The Silent Knight

-13-

Rose lays in my bed as I rest my head in her lap. My crying has settled down. Although I feel sick. As if my stomach is unable to hold the thought of her leaving my embrace and into his.

"Maddox." Rose says quietly moving the hair out of my face.

"Hm." I say in response, my throat resisting words.

"Marisia loves you in ways I have never been able to describe clearly." She says, my heart turning at the sound of her name.

"I know." I say sighing. 

"You knew this was going to happen." She says.

"I know." I repeat, closing my eyes tightly. 

"I love you too, you know. I always have." She says, playing with my hair. I open my eyes at her words. 

"I remember when we were kids and Marisia and I would stay up all night talking about you. Her eyes would light up like the stars above us, and her ears would always perk up when your name was mentioned. I have never seen two people look at each other the way you two always have. I knew from very early on that you two would die for one another, it terrifies me. I love her and I love you and it hurts me seeing you both the way you are now." She says placing a hand on my cheek to turn myself towards her. 

Although our friendship consists of banter, recently it has grown. I have never expressed my emotions in the ways that I have with Rose within these past weeks. She has been by my side and I am forever indebted to her for doing so. It makes me wonder what Marisia has confided in her as well with everything that has happened. She has always been there for us, always been someone we could count on for everything. 

"You are Maddox Knight. The strongest person I know. You fight this battle and you win." She says looking down at me, staring into my eyes. 

I listen to her every word. She is right and I knew this day was to come eventually. Marisia is sacrificing more than I am. She is marrying a man because it is her duty to do so. She has to live her life pretending for the masses, and I can't even imagine what that could be like. 

Here I am laying in my best friends lap after breaking down completely, while she has to give her entire body to someone. Someone that she doesn't want to do so with. Guilt fills my entire body as I go to stand up. 

Without saying a word I grab my helmet and readjust my armor. Rose doesn't move a muscle. 

"Maddox, what are you doing?" She asks, worried sue to my behavior. I walk over and place a kiss on her cheek, thanking her for what she has done. I move the blanket over her so she can sleep. 

"I am going to win." I say confidently, making my way to the door. 

I make my way to Marisia's chambers. My heart beat begins to quicken as I see my step in. I give him the order to go rest as I stand outside of her door. I try to block any noise out, not wanting to hear anything that is occurring on the other side of that door. Thankfully it is quiet. 

Time passes and it has come near the middle of the night when the door opens. I stand up straight and look ahead. 

"Well I would recognize that armor anywhere. If it isn't Maddox Knight. The knight I pity." A drunk Matthias Lannister says, putting his elbow on my shoulder standing next to me. I stay silent, as I do not need to speak unless ordered to by the Queen herself. 

"You out of all people should know how wonderful of a night I had with Marisia." He says with a laugh, standing in front of me. I know he is trying to get some kind of arousal out of me but it isn't working. 

"Have you gone mute?" He asks, hitting the side of my helmet. 

"Are you in need of assistance, my lord?" I ask nicely. I don't need to reference him in such high regard as House Knight is greater than House Lannister, but he is married to the Queen and thinks of himself in such a way. I believe that if I use this tactic, he will believe I respect him and his glory. I prove myself right as he is taken aback by my politeness. His eyes looking around as if I have completely lost my mind. 

"The Knights really do become nothing but a sheet of metal after becoming protecters. I really thought that was some sort of myth." He says, swaying his body trying to keep his balance. 

"Can I let you in on a little secret?" He asks getting closer towards me. I am able to smell the alcohol on his breath. 

"I am so happy that I took your beautiful cunt of a Queen. I will continue to do so tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, and forever really." He smirks, backing away from me. 

My response to his words is silence as I show no emotion through the armor that holds me from slaying him. He furrows his brow and rolls his eyes. 

"Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to go find more of what was in that glass." He says, slurring his words a bit. I watch him as he walks down the empty hall and out of the door, closing it with a loud thud. 

I turn and notice her door is slightly open. I take the chance to look through, wanting to ensure she is doing okay. I peak through the opened door and see her naked body lying still. As she faces me my eyes meet hers, and it takes everything in me not to go towards her. 

She looks as I'm sure I did laying in Rose's lap. Like a shell of a body. Her violet blue eyes filled with despair. She sadly smiles at me, letting me know she is going to be okay. I step closer to the door, opening it a bit more. 

I notice her bed in shambles. I close my eyes and clench my jaw. She stays still not moving. I want to hold her as Rose did with me. I want to tell her everything is okay but I can't. I know that doing that could potentially cause a war. Her lip quivers and she bites her bottom lip, doing whatever she can to not cry. 

I hear footsteps approaching the door at the end of the hall. I swiftly move the door back in its original position and put myself standing where I once was. I hear the door open as he drunkenly walks back in with more alcohol. 

He walks up to me and offers me some. "Would you like a taste?" He says, holding the bottle towards me. 

"No thank you, my lord." I say, standing still. 

He sighs and walks back into her room, fully closing the door behind himself.