asked, trying to put authority behind my tone. I felt my belly rumble with energy, and I noticed the sorcerer give me a look of surprise for a moment before masking it quickly.

I would notice his attention on me several more times through the rest of this visit, however.

"Oh, of course you do!" He amended quickly. "It is just that he is...very physically powerful, my lady, his strength may overwhelm you. It could possibly even harm you."

"I am only willing to choose Seryn," I said firmly. "I will not have any other knight. Might I see him, please?" I asked.

They hesitated. "I am deeply sorry, my lady," the sorcerer said. "However, Lord Seryn is actually at his home today. His father is sending him to a party in his stead, and he isn't actually here at the moment. He will be back tomorrow evening."

"Oh," I said, suddenly depressed. "Do you...happen to know what party he is attending?"

"I am sorry to say that I do not, my lady...and unfortunately, it would be highly improper to attend someone's party for the purpose of acquiring him," the sorcerer said, tone bland as if he were speaking to a little child, though he kept eyeing me. I think he was trying to see if my mana would get worked up again, but I was trying much harder to keep it quiet.

I didn't like drawing attention to myself.

I bit my lip, refraining myself from scolding him, but I could see my brother's fists clench as well, and even Varo shifted at his side, seemingly also offended.

"Are you sure you have no one else in mind, miss?" The sorcerer asked, and I nodded, firm in my decision. He obviously wasn't convinced...

I sighed, and I turned, following my father and brother out of the room and out of the facility.

"Sir Varo," my brother began, and Varo stirred beside of him, resting his hand over his heart.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Until my sister has acquired her own personal knight, I ask that you act as her knight instead."

Varo simply smiled, giving me a soft grin as he bowed to me, kneeling at my feet and taking my hand, placing a soft kiss to my hand. "I shall follow your command, my lord."

Astaroth glanced at my father, who looked on in surprise. "I can continue to have Sir Aaron protect me until she is able to get a personal knight herself. She has now come-of-age...you and I both know full-well the dangers of allowing a young, freshly blooming lady to be alone, father. None of the duchy's knights are willing to stand by sister, as we have proven with last six knights..."

Father stroked his chin, considering this. "You have a good point," he said. He glanced to the knight now standing by my side. "I see no reason to intervene, then." He smiled, and as I approached the carriage, Varo stepped up, holding out his hand for me.

I was a bit startled, but I took his hand and stepped up into the carriage, letting him scoot in to sit beside of me, while Astaroth sat beside of father.

We got back home with just enough time to get ready for the coming-of-age party, and as my brother walked with us over to my tower, he looked at Varo.

"Protect her well, Varo. I will be very upset if anything happens to my precious sister," he said, his eyes hard like ice.

Varo seemed to sense the urgency in his tone, and gave a deep bow. "I will protect her with my life, my lord."

Astaroth nodded. "Good, then. Go on, get ready for the party, sister," he smiled, turning and crossing the courtyard to reach his own tower.

I smiled after him, and Varo followed closely behind me as we walked up the flights of stairs to reach my bedchambers.

When we arrived, Alice came over, shaking Varo's hand.

"My lady, I didn't think that this was the knight you were choosing, but he is rather dashing!" She laughed, and Varo smiled, blushing as he received her praise.

"I am simply acting as her knight until she has acquired her own, miss," he informed. "Lord Astaroth commanded me to do so."

She startled, looking back at me. "You mean...you don't have a personal knight? Even though you went all the way there to find one?"

I shrugged. "He should return by tomorrow, and I can simply go back."

"Well, I'm going to go get dressed quickly," Sir Varo said, turning to leave. Alice left with him, saying she wanted to make sure that she was getting me ready with enough time to make my debut at the right time. She had to coordinate with the announcers and have me ready to leave the room at the right moment to time the announcement.

When she returned, her face was quite pale. She looked upset, but she shook it off, setting to the task of helping me. It took a while, and she was very quiet...much more than usual.

As Alice finished helping me get ready, I took a good look at myself.

My gown was a deep, rich navy blue with silver stars embroidered over the gown, a belt of silver lace around my hips, a heart-shaped neckline that fell just above my bust, silver lace covering my shoulders and arms, a necklace of sapphires around my neck.

Blue and gray shadowing was added to my eyelids, my eyes lined with liner, and a deep navy stain was placed on my lips.

My hair was pinned up into an elegantly braided bun, my long bangs parted to the sides to frame my face and curling gently with the training of curling rods.

I hardly recognized myself.

"You have done a splendid job, Alice," I praised, and she gave a half-hearted smile, thanking me quietly. "What's the matter?" I asked her, and she quickly shook her head, not answering me.

The energy in the room was dark, dreary, and my pleasant mood toward my appearance began to sour significantly.

I couldn't fathom what on earth was the matter for Alice to have changed so deeply in such a short amount of time.

I heard the small knock on my door, and Alice went and opened it for me to see Sir Varo standing there, decked out in a uniform that was a bit similar to my gown.

"The butler gave me this to wear-" he paused when he looked up to see me, and he smiled, giving a deep bow. "You look truly radiant, my lady, a vision of beauty. You are simply breath-taking. I suppose you would be, what with the rumors going around in the halls!" He said.

I blushed, smiling at him. "I am glad that you think so," I said, smiling at him. "Wait...rumors?"

He looked like he'd said something he hadn't meant to, shaking his head and looking away as held out his arm for me, and I took it, letting him lead me down the stairs and through the halls to the banquet hall.

What was going on? Both Varo and Alice were acting so strange. Was something really that wrong?

"Lady Kynareth Renna Severing, escorted by Sir Varo Lupus!" The announcer called, and Varo led me through the doors as they opened, striding across the room and to my father's side, where my brother already stood, waiting for me.

There was a dark expression on his face, too, and that coupled with the shift of energy in Alice and Varo just a moment ago rang through to my entire core.

My stomach rumbled and I felt my mana swirling, but I did my best to keep up a good front and hide my growing apprehension.

I was handed off to my brother, who took my arm and made himself as my escort.

As the crowd settled down, my father addressed them. "Good evening, and thank you for attending this fine party!" He smiled. "I would personally like to wish my son and daughter a happy, well-earned coming-of-age! As is tradition, we partook in the Knight selection today..." he hesitated, glancing at me. I gave a nod to Varo, and he smiled, going to stand by my brother for a moment. "As of today, my heir, Astaroth Renard Severing successfully subjugated the knight, Sir Varo Hans Lupus," he said.

The crowd cheered, before my father cleared his throat and continued.

"Beginning from this moment, as his sister has come of age, he will now be acting as lady Kynareth's manager and acting on her behalf. Any business to do with her, as is tradition, shall now fall to him as her brother. Furthermore, as he has now reached marriageable age, I have arranged for young lord Astaroth to become betrothed to lady Elvira Sire Steel," my father said, and everyone exclaimed in surprise and awe even as pain slashed through me.

Lady Steel was the daughter of Duke Steel, a powerful, battle-hardened general of the knight's faction who had fought and won in many battles, and not only did he have a powerful army, but he also had a powerful naval force, as well. Lady Steel was quite famous for being quite attractive, with ashen brown hair and steely gray eyes and stunning, doll-like features.

She was rumored to be breathtaking.

I gaped at my brother, who kneeled as Lady Steel approached, reaching out for her outstretched hand, and slid off her glove, sliding a beautiful ring onto her beautifully manicured ring finger.

Pain speared through my heart, and I struggled to keep myself composed.

How dare she have her hand touch his!

I felt a bitter, vile jealousy build inside me, and I clenched my teeth together.

She would never hold the bond to him that he and I shared. He had just sworn himself to me that morning, hadn't he?

All I had to do was trust him.

He was building up support for himself, in honor of our house, that was all. He didn't hold any feelings for her, surely, he didn't.

My father turned his attention to my brother as he stood and returned to me, with his fiancé attached to his other arm, and took my arm again with his free arm. My father nodded to my brother, who nodded back and sighed deeply.

"As my sister has come of age and I have taken over the responsibility of her management, it falls to me to handle this social debut on her behalf; to help her make friends and allies in the social circles, to give her budgets for tea parties and gatherings; to manage her reputation and, in a much more crucial decision, handle her marriage. As such, I have taken a great deal of care in successfully securing a good, wholesome match for her. It was the king who reached out to me and asked me to forge this alliance himself. With the final word coming from my father, the matter was decided with finality; and so, in the name of His Majesty, King Bright Fire Ashland, and in my father's name, Duke Leodore Renard Severing, as acting proxy of her affairs as her brother, I hereby announce the betrothal of my sister, Lady Kynareth Renna Severing, to his highness, the Crowned Prince of the empire, Cinder Burn Ashland."

My entire world froze in that moment.

That...pompous, rude, arrogant man? Prince Cinder?

Really?

Even the second prince would have been a better choice!

Tears filled my eyes, and I began to tremble as whispers flooded through the room.

I knew it was foolish. It had certainly been insinuated strongly enough, but still; I'd hoped...

Hoping against hope, begging for mercy from the universe, I had somehow hoped that my display at that fateful Christmas banquet would have shaken the king enough to not go through with this farce of an idea.

It would seem that I would not be so lucky.

I stood there in bitter, fuming silence, even as my business continued to be discussed around me as if I weren't even present. As if my entire world hadn't just been decimated before my very eyes.

Prince Cinder already disliked me. He would never accept this with a smile. He would never be kind to me.

I knew that my brother hadn't made the final decision. He would not have married me off so early this way, especially not to someone I already had issues with.

My father had only sealed my doom by agreeing to this match.

"But my Lord, what about her personal knight?" Someone spoke up to ask, and many others joined in.

"Ah, that's...the knight that she personally wanted to choose as her personal knight was not at the facility today, because he had familial obligations to attend to. He is supposed to be returning tomorrow, and then we shall go back to the Knight's Order to speak with him."

"Who did she want to choose?!" I heard another shout the question, but I couldn't hear anything over the thundering in my ears.

I glanced around the room, thankful that I didn't see the king, but even at the moment that thought crossed my mind, I felt my heart drop at the sound of the doors opening and his name being announced.

I thought my heart would stop when the crowned Prince strode confidently toward us, gait confident and proud, shoulders back, body oozing beauty.

He was a handsome man, even at the age of eighteen, now.

He came and, shocking everyone, gave me a small bow at the waist, extending his hand for my own.

I stood there, dumbfounded and silent and fuming with my mana shaking viciously in my gut even as I kept my hand clenched in my brother's.

Cinder's face grew a tad red with embarrassment as he dropped his hand. Then he was standing once again, and crossing his arms...obviously displeased.

"I am so sorry, your highness," my father muttered out the apology even as I still stood there, gaping into the empty space, not even able to breathe. "I am sure that she is just so overjoyed with the news that she doesn't know how to respond!"

The prince scoffed, but took my hand into his own forcefully. He lifted it himself, slipping my glove off of my hand and sliding a large, bulky, freezing-cold ring onto my ring finger like a hard, diamond-cold shackle upon me as the embodiment of my being prisoned with him for the rest of my life.