Okay. This entire chapter is a flashback. I'm not going to put it in italics because that'd be a huge chuck of italicized text to have to read.

Long chapter ahead. You've been warned. :)

-----

He could still remember where he had been that day. In the throne room, standing next to King Albert up on his elevated platform, talking about something or another. Most likely something besides the rogue Sandorans who still made trouble in Serdio even though their emperor was long dead. They were both tired of dealing with the outlaws, tired of talking about them and trying to end their resistance.

Which was exactly what was going on, and had been for a few weeks prior. News had reached Indels that what probably represented the bulk of the rogue army had gathered in the southwest of Serdio, and that they were making their way north. Two knighthoods, the Second and Third, had been dispatched to take care of the threat. Whether or not they had been successful was not known yet.

Lavitz had stayed in Bale instead of fighting with them. His own company of knights had been dealing with the Sandorans in previous months, and it would have hardly been smart to send out the exhausted men when thirteen other knighthoods were available.

It was that day when Radulf, the lieutenant of the Third Knighthood, walked into the throne room to greet his king. The fact that the man was alone, his captain nowhere to be seen, nor the officers of the Second, caused something inside of Lavitz to turn cold. Something was wrong.

"My lord." Radulf bowed, going down on one knee.

"Rise," Albert said simply. The knight did as such. Albert hesitated; he too could tell something was wrong. "Was the Sandoran threat met?"

"It was. They proved a...bit more of a challenge than we had foreseen, but they should no longer pose a significant problem to us."

"Excellent. Well done."

Radulf only glanced briefly at Lavitz. The look in his eyes was one of nervousness, fear...and sadness. It was something Lavitz had never seen in the older man before.

"Where is Sir Arlo?" The First Knight asked at last. "Why did he not come in here with you?"

"He...cannot."

"Why? Is he wounded?"

"Yes, but..." A pause.

"What happened?" the king addressed Radulf.

"I'd much rather tell you this in more private quarters. With the officers of the Second present. And Coen."

"Coen? Why?" Albert furrowed his brow.

"Because he knows everything."

-----

The conference room was oddly silent. Lavitz sat leaned over the table, elbows resting on the wood's smooth surface, his hands covering his face, a most unofficial posture. But he cared little about proper things right now.

He could still remember, all those years ago, the one misjudged decision he had made during the Civil War that had cost him nearly the entire First Knighthood. One choice that had meant the deaths of almost two hundred good men, many of whom had left families behind. They had trusted him with their lives...and lost them.

It replayed in his mind as the news of this current situation sunk in. Yet again, one man's decision had caused the deaths of most of his company--as well as those of another knighthood, and civilians in one of the nearby towns. The Third Knighthood had a mere fraction of its original numbers now. The Second had suffered significant losses as well. The man responsible had been Arlo, the head of the Third Knighthood. And his decision had been to betray Serdio, to put his men in a position where they would be slaughtered by the soldiers of Sandora. The only reason the total obliteration of the Serdians hadn't occurred was because Arlo had been wounded before he could complete his commands; knights of the Second had found him and taken him captive to prevent him from doing further damage.

What made the situation worse was that Lavitz and Albert had allowed Arlo to join the Basilian knights during the Serdian War, while they both knew full well that Arlo and his wife were from Sandora. They had trusted him. The other knights had trusted him, to the point of naming him their commander. And yet Arlo had just been waiting for a chance such as this.

It made Lavitz wonder if the man had been involved with more unnecessary deaths during the Serdian War that nobody was truly aware of. How many lives could have been saved if we had noticed this sooner?

Arlo's son Coen was one of the survivors of the massacre. With the sudden disappearance of their commander, the knights of the Third had turned to Radulf and Coen for leadership. Radulf because of his rank, and Coen because he was one of the few left who had the ability and knowledge to command the soldiers. He had been given that training by his father. Lavitz could understand that; his own father had taught him the meaning of being the First Knight of Serdio, and Lavitz therefore had been the one who was able to take his position when he had died.

Although those had certainly been different circumstances than the ones Coen was facing.

He's even younger than I was when I became the First Knight. Lavitz looked at him, where he sat further down the table. Coen's eyes were blank, and he didn't seem to even be aware of where he was. They've as good as forced him into being the commander of the Third. Why didn't they choose Radulf instead? Coen isn't ready for this. The boy is in shock. It's a wonder he was able to get back to Bale in one piece.

King Albert spoke at long last, from his seat at the head of the table. "Sir Coen."

Coen snapped back to reality then, although the terrified look never left him. "Your majesty?"

"Sir Radulf said you know everything about what happened. Beyond what he and the other have just told us."

"Yes." His voice was so low, even Lavitz could barely hear him.

"How did you come across this knowledge?"

"I..." The young knight looked away and visibly shuddered.

The others waited patiently.

"I know because he told me."

"Your father?"

"Yes. He told me everything. Every detail of his plan, what he was going to do." Coen was still shaking, but his speech had taken on a determined edge.

"What...?" Albert was running his fingers along the arm of the chair. Lavitz recognized it as a sign of agitation.

Coen looked the king straight in the eye. "He told me everything the night before the battle. I knew what he was going to do. Exactly what he would do. I knew and I couldn't... I did nothing to stop him. I let him do it. I did nothing..." The look of shock appeared on his face again, and he fell silent abruptly.

Lavitz could only stare at him. Great Soa, no wonder he's so upset. He just aided in an act of treason against Serdio.

-----

Albert and Lavitz were alone in one of the upper rooms of Indels Schloss. There were plenty of chairs, but neither man was sitting. Lavitz was leaning against the frame of the single, but large, window of the room. The king, on the other hand, was slowly pacing along the far wall. As he had told Lavitz before, moving around kept his mind from becoming too obsessed with his distress, kept it clear so he could think. It was still a strange sight to see, even to Lavitz. The normally even-tempered, optimistic Albert acting like a crazed caged animal.

"So what do you suggest?" Albert asked, not stopping his pacing.

"What else? By law Arlo must either face prison or execution..." The man who murdered my father escaped that fate. At least, until I found him. Lavitz frowned.

Albert's face also reflected his dislike of the 'execution' part. "I meant about Coen."

"I don't know." Lavitz turned his attention back to the window. Just because he knew the military laws backwards and forwards, and just because he was the person who had to deal with cases such as these didn't mean he liked it.

"I certainly don't believe he did it on purpose."

"He didn't." The First Knight knew that much. Arlo had the boy terrified of him. Soa knows Radulf and I tried to help him, but Arlo was just too good at undoing anything we managed to accomplish. Damn, why didn't I see what this was leading to sooner?

"He's a good person. I don't want to send him to prison."

"That'd be worse than a death sentence for him," Lavitz agreed. "He wouldn't last down there." He'd go crazy, that's what would happen.

"But he did still aid his father by doing nothing to stop him. What kind of punishment do you levy on someone like Coen?"

"I think..."

"What?" Albert was looking at him eagerly. The king truly did like Coen, if for no other reason than he had enjoyed watching the friendship between the young knight and his own best friend's daughter when they had been children.

Lavitz took a moment to think over what he was going to say. "I don't believe there'd be any way to make it work."

"Leave that to me."

"I think that letting him stay on active duty, in the Third Knighthood, would be punishment enough for him."

"Hmm." Albert had finally stopped his pacing.

"You've seen him. He's very sensitive to those around him. Having to see the other men of the Third who survived this...event would be enough to remind him of what happened, and what role he played in it. Trust me, it would work better as a punishment for him that prison."

"I do see where you're coming from." Albert was silent for a few moments. "I think I can make it happen."

Lavitz only nodded. I'm so sorry Coen...but we have no choice in the matter, even if you were forced into this you are still a criminal right now.

"What about leaving him in his position as Third Knight?"

"What?" Lavitz turned to face his king, incredulous at what he had just heard.

Albert was looking back at him with a steady gaze. "Radulf knew what had happened, and I doubt Coen had explained it to him. Yet he still willingly followed Coen as the head knight. The men of the company still trust him."

"I know, but...that's just...with all due respect, your majesty..."

"Yes?"

"I don't trust him. Not as captain of a whole company of knights."

Albert quirked a brow.

"Sure, he's capable enough, but he's...completely inexperienced. And he's certainly in no condition to be commanding right now."

"I'll keep your concerns in mind. I need to talk with Radulf about this before I make my decision."

"Of course."

Albert sighed. "And here I had been hoping the war with my uncle had been ended years ago. Now it's come down to things like this..." He shook his head. "Enough of that. Tell the others I'll be down shortly." With that, he turned away from Lavitz and began pacing once more.

Lavitz bowed shortly and quietly left the room.

-----

The past few days had been nothing short of a non-stop hell on earth for Lavitz. News of what had happened at the battle had slowly leaked to the other knighthoods, and inevitably, to the other citizens of Bale. And none of them were happy, especially not with Albert's decision to keep Coen as the Third Knight. Even Lavitz was upset by that, but he had other issues to deal with and couldn't afford to focus on just that one thing. I know what Yamin would say now. "You don't want to be called a moon chaser too." Keep yourself in reality, yes.

But that didn't keep him from getting preoccupied with various aspects of what needed to be done. He had to find King Albert again, and who knew where the man was now. Albert could be in one place one moment, and on the total opposite side of Indels the next.

But then, I guess he does live here, and he'd be used to doing that. Lavitz hustled up yet another flight of stairs. Soa above, I am going to need a drink when all this is through.

Reaching the next floor, he walked past a few empty rooms, and one of the balconies, the doors to which were edged open. Maybe Albert's out here... He stepped to the doors, pushing them open.

Someone was out on the balcony, but it wasn't the king. It was Coen. Lavitz paused, surprised to see the other knight. Coen hadn't been around Indels much since Albert had declared his sentence.

"Coen? What are you doing up here?" Lavitz walked out onto the balcony.

"What does it look like?" There was no emotion to his voice as he gazed out over Bale.

"You can't hide up here forever."

"I'd rather be up here than down there...with them." Coen tilted his head slightly, indicating the houses spread below them, fanning out away from the castle.

"Give them time," Lavitz said softly, coming to stand next to the young knight, leaning against the railing.

"'Give them time?' Lavitz, they will kill me before that kind of time passes."

"Coen, they wouldn't..."

"Have you even been down into the city lately?" Coen sounded almost frantic. "The people are angry."

"I know they are."

"And since my father...since my father isn't around any more, it's me they hate. They're still so angry from the whole Civil War...I'm a perfect target for them. Hell, I even look Sandoran."

He's so upset, he's hardly making any sense... It took Lavitz a few moments to make sense of what Coen had just said. Of course the people of Bale were angry. Their country had just been betrayed, and many had lost family members. That Coen had been allowed to keep his freedom was, to them, wrong in every sense of the word.

Angry people wanted a scapegoat, and right now Coen did present a very good one. And he did have a point in that he looked Sandoran; people from the south of Serdio tended to have darker eyes and hair, unlike the common lighter colors found in Basil. But that was hardly his fault.

"Won't you at least come inside?"

"I'd rather stay here."

Lavitz allowed the silence to hang between them as he too looked out over the city. I used to look up at Indels from my house when I was a child. And to think that now I look down at my house from Indels.

"I know you had something to do with Albert's decision," Coen said, back to his numb state. "Why do you insist on helping me still? I'm an adult now, have been for a while. I can take care of myself."

"I'm just looking out for you," Lavitz replied.

"It's kind of funny...you and Radulf are more like fathers to me than my own ever was."

Lavitz knew this was true. Now that he looked back, he couldn't believe how much time he and the older knight had spent trying to keep Coen away from the influence of his father, and hopefully in some sane state of mind. I guess it didn't work as well as we had hoped. Still, imagine how great the damage caused by the battle would have been if we hadn't done anything. Coen had ended up spending time in Lavitz's care only because of his close friendship with Niira. Radulf had taken the boy in as well at times simply because he liked Coen...and disliked Arlo. How the Third Knighthood had stayed in one piece when the two highest-ranking individuals hated each other was beyond Lavitz. "Well..." he said after a while."Someone had to do the job."

Coen hesitated. "I miss her..." he whispered to himself.

"Hmm?"

The Third Knight didn't reply. Then, he gave a short laugh. "I couldn't help but think, this whole time...gods, Niira would hate me now." He cut the last word off, as if stung by the thought.

The sudden mention of his daughter twisted like a knife into Lavitz's heart. Now? When I least need the subject of my daughter brought up? He had learned how to manage the pain of the loss of his family, but even the healing brought by many years could not dampen the pain when it decided to surface once more.

He misses her too. I lost my only daughter, and he lost his only friend. Why does it surprise me that he would still care what she thinks about him? It still took Lavitz a few moments to compose himself. "No. I doubt she'd hate you. She didn't have the capacity to truly hate someone. Be disappointed, yes."

A muscle in Coen's jaw twitched, but he said nothing for a while. "I don't see how. I hate myself right now."

"I hated myself once, you know."

"I know. That's...not the same though."

"Not the same? I lost nearly all my men."

"But it wasn't due to something you could have stopped. And your father didn't turn traitor, he was killed by one."

Lavitz clenched a fist. "Enough."

Coen flinched, but said nothing more.

The First Knight slowly relaxed his hand, and then turned back to the door. Coen was not in any state of mind to be dealing with more anger directed towards him. Lavitz stopped when he reached the entryway. "Coen...saying what you did, telling the truth...that is not the mark of a traitor. Telling the truth, especially when it puts one's own self at risk, is something that takes more courage than most men possess. You took responsibility for what happened. You are a good person, if confused at times. You'll survive this."

"I wish I had that kind of confidence."

"You will. You are not Arlo, despite what you may think." With that said, Lavitz left the young man to his thoughts.

-----

Coen had disappeared again. After the conversation they had they night before, Lavitz worried that the knight might have done something to himself. As much as he hated to think about it, he wouldn't put it past Coen to purposely harm himself in some way or another.

Lavitz had been to the Third Knight's house, the upper balconies of Indels, as well as a few other places around the city he knew the young man frequented. He was nowhere to be found.

I don't like this... Something was wrong. Coen was not stupid enough to try to run away to escape his fate, so that meant he was still somewhere in Bale. But some place where he couldn't be found. Worried, Lavitz head back towards Indels to find his lieutenant.

Although the First Knighthood was not on duty at the time, most of the men still preferred to be near or in the training grounds behind Indels. The second-in-command, Kynan, would likely be there as well, unless he was at home with his family.

Luckily, his guess was correct in that Kynan would be at Indels. The man was watching some of the knights who were sparring in the yard. "His Majesty Albert's been looking for you. Where have you been?"

"Looking for Coen."

"What for?"

"Because I'm worried about him."

Kynan glanced at him. "You worry too much."

"I can't find him."

"And this is a bad thing?"

"Kynan."

"Oh...oh, right. Yes, I do suppose that's a bad thing."

"He's somewhere in the city, I know that. But I can't find him."

"You don't think the people would have tried to do something, do you?"

"I hope not, but I have a feeling that's exactly what's happened."

"Damn. Well, what do you suggest we do about it? We can't very well go charging around in the city all battle-ready. Good luck getting the men to do that on their day off, anyway."

"Get what men you can and start a sweep of the city. Head up into the northwest section, I haven't been up there yet. And try not to make a big fuss about it."

"You're that serious about this, huh? All right then, will do."

-----

Lavitz walked through the city by himself, listening and watching. On the western side of the city, everything had been normal. It was the part of the city that was the most open though, and the closest to Indels. So of course if Coen was in trouble with the people of the city, he would be somewhere away from the castle. The eastern side. Lavitz himself rarely went to that part of Bale. He had little need to.

He could only hope that his worries were unfounded, that Coen was all right. Or that if he was in trouble, that help would not arrive too late.

A few citizens of the city glanced at Lavitz as he walked past. Some recognized him and made sure to give him room to pass. Others either didn't notice or didn't care. An off-duty knight who wasn't even wearing the colors of his company couldn't possibly want anything to do with them.

He caught a glance of Kynan walking the next street to his left. The knights were trained in city sweeps, although Lavitz had never imagined that he'd have to put that training to use in his home to look for one of his own country's knights. Oh, if the city guard ever hears of this, I'll never hear the end of it. They're always so damn protective of 'their' territory...how dare us knights try to take that away from them...

Turning a corner, he entered a part of Bale he had never been to before. There were fewer people here, none he knew personally. The few people who did see him gave him wary looks before returning to their business. He didn't return the looks, intent on his goal.

It was not long before he heard a din not far off. The sounds of many people talking, all of them in one area. The sound of an angry group. Oh no... Bale had managed to avoid mobs and riots throughout most of its history, but this certainly sounded like on to Lavitz.

Picking up his pace to a jog, Lavitz soon found himself at the back of a large crowd. They were standing around a long-dry fountain, at the foot of which stood a man whom Lavitz took to be their leader. The First Knight couldn't hear what the man was saying, but he could see him motioning to something at his feet. Lavitz couldn't see what it was, but he had a sinking feeling it was Coen. If they have him on the ground already...damn it...

Stepping forward, Lavitz addressed the crowd in a loud, clear voice. "What is the meaning of this?"

The people nearest to him jumping slightly, turning around to see who had spoken. Then, as if in fear, they drew back, allowing Lavitz to walk through them to the fountain. He stalked through the crowd, trying to quell the rage that was growing inside. Yes, it was Coen who was on the ground in front of the fountain. His arms were tied loosely behind his back, and he was on his knees on the hard stone street. There were more than a few cuts and bruises on what skin was exposed, and the dark stains on Coen's tunic indicated more hidden wounds. He didn't look up as Lavitz approached.

When he was close enough to the fountain, Lavitz faced the crowd, clenching his fists, beyond trying to control his anger any more. "I said, what is the meaning of this?" His tone dared someone to respond.

Someone did respond, in silence. The dragoon spirit that hung on a chain around his neck, hidden beneath his shirt, began to buzz, begging to be released. Lavitz ignored its siren call. The last time he had allowed the dragoon power to control his anger--or was it the other way around?--he had ended up dead, or something like it. It was not something he wanted to experience again.

Kynan emerged from one side street, followed by two other knights. He made his way quickly to Lavitz. At the sight of the soldiers gathering, some of the people began to disperse. Others were a bit more reluctant to give up what they felt was a piece of justice.

Kynan frowned at the scene. "All of you. Leave. Before we change our minds and arrest every last one of you."

Lavitz heard a shifting noise behind him. Spinning around, he reached out and grabbed the leader of the mob by his shirt, just as he was trying to get away. "You're not given that option," he growled.

The man gaped for a moment, then snarled and tried to twist out of the knight's grasp. To no avail. "Damn you! Let me the hell go!"

"Lavitz..." Kynan reached out to pull Lavitz's arm down. "Let me handle this. You came here for someone else." Then he nodded towards Coen.

The young man had since fallen over on his side. His eyes were closed, as if he had no idea what was going on around him.

Slowly, the First Knight released his grip on the mob leader. Kynan was right, of course. When he was sure his lieutenant would have no more trouble from the man, he knelt to check on Coen.

Coen still didn't look up, or make any indication that he was aware someone was right next to him. His breath was ragged, indicating a fairly serious injury, or shock...or both. Lavitz tugged on the ropes that bound Coen's wrists, and they soon fell away. "Can you get up?" he said softly.

Coen did glance up then. Moving his now-free arms to lever himself up, he managed to raised his body from the ground a few inches. Then he shuddered and collapsed once more.

Hells...what did they do to you? Carefully, Lavitz slid one arm under Coen's torso and lifted him to his feet. The Third Knight was trembling, although whether it was from emotional or physical trauma, Lavitz couldn't tell. Shifting his hold on the young knight, Lavitz half-dragged Coen back down the road towards Indels.

-----

Even despite the time it took Coen to recover from the wounds he received during the mob attack, the Third Knight had not been able to control his anxieties regarding what his father had done. Returning to duty, not to mention a commanding position, was not going well for him. Instead, most control ended up being passed to Radulf while Coen spent his time trying to straighten himself out.

Coen spent his time either being alone with his thoughts back in his house, or training at Indels. His excuse was that he needed to regain his strength from being confined in the infirmary due to his injuries, but everyone knew he was just trying to keep his mind off of what had happened. With little luck.

He especially enjoyed sparring with Radulf, whom he considered to be his one remaining friend among the knights. They often did such matches in one of the rooms in the lower levels of Indels, rather than out in the fields. Coen hated having to face the other knights, and sparring with them watching never failed to shake him.

Raising his sword just in time to block a blow from the older knight, Coen felt his arms jar from the force with which the weapons collided. A muscle in his back spasmed, a pain that hadn't quite healed since the mob attack. Flinching from the jolt of pain, Coen was knocked to the floor.

"Coen, are you even paying attention?" Exasperated, Radulf lowered his sword.

Coen pushed himself to his feet, not meeting his companion's eyes. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Are you going to focus or should we quit for the day?"

He didn't answer. I just want to be doing something, anything, to keep my mind off...that"I'm sorry..." he said again. "Some other time."

Radulf grunted acknowledgment, sheathing his weapon and walking away. Coen walked to a nearby table, staring at the cups of water that sat there. He reached for his tunic, but then stopped. Why...? Why me? I never asked for this...I just wanted... A sudden surge of rage washed over him, and he lashed out with his sword.

The cups of water were thrown against the wall with a resounding clang. The liquid splattered everywhere, darkening the stone of the wall and floor. Coen simply watched it, his body tense, panting after his sudden outburst. It was...so sudden...is this the same anger that led my father to do what he did?

I don't want this.

Radulf looked at him in surprise. Then he spoke in a low voice. "Coen, are you ready to be doing this again?"

"No!" Coen emphatically jabbed at the floor with his sword. It clinked softly. "Every damn day, I have to see them." By 'them,' he meant the knights of Serdio. "Every time I see them, I'm reminded of what happened. I can't...I can't..." He wasn't able to finish that statement. And this is exactly why I was put here. I know that's why Lavitz and Albert left me here instead of in prison with my father. Gods...this is worse than hell. Again he tapped at the floor with his weapon. "I'm not fit to be leading them. I never was. I'm not fit to even be called a knight any more."

Radulf was silent for a while as he walked to where the cups had rolled, picking one up. "Go home," he said. "Go have a rest. Come back next week."

"Radulf..."

"I think you know that you're in no condition to be trying to command the knighthood yet." He then flashed his famous good-natured smile at Coen. "I'm sure I can handle the ruffians for a week. Yes, you go...rest. Have a drink. But only one, you don't handle several very well."

"I'm aware of that." Shakily, Coen sheathed his sword.

Both of the knights looked up to the doorway of the room, as if on cue. Looking in on them was King Albert. For a moment, they could only stare at their lord in shock. Albert rarely came down into this part of Indels, by himself at any rate. The king gave them a small, mysterious smile. "Ah...I was looking for Lavitz. Has he been down here today?"

"No, your majesty," Radulf answered. "And no, I don't know where he is at the moment."

"Hmm."

Coen had turned away from the king, hastily pulling his shirt on. He hoped his current mental state of fear and anger hadn't been visible on his face for Albert to notice. He has enough problems of his own to be dealing with right now.

He had forgotten exactly how perceptive the king was. "Coen...come with me. We need to talk."

Obediently, Coen followed him as he left the room.

-----

How on earth does Albert keep managing to disappear like this? Lavitz knew his king was looking for him. He was looking for Albert, but as of yet they hadn't found each other. It was nothing new to Lavitz. Either Albert was just running around trying to get something done, or he had met up with someone else and gotten caught in a conversation, which could last a long time. Albert loved to talk.

Lavitz smirked and continued through the hallways. Half the time, nobody knows what the hell he's saying anyway. I swear he invents words just to confuse...

Something had bumped into his legs. Jerked back into reality, Lavitz quickly glanced around him.

Appearing just as dazed was Diandra, Albert's young daughter. She craned her neck to look up at the knight.

I guess all small children are like that, Lavitz thought amusedly to himself. Unable to see and avoid things four times their size. "What are you doing up here, princess?" He knew the child was still too young to be wandering Indels Schloss by herself.

"I can't find my father," she replied simply, as if it should be obvious.

"I can't find him either."

"Oh..." She sounded disappointed.

"You want to help me find him?"

Diandra brightened. "Okay!"

The child bounced along beside Lavitz as they continued down the corridor. She babbled on happily, glad to have someone to be with. Lavitz, on the other hand, was mostly silent. Easy to see which parent she gets that trait from. People said that Niira... He shook his head. First Coen has to bring her up, and now Diandra. No matter how hard he tried to keep the past where it belonged, every time he saw Albert's daughter there was a feeling of guilt and pain that crept into his heart. How long had it been now that Niira had disappeared? Twelve years? He had honestly lost count. He didn't want to keep count. When she died, she was hardly older than Diandra...

"There he is!" Diandra exclaimed.

They had been walking past one of the balconies, the doors to which were open. Albert stood out there, talking in a low voice. In front of him was a very distressed and crestfallen Coen, who answered the king without looking up.

Diandra stepped forward to meet her father. Lavitz set a hand on her shoulder, restraining her. This did not look like something that anyone, even the king's own daughter, should interrupt.

"Is the knight in trouble?" Diandra whispered up to Lavitz.

"No...no, I don't think so." If Coen was truly in trouble with the king, Albert would be taking much more a drastic measure than a simple talk.

Again the princess tried to move, but Lavitz held her still. "Wait," he whispered to her.

But by this time, Albert had realized they were there anyway. "Yes?"

"Sorry to disturb, your majesty," Lavitz said. "We can come back later."

"No, that's not necessary. We're through." He looked at the young knight, nodding slightly, indicating that he was dismissed.

Diandra rushed to her father. Lavitz took a little more time in approaching the king. As he and the Third Knight passed each other, Coen glanced at him, his eyes full of pain. Then he was back inside the castle, leaving Lavitz and the royals alone.

Albert had his daughter in his arms, a soft smile on his face. "What are you doing out in the castle by yourself, young lady?"

"I wasn't by myself," she stated impudently. "Sir Lavitz was with me."

"Oh, was he now?"

"Yes." Then she twisted her face into something resembling an accusatory glare. "I couldn't find you for my lessons today!"

"Ah...yes, it is time for that, isn't it? I'm sorry I wasn't there. There was something I had to talk about with Sir Coen."

"Okay. He's not in trouble, is he?"

Albert was silent for a beat. Then he set Diandra on the ground again. "Not any more. You get back to the study and I'll be there in a bit."

"Yay!" Diandra rushed back inside.

"Diandra!"

Startled, the girl half-turned back to her father. Then she drew herself up as tall as she could and attempted a calm walk. As soon as she was out of sight, Lavitz could hear her running again.

The knight smiled to himself. "I wish I had been that eager to go to school when I was her age," he muttered. "Is Coen all right?"

"He will be," Albert said. "Once he learns to forgive himself."

"You honestly think he can do that?"

"You don't?" Albert gave his knight a severe look.

"I have my doubts."

"Have faith in him. He just needs time."

"I hope that's all."