Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions/Sanzaru Games.

Claimer: I own all of my original characters.

Chapter 6! And I know it's short…but things have been really hectic lately and I wanted to update this before things got worse. But I do promise that the next chapter will be longer. On another note, I am thinking of new story ideas that I want to work on after I completely finish the request from'Dragonmaster789' and this story, so I've started a poll on my profile page. So along with reading and leaving feedback for this, please help out my poll so I can start figuring out plots for my future stories, thanks!

Chapter 6: Sir Galleth No More

Nottinghamshire, England 1453 A.D.

I sat in my chair, silently sharpening my sword in preparations for my impending battle with the beast that plagued our lands. I had never truly set eyes upon the creature, but according to the peasants of the town, this beast was not flesh and bone, but metal. T'was nothing more than a silly rumor, for the peasants of the land are very superstitious and it is difficult to know what is truth and what is a fear. But either way, a sharp sword would be needed to slay the beast. As a knight I had been trained to not show fear before a battle, but I had to admit that I was nervous and I knew that Lady Katherine was afraid for my welfare in this battle. After my many talks with her about how I would do just fine in this assignment and return to her unharmed, she was still wary. To ease her nerves, the princess had decided to go on a small heist, picketing anything of interest before returning to her chambers. She hadn't returned yet, or to my knowledge she hadn't, and when she did, I would have another talk with her to try and ease her mind. I put away my sharpening stone and stood, my sword in my grasp. I swung it in the air a few times, listening to the blade slicing through the air before returning it to the sheath attached to my belt.

"Sir Galleth!" Sir Henry pushed the door open to the blacksmith shop inside the castle open forcefully, "The guards have caught a thief sneaking around the grounds…a woman." My ears snapped up, fearing for who this newly found thief was. Henry knew that Katherine was a thief, for she was trained by her mother, and he had sworn that he would keep her double life a secret. But he also knew that if she was caught…she would be imprisoned for the rest of her days. I said nothing, pushing past my friend and hurried down the hall, needing to see if it was Katherine who had been caught or another thief. I prayed that Katherine was not the one who had been found.

I burst though the doors to the main hall where the thief had been taken, praying that I would no see Katherine's face before me. The king was standing from his throne, standing upon the few steps leading to his chair while to knights surrounded the thief, who had been chained and was seated on the ground, a hood covering their features. The king glanced to me, anger covering his features. I bowed to him, showing my gratitude to our 'honorable' king before stepping full into the room. I glanced to the thief, whose face was covered with a burlap hood, and felt my stomach twist into knots. The thief was certainly a woman, her black and grey striped tail wrapped around her tightly as her black hair fell from the sides of her hood.

"Galleth," the king barked in my direction, "Remove the thief's hood, I wish to gaze upon the face of this disgraceful peasant." I nodded and walked towards the woman, still praying that this was not Katherine. I gripped the hood of the burlap coat, taking a deep breath before pulling the cloth from the face of the woman. There were gasp from the few people in the room and I felt my heart sink and shatter to pieces. Katherine's crisp, blue eyes looked into mine, giving me an apologetic look before glancing to her father.

"Katherine? You're the thief? Stealing from you own father's lands?" he grew angry, stepping closer to his daughter.

"Yes, father." She said softly, apparently not too afraid that she was caught. King Hector let out a growl, storming towards his daughter.

"You vile, disgraceful harlot!" the king practically screamed at his daughter, "I should have thee executed before thy can even place thy name upon a piece of parchment!" he whipped the back of his paw across her face, causing the female to cringe, "Guards, order for the axes to be sharpened! I want her head removed before the night falls!" I felt myself panic, knowing the king would not hesitate for his own daughter to be executed…unless I could think hastily and save her neck.

"My King!" I shouted towards the king before the guards to leave, "Please, save her neck…for she is not at fault." The king halted his guards, giving me a strange look.

"And why is this, Sir Galleth?" I took a deep breath, knowing that my words could sacrifice my title…or life…but it I was willing to do so if it would save the princess from death.

"Thy daughter hast been corrupted of the mind…by another, one who…encourages…her to steal from thy kingdom." Katherine glared to me.

"Galleth, don't." she said sternly, obviously seeing what I was planning. I shook my head to her, silencing the raccoon before continuing.

"My King…I have been the one encouraging your daughter to steal. So please, sire, I beg of thee, don't give thy daughter such a harsh punishment, I beg thee, sire."

"You have corrupted my daughter?" the king turned his anger towards me, pushing by his guards, "Thou art one of my most trusted knights!"

"Sire, I understand-" the king silenced me, yelling louder as his anger grew.

"Enough, Galleth," he straightened his crown before continuing, "Because thou were trusted…I shall not have thee killed. But thou art no longer welcomed in my castle! I want thee title stripped from thy name! Thou art no longer Sir Galleth of Nottinghamshire, no more! Thou shall be addressed as Galleth from now until thy shall rest upon your grave! Return thy armor and sword and leave this castle! If I should see thee again around the grounds, thy shall have a dawn appointment with the executioner," he turned to Katherine, "And as for you, my daughter, I shall not kill thee, but thou shall be locked in the tower, for the rest of your days! I will have order in my kingdom! Get this disgraceful daughter from my sight." The king turned, leaving the room in a huff. The guards grabbed the princess by her arms, yanked her from the floor and towards the back of the castle, towards the castle.

"Galleth!" she shouted towards me as she struggled against the guards, "Galleth!" I could do nothing and simply watched Katherine be escorted out of the room, kicking and screaming.

"Galleth, thou art a fool." Sir Henry's voice came from behind me, "Sacrificing thy title and thy trust of the king for a lady?" I sighed, turning to my friend.

"I know, but I would much rather see her face locked in a tower than to watch her head roll and her blood stain the castle grounds."

"Then thou art more of a knight than I." he placed a paw on my shoulder, giving it a sorrowful pat before having to escort me from the grounds of the castle…and my duties as a knight.