Three Fates Entwined | Dream Team

Chapter Twenty-Three

George smiled sheepishly as he spotted Clay and Sapnap walking towards him from across the hall. "Oh, hello. So, um, are we---"

"I was attacked last night," Sapnap interrupted.

"Oh," George blinked. "Uh---"

"And I was attacked the night before," Clay said in a monotonous voice.

"R-really? Why didn't you tell me earli---"

"You said that you were going to reinforce everything," Clay said, "and as soon as possible at that. Apparently it's already becoming too late."

"Okay, okay," George said, his head throbbing painfully. "Okay. Let's go to my father an explain everything."

He started towards the throne room, but Clay said, "Wait, I didn't see the king there when I passed by it. I think he's probably having breakfast."

"Right." George headed in the opposite direction towards the dining room, flushing slightly. Sapnap and Clay followed in silence behind him, making him feel even more uncomfortable than before.

I'm such a useless prince.

They turned a corner. George pushed through the large wooden doors into the brightly lit room and called, "Father?"

The king glanced up at him, his fork still poised halfway to his mouth. "George? What is it?"

George looked back at Clay uncertainly. The man stepped forward and said, "This castle has been breached."

Wow, George thought with mild amusement. How straightforward.

"Breached?" His father's eyes narrowed. "How so?"

"I was attacked last night," Sapnap said. "Clay was attacked the night before, and both of us were nearly killed in cold blood."

The king put down his fork and stroked his beard. "Indeed? Our two newest knights, almost victims in murder. You've been here for not even a month and have already had your lives put in danger without even going on the battlefield."

"That's a nice way to put it," Sapnap muttered.

"We will search the entire castle for any more assassins," the king announced, standing up. "I will take other precautions to make sure that nothing like this happens again."

Clay cleared his throat. "And when will all this happen, sir?"

"As soon as possible."

George winced, thinking of his last conversation with his friends. That had been his answer as well. Like father, like son.

"Do you have a general idea of when?" Clay pushed on.

"I will notify you," the king replied with a slight frown. "Besides, you and Sapnap will probably be needed in the arrangements."

Sapnap and Clay bowed. George fingered uncomfortably with the rim of his shirt, then blurted out, "Can I be in the arrangements as well, Father?"

Clay stared at him. His father raised an eyebrow. "It's nice that you want to, my son, but it would comfort me knowing that you are safe."

"But this is the whole reason why I wanted to become a knight in the first place!"

"George," the king said sternly. "Don't make this any more difficult for me than it needs to be. I wish to get everything in order with all the necessary preparations and ensure everyone's safety as quickly as possible. You will help, of course, but I will not have you patrolling just yet."

George scowled down at his feet but didn't say anything. He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, George," Sapnap said quietly.

"Clay, stay with me," the king said. "I wish to speak to you and Filens."

Clay frowned slightly and wavered on the spot. "Of course, sir."

George followed Sapnap out of the throne room. As he reached the doors, he threw a backwards look at his father and his friend. His father was leading Clay to a door towards the side, one that George immediately recognized as the strategy room. One he himself had never been in.

But Clay didn't look happy. His hands were clenched by his sides, and he had a blank expression on his face.

"George," Sapnap called, and George turned his gaze away from the scene.

***

Clay rejoined George and Sapnap outside in the field. He seemed tired, worn out, and stressed, but he looked glad to be back with them.

"So it's over?" Sapnap asked.

"For now," Clay sighed.

"What did you guys talk about?" George asked, curious despite himself.

"A schedule for patrolling," Clay said, counting on his fingers, "building more guard towers, and going out to enlist more knights."

"Busy," Sapnap said with a low whistle. "So why talk to you?"

Clay shrugged. "He said something about me being tactical," he said with a perfectly straight face. "But honestly, I would've rather stayed with you two."

George knew that he probably should've felt some sort of jealousy that his friend had spent more time with his own father than he himself had, but all he felt was pity. Clay didn't want this. There was no point in pushing it onto him, and there was definitely no point in feeling envy towards it.

"Sapnap, you're going to be in the rotation schedule with me," Clay said suddenly.

"Oh, cool."

"And, George," Clay said, not looking at George at all, "you're in the rotation with us."

George blinked in surprise, then smiled widely. "Really?"

"Yeah, I got you in by ways of persuasion." Clay still wasn't looking at him, but George was too happy to think about it or even care.

"We start tomorrow night, and rotate in a circle of seven," Clay continued. "So once a week, it'll be us and three other groups in the halls. We'll each be patrolling a wing of the castle, though the paths of the groups might interlap a bit."

That surprised George. "What? But there are enough knights that it could be twice a week."

"There has to be people patrolling the walls and fields, as well as standing guard at the towers," the man explained. "There still has to be knights hunting. That sort of thing."

"Right." How did I not think of that?

"This'll be great," Sapnap said cheerfully. "Three bros strolling around the hallways of a very large castle, looking out for assassins with no moral code and trying not to die in the process! Sounds like fun."