Asher took the stairs slowly while his mind continued to race. He had a wave of new information swirling in his head.

He had learnt why his father had been distant all these years and how his ‘luck’ had won him the tourney final.

But Asher knew he couldn’t be blamed for either of these. As devastating as it would have been for his father, his mother had died while giving birth to him. Asher knew his father made the decision to reject him from the kingsguard based on the grief he had held for the past fourteen years.

And Ser Duncan had been the one to throw the final, not him. Asher refused to take any blame for this. He had certainly not known about Ser Duncan’s plan. Asher had to know for sure though.

Asher went down three flights of stairs in total. The lower he went the darker and colder it got. When he reached the bottom he noticed the guards inside one of the cells. They were making light work of the prisoner inside. Asher knew exactly which prisoner it was.

Asher walked up to the cell door. Both guards turned and looked at him. There was blood all over their uniforms but Asher was certain it wasn’t theirs.

‘I need to speak to the prisoner’. Asher wasn’t sure what state Ser Duncan would be in but he was going to ask questions regardless.

The guards stepped closer to Asher. Asher could finally see Ser Duncan now. He was on the floor of his cell facing the ceiling. At first Asher thought he was dead and his heart dropped but eventually he saw the rise and fall of the old knight's chest.

He managed to breathe a sigh of relief. He was angry at Ser Duncan but he didn’t want him dead quite yet, he had some answers to find out.

‘No one speaks to the prisoner until the king gives the order’. Asher looked at the first guard. He had planned for this. He just hoped his plan would work as successfully in reality as it did in his head.

‘Leave now or we’ll send for the king’. The second guard spoke now. He was taller and older then the first guard. He also was half a step closer to Asher then his younger compatriot. Asher assumed he was in charge around here. This is who he focused his attention on.

‘Let me speak to the prisoner and the king won’t have to find out. Five minutes is all I ask’.

‘No. We won’t ask again. Leave now or my friend here will go get King Harold or Prince Damon. The guard in charge looked angry now.

‘Well that didn’t work’ Asher thought but he hadn’t given up just yet.

‘Do you know who I am’. Asher tried to raise himself to his full height and sound scarier than what he felt. ‘Look into my eyes’.

The guard's face changed. He had a curious look on his face. Then it went back to being angry. Asher didn’t have time to react as he was hit hard on the left side of his face.

‘I am Prince Asher of House Whitehill. I am the son of King Harold and twin brother of Prince Damon. Do you remember me now? I will speak to this prisoner immediately or none of you will leave here with your lives’. Asher was scary for real now. He was making threats and intended on carrying them out if needed. The pain in his left cheek was getting worse and his head was starting to pound.

The guards were shocked. No one spoke or moved for what Asher felt like was an eternity. Then the younger guard went to one knee. Then both guards were on their knee and the apologies and praise couldn’t come fast enough. Asher was smiling on the inside but didn’t let his face portray any emotion. He still had a persona to keep up until he got what he wanted. He still had a job to do here.

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Asher was glad the second plan had worked because he didn’t have a plan C.

‘Both of you leave now. I’ll call for you when I’m done’.

‘Yes your grace’. The guards were quick to leave and all of a sudden Asher found himself alone with Ser Duncan.

Asher walked over to the body on the cell floor. He noticed Ser Duncan was still breathing. Asher nudged him with his foot. When that didn’t work he gave him a kick.

Ser Duncan sat up with a gasp. He was definitely a sight for sore eyes. He had a cut on his left ear, his right eye was already black and his nose was bloody and out of place. Asher didn’t feel sorry for him though.

‘You have one chance to answer me truthfully Ser Duncan or I’ll let the guards finish the job.’ Asher tried to keep his emotions under control but he was struggling. The fire inside him was getting bigger and soon he thought it might explode out of him.

‘Did you throw the tourney final and let me win?’

Ser Duncan stared at him with a blank expression on his face.

‘Answer me at once. Did you let me win?’. Asher was yelling now.

Ser Duncan’s face finally cracked and he started sobbing. Asher was shocked. He had never seen the old knight cry before. The old man had barely shown emotion when they had been together let alone anything like this. But Asher had gotten his answer.

‘Why Ser Duncan? Why would you do that?’

A tear fell down Asher's face. The gravity of the situation and the day he’d had finally hit him.

Ser Duncan stood up shakily on to his feet.

‘I just wanted your father to love you again. I just wanted you to return home and be happy. I wanted your people to see what a great warrior you had become’.

Ser Duncan sat back down against the cell wall.

Asher turned and started walking out of the cell. He turned his head and looked one last time at Ser Duncan.

‘That wasn’t your job. Real knights don’t throw fights. You had years to tell me about my father and his attitude toward me. Instead you brought me to the belly of the beast and threw me to the wolves.

Asher walked to the stairs. He saw the guards sitting on the steps.

‘Do with him what you must but don’t kill him. He may prove useful to my father and brother still’.

‘Yes your grace’. The guards moved quickly back to the cell. Asher could hear screams as he ascended the stairs.

Asher walked back through the great hall. Lords and ladies tried to stop him to congratulate him but he paid them no attention. Asher reached the front door of the castle but found it was blocked. Prince Damon was there standing in the way.

The brothers stared at each other for a long moment. Finally Asher broke the silence.

‘Move brother, father has asked me to leave and I intend to do so’.

Prince Damon didn’t respond. Instead he took a step to his right and the doorway was clear.

Asher continued to move. He wanted to put as much distance between himself and then this town before the night ended. As he walked past his brother he felt a hand on his left shoulder and he turned.

His brother looked into his eyes for another long moment. Finally he spoke.

‘I’m sorry for the way father treated you all of those years and I’m sorry for following in his footsteps. I don’t blame you for mother’s death’.

Asher was stunned. He had not expected this. He reached out and put his hand on the back of his brother's head and pulled his face to his.

‘Thankyou brother, those words mean a lot. I have to leave but I promise one day I’ll be back to help you keep your crown and run this kingdom’.

Asher noticed a tear roll down his brother's cheek.

Damon’s voice was thick with emotion but it had a steely hardness to it.

‘Do what you just do brother but never forget your promise’. Asher let go of his brother and headed out the door. He didn’t stop until he reached the front gate. The guards at the gate didn’t try to stop him as he left.

As he walked out of Riverton Asher turned and looked at his home town one last time.

‘One day I’ll be back’. That was for his brother.

Asher looked up to the sky. That was a promise for his mother as well.