Hidden Majesty, 2/? P.7 - Of Friends, P.3
Hidden Majesty
CH.2, P.7 (Of Friends, P.3)
*still in flashback*
Of Friends, P.3
Simon quietly stepped into the Queen's bedchambers. He looked at her Majesty sleeping in the bed, and the man who had not left her side since sliding down a muddy incline to be at her side. Daniel was still coated in mud, arms crossed over the bed, cheek resting on his hands. He was asleep, his breathing coming in deep and steady.
The younger man slowly walked towards his friend, pulling in a deep breath. Simon could see the change that was happening in Daniel, and it terrified him. He knew that this game Daniel was playing with the Queen would ultimately result in trouble for all involved, including himself. Yet, every time Simon had tried to confront his friend and mentor on it, Daniel would deny it.
And that's how Simon knew that the most loyal Knight to the crown was slowly losing sight of his obligations.
He stopped just behind Daniel, placing a hand on the sleeping man shoulder.
Daniel woke immediately. At least, Simon thought, he wasn't losing his skills as a defender and warrior.
"Yes?" Daniel asked quietly, turning exhausted blue eyes on his young friend.
Simon decided to slowly work into the true reason he'd come to him. "How is she?"
Looking up at the calm, slumbering features of the Queen, Daniel pulled in a deep breath. "Physician said she has some excessive bruising around the abdomen and a moderate concussion." He ran a hand through his mud-caked hair. "At least a week of strict bed rest and recommended two more weeks of minimal activity."
"She's not going to like that." Simon winced, gazing up at the Queen.
Daniel shook his head. "No, she's not." His blue eyes came around to look at Simon. "But her well-being isn't what you're here to find out." He sat back in his chair, a hint of that knowing smile playing on his lips.
Shaking his head, Simon looked to the floor. "I still need orders of what to do with the ladies from court."
Something that was a mix between a groan and a growl came from Daniel. He sat forward again, resting his arms down on the bed once more.
"I want you to send them back." He finally said, staring intently at her Majesty. "Tell them they cannot stay, due to the Queen's condition." Daniel wanted to say more, but kept his thoughts to himself.
Simon blinked. "They did not take to me quite nicely when I ordered them before-"
Daniel looked around at him. "And I do not take nicely to my orders being disobeyed. I want them gone, and you need to do it."
"All I'm saying is it would be better for you, as the head of the Queen's guard, to-"
There was a flurry of motion, and Simon soon found himself standing face to face with his commanding officer.
"What part of 'you need to do it' did you not comprehend?" Daniel asked on a threatening whisper. "I am ordering you to send those ladies away. I do not care how you do it, or who else you need to assist you, but they need to be gone." He looked over his shoulder at the Queen. "Those women are a detriment to her safety."
Simon glared in sickening understanding. "Just her safety?"
Dangerous blue eyes whipped back around. "Do you want me to hit you?"
Stepping back and bowing in mock respect, Simon continued to glare at Daniel. "I have obviously overstepped my boundaries, Sir. I will due as you bid me, as always." He turned around and calmly moved to the door. As he cast one final look into the room, he saw Daniel pick up the chair he'd knocked over and take up the same position he'd been in when Simon came in.
Shaking his head, Simon left the room.
In his mind, the commander he'd served for so long was gone.
A sly smile formed on his lips.
More opportunity for him to excel.
---------
"Daniel?"
Blue eyes opened at the soft calling of his name. Daniel looked up into the half-lidded gaze of Vala, his Queen.
"Majesty." He breathed, jumping up from his chair and taking her hand.
She smiled lazily at him. "I thought we'd gotten past all that."
Daniel smiled a little himself. "I'm just being cautious - there have been ladies of both royal and common status in there all afternoon, and we don't need them to hear such casual addresses between us."
Vala nodded. "You are quite wise."
"Some say it's what has kept me alive this long - though I'm not too sure it wasn't luck." Both laughed gently at his self-deprecating humor.
Her hand came up to brush through his muddy hair. "You are a mess."
Daniel continued to smile. "Yes, well, I had to retrieve my charge from the bottom of a muddy incline." His thumb stroked over the back of her hand. "Because she simply couldn't stand to be trapped in a large castle any more."
A glimpse of that old defiance flashed in her eyes. "Are you laying the blame on me, then?"
He laughed again, shaking his head. "No, the blame is all on those ladies you call friends. Of course I should've foreseen it happening, so in a way the blame is on me."
"Have the royal ladies gone back yet?" Vala's voice grew urgent as she squeezed Daniel's hand gently.
Daniel shook his head. "No, was there one of them you wanted to see-"
Vala shook her head this time. "No, nothing like that. I was hoping we could send a request to my husband." She missed the trouble look that momentarily flashed across Daniel's face. "After today's...events, it makes me realize how much I have been missing his presence. I could have been seriously hurt today, Daniel."
He nodded. "You could have."
"I wish he could have been here - that he was here now, telling me how he loves me." She continued on, not noticing how Daniel was growing more uncomfortable with her words. "I wish him to visit me, at least."
Vala looked at him pleadingly. "Can we send word that I wish to see him?"
Letting go of her hand, Daniel stood up to his full height and smiled. "If you wish a request to be sent, then it will be sent. Now you should get some more rest."
"And you need a bath." She said with a little laugh, never picking up on the turmoil raging inside him.
Daniel never let it show. "I do. So on that note, I will take my leave and get clean." He turned and slowly headed for the door. Before he could open it, her voice reached him.
"Daniel?"
He turned his head to look at her. "Yes?"
Vala smiled sleepily. "Thank you."
Daniel simply nodded and left the room.
Continued in Of Will
Comments are definitely appreciated!!!
CH.2, P.7 (Of Friends, P.3)
*still in flashback*
Of Friends, P.3
Simon quietly stepped into the Queen's bedchambers. He looked at her Majesty sleeping in the bed, and the man who had not left her side since sliding down a muddy incline to be at her side. Daniel was still coated in mud, arms crossed over the bed, cheek resting on his hands. He was asleep, his breathing coming in deep and steady.
The younger man slowly walked towards his friend, pulling in a deep breath. Simon could see the change that was happening in Daniel, and it terrified him. He knew that this game Daniel was playing with the Queen would ultimately result in trouble for all involved, including himself. Yet, every time Simon had tried to confront his friend and mentor on it, Daniel would deny it.
And that's how Simon knew that the most loyal Knight to the crown was slowly losing sight of his obligations.
He stopped just behind Daniel, placing a hand on the sleeping man shoulder.
Daniel woke immediately. At least, Simon thought, he wasn't losing his skills as a defender and warrior.
"Yes?" Daniel asked quietly, turning exhausted blue eyes on his young friend.
Simon decided to slowly work into the true reason he'd come to him. "How is she?"
Looking up at the calm, slumbering features of the Queen, Daniel pulled in a deep breath. "Physician said she has some excessive bruising around the abdomen and a moderate concussion." He ran a hand through his mud-caked hair. "At least a week of strict bed rest and recommended two more weeks of minimal activity."
"She's not going to like that." Simon winced, gazing up at the Queen.
Daniel shook his head. "No, she's not." His blue eyes came around to look at Simon. "But her well-being isn't what you're here to find out." He sat back in his chair, a hint of that knowing smile playing on his lips.
Shaking his head, Simon looked to the floor. "I still need orders of what to do with the ladies from court."
Something that was a mix between a groan and a growl came from Daniel. He sat forward again, resting his arms down on the bed once more.
"I want you to send them back." He finally said, staring intently at her Majesty. "Tell them they cannot stay, due to the Queen's condition." Daniel wanted to say more, but kept his thoughts to himself.
Simon blinked. "They did not take to me quite nicely when I ordered them before-"
Daniel looked around at him. "And I do not take nicely to my orders being disobeyed. I want them gone, and you need to do it."
"All I'm saying is it would be better for you, as the head of the Queen's guard, to-"
There was a flurry of motion, and Simon soon found himself standing face to face with his commanding officer.
"What part of 'you need to do it' did you not comprehend?" Daniel asked on a threatening whisper. "I am ordering you to send those ladies away. I do not care how you do it, or who else you need to assist you, but they need to be gone." He looked over his shoulder at the Queen. "Those women are a detriment to her safety."
Simon glared in sickening understanding. "Just her safety?"
Dangerous blue eyes whipped back around. "Do you want me to hit you?"
Stepping back and bowing in mock respect, Simon continued to glare at Daniel. "I have obviously overstepped my boundaries, Sir. I will due as you bid me, as always." He turned around and calmly moved to the door. As he cast one final look into the room, he saw Daniel pick up the chair he'd knocked over and take up the same position he'd been in when Simon came in.
Shaking his head, Simon left the room.
In his mind, the commander he'd served for so long was gone.
A sly smile formed on his lips.
More opportunity for him to excel.
---------
"Daniel?"
Blue eyes opened at the soft calling of his name. Daniel looked up into the half-lidded gaze of Vala, his Queen.
"Majesty." He breathed, jumping up from his chair and taking her hand.
She smiled lazily at him. "I thought we'd gotten past all that."
Daniel smiled a little himself. "I'm just being cautious - there have been ladies of both royal and common status in there all afternoon, and we don't need them to hear such casual addresses between us."
Vala nodded. "You are quite wise."
"Some say it's what has kept me alive this long - though I'm not too sure it wasn't luck." Both laughed gently at his self-deprecating humor.
Her hand came up to brush through his muddy hair. "You are a mess."
Daniel continued to smile. "Yes, well, I had to retrieve my charge from the bottom of a muddy incline." His thumb stroked over the back of her hand. "Because she simply couldn't stand to be trapped in a large castle any more."
A glimpse of that old defiance flashed in her eyes. "Are you laying the blame on me, then?"
He laughed again, shaking his head. "No, the blame is all on those ladies you call friends. Of course I should've foreseen it happening, so in a way the blame is on me."
"Have the royal ladies gone back yet?" Vala's voice grew urgent as she squeezed Daniel's hand gently.
Daniel shook his head. "No, was there one of them you wanted to see-"
Vala shook her head this time. "No, nothing like that. I was hoping we could send a request to my husband." She missed the trouble look that momentarily flashed across Daniel's face. "After today's...events, it makes me realize how much I have been missing his presence. I could have been seriously hurt today, Daniel."
He nodded. "You could have."
"I wish he could have been here - that he was here now, telling me how he loves me." She continued on, not noticing how Daniel was growing more uncomfortable with her words. "I wish him to visit me, at least."
Vala looked at him pleadingly. "Can we send word that I wish to see him?"
Letting go of her hand, Daniel stood up to his full height and smiled. "If you wish a request to be sent, then it will be sent. Now you should get some more rest."
"And you need a bath." She said with a little laugh, never picking up on the turmoil raging inside him.
Daniel never let it show. "I do. So on that note, I will take my leave and get clean." He turned and slowly headed for the door. Before he could open it, her voice reached him.
"Daniel?"
He turned his head to look at her. "Yes?"
Vala smiled sleepily. "Thank you."
Daniel simply nodded and left the room.
Continued in Of Will
Comments are definitely appreciated!!!