Hello! I had an idea for another Bad Things Happen Bingo installment, so here it is. This is my first time writing anything like this, but I think it's going to be fun. This is partially inspired by BBC's Merlin which is one of my absolute favorite TV shows. As usual, I own absolutely nothing to do with Criminal Minds or Merlin. Enjoy!
Sir Aaron Hotchner was sixteen years of age when Queen Diana gave birth to Prince Spencer Reid. The entirety of the Kingdom of Quantico celebrated the royal's birth, not only because there was finally an heir to the throne (many had begun to worry as King William grew older with each passing season), but also because Prince Spencer was destined for many great things.
Since as long as even the eldest of the villagers could remember, there had been a prophecy stating that a young prince, destined to be a king whose name would be remembered for centuries to come, would one day bring upon a golden age and unite with the Kingdom of Pennsylton to end the years-long wars and restore magic to the land.
Many had believed at a time that Spencer's father was the one the prophecy spoke of, but when his wife passed not a month after Spencer's birth, he had turned cold and bitter. He began requiring harsher punishments for the simplest of crimes. Children too young to even understand the consequences of stealing a sweet cake from the market were tortured and imprisoned in the King's grief. The war between the kingdom that banned magic and the one that freely practiced it heightened. Innocents who had the misfortune of simply being suspected of sorcery were executed in the square by the dozens. The peasants' taxes rose higher than ever before, to the point where many could no longer afford to both live in their homes and feed their families.
The King eventually remarried, and the people became hopeful once more. Perhaps the new Queen would help King William to see reason and the prophecy would yet come true. However, it was not to be because a year after their wedding, the Queen birthed a daughter, Princess Catherine Adams, or "Cat" and their new, wise, just Queen died in her labor. Once again, King William was crushed by his grief and the daunting task of raising a three-year-old heir to the throne and a newborn lady of the court without a wife.
When Prince Spencer was six, Aaron was tasked with his personal protection. The then twenty-two-year-old had not looked forward to the new position whatsoever. He had been perfectly satisfied with guard duty at the gate to the citadel. But apparently, he had shown great prospect as a knight and the King personally assigned him to the little prince's detail.
However, he soon came to realize that chasing after the energetic royal all day was something he quite enjoyed. It made him unspeakably happy when Spencer's brown eyes would light up as he gazed at something that interested him, which was most everything. Aaron would happily listen to the small boy ramble on about everything and anything while he was supposed to be doing his lessons.
See, the problem was, Spencer was exceptionally bright. Any lesson put in front of him he would complete with ease, even those advanced well beyond his years. Even as a toddler he could read faster than anyone Aaron had ever met and had devoured most every book and scroll in the castle library by the time he was ten. Spencer knew everything there was about running a kingdom, he acted proper just as he was expected, and had learned everything there was to being a king.
But he had no interest in being a knight.
He much preferred to read and learn everything there was to learn than be out on the training field. That was the biggest issue. As the prince, he was expected to lead the armies of knights and train them in battle, yet he himself despised training. Sure, he was well versed in sword fighting, as his father expected him to be, but his heart was simply too large to hurt anybody. He wouldn't even go hunting with his men because hurting an innocent animal caused him to tear up and he couldn't show that kind of weakness in front of his own knights. Spencer was much better suited to talk their enemies into a peace treaty, or at the least, draw up battle strategies. His intellect made him unbelievably articulate and eloquent and therefore he was the best negotiator the kingdom had.
The people of Quantico loved him for this. Spencer was unlike his father in many ways, and everyone could see the kind of king he would one day become. Spencer was fair and just, kind and compassionate, just as his mother had been. He treated everyone fairly, whether they were a nobleman or a peasant. It wasn't uncommon for him to be found playing with the children in the lower town, much to King William's horror. It was no secret, of course, that the King favored his daughter over his heir.
Princess Cat was another case entirely. The entirety of the kingdom despised her and shied away from her whenever she was in the vicinity. No matter how much her nannies and advisors tried to teach her to be a proper lady and princess, it was fruitless. It was clear from a young age that Cat had taken after her father and developed a cold, cruel heart. Unlike her brother, she loved to be on the training field and purposefully try to get a hit in on the knights. She was known to hit and severely punish her servants and look upon the townspeople as if they were no better than insects on the ground. She would roughly shove them aside while walking through the town, and unlike her brother once again, would become irrationally angry whenever someone did not refer to her by her proper titles or forgot to bow in her presence.
And so, the people anxiously awaited the day Spencer was crowned King.
Now Crowned Prince of Quantico, Spencer was seventeen and on the cusp of adulthood. He hadn't changed a bit since he was a child, if not for becoming even more handsome as he grew with his waves of chestnut hair that laid just above his ears and warm, gentle brown eyes. He still thirsted for knowledge, was still kind and polite. He still cared for his people and could still often be found amongst them in the lower town.
Three years previous, Sir Derek Morgan had joined Aaron in Spencer's personal detail. At seventeen, he was a few years older than the prince who had been fourteen at the time. Even with the three-year age difference, Derek quickly became Spencer's best friend. The rowdy knight wasted no time in getting the uptight prince into loads of trouble, especially in his father's already disapproving eyes, and more often than not dragging Aaron and Spencer's poor manservant, Grant Anderson, down along with them.
Aaron hated to admit that he didn't mind it one bit.
However, he did mind it whenever one of their shenanigans was likely to get Spencer sent to the dungeons for weeks on end and both of the knights and the manservant beheaded.
The group was currently wandering through the woods on horseback, King William under the impression that they were on a routine patrol. In reality, they were doing something much, much more dangerous.
They were taking Spencer to meet a princess.
Under normal circumstances, that would have been fine. Hell, every eligible maiden of noble blood in the land had been paraded around in front of Spencer for the last year like livestock at an auction, each hoping to catch the young, handsome prince's eye and each one of their fathers hoping to impress the King of the most powerful kingdom in the all the lands. Aaron personally believed that Spencer was much too young for marriage, he was barely yet an adult himself, but his father begged to differ. Aaron had known Spencer long enough to see that all the pressure of marriage on top of his royal duties was heavily stressing the already anxious prince out. The poor boy still believed in true love. Aaron's heart cried at the thought of taking that one last childlike hope from the prince who was more like a little brother to him.
These were not normal circumstances, however. Because out of every fair maiden in all of the kingdoms, Spencer had to go and fall for the one he was forbidden to court, or even associate with.
Princess Maeve Donovan was perfect. She was pretty and kind and soft spoken. She loved books and knowledge almost as much as the prince. She truly was the perfect suitor for the young royal. The only problem was the kingdom she was the princess of.
Pennsylton. Quantico's worst enemy.
The two kingdoms had been at war since William's grandfather was king. Aaron didn't believe that the people truly knew what they were fighting over any longer, just that they were expected to fight just as their fathers and grandfathers had. Everyone knew that magic was practiced freely in Pennsylton, whereas even speaking of magic was punishable by death in Quantico. Yet, neither side seemed like they planned on surrendering any time soon.
Ending the war was something Spencer spoke of often. He said it would be the very first thing he did once he took the throne. That, and freeing magic once again in the kingdom. That was something that was very personal and important to him. Because Spencer himself was a magic user.
No one but the two knights and his father and sister knew this information, however. William had worked tirelessly to cover up Diana's true heritage. That she had once been a peasant girl from Pennsylton with powerful magic that she was forced to repress in order to be with William. They had never told a soul and William had built quite the impressive lie that his Queen had lived by until the day she died. However, it was soon figured out that her affinity for magic had been passed to her son when Spencer, at no more than a week old, sent a spoonful of tonic his nanny had been trying to force down his throat flying across his room with a cry.
Aaron watched the prince with his usual stoic expression, barely suppressing an amused smirk when Spencer drew his horse to a stop, dismounted, and threw himself into the grass beside a quietly bubbling stream with a long, tired sigh like a moody adolescent.
"Careful, your majesty, you might get your petticoat dirty," Derek teased, also dismounting and leaning against a tree a few feet away with a cocky smirk plastered on his face. Grant grimaced as if he was imagining the amount of work he would have to do later in order to get the grass stains out of Spencer's clothes.
Without even looking in his friend's direction, Spencer flicked his wrist and a decent sized branch thwapped the knight on the back end.
Derek jumped away, rubbing the sore spot with an irritated scowl. "Oi! That hurt, you churl!"
"You know, those are treasonous words Sir Morgan," Spencer said half-heartedly, no real heat behind them. This just made Derek's smirk return, double the size.
"Ah, get over yourself, sire. You love me too much have my head."
"I suppose. However, I hear that many of the vegetables from the last harvest have begun to rot. I'm sure the children could put them to good use with you in the stocks. Your head's so big it'd be hard not to hit."
Derek opened his mouth to continue their banter, but Aaron decided it was time for him to step in with a firm hand on the younger knight's shoulder.
"Spencer, what's troubling you?"
The prince twirled a leaf between his fingers. "I'm just thinking of magic."
As if to accentuate his point, Spencer blew on the leaf, and it burst into flames. All three of them watched the charred foliage flutter to the ground in silence.
"As soon as I take the throne, I'm freeing magic. I'm ending the war between us and Pennsylton. I'm going to form an alliance with them and marry Maeve so she can take her place as my queen. I don't think I can keep this all hidden for much longer. I'll go insane."
Aaron sighed internally. He no longer knew how to respond to the young prince when he got to daydreaming about his reign. Barely a day went by any longer where Spencer didn't go on a secret rant about how cruel the laws against magic were, or at the very least, made some off hand comment about it. And while Aaron had no doubt that Spencer would follow through with his promises as soon as he became king, he only worried that the prince was becoming too brave with his opinions; too impatient and irritated with having to keep everything behind closed doors. He had been secretly courting Maeve for over a year and still the two knights, the servant, and the castle cook, David Rossi, were the only ones who knew of it.
"Spencer," Aaron said gently, disregarding formalities, "I know that one day you will do everything you talk about. However, you have to be patient. Now is not the time to start creating problems within the court when your relationship with your father is already so shaky. You mustn't do anything that would cause him to revoke your title, or worse, disinherit you and pass the heritance on to your sister. Then you'll never do all the things you talk about."
"And you'll be subject to the doxy's rule. I know none of us want that," Derek piped up. Aaron shot him an irritated glare, but Derek simply grinned in a smart-ass way that was somehow both annoying as hell and endearing.
"Sir Hotchner's right, sire. One day you'll be a great ruler, I know it," Grant said, shifting his bag in his arms.
Grant had been in Spencer's service for nearly two years, and he was a fiercely loyal young man. Neither knight had any doubt to whom his allegiance fully lied. However timid or formal he was, they all trusted him enough to freely speak around him like they would in private.
Spencer lolled his head to the side and offered them a small smile. "Thank you."
"Anytime, kid, now let's go meet your lovely lady," Derek said.
0000
Aaron watched as Derek took a swing at the same tree for about the hundredth time in the last hour. He claimed to be "practicing" his swordplay, but really the elder knight believed he was enjoying the carnage he was wreaking on the tree more than anything.
The two knights and the manservant sat in the woods just outside the clearing where the two young royals were having their picnic, far enough to provide them with some privacy, but close enough to protect them should any threats arise.
"If you hit that tree one more time, I'm gonna make sure you go back to your kingdom a few pounds lighter."
Aaron knew better than to scoff at the threat from the dark-haired knight just because she was a woman. Dame Emily Prentiss was impressively strong for a girl, not to mention unbelievably brave, bold, and talented with a sword.
The other thing that made Pennsylton an outcast among the other kingdoms was their treatment of women. Women in their kingdom had almost as many rights as the men. They were eligible for knighthood. Emily and Dame Jennifer Jareau were even Maeve's personal knights!
"Those are big words for a little lady in shiny armor," Derek snarked back, casually leaning on to the hilt of his sword.
In the blink of an eye, there was a sword resting a breadth away from Derek's jugular. "That's a big attitude for someone whose gotten out drank by the "little lady"."
Derek's eyes narrowed. "I thought we agreed we wouldn't talk about that."
Emily swung her sword away and secured it back in its scabbard in one fluid motion. "You keep your mouth shut, I keep mine." She shot him a cheeky smile and sauntered back to wear she was sitting beside Jennifer.
"How long are the lovebirds going to be anyhow?" Derek demanded.
Finally, Aaron spoke up. "Not much longer. Judging by the sun's height, the king will be expecting us back in the next few hours and it will take at least half that long to ride back." He glanced over his shoulder at Grant who had been busying himself with mending a few of Spencer's tunics he had brought along.
"Grant, prepare the horses to ride in half a candle mark."
The servant hastily folded the tunics into his side bag and scrambled up from the ground so fast it made Aaron half dizzy.
"Right away Sir Hotchner." He bowed slightly and quickly retreated farther into the foliage where they had tied their horses.
"He's not going to need to wash any of our boots after this if he keeps licking like that," Derek said sarcastically.
Aaron heard Emily snort and a metallic thump that Aaron had no doubt was Jennifer smacking Emily on the back of her breastplate.
"I'll go get their majesties and tell them it's time to ride," Jennifer said. Aaron nodded his thanks but felt his heart sink just as it did every time they had to leave. He felt bad separating the two young lovers. However, he just kept telling himself that each day was one day closer to the prince's dreamed of time of peace.
0000
When the group arrived back at the citadel, they were immediately almost run over by a young knight. He was sweating buckets and panting like he had just ran a marathon.
"I-I saw your part-ty arrive through the gates from one of th-the watch towers," he gasped out.
"Yes, yes, spit it out," Derek said, his voice laced with irritation as he relinquished their horses to a stable boy.
"Sorry. The king told me to meet you as soon as you arrived. He requests your presents in the throne room immediately, my lord." He dipped in a quick bow to Spencer and retreated back the way he came, though this time at a much slower pace.
The group exchanged nervous looks. "You don't think he…" Grant trailed off nervously, fiddling with the strap on his satchel.
"I'm sure the king simply needs Spencer's input over a matter of the court," Aaron said sharply, though the thought had flitted through his own mind. If the king had somehow come to know of what they really did on their "patrols", Aaron couldn't say he didn't fear for all of their lives.
"Yes, I'm sure that's all," the young prince said, though he was noticeably paler and if one were to look hard enough, his hands were trembling ever so slightly.
Derek gripped his shoulder and gave it a firm, yet comforting, squeeze. "We'll see you late, your highness, alright?"
Spencer swallowed and nodded before morphing into what the knights who knew him best had dubbed as his "Prince Mode". He stood up much straighter, held his shoulders slightly farther back, and tilted his chin just a bit up. His features schooled into a perfect impassive expression and his hands ceased their shaking just as he had been taught all his life.
When Spencer arrived in the throne room, it was to his father pacing the length of their dais platform at the front of the hall. His hands were clasped tightly behind his back and his face was tilted towards the floor. Spencer's heart rate immediately spiked. He rarely ever saw his father act like that.
"Sire?" he questioned softly, "You sent for me?"
William's head snapped up and his features, much like Spencer's immediately schooled into a look of superiority and authority.
"Ah, yes, Spencer. At last, you return. I must say, that was quite a long patrol."
Spencer swallowed nervously but made no other reaction aside from that. "Yes. We ran into some bandits outside of the Virgancia forest, but we took care of it."
"Very well. I wish to inform you of a sudden decision that was made by the council in your absence."
"Decision?"
"Yes. The council as a whole has decided that the war between us and Pennsylton has gone on for far too long. Many lives have been lost and not much has been gained. It is time we set aside our differences. I have already sent word to King Joe Donovan inviting him and his entire court to a feast in a week's time where I have every intention of signing a treaty with them and finally bringing this dreadful war to an end."
Spencer was stunned. He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing, even beginning to think he may be hallucinating. There was no way his father had just said that he wanted to end The Great Wars. Not his father, who would burn an infant at the stake without another thought if one were to accuse it of sorcery. Not his father who had pounded into his head how wrong the people of Pennsylton were, how evil magic was, since before he could walk on his own two legs.
Spencer refused to believe it. It had to be some sort of trick, some sort of test to see how he would react. Spencer knew William despised magic to the deepest, darkest parts of his soul. He had to have an ulterior motive in not only ending the wars, but also inviting the bloody royal family to a feast and a peace treaty signing! As much as Spencer wanted to hope, oh how he desperately wanted to hope, that this wasn't a trick, wasn't an illusion or a test and he could really, truly be who he was, be with the one he loved without consequence, he knew his father too well. The man was cruel and cold. While he claimed to be a merciful king, the prince wasn't naïve enough to believe that his father ever had anyone's but his own interests at heart.
Still, Spencer knew how to act. He'd been playing a part all his life. He wasn't about to give his father any hints towards his suspicions. "That's wonderful, father, it really is. May I ask what brought on this sudden decision?"
"Spencer, I see and hear more than you know." There was a strange look in William's eyes, though Spencer could have been imagining it. Either way, the prince's heart rate spiked once more. "I know how you feel on the matter. And while I do not agree with the practice of magic within Pennsylton, I am willing to overlook it for the sake of peace. Many have been lost to these wars and I doubt many of them even know what they're fighting over any longer. I just thought it was time that we finally bring the land to peace once more."
"I agree entirely. I think it's a wonderful thing, father."
William sat slowly on his throne. "I shall make a public announcement tomorrow morn. Have messengers sent to the other kingdoms to inform them of the news."
Spencer nodded and gave a quick bow. "I will see to it, sire."
But William was no longer paying his son any attention, already turning to a scroll he had been reading over. Spencer took his opportunity to escape the horrid room that had always felt so suffocating to him. He quickly ran to his chambers, the walls blending and blurring together. He found Derek and Aaron posted at their usual spots outside his doors. The two knights gave him strange looks as he blew past them without so much as a greeting and almost smacked into Grant whose arms were full on chainmail and armor.
"Sire?" the servant questioned worriedly.
Spencer was pale and trembling, sweat beading on his forehead. His breaths were coming in quick, uneven breaths and the two knights exchanged worried glances as they slipped in the room and closed the heavy wooden doors behind them. The prince reached out and gripped the corner of his dining table to steady himself, but his knees were trembling so badly that he ended up sinking to the stone floor.
There was the clanking of armor and soon both knights were knelt on either side of the prince. Aaron placed a gloved hand on Spencer's pale cheek and took in his dilated pupils.
"D-da-v-v-id."
Even through the gasping breaths, Aaron understood the young man just fine. "Get Rossi. Now!" he barked at Grant. The petrified servant practically threw the armor still cradled in his arms and bolted out the doors.
"What's wrong, your highness? What happened?" Derek demanded, his usual teasing tone gone.
Spencer opened his mouth as if to speak, but abruptly shut it once more when nothing but more strained breaths came out. Aaron gripped his shoulder firmly. This wasn't the first panic attack the young royal had ever had, but it was certainly one of the worst.
Aaron believed Spencer was just beginning to calm when the doors opened, and Grant led David Rossi into the chambers. The elder man knelt beside the prince, doing a good job of shoving the two knights out of the way. Had it been anyone else or in any other situation, Aaron would have most certainly had him sent to the stocks for it.
"Shh, it's alright lambkin. I'm here," he spoke softly. He took one of Spencer's trembling hands in his own and rubbed the other over the royal's shoulder.
Aaron and Derek both backed off in order to let the prince have some privacy with his mentor. Rossi may have only been the head cook, but he was a wise, clever man. He had been a member of the royal household since before Spencer was born, and even since before Aaron had become a knight. Everyone knew he had the wits and personality to be a member of the court, however Rossi's family had been in debt to the king and thus he was forced to pay off the debt by putting in years of service to the household. He was one of the few left who remembered the better days of the kingdom when Queen Diana had still been alive and King William had been a kind, just man.
Whenever Spencer had been quite little, he had once wandered off, much to the distress of the knights and his nanny. They had spent hours searching for him, but eventually found him in the kitchens, babbling away in his own little language to David. And much to their surprise, since most thought the cook to be rather aloof and rude, David had been listening with rapt attention as he worked on that evening's supper, a small smile gracing his lips.
From that day on, Spencer had continued to wander to the kitchens, somehow ending up with the cook at least once a sennight. As the young prince grew, it became clear to everyone that Spencer looked up to the man, yet another reason his father had to be disappointed in him. Whenever Spencer had a particularly bad day, he would always go to Rossi. Whenever fights with his father got to be too much, Rossi would sit quietly and allow him to rant until he was blue in the face without once interrupting. Whenever Spencer needed advice, he ran to Rossi. Whenever he wasn't feeling well, or had a panic attack, Aaron and Derek would simply get Rossi and somehow things would get better. Aaron knew Spencer saw Rossi as more of a father figure than his own father and even knew that Spencer secretly planned to promote him to his royal advisor when he ascended the throne.
"Can you breathe with me? In and out, there you go. That's it."
Soon, Spencer had calmed down and was no longer trembling. Aaron and Derek helped him to sit in a chair and Grant scuttled over with a goblet of water which Spencer accepted with a grateful nod of thanks.
Finally, Derek was the one to break the silence. "What caused that Spencer? What did your father say?"
Spencer took a slow breath and gazed out one of his open windows. "My father plans to end The Great War. He's even inviting the royal family from Pennsylton here for a feast to sign a treaty in a sennight."
They all exchanged shocked looks, having the same exact thoughts Spencer had when he heard the news.
"My lord, isn't…isn't that a good thing?" Grant asked carefully, busying himself with stoking the fire.
"If it were with well intentions, yes. However, I know my father. He must have other motives for doing this. The way he spoke…it was as if he knew of my plans. As if he knew of Maeve." Spencer spoke the last statement barely above a whisper.
"How could he?" Rossi demanded.
Spencer shrugged. "No idea. But my father has eyes and ears everywhere. Many people fear him, and many will do anything to get on his good side, even turn me over to him. Just because my father is disliked does not mean he doesn't have his ways of persuading people to do his bidding for him, so his hands don't get dirty."
"I agree with the princeling. No way is our oh-so fair and just king doing this for the sake of the kingdom. He must have other motives. No doubt it involves Spencer's doxy of a sister."
"Would you lower your voice? It's bad enough you speak of your royalty in that way outside of the citadel, but inside? In the Crown Prince's chambers no less? You really are mad. You just heard Spencer say he has eyes and ears everywhere. You'll be executed on site if anyone hears you speak like you do," Aaron ranted in a hiss.
Derek rolled his eyes but didn't comment. It wasn't unusual for Aaron to reprimand him about his rather loud opinions of nobility in Quantico. Frankly, he didn't care who heard him.
"What should I do?" Spencer whispered, his eyes pleading and glassy with unshed tears as he gazed at some of the people who he loved most in the world, eyes begging for help. Aaron's heart ached for him. It was times like these when Aaron was harshly reminded of Spencer's age. He was still but a child himself with a responsibility on his shoulders most grown men would never have. He was weighed down by everyone's expectations as he desperately tried to please everyone. He was young and in love, yet he was trying to do what was best for his kingdom and desperately asking for help from his closest friends.
"You know what, this is what we're going to do. We don't know anything for sure, right? As…unlikely that it is your father had a sudden change of heart, we don't know anything different. For now, we're going to go along as if we suspect nothing and as if nothing is different. You're going to act like this is just any other diplomatic feast. I'll make sure word gets to Maeve of the situation. As much as you don't like not knowing things, you're just going to have to take it as it comes this time, Spencer," Rossi explained.
Spencer gulped but nodded slowly. He would just take it as it came.
0000
A sennight later saw Spencer dressed in his finest robes, his deep blue ceremonial cape pinned around his neck, adorned with the crest of Quantico: a silver owl mid-flight. His silver circlet sat gleaming on his head, freshly polished by Grant. He was hurriedly making his way down the east wing towards the Great Hall where the feast was to be held in less than a candle mark.
He clasped his shaking hands around his ceremonial sword, but there was nothing to be done about his nearly translucent features. Sure, he should be ecstatic about the nights events and about seeing his love, but he was too terrified of what the true intentions were.
Over the last sennight, everything had been business as usual, if not a bit more chaotic as the servants bustled about, preparing for the arrival of Pennsylton's court. The king had given no implications that anything was amiss, yet Spencer couldn't shake the dread weighing heavily in his stomach.
Spencer was so lost in his anxiety that he didn't notice he was about to smack into someone. He hurriedly ducked his head and made to apologize until he realized who it was he had ran into.
"You'd think someone who spends so much time buried in a bunch of books would want to look up once and a while."
Spencer internally groaned. The last thing he needed was what was sure to be a simply encouraging and enlightening talk from his half-sister.
They avoided each other ninety percent of the time. It was clear that Cat despised him for more than one reason, and to be honest, he couldn't quite stand her either. But the rare occasions when they were forced to speak to one another were never exactly pleasant. They usually consisted of snide remarks, disgusted looks, and belittling comments. All directed at him, of course.
"Sorry. I was just lost in my thoughts."
Cat gave him one of her famous looks of arrogant disdain. "Maybe father would actually be proud to call you his heir if you did a little less of that. Really, what prince needs to know such things as medicine? That's why we have a physician. No wonder he speaks of you with shame."
That comment stung, but the prince let it go. Getting under people's skin was what Cat did best. And besides, it wasn't like she was lying.
"What do you need Catherine?"
"You're the one who ran into me, Spencie."
Spencer had to resist curling his lips up in disgust at the nickname as he continued his way down the corridor, Cat deciding she needed to accompany him for some unfathomable reason. The princess had called him that since they were children, and while he didn't mind It when Derek used it to tease him, hearing it from her lips just rubbed him the wrong way.
Cat's elegant dress swept the ground as they finally rounded the corner to the Great Hall. It was made of Quantico blue taffeta, lined with a darker blue along the arms and sides and stitched with matching silver. Her sleeves were wide and flowy, nearly hanging to the floor, while the train of her dress trailed nearly six feet behind her. Her tightly wound bodice showed off her figure a little more than what could be considered modest, while her gleaming silver head piece drew attention straight to her face.
She was the perfect image of the Princess of Quantico. Even Spencer would have agreed with that if he hadn't grown up with her. And if he wasn't so close now that he could see the psychotic, bloodthirsty gleam in her eyes.
When they finally arrived at the large double doors, Cat turned to Spencer and pretended to dust off his robes. Footsteps could be heard from the opposite corridor as the King made his way towards them.
"Have fun at the feast tonight, Spencie," she murmured quietly, her lips turning up in a cruel smirk. She sashayed away in the direction they had came to take her place at the head banquet table to William's left since the two other royals had to announce themselves by walking down the midst of everyone.
Spencer swore he caught the glimpse of something other than patronization in her eyes, almost like that comment held more meaning than the young prince yet realized.
0000
The night wasn't going nearly as badly as Spencer had imagined. In fact, the two courts seemed to actually be getting along. Spencer was currently making small talk with Queen Aedlin, Maeve's mother. He had never met her before, yet he was finding her to be quite the charming woman, much like her daughter. The knights were all talking and joking jovially. He couldn't help but smirk as he saw Emily smack Derek's broad shoulder in irritation, a grin plastered on her face. His father was being civil with King Joe, even chuckling once and a while over whatever they were discussing. Even the servants seemed to be getting along, Spencer more than once seeing Grant whispering to Maeve's maidservant, Penelope Garcia, with a small smile on both of their faces. The only one not being amiable, of course, was Cat.
Spencer thought him and Maeve were doing a pretty good job acting like they had never met before. Even when they had been introduced and he had stooped to kiss her hand like any gentleman should, they both managed to stay impassive and keep their faces neutral, no matter how much he wanted to kiss much more than her hand.
King William rose from his seat at the very head of the room and a hushed silence immediately fell over the crowd.
"As you all know, Quantico and Pennsylton have been at odds for many years. The fighting has resulted in years of untimely deaths and the waste of valuable resources. I believe it is time we put these differences aside. While we don't yet agree with each other's practices, I do believe that we can at least settle on peace and end these terrible wars. This time tomorrow morn, a treaty will be signed, and an alliance formed between these two lands for the first time in decades."
The room erupted in cheers and claps, even the ladies smiling appreciatively and clapping politely, Maeve's smile the brightest of them all. King Joe rose from his seat too, the room once again tapering off into silence.
"Thank you, William. I believe I speak on behalf of all of Pennsylton when I say we are grateful that this time has finally come to pass. These wars have gone on much too long and both of our peoples are weary. As a token of our gratitude, my kingdom would like to gift the royal family with these."
A rather pale servant walked down the middle of the hall, an ornately carved wooden box open in her arms. Inside the box laid three beautiful goblets surrounded by blue satin, each a bright bronze embellished with shimmering rubies and sapphires.
The servant carefully pulled out the three cups and Grant quickly came forward to fill them with the sickeningly sweet wine they only pulled out for banquets. Spencer and Cat joined their father in standing, holding their cups up to a toast.
"To the treaty between our kingdoms. May we be true and loyal allies for ages to come!"
Spencer took a deep drink, the red liquid sending tendrils of warmth through his veins. However, unlike the usual tang that came with the strong alcohol, a bitter aftertaste was left in his mouth. He grimaced but didn't want to appear rude. Who knew how long that wine had been in the cellar? It was probably rancid.
Maybe he was being paranoid, or was Cat staring at him with a crazy gleam in her eyes more than usual?
They sat back down as the chatter in the room resumed. Spencer suddenly felt like his head was too heavy for his shoulders and it was all he could do to keep it up. Wow, he must have had more to drink than he thought.
He stared at the goblet in front of him, barely any of the liquid gone. There was no way he could have gotten that drunk from drinking only that little bit. The voices around him suddenly morphed into one muffled roar as he got lost in the blood red liquid covered in little black spots.
Wait, the wine wasn't covered in black spots, it was his vision.
All the blood in his body suddenly seemed to rush to his head and a pounding began right behind his eyes, the sea of voices suddenly replaced by an obnoxious roaring in his ears. He tried to blink the spots away, but it felt like each of his eye lids weighed a ton.
Something wasn't right. He had been drunk before, but it never felt like this.
Spencer tried to lift his arm, to do what he didn't know, but it was as if he wasn't in control of his own body. His limbs felt numb and displaced. A strange tightness started in his chest, and his heart began to beat like it did after a rigorous training session with the knights.
His eyes widened slightly as the room began to swirl around him. He opened his mouth to hopefully call for help, but a strange gurgling came from his throat. It was hard to be sure, but Spencer thought that the room was now completely silent. He suddenly felt the dire urge to cough, anything to get the tight feeling to loosen in his chest. Pain racked his body as he desperately tried to gasp in a breath and dispel the horrible feeling.
That's when he felt the blood dribble down his chin. He thought he heard some horrified gasps from the people in the hall, but he couldn't be sure with the roaring in his ears. More blood splattered on to his face, his clothes, even the table in front of him as he wheezed and coughed. Suddenly it was too much effort to hold his eyelids open and he felt himself slide sideways out his chair before everything went black.
0000
Aaron smiled politely as the three royals drank from their gifted chalices. They truly were making history right then and there.
He watched Spencer as he took a drink, a slight grimace crossing the young prince's face. Aaron tried to suppress his grin. Spencer was never particularly fond of alcohol, and he had always been quite the lightweight.
After everyone sat down, Aaron resumed the conversation he had been having with Jennifer, listening to Emily and Derek's senseless banter to his other side. He was just glad no one was close enough to them to hear their conversations. It would have been clear to anyone they had met many times before.
A horrified gasp to his left had Aaron looking up with concern. Maeve had her hand over her mouth and was halfway out of her seat. The room suddenly went silent and Aaron's knight instincts kicked in as he quickly scanned the room for possible threats.
What he saw wasn't a bandit or an assassin, though he almost wished it had been. Spencer was slumped in his seat, eyes glazed while he coughed and wheezed. Blood ran from his mouth and speckled everything around him with every agonizing cough. The entire room watched in terror as the royal slumped out of his seat and hit the stone floor with a dull thud.
And all Hell broke loose.
People jumped out of their seats. Maeve made to run to Spencer, but Penelope held her back with a gentle hand, tears gathering in the kind servant's eyes. She had always adored Spencer. Kings and knights on both sides drew their swords and took defensive stances, trusting no one. Grant dropped his pitcher of wine and scrambled to his master, turning him over as he began to choke on blood and foam. Cat too covered her mouth in horror, yet Aaron swore he could see a smile behind her hands and a gleam in her eyes. No doubt she was enjoying seeing her older brother in distress. Derek and Aaron both vaulted over the table and crashed to Spencer's side. Even Rossi came out from where he had been hiding out in a servant's entrance to kneel by his boy's side.
As for the King, he paid no mind to his dying son, too distracted with holding a sword at King Joe's neck.
"You poisoned him!" William declared with a snarl.
King Joe looked horrified. "I did no such thing! Why would we put the treaty in jeopardy by poisoning Quantico's beloved prince? What could have been our motive, William?"
"To take the throne! I've always known magic users were sneaky, evil snakes who take what they want without regard for life!"
"You dare speak of regard for human life? You've slaughtered thousands of our people!"
"Enough! Can't you see he's dying?" Maeve demanded, her voice on the edge of panic. If they hadn't known there was a relationship between Maeve and Spencer before they certainly did now.
Rossi stood and took the chalice Spencer had drunk from as a maidservant came over with a cool cloth to press to Spencer's forehead. The two knights were doing everything they could to keep their prince still as he convulsed.
The cook dumped the wine unceremoniously to the ground after sniffing it and ran his finger around the edge of the goblet. His finger came away covered in a fine brown powder.
"Indeed, he was poisoned. I'd recognize this anywhere."
"Well, what is it?" Maeve demanded hysterically. "Can you help him?"
"It's a rare herb. The effects are almost instantaneous. Its highly toxic and therefore we keep it under very close watch in the kitchens. Good news is we've had so many accidental poisonings with this that we have an antidote."
Rossi turned to Grant and whispered something to him before the servant hurriedly ran off.
"I knew it! This was all a ruse to overthrow our kingdom!" William shrieked.
"You invited us here, William. We have no ill intentions!" Queen Aedlin finally spoke up.
William sneered. "How else would that poison have gotten into the chalice? They were gifts from you! We had no access to them!"
Spencer whimpered, and Rossi shushed him softly and taking the cool rag from the maidservant.
"Actually," Emily retorted, "That is untrue. I was walking to her majesty's guest chambers when I saw Princess Catherine slip into what I thought to be a locked room."
"How dare you accuse my daughter of such crimes! I'll have you executed for this. Remember your station, you filthy woman. You may have the title of a knight in Pennsylton, but here you're nothing but a stupid girl."
Emily sneered right back. "You're not my king. I'm loyal to the Donovan family and them only. Your son will be a better ruler than you could ever hope to be. And only when he ascends the throne will I also pledge my allegiance to Quantico."
William gaped like he had been slapped in the face. That's when Rossi decided to put in his piece.
"This was not a crime committed by Pennsylton. The room we keep this herb in is locked and the only people with keys are the royal family. Seeing as I highly doubt Spencer poisoned himself, that leaves only two suspects. Not to mention this herb is only found in Quantico's lands, so Pennsylton could not have acquired it even if they wanted to."
"What are you accusing us of? Because to me this sounds like treason. You have no right to speak to royalty this way. You're nothing but an old sot whose father was too poor to pay off his own debts," Cat hissed.
It was then that Grant came back clutching a small vile filled with a murky green liquid. The tension in the room shot through the roof as Grant knelt next to his master and carefully pried his mouth open to administer the liquid. The servant didn't blink twice as bile, blood, and saliva alike ran down his own hand.
Everyone held their breath as Rossi helped Spencer to swallow the lifesaving liquid. Maeve and Penelope clutched each other tightly, tears rolling down their cheeks. All four knights watched with fear in their eyes, scared for their little brother.
And then Spencer went limp. With a startling gasp, he began to cough. The remaining bile in his mouth ran to the floor. Rossi rubbed his back and Grant held his head up as he coughed and drew in one gasping breath after another. When he had finally calmed down, and his eyes fluttered open, his face was tomato red.
A collective sigh of relief left everyone in the room aside from a select few. Maeve sobbed and went limp with relief in Penelope's arms. Derek whooped with joy and grabbed Emily up in a hug, who for once didn't look like she was going to kill him.
Spencer looked around, confused, his eyes still glassy. Rossi bent into his line of vision.
"You're alright lambkin," he whispered so only Spencer could hear, "You're safe now."
"What happened?" Spencer asked hoarsely.
"You're loving family poisoned you," Derek said bluntly. Spencer's eyes widened and everyone sent withering glares at Derek.
Spencer struggled to his feet with the help of Aaron and Derek, Grant hovering nervously behind him. It was when he was finally standing that Cat let out a horrific screech.
"This wasn't supposed to happen! You're supposed to be dead!" she turned to William and pointed an accusing finger, "You promised me I would take the throne once we got rid of the little perfect prince!"
William paled as the whole room turned on them. He opened his mouth to no doubt spout off some blubbering nonsense excuse, but Cat cut him off with another feral screech, drawing a dagger from her sleeve and launching herself in Spencer's direction.
Only to stop halfway there with a shuddering gasp, eyes going wide and face paling. Aaron ripped his sword from her chest with an indifferent expression. Cat gave one final, gurgling gasp and she fell to the ground like she was doing an impression of Spencer only two candle marks earlier. However, her chest didn't keep moving as blood began to stain the stone beneath her.
William roared with outrage and went for his sword, but Jennifer stopped him with one of her own right at his heart.
"I wouldn't do that unless you want to end up like your dear daughter over there."
"Guards! Take our prisoner to the dungeons," Spencer said coldly in a voice unlike Aaron had ever heard before.
Two of the guards near the doors stepped forward to grab each of the king's arms, but as they were dragging him away, he stopped and set his eyes on his son.
"You think you can run this kingdom? Marry your little princess from Pennsylton and form an alliance? You think everything will just be sunshine and roses? Fine. Execute me, I don't care. Just know that the people will never respect you. And I'll be laughing from the afterlife when your kingdom falls to shambles around you."
Spencer stood up as tall as he could and jutted out his chin. "I don't need the people to fear me to get them to respect me. I earned that long ago. I'll be twice the ruler you ever were, and I'll finally bring the age of peace to our lands. Starting with restoring magic to the kingdom."
With that the guards pulled the king out of the room kicking and screaming. Maeve rushed to Spencer's side as the two knights helped to gently lower him into a chair.
She gathered his face in her hands and kissed him in front of the entire room, not even caring that blood was soaking her dress. Cheers and claps surrounded them as Spencer deepened the kiss without a moment's hesitation.
0000
6 Months Later
"You ready?"
Spencer smiled at his queen, giving her a gentle kiss. "I've been waiting for this moment since I was a child. I only hope the people accept it."
"Spencer," Maeve said sternly, "The people adore you. You've already changed so much in your short months as king. You ended the wars and sent the people home to their families. You formed an alliance with my kingdom and even married me. Quantico has never before been so prosperous. This was the best harvest in years. We have more money than ever before. You've began to knight women and commoners. You're a great ruler."
"Your majesties, it's time," came Grant's voice from the balcony.
Maeve gave him a reassuring smile and took his arm. Together they stepped on to the balcony where they would make an announcement that would change their peoples' lives forever.
Spencer beamed when he saw all the people there to support him. Derek and Aaron were on his right and Jennifer and Emily were to Maeve's left, the two women official knights of both Pennsylton and Quantico.
Grant and Penelope were behind them giving them encouraging looks and smiles. Rossi placed his hand on Spencer's shoulder, his new robes as the king's advisor looking dashing in the morning sun.
"People of Quantico!" Spencer called over the crowd of thousands of people. "Much has happened in these last few months I have been on the throne. I cannot undo all the pain and suffering my father put you through for many years, but I can hope that I am helping to heal the wounds. I hope that I am becoming everything you hope for in a ruler. But today, I stand here as we make yet another mark in history. Today, I officially legalize the use of magic within Quantico. It will no longer hold any punishment for use and those who choose to use it for malicious intent will be judged as if they had committed any other crime, magic involvement or otherwise."
Spencer raised his arm, and with a wave of his hand, thousands of butterflies formed and flew over the crowd of awestruck people. For a moment, everything was silent. But then, thousands of voices began to chorus the same thing:
"Long live the King!"
I'm finally finished. This got really long so I apologize. I'll try to control myself next time. Anyhow, I really like how this turned out and I hope you enjoyed it too!
Just for reference, here's what some of the medieval terms mean:
Churl- a member of a very low social class, barely above a slave
Doxy- a very promiscuous woman (a slut)
Lambkin- a term of endearment for a child or literally little lamb
Candle Mark- About 20 minutes