"His royal highness has requested your presence in his royal chambers," said the messenger.

"So be it, I will make my way upstairs. Thank you." Sir Lancelot bowed and departed from the library, into the halls of the great castle, and up to the king's personal room. He knocked three times and stated his name.

"Your highness," he said. "'Tis Sir Lancelot reporting to you by request."

"You may enter," the king said from behind the door.

Sir Lancelot waved off the guard who stood in the hall. He need not listening ears lingering and he himself, as the king's top knight, was more than capable of protecting the king while fulfilling his request of attendance. He opened the door lightly and slid inside before closing it shut and locking it behind him, He turned to stand at attention at his king.

"How may I serve you, your highness?"

"Oh Lance, always so formal with me. I keep telling you to just call me Sonic!" The king said as he walked from the window up to Sir Lancelot. He took his armored hand and walked him over to his pair of chairs and a table.

"Please, sit with me. I want to speak with you."

"As you wish," Sir Lancelot followed his lord and sat in a chair next to him.

"Lance, I have been catching on to what you have been doing, and I want some answers from you," said the king.

"I-I will answer anything you ask truthfully, your highness," Sir Lancelot was shuffling. "I devote my entire loyalty to you, of course."

"Oh, I know you do. That is precisely why you are here," Sonic looked firmly at Sir Lancelot and gave a knowing smile. "I have noticed some things and I just want some explanations."

Sir Lancelot nodded with eyes behind his helmet, dodging the king's gaze.

"First, I have noticed how whenever it is just you and me in a room, you insist on being right next to me."

"To better protect you in case of danger, my king."

"Then, I noticed that you are always the first person to greet me when I leave my chambers in the morning."

"As your top knight, it is my place to greet you in case you need debriefing from the night before, my king."

"Also, whenever we have walks through the royal garden, I find a rose on my nightstand the next day."

"..."

"There was one here today actually. I asked the nighttime guard if he saw anyone enter, and he told me he wasn't on duty last night."

"..."

"So then, I asked the captain who was assigned for last night, and he said 'Sir Vincent' was on duty."

"..."

"I never met a 'Sir Vincent', do you happen to know one, Lance?"

"...No, I do not, my king."

"Lance, have I ever told you how bored I get at our round table meetings?"

"Yes, my king. You often remind me."

"To cure my boredom, I often hyperfocus on inconsequential things. I started getting really interested in sounds. The knights of the round table all have such unique armor, don't they?"

"Yes, each of us has custom and special armor, my king."

"So custom, in fact, I can tell the difference between each of you just by the sounds of your armor clanking."

"That is very impressive, my king!"

"Don't flatter me, you know where I am going with this, Lance."

"Your highness?"

"I knew there would be a rose coming, so I stayed up that night. I know it was you who left that rose. And I know you lingered, you watched over me in my false slumber. I heard your heavy breathing," Sonic rose from his chair and stood in front of Sir Lancelot who looked up at him nervously. Sonic put a knee beside his knight's leg in the chair and then another. He sat on top of the knight's lap and put his hands on the back of the chair, surrounding Sir Lancelot.

"I heard your deep breaths, just like you are now."

Sir Lancelot was flustered, he kept his hands close to his chest to avoid touching his king.

"M-my king, this is quite unorthodox."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"...No, my king."

"Do you want me?"

Sir Lancelot gulped. "Y-yes, my king. I need you."

Sonic leaned down and placed his hands on Sir Lancelot's helmet. Their breaths were rapid and there was a strong heat between them. Sonic used his thumbs to begin lifting the knight's face guard. The metal creaked as Sonic got closer and closer to seeing his knight's alluring eyes. The mask came off and underneath was nothing, just darkness. Sonic jumped back off of him. His muzzle was the same but his eyes and all else behind the mask was a deep black, a permanent shadow. Sonic began to tremble, and then he began to scream.