A/N: I love writing this story :) It's so much fun :) Also, I'm sorry to anyone who likes Guinevere D: Anyway, enjoy the chapter! :D

Chapter 4 – A Trusted General

Listen closely, Diarmuid

If you are ever in danger,

Only kill the ones that need to be killed.

Do not kill for power.

Do not kill for authority.

Do not kill to make others fear you.

Only kill if you have to,

For most of the time you can get around taking another's life

The warriors walked up the table, trying to find the card that had their name on it. The table was enormous. It looked as if it could seat a whole village. On it, candles, silverware, and plate mats decorated it. The people, who looked to be from the royal council, looked at them with welcoming smiles as they walked towards their seats. "Your seats are right beside the king at the end of the table", one of the nobles told them. They nodded and made their way to the other end.

Diarmuid paused before sitting in his seat. By the last plate mat on the right side of the table was a small card that had Diarmuid Ua Duibhne written on it in a fancy font. He wondered if someone was fooling with him. Why was he seated beside the king? "Please, take a seat, Diarmuid. Don't worry. That is your seat", Jeanne reassured him from the other side of the table with a welcoming smile.

"But, why am I placed beside the king?" the raven-haired Irishman questioned. Jeanne suddenly giggled, as she took the seat that was placed beside the queen.

"Because, you're her new retainer, silly. You have to sit beside the king, so make sure you get used to it. You'll be doing it a lot in the future", the Frenchwoman giggled. Diarmuid nodded in response, as he sat down beside Cu, who was seated to the left of him. The man who Jeanne called Zoal soon sat down one seat away from Jeanne, leaving a seat open for someone else. It seemed that he had left to go elsewhere for a bit before arriving at the dining room.

"I see that you finally took your cloak off, Zoal", Jeanne stated, as she realized that his face was finally uncovered. Instead, a light brown beanie-hat was placed on his head instead of the hood he wore to cover his head earlier. The man had long, black, fluffy hair and demonic red eyes just as the general he had followed in the chosen warriors' waiting room earlier. "May I ask where Alo made her way to?"

Zoal looked at the blonde. "She told me that she was going out to take a walk through the woods for a bit. She will arrive here soon", he informed her.

"Um, may I ask a question, ma'am?" one of the other male warriors, the one called Weston, spoke up.

"Of course, ask away", the short female nodded.

"Thank you. My question is who exactly is Alodine? I know that she is a general, but what kind of authority does she have? She seems to have quite a bit", Weston said.

"Ah yes, Alo does have quite a bit of authority due to being one of, if not the, highest ranking general here. But as you heard in her and Gawain's little argument, she has restrictions due to not being born in Britain as do I. The only difference between our roles is that I'm mostly here to support King Arturia, while she is here to fight."

"She seems kind of...scary", the knight named Manning added. Jeanne started to giggle.

"I hear that quite a lot. She is very intimidating, but that's one of the reasons the former king, Uther, hired her. She is very good at leading others which is why she holds such a high position in the army. But, it seems for that same reason she is not trusted by some of the royal court and especially the queen. They do not think that her heart is in the right and that she could be a threat to the country which is another reason why she has her limits", the woman sitting across from them responded.

"Why can't they just demote her if they think her as a threat?" Weston questioned.

Jeanne sighed. "They cannot simply demote her, because King Uther personally selected her as general soon before he passed. About seven years ago when Alo arrived here, King Uther met with her privately to discuss some things or at least that's what I've heard; I wasn't here when she arrived, so I wouldn't exactly know all the details. But I do know that all the army knows is that Alo escaped from the Katantan army with Zoal and her student, Felicity, which is a nearly impossible task and was chosen as a general. Other than that, we have no idea about Alo's past or what else happened during that meeting. The only one who knows what happened other than Alo is Zoal here who is not allowed to say anything."

The newest warriors looked at each other confused. But it seemed that their elder kin and mentors were not confused at all but had more of a surprised look on their face. One of the visitors beside Weston opened their mouth to speak but was interrupted by the arriving of the king. The blonde woman sat down on the chair beside Diarmuid that was at the very end of the table, as a brunette sat beside her on the other chair located at the end. The young king soon welcomed everybody to the feast, as appetizers were sat on the table for all of the guests to snack on. After the welcoming was over, Arturia soon turned to Jeanne. "Where is Alo?"

"She is on a walk. She will arrive soon."

"Wonderful, I wouldn't want her missing the feast", the king replied with a small smile.

"Do not stress yourself over a dog such as Alo. There is no need for it", the queen told the king. Arturia shot her eyes towards the other woman, looking rather angry and frustrated. "What is it, dear Arturia? I am only speaking the truth. You know that that Katantan can't be trusted", she stated, a rude snarl as she spoke "Katantan".

"Alodine is one my most loyal and reliable generals that I command. If you think that she cannot be trusted than all I can do is disagree with you. And, what exactly is it that makes you not trust Alodine, Guinevere?" the young royal questioned, a harsh tone present in her voice. The queen, Guinevere as Arturia had called her a moment ago, looked up at the king with a fierce glare. She then smiled, an odd smile with hidden emotions underneath.

"Now darling, you know that Alodine betrayed, abandoned, and escaped from Katanta when knowing all too well that if she did such a thing that the whole kingdom would crumble", Guinevere stated, a mocking sort of tone within the voice.

"You do not know that, Guinevere. None of us know anything about her past, and you don't-"

"But what if that is the truth, my dear? Then what? What if she does the same thing here?"

"I will not speak about this with you any longer, especially not here. We are here to enjoy a feast with all the brave knights who came to fight in the battle today, and that is what I plan to do. If you continue to disobey my rules, then I will have to ask you to leave. It matters not if you are queen. If you disobey me, you will have to leave just as any other person would", Arturia told Guinevere, who scoffed and turned to the appetizers, grabbing a piece of fruit from a fruit bowl. King Arturia then turned to the knights and their companions. "I am very sorry for that. It will not happen again."

The knights nodded to her, as they began to dig into all of the hors d'oeuvres that were set out. As Diarmuid brought some of the small servings to his plate, he heard Arturia start to speak to him. "Ah yes, I forgot to tell you that you did not fail in what I told you to do earlier, Diarmuid. You certainly did not disappoint me. In fact, you impressed me quite a bit, while you were fighting in the arena."

The raven-haired Irishman nodded in thanks. "Thank you, Your Highness. I am glad that I did not let you down", he replied with a small bow of the head. The King of Britain nodded to him.

"Of course", she responded, as she started to grab some of the appetizers as well. She suddenly turned to Cu, who was listening in on Ottoman's and Zeon's conversation about what would be the best weapon to use in a desert. "Were you the one who trained him, Sir Cu?" she asked politely. The blue-haired male nodded his head after turning to her.

"Yes, I've been training him since he was eleven (although I was only teaching him to protect and not be a warrior)", Cu informed her. Arturia smiled.

"Well no wonder why he is such a good fighter and protector. Being trained by such a renowned warrior such as yourself really comes in handy. I know when I was trained, I definitely had a very experienced warrior train me as well." Queen Guinevere turned to King Arturia, red with hatred, anger, and frustration. Arturia turned to her. "Is there something else you would like to say about Alodine, because I really don't think you would like to continue the matter that we discussed earlier unless you would like to make your way out of the exit." Guinevere turned back to her food, quick and frustrated.

Suddenly, one of the knights, a knight of General Lancelot's, asked if he could speak with her privately, to which she nodded and stood up with a small "if you'll excuse me". Arturia watched her, as she left to go into another room. Jeanne soon spoke up. "What was that about?" she asked worriedly.

"I have no idea", the other woman responded, as she turned back to her plate. Everything was quiet for a second before the door to the dining hall opened. "Ah, that must be Alo", the one at the end of the table stated but soon realized that the dining hall was still quiet. "Jeanne, what's wrong? What's happened?" she asked her best friend, who was looking at whoever was walking toward the king, just as everybody else was doing.

Many pairs of eyes followed the one who walked down the table. The clack of her boots was the only sound that erupted, for everyone stayed quiet as they watched. Finally, the woman entered Arturia's field of vision. She had been right about who it was – Alodine. But her appearance worried the king.

Alo finally stopped, looking at the king. Arturia could only stare at the general. The red-eyed female was covered from head to toe in blood. It stained her clothes and covered her armor. There was blood dripping from her strawberry-blonde hair, and her boots left footprints on the marble floor below her. She did not look injured, so the red liquid must have come from someone else. "Alo, what-what happened?" King Arturia questioned. Alo spit some blood that had made its way inside of her mouth on the floor.

"A band of probably seventy assassins came and attacked me. Of course, they didn't realize that they didn't stand a chance against me, so I easily defeated them", she explained, her demonic eyes seemed to be glowing red with anger. Suddenly, Guinevere walked into the room, gasping.

"Alodine, how dare you come in here looking like that?! I knew it! I knew she couldn't be trusted!" the queen exclaimed. "Somebody, take her to the-" she was cut off, before she could finish the sentence.

"There is no need, Guinevere. General Alo was attacked by a band of assassins, which is rather odd considering assassins only kill when they are hired. Could it be that someone wants you dead?" Arturia faced Alo.

"Most likely, the rebellion has only been growing, and speaking that I am one of your most trusted generals the rebels most likely thought that it would be most effective to be rid of me first", the general replied.

"Not surprising, and speaking that you're also Katantan does not help the situation. But, who is it that knew that you were one of the 'most trusted' generals of Arturia, Alodine? You are kept a secret for a reason", Guinevere said. Alo turned to the queen, an angry and frustrated look on her face.

"Yes, who would know about me? Who would want me dead? Who would take cowardly tactics such as hiring a band of assassins to kill me? The rebels of course. But of course, there's one thing that's still missing. Who is leading the rebellion? There must always be a leader to lead. And they most likely have a great authority that is higher than most, so with those facts I could just bet on there probably being a rebel in this room at this very moment. But, who exactly is it? Could it be that you know anything, 'Queen' Guinevere?" Red eyes looked into Guinevere's, who simply looked at Alo with hatred in her eyes.

"May I ask what exactly it is that you are implying, low-life?" There was an obvious hatred that the queen held in her voice. Alodine abruptly took something out of her pocket, a badge of some sort. Arturia's eyes widened, as she caught a glimpse of it.

"As an army, we, of course, always have a band of assassins handy just in case we have to stoop to dirty tricks such as curses, black magic, and of course using trained murderers who sneak about the shadows. Every general has their own band of assassins that they prefer to go to when using such tricks. And to show the pledge that they made, that band of assassins or mercenaries in some cases are given a badge with the specific general's seal. Each assassin from the group is given a badge that magically sews itself onto their clothing. Once they die or the contract is broken, the magic no longer works thus the badge falls off of their clothing." Guinevere knew exactly where the general was going with her argument.

"So, you are saying that Lancelot commanded his trusted group to go out and murder you? Is that what you are saying, dog?" she asked, offended. The general clad in a dusty-purple nodded her head.

"After a contract is made, the band can only be commanded by that one general. They are not allowed to take commands from any other. And this is magically written in a contract. Those who disobey will soon die a terrible death", Alo explained.

"Which is exactly what happened, Alo."

"But, the badge also becomes rusted. And if you did not notice, the badge is not even close to rusting. Do you think me as ignorant, Your Majesty?" Guinevere opened her mouth to speak but was soon interrupted by the King.

"That is enough. We will look into this event some other time. Right now, we are here to feast and celebrate the brave knights. Alo, why don't you go wash yourself up and get some rest, for you must be tired after defeating those assassins. I will have a servant bring you some food later." Alodine looked towards King Arturia, who looked down at the table obviously distressed. The female warrior, not wanting to cause the king any more distress, nodded and made her way out of the dining hall. Arturia looked toward Guinevere, "I would like you to make your way out as well, Guinevere. I have heard enough. I will have a servant bring you food as well."

"But, dear Arturia!" she exclaimed. "I-I apologize for my behavior, but Alodine has way too much authority here. And also, she should not have be allowed to back-talk to me! She is a mere general, who has no authority above me, who is queen!"

"I am well aware that what Alodine did was disrespectful, but she did have a point. As I said, I will look into this. I will take care of the problem, Guinevere. Now if you would, please make your way out of the dining hall", commanded Arturia, who simply sat in the King's seat. Guinevere was about to speak but decided against it and made her way out of the place of dining. As if it was planned, the food arrived right after the door had closed. "Ah well, the food is finally here. Shall we get eating? Ah yes, but first I would like to propose a toast!" the green-eyed woman announced, as she stood from her seat. "To all of the brave knights who participated today, the new warriors, and my new retainer!"

Everybody cheered and bumped their glasses, filled to the brim with ale. Many "cheers" were said before the guests soon started to dig into the food. Diarmuid looked over at his brother, who seemed to be troubled by something. "Is there something wrong, Brother?" he asked the elder man. Cu shook his head, getting himself out of his daze.

"No, it was nothing", Cu responded, as he started to grab some food. "I was just thinking about what General Alodine was saying about the rebellions and about that badge she threw", he informed his younger brother. Diarmuid looked at him in confusion.

"Oh, have you heard of those types of magical contracts?"

"I have. Although our army doesn't really have a true general, since the king does most of the commanding, I've definitely heard of other countries and their generals using those methods. It is definitely not unusual or rare. It's actually quite common. Even some lords will hire their own band of assassins or mercenaries to do what they want them to. And if what she all said was true, then there is indeed a rebel or two here in the castle, ready to go against the king", Cu stated, which was unfortunately heard by Arturia.

"What was that? Were you speaking to me?" she asked the blue-haired male.

"Oh no, I was just saying that if Alodine was right about all that she said then there must be a rebel located somewhere in the army or at least near the castle", he replied.

"Ah, I see. Yes, you are quite right on that statement, but unfortunately I cannot just arrest people otherwise Guinevere would have sentenced Alodine to death for killing innocents even if her story was true. I can do nothing until actual proof is given that the deeds that they allegedly did truly happened."

"Yes, I understand. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. My country holds that same logic", Diarmuid's kin said. King Arturia nodded.

"That also reminds me. Due to more and more rebellions taking place lately, I was going to offer you and any other warrior who came here today to stay here and help me, so long as there is either an alliance or a peace treaty between our two countries."

"Oh, is that right? Well, I'm sure that my king would allow me to stay to help. I would just need you to send him a letter with your Royal Seal stamped on it."

"Oh, let me in on that as well. I would love to stay here to watch my little bro get even stronger everyday too", Zeon spoke from a few seats away. It seemed that all of the other warriors shook their heads to the idea. Arturia nodded.

"Well then, I will send a letter to King Fionn as well as Queen Likenia tonight then. Thank you two for your aid", the king thanked the two.

"Of course", the two warriors said in unison. The feast went on smoothly, and all of the visitors from the other countries enjoyed the delicious food that was set out on the table. It was the best food that they had ever tasted, for they were not used to such divine cuisines. After dessert was done, King Arturia stood up from her seat one last time. "With the feast done, I now thank anyone who came here today and all of the knights who participated in the battle today. You are dismissed. All knights who were selected as well as Zeon and Cu, please follow Gawain. Diarmuid, I would like you to follow me, please", she stated, as she turned to him.

King Arturia and her new retainer walked through the halls of the castle alone, for nobody else seemed to be lurking around. The two walked silently, neither of them had spoken so far. Finally, Arturia was the one to break the silence. "You know, Diarmuid, before the fight started, Alodine and I agreed that you seemed more of a retainer than a normal warrior, and it turns out that we were correct in thinking that." Diarmuid turned to her with a smile, looking down into her emerald eyes. What beautiful eyes, he thought to himself.

"Yes, Alodine told me when she came into the room where all of the chosen knights were waiting. Which reminds me, does she not get along with people very well? The two times that I have actually heard her speak a full sentence also contained some kind of argument", Diarmuid said. The petite female sighed.

"No, she is more emotionless and hard to anger most of the time, but currently she has been acting up due to the fact that the rebellions keep on happening. And, tonight did not help her one bit either. You see, she doesn't exactly trust Guinevere, nor do I, for many reasons." The tall Irishman looked at the woman, a worried expression on his face.

"You mean, you do not trust the queen? Why is that?"

"You will be made very clear as to why half my generals don't trust her while the other half don't trust me, but for now I will sum it up. Basically, the Royal Court decided that the kingdom was in need of a queen, which was sort of a problem for obvious reasons, so they decided that once my younger brother, Arthur, was mature enough she would be wed to him and have his child. Although both Arthur and Guinevere were against the idea, there were too many who agreed with the option. The only thing Guinevere agreed with was the fact that she would become queen. Well, rebellions soon started after her coronation, and rumors spread saying that she was having a love affair with one of my generals, Sir Lancelot, which was not at all surprising and is also very true. However, as of now we cannot do anything. I cannot accuse her of such an affair, while Alodine and Jeanne have restrictions on their authority that was placed on them by Guinevere's request. The only one who can do something is Gawain, because he has an authority that is above Lancelot's. But, he refuses to believe such rumors", Arturia explained.

"Ah, so that's what General Alodine and Sir Gawain were arguing about earlier. But, what exactly do they have to do with the rebellion?" asked the amber-eyed man, as they continued to walk to wherever they were heading.

"Alodine, Jeanne, Arthur, as well as a few others, and I all believe that it is most likely Guinevere and Lancelot leading the rebellions. The seal on the badge that Alodine threw on the ground belonged to Lancelot, so it was quite a bit more proof that the two are up to everything that's been going on in the Capitol as well as some of the other big cities. Your brother most likely knew what exactly that seal on the badge meant, since he's been a warrior for some time. But as I said, nobody knows, if it truly was Lancelot. It could have also been one of his soldiers, if he said that his soldiers could also command the assassins in the contract. But as I said, nobody knows besides the assassins and Lancelot. So, I can do nothing but watch from the sidelines", the king continued to explain.

"I see. That makes perfect sense. Thank you for explaining that to me, milady", Diarmuid replied with a nod of his head. A giggle could soon be heard from the woman walking beside him. "Is something amusing?"

"No, no, Diarmuid, I was just giggling, because there is no real reason for you to call me "Your Highness" or "milady". Please, call me Arturia. You are my retainer, and I don't want my retainer to be too formal with me. You are going to be at my side for most of your time here, so I would like you to call me by my first name like Alo and Jeanne do", she told him with a small smile. He smiled back at her.

"Alright, if that is what you wish, mi- I mean Arturia", Diarmuid fixed himself, causing Arturia to chuckle. Man, her laugh is quite cute.

They soon turned left, arriving at a hallway with many sets of double doors. The two walked a bit further and then took yet another left into a wide hallway that was located in the middle of the hall, continuing to walk. They soon arrived in a large room with four sets of large double doors on each side of the room with the largest set of doors located at the wall they faced. "Follow me", Arturia commanded, as she continued to walk a bit further. She soon stopped at the farthest door on the left wall, the one closest to the largest doors on the end. "This will be your room, since you are my personal retainer."

Diarmuid looked at it with surprise and amazement. He did not expect to have such a luxurious room. "Are...are you sure that this room is mine?" he questioned her. She laughed once more and nodded.

"Yes, this is your room, Diarmuid", Arturia told him again. "This room will belong to you until death. Please use it as you see fit." He nodded to her.

"Thank you, milady", the Irishman stated.

"Like I said, I would much rather you call me Arturia."

"Oh, right, my apologies", he replied with a small bow.

"It is quite alright. Well, I better get going to bed. Goodnight, Diarmuid", Arturia told him before giving him a parting smile and walking to her own room. She opened the left hand door to enter, but soon stopped upon hearing Diarmuid's voice.

"Mi- Arturia", he called with a soothing voice that she could just happily fall asleep listening to. She looked at him. "If you are ever distressed about anything such as what you told me, please do not hesitate to come to me for comfort. I would very much enjoy being the one to help comfort you. In fact, it would do me great honor if you ever chose to come to me", he informed her with a genuine smile. The king looked at her knight for a moment before her lips curved into a crescent, its tips facing upward.

"Thank you, Diarmuid. You truly will make a great retainer", she responded happily.

"Thank you. I am glad that you think so", he bowed. Arturia made her way to the entrance of her room, stopping right before entering and looking towards the new warrior. "Goodnight. Sleep well, my knight."

"And you as well, my king", he replied with one more bow before entering his own room.

A/N: Hey, guys! Hope you enjoyed chapter 4! :D As always, have a WONDERFUL Day! :D