In love with you Sir Knight

CHAPTER 5

Lancelot immediately stepped in front of Aubrey, drawing his sword despite his injuries.

“Move aside, Varys.”

The knight smirked. “I was to be married by sunrise, yet here I am, chasing a runaway princess and her disgraced knight.” He flexed his gauntleted hand. “Do you have any idea what you’ve cost me, knight Lancelot, or should I say, Lancelot?”

Lancelot tightened his grip on his sword. “Not nearly as much as I’m about to.”

With a roar, Varys charged.

Swords clashed, sparks flying in the dim tunnel light.

Lancelot, weakened from his time in the dungeon, struggled to keep up. Varys fought like a man with nothing to lose, each strike filled with raw fury.

Galen grabbed Aubrey’s arm. “We need to go, Aubrey, leave Lancelot to his fate, if we get caught here, there is no telling what father would do!”

“I’m not leaving him!” Aubrey cried.

Varys swung, his blade slicing through Lancelot’s arm. He gritted his teeth but didn’t fall.

With sheer willpower, Lancelot countered, twisting Varys’ wrist and forcing him back. Then, with a final thrust, he buried his sword deep into varys’ side.

The knight gasped, eyes wide with shock.

Lancelot pulled the blade free, and Varys crumpled to the ground.

For a moment, all was silent except for the distant shouts of approaching guards.

Lancelot turned to Aubrey, blood dripping from his wound. “We have to go.”

Galen didn’t hesitate this time. He led them through the final stretch of the tunnel.

At last, they emerged into the night air. The sea stretched before them, wild and dark, and at the edge of the cliffs, a ship awaited.

They had escaped, or so they thought.

But King Ragnarok’s wrath would not be so easily evaded.

Far above the cliffs, within the cold walls of Castle Ragnarok, Anna stood before her father, her expression composed.

King Ragnarok sat upon his throne, fingers drumming against the armrest as he watched the guards drag Varys' injured body into the grand hall. Blood seeped through his tunic, but he still clung to consciousness.

“You failed,” the king said, his voice sharp with disappointment.

Varys gritted his teeth, bowing his head. “Lancelot was stronger than expected.”

“You mean to tell me that you allow a knight to take away my daughter? Your Princess and heir to the throne to god knows where? You are a black knight Varys, my most trusted ally, yet you failed to capture an imposter and bring my daughter home? Or is that title not fitting for you? Would you have preferred to be a door guard perhaps?”

“I am sorry your majesty, I did all I could.”

Anna stepped forward smoothly. “Then it’s a good thing I anticipated as much.”

Ragnarok’s cold gaze snapped to her. “Explain.”

She gave him a small, knowing smile. “Lancelot and Aubrey’s escape was inevitable. That’s why I played my part—to make it seem as though I was on their side. Now, they trust me completely.” She lifted her chin. “When the time is right, I will be the one to bring them back.”

“You helped that imposter to take my daughter away from me. How could you, Anna, she is the rightful heir to the throne!”

“Dad you might be forgetting something, you have two daughters, not one. I'm not the one running around with some soldier, maybe she isn't as perfect as you praise her to be. I am here and I also would love to be given a chance to rule, we are both your daughters, we have equal rights”

They were in court and King Ragnarok wouldn't want anyone to weigh in on his family's issues, so he decided it would be best to just play along.

The king’s silence was heavy, his expression unreadable.

Then, slowly, he smirked.

“My cunning daughter,” he murmured, eyes gleaming with approval. “You have done well.”

Anna’s heart swelled with pride, but she kept her face neutral.

“I do not seek praise, Father. I seek my rightful place.” She glanced at Varys, who looked at her with both admiration and wariness. Then she uttered;

“Prince Dominic and I will make a stronger alliance than Aubrey ever could.”

Ragnarok chuckled darkly. “You wish to take her place? To be my heir?”

Anna bowed her head. “I have already proven my loyalty.”

The king studied her for a long moment, then finally, he nodded.

“So be it. You will be promised to Dominic.”

Anna smiled.

Everything was falling into place for her, it was what she had always wanted. She had had eyes for Prince Dominic when she saw him at the masquerade ball.

Ever since she kept dreaming about him and fantasizing about how handsome he was.

Besides, no one in the Kingdom wanted her as a daughter in-law due to her fate, but she wasn't going to give up.

She had never been foolish enough to fight for love. She fought for power and what she wanted now was to acquire the power that comes from marrying someone like Prince Dominic.

If she could play the part of merging two great kingdoms through marriage, then probably, she would be loved as much as Aubrey was.

Now that Aubrey was no longer in the Kingdom, she wanted every iota of her father's attention.

And soon, it would all be hers, or so she hopes.

***Three days later***

King Ragnarok was in his castle in deep thoughts when his hand walked in holding a letter.

“Your Majesty, a letter from Lithium, it's King Asher he sent word that he would be coming here in three today, they had been promised that Princess Aubrey would be his daughter in law and that he would be here alongside his son so that his son’s intended wife could build more relationship between one another. That failure to comply would mean war.”

King Ragnarok sighed he knew this wasn't going to be easy.

This was greater than just his family, it was joining two great houses together.

In less than 6 hours, horses and carriages arrived at the castle and King Ragnarok and his wife Queen Alice stood at the castle entrance to welcome their guests.

“Honey, how do we tell them princess Aubrey ran away with some knight? That would bring shame upon us.”

“Then we must act like everything is intact.” King Ragnarok uttered and they both smiled looking at their guests.

“King Asher, welcome to Maliover!” Ragnarok greeted as if everything was fine.

“The honour is all ours King Ragnarok.”

After exchanging pleasantries they all walked inside to discuss something important, Ragnarok had no idea how to go about this sudden visit at all.