The silence dragged on as the king had yet to appear. Lander scuffed his foot against the floor in boredom, the plush carpet masking the sound. He was finding it harder and harder not to try and fill the space with words. He still had things he wanted to say to the nobles, questions he wanted to ask. Why were they doing nothing to help the underfed masses in the kingdom? Why were the taxes still being raised when the villagers were already struggling to keep up? Did he even care? Lander had to bite his tongue to keep from asking these inquiries aloud. If he wanted to make a difference, he would have to be more tactful about it.

Just when Lander was beginning to feel like he could no longer keep his silence, the doors opened and the king entered the dining hall. Lander sat up a little straighter in spite of himself. He had thought the king looked regal before, but up close it felt as though they came from two different worlds. The king wore clothes of the finest material Lander had ever seen and he carried himself in a way that commanded the attention of anyone close by. In his hand was a bulging sack of was Lander suspected was his prize money. The king noticed where he had fixated his attention and addressed him when he sat down.

[b]“I am sure you are eager to obtain your well-won prize. However, I implore you to be patient. There is an additional matter I wish to discuss before you leave.”[/b]

An additional matter? He couldn’t imagine what the king would ever wish to discuss with a simple peasant. Before he could inquire further, the food was brought in and set down on the table. His eyes widened at the sight of it. The size his portion alone was enough to feed a small family. It didn’t feel right to eat so well when his own friends and family were hungry at home, but the smell was too tantalizing to resist and he hadn’t had anything to eat since the day before. To make up for the guilt, he slipped some bread into the folds of his clothes to bring home later for his parents. Once that was done, he ate ravenously, only just realizing how hungry he was. The food tasted even better than it smelled. Seasoned with expensive herbs and spices, it was wonderfully rich. The nobles didn’t seem to notice though. Of course, they grew up with such fine cuisine. They probably didn’t know any different.

After he finished eating – there was still plenty of food left on his plate, as the portion was too large to finish despite his incessant hunger – a servant came around to collect his dish. Lander thanked him for doing so, but the servant just cast him a strange look and walked away. He ignored it and turned to the king, who looked as though he was preparing to speak again.

[b]“Now to the matter at hand. I am in need of a personal guard, and I ask that you would fill the position. You have shown yourself to be more than capable. It would be temporary, until you are no longer needed, and you would be paid handsomely for your work.”[/b]

There was a long pause. Lander stared at the king incredulously. He wanted him to serve as a guard? Surely he had plenty of knights who were more than capable of filling the position. Then the princess spoke up, mirroring his thoughts with her words.

[b]“Father, you have the knights. What could you need a personal guard for?”[/b]

[b]“Not for me, Moria. For you.”[/b]

This time it was the princess’s turn to stare. Apparently this was all news to her.

[b]“What? For me? I do not need a guard.”[/b]

[b]“You do if I say you do. I have received a worrisome threat, and I cannot allow harm to come to you.”[/b]

A threat? Lander leaned forward slightly, as if that would help him hear the conversation better. Perhaps this was the clue he needed about the increasing number of knights in the villages. He was right all along. Something [i]did[/i] happen in the inner kingdom. To his disappointment, Moria brushed over the comment without a second thought.

[b]“What about the knights? Surely they’re more suited to such a position.”[/b]

[b]“That is why I held the tournament: to find the strongest in Camelot. I had naturally assumed that Sir Jerald or one of the others would have won, but it seems I was wrong.”[/b]

[b]“But… Father, he’s not even a noble!”[/b]

[b]“I do not care what he is, so long as he can protect you.”[/b]

[b]“Father, I–”[/b]

[b]“Enough, Moria,”[/b] the king sharply cut off his daughter’s complaints. He turned back to Lander. [b]“You can always decline and I will send you off tomorrow with your prize. It is your choice.”[/b]

It was a surprisingly generous offer. The king was even willing to pay him for his services. He could send more gold back to his village. He didn’t enjoy living in the crowded inner kingdom of Camelot and he was at a much higher risk of being arrested for sorcery here, but it was a small price to pay for his family’s wellbeing. Lander realized everyone was waiting for his response. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I will do it.”