Lunden

A few days later

Adam, John's brother, at the moment is in a horsemanship battle. They stood across from each other, his opponent wearing an all black clad armor from head to toe. Adam is a careful knight so he had prepared for this fight.

He was expected to fight a man named Amice whom he was told was a decently sized man by his squires but it looks like he didn't even show. "Do you know of this man?" Adam asked his squires, turning around whilst still on top of his horse.

His two youthful squires, Constance and Marie. Constance is a boy of everlasting confidence, never believing one to be above him. Only God had that right over him. Nonetheless, he listened to his Knight because he felt he could learn more from him.

Marie, a girl who was shunned upon growing up, her build being taller than average yet thinner than average. Most squires have sparkly eyes because of excitement and amazement, but Marie only had despair in her eyes. The bags under her eyes made it seem like you were looking into a never ending nightmare.

"Of course I know him!" Constance shouted. "His name is unknown but people call his horse 'the darkness' hehehe…"

"You know kid…you really creep me out…"

The eyes of Constance dimmed as Adam then looked at Marie. "Mari-"

"His name is Arthur. The reason his horse is known as 'darkness' is because he attacks in the night. His horse blending in with the night. Anyway, I've heard that speed is his best tactic." She coldly interrupted.

Adam averted his gaze away from his squires back to the opponent. 'I just never get the long end of the stick eh?…'

A main reason this was so important to Adam wasn't because of some simple want for gold or fame. It's because of honor. The king of England sat up in the stands. Well, that's most of the reason. Who doesn't want money?

King Henry.

King Henry is the epitome of disappointment. The lump of a stomach that shacked over his own knees and the food he obnoxiously ate, making a joke of his royal clothes.

Adam believed he still had time to get ready for the bout…he was wrong. "What do you mean it's time! Ay! Ay! Get back here-" the refree began skipping away from Adam as he was held back by his squires. "Sir Adam, calm down you got this. He's just one of the most feared knights in all of Britannia…"Constance assured his knight with a thumbs up.

"Thanks kid, but seriously?…darkness? That's one lame ass name."

He jumped back onto his horse and waited for the flags to drop. He prayed his squires put his armor on correctly as this was a special day to him. His brothers birthday. He plans on going to the village after the bout and showing off the coins he made to support his loving mother and annoying brother.

"Sir!" Marie called out. "Yes?" Adam responded.

"There is one more thing about him…I believe they say he's in his mid thirties. You are 26 so perhaps you have strength over him?"

Adam chuckled in grace. "Thank you, Marie."

-WHOOSH

The flags dropped and it began. The sound of the horses running was all that Adam could hear. This opponent brang something else out in Adam.

He has been getting by almost care-free since he became a knight two years ago. Always getting to fight people of low to intermediate skill. Not that Adam isn't highly skilled, because he is. The simplicity of it all is that Adam is rusty…and so is his helmet. "What the fuck!" Adam shouted. His vision going blind.

"Hey." Constant elbowed Marie. "I think we should have told him how we used his helmet as the water bucket a few weeks ago."

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"We?" Marie replied, distancing herself from

Constance.

Constance got ready to argue with her, his hand in a ball of fury, but he transposed his attention elsewhere, back into the battle of his knight.

'Fuck it!' Adam inwardly shouted to himself.

The two were now closing in on eachother. They positioned their lances, preparing to either strike or faint.

BAM!

"Winner of the first round, the knight, Adam!"

The people all clapped in the stands and for a moment Adam thought the king was clapping as well, but it was just the sound of him biting the bone on his chicken. "Dumbass." Adam spoke, unbeknownst to the fact that his squires stood next to him, their eyes glistening.

"Fu-"

*********

Forest of…?

John ran for as long as his legs could take him, eventually stopping to let out his insides. "Shit…I'm lost."

"I can help you if you want." An unknown feminine voice suggested.

"What?!" John yelped. "Wh-who are you?!" He picked up a tiny branch next to him as his defense.

The voice then revealed themself from the bushes, a young woman. "A nun?!"

She looks like the average nun, but one thing stood out to John. Her verdant eyes were irresistible from his vision, like glue.

"You look lost child…are you?"

"U-um yes sister. I am headed to Lunden to look for my brother."

"I see…I would like to ask more questions, but it would appear that you are bleeding." She scanned John's body, pointing at the blood on his clothes.

"…"

"You know what! It doesn't matter! I'll take you to Lunden if you'd like." She cheerfully said.

"You really know the way from here?"

She nodded in response, hand signaling for John to follow her. The two began walking and after a short while, they were on the main road. "There's a few cities we'll have to go through. I estimate we will arrive at Lunden in 20 days or so.

John agreed and they were already close to one of the cities, Worcester.

*************

Back in Lunden

The morning after Adams bout.

"Haaa~~~"Adam yawned. He got out of bed and headed downstairs, still occasionally yawning. He entered the kitchen and smelt something being cooked. Marie, heating meat, making beans, and evenly distributing the bread looked up at Adam, greeting him with a good morning.

"This is quite the morning feast no?" Adam inquired.

"Well, it's for my knight who won a bout." She dispassionately uttered.

'Yet you don't seem very excited.' Adam thought. "I am going to the palace today…keep an eye on Constance would ya'"

"Mhm" she responded, her eyes still lifeless.

'Okay~~'

Adam wanted to eat however he had no time. Reason being, after yesterdays match, Adam was invited to the palace by the king himself.

To give a bit of a summary, after Adam had won the first round of the bout, his opponent angrily left. He was throwing everything he could grab and even attempted to go at Adam, but was pulled back by the spectating knights. Not wanting to cause more trouble, he left Adam, forfeiting the game.

Adam got onto his horse and luckily enough, knights homes are close in proximity to the palace in case all knights must hurry to the Kings aid.

As soon as he arrived, the palace guards, wearing normal armor, but with the crest of the King, a vertical blue strip with a white outline, took his horse for him.

The palace, the tallest structure in all of England, has so many windows that Adam couldn't even count. Not that he knows how to count anyway. Peasant education and all that.

The wooden doors opened, inviting Adam inside. His steps echoed throughout the halls and before he could admire the beauty, he had already reached the Kings throne.

Adam knelt before the King. "My King…I have arrived to your call."

"The king would like to talk about your ability as a knight Sir Adam." A man sitting besides the king spoke, holding a rolled up piece of paper. "May I ask what this is about sir…?"

"My name is not of importance…what is of importance is what the King called you here for. He called you here to ask you to become one of his personal knights."

"!" Adam's jaw hung open, shock appearing all over his face. Regaining his composure, "I will gladly accept this honor however I ask if I could be allowed to go to my hometown for sometime."

The man looked at the king and looked back at Adam. "Is there a special occasion?"

"Yes," Adam chuckled, continuing. "It was my brothers birthday yesterday and I couldn't make it due to the match…"

The man stroked his overgrowing goatee. "The king will allow it. Once you return, we will discuss this more thoroughly. That is all, you may leave, Sir Adam."

"Yes…" Adam turned his gaze to the King. "My King." He bowed before exiting the palace. The previous guardsmen handed Adam his horse and he turned down a few blocks on his way home. He put his head down, still on the horse, "WOOHOOO!!!YES!YES!HAHAHA!!" He excitedly roared.

Sure, he achieved knighthood and disliked the King, but it doesn't change the fact of how honorable it is to directly serve under the King. Even if that very King is an embarrassment for the country.

He cheered so much that before he realized it, he was home. His squires peeping at him through the open windows. "Food is ready!" Marie called out, her voice still monotone.

He sat down, Marie serving him, and Constance next to him, already digging in. Adam wanted to flick the back of Constance's head, but he was simply in too much of a good mood.

Instead, he chuckled and happily ate with his squires. Though, they wanted to ask questions, they decided not too. Constance remained happy and a small but slightly noticeable smile appeared on Marie's face.

Adam looked at his squires. 'This is nice…'