Daegal walked with Fiora close at hand. Now that everything was over and she was safe, he started to feel guilty about what he allowed to happen and disturbed by the actions he took. There was no helping the thought that perhaps he might still be Wrath somewhere deep inside, but it was currently overshadowed by his failures. He should have been more observant, should have followed her immediately, should have prevented her from even going up onto that stage in the first place. It was starting to feel like his very existence was inviting trouble and danger, not just from humans, but other creatures and demons, like him.

  Fiora looked exhausted, and a little uncomfortable as she walked with a small limp. “Are you sure you’re alright, Fiora? I can carry you if you need it.”

  “No, no, I’m fine. More than anything, I'm rather annoyed that I fell for their damn ploy. Just following along behind that man thinking he was working with the performers. They only bruised me when they shoved me into that carriage and held me down to muffle my voice. I’m madder at myself than anything else.”

  Daegal could say the same. Averting his gaze, he let out a forlorn sigh. “I’m sorry, Fiora.”

  She looked up at him with a questioning tilt of her head. “What do you mean? Why are you apologizing?”

  “This only happened because of me. Being my friend only seems to bring trouble to you. No matter how much I try to keep you safe, or how many times I have to scare off a threat, they just keep coming. I attract misfortune, and I physically cannot stop them all. Someday something is going to happen, and you’ll be seriously hurt. You’ll never be able to have a normal life with me around, so-”

  “Shut up.”

  Daegal choked on whatever word was meant to come out next as Fiora silenced him in a very abrupt manner. He paused on the spot, and Fiora took a few steps in front of him, giving him a stern stare.

  “I don’t want to hear what I know you were about to say. You cannot take responsibility for the actions of others. I knew full well what was likely to happen if I chose to be your friend, but that didn’t matter. You deserve a friend; you deserve happiness. Whatever may happen, whoever tries to come for me, I want you to remember that I do not care! You’re not getting rid of me.”

  He was frustrated and touched. “You are always so stubborn,” he said with a sigh and a slight smile.

  Fiora simply smirked and turned with a confident and bragging air about her. Daegal wasn’t fully convinced. He might be able to live harmoniously with a few people here and there, but there would always be someone, somewhere, who would find his presence to be objectionable. Fiora would not abandon him, and the idea that she would spend most of her life arguing and fighting with people in his name created a twisted knot in his chest. His dream of a peaceful life in good company was starting to feel naive now that he had more worldly experience.

  There was nothing he could do with those thoughts, so he tried his best to shake them off for now as the pair returned to the relative safety of the castle. Upon arrival they were met with an active group of soldiers numbering a little over a dozen. Many of the soldiers reacted to his arrival with a realease of tension in their bodies. Some began to huff as they started stowing their weapons once more. It looked like they were getting ready to leave in pursuit of him, but now that he had returned, their efforts in preparation were made for naught.

  Soon after his arrival, Edmund emerged from the group of soldiers to address him. “Sir Daegal, Lady Fiora, we heard you were in a spot of trouble and were prepared to come to your rescue on his majesty’s orders. It seems that it was unnecessary. His majesty would like to speak with you, Daegal. Lady Fiora, if you are hurt in any way, Mathew will attend to you. It is better to make sure that even minor inconveniences don’t develop into something far more serious.”

  “He does have a point, Fiora,” Daegal added.

  “Yes, he does,” Fiora admitted with a sigh. She understood injuries could become complicated, had seen as much on a few occasions. Her father would tan her hide if he found out she brushed aside an injury without having it double checked.

  “I will visit Mathew, tell my dad I’m alright, and get everything else sorted. Try not to upset his majesty when you meet with him.” Fiora tried to smile and bring some humor to the situation, but she was so tired that the attempt landed rather flat.

  In the end, the two went their separate ways for the moment, promises made to meet again later. Daegal was really starting to become familiar with the various hallways of the castle, and he recognized that they were heading to Reynard’s personal workspace. The man in question was standing at the back of the room, looking out the window with a pensive stare. At the sound of the door opening, Reynard turned to see Daegal standing there and offered a polite smile that felt a little forced.

  “Ahh, Daegal, it is good to see you have returned safely. And the lady Fiora?”

  “I got her back.”

  Reynard nodded his head and let out a small sigh. “Good, very good. I would have been upset had anything serious happened to the lady.”

  There was a moment of quiet where Reynard simply looked out of the window in silent contemplation. Daegal could not read the man’s thoughts or even his expression. There was the chance that the king was upset with him, so Daegal wanted to try and smooth things over.

  “I... I am sorry for acting alone. I know that you probably would have wished for me to return instead of going along with the kidnappers, and I’m sorry if I upset you with that.”

  Reynard did not react in the way that Daegal expected as the man huffed with amusement. “Have I perhaps been too critical of you as of late that you would immediately take my silence as simmering anger?”

  “You did have those men following me, yes?”

  “Fair, but did you expect otherwise after your unscheduled excursion that night? I had to take some precautions to ensure your risk taking would not go unnoticed in the future. However, to return to the previous point, no, I am not upset with you. Your actions in this case are very understandable, and I hold no animus toward you for taking steps to save your friend. No, my state of mind has little to do with you. Truthfully, I find myself to be disappointed as of late.”

  That confused Daegal a little, prompting him to ask for clarification. “What do you mean by that?”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Reynard chuckled. “This might be strange for me to say, but I feel disappointed with humanity in general. I had never really given it much consideration until recently. The politics, the scheming, the voices calling out for recognition and reward all while creatures of the night gather at our gates, uncaring for their wants. Even with their very lives threatened, there are those who would simply wish to extract all they can from this misfortune.”

  He glanced back at Daegal with a heavy look of exhaustion on his face. “I can’t help but compare them to you.”

  Daegal blinked, surprised. “To me?”

  “Indeed,” he said assuredly. “You are a very... pure, being; untainted by the dark and worldly desires that humanity harbors within, such that not even I am immune to their pull. Your only desires have been companionship and peace. No amount of money or power could sway your heart, and that is real strength. I find myself rather envious of you in many ways; to be so content with so simple a prize in your sight. Were it not for your birthright, you would have lived as a very happy man near anywhere you chose to be.”

  Reynard averted his gaze for a moment, casting it down to the floor. “I am sorry that I cannot provide you with the same happiness. No matter the power or authority I might wield, my reach only extends as far as I can see, and we humans can be quite blind at times. Imperfection is our nature, one that we bear with both pride and anguish. Being good is difficult when reality is often harsh and indifferent to our efforts.”

  He turned to the window again, looking out over the world around him in stoic fashion. There was much to think about, and Daegal let the silence last for several moments before acting. Stepping forward, Daegal took up position next to Reynard. They did not look at one another but instead shared the view together.

  The city felt so suffocating. It was too much, too close together, with too many people and expectations. He liked Fiora’s village. It wasn’t so oppressive there, and he could always disappear into the forest for a few hours if he wanted. He glanced down at Reynard. Despite the regal stature that the man maintained at near every hour of the day, Daegal felt a little pity for him. Daegal might not have known the ins and outs of human politics, but he understood that Reynard had many expectations of his own that he had to uphold, and no ability to simply vanish when overwhelmed. It must have been difficult for him at times.

  It was always difficult to break a silence, but Daegal took a breath and spoke his mind. “I... I think you’re good.”

  Reynard looked up at him with a raised brow but did not reply, so Daegal continued. “I don’t really know many humans here, but you’re one of the few who looks at me and doesn’t immediately see a monster. You didn’t condemn me as others did, and you treated me with fairness. You might say otherwise, but I know how I look to humans. It... It means a lot that you would give me a chance. I’d like you to know that simply trying to accept me in the way you have done is appreciated. You are a very good man.”

  Reynard allowed himself a small smile that broke his kingly image. “Thank you. Your words do much to ease my troubled heart. Virtuous behavior is always subjective. My best could fall short of many an individual’s interpretation, but to know I have done good, at least in one small facet of my life, is a heartening thing indeed. This was a pleasant distraction, Daegal. I am sorry that your friend was subjected to such treatment, but the one responsible shall never act against you, or anyone else, ever again. Of that, you can be assured.”

  There was a certain levity that came with speaking your mind, and both of them felt the burden of reality lifted a little. While staying and enjoying a moment of peace would have been nice, Reynard hardly had a few minutes in his day that weren’t scheduled as of late, and work called him back. They parted ways on a high note that day as routine returned to the castle.

  Fiora was handling the aftermath well enough as she was mostly exasperated and a little sore. Her father, though, was beside himself after he found out. Daegal received a verbal lashing for his failure to protect her, but it was tempered with the knowledge that he couldn’t predict that it would happen, and he immediately got her back. The tension between the two of them only lasted until the end of the day.

  They saw peaceful days for a while. Everything simply progressed with a steady beat, but always with that underlying sense of dread as people around the castle knew what they were preparing for. For Daegal and his close group of companions, there was less stress as they were not actively working to organize the defense. Instead, they focused most of their energy on Osric and more personal pursuits.

  The young lad was starting to regain his strength, and Mathew was walking him through exercises after he began eating full meals once more. Osric was happy at these developments and had a lot of restlessness to burn through. As the boy’s health improved, the question of what would happen to him after he made a full recovery came to the forefront once more. It was looking more likely that he would end up in the care of the church. It was a subject of frequent conversation between the trio, such that even a few outside ears picked up on the subject.

  One day they were observing and supporting Osric as the boy relearned how to walk from one side of the room to the other when Leoric entered. The man took in the scene before him, all these people, one not even human, standing about and cheering on a child that looked more skeleton than person as he walked on unsteady legs was an odd sight in his eyes. Leoric did not interrupt the group until the exercise was over. Once Osric had completed his lap, Leoric moved to gain the room’s attention fully.

  “Very well done, Osric, and a good afternoon to the rest of you.”

  The room returned his greeting in various ways as Fiora spoke to him first. “Greetings, Leoric. Is there something you need?”

  “Actually, I wished to present an idea to you all. I’ve noticed as of late that your concern for young Osric here has left you with a great deal of stress, particularly to you, my lady. I have thought about it, and I came to the realization that I might be in need of an attendant.”

  There was a pause in the room as everyone processed that, and then Fiora’s face lit up. “Wait, you mean...”

  Leoric nodded as she trailed off. “Indeed. I can take the boy under my guardianship, and he may live on my estate with me. If, that is, you are willing to do such a thing, Osric?”

  The boy looked a little confused. “What does that mean?”

  “It means that you will assist me in my daily tasks and chores. In return, you will be taught to read and write, among other things. If you show promise and determination, you might even be able to rise to a page, which might eventually lead you on the path to knighthood.”

  “I could be a knight?” The boy’s eyes practically sparkled as he imagined that scenario.

  “Yes, you could, though I must warn you the path to reach that point will be challenging. Even should you fail to live up to those standards, you may still live a comfortable life in my employ. What say you, lad?”

  Osric looked around the room at everyone else he knew and only saw supporting nods and smiles. That was evidence enough to the boy that it was a good thing and responded as such.

  “Yes! T-Thank you, sir.”

  “Glad to hear it. We can make it official tomorrow evening.”

  There was a general sense of celebration in the room now that Osric was given this opportunity. While the others were congratulating the boy on his newfound position, Fiora separated to talk with Leoric. She greeted the man with a smile which he readily returned with a slight bow of his head in addition.

  “Thank you, Leoric. You’re a good man.”

  “Think nothing of it, my lady. The boy has shown incredible fortitude and courage in light of all that has happened to him. God has shown his mercy to the child, and I have a feeling that, given the opportunity, the boy will grow into someone truly exceptional. I would like to be there to nurture that possibility.”

  “No matter your reasons, it is admirable.” The two shared a moment together, the inklings of something deeper growing between them.

  Daegal watched the two, and when Fiora and Leoric stopped ogling each other, Daegal managed to capture her attention. He mimed out the act of smelling something and made a silent, yet dramatic show of it stinking. Fiora scowled deeply at him, blushing, and he adopted a shit-eating grin. Despite taking a jab at her, he also felt appreciation and admiration for Leoric’s actions. It was heartwarming, a rarity as of late, and meaningful in more ways than one. They all took the moment to bask in the warmth of the scene, for as long as they could before reality called them back.