Unknowing Dance Partner

After watching his sister leave, Silver made a silent sign in the air before pulling up his hood.

The Guardian hadn't wanted Rose to participate in this battle at all, but at least on the wall she would have soldiers of Birle to protect her. 

"Maker, watch over her. And you too, Hanna." Silver said under his breath. There was nothing more he could do in the matter, so he turned his face to the crowd below.

Unlike the princess, Silver had been perched in far more perilous places for much longer periods of time. This comfy little roost was a walk in the park. He settled in to gather all the information he could. 

The throne room was filled with far more people than a typical day at court. With the large separation between the nobility and the servants, the available space to move about was even more limited. 

From the rafters, Silver spotted Ethyn below. The fool had an ill-fitting helmet on his head, causing Silver to shake his head in morbid amusement. 

'Well, that explains why Rose was up here all alone. I will have to give that boy a lesson in what it means to protect someone.' The Guardian narrowed his gaze. 'I know he is trying not to be recognized, but why is he walking like that? And in such a strange path?'

Silver decided not to ponder this too much. He needed to signal the knight of his presence. That could be tricky. 

'Glad I have you back.' Silver stroked his cloak gently....then reached inside. 

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Ethyn had made the same journey at least twice now. He dipped his head when he could to see what was in front of him, but mostly he kept his nose in the air to prevent people from trying to engage him in conversation. 

It was working too. Aside from the couple of nobles which he bumped into, no one seemed to pay him any mind. Which meant: he could eavesdrop on their conversations. 

"Do you think the King really had a headache yesterday? Or, do you suppose, this was all to make sure more people were here today for his big reveal?" 

"If it is the latter, then His Majesty is brilliant. Making us wait like this has us all on the edge of our figurative seats." 

Ethyn was not fond of the stilted speech of the nobility, but at least he could be sure that none of them were from Lakyle. They could still be traitors, of course. Sir Nuall was proof of that.

When Silver had mentioned a crooked knight, Ethyn had immediately known that Nuall was the culprit. His presence here today only solidified that fact. The pompous nobleman was supposed to be patrolling the border. Instead, Nuall was here mingling and even flirting with those unlucky enough to not yet know that they were prisoners of war. 

If not for the fact that Ethyn was trying to stay hidden from...everyone...the green-eyed knight had half a mind to confront Nuall here and now about his dereliction of duty. 

A thought came into his mind. What if he made an announcement that they were under attack? Called out the soldiers in the room as being frauds. Told them the king was being held against his will. 

He was dressed as a knight. If he put enough force behind his words, people would believe him. 

But then what? Some might try and fight, but the soldiers had weapons and the nobility did not. Others would try to run. He could likely escape during the stampede of people. But the loss of life was not something Ethyn could stomach. 

He would have to find a different way to get back to Rose. 

Ethyn spun to his left to avoid Nuall yet again. It was getting harder and harder to stay out of the other knight's way. He seemed intent on observing and talking to every noble in the room. 

'He is a spy, so that is exactly what he is doing!' Ethyn realized with a jolt. 

The charismatic traitor was trying to get a read on each person in the room. It would be a wealth of information for whatever was about to happen. 

'Blast it,' Ethyn needed to get out before Nuall honed in on him. That was one conversation he wanted to prevent at all costs.

The redhead fiddled with the candlestick holder in his hand. He thought about abandoning it somewhere, but there were no tables in the throne room on which to place it. And it was still his only possible weapon. So he held it low and to his side to minimize people's curiosity.

After yet another turn about the room, it was time to tilt his helmet down and survey the world again.

Through the slit, Ethyn could see a woman batting her eyes at him. It was so strange, considering she could not even see his face. She must have been desperate for conversation...or something more. 

Pretending not to see her, the knight tilted his helmet upwards. The rafters were less interesting than the people, but at least they were a safe place to look. There were no people up there to cause him problems. 

Or so he thought. 

A light flashed in his face, filling his helmet with blinding brightness for a moment. He thought for a moment it was one of the candles from the chandelier, but it was far too bright to be from a single wick. 

'What in the...' Ethyn's eyes opened wide. The light flashed again twice more in quick succession. 

'Silver!' Ethyn recognized the signal. The men of Rynnlee had developed a code of flashing lights to communicate over distances. This was a signal to get his attention. 

'Where did he get the light?' Ethyn's question was answered as the figure peeked out over the rafters. Where a pale face should be, only a tenebrous void could be seen under a dark hood. 

The Guardian had found his cloak!

Ethyn had no light, but he did have a light-holder. He held it in one hand and tapped it against his other palm lightly, in the same rhythm as if he had a mirror to communicate. 

In this manner, they held a labored conversation. Rose was safe for now. The King had signed a paper. Borit had the paper. Kaarel was on his way. 

Ethyn processed the information. Rose being safe was a huge relief. That meant he did not need to get out of the throne room as urgently. 'I still want to get to her, but would I be more help here?'

Silver had not said how he knew Rose was safe or where she was. Surely the Guardian would have directed him in the right direction if he had wanted Ethyn to follow. 

Unless Silver didn't know where Rose was, only that she was taken care of. Was his information even current? Had he seen Rose before or after Ethyn ended up with her in the hall? 

The knight needed more information before he could proceed.

Ethyn leaned back slightly to look up at the rafters once more when someone bumped into him from behind. 

"Excuse me," the knight said reflexively.

"The fault is with me, Good Sir," the familiar voice responded.

Ethyn froze. He realized he had neglected moving for far too long. 

His unknowing dance partner had finally caught up with him.

When Ethyn turned around, the charming man bowed. "I don't believe we have met. I'm Sir Nuall."