Cavalier

Chapter Seven

David's been in the President's Mansion before, but he's never been in the President's Mansion like this. It's been two hours since Saul dismissed his troops from the valley, and in those two hours David had enough time to travel to the military base with his brothers and get intercepted by Kemper before David could continue home with them, hoping that Saul had been kidding. "You're coming with us," he says, and David's kind of surprised because, really, the President had been fine two hours ago but Kemper says, "No, not for that," and leaves it at that as David's heart sinks.

General Abner meets them at the door of the Presidential Mansion, relieving Kemper of David. He walks close to David's side as he leads David deeper into the building, not saying a word. David doesn't definitely know where Abner is taking him but he can make a good guess— he's hoping for a room with a bed though David knows it's not likely—and when Abner knocks on a door and is given permission to enter David is both pleased and dismayed to find out that his guess was right.

Saul is seated at his desk reading over paperwork that consists of, presumably, reports about the end of the battle. One hand is poised over said paperwork with a pen clenched tightly within its grasp while his other hand rubs harshly at his right temple.

David knows the signs, but even if Abner hadn't squeezed his shoulder he would've known not to say anything.

"You'll begin training under Abner," Saul says without looking up. "Immediately." 

David swallows. "Sir?"

"For the Elite Forces."

Saul's tone brokers no arguments, and David had known that joining the EF was a certainty, but, "I'm not even eighteen yet," still manages to slip out of his mouth.

The President remains expressionless, but that's enough to make him look up at David. "I realize this," he says. "However, due to recent events, it's been decided that you're a...special circumstance."

"Special circumstance?"

"The people love you. This war is...trying, for lack of a better word. The people need hope, need vision. A symbol."

So he's being used as a gimmick. Abner's grip on his shoulder is unforgivably tight, but David still says, "I thought that's what you were, sir."

"Some people questioned my decision to put a teenager against a Philistine twice his size. For this to be a successful gamble for me, you must prove your worth. Therefore, training. Immediately. You need to see action. It runs in your veins." He tilts his head, assessing David like he had in the tent. "I must admit, I hadn't foreseen this much...hesitance."

Just wondering about your motive, sir.

David barely bites the thought back. "No hesitance, sir. None here."

General Abner's grip eases, and shortly after they are excused as Saul calls for some headache medication.

-

David is wrenched back by the General when they, presumably, start to near David's new room, the hallway deserted. General Abner pins him to the wall with a hard grip and the one hundred pounds of muscle that he has on David. "You will watch yourself," he says, "very carefully. We wouldn't want anything to slip out, would we?"

And David knows, instinctively, that this is about more than the nondisclosure agreement. That this runs deeper, with implications and consequences to match. He would never tell anybody about his intimate knowledge of the President's condition in the first place—never mind the President himself—but he supposes it's the thought that counts.