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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟒
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆

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A few weeks passed since the knights moved their base closer to the kingdom. It wasn't long after they were settled when Wilbur told Samuel about an extraordinary opportunity. The opportunity to pick five knights to become a part of his inner circle. These men would be the ones to help the De Vil boy make important decisions for their squadron. According to Wilbur, Samuel needed to choose the knights within the first five weeks of being chosen as right-hand. After everything he had been through with one knight, the blonde boy already knew who was going to be his first pick. Especially with how much he has improved since becoming a knight.

"Attention everyone," Wilbur called out with Samuel standing by his side, causing everyone to gather around the clearing before their commander continued to address the group of knights that surrounded them, "I have called this meeting to announce that Samuel has picked the first member of his inner circle. The person he chose is very young, the youngest to be chosen for this honor. Despite this, Samuel feels he deserves this place due to the improvement of his skills and the dedication he puts into becoming a great knight. And I have no doubts that this knight will be an excellent addition to the inner circle."

As murmurs began to fill the air, Wilbur took a step back to allow Samuel to address the squadron before him. A shaky breath escaped the blonde boy after some eyes fell back on him. It took Samuel a moment to gather his nerves before clearing his throat to grab everyone's attention. "The first knight that I have chosen to aid in making decisions for our squadron is Jason!"

Jason stared up at Samuel and Wilbur with his jaw dropped and eyes wide while the knights nearest to him congratulated him. A smile soon appeared on the De Vil boy's face after watching the young knight break out of his trance and talk to his peers. It wasn't long after that when a hand was placed on Samuel's shoulder, drawing his attention to Wilbur, who was staring back at him with a somewhat skeptical look on his face.

"You sure he's ready for this position?" the Eriks man questioned while keeping his eyes glued to Jason as their squadron continued to celebrate his accomplishment, "he seems pretty young. How old is he? Eleven?"

"He's twelve and more than ready for this job," Samuel responded without an ounce of hesitation before turning his gaze back to the smiling Jason, "even though he's young, he puts in as much if not more effort as the next guy. He wants to make sure everyone's safe. That's how it should be."

Wilbur paused for a moment as he studied the boy surrounded by the men of their squadron. It wasn't long after that when a proud smile appeared on the brunette man's face as he turned his attention back to Samuel. "Call him over. I have a mission for the two of you."

Before the blonde boy had a chance to respond, Wilbur made his way back to his tent. Samuel kept his eyes on his leader until he was out of sight before turning his attention to Jason, only to find the boy already walking toward him.

"Sam!" the boy cried after stopping in front of the older boy, "why did you choose me? I'm going to be so bad! I can't do this!"

"Easy, Jason," Samuel said with a smile while placing his hands on the Willis boy's shoulders in an attempt to calm his nerves, "you deserve this. Now come on. Wil has a job for us."

Jason let out a long sigh while Samuel sent him another smile. It wasn't long after that when they turned and made our way toward Wilbur's tent. After the two of them entered the tent, their attention landed on a concerned-looking Wilber looking over a map on the table. Another long moment passed before the Eriks man noticed their presence. A small smile soon appeared on his face before he gestured for them to join him.

"What do you need us to do, Wil?" Samuel questioned as soon as he got to his leader's side with Jason standing on the other side of the table.

"I need you to go to see the king," the brunette man explained, causing shocked looks to form on Samuel and Jason's faces before he continued speaking, "we need to know why the Ogres are so close to the kingdom."

"They're close because they're coming in this direction," Jason responded in a tone that made it seem like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "why would we need the king to answer that?"

"Unknown to most, the king made a deal with the Dark One about two years ago. He traded his daughter in exchange for the kingdom's protection from the Ogres," Wilbur explained, earning another shocked look from Jason before he handed Samuel a rolled-up parchment, "take this letter to the king and do what he tells you to do after he reads it. Come straight back here as soon as you're finished."

"Yes sir," the younger knights responded before they took one last look at the map and exited the tent. As soon as we were back out in the clearing, Samuel and Jason made their way to the stables to prepare their horses for the journey. It wasn't long after that when they hopped onto the saddles and headed toward the castle in search of answers.

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About half a day of riding passed before the two knights saw a giant castle in the distance. That caused them to pick up their speed until they reached the front gates. Samuel and Jason instantly handed one of the guards the letter before they dismounted their horses. It wasn't long after the man finished reading the note when he called for someone to take their horses and escorted them inside the castle. Silence filled the air as they walked through the palace halls before they reached the throne room to talk to King Maurice. As soon as they reached their destination, they found the king pacing throughout the room with a nervous look on his face.

Once he noticed their presence, King Maurice simply stared at them. It wasn't long after that when he went to sit on his throne and let out a long sigh. After the two knights respectfully greeted the king, Samuel gestured to Jason, causing the young knight to walk toward the king. The Willis boy then handed him Wilbur's letter before making his way back to the De Vil boy's side. The two boys watched the king closely as he read over the letter. What felt like an eternity passed before he looked back at the knights and let out another long sigh.

"I know of this problem and I don't know why the Ogres are coming this close to the kingdom. The deal I made with the Dark One should have kept them away," King Maurice told them as he rolled the parchment back up and handed it to the man at his side. A silent moment passed before the man rubbed a hand over his face and continued speaking, "I gave that beast my daughter in exchange for protection and this is what I get! He broke the deal! My daughter should be by my side due to his treason! Due to his lies!"

"Is there anything we can do to help, Your Majesty?" Samuel asked, causing King Maurice to study the two boys in front of him.

The man just stared at them for a long moment before a scowl appeared on his face. "You're both far too young to do anything for me. Go and bring a capable knight."

The De Vil boy was shocked by the King's words before he found himself looking down at Jason. A hint of anger began flowing through his veins when he saw the Willims boy looking at the ground in shame. Samuel let out a long breath in an attempt to calm his nerves before he took a step forward with a hint of determination in his eyes.

"If I may, Your Majesty, we are fully capable of completing any task you assign to us," Samuel responded as he stood up straighter, trying to ignore the king's piercing gaze as he studied him, "I happen to be Sir Wilbur's right-hand man and Jason is mine."

Neither Samuel nor Jason said another word as they watched King Maurice sit up in his chair. The man just stared at the blonde boy in silence for what felt like an eternity before a smile appeared on his face. "It's settled then. The two of you will go to see the Dark One and find out why the Ogres are advancing."

Samuel's blood instantly ran cold as he looked down at Jason, only to find the boy staring back at him with fear in his eyes. They let the silence surround them until the De Vil boy was able to regain his bearings and open his mouth to respond. "Can we discuss this first?"

"Why would there need to be a discussion?" the king questioned as he leaned forward on his throne while continuing to study the two young knights, "you have made it perfectly clear that you are qualified. I will send a letter to your commander. Now go!"

Samuel and Jason shared another skeptical look before bowing toward their King. It wasn't long after that when they exited the castle and mounted their horses. The two of them stayed in front of the castle for a long moment before making their way toward the Dark One's castle.

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