A Trap

When the sky turned dark, Asher and Leo went out separately. The King had decided to go and find the late king's attending physician, Graham Deasey, while Leo will be protecting the King in the shadow.

At this time, Leo hid behind the wall with his eyes trained towards the tavern that the King had walked into a few minutes ago. His eyes scanned for the familiar face of the old physician patiently.

Leo bit his lips. Somehow, he did not like the setup. He could not shake off this premonition that something bad was going to happen ever since the King told him of his plan.

Leo straightened his posture when he saw a man approaching the tavern. He adjusted his eyesight in the dark and saw the man's face. It was the former Royal Physician, Graham Deasey.

A frown appeared on his forehead as Leo watched the man entering the tavern. At this time, Leo was not sure if he should be relieved to see that the old man decided to show up.

Leo waited for two minutes and was about to make his move to the tavern when he saw another man approaching the tavern. His heartbeat escalated when he caught a glimpse of the man's face.

It was a face that he recognized!

Leo watched the man entered the tavern before he followed suit. The door swung open as soon as Leo stood before it. Suddenly, he was face to face with that man.

"You see old man," the man sneered as he glanced towards Doctor Dansey. "I told you that the King wouldn't be alone without his guard."

"Daren," Leo acknowledged him. His posture eased as he saw his friend.

Daren was a part of the King's Guard. He was his colleague and partner. The two of them were with the King in the forest when they were attacked.

Leo glanced into the room and saw that the King was looking at him with an expression that he could not understand. The physician sat just beside the King, with his head lowered.

At this point, Leo should have noticed that something was wrong, however, he was too happy to see his old friend alive and healthy.

"I did not expect to see you here," Leo spoke to Daren. "How did you survive the attack?"

Daren grinned at him. "Never mind how I survived the attack. I was surprised that you guys were still alive. I've been waiting for you and His Majesty in Fayn City for months. We were very sure that you were dead. We were just leaving that city and stopped by this small town when they saw His Majesty with the old man."

"What are you talking about? Who are we? Who are they?" Leo stepped back when he sensed that something was off. Then, a stabbing pain just above his shoulder followed. His eyes widened as he saw a crossbow bolt struck him. Leo turned to search for his attacker, but as soon as he turned around, there was a pain on his neck.

Someone has knocked him unconscious.

…

Asher heaved a sigh when Leo slowly opened his eyes. He tried to get close to him but failed as his hand and legs were tied up. "Leo?" he said urgently. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." Leo shook his head to get rid of the dizziness. "Ow, my head," he tried to lift his hand but soon noticed that his hands were tied up behind his back. When he moved, the pain on his shoulder intensified, causing him to shudder.

He turned to the King to check his condition. "Your Majesty. Are you alright?" Suddenly, the memories of what had happened to him came back. Leo clenched his hand into a fist in anger. "Daren! Where is he?"

Asher replied to him with a bitter laugh. At this time, Asher could not believe that he was betrayed by one of his trusted people—his guard.

While waiting for Leo to wake up, Asher had spent his time to think. It was then that he recalled some abnormalities with how Daren had acted. Previously, it was Daren who was objecting to his idea to look for the former physician. However, Daren was also the one who convinced him to escape the palace after the anonymous letter came to him. Daren was the one who suggested the routes to be taken.

To think that Daren would be so bold to betray him... Asher was boiling with rage.

Leo and Daren were among the few people who have been chosen as his Knight when Asher was crowned as the Crown Prince of Noa Kingdom.

Among the other Knights, Asher was closer to Leo and Daren. They spent a lot of time together and Asher made them practice martial arts together with him to build a bond between them. Asher wanted to let them know that he had his trust in them, and he wanted them to trust him.

"How long have we been locked up here?" Leo asked when the King did not reply.

Asher shrugged. "I'm not sure. They knocked me out unconscious right after you. When I woke up, we were here, tied up in this shack."

Leo scanned around the room to look for anything he could reach and use to cut the rope. But he could not find anything within his reach. It was then that he noticed his surroundings.

The shack had one door and one window used for ventilation. As he listened carefully, Leo could detect that at least two guards were standing to guard the door.

Taking down the two guards would be easy if only he could find a way to cut the rope around his hands. After a while, Leo wriggled around his hands, hoping that the rope would somehow loosen up. Sweats trailed down his face as he bore the pain.

"Sorry, Leo," the King said after a long silence. "I should have listened to you when you advised me to return to the palace. I should have gone back to be with my sister and protect whatever I have with what I have," he paused to tug at the rope bind around his hand. "Now I can't do anything to protect my only family, my people, and you. And now... we are going to lose our life just like this."

"Protecting you is my job, your majesty," Leo spoke. "And it is an honor if I should die protecting you. But right now, I am not going to die. We are not going to die. I am going to get you out of here, and we will both return to the palace. As long as we are alive, there will be hope." Leo tried to smile, but his smile quickly disappeared when he heard a noise coming from the outside.