A/N: I have serious sleeping problems, okay! Literally half of this was written at two o'clock in the morning and then typed up around 4:30 while I was having an argument with writer brain. The only part not written in the middle of the freaking night was the middle. The ending was written first. Then the beginning because I had to make sense of it. Anyway, I have to write a ten page paper this weekend and create a fifteen minute presentation all for the same class. I will try to update The Leverage Games and DELEVERAGED tomorrow if I can. Be on the look out next week for updates though because I will probably have a lot. Chow for now and as always your opinion counts but only if you review!
Eliot and the King rode quietly towards the grand Ford Castle. The castle stood at the top of a grand hill and gleamed impressively in the sun. Its pillars shone with silvery blue excellence and its shutters were in the elegant black of the king's royal crest, which was conveniently located at the top of the entry gate. The clichéd moat was nowhere in sight. The gate merely encircled the castle grounds which were lusciously emerald and gently sloped towards the castle. The path way was filled with black brick and the stone wall was a mixture of black and blue.
"And this is my castle," King Nathan explained. He smiled at his grand estate and urged his horse towards the stables. Eliot followed in confusion.
"I assume by the wagon of treasure that you have nowhere to go for the night." The King pointed towards said wagon and the weary horse it was attached to.
Eliot nodded.
"Then you'll stay here," King Nathan said. He waved towards his servants with a smile, "Make certain his horse and wagon are well taken care of. Now, let's get to the whole knowing each other part. What brings you here?"
Eliot stuttered for a minute before answering. "I used to live on the outskirts of the Blacklands when I was a boy."
"So you've come home to catch up on what you've missed?"
"I've come to find a place to call home." Eliot admitted it. It sounded cheesy to his own ears, but it was the truth. He was looking for home. That was all that really mattered to him.
"Well you've come looking in the right place," King Nathan smiled, "Blacklands is the place to be for finding what is lost and I'm not just saying that as its king either."
The King led the ex-soldier into the kingdom through some secret passageway. He was apparently giving him a tour. There was something not right with that. It was a very calculating move.
"What do you plan to do if you do decide to call Blacklands home?"
Eliot shrugged his shoulders. He didn't know. He was just looking for home. He had enough treasure where he didn't need to work. Sure he would get bored of waking up to farming every day but he could find other stuff to do. He didn't exactly need a job. He just needed a home.
"You'll probably have to think of something," the king explained, "Sure farming is a peaceful way of life but you don't exactly look like somebody who enjoys the peace for very long."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, and forgive me if I'm wrong, but you appear to be more of a knight-like person," King Nathan shrugged. They had stopped at a wall. Eliot thought about asking what they were doing at the wall but he thought better of it. Knowing how crazy the king was, it was probably natural. Then the lunatic knocked on it four times.
"What do you want?" A voice ripped through the wall. It seemed distant and preoccupied. The voice didn't even seem to be considering that it could be speaking to the king. They were in his castle and all, who else would he speak to. When did it become normal to hear a voice through the wall? Eliot shook his head. He was getting to use to this crazy town.
"I need your opinion on something," the king growled, "What do I usually want?"
"To bother me while I'm working," the voice answered back.
There were some clatterings of movement behind the wall. It sounded like someone was dodging tables and kind of failing. Then a sound like somebody hitting a big drum filled the area. The wall slid across the floor and began to open. Eliot and the king stepped away from the moving wall and watched as it slowly unfolded into the hall. It stopped and a man in orange robes with black boots and a pair of green goggles on his head stepped out.
"Eliot Spencer meet Alec Hardison," the king announced to the pair, "my scientist and inventor."
"And fearless sidekick," Alec Hardison held out his hand towards the other man with a bright smile.
Eliot stared at the man in surprise. "He's black," he said.
"We try not to hold that against him," King Nathan shrugged, "Now shake his hand."
Eliot shook himself and immediately apologized for his rude behavior. He shook the younger man's hand and tried not to get distracted by the goggles.
"Why am I meeting him, Nathan?" The scientist questioned pleasantly. He didn't seem all too perturbed by the whole he's black thing.
"How do you think he'd look in a black suit, Hardison?"
A black suit? Why was the king mentioning a black suit? Besides Eliot looked good in a black suit but it wasn't any of the king's business.
"Why are you asking me?" Hardison demanded bitterly. His tone seemed quite affronted that the king had asked him that question. It was like it was a waste of his time to answer the king's question. Did he not get how monarchy worked? "I've only just met him."
"He's got certain qualifications," Nathan explained. Seriously, the guy really does allow his servants to call him Nathan. That's just wrong and weird.
"Like what?" Hardison didn't sound all too convinced. Eliot snarled at that and almost said something. Then he remembered that the scientist didn't know him so why would he be convinced. All Eliot looked like was a built piece of muscle who could kill with his hands. No big deal or anything. His ego didn't need to be stroked or anything.
"He intervened during one of my discussions at the Tavern," Nathan explained. Whatever that meant seemed to be the trick because Hardison looked mystified. "Yeah, he kindly pointed out to me that I shouldn't throw tables at women even if they're a shrew."
"She's not a shrew!" Hardison growled towards the man. He looked thoroughly impressed by Eliot though and that was worrying. What was so important about a guy yelling at a king for being rude? It's not like he knew he was the king at the time. Yeah he probably would have still done it but he would have proceeded with a little more respect instead of the threat of a sword.
"If he stood up to you under those circumstances than he doesn't need the black armor," the scientist continued, "Just give him a title and a whole bunch of metals. Anybody who can survive that deserves the utmost attention."
"My thoughts exactly," Nathan nodded, "You can go back to your potion making now. Your portion of the interview is over."
"Peace," Hardison replied. He was already disappearing behind the wall. The secret door closed with a loud thud and looked like it had never moved to begin with. Eliot blinked at the strange encounter and decided to finally ask a question.
"Interview?"
"How would you like to be my top knight?" Nathan asked. Eliot stared. The guy had only met him an hour ago and he already wanted to hire him to work as his right hand man. Yeah, the king was most definitely crazy.
"You don't have to make a decision now of course," Nathan continued. He seemed to take the silence as a moment of hesitation. It was a moment of should I get out of here now and risk killing the king or should I just play this off and risk my own sanety? So far the first option was winning.
"You just met me, your majesty," Eliot managed to say. Why did he speak? If he hadn't spoken he could have escaped. They were already messing with his mind. He actually was interested.
"Nathan," the king corrected. He waved him further along the passage to somewhere else in the castle. Sun was streaming through and there appeared to be windows. They were going up. "It takes a strong man to stick up to a king for the rights of others. It takes an even stronger man to stand up to a stranger for the rights of someone he doesn't even know. I say that says a lot about your character."
"But I've worked for Damien Moreau." Oops. Eliot's eyes went wide at the admission. He had planned on never telling a single soul that he had ever been associated with the likes of Moreau. He met this guy an hour ago and told him that. That was something you purposely didn't put on a job application.
The king actually paused and looked back at him with a frown. He looked sad at the ex-soldier's admission. Then he shrugged and continued to lead him up the stairs towards another part of the castle.
"We all make mistakes," he said, "We shouldn't have to be punished for them til the day we die."
"That's why I'm here, your majesty… uh, Nathan," Eliot tried his hardest to control his breathing at the amount of climbing they were doing. The emotional baggage probably wasn't helping. "I couldn't do those terrible things anymore. That's why I can't be your top knight, sir. I've murdered hundreds of people for a cause I don't even think I ever really supported. I can't defend your castle. I can't be trusted."
"And that is exactly why you can," Nathan said. He had stopped right in the doorway and refused to budge. He wore a knowing look on his face and a smile to boot. What?
"How does that even make sense?"
The King's smile grew wider. "You're catching on," he said, "Only a man who has commited unimagineable sins and repented would dare to hope for redemption. You, my new friend, are being given the opportunity your heart so desperately long's for."
"It can't be done," Eliot sighed. It was a sad truth but truth none the less. He committed too many acts of evil.
"One life slain at your hands can never be undone no matter how many you save," Nathan informed him. The King then immediately stepped through the doorway and beckoned his guest through. Eliot hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath and followed.
He was standing in a great cathedral with stained glass windows and high arched roof. The pews were royal blue and the aisles were adorned with black carpet. The crucifix of the lord Jesus was hanging in the front for all to see. Nobody was in there but that wasn't surprising. It was the cathedral of the castle after all. What was surprising was the way the king automatically adopted a show of respect at the vast chamber's magnificence. Nathan quickly dipped his hand in Holy water, crossed himself with a silent prayer and entered the cathedral. It was the first sensible action Eliot'd seen the man do. It was odd compared to the usual crazy.
Two men quietly walked out of the black confession booth located near the front. One was wearing the uniform of a clergyman. He must have been the father of the church. The man beside him wore the uniform of a captain of guards. There was no doubt who he was either.
"Ahh, Captain Bonano and Father Paul," Nathan greeted the two of them with obvious familiarity, "It's great to see you two getting along so well."
"Are you here to confess any sins today, Nathan?" The clergyman, Father Paul, asked.
"Because I got to say you probably have a lot to confess," the captain, Banano hopefully, pointed out. He didn't look all that shocked by the King's presence in a cathedral. In fact, he looked a little upset by it. It was like he wanted to wack the man upside the head. "You've been causing a rukus at McRory's again."
"Did the shrew tell on me?" Nathan demanded bitterly.
"Do not swear in the presence of God," Father Paul admonished. He even pointed towards ceiling and the ccrucifix to make his point very clear.
"And she's not," Bonano added on for good measure, "Just because you find her interesting does not mean you need to bug that poor girl all the time."
"Woman," Nathan corrected, "Is there a reason you are here?"
"I followed your orders and the thief's in the dungeon," Bonano rolled his eyes. There was something unusual about the way he so casually described the dugeons. It didn't seem as scary as it was supposed to be. "Word has been spread and I just confessed for it. Please don't include me in you little game anymore."
"Doubtful," Nathan laughed. He then pointed towards Eliot and directed everybody's attention that way. Eliot smiled out of respect and having no cluewhat else to do. "This is Eliot Spencer. He's going to be my new knight."
"I haven't really agreed to anything yet," Eliot explained.
The father and the sherrif just gave him a look. It was a peculiar look to wear on a first meeting. The two wore looks of pity. It was as if they felt sorry for him because he thought he had a chance to refuse. The ex-solider tried to be angry about that, but all he felt was certain that they were right.
"Well I pray that you are a good man and that you will have patience with this one," Father Paul pointed towards the king and held out his hand. Eliot shook it and tried to figure out if this was a trick. It certainly didn't seem like a trick but it was difficult to tell with this bunch.
"And thank you for reminding him that it's rude to throw tables at people," Bonano sighed. He quickly pat the ex-solider on the back and saluted the King. Then he was gone.
"Would you like to confess?" Father Paul questioned of the king. He was already working on straightening the cathedral up so he was doubtful.
"I'm not quite finished with the tour yet," Nathan winked. He quickly headed towards the front of the cathedral and quickly turned right.
Eliot stared after him for a few seconds before he followed. He was the guest so he should at least be a good one. Besides, he would be able to escape later on in the night. The King was going to have a feast after all. Sticking around for a few more hours couldn't hurt, hopefully.
The next room Eliot stepped into had to be the throne room. Why? It was the biggest room in the castle, had three walls decorated with grand entryways, and had a throne on the fourth wall with two small doors on either side of it. Plus, the crest of King Nathan, a simple black chess king encompassed by a field of blue, was hanging directly above the throne.
"So what would I be doing as your top knight?" Eliot asked. He figured he'd at least play along. It was probably safest to do so. It wasn't like he was actually considering it or anything.
"I knew you were hooked," Nathan smiled at the knight's reply. He calmly plopped onto his throne and thought about his answer. "You'd advise me on affairs both war related and non. We'd talk strategies of how to make the kingdom better. Simple stuff like that really."
"Would I have to kill anybody?"
That was the most important question on the planet. Eliot Spencer former knight and soldier for King Damien Moreau would not kill. Not anymore. The offer would be off the table if he had to.
"Only as a last resort or in times of war," Nathan responded as if he knew exactly what was on the ex-soldier's mind. The way he looked at him suggested that he did. That was a disconcerting thought.
"I will not have you taint your hands further with blood if I can help it," the King promised, "You will be my trusted advisor at least. I will not put you in the battlefield unless you ask or it is our only hope."
"Then I will consider your offer," Eliot nodded. He really meant it to. It would be nice to serve a King who wouldn't use his skills to bring murder and chaos to the world. Instead Eliot's brain would be put to good use. He very would probably accept before the night was over. It was a tempting offer.
A guard walked into the throne room looking more like clay than anything else in the world. When he spoke his voice was strained and sounded on the verge of tears.
"Sir, the lady of the dugeons wishes to see you now," he croaked.
"Send her in," Nathan ordered with a grin. The guard bowed and made a hasty retreat. Soot and grey footprints were lef tin his wake. The king actually laughed at that.
"Stand by me, Eliot," he continued to laugh as he spoke, "You might as well get a feel for how your job will be… That is if you choose to accept."
Eliot did as was ordered and kindly ignored the mockery in the King's tone. He wasn't even sure if the king was wrong anymore. The offer just kept getting more and more tempting as the day progressed. The only question on his lips was:
"What's next?"
Two guards entered the court with a small form in hand. Well, if you could call the blonde woman skipping in between them anything else you'd probably win a prize. The girl was dainty and smiled brightly despite the fact that she was being escorted by guards. Her smile just grew brighter when she was finally at the foot of the throne and her grey eyes were staring into Eliot's in amusement. Her gaze moved to the King and she waved a surprisingly unchained hand towards him. It was then that Eliot noticed the girl wore no shackles and had smudges of grey dirt on her fingers. Her dress was lilac and the hem flittered to the floor right above her skinny ankles. Then Eliot realized the girl wasn't wearing any shoes.
"Hi, Nathan," the girl waved towards the King. Then she jumped in between her guards in impatience. The girl looked like she wanted to give the King a hug but the guards seemed to be stopping her with nothing more than their presence. Eliot was pretty certain the guards wouldn't have stopped the spritely blonde if not for the King's presence.
"Hello, Parker," Nathan smiled back. There was something wicked in his eyes again. Worse, there was something wicked shimmering in the girl's eyes as well. Something was up.
"Who's he?" Parker pointed towards Eliot to make certain her question was understood. She even made sure her arm was right in her right hand guard's face and grazing his nose, proving Eliot's thoughts immediately. The guards were only there for formality's sake. The girl was no real prisoner.
"It's rude to point, Parker," Nate admonished with a gentle frown. He didn't even comment on the arm in the face. His voice was pitched soft and showed nothing but pure kindness towards the blonde. He cared about the girl that much was obvious. "And his name is Eliot Spencer. He's going to be my new knight."
"We haven't agreed on anything yet," Eliot felt like he had to remind him. Then the girl smiled just like the others had. She smiled like it was funny he would think he had a choice.
"Nathan's never wrong," Parker instructed him simply. Her features cracked to form a dangerous grin and Eliot swallowed at the way she was analizing him. Then her smile broke into happiness again. She nodded her head firmly and turned towards Nathan.
"I like him." She said it in a manner that suggested her opinion mattered to the King. Considering the amount of crazy going on around here it probably did. Seriously, there was something wrong with that girl.
"Oh God, again?" The voice of Alec Hardison filled the room to announce his presence. He entered from the room directly to the right of Nathan's throne and stared straight at the girl named Parker. The narrowed eyes of the scientist couldn't conceal the way his face glowed at the mere image of the girl. And if the way her smile grew brighter in return was any indication, those feelings weren't one-sided.
"Again?" Eliot was confused by the again. He could tell the blonde and the scientist and the King knew each other quite well, but he didn't get the again. Were the guards a regular occurrence for her? Eliot had just assumed they knew each other from town. You know what they say about assumptions.
"I can't believe you, Nathan," Alec rolled his eyes; there was an air of exasperation in his voice. "This is absurd even for you."
"You still haven't answered my question," Eliot pointed out. He was getting confused. This was one of the downsides of being the new guy in town. You always had to play catch up.
"Oh, you'll figure it out once Sophie gets here," Parker waved her arm towards the soldier and then squared up against the guards with a determined look. She gave a quick wink to Nathan and took off before the guards even realized what happened. She slammed into the scientist hard enough that they both fell over. Then her laughing voice called out, "Hi Hardison!"
Hardison just groaned in pain and managed to huff out a low, "Hi Parker." Then they were both stumbling to get up and stay in the hug at the same time. Eliot tried to contain his laughter at the way they were acting. Judging by the way the King was chuckling and gazing at him knowingly, he did not succeed.
"Parker!" a familiar voice shouted through the halls of the castle. Eliot groaned because he thought he figured out exactly what was going on, or who was coming through that door at least.
Sure enough, the woman from the tavern appeared at the door on the right wall of the throne room. The two men standing guard immediately moved their axes into an X to stop her progress. She just glanced over them with an eyeroll and glared at the King on his throne.
"Where's Parker?" the woman demanded in a gruff tone. She seemed very adamant that she was going to kill the King with her glare one day. Unfortunately, everybody except the King, and Parker, flinched.
"Hi, Sophie!" Parker waved towards the brunette with a wide smile of glee. She looked far too at home in the throneroom of the castle. This definitely was not the first time she was in there nor did it look like it would be the last.
The woman whose name was Sophie actually smiled at the blonde. Her face softened the moment her eyes found the woman she was looking for and a tiny giggle even escaped her lips at the way Parker and Hardison were hugging each other.
"Hello, Parker. Hi, Hardison," she said. Then her features returned to their impressive glare of murder as her gaze landed on the King again. "What is it this time?"
"This time?" Eliot wasn't quite following this story as much as he wanted to.
Nathan, and everybody else, ignored him. "Just a pouch of silver," the King replied, "she seems to be in a generous mood today."
"Did she put it back?" Sophie demanded as she quickly started moving around her dress. The guards didn't even move to see what she was doing. They apparently knew the routine by now.
"Of course I put it back," Parker looked affronted at the accusation. It was like the concept of keeping the things you stole was new to her, "I'm not a bad thief!"
"I know you're not, Parker," Sophie's tone was a bit motherly. It even held the exact same gentleness Nathan's voice had when talking to the thief. She then eyed the guards in scorn. They apparently weren't getting the hint though because she held up a pouch of money and shook it in front of them. The men turned as one towards their king.
"Let her through," Nathan waved his hand with a smile. He loved to flaunt his power towards this woman and see it thrown back into his face. He was absolutely thrilled by it. It was like he couldn't wait for the next challenge the woman would throw his way. He was probably even looking for a fight with her wherever he could… oh! That was why he and Parker had the evil glints in their eyes. This was a routine.
Sophie walked gracefully into the room as if she owned it. She kept both of her glaring eyes on Nathan and waited until she was directly in the middle before she began. There were no words now. She threw the sack of coins towards the King as hard as she could. She frowned when he caught it but that was soon replaced with a smile of victory the moment Parker was in her arms. She hugged the girl tightly and began to take her leave.
"Wait," Parker ordered the other woman urgently. The brunette just stared at her with great patience and did as told without complaint. "You have to meet Eliot."
Sophie stared at the thief in confusion before the blonde dragged her towards the soldier. Eliot backed up against the wall and searched the room for an exit. He found none the moment Parker was right there in front of him, pointing again.
"It's rude to point, Parker," Sophie admonished the girl just as gently as Nathan had only moments before. Nathan looked like he wanted to point that out too but Hardison had given him a very pointed glare. The King fell silent and watched instead.
"This is Eliot Spencer," Parker proudly announced with a flourish of her arms. She smiled brightly afterwards and Eliot sort of got the feeling that she was practicing showing things off on him. Sophie did not look pleased. She barely even seemed to react. The brunette's eyes grew wide at the mention of his name and then quickly went back to normal not even a microsecond after they grew. Her lips curved into a soft smile and she extended her hand towards the soldier with an allure about her. Eliot felt his eyes magnetically connect with hers and couldn't look away.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Spencer," Sophie curtsied and smiled flirtatiously.
Eliot smiled back and gently kissed the top of her hand. "It's nice to meet you as well, Miss Sophie."
"Sophie's just fine," the brunette blushed at his polite demeanor. There was something off about that. There was something deep within her eyes that didn't match her exterior. "It's nice to see real gentlemen still exist in this cozy little town. Until we meet again, Mr. Spencer. Come along, Parker."
The thief frowned at the order but immediately did as told. She followed the brunette to the door and quickly waved good-bye to the court. Silence fell in the women's wake and refused to stop until the doors to the castle gate were firmly closed.
"So Nathan…" Eliot started to break the tension.
"It's your highness!" Nathan snapped towards the soldier before he immediately rose from his throne and left through the little side door Hardison had entered through. The door slammed behind him and the scientist whistled.
"What was that about?" Eliot couldn't understand these people. One minute they were all nice and everything and the next they were real jerks.
"Sophie was nice to you," Hardison explained the King's behavior immediately.
"So?" How was that an excuse?
"Parker says Sophie's only nice to those she courts," Hardison pointed his head towards the King as if that explained everything. Wait a minute!
"The King's jealous?" Eliot stared at the scientist in awe. Didn't he hate the brunette? "Why?"
"Let's just say the King feels like he owes her the world on a silver platter," Hardison decided to go easy on him. He was still apparently getting used to the whole idea of Sophie being nice. "It has something to do with their history and that's something we don't really discuss around here."
"They were an odd pair," Eliot commented about the two women. He even pointed his chin in the direction they left to make certain he was understood.
"They grow on you after a while," Hardison smiled at the soldier's meaning. He was probably still picturing the golden strands of Parker's hair. "Sophie's really only mad at the world when the King is in the same room. It's a game they play."
"A game?" Eliot stared at the man in confusion. What kind of game involves yelling at each other all the time and making everybody miserable?
"The King will explain everything once he cools down," Hardison informed him with a smile. "Sophie seems to be a touchy subject with him. Anyway, what would you like to know?"
"Where did they come from and why does the town seem to respect and love them almost as much as they love their king," Eliot paused as he thought about his question, "Why do they love Sophie more than their King?"
"Well let's just stick to the short version cuz I don't have the lung compacity for the whole thing right now," Hardison suggested as a conversation starter. "So short version is: Parker and Sophie came to town… oh about five years ago."
"You don't know for sure?"
"It's been a few years and the first years were really hectic! You'll understand when I finish the story. Anyway, they came around the same time Nathan's son died… Well, actually they came two years after that. Maggie, the King's ex-queen, died of grief and the King sort of fell into the bottle."
"What do you mean by sort of? Have you seen how much he drinks?"
"It used to be a lot worse. He basically just found a barrel and plopped right on in for two whole years. The kingdom suffered because a lot of the bad guys Nathan worked very hard to wipe on out of here decided to return and in numbers too. Man, they were looting stores and setting fires and Nathan didn't do anything about it cuz he just lost his wife and his kid."
"That's no excuse to abandon your whole kingdom!"
"I'm getting to it, man. I'm getting to it! Anyway, Sophie and Parker came to town two years after Sam died and decided to stop here for some reason even we can't understand because this place was a mess."
"Get to the story!"
"So, they get here and see all these bad things happening, right? Well, they think okay the King will figure everything out and come get them because his grief has to be over. Then somebody…"
"Let me guess, then somebody attacks Sophie."
"Nope, then somebody kills the nice old lady who used to tell stories to the kids in town. Parker freaks out and proposes they move but Sophie decides she's not going, right? She marches herself all the way into the castle and finds the King nursing a couple of glasses of mead because he heard about the storyteller and just feels awful. Sophie goes straight up to him and yells at him for being a complete and utter bonehead trying to drown in his own grief and bring his people down with him."
"And what did he do?" Eliot demanded in interest. He blinked because he just realized they weren't somewhere in the castle he'd been before. Of course, he now couldn't remember how to get back because of the story either. There were so many things he would have to learn about this place. If he stayed there that is.
"He went after them, hard," Hardison smiled at his awesome story skills. "It was Lord Blackpoole footing the bill for most of the evil. Blackpoole lost his title and stuff and was exiled for his crimes. Nathan started taking care of his people again and the rest is history. Sophie and Parker were then put into the apartments above McRory's tavern as a thank you from the King. He even offered to give them gold and stuff but they just said they would accept a place to stay. Actually Parker wanted the gold but Sophie told her that they had enough of it and they didn't need more."
"Where did they come from?"
"Beats me! There's a theory out there that Parker kidnapped Sophie for some money and it backfired. Another one says Sophie was a princess forced to flee from her land when a rival country tried to burn it to the ground and Parker was the only other survivor. There's a bunch of stories that suggest Sophie left her town when some guy wanted to marry her and Parker helped her get away. Hell, that one's the most popular choice if you ask me. My personal favorite is the one where she was supposed to marry King Damien of Moreau. That'll get the kiddies scared during Fright Festival."
"King Damien of Moreau, yeah right!" Eliot laughed at the very idea of it. Then he started to think about it for a minute. He did remember Damien telling him a story about a villager in one of the towns they conquered escaping before he could claim her as his bride. That's just coincidence though. No way could that woman be the same one as the one that appears to keep the King on his toes. Damien's girl was too quiet for that. Of course, her eyes did do that strange popping thing.
"So anyways," Hardison interrupted, "This is your room."
They were at a section of the castle with blue curtains and dark tunnels. Eliot's room was grand in size and held a bed big enough for a king and several guests. Oddly enough the tapestries and curtains throughout were red and gold. The fire was blazing in the distance and it looked like a room fit for someone far richer and royal than Eliot himself. It was a room fit for a king.
"Dinner starts at dusk," Hardison grinned. Eliot's face was completely slack-jaw if the grin was anything to go by. "Don't be late to your own party, man. The top knight should at least have the decency to tell time."
"Nothing's been decided…" And the scientist was gone before the knight could even finish his lie.
Eliot sighed dramatically and stared at his room. He could get used to this kind of life. Then he noticed his treasures had all been moved into the room. He glared at them and kindly went to his trunk. He would have a bath and look presentable. He would not agree to being anybody's knight until morning. Even Eliot knew that wasn't the truth, but it was a lie that got him to feel less nervous about meeting the rest of the court.