A THRONE OF BLOOD || bxb

VI | The Pledging (Pt. 2)

[Lucian]

The six chosen guards walked in pairs closely behind High Priestess Schellia. Despite the loud voices of the crowd, my eyes caught one particular person who was right behind the priestess.

The scar that ran along his right eye was far too distinguishable to miss. It was that guy that I bumped into when I snuck into town.

I forgot his name... Was it Ronald?

I pushed all my thoughts aside as I looked at him closer, glancing back and forth at the crowd, and then to us.

He caught my gaze, locking eye contact for a good two seconds before looking to the High Priestess who slammed the end of her spear onto the ground, grabbing the attention of every single soul.

"The words I speak are those of God himself. Today is a day where I bestow unto these six mortals a blessing in return for their pledge of loyalty to the royal family of Esticia. I shall–"

Schellia's words were halted when someone in the crowd questioned her with a loud yell, "Why have you not shown yourself after so long?!"

And with that, a series of questions were hurled at her, like 'Are you really 300 years old?' and 'How are you not a sack of shrivelled up skin?'.

Ares shifted in his seat uncomfortably, probably because of the crowd being a bit too inconsiderate towards the esteemed High Priestess. Even I had questions, but I did not dare to speak up.

"Silence, mortals."

Schellia's eyes narrowed at the crowd, sending a wave of fear among them. Her glare alone made the air around her chilly. She was not someone you can easily mess with, that's for sure. She slammed the base of her golden spear and cleared her throat.

"Six Guardians, approach the royal family member I assigned you to."

The six of them bowed in perfect sync before walking towards us. I gulped nervously. Ronald, or whatever his name was, approached me with heavy footsteps. The smirk plastered on his face did not seem to ease my nerves one bit.

He stopped right in front of me, his gigantic figure overwhelming me. How could he be so tall?!

I felt my chest tightening, as though several knots had formed in my heart. I couldn't peel my eyes away from his deep grey eyes. His greyish-black hair glistened under the sun, and his rusted armour made his already bulky figure even more bulkier.

The wind blew gently, caressing our bodies as Schellia clasped her palms together, closing her eyes. A soft prayer she recited. A soft gust of wind followed.

A myriad of colourful petals danced along with the rhythm of the wind. A rosy scent filled the air. In the corner of my eyes, I could see the other guards bowing with their heads low, but Reynold kept his eyes on me.

"Now pledge. Pledge before the Speaker of God." Schellia's voice was soft, like a low hum of a musical instrument.

Reynold unsheathed the blade, stabbing it into the ground effortlessly. The procedure was for the both of us to place our hands on the grip of the blade. The physical contact from that was to ensure we would establish a sense of closeness. The intimacy made me shiver slightly. The touch of his skin as he wrapped his hands around mine felt electric. Like static waves running along the skin of my hands.

There was heat rising to my cheeks. My ears were ringing from all these emotions that welled up in my chest.

I don't understand..

What is this I'm feeling?

"I, Reynold Grey, pledge..." He paused in between his words, his eyes piercing my entire being through the strands of his hair.

The other guards were still continuing with the pledge they had rehearsed. Reynold's pause caused me to break into panic. Beads of sweat plastered my forehead, my grip almost slipping.

What is he doing?

"I pledge to put the life of Prince Lucian before mine." Reynold finally continued.

What? This does not sound like what the other guards are reciting...

"His life I protect. His soul I watch over. My duty only ends by the hands of Death itself. I solemnly promise, to protect you with all my heart." Reynold pledged softly, cutting it short. I could almost notice a faint rosy pink tinting his cheeks.

My head felt like it was spinning in a tornado. The knots in my chest tightened even further. What is this?

Why am I reacting this way??

The words he said. Every single one of them. The words were burned and imprinted into my mind forever.

He lifted the blade, sheathing it back. My palms were slimy with sweat. It was awfully disgusting, but I tried to not make it obvious that I was rubbing my sweat off against the black pants I wore.

"The ceremony is over. They are bound by their words, with my eyes and ears as witness. Should they ever go against this pledge, they will pay the price with their heads." Schellia smiled morbidly, which frightened me very much.

The six of them followed Schellia back to wherever they came from.

Reynold's tall figure was hard to miss even when he was far away from me.

Ares nudged me slightly, "Looks like that Reynold dude is a really committed bodyguard, huh? It's hard to find such nice guys. Good for you, Lucian!"

Ah. That was his name.

Reynold Grey.