Hello, everyone! I'm back! At last! I know, I know, I'm incredibly late - and I also know it's been a little over five months since I've last updated, but in case you didn't know, it was all because of my laptop. My laptop was facing issues, and by the time I got this new one, I was in school and there's just a lot of things going on right now. (A lot. A freakish amount. It's beginning to get harder and harder for me to find a relaxing weekend, because most of my problems in life has completely taken over what little free time I already had. So I apologize.)

Thank you, everyone, who still stopped in to review and give me all of the motivation to write - it was incredibly sweet and kind of you, and God knows I needed it. So...here we go! Enjoy!

Chapter Five. William

Part three of chapter five.

The warning bells were ringing through the kingdom, and Obi-wan couldn't do anything except stand by Qui-Gon and help the best he could. There were people sitting all around him, wearing identical expressions of despair and pain. Bandages were wrapped around their heads – their arms – their legs. Peeking from underneath the gauze, Obi-wan could make out burn and claw marks…

"What happened?"

Obi-wan turned around to see William running by his side. The young man's expression was one of mixed feelings – partial disbelief, partial bewilderment. Obi-wan couldn't take the time to analyze what it all exactly meant, but he managed to reply, "Another village was attacked by that winged creature."

"And it's heading south," Qui-Gon murmured, sticking out a hand. "Obi-wan, bandages. Now."

Obi-wan obliged, though he didn't bother turning away from William. "If it's heading south, it could be coming straight for –"

"Coruscant," William finished grimly.

Obi-wan nodded, walking over to another villager – this one a young boy. He whimpered up at Obi-wan, his eyes wide and unseeing. Obi-wan felt a kick to the stomach. He knew that he would have to find out what this creature was – and soon, if it was going to harm Coruscant.

As though he had read Obi-wan's mind, William said aloud, "I wish there was something I could do."

"Right now," Obi-wan replied, holding up the bandages. "This is the best we can bothCoru do."

William opened his mouth, as though he was ready to say something, but instead, he just nodded and took the bandages from Obi-wan.

xXx

William watched silently from his spot near the courtyard as Anakin circled around a group of knights. He was giving some kind of speech – that much, William could tell – and it was most certainly about the most recent attack from the winged creature. Obi-wan had already mentioned something about how Anakin was probably going to take his knights out on an expedition against the terrifying beast – and though William was still far, far away from becoming a knight, he couldn't help but to stand and observe (and wish from the bottom of his heart that he was one of those knights, too).

When the knights dispersed from the courtyard, William found himself shuffling forward. Anakin was standing by himself, one hand tapping aimlessly at the hilt of his sword and the other beating against the side of his leg. Though the expression on Anakin's face remained steady and hard, William could just see the gears turning in his head.

"Yes, William?"

William froze on the spot, just a few steps away from Anakin. How did he –

Well. Anakin Skywalker was known, by default, to be one of the best warriors in the land.

"Is there anything I can do, sire?" William asked. His voice sounded small and insignificant to his own ears, and it took every ounce of self-dignity and control in him to not back away. "It's just…I know that in the event of battle, only a knight may serve, but I still wanted to see if there's a way I could help."

Anakin turned around. His expression was unreadable, and William felt his heartbeat race in his chest. Anakin narrowed his eyes at him, his jaws slightly clenched and his hands still drumming against his sword hilt.

"That's right, William," Anakin said at last, unsheathing his sword. William tried not to flinch, but it was hard – he blinked, though Anakin didn't seem to pay any attention to that. "Only knights are allowed to serve in battle." He strode past William, but before he could leave the courtyard, the prince added over his shoulder, "Which is why I've decided to bring your test forward. Get ready – you're facing me in a few hours."

William gawked after Anakin, wondering if perhaps this was some kind of joke. But Anakin didn't turn around, nor did he look back. William felt sweat bead at the palms of his hands. This was all he wanted – a fighting chance.

The faintest of smiles twitched over William's lips. Just earlier today, hadn't Anakin tested William by fighting at the market? Hadn't Anakin said that that was enough to see if William had the basic fighting skills or not? And William had surpassed Anakin's expectations then…why not now? He was so close to succeeding…

William had to bite the inside of his cheek from laughing. This was absurd. This was ludicrous. This was ridiculous.

But it was absolutely fantastic.

xXx

Obi-wan dearly wished that Anakin wasn't so fond of dramatics.

Only of course, the prince was overly fond of them – which made the whole situation even more nerve-wracking than it already was supposed to be. Obi-wan could only watch and wonder if William was feeling more nervous than he looked. (William's face had gone absolutely blank, only his eyes flicking back and forth ever few seconds.) He could feel Padmé fidgeting every few minutes, and while she, too, wore a cool expression, there was a definite tension around her.

"William, fifth son of lord Eldred of Northumbria," Anakin declared from the other side of the training grounds, nodding at one of the time-keepers, "your time starts now." With that, he shoved on his helmet, his eyes flashing only briefly from under the metal.

William, with steady hands, placed the helmet over his head. Obi-wan could see him hesitate just for a second – and then, he took up his sword bravely and boldly, swinging it once around his wrist.

The duel started with the clang and clashing of swords. Sparks flew from metal, spitting at the grass and tearing between the two men. For a heart-stopping moment, Obi-wan wondered if perhaps Anakin had just been toying with William before – that Anakin had in fact just been holding back all of his fighting abilities until now.

But then the swords flew apart, and William stumbled back only half a step before running back to the heat of the duel. Obi-wan couldn't tell what William and Anakin were thinking from under their helmets, but he could see the determination radiating off of every impact the swords made when hitting against each other.

Padmé emitted a short gasp. "They're keeping up with each other," she whispered, turning to Obi-wan.

"How can you tell?"

Padmé gave Obi-wan a skeptical look. "It's all in the footing," she responded. "I'm the daughter of a blacksmith, Obi – I would know these things." She turned back to the duel, pointing briefly at William. "See? Most inexperienced fighters wouldn't understand how important balance is – but William is mimicking each one of Anakin's fighting techniques, even his footing. That leaves Anakin to use a certain form only once so William won't catch on."

Obi-wan turned back to the training ground. He could see sweat trailing down the side of William's face now, and in that exact moment, that was the only thing he could focus on. He watched it roll down from his cheek and down to the grass –

He heard a sharp whistling sound, and then Padmé grabbed at his tunic. Obi-wan's head jerked up to see William on the ground, his sword tossed aside and Anakin standing above him. The prince took off his helmet, an almost apologetic look on his face.

"Shame," he said simply, and put his sword on the ground. He lowered himself to take William up –

William's eyes flew open. Faster than Obi-wan could process, William's leg shot out and aimed squarely at Anakin's ankle. With a surprised cry, Anakin tumbled to the wet grass, leaving William to rise up.

"His time wasn't up," Padmé breathed, her eyes bright. "He could still turn the duel around!"

And turn the duel around, he did.

William picked up Anakin's sword, and pressing the flat end to the prince's chest, he asked calmly, "Do you submit, sire?" There was the faintest flash of defiance in William's eyes, and this time, Obi-wan couldn't help but smile. Anakin only looked back at him, his eyes stunned and his arms slightly lifted above his head.

Before Anakin could respond, two other knights surged from the crowd. They grabbed William by the shoulders, effectively knocking the sword out of his hand in the process. Obi-wan stiffened as William was forced down on his knees.

"Stay there," Anakin said, picking up his sword.

"Obi-wan," Padmé whispered frantically, "what is he doing?"

"I don't know," Obi-wan replied, moving away from the fence. "But he can't –" He was cut off by the sound of laughter. He looked up again, this time coming to the sight of Anakin holding out a hand for William. The prince was beaming down at him, his lips stretched back at a wide and teasing grin. William's face, which had gone pale when he was forced down on his knees, was quickly brought back to life with color and relief as he took Anakin's hand.

"Come on," Obi-wan heard Anakin laugh. "I'd be an idiot if I didn't knight you right away."

xXx

The celebration that followed the knighting ceremony was something that William had never seen or felt before. He had never been the center of attention – only briefly, at times, when he was a young boy who still ran for his mother whenever he scraped his knees – but today, there was always another knight who wanted to shake his hand or a maiden who wanted to offer a kind word of celebration. Whatever the reason was, William found himself overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who had welcomed him so easily and without trouble.

Only William was quick to forget that the only reason why this had happened was because Obi-wan had lied – and he was reminded of this when the king came to him to offer his own congratulatory response.

"You do as a great honor, Sir William," the king said with a smile. It didn't seem to reach his eyes, though William tried his best to look as sincere (and as innocent) as possible, even when the king patted him on the shoulder. "The knighthood is the very foundation of Coruscant."

Not knowing how to reply, William only said, "The honor is all mine, sire."

"Mm," the king responded, smile still on his face. Patting his shoulder again, he added, "Your father will be very proud."

William felt his heart sink. He tried for a grin, though it was hard to concentrate on looking the part of a noble when his heart was pounding so hard. "Yes, sire," he said, his voice lowering. And still, King Palpatine would not let William go. His hand remained on William's shoulder like an iron grip, tight and threatening and ready to snap any moment.

"I have not seen Lord Eldred for many years," King Palpatine mused. "Longer than I'd imagined, it seems." He turned to William, a faint smile on his face. "The last time I had seen him, he only had four sons."

There it is, William thought, his heart sinking to his stomach.

"Well," he said, swallowing, "here I am!"

"Indeed, you are," King Palpatine replied dryly. "And I've kept you too long already. Enjoy the celebrations!" With a final smile, William watched the king walk away to the front of the throne room. He could feel sweat beading at the back of his neck – there was something definitely off about that whole conversation, and the fact that the king was talking to one of the other nobles wasn't making him feel any easier.

"Sir William!"

William turned around to see yet another knight smiling at him, a hand outstretched.

xXx

Obi-wan's cheeks hurt from smiling so much, but he didn't care. William was laughing with Anakin over something, the look on his face alight with happiness. Obi-wan couldn't help himself – he turned only slightly to his mentor, saying, "Look at him, Qui-Gon – doesn't William deserve this moment?"

"I never said he didn't," Qui-Gon replied casually, looking down at the bottom of his goblet. "But destiny and desserts are not the same thing. You played God, Obi-wan. You set him upon a path of your choosing – and while tonight, you've brought him triumph, no one knows what the future might hold." Obi-wan didn't miss the look of disproval in Qui-Gon's eyes, nor did he miss the chilling effect his words took on after.

Obi-wan forced on a smile. "I don't know what it said on your invitation," he said with feigned cheeriness, "but on mine, it said something about a celebration."

Qui-Gon only cast Obi-wan a sidelong glance. "Don't stay out too late."

"Alright," Obi-wan said, still grinning. He made his way to Padmé, trying his best to forget what Qui-Gon had just told him. There was no need to be dark and gloomy now – Obi-wan was tired of talk of destinies from everyone. Right now, the only thing that mattered was the little things – like trying to see if the celebrations were worth enjoying or not.

"I'm beginning to think our Sir William has his eyes set on you, Padmé," Obi-wan said, effectively startling his friend. Padmé only turned to look at Obi-wan, rolling her eyes and a laugh halfway across her lips.

"Don't be ridiculous, Obi-wan," she said, clasping her hands in front of herself.

"What's so ridiculous about William?" Obi-wan asked lightly. "He's not too bad."

"He's not exactly my type."

Obi-wan let out a laugh, shaking his head. He nodded over at William and Anakin, teasing, "Fine, then – just for the sake of an argument. If you had to…" He pointed at the space between the two men. "Anakin or William?"

Padmé rolled her eyes again. "I don't have to, and I never will," she said cheerfully.

"Oh, that's no fun at all, Padmé."

xXx

The next morning, William woke up with a pounding headache, and he blamed it wholeheartedly on Obi-wan, who was in much better shape than him. "Two yards of ale?" William mumbled around his sleep, managing to get up from his cot. "Two whole miles, more like it."

Obi-wan righted himself from his bed, hands rubbing his eyes and a sheepish smile on his face. His ginger-colored hair, usually so neat and brushed back, was unkempt this morning and looking more like a boy's than a young man's. "That's our punishment, I suppose," he murmured.

William groaned, but after a solid two and a half minutes, he managed to open the door.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Qui-Gon said cheerfully, his voice loud to William's ears. (Damn hangovers, William thought glumly.) He was holding up two small cups, filled to the rim with a pale yellow liquid. "Don't look at it – don't smell it – just down it all in one."

William and Obi-wan exchanged wary looks as they received the cups from Qui-Gon. Despite what the physician had said, William took another glance at the liquid – which he now realized was slightly frothy – and grimaced.

"Go on, then," Qui-Gon said, sitting back. "Drink up, drink up."

William shot Obi-wan another bewildered look, though his friend looked just as confused as he.

"Just do it," Obi-wan said decidedly. The two men nodded at each other – lifted their cups – and tilted their heads back.

Instantly, William felt a burst of sour and bitter taste in his mouth. He heard Obi-wan make a small sound of protest – and looked just to see that Qui-Gon was making sure that Obi-wan had drunk the last drop of the stuff. William, at this, forced himself to drink the last of the terrible-tasting concoction.

When it was all done and over with, Qui-Gon neatly took away the cups and said, "Can't have you nodding off on the first day of the job, William."

"That's Sir William, if you don't mind," Obi-wan grinned. William felt heat rise up to his face, feeling a familiar rush of exhilaration. That was right – today was his first day – and he would be a knight. An actual, proper knight…

Just when William was starting to relax, the door flew open, and in marched two knights wearing solemn expressions. William hadn't seen them at the celebrations last night – they were older knights, who most certainly didn't look too pleased with being called so early in the morning.

"What're you doing?" Obi-wan asked, his voice lifting as the knights grabbed William's arms. "Let him go!"

"King's orders," one of the knights said, and with a rough yank of the arms, William was forced out of the room.

xXx

"Tell him what you told me." King Palpatine's voice was cold and unforgiving, echoing around and around the throne room without even so much a falter. Obi-wan tried to remain as still as he possibly could – that was the only reason he was allowed to be here, otherwise Qui-Gon would have forced him to stay in the work chambers – though it was unbelievably hard to not want to protest. William was on his knees in front of King Palpatine, his eyes downcast and his head bowed.

Jocasta Nu held up the thick roll of parchment that Obi-wan had just used a few days before. "These credentials are faked," she said sternly. "The seal itself is faultless, forgery of the highest possible standard – but a forgery, it must be." She placed the parchment down, her usually kind eyes grave and disappointed. "There is no record fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria. Therefore, he –"

"Lied," King Palpatine interrupted, his lips twisting into a cruel scowl. He looked down at William. "Do you deny it?"

William, to Obi-wan's great shame, didn't even miss a beat. "No, sire."

Anakin, who had been so quiet before, let out a small sigh of disappointment. He looked just as overwhelmed as Obi-wan felt – only the difference between the two men, of course, was that Anakin had done nothing.

You played God, Obi-wan, Qui-Gon had said only last night. And damn, he had been right.

"You have broken the first code of Coruscant," the king said, staring William down. "You have brought shame upon yourself and upon us. You are not worthy of the knighthood bestowed upon you." There was a silence. William lifted his head only once, and though he looked as calm and as unruffled as ever, Obi-wan could see a single tear streak down the side of his face. Not for the first time that morning, Obi-wan felt a painful kick to the stomach. He was tempted to run forward now, fling himself at the king and tell him that it was all a misunderstanding – that it was Obi-wan who had done the forgery – that the code was unfair – that William should be let free because of Obi-wan's mistakes –

But Qui-Gon kept a firm grip on Obi-wan, no matter how hard he wanted to twitch away.

"Get him out of my sight," King Palpatine said, flicking his robes away. And with a rattle of chains and the grunting of the other knights, William was escorted (or dragged, more like) out of the throne room. There was a murmuring amongst the audience, and Obi-wan had no choice but to stand still and wait for the other nobles to file out. (And no one did.)

"Sire," Anakin finally said, and though his voice was purposefully low, it was impossible not to hear him. The throne room was cavernous and every little sound seemed to bounce around its walls – and the fact that Obi-wan was straining himself to listen only seemed to help matters.

"Do you contest my judgement?" the king asked, looking away from Anakin.

"His deception was inexcusable," Anakin only replied. "But he meant no harm, sire – I am sure of it. He only wished to serve."

"The first code is a sacred bond of trust," the king said dismissively. "It is what binds the knights together." He turned to Anakin, staring at him dead in the eye. "How can you trust a man who's so obviously lied to you?"

Anakin fell silent.

A/N - As always, reviews would be nice! Constructive criticism is alright (I tried to take the advice that many of you had to offer), but flames are not!