The Queen and The Knight

You would think getting married isn’t so bad. Well, I would have to disagree. Today is the day of my arranged marriage to the king of Alis. He might be handsome and a king, but he is not a man that I love or will love. I spent a total of one week within the castle. I have spent most of it preparing for this day. The rest of my time was used for sleep. Exploring was fun, but the wedding being so close meant I couldn’t fully explore to my heart's content. I found myself sitting meeting after meeting after meeting. They would teach me things I didn’t know. Measure me for dresses and shoes. Most of the time I wasn’t even allowed to talk, since the meetings were my parents discussing the benefits of this marriage with the king. Hearing your parents talk with your future husband for hours about how beneficial this marriage will be can be quite unsettling. My marriage to this king gave him more money and someone to carry an heir for him. I wanted kids, of course, but not with someone I didn’t love. Now we were mere hours away from the wedding. I had servants helping me get ready throughout the entire time. It was making me nervous about what was to come. Even then, after I was married to this man, I would have to… No, I don’t want to think about it. We will worry about that when we get there. It's been 2 months since my last name has changed. It's been 2 months since this castle has become my permanent home. It's been 2 months since I was put through hours of hell. 2 months of marriage and having the status of Queen. I still don’t know how to feel about it. Apparently, our marriage strengthened a lot of the land's love for the king. They wanted to see him married and with an heir. Some of the land only liked the king because of me. In reality, they just liked me. I mean I was a respectable young lady. I was never cruel to anyone that didn’t deserve it. I did have my enemies though. Men that had wished they had gotten their hands on me and women who were jealous of me. From what I could tell, none had made any moves. “My lady?” I heard a person try to get my attention and I turned to them. “Yes?” As soon as my eyes landed on the servant's face I could see worry etched all over it. “The King requests your presence in the war room.” “Oh, could you lead the way? I am still a bit unfamiliar with the layout of the castle.” “Of course, madame. Follow me.” The servant began walking and I followed closely behind. I couldn’t quite figure out why he would want me. I mean, eventually we would need to discuss the icky process of producing an heir, but I didn’t think we’d do that for a while. Maybe there was something else needing to be discussed. As we approached the war room I could hear many voices. Few I recognized. The servant opened the door for me and I slowly entered. I hadn’t been noticed just yet. “So you are basically telling me my enemies are now coming after my queen.” “Yes sir. I have heard many rumors of planned assassinations.” “How long have I been in danger?” I spoke up, the king and his advisor snapped their heads in my direction. “A few days”, the advisor says, and the king glares at him. “Don’t tell her that we shouldn’t worry her.” The king snapped and I shook my head and approached the table. “I should know since this is about me and my safety.” I looked at the king and he stared at me. “Your safety is my concern. You live in my castle and you are bound to me.” “Marriage works both ways. I am just as much your wife as you are my husband. You stubborn fool.” I heard the advisor chuckle but he quickly cleared his throat and diverted his eyes once he saw how angry the king was. “Arianna..” The king started. ` “Lucas…” I said back and I could tell he was getting really angry. “Fine, you can have a say in how we proceed, but I want you to have a personal guard from this point on.” “I can work with that.” a slight smile appeared on my face. That's when Lucas pointed at a random Knight that had just watched us bicker. “You step forward.” The knight did as he was told. I turned to look at him. The knight wore a helmet that made it where I couldn’t see any of his defining features. How he carried himself was a different story though. He had confidence but he also clearly feared what was about to occur. “What is your name, knight?” Lucas asked and I waited for a response, but curiosity was now eating at me. “My name is Eric Shiply sir.” The knight's voice stuck with me. His voice was warm and appealing. He spoke with certainty and confidence, or was it false confidence? I couldn’t tell. “Well, Shiply, you are now the Queen's personal guard,” Lucas stated, and Eric nodded. I looked between the two of them. “So now I’m stuck with this knight that I barely know. What else are we doing to keep me protected? Does he even know how to fight?” I looked at Eric. “Do you know how to use the sword that you carry with you at all times?” I heard Lucas sigh. “My queen, all of my knights have been trained for many years before they were stationed within this castle. Ones that stand guard in this room are trained for even longer. He is fit to guard you.” I looked at Lucas, then back at Eric. “Answer the question Sir.” “I do know how to use my sword, M’lady”. I looked at his stupid helmet and sighed. I hated that I couldn’t see his eyes. “Very well. In all seriousness, what else are we doing to keep me protected?” I looked at Lucas and his advisor. “Taste testers for all of your meals. Guards around every corner. Any lords that come in the grounds will be closely monitored. I believe that is all.” The advisor answered and I nodded. “Okay, that’s better than absolutely nothing.” I took a deep breath. “I guess I will be on my way.” I took a step towards the door. The knight moved to open it for me. “Ari..” Lucas said my name, making me stop. “Will you join me for dinner and a stroll through the garden after?” My body tensed up but I turned to look at him. I mustered a smile, then nodded. “I would love to” I stepped back, curtsied, then walked out the door that the knight had opened for me. He quickly followed me out after, of course.