Demetri

I rubbed my hands over my face trying to keep my eyes from closing. It was late. The only light in the castle came from the touches between every window. But even if the sun was at its peak and the rays of light streamed in from the windows. No one could see me in the shadows. I still remember the first time Jonathan had opened the glass wall and showed me what he planned to do. I was shocked, but excitement quickly followed.

I was almost seventeen then, Jonathan had been only fifteen, the night of his coronation. The glass was had only been fitted to the main hallways while they were being repaired so no one would notice the change in the width of the space. After that he quickly 'remodelled' the rest of the castle until these shadow corridors lined every hallway and every great room that John saw fit to altar. And then, his shadow knights were created. Well, technically we still excited back then but we were different from his other knights and with the shadows created, John couldn't pass up an opportunity to give us an edge.

I heard the distant sounds of whispers and slowly made my way towards them, being sure to watch where I placed my feet so that my steps were silent.

As I approached I heard Prince Dillon and Princess Ashiar conversing. I had been waiting for them to approach for more than an hour now but they appeared to have gotten held up. The Princess pushed her husband in his chair and leaned her head down to hear him speak so that they wouldn't be overheard.

Prince Dillon, Jonathan's uncle, was injured in the war and has since been confined to a specially made chair with wheels. He could walk, or more actually, drag his feet across the floor but it pained him to do so. So instead his wife pushes him to his meetings and reaches the objects on the top shelf.

Dillon's hair was beginning to grey now but his dark, almost black eyes was a family trait that almost always won over in the end. Princess Ashiar on the other hand still had a very youthful look despite her age with long honey coloured hair and brown eyes.

"I heard there was a girl in the march." The Prince began again, his tone hushed knowing that there was always someone listening. No one outside of the Shadow knights and the King knew about these walls. But they knew we were everywhere, they knew we were always watching.

"Jonathan wouldn't." Ashiar shook her head. She never saw anything but the good in people, even in Jonathan who did little she would be proud of.

He scoffed. "I said the same about my brother but that didn't stop him."

"He was lonely. His wife had just died." She rationalised, again seeing only the good.

"Yes but now with Gabriel pushing John so hard after he ran his mouth to that damn serving girl." He stopped taking a breath, noticing that his voice was climbing in volume as his frustration built. So that's what they were arguing about the other night... And that's why John went to the Convent, not to drop off Miss, but to silence old birds. "I just would have thought he'd think about it more."

"Maybe she is with another."

Dillon turned his head to face his wife, giving her an unbelieving look. "Do you really believe that?"

She smiled sadly. "No."

"She will need to be dealt with."

My chest tightened at the words. Like hell you will.

"Don't you dare." Ashiar was stern - or at least stern compared to her usually calm tone.

"I won't, so long as she keeps her mouth shut and doesn't cause a fuss." He nodded and patted his wife's hand, assuring her of the sincerity in his words. "But farm girls think that when a king gives them his attention they are suddenly worth more jeweled necklaces than a princess."

"I'm sure she knows her place."

"She better, we have ten women arriving tomorrow to win Johns affections. This is the worst time for him to have a mistress."

I had completely forgotten about them. Their arrival was one of the main reasons Jonathan walked into that hut and found Miss in the first place. To have one chance at freedom before he was to marry and remain faithful to his wife. But Dillon was right. Little Miss had worked her way under his skin and into his head, anyone could see it. Which means she wasn't safe.

"His distracted from marriage by her." The Prince continued.

"He knows what's expected of him, and besides, he was against this from the start so he wasn't going to truly try anyways." I smiled at Ashiar.

"Each one offers a new alliance. Alliances that we need if we are to win this war."

"The war is over."

"The war is never over, only now it's fought in secret battles in the woods and small little raids with secret assassinations than on an open field." He scowled deeply in anger and tried to shift in his seat but stopped as a grunt of pain escaped him.

"Hush now, don't move." She started to push his chair a little faster towards the chamber that they shared - a rare occurrence for most. "You've had a long day, you need rest."

Hearing all the shadows had to offer I made my way back to my original posting. I saw the two other men standing guard in the shadows by the King. To anyone approaching the corridor it would appear to be empty, that the King's chambers are unguarded but as soon as they opened his door, we would step out and drag them to the pits below the castle where they would be tortured and killed.

"Gillian. Horick." I nodded at the two. Gillian was a middle aged man who never said a word and to this day, I doubt I had ever heard him speak. Horick was younger, only a couple years my senior and one of the few shadow knights who had a wife and children - two girls if I remembered correctly.

Gillian didn't acknowledge me as usual but Horick turned to smile at me. "Demetri." He nodded.

"Slow night?"

Horick shrugged. "Better than being at home."

"Your girls giving ya grief."

He rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress his smile. "My wife is angry at me for reasons I don't know why and my daughters are at that age where they copy everything their mother does including glaring at me."

I chuckled. "You need a son."

"Na, I'm happy with my girls."

I nodded and pushed against the glass wall, slipping out into the main hallway. I knocked lightly on the door waiting for John to open it.

Barely a few seconds later the door opened telling me he was waiting by it for my report and not sleeping as he should have been.

"Did u follow them?" He asked in haste. His stood against the door and just over his shoulder I could see Little Miss fast asleep in the middle of the bed.

"You should be sleeping. The guest arrive in the morning."

"That one," he gestured behind him at Little Miss. "Sleeps in the middle of the bed and gods forbid if you're in her way." He rolled his eyes and I had to suppress my smile just imagining her kicking him out of his own bed. "Now, did you follow them?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"They know."

"What?" He gave a blank expression. He truly thought he could keep her a secret much longer than a few hours.

"They know you bought a girl back with you and they know she is your mistress. They said you had the worst timing."

"Yes I know there's bloody women arrive tomorrow." He cursed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Have you thought about it?" I questioned. "You need to take a wife and one that offers u a worthwhile alliance."

"None of these girls do that." He waved his hand in the air, dismissing the idea.

"Isn't at least one of them a princess?"

"Yes, one, a cushion of a king of the smallest kingdom, with the smallest army that can't even defend its own city."

I thought about this for a moment. "They will cause more trouble than they're worth."

"Exactly. I'm not going to marry a girl for an alliance that will only make my life harder."

"So you're going to turn them away?"

"Unless one of them catches my attention."

"That will be hard since your attention is already captured." I nodded past him to where Miss slept.

"All the more reason to get them out of my house as soon as possible." He said as he turned to look just over his shoulder at her sleeping form, remaining silent for a time. "Have Nicolai follow her during the day."

I frowned. "Why do you think your uncle will try something?"

Jonathan shook his head no. "He knows the shadow knights are watching he wouldn't be so foolish as to do something out in the open like that and besides, he isn't a threat to her yet."

He rubbed his hand across his jaw as if thinking. "No, not my uncle, he won't touch her." I wasn't sure if he was saying it again to convince me or himself. "The other girls though."

"You think they'll touch her?" I was sure he could hear the worry seep into my voice.

"I wouldn't put it past some of them and I won't take the risk, leave her here and have Nicolai follow her and watch her closely."

I nodded accepting my command. "Nicolai showed her the shadows."

Jonathan sighed deeply and nodded. "Good. At least now she knows that there are always people watching and she needs to keep her mouth shut."

I nodded again. "Anything else?"

"Yes. I need you to run over Miss' story with her tomorrow. There can be no holes in that story."

"Of course." I bowed my head and went to walk away when I paused. "But, aren't you the least bit curious about her?"

I definitely was and if these last few years were anything to go by, I knew Jonathan was itching to find out.

"Not now Demetri," he shook his head. "I can't deal with this yet." He rubbed his hand over his face showing his exhaustion.

"Very well."

I took another step towards the hall when I heard him call over my shoulder.

"Oh and Demetri, get some sleep you looked more wrecked than I am."  

***

Not much today but I honestly didn't have much else to add.

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