“Then kneel, squire,” the King ordered.
Robin knelt on one knee, bowing his head forward and placing both hands on his bent leg.
“Robin, do you swear to protect the people, the crown, and the lands of Alamore?” the King lifted the sword point slightly, shifting the hilt into his right hand.
“I swear,” Robin replied, head still bent.
“Do you swear to this, even should it cost you your life?” the King’s deep voice rumbled.
“I swear,” Robin said.
The King nodded and raised the sword, the flat of the blade gently landing on first Robin’s left shoulder and then his right. “Then rise, Sir Robin of Alamore.”
The hall exploded in yells, cheers, stomping, and clapping. Rowan wolf-whistled again but, thankfully, Rockwood couldn’t hear it over the tumultuous celebration. Robin turned, beaming, to the room at large, stepped from the dais stair, and sank into the seat next to Richard, who clapped him on the back.
The King raised his hand and the cheering slowly dissipated. “I call forward squire Haru.”
Haru stepped through the doors, straight-backed with only a faint limp. The hall erupted again and Rowan leaned across Will, clapping hard, to address Saget who was seated on the end. “I will do a week of your chores if you slap his butt when he walks by.”
“Rowan!” Will and Colin both pushed him back to his seat while Novin’s eyes streamed with suppressed mirth and Saget shook his head embarrassedly.
Haru took the step and stopped. He looked more nervous than Robin but held his head high and met the King’s steely gaze.
“Are you ready to swear your loyalty to Alamore, as a knight of the lands and the throne?” the King repeated.
“I am,” Haru’s voice shook slightly.
“Then kneel, Haru,” the King’s eyes softened and a slight smile crossed his lips as Haru obeyed stiffly.
“Haru, do you swear to protect the people, the crown, and the lands of Alamore?” Will shifted. He couldn’t help but feel nervous as he watched Haru lift his face to look at the King again.
“I swear,” this time Haru’s voice was strong, his shaking gone.
“Do you swear to this, even should it cost you your life?” the King asked again.
“I swear,” Haru bowed his head forward once more.
Silver light flashed to gold as the sword caught the sun again, resting on Haru’s broad shoulders, first the left, then the right. “Then rise, Sir Haru of Alamore,” Haru stood, turning to the crowd, eyes overly bright and beamed.
Will thought he would never hear again. Robin sprang to his feet and threw his arms around Haru and both were subject to Sir Richard’s bear hug. Rowan jumped on the bench and let out a high pitch whistle. Novin pushed his way over Saget’s lap to rush toward both of the newest Alamore knights while Colin and Will yelled themselves hoarse. It was one of the happiest moments of Will’s life, he was sure of it. He couldn’t find the words for what he felt when the King sheathed his sword and shook both squires’ hands only to have Robin throw his arms around him in a hug.
Only as they started to follow Haru, Robin and the King toward the door, the noise dying down, did it truly dawn on him. This was his family, his home, and he had never been so proud of anyone as he was of the two newest knights.
***
In the dinner hall, the last of the platters were being laid at the table and Haru and Robin were ushered to sit with the knights. Rowan tried to slip into Rockwood’s chair only to be picked up by his knight and carried to the round squires’ table.
“Seriously, I basically am a knight,” Rowan complained as Rockwood walked back to his seat.
Will grinned, looking round the hall as a hooded figure entered from the entry hall. The Ranger only glanced toward the squire table for a heartbeat before moving to the knights’ table, clapping a hand on Haru’s shoulder and leaning forward to speak to him. He then moved further down the table, doing the same with Sir Robin.
“Where the blazes was he?” Rowan demanded.
“How would I know?” Will asked. “I was with you.”
“He doesn’t like the noise of knighting ceremonies,” Airagon said, sinking into the chair across from Will, face flushed. “I have to tell you all something.”
“What’s up?” Colin asked, furrowing his brow. “You okay?”
“I’m great, actually!” Airagon beamed. “The King just took me aside as we left the Hall of Ceremony. He’s asked me to be his squire! I guess the Ranger told him the full story of me going to Finnwick and advised that I would make him an excellent squire!”
“That’s awesome!” Rowan said, grinning. “I guess the Ranger had something nice to say about someone. That’s a strange change.”
“Congratulations!” Will felt a pang of jealousy. He still hadn’t had a knight approach him. He glanced toward Sir Richard, seated next to Sir Haru. Had Haru been implying that Richard wanted him as his squire?
Will had to push the thought aside as the squires around him started serving up their food, passing dishes and talking animatedly. He joined in but the excitement had paled with disappointment. Hadn’t he proven himself? Was it because of Marl being his father, perhaps, that none of the knights wanted to associate as his mentor?
As the meal ended, the hall grew quiet and peaceful, everyone full and tired, the warmth of the now lit torches and hearth battled the cold night that had crept upon them. Rowan yawned, pulled his feet onto his chair and laid his chin on his knees. “I’m going to sleep right here if that’s alright with everyone,” he yawned again.
“Nope,” Rockwood was striding to their table. “But you are all getting to bed early tonight. We are going to be back in full training tomorrow,” he pulled Rowan’s chair away from the table and Rowan clutched the edges to keep from falling. “Get yourself to bed.”
Colin stood first, yawning, and Will followed suit, pushing his chair in. He was glad that Rockwood was ushering them to bed. If anyone commented on his mood, he could just blame it on exhaustion.
“Will, a word?” Haru was walking toward their table, a hand resting on the hilt of a new sword swinging at his hip.
“Want us to wait for you?” Colin asked as the other squires started to the squire chamber.
Will shook his head. “I’ll catch up with you all.”
Colin shrugged and pulled Rowan from his chair.
Haru led Will into the entry hall before turning to face him, a strange expression on his face. “Have you thought about what I said yesterday?”
“About knights?” Will asked, shifting. “I have, yeah, but I haven’t had anyone ask yet.”
Haru shook his head. “They won’t ask you; they’ll request from the King. He decides who will be the best fit for who. He has the final say, that way a squire isn’t overwhelmed with requests.”
Will snorted. That wasn’t an issue for him.
Haru breathed in deeply, looking down the hall at the black double doors then back at Will. “You’ve had four knights ask for you as a squire, did you know that?”
Will stared at him. “What?” he felt his spirits starting to rise again but faltered. “No one has asked me though.”
“That’s because the King has been withholding his decision until today since Robin was one of the knights and just became a knight. And I was too,” Haru ran a hand through his hair nervously. “Look, I know I’ve been a knight all of a couple hours, Will, and I want you to have your choice. I wasn’t planning to have a squire for a while, like Sir Miller, but after that battle in the graveyard…” he drifted and Will waited, heart thundering against his ribs. Haru continued in a rush; “You saved my life, Will. If I am out, fighting for Alamore, I want to know I have a squire who would have my back like that. I’ll get it if you want to be squire to Miller or Richard, or even Robin because he knows so much about Thornten and he’s a damn good swordsman. The King gave me the right to request you as a squire first. I wanted you to have the choice though.”
> Will opened his mouth and closed it, realizing he had no idea how to respond. The battle in the graveyard flashed through his mind again, the sight of Haru, bleeding on the ground but still rising, somehow, to fight Marl. “So, Sir Haru, when do we start training?”
Haru seemed to take a moment to process Will’s words then he beamed. “I guess bright and early with Ross and Rockwood. They’ve agreed to help us both for a while,” Haru shook his head. “I seriously figured you would go to be Sir Miller’s squire. He actually did too, so I guess I won that bet and a bit of money from that,” he patted Will on the back with a bit too much enthusiasm, nearly knocking him over. “Whoops, sorry Will.”
“It’s fine,” Will grinned and they started to walk back to the dining hall.
Haru stopped at the doorway and Will did too, confused as Haru clapped a hand to his forehead. “For Thornten’s sake, I was heading back to the squire chamber. Sorry,” he turned round, heading back down the hall toward the knight’s tower. “I’ll see you in the morning!”
“See you!” Will called and pushed his way into the hall alone.
“So.”
The voice at the edge of the doorway made Will jump and wheel round, hand flying to his dagger out of instinct. The Ranger leaned against the frame; his barely visible lips twitched into a smirk. “So, I take it you’re Haru’s squire now?”
“Yes,” Will said, sheepishly putting his hands in his pockets.
The Ranger nodded, straightening. “He’s got good taste in squires,” Will saw the shine of the Ranger’s eyes as the man looked down at him. “If I hadn’t learned my lesson of having a squire in my trade, I would have requested you myself,” he started to walk away then turned. “Then again, you have a keen sense of finding trouble,” Will could see the smirk broaden under the hood. He didn’t have a chance to respond as the man strode away, his black cloak rippling with each step.
Halfway across the dining hall, Will found he couldn’t control the smile that was splitting across his face. He broke into a run. He had to talk to Rowan and Colin, tell them everything, even if Rowan didn’t want to be woken up.
Ranger of Kings (William of Alamore Series Book 1) Page 38