Chapter 44: Seven knights
It was funny, Shizuo had told Izaya about his knights only a couple times before, and yet sitting there at the fireplace looking at the men that Shizuo regularly led somehow felt to Izaya as if he had never been anywhere else before.
"Me. Craigh is the name. I'm in charge of the entire troop when our king is absent." One of the seven knights wearing a bright red beard announced louder than any of the other knights probably saw coming.
They seemed reserved. Not quite sure how to act at least.
Mischief was written into Craigh's eyes and he quickly nudged a much smaller knight of half his stature next to him. "Come on, give your name. Have your parents taught you nothing?" He scolded curtly, and the requisite of a man came back to life.
"Ah, right- I'm Chester. I have only joined the knights last winter so I'm not as experienced as the rest." Brown eyes hidden by nut coloured hair darted around awkwardly whilst he explained his presence to the queen.
"Are you kidding me? You defeat me in every duel." Another knight complained. He was sitting opposite to Izaya, differing from the rest of the group by the way his armory had been decorated with a variety of symbols that told stories of his deeds. Black hair adding a tinge of silver strains settled on top of his head and his dark eyes mustered their new queen with delight. "My name is Carlyle, and believe me, despite having been a knight all my life long I have never seen more raw talent than in him," he laughed, and somehow Izaya couldn't help but feel his own lips curl into a smile.
His amusement was contagious.
"Seems you have competition." Izaya added softly, directing his words at Shizuo.
Quick laughter followed from their left and Izaya's head turned.
"That guy is no knight. He is a monster not comparable to any of us," a knight wearing a crossbow on his back had indulged in his amusement and reached out for the freshly cooked meat above the fireplace. "I'm Alaric," he announced curtly, and his hair, much longer than it was expected to be dipped into messy curls as he took a bite of the cooked meal.
Izaya smiled, "Ruler of all, huh? Quite the weight your name carries."
Wiping his mouth with his sleeve Alaric seemed both surprised and pleased by the queen's knowledge.
"My old man was a fan of heroic names and apparently some hero a century ago had the same," he explained quickly, and somehow Izaya couldn't help but feel the slightest hint of embarrassment sway in his words.
It was funny, Izaya didn't know the guy, yet he could somehow envision a very loving father doting on his son too much to his liking over the years.
Gentleness reflected in his chocolate coloured eyes and Izaya couldn't get around to think he had probably joined the king's knights in an effort to make his father proud.
It was nice.
This whole conversation. The warmth the fire provided. And despite not being hungry at all Izaya appreciated the smell of charcoal and roasted meat.
But the mood was as quickly killed as it had finally started to ease.
"Is it really good for her to be out here?" sharp and cold the words had been spoken by a knight sitting next to Alaric.
Not having moved even a millimeter since the queen and king arrived, his expression had turned more and more sour by the second.
A sharp jawline framed a pretty face of green eyes and blond short hair. His attitude was one of tension and for reasons Izaya couldn't quite pinpoint, he seemed to hate the fact that he had left the carriage.
"Since when is that your decision to make?" Craigh quickly asked, and Izaya somehow felt the mood shift.
It was funny. The ginger knight seemed to be the heart of the group with both his humor and massive presence, but now that he had raised his voice all warmth was suddenly taken away from his face.
The knight didn't seem to care as he met his comrade's glare head on.
"Smoke is bad for her and the fire produces more than enough of it."
"Are you a doctor?" Craigh spat, and the amount of hostility grew with each syllable spoken.
"No, but you know my sister died from the same illness."
That hit harder than Izaya expected it to.
he wasn't quite sure whether this knight was actually worried about his well being or simply wanted to get rid of a woman at a knight's fireplace, but no matter the source of his animosity, the truth of his words remained.
A sour expression decorated Craigh's face and Izaya felt Shizuo's arm around his shoulders tense just slightly.
All of a sudden the warm fireplace turned into a cold campside filled with regret.
It was Craigh who jumped to his feet and moved over that ended the fight in the most simplest way. The knight's collar was grabbed from behind and the man dragged from his seat. "What the-"
"Sorry king, I will be giving this idiot a good talking to," Craigh announced, and with that he disappeared into the woods.
It looked somewhat funny. Like a bear, dragging a hissing snake.
"Don't hate Crispin for that, he is merely worried."
A soft voice, much more fragile than it was to be expected in the midst of long lived knights, rose from behind the flames, and Izaya glanced towards their source.
Younger than all men present a lad wearing nothing but a chainmail sat by the fire. Dark black hair, straighter than most trees dipped into his face and tickled the tip of his delicate nose. A couple freckles were to be spotted around it as well as a strikingly similar pair of vibrant green eyes.
"Pardon for the question, but you don't really look like a knight. What's your purpose?" Izaya asked and the young lad jerked upon being addressed directly.
"I'm a simple squire my lady. I have yet to receive proper training. The name is Karazam," he quickly responded, but failed to hide his nervosity. The knight seemed rather shy compared to the hotheaded knight from before.
Paired with that he also missed to mention another important detail and a knight to his right took the duty of responding upon him with a broad smile on his slightly too chunky cheeks.
"Crispin is his brother. They might not look like it but they are twins." A deep voice and an armor that could have fit two people at once decorated the knight's presence.
So that's why. It seemed odd for a knight that shy to comment on other knight's motives. If he was his brother that was another story altogether.
Softly nodding to the new information given, Izaya's gaze traveled to the feisty knight.
"I see. And you are?"
Bright smiles and an attitude of a long lived and peaceful man met his question as the knight shortly bowed.
"Ah, pardon. Lothar is the name. I am most skilled at skinning and cooking what we hunt in the woods. Though as you can see most of the time my services are bluntly ignored as these brutes prefer to eat like this," pointing towards the piece of meat that had been stuck onto the first stick found and leaned into the flames as though it was meant to be a sacrifice to the god of flames he laughed, "Should you wish for anything decent, my queen, just tell me and I will make it for you."
Izaya laughed- these knights somehow seemed like a family. Just like the servants at the castle.
Every person Izaya had met in this kingdom so far had held only the best intentions when it came to Shizuo and knowing him personally. It was really funny how rumors of such evil characteristics had even managed to grow with this much love at the heart of the castle.
Then again, Shizuo had been on campaigns most of his life and only stayed within the borders of his lands because of his newest duties. It had probably been a decade since James got to see this much of his foster child.
More chatter followed, jokes between the knights that Izaya could only barely follow, but he didn't care about being able to follow the words.
It was comfortable.
Cozy.
The warmth of the fire, the smell of smoke and Shizuo's arm locked tightly around his shoulders.
Glancing upwards for a moment Izaya looked at the king.
He had remained awfully silent for a while now. But no signs of bother filled his eyes, instead he merely watched his fellow knights as they talked about remnants of their previous journey. It was only then that Izaya realized this wasn't only a welcome distraction for him, but also for the king.
Because he was worried.
He worried so much more about Izaya than he should and somehow it made Izaya's chest feel tight and warm at the same time.
Minutes passed, the fire crackled, the meat sizzled and for all Izaya cared this evening could continue forever with the mood set like this.
But just as usual his illness was the one to cut a sharp end to it.
Coughs, a few stifled ones, turning into the kind that wrecked his body surfaced from Izaya's throat and just like that the voices stopped.
The arm around his shoulders tensed and Shizuo's voice was the only one to be heard for a moment as it spoke in quiet whispers.
"Are you okay?"
Subsiding as quickly as they had surprised Izaya he quickly took a shuddering breath and gave a quick nod.
Flames reflected in his eyes as he glanced towards the fireplace. The knights had all tensed. The talks had ceased and they seemed ready to slay a demon if it would do anything to help.
It was a bittersweet sensation to know about their passion but being aware of its root.
Sudden rustling of branches dispersed their attention and Izaya's eyes darted to the woods, now moving a couple leaves aside to reveal the two knights missing from the scene.
Craigh was showing his best smile, and Crispsin an expression of guilt. Wordlessly he approached the king and queen and held out what appeared to be a small water bottle made of leather.
"This might help. It's soothing on the throat," he explained curtly, and Izaya took the object he offered. Unplugging the cork Izaya smelled a faint hint of honey and similarly sweet ingredients, mixed with what appeared to be milk.
"I apologize for my rude behavior. Of course you can stay as long as you wish to," Crispin suddenly mumbled so quietly Izaya almost didn't catch it.
Remorse was written all across his expression and Izaya figured his earlier outlash had stemmed from worried instead of reluctance.
"You seem genuine... what did he do, blackmail you?" Izaya asked gently, but did as he was offered and took a small sip from his drink.
It really kept its promise of being soothing. Clear but creamy the substance served a pleasant sensation as it poured down his throat.
Hesitation marked Crispsins face and zipped his lips into a tight line.
"Not really. Just told me something I needed to hear," he mumbled and Izaya took the hint to leave off the topic.
Crispsin obviously didn't want to talk about it, and having heard before that one of his family members died of the illness Izaya had he didn't want to pry into the topic.
Taking another sip Izaya smiled the most grateful smile he could muster before setting the bottle off his lips. "Thank you."
Surprise, as well as the slightest hint of a flush decorated Crispin's face for a moment and Izaya couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.
Of course.
He was a woman. Right now at least, he was still pretending to be one. This knight probably interacted a handful of times with ones in his life considering his harsh temper. It made Izaya chuckle internally as he hoped the knight wouldn't end up developing a baseless crush.
"About that dragon, my lady, is that the only story you have been told?" Craigh suddenly asked boldly with a piece of pork meeting its end between his teeth.
Izaya snorted, "Is there more to hear?"
"You bet!" he bellowed with the might of a roaring lion. One foot met the trunk of a tree they had used to sit on and he leant on his knee as his eyes glittered with mischief. "The massive Serpent of Lurgon, that is a tale to retell," he announced, and Shizuo snorted upon the mere mention of the story.
It was clear as daylight that the story that was about to be told would be one only loosely connected to real life events, but Izaya didn't mind. Because at the end of the night all that mattered was the knights' laughter, the warmth of the fireplace and Shizuo's face that finally showed a smile.
Izaya was glad he had joined the knights at the fireplace. It was soothing. A distraction he couldn't have envisioned this eloquent.
Stories were told, jokes were made and coughs suppressed by taking a sip of the bottle Crispin had brought.
It really did help, whatever it was. And yet the evening was too short to last as Izaya felt the exhaustion catch up to his mind.
Tiredness claimed his body sooner than he wanted it to and a slight wave of dizziness pushed his head into Shizuo.
"Do you want to return to the carriage?" the king had immediately noticed the change. Worry and care reflected in his eyes when Izaya rose his head to meet his gaze and he nodded. Because there was no use to lie about his condition at this point.
And despite the most welcome distraction this evening had brought he couldn't remain here forever.
"Sleep well my lady. I am sure you will get better in no time." Craigh announced loudly, drowning the uneasy silence that befell the knights as they watched Shizuo carry his queen back to the carriage.
A smile was cast and a wave given as Izaya chuckled, "What other choice do I have with the lord of serpents at my side?"
to be continued~