A/N: Thank you to elyador for being my beta for this chapter. If you are a member of my facebook group you are welcome to help beta this story as well… so far we're NOT running out of chapters… ;) The downside, of course, is that you have to wait two weeks for a new chapter after having edited one… the perk? Well, maybe the chapter before YOURS will have a cliffhanger? Who knows? ;)

If you want to join the group, give me your facebook name and I'll give you the link.


By Royal Command

Chapter 9: You Can Take a Horse To Water But You Can't Make It Drink

Robin hurried through some paperwork after lunch and then told Alfred that he intended to go riding. The valet just nodded so there probably wasn't anything more important the young man needed to do that day.

As they passed the stables Robin made a little sound and Slade, following his line of vision, chuckled as he saw that Slayer was working again. The prince looked away quite quickly this time, although he seemed to be sneaking peeks.

The stablehands warned the prince from taking Dax out today as he was all but impossible to handle, smelling the mare in heat, so Robin decided to take his old mare Summer out instead.

"Summer, Fog, Rain… do I sense a theme with your horse's names, Master?" Slade asked as he saddled Fog for himself.

"Well, I always liked to name them after weather or seasons. Dax was named when I bought him, though, and I thought it suited him. I think I'll name the foal 'Storm'."

"So sure it will be a colt?" the slave asked.

"'Storm' works for a filly too," Robin shrugged. "I'm sure that it will be impressive enough so the name will suit it perfectly," he added with a grin.

They rode at a much slower pace this time, taking their time. The man pointed out some stumps of dead trees and shrubs to the prince.

"If you want to do some sword training on horseback, I could prepare simple dummies and bind them to those trunks," he said. "All I need is some old sacs and a bit of straw."

"What, you won't let me target you?" the prince grinned.

"Well, yes, you will need to learn how to parry a pitch-fork, but I'd rather you chop a tree to pieces than me, if you don't mind, Master," the man chuckled.

"Seems fair, I do want you around, after all," Robin smiled back. "You have your uses."

After they came back after the relaxing ride and had handed the horses over to the stable boys, Alfred came to meet them.

"Your Highness, may I have a word?" he said, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Yes, Alfred?" Robin said as he attached Slade's lead.

"I have noticed that you have been a bit… strained, lately, and now, while there is still time before your birthday, I thought I'd suggest that you take some time off. Go to the hunting lodge, perhaps, for a week?"

"That sounds amazing, how soon can we leave?" Robin asked, looking excited.

"Tomorrow, if you wish, My Lord," the old man told him. "I'm afraid I'm not going, however; someone has to stay here and keep an eye on the preparations, but I'll arrange for servants to come to make you comfortable. And … maybe you should invite the young lords?"

"I knew there was a downside to this…" Robin muttered. "Yes, I guess I have to, but could we hold them off? Tell them that the house is being prepared and that it will take a few days, so they won't be there the whole time?"

"Certainly, Sir, but no more than two days or so," the old man smiled, his eyes twinkling.

"That's fine," the prince beamed, but then his smile slipped a little. "Wait…that look… you heard about the girl, didn't you? That is why you suddenly think I deserve some time off?"

"I'm afraid so, My Lord."

"How fast does gossip travel in this place?" the prince sighed resignedly.

"I don't wish to get anyone in trouble, Sir, but the ambassador's valet and I are old friends."

"I see. Well, better you heard it close to the source than from the kitchen," the young man nodded. "But if he gossiped, so can you; how do you view the family? Are they respectable?"

"Very much so, Sir. Personally I feel that any one of the young ladies would be a good choice."

"I'm glad to hear it. I want this matter settled as fast as possible, but I do want to meet the lady first, of course. I won't make a decision before then."

"Of course not, Sir. But I do have to say that you being out of the castle when the rumor truly begins to spread might be a blessing."

"True," Robin chuckled. "You will see to the arrangements?"

"Yes, My Lord. Now, about who will act as your personal valet-"

"Slade will. He knows the basics at least," the prince decided quickly.

"As you wish, sir, I'll only send room servants and kitchen staff with you, then."

"That's fine. And can you pack my chess set? Good. Actually… I have an errand of sorts to the Captain of the Guards, so I will arrange the security issue with him. One less thing for you to do. I'll make sure he'll report to you."

"Very well, Sir," Alfred bowed and excused himself.

Slade knew an opportunity when he heard one. If he, somehow, could make the prince leave without him that would give him plenty of time to make all the arrangements he needed… and he knew just the way.

"Master, may I have a word?"

"Yes?" Robin stopped and looked expectantly up at him.

Slade made a show of looking around before he spoke. "Master, this might be the perfect opportunity for me to find out the last clues to your identity. If you leave me behind, you could say it's a further punishment, perhaps, then I'll have plenty of time to befriend those guards and find out what they know."

The prince gave him a grin and, to the man's relief, nodded. Then, however, he began to speak. "I thought the same thing and that's why we are going to see the captain now, because of course you're coming with me!"

The man stopped himself from muttering under his breath as he followed the boy in search of the head of the guards. Wasting a whole week somewhere else when he hadn't finished plotting out the best routes into, and out of, the castle… all he could hope for was that the boy would compensate him somehow… but not even the thoughts of how could really make up for his spoiled plans.

"Captain Sinclair!" Robin eventually called out when he spotted the man.

Great, he could have mentioned that one of them is the bloody captain now… Slade thought sullenly to himself. He just wasn't in a good mood.

"Your Highness!" the graying man bowed deeply.

"It's good to see you, Captain," the prince smiled. Slade noticed that it wasn't his real, open, smile though; this was his 'official' one. "May I have a word?"

"Certainly, My Lord," the captain nodded. "How can I be of service?"

"Well, as you know my birthday is coming up, and things have been a bit… busy. I'm sure you will have your hands full too, soon, when the soldiers who are going to act as guards arrive?"

"Yes, training them will be a chore, and they are due in less than three weeks now," the man nodded.

"I'm confident you will handle it perfectly, you've never let my father or me down," the prince said seriously. "And soon there might be an addition to our family. Even though it's far from official yet, I feel I can tell you, in confidence, that I might soon be engaged."

"Congratulations, My Lord! That surely is great news!" Sinclair smiled and looked like he meant it.

"Thank you. But now to my errand… you see, turning eighteen, getting married… all the festivities and duties… sometimes a man just needs to get away, you know?"

"He sure does, My Lord," the man nodded, clearly not quite sure what the prince wanted.

"Well, I'm planning a sudden little getaway. A trip to the hunting lodge for a week. We're leaving tomorrow, and I know this is a big favor to ask but…" Robin looked down at the ground for a moment, like he really was embarrassed to ask. Slade studied the prince and knew it was an act. A good one. He found himself impressed with the boy once more, to the point where he all but forgot his irritation. Robin raised his eyes again, and now he was looking somewhat vulnerable. "Captain Sinclair, you and the boys… Bailey… Conrad… McCormack, you've been there all my life. Now when I'm about to become an adult… would you do me the honors of escorting me on this trip? I'm fully aware that you have a lot of others duties, Captain, and I'm not asking you to spend the whole week, but maybe for the trip there?"

"It would be my honor. I, as you said, might not be able to stay the full week, I would have to ask the King, but the others certainly can."

"Thank you. It means a lot to me. And I promise that I won't ask any more favors until I ask you to be the honor guard at my wedding."

This got another deep bow and mumbled thanks, and, after asking the man to make the plans with Alfred, the prince bid farewell and left.

"Very impressive, Master," Slade said.

"Thank you. See? Now we'll be all but alone with them for days. Do what you have to; get them drunk or whatever, but find out. I want to know before my birthday."

"Yes, Master, I'll certainly try my best," the man promised. He didn't think 'do what you have to' meant the same thing in his world as the prince's, however, so he better play nice.

The prince seemed reluctant to let Slade out of his sight but in the end sent him to the kitchen to have dinner because he had been invited to eat with his friends. Robin excused himself early from that group, though, and headed back to his rooms to read. Slade was already back when he got there, which made the young man feel better.

"Your servants have been here and packed frantically, Master. I think we are set to leave tomorrow morning."

"That is good to hear," the prince smiled. "Now, I need to clean up a bit... how is your back?"

"Almost as good as new," Slade said. His clothes had chafed against his skin all day, but that kind of pain was manageable.

"Well, good," the young man all but leered. "Then you can help me…"

Slade made sure to really tire out the boy, and by midnight the prince had been sleeping soundly for hours. The man, who had pretended to go to sleep as well, dressed quietly and left the rooms for his meeting with Wintergreen.

One thing that he had noticed was that the prince didn't have any guards right outside his door; instead they were placed at the beginning of the long corridor leading to this part of the castle. Slade didn't think being seen would really be any problem but, of course, if word came back to the prince, his trust in the man might shatter once more. Slade, therefore, took another route. The outside one. The building's stonework were made for climbing, and the man had grown up in the mountains where a simple stroll might mean having to traverse a sheer cliff face. He landed quietly in the shadows, and, laughable easily, made his way to the stables.

Everything was dark and quiet here as he pushed the bar keeping the door locked to the side.

"My Lord," Wintergreen greeted him. "Nice place you made me wait at," he muttered, gesturing at the piles of manure.

"A very convenient place, I'll say. If someone should happen to forget to lock the door…"

"So is this where we'll get in?"

"It's a possibility, at least. I'm still working on that. One thing, though… I would like you to be the one to deliver the declaration."

"Fuck you." The other man's voice was so even and so resolute that Slade couldn't help but burst out in a short laugh.

"Should I take that as a no?"

"Hell yes, you should. The messenger with the declaration is immune, no matter what happens, and he's not allowed to fight."

"Exactly." The declaration was something that had to be officially presented for an invasion of this kind to be legal, and was a version of a declaration of war. It consisted of documents and a spoken statement and the messenger had to be taken to the monarch, or someone of similar rank, immediately to deliver his message. The attack itself could only come after that, but that didn't mean they couldn't already be in place.

"I know that you're trying to protect me, but that's an insult. Rowan hurt his hand in the smithy, he's going to do it."

"Fine. Did he lose any fingers?"

"No, he'll be fine, but it will take a few weeks at least… and we'll be doing this before then, won't we?"

"Yes. The prince has a birthday in little less than two months. The extra guards will arrive in three weeks, and guests as well. The castle will be crowded. We'll have to do it before then."

"Good to know, I'll tell the men, they are getting a bit restless. But… speaking about healing…?"

"You already know, don't you?" Slade growled.

"So it's true? You got whipped, Sir?"

"Yes."

"For what?"

"Just some harmless flirting…"

"Well, isn't that what you are here for, My Lord?" Wintergreen ginned.

"With a kitchen maid."

"Idiot."

"What happened to 'My Lord'?" Slade smirked.

"You get a title when you deserve it," the older man snorted, and yes, that's how it usually was. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, pretty much. He did it because he wanted to keep me."

"Awww!"

"Please don't," Slade grumbled. "To make things worse we are leaving tomorrow."

"What? Where?"

"A hunting lodge, and I don't even know where it is. I would order you to get one of the men to follow us, but I don't really think it's necessary. We'll be gone a whole week, though, and unfortunately I couldn't get the prince to leave me behind."

"Of course not. He'd miss snuggling up to his pet at night," the wizened warrior smirked.

Slade just muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?" Wintergreen asked innocently.

Slade sighed. He knew the man would get it out of him eventually, even if it was years from now when they were drunk… and it would be as bad then as now.

"I'm not allowed to sleep in his bed…" he therefore muttered a bit louder.

When his friend had stopped laughing, he straightened up.

"Well −heh− I guess you're really looking forward to slitting his throat, then?" he asked. Slade didn't think he gave anything away, but Wintergreen's eyes narrowed, and then he sighed. "You're not, are you? You're actually warming up to him? Besides his perfect ass, that is?"

"The prince… has his moments. But don't worry, my eye is on the prize. I might have wanted to do it slowly in the beginning, though, and the only thing that has changed is that I'm now thinking that he should have a quick death. As painless as possible."

"You really do like him then," Wintergreen said dryly. "But good, because to pull out now… it would not look good. Your men might even revolt."

"And you?"

"I'll stand by you, of course. But you'll never hear the end of it. And no, you can't bring the prince home."

"Hmmm… he would make a lovely consolation prize…" the man smirked.

"Gotham is worth more, though."

"Of course. I'm not that selfish," Slade snorted. "But a man can dream of having the cake and eating it too, can't he?"

"Of course, as long as he takes over kingdoms as he does," Wintergreen grinned. "And speaking about handling kingdoms, we've had word from Grant and Joseph, everything is fine. Some highway men have stirred up a bit of trouble, but it's under control now."

"That's my boys," Slade grinned proudly. "Send them word back that it won't be too long now… unless the messenger already left?"

"No she's waiting until I could speak to you, so I'm guessing she's leaving tomorrow."

"Good, give her a fresh horse if needed, and some gold for inspiration. I want word to travel as quickly as possible, after all. In fact, add a message for Grant to arrange for two messengers to be deposited in even intervals along the whole route back; that way they can take over messages from each other and we'll have rested riders and horses the whole way. That will have news travel to Blüdhaven in less than half the time. He knows how to do it, as we planned for it… I see no reason why we shouldn't put it in use now than after the invasion, though…"

"Will do, Sir," the man bowed.

They bid farewell not long afterwards, and Slade took the same route back. The prince kept sleeping soundly as the man undressed and slipped into his narrow bed once more, closing his eye to rest before the long ride in the morning.


When the prince was woken up very early the next day Robin wanted to send his valet away. He was tired, and a bit sore and stiff after the sword training as well, so he was very reluctant to awaken until he remembered why he had been disturbed; the trip! He stretched and yawned with a smile, meeting the eye of his slave. The prince's smile widened for a moment before he looked away and blushed a little. The man had really outdone himself last night. Twice! Robin hadn't known it could happen more than once. He wouldn't be so quick to send the man from his bed from now on, that was for sure.

"Two servants have already left, My Lord," Alfred informed him as the man helped him to get dressed. "They will arrive in time to air the place out a little, inform the gamekeeper of your arrival and have a meal ready for you when you get there. I have to prepare you, though; as the lodge has been unused since early this winter, it will take quite a bit of work to get comfortable…"

"I promise I'll be patient. Are the other servants departing with us?"

"Yes, but as they will be having a wagon with supplies, they will most likely fall behind and arrive later. Because you do plan on going on horseback, aren't you?"

"Of course! Coaches are for invalids," Robin grinned and Slade was bound to agree. Traveling here with the trade caravan had been slow and tedious, even more so as they had made a few stops on the way. A longer ride was welcome now, and he was sure his back could handle it just fine. He assumed that it would still sting for a few days, but it didn't really bother him now.

"Very well, Sir. I've made sure you have something to eat for the long ride, so don't forget about lunch."

"Alfred, I'm not a child," Robin sighed as he picked up his new sword, which he intended to wear on the trip. "Oh! I forgot! Slade, I'm sending you down to the kitchen for breakfast, could you hurry and then go fetch our training swords and gear as well and meet us at the stables?" It was an order phrased as a question, and Slade, who had gotten dressed while the prince had, bowed and left. He still wasn't happy about having to leave, but he couldn't help but look forward to the ride itself, after feeling a bit cooped up at the castle.

This was just the second time he was let out of the young man's sights after his 'mistake', at least as far as the prince knew, so Slade kept his head down and although being friendly, tried very hard not to smile at anyone in a specific way. He spotted Cassidy from the corner of his eye, but turned away pretending he hadn't, for safety's sake. He hurried up and had to wait for the prince for almost twenty minutes, while the rest of the traveling party converged by the stables as well. Slade made use of the time by introducing himself to the guards and the servants he didn't know. They were all male, and now Slade knew it couldn't be a coincidence. The guards, all of them older than he was and probably quite useless in a fight, were a bit reserved. There were, after all, senior officers, closely tied to the king, and they clearly didn't think it was appropriate for them to socialize with a bedroom slave. Still, Slade was a former soldier and carried himself in a way that made that easy to spot, so they weren't obvious about their reservations. Maybe they had also heard that he was the prince's sword instructor and therefore didn't spend all his time in the boy's bed.

When the prince arrived the sun had just begin to rise. He was met by the Stable Master himself, who held Dax for him as the prince got into the saddle.

"Good news, My Lord; the mare began kicking the black brute away yesterday so, it's only a guess so far, but I think it has taken. We'll send the horse back today."

"Ah, I wish I could take him to the lodge… sorry, boy," Robin grinned as he patted his own horse's neck, "but it's too late to ask. Oh well, give Trader Wintergreen my thanks, will you? Alfred?" Robin looked around for the servant who had followed him down to see him off. "Ah, there you are. Could you have a gift sent to the trader, please? Nothing that would insult him as I know the loan of Slayer was a favor, but maybe a couple of nice bottles of wine or spirits?"

"I will arrange that, My Lord. Have a good trip now," the old man smiled.

"Oh, I'm sure we will," the prince smiled back.

They took the back gate and rode into the country from the coast. Slade had been given the gray mare again, Fog, and couldn't really find any fault in the horse, or breed, for that matter. Yes, she was smaller than he was used to, but she moved well, and had a good temper.

After a mile Robin turned around in the saddle and then stopped his horse, gesturing for Slade to take a look. They had been going slightly uphill this whole time, and now they could see the city of Gotham spread out below them, with the vast sea as a backdrop.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Robin asked.

"It is, Master," Slade agreed.

"Did you know that Gotham has the biggest natural harbor known to man?" Robin said. "It's one of the aspects that has made this a rich country."

and valuable… Slade thought to himself, because, yes, the port of its capital was one of the main reasons he had his eye on this kingdom. He didn't say that, though, of course.

"Have you ever sailed, Master?" he asked instead.

"Yes, a few times when I was young," the boy said, sounding like he was an old man already. "I was taught the basics of sea traveling, though it didn't really agree with me. You?"

"No, I've only been on a rowboat I'm afraid," Slade smiled. The biggest body of water in the mountains was a lake which was only about half the size of the city below them. There were streams though, and plenty of fish, but no real need for big ships.

"Well, maybe one day…" the prince shrugged and urged his horse on.

They took it slowly, as there was no point in tiring the horses out by galloping all the way. Two guards rode in front of the prince and Slade, and two with the servants, but eventually the servants began to lag behind due to the cart's slower pace. As the front guards kept a respectful distance while still being close enough in case anything might happen, Slade and the prince found themselves riding on their own. That made the boy relax a little bit and behave more as if they were in private, which Slade preferred.

"Master, the lodge we are going to… is it the same one as…?" he asked quietly.

"Where my father was before he brought me back? Yes. I was hoping that would jog the guard's memory." Robin answered in the same tone. "I had Alfred pack quite a lot of spirits… after all, people will need to keep warm, right?" he grinned.

"The warmer the better," Slade smirked back. "And speaking about keeping warm… are you looking forward to meeting your future wife, Master?"

"Well… I guess that if she likes horses, she might not be boring," the prince shrugged.

"You almost sound like you don't want to get married," Slade pointed out with a chuckle.

"I'm not sure I do," the prince answered darkly.

"Then what do you want, Master?" the man asked.

Robin looked over at him, his eyes a bit wide before he blinked. "What I want?" He then chuckled darkly. "Oh, Slade, that doesn't matter in the least. We're not so different you and I; none of us are free. I have to get married and produce an heir. I have to dedicate myself to this country. It's my fate. There's no use in dreaming of other things… I used to hope father would marry and have more children, that way, maybe, I could pass the title of Crown Prince to one of them, but… that doesn't seem to be happening."

"Well, if you don't want to get married, can't you just adopt like the King did, Sir?" Slade asked curiously.

"Well… I… I could, I guess…" the prince said thoughtfully, but then shook his head. "No. There are enough voices in the court not happy that I'm not of the same bloodline as the King. If I was to adopt a child as well… no, I wouldn't want to put him through that. It's pure luck that the King and I share similar looks. No, I'm afraid it's marriage for me, but, after all, you'll be there, at least," he added, smiling fondly at his slave.

"That I will," Slade promised. "To the end."

The man got a chance to prove himself a few hours later when they stopped for lunch. The prince had further relaxed by now and the guards had noticed this as well, which led to their behavior lightening up a bit.

"Slade, take out the food from the saddlebags, I'm just going to take Dax and Fog to a creek over there to let them drink," he said, obviously having stopped in this area before. Slade just nodded, used to the fact that the prince, who rarely even brushed his own hair, still tended to his horses. Well, it wasn't like he mucked out the stables or did any such chores, but he still did more than the man would have expected. Even the guards seemed surprised and Slade had to remind himself that these men usually were stationed at the castle and were closer to the king than the prince, so they probably didn't know the young man very well.

The sound of a horse neighing nervously and then a shout had Slade drop the saddlebags and run towards the place among the trees where the prince had disappeared. He was almost knocked over by Fog running away and then he saw the prince trying to heave himself up into the saddle of his own galloping palomino. The boy lost his grip, however, and, rolling on the ground, landed at Slade's feet.

A blink of an eye later the thing that had spooked the horses burst from the shrubs, hurtling towards them, and Slade swore. It was a wild boar, a huge one at that, and it was not a happy pig. The man pulled the prince to his feet.

"I'm borrowing this," he said as he yanked the prince's sword from its scabbard. "Run!" he had time to add as he pushed the young man behind himself and braced against the attack. The pig was a male, charging with his head lowered and large tusks gleaming. The man knew that the boar would, when it got close enough, thrust that head up, trying to gut its enemy. Slade, however, was ready and at the last moment leaped to the side and thrust the sword into the thick-skinned animal's neck. It wasn't a killing wound but it slowed the animal down enough for the man to get a second chance, and that was all he needed.

With a close to human cry the pig went down long enough for Slade to completely slit its throat and, only then, as the animal kicked in the throes of death, did the man feel sure enough to take his eye off it. He looked up and the first thing he saw, standing rooted to the ground where he had left him, was the prince.

"Didn't I tell you to run?" Slade asked dryly.

Before the young man could come up with a reply, the guards reached them.

"Your Highness, are you unharmed?" one of them asked, as the others, uselessly, made sure the wild boar was out of commission.

"It's dead," Slade snorted. "You two, help me hang it. If we bleed it now, the meat will be better."

"It's a male, though, I've heard you can't eat those," one man, McCormack, said.

"I wouldn't in autumn, but in spring it should be fine," Slade answered, knowing that the man was talking about the 'boar taint' male pigs could have. It was usually worse in the mating season, but you never knew until you were actually handling the meat. Still, if it was fine, he was not going to let it go to waste.

The guards, maybe acting on instinct, simply obeyed him and after hanging the pig from a thick branch and washing up in the creek it was time for the packed lunch. The horses had already been caught, not having run that far when they noticed that they weren't followed, and had then been watered a bit further down.

Slade was thinking the event over as he ate. Maybe he should have let the beast gore the prince. It would have been so easy not to run as fast as he had, or pretend to have been frightened and thrown himself out of the way… or maybe just miss when the animal had attacked. No one could blame him; it had been a huge wild boar, after all, and those things killed more people than bears and wolves put together. If the prince had died like that it would be deemed an accident. Sure, he couldn't be completely sure that he would be welcome back to the castle, but he was the prince's possession, after all… the matter of the ownership had to be decided, and he doubted that would be on the top of the list, which might give him the little bit of extra time he needed. Also, letting the animal do it would be... easier. Slade snorted in disgust at himself at that thought. True, he had never reveled in killing other people, like some did. Those who enjoyed killing, however, were all insane and the man didn't want to belong to that group. No, he didn't like slaying, but it sometimes had to be done. And he had learned early that it was better to kill on the battlefield than be merciful and only wound, as the enemy might not return the favor. Killing wasn't difficult for him, not when it had a purpose, and every deadly strike he had ever dealt had had that… and so would the one that would end the prince's life in a few short weeks. But, again… the boar could have done the job for him.

Maybe it was for the best, though, the man concluded in the end. The preparation for a royal funeral would probably bring at least as many people to the castle as a birthday, and they would start as soon as word reached the capital. No, better to have a bit more control, then, by keeping the boy alive… therefore, he had made the right decision.

Through all of this the prince had remained very quiet and, Slade noticed happily, hadn't made a single move towards putting his leash back on.

"More water, Master?" Slade asked, offering a skin to the young man, who seemed to be deep in thought as he didn't notice at first.

"What? Oh. Yes," he then said. "Slade?"

"Yes, Master?"

"You did very well."

The King of Blüdhaven chuckled. 'Very well' indeed…

To Be Continued….


A/N: *cough* the names of most horses in this story are actually the names I've used for horses in my Sims 3 game… so liking to name them after seasons/weather? All me, I'm afraid.. ;)