Blood King

Chapter Forty Three

Over three years and nothing, nothing different, nothing had changed to the King since Arthur had become his Page. Serving him wine constantly, he had given the tenacious bastard more than enough poison by now to kill an entire army of men and yet nothing changed!

He could not send out a letter to his father to tell him that no matter what poisons he had in his possession nothing seemed to work. The King was a monster; he had to be, no human could have built up such a strong immunity to so many poisons in his short lifetime.

Arthur bit his thumb out of habit; this was bad, very bad. If this continued, he would run out of his concoctions and then may have to resort to just killing the King. But now even that was impossible with arrival of the Elves. Damn arrogant men that they were, striding in like beautiful angels with such a haughty looks on their faces, as if they had come in to save them all when they could have helped from the damn start.

They were worse than the blasted King!

But now what could he do? What should he do? He had asked the King for a moment of leave to return home, that way he could give news to his father, but the bastard had denied him of it. No, he shouldn't have to think on it too much, he shouldn't have to worry; sooner or later he'd be dead, ether by Arthur's own hands or someone from the enemy's side, which was far preferable.

"You know if you keep biting your thumb like that you'll end up hurting yourself." Xavier's voice came softly in his ear causing the young man to jump with slight fright. Xavier laughed slightly at his reaction. "Forgive me, I do not mean to scare you, though you look rather tense Arthur, more so then I. Is everything alright?"

"I-it's nothing, Your Majesty." He said softly, eye's averting the King's.

"Don't be so modest." He said before looking to Arthur's hand and taking hold, causing the man to flinch only to have Arthur realize that his thumb was now bleeding. "See? I told you, though I am rather surprised it hadn't happened sooner, but perhaps that this is a sign of things finally changing."

"Maybe..." Arthur said mumbled kept his gaze to the floor.

Xavier kept hold of his hand, practically refusing to let go until Arthur finally looked the King in the eye, when he had Xavier smiled and then took a cloth and pressed it to the young man's thumb. "You should take care of yourself more," the King said as he let go of Arthur's hand and went to a drawer by his bed and pulled out a half empty bottle of red wine. "With that said, why not have a drink with me?"

"What?" Arthur looked at the man with perplexed confusion, he had not seen that bottle of wine before, where or when did he get it? "Why?"

"Why not?" Xavier countered. "It's better than drinking alone, and this is my personal favorite wine, unlike the one you've been graciously serving me." When Arthur made no move Xavier merely cast a slight smile his way. "Come now, no need to be so skittish with me, you've served me for three years, I'd like to think we've formed at least some kind of bond."

Arthur still did not move, and the King's smile vanished as if it had never even been there to begin with as he stared coldly with his ice blue eyes.

"Why the hesitation Arthur?" he asked, his voice almost sounding cold and detached. "Your King is offering you a drink, you should accept it."

Arthur flinched at the King's cold tone. "I-I apologize Sire, I don't mean to offend it is just that I do not drink in the way of alcohol."

Xavier simply stared at him before asking. "How old are you Arthur?"

The man looked at the King with confusion before answering. "I... I am twenty two, My Lord, just a year younger than Your Majesty."

"And yet you do not drink," Xavier added. "That is a complete shame Arthur, but I must insist that you at least join me for one drink. One drink that is all I ask."