Chapter 4

"Eat and drink to your hearts' content and let us all be merry!"

Owen had much rather eat back at the barracks but to snub the king's invitation to dine in the great hall would be an insult even if he was a common knight. Owen examined the king at the head of the table. He didn't look like much if he was being honest. He was a pompous old aristocrat. He dressed himself up like a peacock in order to hide that he was merely a pigeon. Even the great sword, Eyrja, had been reduced to nothing more than an accessory. Eyrja was a sword said to have its blade formed by the gods, its hilt carved from dragon bone, and the gem on the hilt was supposedly made from the owner's blood and magic. The original owner was apparently the late king's ancestor. Eyrja had been passed down from king to king for generations until Dundren took the throne. They say the glow caused enemies within a hundred feet of the sword to tremble in irrational fear. It was something that would have been useful in battle. After all, the previous king fought alongside his men using the sword. King Dundren did no such thing. It made people wonder if it was because he was unable to use the sword in such a way, but the king had always lamented that he'd seen the gem glow himself.

Owen supposed that if everyone saw the king's inability to use the sword properly, then it might inspire people to believe that he did not have the right to be king. Owen took a sip of wine. He always wondered what the sword looked like up close. Only the captain had ever seen it close enough to recall the details. If the king wasn't going to use it he should at least bestow it to an honorable knight. Owen pictured himself holding the sword. He could almost feel it in his hands rather than his wine cup. He frowned at himself. He was usually good at keeping silly imaginings at bay. If not a knight then maybe the prince. The prince was never in the front lines since he was the heir, but at least he had some training with a sword. Owen glanced at the man sitting next to the king. Prince Gabe stabbed his steak with exorbitant ferocity. On second thought, it was probably best not to allow such a weapon into the hands of Prince Ruthless.

Owen watched as the prince stood up and made his way to the end of the farthest table. He stood behind a young woman and placed his hands on her shoulders. Owen squinted, she looked familiar, but he was distracted by the panic and dread that fell over her face. The prince loomed over her like a rabid wolf over a defenseless rabbit. Why was he touching her so freely? Even the women sitting next to her looked terrified. He had to do something, but what? Doing anything directly would surely anger the prince and he'd be sent to the chopping block for sure. Indirectly then. The prince dipped his head into the girl's bosom and she looked like she might cry.

Suddenly Sansum elbowed him, beginning to become a little loose with his booze. Owen glanced at him. Sansum was the size of a bear with a temper to match. Owen suddenly got an idea and prayed that Sansum's drunkenness knocked him off his feet. He gave one last look to the lecherous prince and his innocent girl. He sent a quick prayer that Sansum wouldn't kill him and then shouted.

"Sansum, you idiot, watch it," Owen shouted. Sansum looked at Owen shocked at first then annoyance simmered onto his face.

"What's with you," Sansum question.

"Your ugly excuse for a face is what's with me," Owen replied.

"Why you!" Sansum let his fist fly. Owen expertly dodged it and instead tackled Sansum out of his seat. Sansum was quick to roll their positions and pin Own on his back letting another punch fly. Owen blocked it with his arms and managed to flip them again. It was then he could hear excited shouts start to ring out, people placing bets on how quickly Sansum could crush Owen's skull. They rolled, but no punches actually landed. For Owen's part, he didn't actually want to hurt his brother in arms, but he wasn't sure if it was the same for Sansum or if Sansum was just too drunk to fight properly. As they rolled about Owen tried to spy the far table. Just as planned, the prince was now watching the fight and he could see the girl's back as she slipped away. Sansum pinned Owen again and just as he raised his fist up Owen relaxed his body.

"Hold! Hold!" Owen called out. Sansum immediately froze and looked at Owen in confusion.

"You win old friend," Owen smiled up at him, "Let's let bygones be bygones." Sansum tilted his head in confusion but shrugged and stood up, pulling Owen to his feet as well.

"No hard feelings?" Owen said. Sansum ruffled his hair.

"As long as you remember not to pick fights you can't win," he replied.

"Who says I wouldn't have won," Owen joked.

Sansum's face suddenly turned cold, "Were you my enemy I would have crushed you like the gravel beneath my boot." Owen smiled and Sansum smiled back, slapping him on the back.

"Huzzah!" he called and the knights and nobles gathered around echoed.

"Huzzah!"

Owen took his seat again. That was the thing about Sansum, quick to anger, but also quick to forgive.

"You! Up! Now!" Captain's voice ran out. Owen groaned. His head throbbed from too much wine and his body ached from his roughhousing with Sansum the night before. Owen opened his eyes to see the captain in his room.

"What do I owe the pleasure so early in the morning," Owen sat up. His room was still dark, but he could see the sun just beginning to rise out his window.

"Well first I would like an explanation for the stunt last night," the captain demanded.

"I have a low tolerance for alcohol," Owen offered.

"Horse shot," the captain spat. Owen sighed and ran his hand over his face.

"It looked like the crowned prince was harassing a girl."

"So you take it out on Sansum? Who was a dumb choice to take your anger out on, might I add."

"It was to distract the prince so the girl could get away. And I could never do any real damage to Sansum and you saw him as soon as I apologized he was back to being happy as an innocent maiden." It was the captain's turn to sigh.

"You should stay out of the prince's business. Had that gone another way the prince or the king could have punished the two of you for causing such a disturbance." In truth, the prince looked angrier that they stopped fighting rather than fighting in the first place.

"I've punished Sansum with tower duty for the next three months," the captain announced. Owen winced. Tower duty was by far the most boring job one could have unless the castle ever came under siege, which was highly unlikely in times for peace such as these.

"And since you started the fight you will also be punished," the captain continued.

"I'll accept any punishment you give me," Owen said as he stood up to face him. In truth, he didn't regret what he did. If it meant saving that girl from humiliation, he'd do it all again.

"The king asked for a knight to be assigned for a special job."

"What's the job? For how long?"

"I believe you're going to be assigned someone to guard. And from my understanding, you will be their guard until they no longer need a guard."

"You mean like a permanent assignment," Owen questioned, "But that's absurd! It can't be for the king or the prince since they have their personal guards and palace guards. What possible reason would there be to need a knight as a guard in a time of peace?"

"You said you'd accept any punishment I give you," the captain snapped, "The king asked me for a knight and I'm giving him you. Do you not accept my terms of punishment?"

Owen stood at attention, "I will go, Captain."

"Good. Now go report to the throne room."

Owen left immediately and made his way to the throne room, a room he had only been in a handful of times since he became a knight. He would rather have been put on tower duty. He was not meant to spend time in the walls of the castle. He was meant to defend them. He was probably going to be assigned to guard one of the king's many mistresses.

The doors to the throne room were shut when he arrived. An attendant stood outside the doors, a snobbish-looking man with his nose turned up.

"I am the knight sent by Captain Maximus Bristol by request of the king," Owen said. The attendant looked him up and down and paused.

"You can go in," he said after a moment almost as if he had been waiting on some sort of cue that Owen missed. Owen fought back an eye roll and walked past him. He opened the heavy door and stepped in.

The throne was cold and empty. The only thing it held was the king's golden throne and three people, the king, the wizard, and a woman. Owen kept his eyes on the king as he approached.

"Sorry for the interruption your majesty," Owen bowed, "I am Sir Owen Cross, knight of the 9th battalion of Ceavaria. I believed you requested me."

"Yes," the king boomed. His voice echoed off the walls, "Cross you will be guarding my ward." Owen straightened as the king motioned for the girl to step close. He looked at the girl who looked perturbed, to say the least. Owen was shocked to see that it was the girl that the prince had been harassing the night before. She had tan skin, honeyed hair, and blue eyes. Sudden realization set in. She was the girl he came across in the courtyard his first day back.

"Ward?" Owen repeated.

"Yes my ward," the tone of the king's voice clearly stated that should he ask any more questions he would pay for it dearly.

"She is under the king's protection and there has been a rise of shady characters that have shown up in the capital as of late. It is your job to ensure that she does not encounter any," the wizard explained, though his eyes never left the girl who was outwardly glaring back at him. Owen couldn't help, but wonder what kind of shady characters the wizard was speaking of. No one seemed more suspicious than the wizard with his shifty eyes and mysterious movements. Only the king knew exactly what the wizard did day to day, and it was doubtful even he knew everything the wizard did behind closed doors. Aside from that, the only person that the girl seemed to need protection from was the king's very own son and he couldn't possibly suggest that he go against the prince.

"I will protect her with my life, your majesty," Owen said instead with another bow.

"Good," the king said, then he waved his hand, "You both may go." The girl curtseyed and then turned to leave. Owen opened the door for her and she glared at him before stomping through it. Owen followed a couple of steps behind as she made her way toward the kitchens.

"Excuse me, my lady," Owen called out after a moment. She stopped and whirled around to face him.

"May I ask your name," Owen said when she continued to glare at him.

"Divina," she finally said. Her voice was deep and smooth like cool medicine on a burn.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Divina," Owen offered a bow.

"I'm not a lady so do not lower your head to me," she snapped. Her words didn't match the authoritativeness of her voice. She turned away and started to walk again. She bypassed the kitchens and entered the courtyard. He wondered if she remembered him from that day. He followed her into the gardens. He was surprised when she tramped all the way to the back of the gardens only to collapse on an old bench by a forgotten pond.

Owen had a chance to examine her as she angrily stared off into the water. What reason did this girl have to need a guard? She didn't seem special. She was too homely to be the king's mistress and despite his harassment, the prince wasn't the type to keep a mistress. Was she a foreign noble or spy? She didn't have an accent. Was she a secret love child of the king's? Owen shuddered. That would mean the prince would have been doing those awful things to his own half-sister. But would the king care enough about a bastard daughter to give her a guard? It's not like she could ascend the throne. A bastard's usefulness would only go as far as a potential marriage to an ally.

Her apparent anger at having a personal guard made it seem like she harbors ill will toward the king. Would a daughter, bastard or not, feel that way toward her father? After all, she gets to live in the palace, eat fancy food, and wear fancy dresses, though she does seem to lack the fashion sense of most noble women. She seems used to palace life as well. Very few would know about the pond she sat at unless they had spent quite a bit of time at the palace. What was her connection to the King? She couldn't just be a ward. The king was not that generous and the fact that he gave no further detail told him that.

Being a guard was a boring job, but at least the mystery surrounding this girl, Divina, would keep him entertained. And if he's on full guard duty that meant he wouldn't have to meet the Captain's friend's daughter at his house later on. He'd be too busy "protecting" Lady Divina.