Responsibilities

Kane’s heart thumped violently in his chest as he waited by the door. Really, he hadn’t been standing there that long but it felt like it had been hours. The only reason he was here in the first place was because the prince was the first person he released all his uncertainty to and he offered to advocate for an audience with the king.

He knew he had to do this, it was really a matter of whether or not he would be able to get the words to escape his throat and continue their journey crawling out of his mouth. Never before had he felt so conflicted before. He’d always held so strongly to his values and beliefs and they’ve never steered him wrong. Now it was those exact values that made him want to forget the things that he knew, the knowledge that could get someone hurt.

He tensed when he heard the click of the door opening, his knuckles whitening in anticipation.

“His highness will see you now,” The person delivering him the news didn’t really mean all that much to him, some knight or servant or squire or something, it was the news itself that made his heart race. He was sure it would try to hop right out of his mouth the moment he opened it to speak so he merely nodded his head, walking through the door that was held open for him.

He froze in place just yards before the throne, silence ringing through the room and eyes boring into him, waiting. Kane took a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm his anxiety. He looked at Beau, sitting to the right of the king in his own throne. He could tell the prince was trying to look supportive. It had really been completely by accident that he had vented to Beau in the first place. Beau had merely been the first familiar face he had run into when he returned to the capital. Kane looked at Eryk next, the captain of his team of knights. Eryk didn’t know what this was about yet, he could tell by the way the captain stood behind the prince’s throne, back straight and stoic. There were some more people in the room but none of them meant anything to Kane, nor did he think any of them could hope to understand.

It was after a minute of thick silence that the king finally spoke, “My son tells me you have something very important to tell me that is equally difficult to tell,”

Beau had mentioned that he warned the king of the touchy nature of the subject. He would have to thank him later. He took another deep breath before nodding his head, bowing shortly. “Sire,” He began as he straightened back up. His anxiety was no better but he could start to get the words out without choking on them, a good start.

“I believe very strongly that families have the responsibility to take care of each other. I have always thought that a parent or child or sibling who does not stick by the other’s side through all thicks and thins does not deserve their family in the first place. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for my family, including protecting them with my life. I’ve always made a point to support everything they did and make sure they were safe. That being said, I came to the capital to become a knight of the royal army almost a year ago. When I came, I took an oath: I, Sir Kane of Valencia, swear to protect Morelia and all of its citizens with my sword and with my life. When I took my oath, I meant it with every fiber of my being. I’ve found myself in the position where those values are put into conflict.”

Kane wasn’t explaining his position to the king, everyone in the room could tell that right now. Instead he was still rationalizing this decision to himself, “And while my family means everything to me, and I would do anything to keep them safe, I can’t ignore the wellbeing of innocent people.”

What he would give to be able to turn around and walk away, pretend he hadn’t said a word. He would leave this room, probably go to the training ground to run drills with his team. After that they would all go to a pub in town and drink until one of them passed out, probably him. Someone would drag him back to the palace, to his chambers and dump him in bed. He would have the most terrible hangover and maybe then it would hurt too much for him to even consider thinking about this… this… problem. But it was too late for that, he had said too much already to get away with changing his mind.

“Who is it?” A simple, not even the slightest bit provocative question from the king, but it still made him flinch.

“Earl Milo of Valencia.” His brother, the only family that his had left, the man he just turned his back on, “He has shared with me very serious plans to usurp the royal claim to the throne and I believe him to have every capability of doing so.”

The king nodded in understanding before glancing over at Eryk, “Send a party of men to Valencia to bring Earl Milo here. Tell them to be on their guard but not to hurt him. I wish to speak with him before anything rash is done.”

Eryk nodded in acknowledgment and made his leave, efficient as always. A dismissal from the king prompted the rest of them to leave but it took a hand on his shoulder from the prince for Kane to comprehend it. Since when has he been this weak? He had always been strong, even stoic at his parents’ grave so Milo might find some peace. The greatest brother Milo had called him. Well, he used to be the greatest, but now he felt smaller than small.