“What do we have here?” King Lavier asked.
“We have...” The Knight stopped as he thought of something to say. As far as he knew, Michael wasn’t really a threat, he just didn’t listen to the Knights. “A thief!”
Michael frowned, “What? I’m no thi—”
The Knight threw Michael down to his knees.
Lavier frowned as well, “That’s it? He’s not a rebel?”
“I-I’m not sure my King. He’s swift enough to be one, so maybe...”
Michael shot a smile up at the Knight.
King Lavier stood from his chair and sighed, “You could have just sent him to the Zext Quarter then.”
“Sorry, my king,” The Knight bowed his head and waited for further instructions.
Michael watched as Lavier slowly made his way over to him. They both held eye contact, which amused Lavier, and he smiled. People were too afraid to look him in his eyes because of his status. Even Aveena, as rebellious as she was, would turn away from him, but Michael was brave, and Lavier liked that about him. He stood over Michael and studied him for a moment. Michael looked young, but strong.
“So,” Lavier started, “you’re not a rebel, and I can’t believe that with that baby face of yours, you’re a thief.”
“I’m not.” Although, there was that time he stole the crystals from the Knights, and all those trips to the Zyla Quarters. Lavier didn’t have to know any of that though.
The Knight lifted his head, “My K—”
Lavier raised his hand to silence the Knight, and then turned his attention back to Michael. “Ah, well, I don’t have much of a use for you...” His eyes widened when he spotted Michael’s ears. “Dear Ralu...” He held his hand to his chest.
Michael frowned. He knew what the King was looking at and had no idea what to expect now. He looked around, thinking that he could try to escape, but any of the Knights would kill him without much of an effort.
Lavier squinted his eyes, then he stood back, “Stand.”
Michael was confused. What was Lavier going to do? Was he going to have his ears chopped of? Experiment on him? There was no telling what the King was thinking.
Michael slowly stood to his feet, feeling off balance at the thought of his ears being removed from his head. Tayen was very protective of Michael because of his human ears, but soon everyone accepted him, and she had no reason to worry. She never thought that Michael would be standing in front of the King.
“You’re from earth?” Lavier asked.
Michael snapped his attention back to Lavier, “Yes.”
“How?”
Michael clenched his teeth. He couldn’t tell him how, because that meant giving up the organization. Lavier would want to know about them if he gave information about his arrival to Raluza. He swallowed. He was never good at lying. “I-I don’t recall. I was walking outside one day, and then...nothing. I just woke up here in Raluza.”
King Lavier continued to study Michael’s face. He had an earthling in his presence. How wonderful! “Un-cuff him,” he ordered.
The Knight frowned, “What?”
Lavier scowled, “Are you questioning me?”
The Knight lowered his chin, “No, my king. I’ll remove his cuffs right away.”
Lavier raised his chin along with his brow as he watched the Knight un-cuff Michael.
“You can leave now Knight,” Lavier said.
“Yes, my King.” the Knight turned around with a sigh and walked back toward the entrance.
“So, I’m being freed?” Michael asked.
“Maybe.” Lavier clasped his hands behind his back. “I had a thought.” He slowly started to circle Michael. “I’ve been wanting to take over Earth after I’ve gained complete control over here in Raluza. I would go over and over in my head on how to do that, and I could never come up with a plan, but now...I have you.”
Michael drew his eyebrows together, “How could I help you take over earth?”
“By giving information. If I can get valuable information from you, then I can learn more about Earth. In turn, I would find a way to take it over and rule it as well. This is perfect,” Lavier stopped circling in front of Michael. “What better deal is there? You stay out of the Zext Quarter, and help me expand my Kingdom.”
Michael thought about what Lavier offered. There was no way that he would actually help this man take over the world his family still lived in. Even if his family wasn’t there, he saw the Zext Quarter and he wouldn’t help put more people in that predicament. Still, he didn’t want to be sent to the slave quarter either. How could he turn down Lavier’s offer? The King needed him because Raluzan’s couldn’t survive on earth long enough to gather any information. Michael knew just how important he was, and he was going to use that knowledge to his advantage.
Michael smiled, “I’m afraid that may not be enough for me my King.” He hoped that this worked, or he was a dead man.
Lavier’s smile slightly faded, “Hmmm?” He waited for Michael’s explanation.
“My freedom isn’t enough,” Michael shrugged, “but what I’m going to suggest will help the both of us.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” Michael nodded. “I can fight. I’m strong. I will give you information about Earth. If you make me a Knight, and not just any Knight. I want to be like one of them, who work here in the Palace.” There it was. Michael wanted to work inside the Palace, where he would be able to tear it down from the inside out long before Lavier could make his attack on Earth.
Lavier’s smile slowly crept back up on his face. He clearly liked Michael’s idea, and had no doubt that the young man could fight. Making him a Knight would also keep him close to the castle without forcing him. Yes, this was a fantastic idea.
“I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of that myself,” Lavier chuckled.
“So, it’s a d—”
“My King!” A Knight interrupted with the Princess in his tight grip.
Michael’s heart skipped a beat when his eyes met Aveena’s. Fear washed over him at the thought of her telling the King that he was one of the intruders last night. That he was going to kill her, or at least watch her die.
Aveena’s eyes widened. She didn’t expect to see her attacker in the Palace so soon. She figured that he would have stayed hidden for a while after last night, but he obviously didn’t.
The Knight stopped a few feet away and let Aveena’s arm go. She jerked away and rubbed over the handprint that he’d left.
“What did she do now?” Lavier asked. He looked anything but happy to see her.
“I caught her talking to the prisoner in the dungeon. I don’t know what was being said, but I knew that you wouldn’t want her speaking with him,” the Knight explained.
Lavier sighed, “Aveena, I thought you hated the dungeon? If you really want me to lock you away again, all you have to do is ask. I’d be happy to.”
Aveena’s frown dropped from her face, and the only expression that clearly shown now was fear. Her eyes widened and her teeth clenched. Michael didn’t like this expression at all. It reminded him of the look on her face when she thought that she was going to be killed. His chest throbbed with pain at the thought, and he sighed loud enough for Lavier to hear.
Lavier looked from Michael and then back to Aveena. His lips curved upwards at a new idea, “I think I’ve come to a decision, boy.”
Michael turned his head to Lavier and waited for what he was going to say next.
“You can be a Knight, but not just one of these Knights. You will be her Knight,” Lavier leaned his head towards Aveena. “She gets out of hand and is hard to keep tabs on. She was also attacked last night by some group of rebels. We have captured one of them, which is why I’m not so sure why she would want to speak with him,” he glared at her. “Anyways, you can keep a close eye on her. You can even escort her around the city! Maybe that will keep her from running off on her own. Just make sure that her face is well hidden.” Lavier clapped his hand
s together, “I’ll give you status as a Knight, and you will reside in the Gem Quarter where the other high ranking Knights live. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay there. In return for all of this, all you have to do is tell me about Earth.”
“You can’t tell him about earth—” Aveena blurted.
“Deal,” Michael cut her off.
Aveena frowned and took a step towards Michael, “You can’t—”
“Knight, take Aveena back to her room and lock her in please. I don’t want her having any more visits with the prisoner. We have yet to send him to the Zext Quarter,” King Lavier said.
“You haven’t sent him yet? Why?” Michael asked.
Aveena glared back at him as she was led back down the hall by the Knight.
Lavier raised a brow, “That’s none of your concern. You have more important things to worry about. Like that girl. She will be a handful.”
Michael gave a slight smile. He could also use this chance to make up with the Princess. “I believe I can handle her.”
Lavier threw his head back with a laugh, “I’m glad that you are confident. Now, let’s have someone get you some new clothes and show you to your new home, shall we?”
“You have living quarters for me already?”
“Oh, the Gem Quarter isn’t so packed like the Zyla or the poor quarters. It has a lot more space and mostly just Knights and their families occupy the cabins. We also have nobles that live there as well. So to answer your question, yes, there is a cabin ready for you.”
Michael nodded. He found that he was actually excited to see where he would be living for the time being. Back at the bar he had slept in a small room on the top floor, and even though he was fine with that, when they moved to another bar, there weren’t as many rooms and he ended up having to share a room with Clay. Now he got to have his very own cabin.
Lavier called one of his servants to grab Michael a few pairs of Knight’s uniforms and then lead him over to his new home. He had no use for Michael at the moment, so he let him go on his way.
Michael had the feeling that the King wouldn’t be needing him for a while. They had some time before Lavier actually gained full control of Raluza. Besides, there was still the Eastern Kingdom that was free of Lavier’s rule. It was still under the rule of a King and Queen that King Xavier had appointed once he took his place at the throne.
The one who held the power of Ralu was to choose two rulers for the North, South, and the East. There was still no telling why the North and South began fighting back then, but Xavier had suspicions that Lavier had something to do with it, as did most of the rebels.
When Michael stepped through the gate that led to the Gem Quarter, he realized exactly what the King meant when he said that it had a lot more space. The cabins here weren’t lined up in rows like the ones in the Zyla quarter, but were randomly spread out. The Gem quarter was similar to the Zyla when it came to the flowers, grass, and cobble stone pathways, but somehow, it looked even more peaceful.
There were children running about, Knights speaking with each other, and women planting flowers, or relaxing under the sun. Not far from where Michael stood, he could see a pond under a few trees where Gems were swimming. It was odd to see people playing in water when all Michael did was drink and bathe in it. One couldn’t take water for granted down in the poor quarters. Not even on Earth.
“Here you are,” the male servant stopped in front of a cabin similar to the other ones, but a bit smaller. “You have one bed, one table, one sink, and all of the resources the quarter offers you.”
Michael nodded, “Thank you.”
“And your clothes,” The servant handed Michael his Knight’s clothing. “You should change into those so that no one here suspects you as an intruder.”
“Understood,” Michael sighed. He was dreading wearing the uniform, but he knew that he had no choice. Just for now.
“I’ll leave you then. Enjoy your day,” the servant nodded to Michael and then headed back to the gate that led to the Palace.
Michael looked around and noticed that no one was paying him any attention. That was good, because that meant no one recognized him. Just Aveena, but it didn’t look like she would be telling on him, thank goodness. His eyes traveled up to the Palace that cast a shadow over his cabin when he noticed Aveena glaring down at him from her balcony.
Aveena had her hands planted on the ledge with her small triceps flexing. Michael hadn’t noticed them before, but now he did and that only made her look sexier. Her arms looked well-built as if she could hold her own, but still very womanly. She wore a top made of pink and red beads that was laced around her neck and back to cover her full breasts and left her tight torso revealed for admiration. Everything about Aveena reminded Michael of Tayen at this moment, and he wondered if she was just as strong.
Michael’s eyes went back to Aveena’s and his heart skipped a beat. She was the definition of beautiful, even with a frown planted on her face. Her frown deepened when the wind blew her hair against her cheek and her full pink lips slightly pouted. He thought of what it would feel like to kiss those lips, but then shook the thought away when she turned to go back into her room.
The corner of Michael’s lips curved upwards and he finally opened the door that led to his cabin. The inside was just as the servant said. One bed, one table, and a sink. There was also a large open space with a metal tub to wash in on the far side of the cabin. The inside was small, but cozy. He was going to like it here.
Michael stayed in the cabin for a while to get some rest. He needed to relax his brain before he thought of a way to go and free Clay. The Princess always escaped the Palace, so there had to be a way out without being seen. The only way that he was going to find that out was by asking her, and he knew that he would definitely be needing the strength to face her. Aveena didn’t seem like the type to forgive others very easily.
~*~
Night had finally fallen, and it was time for Michael to go and visit Aveena. He would do his best to explain everything to her and hoped that she would understand that he was only following orders. There was no way that he would’ve come up with a plan to assassinate her when all he wanted to do was get to know her.
Michael rolled out of his twin sized bed and grabbed his neatly folded clothes off of the table. The clothes were similar to the ones that he was wearing now, only this sheer black shirt had a shiny rectangular metal plate that molded across his chest. He also had the same plates on his shoulders and knees. Each plate molded against him perfectly, as if it were made of the same material as the rest of his shirt, only the plates were still hard enough to defend an attack from a spark staff. It wasn’t like anything he’d ever worn before.
The black pants he wore were also as soft as cotton on the insides, with plenty of ventilation, but rough on the outsides, and clearly made for fighting. Only the Knights of Raluza wore clothing made of material like this. Not even the people of Zyla were granted with such rich clothing.
Michael looked down at himself, then he went to the sink and put his head under the water. If he couldn’t convince the Princess that he was sorry, then he would at least try to get her with his good looks. Water made his hair curl tighter, and he knew how women loved his curls. After drying his face, he walked to the cabin door and took a deep breath. He patted his pocket to make sure that his staff ball was still there, and then rolled his shoulders.
“You got this. How bad could she be?” Michael asked himself. He turned off his light switch, opened the door, and froze when he saw two feet in sandals standing in front of his black boots. His eyes traveled up the long red skirt with a slit that revealed a well-toned milk chocolate leg, and then passed a tight four pack. His eyes stopped on the cleavage of two plump brown breasts covered by a red and pink...beaded...top.
Michael shot his head up to meet Aveena’s glaring eyes. They were glowing white, but barely under the moonlight.
“Aveena...” Michael’s mouth slowly dropped as he got los
t into her eyes again. It was a trance that he needed to stop falling into every time that he looked at her.
Aveena’s eyes narrowed as she looked Michael up and down, “I see it didn’t take long for you to switch sides.”
“I didn’t. I just-this is...”
Aveena sighed, “You’re going to get your friend out of the dungeon.”
“Well, Yes? How did you know?” Michael cocked his head to the side.
“Because, I just do.” She turned her head and her stud diamond earrings sparkled. “I’ll show you how to get him out of here without getting caught.”
“Oh,” Michael felt relieved. “So you’re not mad at me anymore?”
Aveena growled and snapped her head back to him, “I’m not doing this for you. I just don’t want another person sent down to the Zext Quarter, and I knew that you would help him escape.”
“I don’t understand. Clay was the one about to stab you.”
“Yeah, well, he was just following orders. I don’t think they’ll try that again after I set him free.”
Michael gave a slight smile, “I was just following...” He stopped talking when he noticed how she was looking at him in disgust. He got the feeling that he wouldn’t be getting off so easily.
“Come on.” Aveena turned and walked away. Michael stared for a moment, then jogged to catch up with her.
The two of them walked in silence with only the sounds of their feet hitting the cobble stone beneath them. Michael wanted to say something, but the angry expression on Aveena’s face held him back.
They walked towards the gate that led to the Palace, but instead of walking through, they turned left into the shadows of the walls. They couldn’t be seen just waltzing in, because they knew there would be questions once the prisoner went missing.
Aveena led Michael towards the pond and in between a circle of trees. Right below them was a tunnel slide that most likely led into the Palace.
Aveena: The City of Gold (The Black Knight duology Book 1) Page 10