Boring, tedious, mundane, all things a traditional watch for any guardsman could be described as. Jonathan loved it. This was the one part of his life that had remained the same since he had been adopted into the royal family. When he was in uniform and on duty, he was the same as all Guardsmen; no personal guards, no titles, subject to the organization and authority of The Guard.

He still stood watch with the same tower group. Tonight, he was stationed at the top of the tower. On the inside of the wall he looked over the orchard, servants housing, clear to the side of the castle. Looking outward gave him a view of Castle city. The training ground was the nearest thing to the wall on the left, with the armory and blacksmith beyond. On the right were the open fields where gatherings including the harvest festival took place.

Moving from one side of the tower to the other Jonathan carefully scanned the grounds, careful to not focus on any one area too long. The sun was going down creating odd shadows and movements making it a particularly dangerous time of day. Trained to be even more vigilant in those scenarios the entire tower group was on sharp alert.

Turning from the inner side of the tower Jonathan walked to the crenel , the cut out in the wall, to observe the area beyond the wall. As he started to step behind the merlon,  a sharp pain in his shoulder followed by a solid thunk caused him to drop behind the parapet. A second later another thunk sounded. Both arrows had hit the far side of the tower. Gideon reached his side while sounding the alarm.

"You. Get inside the tower." Gideon's order was terse.

Protocol dictated that they sound the alarm, gather information and fight back if possible. While it wasn't a common occurrence, neither was this the first time shots had been fired at a tower. It had happened twice in the last year. Once was a kid just seeing if he could make the shot. The other perpetrator hadn't been caught. Gideon's orders went against protocol and training. Jonathan moved to a crouch and peeked over the parapet. Before he could even focus Gideon had pulled him back down.

"Daniel, get Jonathan below."

The alarm bell had started ringing, men were shouting, pandemonium had broken out. Daniel had arrived, taken hold of Jonathan's good arm and forced him into the tower. He moved them both into the Captain's quarters that took up most of the third floor of the tower.

"What is wrong with all of you?" Jonathan growled as Daniel secured the door.

"I need to check your wound your highness." Daniel was a hundred percent professional guardsman.

Jonathan sighed before pulling off his chain mail. Daniel took one look at his arm where the arrow had ripped across it, took two steps back and started gagging. As the excitement ebbed the pain intensified. Jonathan looked around found a bucket of water and some rags, then attempted to wash his arm. Mostly he just held the cold rag against the torn flesh. Actual washing had been too miserable.

A knock sounded at the door and Daniel sprang to full alert causing Jonathan to snigger.

"Announce yourself."

"Captain Acklin."

Opening the door with sword in hand, Daniel verified that it was Jonathan's primary guard before allowing him entrance.

"Gavin, I think I need Kamdon."

"Daniel, go get Kamdon."

Daniel moved as if his very life were at stake. Really it was who the order had come from that gave him such motivation. Gavin's tone didn't change, he didn't raise his voice, but the command of a primary guard held significant weight to any guardsman.

"I disobeyed an order." Gavin had taken over wound care. He was holding firm pressure on the ripped shoulder and in order to ignore the pain Jonathan started talking. "I have no idea how Gideon is going to deal with me...I know what to expect with Caleb and Laban, but not Gideon. He ordered me into the tower...what was I supposed to do with that? If I can't do my job as a guardsman what is the point. Am I just going to get ordered to safety every time something happens?"

Jonathan turned in his outrage and pulled his arm from Gavin. Blood started seeping through the rags as a knock sounded. With a casualness that belied how potentially deadly Gavin could be, he swung the door open. Kamdon was standing across the hall with his back against the wall. At a nod from Gavin he entered with Daniel creeping behind him.

"Sit."  The order from Kamdon was firm.

Jonathan grinned at the commanding tone as he sat in the nearest chair. In short order Kamdon had a needle and silk thread prepared to sew up the cut on Jonathan's arm.

"There is a palace physician. He is much better trained than I am." Kamdon commented at he made the first stitch.

Jonathan could feel the thread pulling through his skin. He tried to focus on what Kamdon had said but it was hard.

"I like you better, you're not scared of me, or my sister."

"I also won't put up with your shenanigans. These stitches are all you should need, although since it is your shoulder, you'll have to be careful not to pull them out. If I have to redo this then I am tying your arm to your body until it heals." Kamdon was wrapping Jonathan's arm in soft cloth with gentle movements even as he was threatening dire consequence.

"Thanks Kam. Gavin, see to it that Kamdon has complete access to the royal wing. He will inevitably want to check on his work." 

"I will make sure of it sire. We are ready to head back to the castle now, if you are ready."

Alarm bells had forced the regular evening hustle and bustle to become silent. Jonathan's entourage had swelled to include Caleb, Laban, Gavin and Daniel. Their footsteps echoed, chain-mail rattled, hyper alertness took over. It set Jonathan on edge. The kitchen entrance was the one The Guard chose to use. Caleb entered first to confirm the room was secure. Once Jonathan was allowed inside the guards fanned out and gave him a little room. Gavin stayed close.

The kitchen was buzzing with all the normal dinner time prep and an added layer of talk about the alarm. The smell of fresh bread and roasting meat filled the room. Jonathan took a deep breath. The normalcy calmed him as they made their way through the kitchen and up to the royal quarters.

Christa was in the hall to meet them. She took in Jonathan's disheveled state and bloody clothes and immediately roared out a call to Jacob while running to him. Pulling her close with his good arm Jonathan grinned at his brothers. Jacob had burst out of the family room door with Ilya two steps behind him. They looked so panicked. Jonathan rumbled a laugh deep in his chest.

"Are you laughing?" Christa's incredulous voice demanded. Without even a pause she continued. "You are! You come in here all dirty and covered in blood and laugh like it is some kind of game."

"It's really not that bad. Kamdon already sewed it up."  

The brothers had arrived and surrounded Jonathan and Christa; Alexis had taken her place with a hand on Christa's back. There was a look on Jacob's face that Jonathan had never wanted to see again. His big brother was beyond worried for him.

"I'm fine, Jacob. Someone took a shot at the tower and I didn't duck. That's all." His brother's face said it was more. All he could do was shrug which caused him to grunt in pain.

"Go get cleaned up, while Gavin gives me his report."

Jacob tended to be over protective which usually made him over-react. Jonathan appreciated his attempt at nonchalance. There was a sudden let down as he entered his private quarters. Exhaustion flooded over him.  Plopping into a chair he closed his eyes and drifted off.