Kings [A Medieval AU]

Chapter Four - Intruder

On a rather brisk morning, during the first snowfall of the year, Dan wakes up earlier than usual and changes into some simple clothing before heading down to his throne room, wrapping his cloak around himself to keep out the cool air as he goes. The castle is quiet, everyone still asleep except the guards on the morning shift. Dan slips past them as silently as possible and pushes open the door to his throne room, taking in the quiet splendour of the room. His throne sits at the head of the room, backed by a large, regal tapestry. Windows line each wall, allowing moonlight to pool on the floor.

A few wall-mounted torches line the walls, and Dan lights a few of them with his magic. The gold brightens the room more than the black ever could, the shadow-like magic becoming almost completely invisible in wake of the golden glow. Then, he just stands there. He stands in the centre of the room, looking up at the high ceilings and basking in the moonlight.

"Dan?"

The unexpected voice makes him jump, and when he whips around he spots PJ peeking through the door of the throne room. He lets out a heavy exhale and lets the tension leave his muscles, running his fingers through his hair.

"Hi, PJ," he replies.

"What are you doing up?" PJ asks, stepping into the room. A white cotton shirt hangs loosely around his frame, his pants far too casual to be anything but pyjamas. In any other situation, Dan would have to be more formal about this meeting with his advisor, but in the dead of night they can just be friends.

"I could ask you the same thing," Dan replies with a small smile.

PJ shrugs, a smile tugging at his own lips. "I can't sleep."

"Neither can I."

"Any reason you can think of?"

Dan shakes his head a bit, holding his cloak a little tighter around himself. "Not really. I have this weird feeling in my heart, but I don't know what it is."

"Interesting..." PJ bites his bottom lip and lets out a small yawn, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "I hope you figure out what it is. I'm going to head to bed."

"Goodnight, PJ," Dan says, his voice softer than he expected.

"Goodnight, Dan," PJ replies.

His advisor heads out the door and closes it softly. Dan watches him go before moving towards his throne, taking a seat and looking out over the empty room. He takes a deep breath, the weird, nervous feeling worse than before. Doing his best to ignore it, he takes his crown from the small table beside his throne and puts it on his head. It doesn't help. The nervousness only grows, and that's when he hears muffled shouts and armour crashing against the floor.

Jumping from his seat, he grabs the sword that always stays beside the throne and holds it out towards the door. Moments later, the entrance is pushed open and a king strides through, blue cloak and eyes contrasting highly with his black hair and the dark atmosphere of the room. Several of his men come in behind him, swords wielded. If Dan remembers correctly, blue is the colour of Divum, but why would the king of Divum be here? Their magic pulses between them, the amount of power in the room making Dan's head spin.

Dan steps down from his throne, and a moment later his sword clashes with the sword of the enemy king. Dan grits his teeth and sidesteps, the king matching his every slash and jab. He backs up to avoid a jab and swipes, barely missing his enemy. Their deadly dance continues for a while, the Divian guards hanging back and watching with their swords poised, and Dan feels his energy flagging. He didn't exactly prep himself for a duel this early in the morning.

The enemy king clashes with his sword again and twists, sending Dan's blade skidding across the floor. Before he has a chance to recover, the king of Divum uses a strand of magic to hit him in the back of the knees, sending him to the ground in an instant.

The tip of his blade presses against Dan's throat a second later and the king remains completely stiff, his eyes meeting those of the king in front of him. His enemy has some of the bluest eyes he's ever seen, and when his gaze is aimed at him they're cold and emotionless. Dan nearly laughs at his own failure. His sword lies a ways away, and he has absolutely no way of getting to it and saving himself.

"If you are going to kill me, your majesty, make it quick," Dan says, the gleam from the sword reflecting in his eyes. "It is customary to kill the conquered king, after all."

The enemy king watches him silently for a moment before stepping forward, keeping his blade firmly at Dan's throat. "Do you have a wife? Children?"

"No. It's just me."

The king narrows his eyes slightly before beckoning some of his guards to his side. "Tie him up and place him in one of the jail carriages. We will take him back to Divum as a prisoner until I figure out what to do with him."

Dan remains frozen as the enemy king's guards tie his wrists behind his back. The king's blade is kept at his throat, which is the only reason Dan isn't using his magic to get free.

"What's your name?" the king asks.

"Daniel. Yours?"

"Philip."

"A pleasure." Sarcasm drips into Dan's voice, and the slightest of smirks tugs at Phil's lips. "Truly."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy my kingdom, Daniel."

Phil gestures to the guards and Dan is led away. He tugs at the ropes that bind him, getting more and more frustrated with the whole situation. He turns around and plants his feet, facing the king of Divum with fear in his eyes that he masks with fire.

"What about the people of Tenebris? What will happen to them?" he yells, causing Phil to look over at him.

The enemy king nearly smiles. "Don't fret, King Daniel. I'll take care of them."

"They are my people! It is my duty as their king to take care of them!"

"I am aware. No harm will come to them, I promise."

"How can I trust you?! You've just taken my kingdom from me!"

"Guards, please bring him to one of the carriages. I will join you shortly."

The guards start tugging Dan away again and the royal fights them, black magic swirling around his hands. None of the guards notice until the black strands cut through the rope and he tears away from them, turning and racing towards Phil. The enemy king reaches out and shoots his own magic in Dan's direction, trapping him in a net made of light blue strands that resemble cloud more than anything. Dan falls, heart starting to race as he struggles against the netting, and Phil moves towards him.

"Stop, your majesty. It's no use," he says, his voice surprisingly calm.

"Let me go! Give me my kingdom back!" he exclaims, black swirling around his hands and arms again. It makes the magic around him pulse even more fervently, but he doesn't dare retract his power back into him.

Phil exhales, his blue eyes closing momentarily before opening again. "I didn't want to do this, Daniel, but I have to."

Despite all of his fighting, Phil's magic still manages to knock him out.

When he wakes up, he's in the back of a carriage. Bars block the only window, little strips of weak sunlight lining his face. The winter air is cold, leading Dan to pull his thick black cloak a little tighter around his body as he stands. Through the window he can see a road that is completely unfamiliar to him, and he has no idea how far away from home he is. Dan bites his lip, and in his solitude he finally lets himself feel every emotion he had been hiding. He settles on the floor again and buries his face in his knees, tears pouring down his cheeks. He's alone, scared, and wants to go home. He knows he can't. Even if he used his magic to break the chains on the door and escape this carriage, he'd most likely get horribly lost and die out there in the cold. At least this carriage is slightly warmer than it is outside. On top of that, King Philip probably placed protection on the carriage so he can't get out anyway. Dan places his crown between his feet and pulls his hood up over his head, burrowing down as he awaits his fate.