A King's Guardian

>16<

A knock on the door startled me from the snooze I had sunken into. Afraid it would be another unwelcome visit from the king, I remained quiet and pulled the sheets up to my neck.

"It's me," called Isaac. "I know you're in there, Aph. The king slammed your door so hard it rattled the whole wing."

I nibbled my bottom lip before saying, "Come in."

It couldn't cause any more harm than already inflicted. I would be leaving in a matter of time anyway. Isaac was one of the few people in this world I truly cared for, regardless of what he may have told me while intoxicated.

The door gave way to his brawny presence, and he offered a limp smile that I hardly managed to return. As he came to my side of the bed, I scooted over to give him room. He opted to sit beside me. We didn't look each other in the eye; I stared at his torso that sat in my line of sight while his gaze was trained on the far wall.

"Bloody mess, yeah?" he mumbled. "Castle on lockdown. Sleepers crawling around on staff. Bloody mess, all of it."

I nodded.

"Heard about how the sleeper targeted you," he remarked, this time glancing down at me. "Why you figure that? Why not approach the king directly?"

"I don't know," I said softly.

"Me either. Don't think anyone knows, really."

While he continued to talk about security measures and Samson and how Seth was stressed about everything, all I could think about was how he didn't know. Isaac didn't know I would be leaving. He didn't know I was technically no longer a Guardian. We were no longer equals. I was going to be cast into the streets to look for some other meager way to support myself. We wouldn't ever see each other again.

"You alright?" His words brought me out of my head again.

"Fine," I answered.

"Hmph. You're being quiet. Are you still angry with me?"

Looking up through my lashes, a more genuine smile lifted the corners of my lips. "No. I'm not angry with you anymore."

"Good," he said. "Because I still can't recall what drunk-me did."

"It doesn't matter." I snuggled up closer to his side and allowed my eyelids to drift shut. "You've been such a dear friend to me all these years, Isaac."

"And?"

"And nothing. Just thought you should know."

"Of course I know," he teased with a ruffle to my hair. "You think I'd be visiting you while we're on lockdown if I wasn't the dearest friend you've ever had?"

Chuckling, I elbowed him and sat up. He wrapped an arm around my waist, so I rested my head on his shoulder. We sat in silence as the minutes ticked by.

"Ever think about the way things might've been if you weren't a Guardian?" he asked, breathily quiet.

"No," I said perhaps too quickly. "This is all I have ever wanted."

"Oh. Well, yes, I suppose. But you never just wonder?"

"Do you?"

"Sometimes."

My tongue wet my chapped mouth. "What do you imagine?"

"I think about..." Sighing, he shook his head. "It's ridiculous, really."

"Tell me," I prodded.

"Well...Even though I became a Guardian because I didn't want to farm like my father, I think that's what I would have enjoyed if this didn't work out. Little farm with some cows, pigs, chicks. Wife with three little ones."

"I can picture it." My mind drew up the image of Isaac with a lovely little family. "Well, maybe you can still have that. After you retire, perhaps?"

"Perhaps," he allowed with a shrug. Then, with a wink, he elbowed me and said, "If you'll wait for me, that is."

I rolled my eyes. "Only if you promise that our farm will be on a hill."

"Fair enough."

We laughed nonsensically about our silly dream until another lock was at the door. Isaac shot off the bed and straightened his clothes while I followed more slowly.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Philip's army has been encroaching on the city, and now the castle is going on defense," declared Samson through the door. "Report to your castle station at the King's quarters right away."

"Yes, sir!" I fired back.

Isaac looked to me, eyes wide. I nodded with a heavy gulp. It was time.

Twenty guardians remained after the second hog attack, so we split in half around the king's quarters. Half of us marked the outside of all three entrances and the other half surrounded the bedchamber. I was ordered to take a post inside the chamber and was positioned close to where the king was sitting on the lounge chair with his advisors. The rest of the castle staff had been sent underground.

Then, we waited.

And waited.

Two hours melted into five, which bled into ten.

"I need a break," Zacharias said, piercing the mostly silent room. Murmurs had broken out infrequently as we attempted to ward off fatigue and boredom. "Let's take a stroll to the east wing."

Samson ordered us into formation around the king, placing me ever close to my superior, and we exited the room. From there, the rest of the Guardians assembled into the formation around the advisors. We headed down the main hall at a leisurely pace, though every muscle was tense. The window drapes seemed suspiciously still as did the portraits that had always been on the crimson walls. Even the shadows seemed to lurk with unwanted attention.

The slam of a door made us a halt. My right hand brushed against my pistol holster, breath hitched. A messenger in a Castle uniform came sprinting around the corner. His pace slowed when he witnessed the massive entourage.

"Your Highness!" he cried, dropping to his knees. "We pushed them back out of the city. By daybreak, we should have either breached the estate or he should have surrendered!"

"And who gave you this order?" asked the king, his deep voice bouncing off the walls.

"General Lessons, Your Highness." The messenger lifted his face now to study us. His pale face was shiny with sweat.

Clearing his throat, Zacharias replied, "Very well. Samson, relieve your Guardians for the meanwhile."

That was it? We were just going to rest again? Not that I was complaining; I felt exhausted. Still, this wasn't over yet. Zacharias wouldn't be safe until Philip was dead. What if he had more sleepers embedded in the castle staff like that maid?

"Retire to your rooms, Guardians, until further notified," he said. "Do not open your door unless you hear me."

"Yes, sir," we all responded, knuckles to our shoulder with a slight bow.

I glanced at the king once more. He appeared to be finishing giving orders to his advisors. Our eyes met for a fleeting second before I ducked my head and turned away. The least I could do was make sure the last few hours of my Guardianship were spent keeping the king alive.