Kings of War

"King Xander! My lord!" the young squire burst into the room. Xander was squatted in front of the bed where Elizabeth sat watching him very carefully. Xander growled softly stretching to his full height and glared at the boy. "I-I'm sorry my lord, but Sir Nathan told me to summon you. King Shaun is beating Sir Evan!"

Xander sighed. "Senga! Ajax! Stay wi' me queen. Lizzielass, I'll be back soon," he promised before turning and following the squire. He heard the door close behind him and knew that Ajax would be standing outside the room as a guard. He knew well the relationships between those of his highest confidence. He wasn't blind to see the way that Senga threw sultry looks at Ajax. Compared to Xander and Shaun, Ajax seemed a bit scrawny, of a more delicate build than many of the other men. Not to say that he couldn't hold his own, but that he was teased for it. Well he would be until he ever confessed that he was with Senga, if the fool would just say it, he would gain the respect of likely every man (and a good number of the women) in the castle. He hadn't yet though and Xander wasn't about to pus him either. It was seemed a useless ideal.

The walk was swift, brief, and silent. Xander could have found the way on his own. The smell of blood and the sound of pleading was hard to miss for one as old as Xander was. His hands were balled into fists and stuffed into his pockets as he entered the room and surveyed the scene. It appeared that Shaun had every intention of beating the Knight to death with his bare hands. It was these kinds of rash actions that had labeled Xander the Godfather and Shaun the Enforcer in the dark corners of the night and the recesses of their city. The nicknames had a certain ring of truth to them, that could not be denied. It was just made all the more interesting by what Xander was seeing take place before him. He raised a dark eyebrow as he paced the room looking carefully at the scene until he found one of the Knights who kept flinching. "You," Xander snapped instantly gaining the Knight's attention. "What is the crime?"

"Crime m'lord?" The Knight asked hesitating a moment and unable to look Xander in the eyes.

"Don't be trying to shite me lad. Tell me the bastard's crime or ye'll be suffering the same fate." The look on the Knight's face told him that the man was smart enough to know that Xander was telling the truth. He then made the right choice and told Xander every detail. Xander crossed his arms over his chest and watched the rest of the carnage before the corpse was finally hauled away. "Well now that that fucking pig is done with...shall we find yer lad?" Xander suggested putting a hand on Shaun's shoulder which his friend shrugged. "Banyon!" Xander snapped ordering forward one of the nights.

"They 're waiting outside m'lords. We've just been awaiting yer orders."

Xander nodded curtly before turning to look at Shaun. "Shall we friend?"