Chapter IV

Alec arrived at the castle as an enemy, a prisoner unfortunate to have broken the law and disrespected his king. Now, he was a strong young man who has won the battle against the best soldier in the kingdom and a man who was still disrespecting his king no matter what. He stood in the middle of the arena as the crowd cheered for him. The guard's body was pulled and left trails of crimson red liquid on the sandy ground.

Alec did not take off his eyes from the king. Not only because of his resemblance with Keith but also because he wanted to show him that he was wrong. The Mad King believed his guard would end Alec's life, and the opposite happened.

The king soon left the arena. He did not dare look at the young man again as he was still surprised he won the battle. He was convinced of his guard's strength, that Alec would be the one to fall on the sand.

Alec watched him leave cowardly with a smirk. He was still dizzy, and his heart threatened to rip right out from his chest, but he was relieved to be alive and free— possibly.

Carl and Joshua grabbed his arm, and he winced because of the wound he has forgotten.

"Where are you taking me again?" he asked, knowing he would not receive an answer from them.

Alec thought they were heading to the dungeon, but the young guards guided him in a different direction this time. They walked through the courtyard he was going to lose his head at and climbed the stairs that lead to the palace.

Blinding darkness welcomed the prisoner inside, and a deafening silence brushed his ears. It was so quiet inside that he could hear his every step along with the guards'. The interior of the palace was as cold and frightening as its owner. Dusty paintings and furniture dating from a century were all that appeared in Alec's field of vision.

They entered a large space in the centre, with walls ornated with flowers and different plants. There were young women everywhere sitting on the stairs, walking, and some are even singing. Alec guessed they must in the queen's quarters.

The ladies stopped whatever they were doing to take a look at the newcomer. They tried to approach him, but the guards gently pushed them away from him.

Alec was maybe dizzy and exhausted, but he could not miss all the beautiful creatures surrounding him at this moment. He has never seen so many women in his life, and it was driving him insane.

"Are they court ladies?" he whispered to Carl. "Can you introduce me to one? Or two?"

Carl rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on Alec's wounded arm, making him wince with pain.

"Bad guard." pouted the young prisoner.

They entered a chamber with the same decorations around the walls. Alec sighed because of the softness of the feathery carpet he was walking on and the beautiful rosy fragrance reigning around the large space.

"I was expecting you." a feminine but rough voice surged from the back of the room. The guards stopped walking and bowed to the lady whose hair was tied in a perfect bun and whose eyes were as dark as the night. "You can wait outside," she ordered the guards.

Alec widened his eyes when he saw the two young men leaving him alone with the lady. Carl and Joshua may have hurt him, but this woman did not inspire confidence.

Her presence inside the room was glacial and authoritative. Standing before her silently for a few seconds was more suffocating and painful than a battle against the king's strongest guard.

"Take off your clothes," she ordered, startling him.

"Excuse me?" Alec frowned. "Why would I do such a thing? You look like a respectful lady. You should not—"

The court lady clapped her hands strongly, interrupting his words. "I do not like to repeat myself, gentleman. Take off your clothes. I do not have all the time of the day."

Alec gulped and did as told. He took off his torn clothes nervously as he looked down, not daring to share eye contact with the lady.

The woman hummed and walked around the young man, eyeing him from head to toe as he shyly covered his intimate zones as much as he could with his tiny hands.

"What are you doing?" he cleared his throat. "That's uncomfortable."

"Do you not take pleasure of a lady admiring your body?" she scoffed. "What a shame."

Alec looked at her in disgust. "I certainly do not. Unless I am the one sharing my beauty."

The lady hummed again and started walking toward a large wooden door, "Follow me!" she ordered.

The prisoner hesitated for a moment before he started walking behind her. He had no idea what was going on, but one thing he was certain about— she was not to be trusted.

Once he passed through the door, the iciness got replaced by a relaxing warmth and soon the tension has been released from his body. He was not expecting a large bathtub filled with water and roses.

"Get in. You need to get cleaned up." said the lady.

"Why?" Alec raised an eyebrow. "Just a moment ago, the king wanted me dead. What's the sudden change?"

"You caught our king's eye." replied the court lady. "You are to be his new personal guard."

⚔

Alec wore a Prussian blue tunic embroidered with golden dots and ornated with bronze buttons. A brown leather belt was around his waist as well as his forearms which are protected with teal blue leather vambraces. His jet black hair was pulled back, uncovering his forehead.

The King's Guard followed Carl and Joshua outside the queen's quarters to head to the other side of the palace where resided the king.

Unlike what he had seen earlier, the king's chambers were lonely as his heart and dark as his soul. A court lady was just leaving with a silver tray with an empty plate and porcelain cup.

"Your Majesty." Carl and Joshua bowed and slightly pushed Alec to the front. "We have brought him and will be leaving now."

Alec watched them leave the chambers and ran his fingers nervously in his hair.

The Mad King stood up and walked slowly toward the guard. Alec looked different. He had nothing to do with the beggar that showed up in front of him in the village. He looked better in his blue uniform than the torn and dirty fabric he was wearing before. Even his face looked brighter and smoother after he had a bath.

"What is going on?" asked Alec. "I killed him. I won the battle. Am I not supposed to be free now?"

"And you are," replied the king calmly. "I forgive you for disrespecting me."

Alec scoffed, "Then why am I still here?"

The king sighed and approached, "You did not think I would let you leave the palace when you have seen my face, did you?"

Alec gulped and looked right into his feline eyes, "Many people must have seen the king's face, so I don't know why it is a problem now."

"Because they are dead." the king sneered as the answer was obvious to him. "No one has the right to see my face but the people who work for me. The rest are prisoners who only have the privilege to see me before they die."

"Then why didn't you kill me?" Alec raised an eyebrow. He was still staring at the king, still daring to look at him without lowering his head. "A battle against your guard was the best thing you could do?"

The king frowned and pulled his collar furiously. "You do not talk to me this way, Alec."

The young man froze as it was the first time he would hear him say his name. Their faces were so close that he could smell the wine he just drank.

"I don't want to stay here," adds Alec with a quieter voice. "I have a family to feed. I can't leave them alone."

"If you are so worried about your family, you better stay here, or you won't hear about them anymore." muttered the king as he pierced Alec's brown eyes with his dark stare.

"You are to be my guard, my right hand," he added as he walked further from the young man. "If you want your sister Carolyn and your brother Jared to stay alive."