Selfless Love

Hide and Seek

Hebaron had always assumed he would die in battle. A glorious and honorable end for a knight. But now, as he slowly made his way through the castle heading towards the Commander's office he knew for certain that his end would be much more painful than any battle he would ever face.

Looking back he should have tried to keep the whole thing quiet, gone to Ruth for help and prayed that the lord and lady never found out but he was so distraught that he wasn't thinking about how to save his own ass nor did he truly care at the time. He truthfully needed all the help he could get.

He knocked on the door nervously, already breaking into a cold sweat before he was invited in by the light, soft voice of the Lady of Anatol. He stepped into the room and gave Maximillian a tight smile and gave a quick nod to the Commander. The couple appeared to have just finished enjoying a light lunch by themselves. Maxi smiled warmly at him but the Commander's eyes narrowed as he could tell from Hebaron's uneasy stance that something wasn't right.

"How are you Sir Hebaron?" Maxi asked politely.

"I am alright my lady," the knight said, wincing at how high his voice sounded. "Thank you for asking."

"Where are the children?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, we were um, playing hide and seek my lady." Hebaron said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck and did everything he could to avoid the Commander's gaze.

"How fun!" Maxi said cheerfully. "Where were they hiding?"

Maxi was smiling happily at her friend but the Commander's posture had become more stiff the longer Hebaron stood stiffly in the doorway.

Hebaron looked up at the ceiling unable to look them in the eye as he scrambled desperately to think of an answer that would not end with his death in this very room. 

"Well my lady," Hebaron said, his voice tight and uneven. "That's why I'm here."

Hebaron felt his blood drain from his face as he dared to look over at the Commander who was now glaring at him and seemed to already know what the knight was about to say.

"I uhh," the knight sputtered. "I cannot find them, my lady. We started the game earlier this morning and I have searched for hours but I never found them. I was hoping you might know of a spell that could help locate them."

Maxi's smile faltered and then slowly faded from her lips.

"What perimeter did you set?" she asked quietly, her voice still light as though she was in shock.

"Perimeter?" the burly knight asked.

"Didn't you tell them to stay between the first and third floor so they know what's off limits?" she said, her voice becoming heavier and more firm.

Hebaron's silence spoke volumes.

"You at l-least told them to not leave the c-castle grounds?" she asked, her stutter returned as her nerves rose by the second.

"No," Hebaron said, his voice barely above a whisper as his throat had gone dry. "I asked at least a dozen men to help me look for them but we searched for hours and have found no trace of them."

Hebaron paused for a moment, debating whether he should add to the parents' worries but he assumed that they had also begun to consider the worst possible outcome.

"If they wondered outside the castle grounds there is a possibility of kidnapping an-"

Hebaron was cut off as he was thrown back against a wall as a large calloused hand wrapped tightly around his throat. He had been so lost in his own mind, drowning in worry for these children whom he cared for deeply and had failed them, that he hadn't noticed the Commander coming towards him until he had the wind knocked out of him.