Chapter 17: Allied, Protected and Observed

William Vangeance was stunned by the kings words. To suddenly about face, from angry to reserved; showed the promise, wide counsel and influence of the Crown Prince. And to William, knowing that the heir to the throne had these qualities, was liberating. Prince Harrow, the reformist prince had relit the hope in Vangeance's heart for a fairer just Pentarchy. William despised the upper class nobility who were rigid on their beliefs that they were better than the filthy commoners, toiling in the mud, due to their being born into status. Seeing Prince Harrow nod his head, William walked forwards and helped the kneeling boy to his feet before bowing to the king and prince, leading him and the boy out of the chamber.

"You are really lucky the prince spoke up for you", William spoke once they had exited the royal castle and were making their way; along with other knights of the Golden Dawn, towards their squad headquarters. "Prince Harrow..." William just about heard the boy, Zeren, utter a response. "He's not what I expected the Heir to Katolis to be like". Without turning around, due to him currently riding a horse, the captain frowned and asked, "you speak as if you had prior knowledge about him before coming here. Should I be concerned?"

William could tell, that the boy hadn't meant for his earlier words to be heard, or even if he had meant them, but judging by the sound of Zeren's horse whinnying alerted him to the fact the boy had just flinched.

"I wish no ill intent upon either the king or the crown prince", Zeren replied, "it's just that growing up in the border countryside of Katolis and Neolandia, I heard stories about..." he gulped, fighting back tears. "... About the purge of the Amari family, at the orders of the Pentarchy's royal families". Suddenly, the procession of horses and knight recruits, was abruptly halted by William raising his right arm, and then turning his horse around to face the sixteen year old boy. "What exactly do you know about the purge?"

Anxiety and fear, rose in the back of Williams mind, if any of the kings spies within the Rogues overheard this, then Zeren would almost certainly be hauled right back to the castle and executed for sedition, and noting that the elderly king Svengauld still harboured an intense hatred and jealousy towards that family, the captain knew that not even the prince would be able to intervene.

"I only know what I overheard from soldiers and travellers", Zeren lied, keeping his expression a careful mix of confusion and concern. "That the Pentarchy's five Royal families tricked Lord Sion into visiting Katolis with an offer to marry his eldest daughter with the heir to katolis", Zeren responded, bitting the inside of his cheek as he remembered the faces of his human parents and siblings. "...And then they were all slaughtered at a banquet as the royals watched on laughing".

"You seem to know a lot more about that day than most people", William frowned, before dismounting his steed, and reunify to face his second in command. "Klaus", he called to a tall white haired bespectacled man dressed in the golden dawn's blue and gold robes, "lead the recruits back to headquarters. I need to talk with Zeren". Klaus Lunettes, senior knight of the Golden Dawn, bowed his head and then moved his own horse ahead of the other new recruits and began leading them off again.

Once the recruits and ranking knights had left them alone, Captain Vangeance tied his horses reins to a branch of a nearby tree and then moved to do the same with Zeren's steed as well. Climbing down from the horse, Zeren felt a deep rooted anxiety build up in his heart but before he could begin shaking, he witnessed his captain reach up and remove the mask that covered his own face. Upon seeing, what Zeren assumed were scars, across Williams' face, the boy suddenly felt something like a stab of sympathy for the captain, along with a realisation.

"Your one of them aren't you", Zeren half whispered-half growled, "a royal! Or be it, a royal that was mistreated! No one else in the human Pentarchy would do that..."

"And you're the lost Amari son", Vangaence replied, looking around him to make sure that there were no eavesdroppers. "I'm not actually royalty, I'm the illegitimate son of a high Noble", in William replied, "I was neglected and abandoned simply because of my appearance..." gesturing to his facial scaring, "my birthmarks made it very hard for anyone to look at me, and so I was cast out. The only two people in the kingdom who saw me as a person, and gave me the opportunity to make something of my life, were Crown Prince Harrow and High Mage Julius Novachrono. Without their acknowledgment, faith and trust I would almost certainly be dead".

Wide shocked eyes stared back at William, once he had finalised his backstory. Zeren looked suitable abashed for showing his disdain for the nobility, and momentarily verbally lashing out at his captain. "I'm sorry..." he began but was interjected by Captain Vangeance, "it's perfectly fine. We both know what it's like to be on the receiving end of noble and royal cruelty", William responded.

"Now let's get back to headquarters", just as he was about to walk off William turned back to face Zeren, "you're secret is safe with me, Zeren. I won't report anything back to the royals". Remounting their horses, both Captain and the newly recruited knight tracked off in the direction of the Golden Dawn headquarters, unaware that their conversation had been overheard by a creature wearing a skull-mask over their beaked face and a cloak around its body.

As the two humans left, SkekMal wrung his taloned hands together with glee, knowing that he had found the boy that according to the ScrollKeeper; was destined to become a threat to the Skeksis, the Hunter pulled an arrow from his jacket inside pocket. Biting down on the arrow stem, the Hunter imparted a portion of his mind into the arrow as a way to prove to the Emperor that the boy was found and under surveillance. Finally, raising his right arm into the air, the Skeksis took a deep breath and threw the arrow in the general direction of the Crystal Castle. "...ah, the joy of the hunt", he grinned from behind the mask, as he watched the arrow fly silently and discreetly away carrying its message.

Looking back in the direction of the two vanishing specks on the horizon, that belonged to the humans; SkekMal jumped down from the tree and wrapped himself in his cloak so that only his masked face, talons and tail were visible, and began stalking after them maintaining a fair but comparable distance. And as much as SkekMal wanted a battle between himself and these humans, he knew that his mission was one of stealth and intelligence gathering; all in accordance with the Emperor's long game.