Desires of the Crown

24 - Royally Eavesdropping

       Demetri

I rubbed my hands over my face trying to keep my eyes from closing. It was late. The only light in the castle came from the touches between every window. But even if the sun was at its peak and the rays of light streamed in from the windows. No one could see me in the shadows. I still remember the first time Jonathan had opened the glass wall and showed me what he planned to do. I was shocked, but excitement quickly followed.

I was almost seventeen then, Jonathan had been only fifteen, the night of his coronation. The glass was had only been fitted to the main hallways while they were being repaired so no one would notice the change in the width of the space. After that he quickly 'remodelled' the rest of the castle until these shadow corridors lined every hallway and every great room that John saw fit to altar. And then, his shadow knights were created. Well, technically we still excited back then but we were different from his other knights and with the shadows created, John couldn't pass up an opportunity to give us an edge.

I heard the distant sounds of whispers and slowly made my way towards them, being sure to watch where I placed my feet so that my steps were silent.

As I approached I heard Prince Dillon and Princess Ashiar conversing. I had been waiting for them to approach for more than an hour now but they appeared to have gotten held up. The Princess pushed her husband in his chair and leaned her head down to hear him speak so that they wouldn't be overheard.

Prince Dillon, Jonathan's uncle, was injured in the war and has since been confined to a specially made chair with wheels. He could walk, or more actually, drag his feet across the floor but it pained him to do so. So instead his wife pushes him to his meetings and reaches the objects on the top shelf.

Dillon's hair was beginning to grey now but his dark, almost black eyes was a family trait that almost always won over in the end. Princess Ashiar on the other hand still had a very youthful look despite her age with long honey coloured hair and brown eyes.

"I heard there was a girl in the march." The Prince began again, his tone hushed knowing that there was always someone listening. No one outside of the Shadow knights and the King knew about these walls. But they knew we were everywhere, they knew we were always watching.

"Jonathan wouldn't." Ashiar shook her head. She never saw anything but the good in people, even in Jonathan who did little she would be proud of.

He scoffed. "I said the same about my brother but that didn't stop him."

"He was lonely. His wife had just died." She rationalised, again seeing only the good.

"Yes but now with Gabriel pushing John so hard after he ran his mouth to that damn serving girl." He stopped taking a breath, noticing that his voice was climbing in volume as his frustration built. So that's what they were arguing about the other night... And that's why John went to the Convent, not to drop off Miss, but to silence old birds. "I just would have thought he'd think about it more."

"Maybe she is with another."

Dillon turned his head to face his wife, giving her an unbelieving look. "Do you really believe that?"

She smiled sadly. "No."

"She will need to be dealt with."

My chest tightened at the words. Like hell you will.

"Don't you dare." Ashiar was stern - or at least stern compared to her usually calm tone.

"I won't, so long as she keeps her mouth shut and doesn't cause a fuss." He nodded and patted his wife's hand, assuring her of the sincerity in his words. "But farm girls think that when a king gives them his attention they are suddenly worth more jeweled necklaces than a princess."