Deal with it Later

Ethyn tried to think quickly as he felt the sharp edge press into his back.

Due to the drinking and merriment, weapons were not allowed for party guests, especially young males. Only soldiers not partaking in the festivities were allowed to have their swords.

'Not even his first full day of being a knight and already, Nuall is breaking the rules.' Though Ethyn guessed that the other young man did not care.

He was about to break a much larger law.

"Do you mean to kill me?" Ethyn asked pointedly. "I do not think the king would look kindly on losing two of his knights in one day."

Nuall hesitated. He had been so angry that he hadn't thought through the consequences of pulling a blade on his fellow protector.

If the blonde knight were to murder Ethyn in the alcove, he would have to make a hasty escape to not be caught in his treachery.

The likelihood of the murder being traced back to Nuall was not high, but also not out of the question. He had paid the servant who poisoned Ethyn well, but well enough to keep quiet when the knight was found dead? Maybe not.

"Say that you are scum and that I deserve the princess," Nuall growled.

"I am scum, and you deserve the princess," Ethyn shrugged. His voice had no feeling in it.

Confused, Nuall pushed his luck. "Say that you will never live up to my greatness."

"I will never live up to your greatness." The redhead was relaxed. The lack of tension in Ethyn's body unnerved the man with the knife.

"How are you so calm? You just insulted yourself and gave up your claim to the princess."

Ethyn chuckled, "You only said I had to say it, not believe it."

Nuall realized his error, and quickly corrected it. "Swear that you will leave the princess to me."

The green-eyed man tensed. He was a man of his word and they both knew it. If Ethyn swore it, he would do it.

"Never."

"Swear that you will not make any effort to impress the king or his daughter." Nuall pressed the knife into Ethyn's back.

"I will not." Ethyn's entire job was to honor the king and protect Birle. Of course he wanted to impress the monarchs which he served.

"You seem to have forgotten who has the power." The blonde man wrapped his free arm around Ethyn's neck and pressed his knife forward.

It pierced the redhead's tunic and cut into the muscle of his back next to his spine. It was not a deep cut, but it was very painful.

Ethyn gasped, and bit his bloodied lip. But he refused to give Nuall the satisfaction of his scream.

Leaning forward Nuall whispered in Ethyn's ear, "Swear that you will renounce your oath as a knight. We both know you are not who you claim. Swear that you will tell the king you lied about your heritage."

Ethyn had stolen and lied many times in his life, but not about who his parents were. Why would he lie about being an orphan? Something in Nuall's words did not make sense, but Ethyn could not put his finger on it.

All he knew is that he had had enough.

"I will not renounce my oath nor will I lie to the king. Either kill me or give up on your fiendish goal, because..." The green-eyed man gritted his teeth as he pushed his head roughly backwards into Nuall's nose.

A soft crack greeted Ethyn's skull as he rammed into the soft cartilage. When the blonde man flinched, Ethyn took advantage of the momentary lack of focus.

Elbowing Nuall in the stomach, the redhead arched his back and pulled forward. The knife came free of its shallow wound. Blood began to ooze from it as Ethyn darted out of his captor's grasp.

In the same motion, the young man spun around, taking hold of the blonde's wrist. Just as Silver had taught him, Ethyn pressed his fingers between the bones of the Nualls forearm and pulled him forward.

Gripping his second hand next to the first, Ethyn twisted the blonde knight's arm until he was forced to bring it behind his back. The violence of the action loosened the Nuall's grip on the knife, making it easy for Ethyn to strip it from his hand.

Before Nuall knew what was happening, the sharp tip was against his own throat instead of his opponent's back.

"I will never let you have the princess's hand," Ethyn breathed heavily, "or her heart."

Everything hurt, from his wounded back to his ravaged stomach to his throbbing jaw. Yet Ethyn felt only relief for he was victorious. Nuall was defeated.

"I did not realize my hand or heart fell under your domain, Sir Ethyn, especially since you seemed so uninterested in them earlier this evening." Rose stepped from the shadows of the entrance to the alcove with her lady-in-waiting by her side.

Ethyn's eyes widened. "Your Highness!"

'How long has she been there?'

Nuall's voice overrode the green-eyed man. "Your Highness, I beg of you to help me! Sir Samberg is threatening my life because I said you were the most beautiful dancer on the floor tonight. Please tell him to stop. I do not want to die simply for complimenting you!"

The blonde man pretended to tremble. The change was so sudden that the green-eyed man began to stutter.

"It-It's not what it looks like!" Ethyn wanted to explain.

However, the redhead was the one holding a knife--which neither of the men had a right to have--and he was the one with it pressed to Nuall's neck.

The situation looked grim.

"Put down the weapon, Sir Samberg," Lady Caitlyn spoke slowly.

The look on both ladies' faces was a mix of disapproval and confusion. Ethyn quickly complied. Throwing the knife to the ground, he stepped away from Nuall and fell to one knee.

Nuall raced forward, knelt and kissed the princess's hands. "I owe you my life, Your Highness. I can never repay you, but I shall try."

Rose pulled her hands from his grasp. "Cait saved you, not I. You should be giving all your gratitude to her."

The blonde man paused. "Thank you, Lady, Caitlyn." He dipped his head in the woman's direction.

Caitlyn pursed her lips, but did not respond.

"Go get cleaned up," Rose said to the man still at her feet, "and stay out of the garden for the rest of the evening. Remain only where the guards can protect you. Lady Caitlyn cannot be everywhere at once."

Nuall bristled at the reproach, but kept his thoughts to himself. "Yes, Your Highness."

Rose let him rise and leave before turning her steely gaze on Ethyn, whose face was aimed toward the ground as he rested on one knee.

"I did not expect to find you here, but I guess I should have known. You flirt with everyone in sight, insult me, then attack one of my supposed suitors. All for what? To get my attention? Well you have it now." Rose crumpled her dress up in her fists.

"None of those were goals I set for this evening, Princess, I assure you." Ethyn kept his head lowered. His back hurt too much for him to fully straighten it anyway.

"Then you have exceeded your own expectations, it seems. And you broke the palace protocol by bringing a knife to the king's party. Don't you realize that you can lose your position over this? What kind of fool must you be to take such a risk?" Rose took a step toward the kneeling man, but Caitlyn caught her arm.

"Your Highness, might I have a word?" the lady asked her mistress.

"Not now." The blue-eyed princess was too upset to listen. "Sir Ethyn, of all the knights I have ever met you are by far the most..."

Caitlyn whispered in the princess's ear. Rose paused, her lips pulled tight. She shot the beautiful lady-in-waiting a wary look before sighing.

"We will discuss this in the morning, Sir Ethyn. Rest assured my father will know everything by then."

"Yes, Your Highness." Ethyn struggled to stand. He bowed slightly and exited the alcove as quickly as his shaky legs would carry him.

'Blasted Nuall. Even in losing, he wins! If only Her Highness had heard more than my final words. But no....I don't care what the princess said. I have had quite enough of castle life. I'm going home.'

After dressing his wounds and leaving his sponsor a note, Ethyn decided to leave the palace gates and make his way Rynnlee immediately...

...and deal with the consequences later.