"You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?" George asked, stopping in the doorway to the King's study and waiting for the older man's signal to enter. At another gesture of the royal hand, George took a seat in front of the King's desk.
He frowned. The King seemed unusually disturbed today; he looked as though he didn't know what to do with his hands, and kept gazing off into space before coming back to himself. Finally the King walked over to a window and gazed out onto the Palace grounds.
His voice was quiet and tense when he finally spoke. "George, as short as it's been, your life has been one of service." He half- turned to look at the redhead. "Your family have always prided themselves on their loyalty to the royal house and Neo- France, correct?"
George drew himself up proudly. "Yes, Your Majesty. The de Sand house serves the royal family and Neo- France; as a knight, it is my duty to devote my life to the same noble task."
The King walked back over to his desk and heavily took his seat. "I need your help, George."
"I will do whatever is required of me, Your Majesty." the Gundam fighter earnestly promised.
"My daughter… has been kidnapped." It sounded as though the words were torn from his throat.
George's back stiffened and his violet eyes widened in surprise. "Not- not the Princess?" he asked, voice cracking on her title, to his embarrassment.
The King's pained eyes met his own. "Yes. The Princess Marie- Louise has been kidnapped by a man who tried to assassinate me last night."
George's face showed nothing, but his thoughts were a tempest of emotion. I will kill him, he thought coldly, and though he was at first shocked at the thought he was unable to disagree with it. Instead, he only replied, "I will find the Princess and avenge the crimes that this assassin has committed against you, Your Majesty. I pledge it on my honor as a knight."
"Thank you, George." the King murmured. "I knew I could count on you." He seemed to rally himself. "I've had search parties out all night, of course, but none of them found anything. All we know is that he went from my chamber to Marie- Louise's, jumped out the window with her, and went over the wall." A troubled frown crossed the King's face. "It should have been impossible. All entrances are guarded and monitored. My chambers and Marie- Louise's are both under especially heavy guard, and the soldiers that protect us are elite, handpicked and specially trained by the generals themselves. And it should have been impossible for him to make it over the wall; I've never seen anyone but a Gundam fighter able to do such things; besides that, the security system should have shocked him."
George collected himself with difficulty. "Is there anyone who could have given that information to the would- be assassin, who had enough money to hire someone of his skill, and who has a reason to want you dead?"
The King laughed hollowly. "Any number of people in higher society. There's a rather long list of successors to the throne, you know, times being what they are… I believe that you're on the list, actually."
For the second time in less than fifteen minutes, George was rocked to the core. "Me? But Majesty, I'm not- I'm nobly born, but not royally-"
"You are nobly born, it's true, but your place on that list has more to do with your position as a Gundam fighter- not to mention a member of the Shuffle Alliance- than with your birth." The King's eyes softened as he looked at the young man who had surprised him so many times- even awed him, on occasion. "Put it out of your mind, George. It doesn't matter." His voice turned brisk. "What matters now is finding Marie- Louise."
George's face abandoned its shocked expression in favor of a resolute one. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Bring my daughter back to me." the King commanded hoarsely, eyes burning into George's own.
The self- styled knight drew himself up proudly. "Yes, Your Majesty."
The King watched him leave. He didn't know what it was about the boy, but watching him, the King couldn't help but hope.
A/N: Short, I know, and dull. The beginning of the next chapter's going to be dull too, but who knows, it might pick up midway through. ;) I know I mentioned the eyes a lot, but George's are so pretty- besides, they do say they're the window to the soul. Cookies to readers and more to reviewers.