The King & The Prince

Dishonor

King Roland

I left to search for Kane, he was probably in the middle of killing Sir Edward, and if he hadn’t already I would. Everyone had gone back to their jobs most stopped what they were doing to greet their King, a young boy came running out of the stables I grabbed him by the arm to ask him if he had seen Kane. He pointed towards the stable and took off again. Not even the horrendous acts my father had committed could have prepared me for what I found in the back stall. I had seen men tortured before, hell I have tortured men before but this… this was barbaric.

Kane was squatted down in a pool of liquid twirling his dagger through his fingers; he was covered in blood from his head to his boots. I looked up and saw Edward’s naked body hanging upside down from one of the rafters if he wasn’t so large I wouldn’t have known it was him. His flesh had been stabbed and cut away from him, his face was swollen I stepped closer to examine his body. Not a single tooth was left in his mouth; his head had almost been cut clean from his shoulders. This was the worst thing I had ever seen in my life.

“You knew this would happen… you knew and you did nothing to stop him.”  Kane’s voice was low but I heard him loud and clear.

“I did not know he was a dishonorable man Kane! I swear to you!”

“How could you have known? You don’t step outside that God forsaken throne room long enough to see who these men really are! I told you I did not like that piece of s**t years ago!” He had jumped up and gotten in my face, I was trying to remain calm but his words sunk in.

“I am trying to run a kingdom Kane!! That’s why I put my faith in you to train and choose these men! You are my general and my f*****g brother! I asked you did I not? Your opinion of Edward, you said he would make a good knight!” Now I was the one yelling.

“Because he was loyal to you! That is what I said! And I was right he did what you asked of him today! What loyal knight would do that in front of a crowd without his King’s order?” He accused me of ordering Edward to hit Evelyn, to harm her.

“You know me better than that Kane! I was trying to prove a point that women aren’t soldiers! I would never harm a woman or order that dead bastard to do it!” By now the entire village of Northwood could hear us. Spit was flying out of our mouths we were both fuming.

“If she dies I will never forgive you Roland, never.” He turned his head to spit blood out of his mouth.

“She’s unconscious Kane, she is not going to die. I just left her chambers Mary is confident she will wake up.” I turned to leave the stable I had to get some fresh air.

“And Kane, I would never forgive myself either. Burn his body, he may have been an evil man but he was still a knight.” I could feel his gaze on me as I walked out of the stables.

I walked for miles it seemed passing the same people over and over they probably thought I was crazy. How could I have been so stupid? I could have picked any other man but I had chosen Edward. Just so I wouldn’t have to name a woman as the commander even though she had proven herself today. Evelyn was brave, a lot braver than I gave her credit for. I was lost in my thoughts when I heard snow crunching from behind me, I whirled around and came face to face with a very pale Adam.

“Adam are you alright?” He looked terrified.

“Your Highness, it’s…its Lady Carissa… I heard her handmaid…” He was breathing heavy and couldn’t get the words out either from nerves or he just spent the past few hours searching for me.

“What is it? Spit it out Adam!” I hadn’t meant to yell but damn I had dealt with a lot of bullshit today.

“She’s with child your Highness.”

Kane

Evelyn wasn’t going to die, she wasn’t going to die. The pressure I felt around my heart had subsided, the vise it had been in was now gone. The cold air of the forest surrounding Northwood filled my lungs as I took a deep breath. Edward may have been a knight but Paul had been adamant that he would not burn within the walls of Northwood, not after what he had done. We threw his body onto the back of one of James’s horses and led him to the forest, Paul poured rum all over his body and we lit him on fire.

Neither one of us spoke for a while we just sat there in the silence watching his body burn. Revenge had been sweet but I wasn’t the one who sliced his throat that had been Paul. Roland could believe what he wanted it made no difference to me, let him believe I had killed him hell I had planned on it. Paul was her best friend who was I to stand in his way of revenge Prince or not.

“I will tell the King it was me. I don’t want his death on your hands your Grace.” Paul broke the silence.

“No Paul, it is better this way. Roland can’t punish me I am or I was Edward’s superior even though he answered to the King.” It was the best option, if anyone found out it had been Paul the blacksmith he would be beheaded for the death of a knight even though the knight deserved it.

“Thank you your Grace.” I nodded my head.

“I wanted to kill him myself Paul for what he did to her, either way I will claim his death.” I let out a sigh and poured more rum on his body before taking a deep gulp.

It was dark before we made our way back to the mansion; I had bathed and washed all of the blood off my body in Adam’s room before I walked into the dining hall. I wanted to check on Evelyn but I needed to speak with James and my brother first.

Evelyn   

Drowning, those overwhelming fears of water filling your lungs but you have no control of your body. You can’t move your arms or legs you are just sinking to the bottom fully aware that death is imminent.

That is what I felt like this very moment, I could hear people talking but I couldn’t open my eyes to see who they were. Mary? Maybe my father? A young woman was crying I could tell that much. I try harder to open my eyes my head was pounding as I got the left one to c***k open still unsure of who was in here with me. Where was I? I managed to move my hand around and try to feel something. It was soft fury, I took a deep breath or as deep as I could manage at the time, vanilla this was my room.

Somehow I managed to open both of my eyes my sight was fuzzy at first but I blinked a few times until it became clear, Sarah. Why the hell was Sarah in my room crying? I tried not to move around so I could listen in and figure out what was going on.

“Sarah you better tell me true right now or so help me God I will strike you!” I had never heard Mary this upset.

“Carissa… she …she told me not to tell… I…” Sarah was squalling now but Mary raised her hand and was about to slap her when she blurted it out.

“Carissa is with child! Please don’t hit me!” Sarah blurted out and sank to the floor.

Mary clenched at her heart and grabbed my father’s hand; he did not even look up from the floor they stayed that way for the longest time. Shock clearly written on my father’s face but Mary’s was something else entirely, fear. She knew what was to be the outcome of this situation. King Roland would have a pure and noble bride and I just became that woman.

I let the darkness overtake me again welcoming that drowning feeling instead of fighting it. I can’t marry the King even if my dream of being commander was surely shattered in the events of today. How could I marry the King when my heart belonged to the Prince?

Roland

With child, Carissa was with child? That news should have thrown me into a fit of rage but I felt nothing. I’m not sure if it was shock or if I expected this after what Kane had told me about her. The way she looked sick earlier should have made me question it then but I hadn’t given Carissa a second thought once Evelyn entered that room. I don’t believe in love at first sight or at least I didn’t but she sparked something in me that I have never felt. The way she fought today, the feel of her in my arms as I carried her to her room that auburn hair brushing against my cheek. Harlow’s second born daughter was igniting a flame in my soul I never knew existed. Kane loved her if I wasn’t sure before he made it clear in that stall.

I needed to speak with Lord Harlow before this news reached beyond the walls of Northwood. It was dinner time and the people of Northwood had already begun to fill the hall. Something smelt delicious, mmmm… corned beef and cabbage my favorite. Harlow wasn’t seated at the head table but there were two young girls sat at the end of it. I started walking towards them and they broke out into a fit of giggles. They must be the twins.

“Good evening ladies. Have either one of you seen Lord Harlow?” I smiled and waited for them to reply.

“Father and Mary went to check on Carissa your Highness. He should be right back.” The little blonde answered.

“Very well, may I join you two for dinner?” They both nodded in unison and I walked to the chair closest to the twins.

Servants piled corned beef and cabbage onto my plate and filled my cup with ale, I grabbed the cup and gulped it down. The woman refilled the cup and scurried away, I would need several cups before my conversation with James. The girls were engaged in a conversation of their own but the giggling had stopped, now they both seemed sad.

“Could we ask you something your Highness?” I was in the middle of chewing and nodded for them to go ahead.

“Why did you let that giant man hurt our sister?” I almost choked on the cabbage.

I coughed and grabbed my ale to help me wash it down my throat. They were both giving me evil looks now. s**t I had to choose my words carefully with these two, they were very intimidating.

“Well, I didn’t know he was capable of doing something so horrible, but I had to see if she proved true and was not a coward.” Damn I hope that would be a good enough answer.

“Evy is not a coward!” The little brunette all but screamed.

The entire hall turned to face the head table, I raised my hand and ushered them to continue eating. I turned my chair to face the girls in order to explain myself to them a bit better. I wasn’t sure if they could truly understand the dilemma I would be facing at naming a woman commander of the royal forces but I had to try. Even as the king I didn’t want them to hate me.

“Girls, there has never been a woman in the army and there has never been a woman commander. Most women become wives and raise children and that is what they have done for hundreds of years. I am responsible for the entire kingdom of Bellicus, every man woman and child… Just by giving your sister a position of that magnitude could have disastrous consequences for us all.” They were trying to processes everything I had just said as if it were some difficult puzzle they were trying to solve.

“We understand your Highness, but Evelyn is capable of much more than becoming a wife and raising children at least that’s what my father says.” The blonde spoke again and just like that Lord Harlow appeared by my side and sat down next to me.

“Your Highness, I see you have met my youngest daughters Bethany and Bridgette. I hope they haven’t given you any trouble.” I just laughed and shook my head no.

“Of course not James they are lovely young ladies and have kept me company. How is Lady Carissa?” I raised a brow I was curious if he knew or if I was one of the few who knew the truth of her illness.

“She is much better and will be joining us shortly, whatever ailed her has run its course.” He looked anywhere but my eyes as he answered.

“Good I look forward to having some time with her and how is Lady Evelyn feeling?” Now that was what I truly cared about, had she awoken yet?

“She is still out cold your Highness, but Mary is going to try some smelling sauce and see if we can get her up.”

“When she wakes I would like to speak to her James, I need to apologize to her.” I made sure the twins heard that and once I have spoken to Evelyn I would let James know that I will not marry Carissa, maybe she wasn’t my last hope after all.

“Certainly your Highness.” We continued eating our dinner in silence; I felt four little eyes on me so I turned back to face the girls.

“You know it is rude to stare girls?” I was smiling but I still think they were scared.

“Sorry we just wanted to ask you another question.”

“Very well what is it?” I waved a servant over refill my cup for the fourth time in an hour.

“When Carissa becomes queen will that make us princesses?” I gulped down my entire cup again s**t I needed to leave this dining hall before I got drunk.

“You two are very inquisitive aren’t you?” I was sipping the ale trying to control the words about to come out of my mouth.

“Well if your sister becomes my queen only our children will be princes and princesses.” It was James’s turn to choke this time.

He began a coughing fit. It got so bad I had to hit his back a few times to help him. James finally got himself together and went back to eating. He knew she was with child and now he knew that I knew. How could this man that I have trusted and known my entire life lie to my face about something like this? Or was he so blinded by his love for his daughter he didn’t see who she really was? I would find out soon enough.

Kane entered the dining hall and sat with a few of his men at a back table, he was still pissed at me and I understood hell I was pissed at myself for being so foolish. If I had just taken his word for it as I have everything else none of this would have happened to Evelyn. Or if I had chosen another knight Sir Edward would still be alive, either way things should have gone differently. He looked better than he did this afternoon that’s for sure but now that the blood was washed from his face I could see he had cut his lip in the scuffle with Edward. The side door opened and in walked Carissa and her handmaid, she appeared to be feeling better as she smiled at a few of the people sitting around.  I had to remain calm and act as if I was still interested in her as my future bride. This ale wasn’t going to help me.