It was a simple formality really, you’re neighboring kingdom’s most honored Nobel family had had their daughter fallen ill, well, literally fallen if you believed her incoherent muttering whenever no one else was around you two. But that was rare. Only when you asked the Knight accompanying you to fetch something far off so she would have time to actually speak.

That should’ve been the first sign that something was off here, but you didn’t heed it in time. And so now here you were pretending to be asleep in your bed whilst this ‘Knight’ stood guard right by the door. Inside.

Yes, he was keeping guard inside of your room, for what reason? He wouldn’t say. So all you could do was pretend to be fast asleep whilst you felt him dissecting you with his gaze.

’Richard’ he had introduced himself as. Brother to the Nobel who had fallen. You had seen enough trials in your own kingdom to notice when foul play was involved. So whilst you had all the time in the night—Richard wasn’t leaving and you couldn’t sleep with his presence—you thought about it.

No one else had been near when that girl told you about her fall, about how she was pushed and her muddled memory of who it was. So no one could clarify it.

Your train of thought didn’t last long as you heard the quiet clinking of armor moving nearby. Tracking the movement by sound, Richard was now on your side of the bed beside the window. Watching you or looking outside… it was indiscernible. You just knew he was nearby.

“You know, your highness, it is unkind to partake in gossip about another kingdom whilst visiting.”

His voice was as melodic as a sirens, reminding of a cacophony of screams of war seemingly brushed over with some smooth words.

“Especially about a mere accident. Please do acknowledge me, I know you’re not asleep.”

Richard hummed disturbingly calmly for literally watching you whilst you remained ‘asleep’.

“Very well.”

————

The next day came along and you were thouroughly exhausted and energized to talk to that girl. But first, you had to get rid of Richard. He couldn’t run back and fourth for pastries all day—even if he could, it was funny he was willing too, you couldn’t eat patties all day and didn’t exactly trust him around your food.

So you sent Richard off to the market, asking him to acquire very specific items that would take all day. And now you had time to speak with that girl.

She never once mentioned her own name but only whispered broken messages. ‘He’s not my brother’, ‘Richard is gone,’ ‘Don’t trust the knight’, and most disturbing, ‘He pushed me to keep me from leaving’.

However, just as she finished her sentence, the knight in question knocked on the door, pushing the heavy wood open. The Nobel-woman went quiet with a squeak of fear and you turned with a newfound disgust for Richard. The Knight pretended he didn’t notice.

In the time he had been around you, Richard had already begun to concoct plans to make sure you never found out and if you did—to make sure you were never found.

So that night, laying down with that stupid Knight still inside your room, you pretended to sleep fairly quickly. Listening for movement. It came faster this time, Richard wasn’t as quiet—there was a rush in the way he moved. Like he knew it was act now or never.

“Your highness I truly did not want us to know each other this way.”