The Apathetic Knight

Chapter 4.2 - Kynareth

I glanced over at his part of our chambers. Every room in the castle had two jointly attached rooms, divided by a curtain, for a personal knight to be able to stay right with their master at all times.

Once a knight was sworn to their master, there was no leaving their side unless directly ordered to do so.

"Is...everything to your liking? Have you eaten well?" I asked.

He glanced at me before turning to face his room. "It is surprising to me that this is your first concern," he said, voice even. He glanced over his shoulder at me. "You seem to be a thoughtful lady...for a mage," he said wryly.

"You are my knight," I said softly. "It is my job to ensure that you have everything that you need...including food and clothing."

He turned to face me, giving a light sigh. "No, my lady, I haven't eaten since you lost consciousness, and I do have a few outfits, but as my master, it is your responsibility to provide me with a new uniform, armor and weaponry..."

"I...remember," I groaned, and he strode over, resting his hands on my shoulders softly and helping me to sit up. "We...learned our duties...to our knights...a few weeks ago."

He leaned over to grab a glass of water from my night table, and lifted the glass to my lips, adjusting the glass as I tilted my head back.

I coughed and sputtered, choking, and he sighed, setting down the glass and patting my back, lifting one of my arms to help clear the airway.

"I thought this may happen," he said, meeting my eyes. "Your body is still reeling from the subjugation. You put your life on the line to have me as your knight, my lady...why would you go so far for me?"

I smiled up at him as he helped me lay back down against the pillows.

"Because you are the best," I smiled, and his eyes widened a bit before he gave me a small smirk.

"Indeed," he said, tone cocky. He glanced downward, and his eyes widened further in surprise as he reached forward, grabbing something, and lifted his handkerchief up into the air. I gasped, reaching to try to snatch it, but I was too slow. "You...kept this?" He asked, tone finally showing emotion.

I looked away, my face heating. "You were kind to me."

He shook his head, handing it back to me even as I clutched it to my chest. "You are the daughter of a duke, my lady. I am sure many people are kind to you."

I scoffed. "You must not know much about me."

He looked at me with a bit of confusion. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. "I don't want for your opinion of me to sullied so early, so I will wait to tell you."

He shrugged. "As you wish."

Then, he took a sip of water, and leaned forward, pressing his lips to my own as he let the water pass from his mouth to my own, and held his spot there as I swallowed, forced to drink. He did this a few more times, until I took a breath of relief and relaxed further into my pillows.

He stood, going over to the window and pulling back the curtains, letting the light in. "Do you wish to let in some fresh air?" He asked, glancing at me.

"Yes, please," I asked, and he opened the panes. I took in a deep breath, breathing in the fresh, crisp air of the evening.

Trembling, I reached up to the rope to summon the maid, and my fingers fell just short. Stepping back over, Seryn pulled on the rope for me, and it wasn't long before the maid arrived, looking relieved.

"My lady!" She cried, hugging me. "I was so worried about you!"

I smiled. "Thank you, Alice. Has supper been served, yet?" I asked.

"Not quite, my lady. Do you wish to dress and attend the meal?"

I smiled, giving a nod. "Yes, that would be nice."

She and Seryn helped me stand up, my legs trembling a bit, and Seryn took in my condition. "Are you sure you are alright to do that?" He asked. "You can have your meal brought here."

I shook my head. "I am the daughter of the duke. I need to show my value as the daughter of Lord Severing. I already look weak enough, having slept for almost twenty-four hours."

He scoffed. "It was a miracle you were able to subjugate me at all. You could have died."

I smiled. "You were worth it," I said, and he looked away, cheeks tinged the faintest pink.

My maid helped me get dressed while Seryn got dressed in one of his usual outfits, and he lifted me into his arms to carry me down the flights of stairs and through the castle to the banquet hall.

"Lady Kynareth has arrived," the announcer said, not formally as he would for a party but just enough to alert my family to my arrival.

"Kynareth!" Astaroth cried, standing and rushing over to me, giving me a hug even as Seryn still held me. "You're finally awake!"

I grinned at him. "Yes, brother."

He kissed my cheek, and glanced up at Seryn. "You are quite diligent, Sir Seryn. You didn't even have a meal while you waited for her. I am glad that she was able to make you her knight," he said. He turned, leading us to the dining table, and as we sat, he addressed Seryn again. "I don't know how much you know about my sister, but she has gone through half a dozen knights from the duchy who just refused to watch after her!"

That seemed to pique Seryn's interest. "Why is that? Is she not a lady of this house? A daughter of the duke who rules over them?"

The room got quiet, and my father stood, leaving the room, his wife following after him quickly.

"It is something that isn't usually discussed, Sir Seryn," Alice whispered to him. "Lady Severing was desperately struggling to conceive, so the king allowed Lord Severing to marry a concubine long enough to bear him an heir, and then they divorced and she went back to her own country with great rewards for her services."

A look of stunned surprise passed over Seryn's face. "So, because you are the son, you were looked after, but as a daughter, my lady was neglected...?"

My brother nodded. "Yes, that is the gist of it," he said. "My sister was originally terrified of getting a personal knight because she thought-"

"Brother!" I snapped at him, cheeks flaming, but Seryn seemed to understand what my concern had been.

"You were afraid to be abandoned again..." Seryn whispered. He stood, coming to kneel at my side, hand resting on mine on top of my knee. "My lady...I vowed an oath to you, and allowed myself to fall under your subjugation willingly...albeit a bit begrudgingly, but still. You are my master, now. I would never abandon you. I am not like the knights of the duchy, who look down upon you because of circumstance. You are the daughter of the duke, whether they like it or not, but more so than that, you are a person."

Tears welled in my eyes as I listened to his consoling words, and he kissed the back of my hand before he returned to his seat.

I began eating, and I noticed that he, too, finally began to eat. I startled. "Why hadn't you began eating before?" I asked.

He glanced at me. "What kind of knight eats before their master?" He asked, as if it was the most obvious answer there could be.

"An appropriate viewpoint for a knight to have," a new voice entered the room, and I startled, crying out in fearful surprise as I looked over my shoulder, seeing the crowned prince. He chuckled, smirking at me as he strode past me, taking a seat. "You're going to have to get over this reaction you seem to have any time you see me, lion cub; you are my fiancé. You'll be living in the palace with me as my bride soon enough."

I felt my appetite disappear, and I suddenly felt nauseous.

"It is a bit fitting, you know; your knight is known in the Knight community as 'Lion's Bane', and the beast his house is named for is the lion, and on top of that, the very sigil of your house is a Roaring Lion. Isn't it interesting how well things seem to work out?" The prince chuckled. When I continued to stare at my plate, I could feel the air get tense around us. "You understand that I am not just a prince, but the crowned prince of our nation, do you not? Your response-or lack thereof-and your reactivity to me is beginning to become deeply offensive," he said, his tone dark, and I felt like my skin was crawling. "What exactly have I done to earn such a rude reaction?"

I looked down at my plate again. "It seems that each time we meet, you are quickly annoyed with me...the air is always tense, your highness. I thought that I offend you each time that we meet."

"You do," he clarified, and I felt like a boulder dropped onto my head.

I remained silent, and he turned, striding out of the room with haste. Seryn glanced at me, eyeing my still-full plate.

"My lady?" He asked.

I shook my head. "I...I'm not hungry anymore, Seryn. If you would like to have my portion as well, you're welcome to do so." I stood on weak legs, and I walked out of the banquet hall. I saw, out of my peripheral vision, as Seryn grabbed my plate, following after me as I stepped outside into the cool evening air and sat on a bench in the garden.

We sat there in silence for a while, before I saw Seryn take a few bites...before he extended the fork out to me, food stabbed onto the end. He gestured it toward me, and I sighed with a small, sad smile, and I leaned closer to him, taking the bite into my mouth and chewing slowly, trying to let the flavor bring my appetite back.

"I...don't know if I can do this," I whispered.

He sighed, offering me another bite. "Unfortunately, it seems to be set in stone, my lady."

"You're right. It isn't as if I or anyone else can do anything about it," I said, bitter.

He glanced at me. "He doesn't seem to be a particularly malicious person. Perhaps things will get better...?"

"I can only hope," I said, before I took another bite. I blushed as I watched him take a bite off of the same fork, realizing that he was indirectly kissing me through this piece of eating ware.

As a servant walked by, Seryn handed the now-empty plate to her, and she took it to the kitchen as Seryn stood, extending his hand out for me. I took his hand, and he led me to my tower, carrying me up the many stairs to our combined chambers.

He sat me down on my feet, and he went and pulled the rope to summon Alice. She came up to the room a few moments later, and helped me get changed, before she excused herself to get my bath prepared in the next room over.

I sighed, glancing out of the window across the way to my brother's tower, and I startled when I saw him there, gazing at the sky. He glanced down and noticed me, and I felt my heart pound as he gave me a slight bow, before he turned, walking away from the window.

"My lady?" Seryn asked, observing me, and I flinched. "Are you alright?"

I turned to look at him. "Yes, I am sorry," I smiled, giving a small curtsy. "I thought I saw something."

He didn't seem to buy my lie, but he didn't say anything about it...his hand simply rested above his heart as he bowed to me, and I suddenly felt two beats in my chest.

I startled at the realization. He had felt my heartrate increase!

"You felt it..." I whispered, grasping the cloth above my heart. He nodded. "I see."

"It is a safety measure," he said, seeming to want to calm my unease. "The beat of your heart can signify many things, from fear and surprise caused by danger or being startled, to when one is lying, and even when one is feeling another, much warmer emotion...love."

I gaped at him for a moment, before I came back to myself when Alice returned, and she led me to the bath.

I didn't say anything as she washed my hair, oiling it and rubbing lotion creams all over my body.

Now that I was engaged, I was expected to begin proper womanly upkeep of my body, so that my husband would be well satisfied by me when he wed me.

She helped dry me off before getting me back in my nightgown, and led me back into my room. She took my hairbrush in hand, but Seryn stepped up to her.

"I can," he said to her softly. "Go on and eat. You haven't had a chance to eat anything yet, right?"

She blushed heavily, thanking him for his consideration before she scurried off to the kitchen to get a meal.

As I relaxed on my chaise lounge, my head resting on the arm, he came and kneeled at my head, taking my brush and running it gently through the strands, brushing it out for me.

"There we go," he said softly, helping me sit up.

"How is your hand?" I asked, glancing down at his right hand, though he wore gloves and the scorch mark was covered.

He glanced into my eyes. "It is fine, my lady," he said. "We are taught about the seal beforehand, so I knew what to expect."

I met his eyes. "May I...touch you?" I asked.

He scoffed. "I am your knight, my lady. You do not need to ask my permission."

I reached out, taking his hand, and I slid the glove off of his hand and took a look at the wound. It was currently a horrible looking mess, swollen and painful just looking at it. I winced, resting my forehead against the backs of his fingers as my eyes filled with tears.

"I am sorry I made you go through such pain," I whispered, and he inhaled sharply.

"My lady," he said, his tone warm. "If it hadn't been you, it would have only been a matter of time before it was someone else. Do not apologize for this. You have been a very kind mistress already, to show such concern toward a knight."

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked, and he hesitated.

"Honestly, my lady...many noble ladies spend most of their time either abusing or...forcing themselves upon their knights. We, at the Knight Order, actually have to undergo training on how to...please the master, be it the opposite gender or the same. It doesn't matter."

I was appalled by this information. "They teach you such things?" I asked, and he nodded.

"When you had been so desperately insistent upon having me as your personal knight, and knowing that I'd already met you in person before...I wondered if you would desire me in such ways, though I wasn't sure, given your age."

I gaped at him. "I don't even know how bedroom acts work!" I cried, horrified. "I...we haven't learned that in our education yet."

He smiled at me. "We didn't learn until we were sixteen, so I am not surprised by this...though, considering how you are now engaged, they will likely start teaching you about it soon."

I sighed, glancing at the window again, before I yawned, stretching my arms. "I am sorry to cut off our talk, Sir Seryn, but I am rather tired. I think I am going to get some sleep."

"Of course, my lady," he said, standing and giving me a bow, pulling the blankets up to cover my body as I lay down, and going through the curtain to the adjoined room.

I smiled after him, thinking about him as he disappeared, though I could still feel his heart beating steadily almost as if it rested beside my own, and I could feel his presence close by.

It was...an incredibly comforting feeling.