Goth absently sorted through the stack of books at his side, his mind occupied by yesterday's encounter and whimsical what-ifs. His mentor was absent once again and Palette had yet to arrive for their daily rendezvous, affording him the luxury of letting his mind wander in the meantime. The sound of the door opening was music to his non-existent ears as he shelved the book in his hand, smiling subconsciously as he made his way to the banister to greet them.

Clearing the shelves, his sockets furrowed in confusion, "... Sir Xander?" They were standing in the doorway of the archives carrying a tray holding a teapot and a pair of cups. Descending the stairs, Goth offered them a smile, "Greetings, what brings you here this evening?"

"Palette asked me to keep you company since he couldn't make it tonight," Xander explained, pushing the door closed with his shoulder.

Worry seeped into Goth's voice, "Couldn't make it? Is he alright?"

"Yeah, he's good; that fopdoodle sprained his ankle messing around in a sparring match earlier," Xander snickered, moving towards the nearest table to set down the tray, "it's nothing big, but he was told to stay off it and rest in the barracks. If you want, I can escort you to go see him after you're done here."

"I'd like to go now if you don't mind," Goth requested. It would be difficult to concentrate on his work until he confirmed Palette's condition for himself.

"He said you'd say something like that," Xander chuckled, "He told me to make sure you finish your duties first; he doesn't want you getting in trouble for leaving things a mess because of him."

"That does sound like something he would say," Goth sighed, accepting that work came before leisure, "Very well; I'll finish my tasks, then we shall go see Palette."

"Actually, I wanted to talk with you for a bit. With what's been going on lately, I thought we could talk over tea," Xander said, gesturing to the tray's contents.

It took Goth a moment to remember Palette had mentioned he knew two or three people he deemed trustworthy yesterday, "... Palette told you what has transpired over the past few months?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to talk more in-depth with you about what he said," Xander confirmed, pouring the tea carefully into each cup. Setting down the pot, the knight explained, "It was... a lot; I wanted to confirm some things so I know what all we're dealing with."

Goth took a seat, accepting the cup that was given to him, "There is much to go over... perhaps you could tell me what you know so I may fill in the blanks?"

Xander nodded, taking a seat across from the prince as he laid out what he knew. Goth listened carefully in between sips of tea; the taste was a bit sweet for his liking, but the knight across from him seemed to have no aversion toward drinking it. Since he considered it poor taste to criticize a kind gesture, the tea went uncommented upon.

Once they finished, Goth let their words sink in and replied, "His recollection of events was quite thorough; I'm afraid there's not much I may add to it. The only revision I can think of is that my sister and I weren't fighting prior to the carriage attack, contrary to Palette's worries; rather, I was asked to retrieve her fan from the carriage and teased her in return for some prior ribbing." It took him a moment to realize his unintentional pun, drawing a quiet snort from him; the following silence caused him to look up, and he noticed there was some tension in the knight's expression, "Is something wrong?"

Xander heaved a sigh, "I'm sorry if this comes off as rude, but I never thought Pal being around you was a good idea." He leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms and scowling at the table as he continued, "People like us getting overly involved with people like you never ends well, and I don't think he really understands what he's getting himself into."

"I'll admit I agree with you to some extent," Goth sighed. Xander's eyes flicked back to him in mild surprise and they straightened up as he spoke, "I do feel Palette's earnest nature is his best trait, yet also his worst. A small part of me wishes we had never met and set him down this course. However, I couldn't dissuade him from helping now if I tried."  His hand tightened slightly around his cup, "What's more, I fear pushing him away would only cause him to become more reckless in his desire to help."

"So... you're not mad?" Xander leaned into the table.

Goth shook his skull, "Not at all; while I hold no ill will for him, I know not all nobles are benevolent people and you're wise to not blindly trust others." Pausing for a moment, he considered his next words carefully, "You're a close friend to Palette, are you not?" Receiving a hesitant nod, he asked, "Might I possibly request something of you?" Another wary nod prompted him to continue, "I would like to ask that you watch over him as well as myself."

After overcoming their momentary shock, Xander scoffed, "Pal's one of the strongest guys I know in the new recruits! There's no way he'd need my protection, or anyone's for that matter."

"He's indeed strong; I've borne witness to his strength and dedication many a time," Goth smiled softly, recalling the evenings spent in their company while gazing into his half-empty cup. His smile then fell, "Still, strength alone doesn't make one invulnerable and I worry his association with me may make him a target through other means, especially given the enemy may be posing as an ally if my suspicions hold true."

Goth looked up once more, finding Xander's surprise reasonable, "I know what you must be thinking: it's unheard of for a noble to worry over a single commoner; placing priority somewhere other than on the good of the kingdom in its entirety's considered untoward for one of my station. However, I cannot deny that Palette is a precious individual to me; perhaps it's further proof that I'm unfit to rule." A heavy melancholy settled over him, "Regardless, I'd be devastated if any ill were to befall him and I feel he's of the same mind regarding me." 

It admittedly felt a little embarrassing to speak so openly of his troubles, yet it also felt somewhat freeing at the same time since the recipient was someone Palette considered a friend and confidant... maybe he desired that too?

"You're...," The knight paused the thought, their eyes taking on a searching look as they asked, "Have you talked to Her Highness or Lady Elise about any of this?"

"No, Her Highness and I... we've never been on the best of terms; more so after my father took ill," he lamented, taking a breath to compose himself, "She left me to my own devices in favor of managing the throne, and so I feel I'd cause problems were I to seek her counsel."

"And Lady Elise? You look like you two get along well enough."

"Before Palette, she was the only one who always stood by me. No matter how busy she became over the years, she always found time to catch up and still does to this day," fond memories of their youth replayed in his mind as Goth took another sip of tea. "Though we aren't related by blood, she'll always be my younger sister.

"However, she's also the future queen... and as such, I can't burden her with my problems. I also worry she may be put in harm's way if she were to become involved. She can be quite stubborn and I have no doubt she would cause a stir if she believed any of her family was in danger; however, doing so may put a target on her back... that's something I won't risk." Looking up from the dregs in his cup, he pleaded, "that's why I ask you, as the prince and as the humble scribe Goth Afterdeath, to protect and support them if the time comes where I can't."

"If you can't...?" Xander murmured, their amber eyes contracting as the inner meaning behind the prince's words sunk in. Goth wasn't foolish; there was a fair chance his assassin would eventually succeed despite everyone's best efforts. They had no idea who was behind the attacks, when the next one would happen, what tactics would be implemented, or even if there was more than one person involved. He was scared, but he needed to ensure that if he fell, the people he cared for wouldn't fall with him. "Yeah...," the knight donned a grim look of understanding that made it hard for him to maintain eye contact, "I'll make sure nothing happens to them as long as I'm around."

"Thank you," Goth forced a smile to push away the sadness that had crept up on him, "You have my eternal gratitude." Lifting his cup to finish what was left, he heard the door open behind him. Turning in his chair to see a group of guards entering the room, he set the cup down and stood to greet them, "Hel-ah!"

The floor rushed up to meet Goth as his legs buckled and the world spun around him. Gripping the seat of his chair amidst his confusion and blurring vision, he looked up at the men and women standing at a distance; something felt off and no one moved to aid him. Rather than solace, an impending sense of dread stole over him.

Trying to reason away the fear as his current malady warping his perception, he managed to bring himself to an upright position against the table as a larger man entered the room. Someone address them as 'Sir Drago'; he vaguely recognized the name as one of their veteran officers. Taking a breath to steady himself, he spoke, "I-I apologize for my poor state; could you send one of your men to fetch a hea-"

"No one will be helping you here," the man spoke in a surly tone, "You're a threat to Lady Elise's future reign and we're here to resolve Her Highness's grievances here and now."

***

Word Count: 1,728