LOVE & MAGIC
Chapter Four: Nice to Meet you.
Getting into the King's guard was easier than what I expected. Ridiculously so. I knew my brother was a great swordfighter, but I never thought he had taught me that well. I managed to out best the instructor and he, impressed by my skill, assigned me to the palace right away, instead of making me serve as a common guard in the streets around the castle like everyone else. So within a day I had installed in one of the guards quarters in the second floor of the palace; and only 36 hours after I had made my gracious escape from the Lhite Castle I had a job and a safe place to stay.
I had been assigned as partner of a Colin Greeley; our job was to guard the armory hall, where the highest ranking officers practice with their swords and other weapons.
"You're lucky, it's fun to watch the officers fight, they are very good fighters," Colin informed me as we walked down the hallway in the ground level. He wasn't taller than me, maybe an inch. For once in my life I was happy for my 5 ft 8' height, I wasn't as tall as most guys in the guard, but I didn't look little, and that alone made it easier on my spell. "The only problem it's when they get tired and challenge us, the common guards. They think its fun."
"Oh, and do they do this often?"
"Not so much, mostly it's the king who does it. But if we keep quiet they might not even notice we are there."
We split inside the hall; it was a big square room with all kinds of weapons hanging in the walls, as well as the Windam's coat of arms, and the coat of each one of the Wind Warriors. It was a beautiful, functional space. As I took my place I saw that two men were engaged in a fierce weapons drill. I leaned back and watched.
Thought they were extraordinaire, they weren't perfect, the tallest one – he had black hair- had a slow left attack and the one with blond hair often hesitated in the blocks. Finally the one with dark hair won by making his opponent lose its sword.
"Anyone else?" he called to the other knights and army officers there. Only as he turned did I recognize him as Christopher Windam. I little smile curved my lips as I saw the scar that crossed his right eyebrow, that had been my rock. "What about you, Colin?"
"Sorry, my king, but my wrist is still sore from last time. Maybe my partner there would be interested."
Christopher spun around and saw me, his dark eyes unreadable as they fixed on my blue ones; he was clearly sizing me up. I tried to appear clam, he possessed magic, and he might be able to see past my spell if I wasn't careful. He didn't seam to notice anything abnormal. "You're new, I don't remember you," he said.
"Oh, I joined the guard yesterday, your majesty." I answered looking straight forward, a soldier's poise.
"And they put you in the palace already?" he inquired, rising the eyebrow with the scar on it. I smiled again. "Something amusing, soldier?"
"Not in particular, my king." I said, but in my tone was clear that I did find something amusing.
He smiled, mischievously but handsomely so. "Well, let's get on it, then" He said and tossed me the sword he was carrying; I picked it up out of instinct. "Is that too heavy for you...?"
"Kyle Lostry." I said, "And no." It had been heavy, but I made a quickie spell to make it lighter. He was clearly impressed by this. I knew my appearance wasn't really tough, I was tall enough to pass as a young man, but my built wasn't exactly manly, I covered it with the glamour spell, but I was no way nearly as broad shouldered or strong as the man in front of me, and he knew it.
But he was not as quick on his feet and it showed it as the little match began. "Always let them attack first, size them up." I could hear Marco's voice as he instructed me how to duel with his friends. "Play their game, that's something they don't expect," I matched his moves, one by one, not really attacking, blocking and evading his blows. "When you're the weakest one, don't fight, avoid." There, his slow blocking, I landed a good blow by his side; just enough to tore open his shirt without drawing blood. Christopher answered by landing one by my cheek, it bleed but I knew it would heal without scaring – it wasn't more than a scratch. It was easy for him; I knew he would try the "Attempt of Murder" again if I made him bleed. So instead in launching to attack next, I waited, I didn't let him land anymore blows and he was getting frustrated.
"Always keep your head cool, even if your blood it's boiling, that's what it's going to save you in combat, it doesn't matter who it's stronger or more skilled, the winner will always be the one who makes less mistakes." That was the most valuable piece of advice any fighter could get.
Our swords clashed, I could feel the vibration all the way up my arm, but I didn't let go. He rolled over his shoulder to strike again. I ducked, taking a step back and rising up my sword, when he finished his rotation, Christopher had my sword at his throat and I was at arm's length, he could risk move to evade my sword and attack, but my hand wasn't shaking, and I had my eyes on him, if I saw the slightest movement I could just push and that would be his end; if we had been fighting for real, that is.
"That's it," someone called. "Lower your sword, Mr. Lostry." He said.
I obeyed without speaking and returned to my position, across the hall from Colin. Making a big spectacle of yawning and appear bored. I was tired, Christopher was even better than Marco, but he was already tired and that made it easier on me, he also didn't expect anything from me, and that made him careless. I had just been lucky. I was pretty sure my arm would be troubling like hell by the time I went to bed.
Christopher shoved away his friends – most of them of the female persuasion, if you get my drift - a little more to the left, two men –just like Christopher in their early twenties – were laughing at him, he ignored them too and strode over to me, eyes steady and as unreadable as ever.
"Who the hell are you? Where did you learn to fight like that?"
I blinked, yeah, I had come up with a name but I hadn't thought much about the past story of "Kyle Lostry", so I couldn't help myself and I answered with the truth: "Marco Lhite taught me." I said and his eyes winded in surprise. "I used to work at the Lhite Castle, I know Prince Marco because I worked with him and his sister training the horses for battle." I elaborated before he asked
"You know how to handle battle horses?" he asked.
I narrowed my eyes at him, "I was born in Lhite, sir, of course I know how to handle a horse. Especially in battle." I knew my tone was not friendly.
He laughed a rich, velvety laugh. "I tend to forget that you people from Lhite get over react when someone brings up horses."
"I don't think I'm over reacting, sir."
"Well, no, compared to Kaze Lhite, no one ever over reacts," one of Christopher's friends –the ones who had been laughing at him - chimed in.
"Yeah, Wes, you got that right," his companion said. Those were Wesley Roberts and Landon Covington, the other two Wind Warriors besides Christopher.
"Yeah, that little monster does over react," Christopher agreed, absently tracing his scar.
"So the dislike it's mutual?" I said innocently, "I always wondered..."
"Wondered what? Did the little brat say something about me?" Christopher asked, narrowing his eyes to me.
"Nothing. She just still calls you horse stealer... um, sir" I added belatedly, he looked furious, and then he turned around and stormed out.
"In the future, Kyle," Wesley said rather kindly, "Avoid mentioning the "horse stealer" part, Chris is still sensitive about that."
"As you say, sir." I said formally. I never thought he had actually cared about what I had said two years ago, I didn't even think he had listened to me.
"Don't worry about formalities, Kyle," Landon said, "Once we were part of the guard too, every knight was. And plus, we aren't really that formal here. But you might want to brush up your manners for the Chris's grandmother; Lady Stephanie is way into protocol."
"Take it as a friendly piece of advice." Wesley added.
Then Wesley and Landon sighed and went after Christopher.
Colin and I stayed in the armory for another couple of hours before we got our lunch break. Once in the guard's dinning hall.
"I think," Colin said pointing his fork at me, I could see a piece of meat half chewed rolling around in his mouth, it was gross, but I had spend enough time among my brother's friends not to notice it much anymore, "you're a mad man, Kyle. King Chris is nice and all, but you were speaking way too bluntly to him."
"He insulted the princess of the country I was born in, I couldn't have kept my mouth shut," I said picking on my salad.
"Lhite belongs to the Windam, it might be ruled by the Lhite, but it's just a façade, everyone knows it. Without the protection of Windam Valley there wouldn't even be a Lhite country to begin with."
"I know, but still. He did steal Kaze's horse, that stupid horse was her best friend. She was crushed afterwards. It's not at all gentlemanly to do that, is it? He just wanted a horse, any horse; but he took Ajax knowing it was hers."
"Please, don't keep anything in," A voice called at my back. "And I didn't know it was hers, but I should have guessed, that stupid horse won't follow anyone's orders, pretty much like its previous owner."
"Ajax is not stupid. It's the best horse I've ever trained. Maybe you just don't know how to give orders to him, that doesn't make him a bad horse, just makes you a bad horse rider."
"Like I said, by all means, don't keep anything in." Surprisingly enough, Chris didn't sound mad. In fact he sounded fairly amused.
"I wasn't planning to do so, your majesty." I snarled.
"Chris works too,"
I blinked, "What?"
He rolled his eyes, "Are you retarded, Lostry?" he asked, "You can call me Chris, everyone does."
"Whatever." I said annoyed. Really, this guy had called me more names in one day than most people did in a month. Of course, half of those names weren't directed to me, Kyle, but to Kaze Lhite.
"Anyway," he said easily, "I thought I would be wasting your talent keeping you guarding the armory, so I've decided you'll work directly with me. My former personal guard retired a few weeks ago and I've been looking for someone to fill the position. You got free the rest of the afternoon, but tomorrow present yourself at my personal quarters at 8 o'clock; I'll inform you of your obligations then."
"You're dumber than what I thought,"
"Excuse me?"
"You don't know me, and you want to trust me to keep your back? Are you high on something?"
He smiled, that charm-the-birds-out-of-their-nest smile, and I couldn't help to notice how attractive he was. "I'm not dumb. I know what I'm doing. Friend or foe, I'll keep you close enough to watch you; I'll have you killed the second I see something that strikes me – even slightly –as traitorous. Keep your friends close and you enemies closer, Kyle, remember that."
"Somehow," I told Colin as he walked me to my room, he was more excited than me about becoming the King's personal guard, "I don't think I'm going to enjoy this."
Without anything else to do for the day, I sat down to write to my brother, he would be worried until he knew where I was, but my arm was hurting and I decided to lie down and turn in early. I stretched on my side and as soon as I put the head in the pillow I snapped up, the scratch on my cheek wasn't bad but it sure hurt.
I turned to the other side. After a while, I found myself day dreaming about something, and to my horror I realized that something had been Chris.
"No, Kaze," I told myself quietly. "He might not be as horrible as you thought but remember... remember what he is.
I sat up again and forced myself to come up with this list:
Top Seven things you need to know -and remember at all times - about Christopher Windam (according to me, Kaze Lhite)
7. - He is a womanizer commitment-phobe6. – He's a horse stealer.
5. - He is king of Windam Valley
4. - And one of the Four Wind Warriors.
3. – He's Cute, if you like his type (tall, dark and handsome anyone?)
2. – He's arrogant, sarcastic and a jackass. (Not to mention a total baby when it comes to rocks being thrown to his head.)
And the Number One thing you need to know about Christopher Windam is:
1. - If you let him, he will break your heart in 10 seconds flat.
"Yes, Kaze," I thought. "Remember that. We have had enough with handsome guys."
End of chapter Four.
Notes from the crazy author (That should be doing a lab report...bad author, bad)
Okay, thanks for reviewing you guys! You rock.
Now some review answering (I don't answer often but I do read all the reviews)
Kat: Yeah, something kind of happened between Jadzia and Marco that one time she took human form, but it sort of died out when he found out she was an unicorn (he dind't know)
sealednectar: Thanks for the review
jammi: I'll see what I can do about that
EreshkigalGirl: Chris is the King, he has been king for about three years now.
Trinity: I feel about the same about Adam. Yeah, Marco is rather cute. Oh and thanks for pointing those things out, I'll pay more attention now. (and thanks, because you're one of the few people who has pointed out my mistakes without making me feel dumb)
angel-kiss7: I think this chapter is longer... what do you think?
Thanks for reading.
And please R&R!!!!!!