The King's Knight

005 ;

"Are you really gonna refuse my words, George?" Sapnap asked, to which George simply nodded his head once, "Yes. It is in no way an appropriate request, your grace."

Sapnap lets out a frustrated sigh, "Enough with the titles. I thought I told you to call me Sapnap when the three of us are alone. Also, what would you do if I commanded you to?"

"Fortunately, I shall only take orders from his majesty." Sapnap lets out a groan, looking towards Dream. "Dream. We've been friends for a long time. Is it possible for you to just-"

"I will not be handing over Sir George to you for the sake of his sanity. Also, Sir George please sit down. It is only us in this garden after all, plus, you'll do us both well by stopping Sapnap from complaining for the rest of the day." Dream sighed as Sapnap frowned at him.

As the two continued talking, George eyed the empty seat between Sapnap and Dream. The three of them were currently in the garden, enjoying some tea and according to Sapnap "a break from work".

"Well, are you gonna sit or have you finally decided to stop serving this tyrant?" Sapnap joked as Dream rolled his eyes.

George hesitated slightly, but decided to take a seat anyways. Usually at events such as these, as a guard, it was required for him to stand a few feet away to maintain the peaceful atmosphere. But then again, it wasn't like George paid any mind to his reputation.

"Being the duke is quite tiring. Are you sure there isn't a way for you to take it back?" Sapnap asked Dream before taking a sip of his tea.

"We both know that it was the late duke's last wish, and the current marchioness seems pleased with her son carrying some of the weight that's been placed upon her." George felt like he should've covered his ears, yet Dream hadn't told him to do so. So George did what he could, accept the cup of tea that was poured by his majesty himself and take a sip from it.

"George. Have you ever done work like this? If so, I could try to convince Dream to let me borrow your time to help me." Sapnap looked towards George with tired yet somewhat desperate eyes.

"I'm afraid I've never quite done work as such. But I do have experience in serving dukes and duchesses."

Dream lets out a hum, showing interest in the current topic. "I would've thought you'd have only served royalty before." He asked, referring to the kingdom George previously served.

"Before the king of Aphrodite found me, I was a traveller for two years. I went from kingdom to kingdom and served many others as a way of gaining experience." George replied truthfully.

Sapnap stared at him, "So will you mind if I call upon you to help me out with some ducal work? And this question is pointed towards you George, as you and I both know that Dream would definitely agree to this if it is alright with you. I'll show you how to do the basics, this way you'll also be able to gain experience. A flawless victory for both of us."

George felt his fingertips twitch from underneath the table. Before he could reject, he did something which even made himself surprised.

"I accept your proposal, so long as you call upon me during an appropriate time as his majesty's concerns are my top priorities." He felt shivers go down his spine as he said those words. Upon seeing the sad state Sapnap was in, something within him just- caused him to reply as such, even if he had only known of the Duke quite recently.

A satisfied laugh from the Duke caused George to snap out of his thoughts.

"Oh, George.. I have a feeling we're gonna be the closest of friends soon enough." In that moment, George had locked eyes with Sapnap. He noticed something in his eyes as he finished his sentence. A look that he had once always been forced to notice. A look that said he was sure of his words.

But before George could ask, Dream cleared his throat, "Forgive him, Sir George. He's not quite the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to beating around the bush." Sapnap threw him a look but Dream who had decided to ignore it and added, "But I do hope that we'll get along well soon seeing as the three of us are gonna be stuck together for a very long time."

George nodded his head knowingly, causing a grin to form on Sapnap's face and a satisfied smile to be formed on Dream's face.

His majesty continued conversing with the duke as George tried his hardest not to listen in but eventually gave up as it was impossible to divert your attention away from a conversation that happens directly in front of you.

"Mother is coming back soon, we could introduce George to her." Sapnap said as he took a sip of his tea. Dream hummed in agreement, "Great idea. It'll be best for them to get acquainted immediately if you're gonna start borrowing my knight and guard from now on."

"Only for good causes. Speaking of family, George, do you have any family?" Sapnap asked without thinking, to which the king threw him a warning look. But before Sapnap had realised what he'd said, George replied, "Yes, I did. They weren't living in the kingdom of Aphrodite before, but they passed away a long time ago due to natural disasters."

That was a lie of course.

It had been years since George had last seen his family. A family that was killed in the crossfire of a war that happened many decades ago. Although he couldn't exactly tell them that, seeing as his true identity would be put at risk.

"Ah I see, we're sorry for you're lost." Sapnap mumbled. Dream sensing the heavy tension in the air added, "My family passed away too, by the war between Ares and Zagreus. A war that broke out a few years ago."

George felt his throat go dry, despite having taken a sip of the tea. So he chose to remain silent, as did Sapnap. His majesty continued, "I was an only child at the age of 4, a threat to none. So the descendent and withholder of the powers given by the God, Zagreus spared my life out of pure chance. A pathetic story it was, but I was given a chance at life for that."

"A glorious life at that. No more of that now. You've both got me and my mother as your family. Even if both George and I hadn't known each other for long, the Armstrongs will always have a home for you two." Sapnap said with full confidence, grinning at the two of them, causing Dream to let out a laugh and for George to be caught off guard.

"Thank you.. Sapnap." George said with a small smile.

His family didn't mean much to him anymore as the wound wasn't fresh. What happened was just a tragedy that couldn't be stopped, he grieved for them years ago. Yet Dream, who had witnessed such a scene very recently must've still carried a large wound in his heart. A king, decided at the age of four.

So comforting him was the last thing George could do. Fortunately, it was obvious to him that Sapnap was the one who would slowly heal that wound, and by accepting the duke's words, he too hoped that his wound would be healed soon.