A Mentor's Struggle

Chapter 8

I tried desperately to sleep even a wink, but my coughing fits would allow no delicacy of the sort, and I'm sure I looked like a madman.

My hair, I knew, was disheveled and stuck in every direction. I knew I had bags under my eyes as the night drew out longer and longer.

There was a small puddle of water at the edge of my cell, from a leak in the floor above. I crawled over and glanced at myself to continue analyzing my appearance.

My eyes had an exhausted, wearly glaze over them, oozing with fatigue. My face was deathly pale, which I couldn't tell whether it was from the sickness I was plagued with or my lack of recent sleep. I finally settled with staring out of the small window in my cell.

It had two small bars blocking it, a pathetic attempt to keep prisoners from escaping. It made me smile that LIef had placed me in this cell. He placed me in the one room that had an easy way to escape. I knew that he either trusted me to stay and await my punishment, or he was hoping that I would escape.

I knew first hand how hard it was on him, having to sentence someone he cared about to death or banishment. When your king, your life is surrounded with traitors and those who would kill you the second you turned your head over your shoulder.

He only confided in few members of his court, me being one of them. I stared out of the pathetic window, and found myself surprised that I was not mad with Lief. I completely blamed myself.

I had become close with Thespia. I had knowingly kept a key detail from the king that could result in my beheading. Lief did the only thing he could, and locked me away. I hope he understood that I noticed the gleam of joy in his eye when I claimed Thespia was my sister.

The pale, clear night sky slowly, painfully slowly, turned from a misty, enchanted navy to a light shade of rose. I wasn't nervous of my fate, however, knowing that Ezuras would no doubt confirm my claim.

As my thoughts consumed me, I failed to notice the echoing footsteps nearing my cell. A deep, familier voice cleared his voice to get my attention.

Lief stood before me, his brown eyes secretly lit with joy that only I could read, and that was all I needed to know.

"Sir Benedict. I hereby announce you free of all charges belonging in association with treason, and you shall be released immediately."

I smiled weakly and clutched the bars to stand. Thespia and my father walked in, both wrapping me tightly in an embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Benedict! I wasn't thinking, I should've known..."

"Thespia, tis' not your fault. It's entirely mine that you were led outside of the ballroom."

Before we could say anything else, Lief stepped forward with a small smirk on his face and he grasped my shoulder, which I knew was his equivalent of a bear hug.

"Skip training, get some rest, that's an order. You look like death."

I laughed and saluted him mockingly.

"Yes, sire!"

I saw a half smile twitched before he quickly erased it and lead me out of the dreaded dungeons. When we finally emerged from the eternal night and found ourselves in the castle's familiar corridors.

"A moment, with my knight, please?" Lief requested.

Thespia and my father nodded respectfully and left me alone with my king.

"Well, Lief, I have to say, I've never seen you get so upset about a girl-"

Before, I could continue, he gently lifted a finger and pressed it to my lips to cease my endless chatter, and I had only gotten started! Never had I thought he would throw me in the dungeons over a girl!

"Truly, Ben, I'm not sure I could ever apologize enough for what I have done."

"You've got that right!"

"I suppose I owe you an explanation. Very well, here goes. As a boy, Thespia visited me often. We've been searching for an alliance amongst our two kingdoms for centuries! The more I saw her, the more I came to care for her. Even as a lad, I fancied her! As a young woman, her beauty was never deterred. Even when we went on a horse ride together and I pushed her in the mud, she had never seemed more elegant. I love her, Ben. more than I could ever hope to express so I'm begging for you forgiveness from the events last night. You must understand Ben, even as a child I envied you."

"Envied me? Lief, what was there to envy? My mother died of childbirth and my father ended his own life in dispair. I was an orphan! The only person I've ever had in my life was you! I've never had a home of my own, food everyday, or even a woman who will fancy me!"

"Well, you my friend couldn't be further from the truth! Do you know how many maidens stop what their doing every morning just to stare at you while you train?"

I scoffed, but he continued.

"When we were children, you had no rules, no duties. You did as you want when you pleased. You quickly became my best knight, and probably the most skilled swordsman in the seven kingdoms! To add on to that, you became my father's court physician and were able to save countless lives each day! Sure, I was the prince and I could have any lady on my arm at any time, but you had the skill, the love and compassion, the smile that made any girl faint! When I saw you laughing with Thespia, I knew you and your oblivious charm had struck again, and I knew you had stolen the woman I love!"

"Well, trust me, you can keep her," I teased.

Lief smiled and nodded to me before leaving down the hallway to his chambers. My night had only started, though.

There were so many old herbs I had to throw out, it would take me half the night! Not to mention, I also had to make a list of everything I threw out so I could gather some more. Just the thought of the process overwhelmed me with fatigue.