Lunch went quite well, especially thanks to Leo’s tiramisù, which made the queen smile and nod. She seemed to have forgotten the burnt breakfast biscuits.

Leo was also quite awake, thanks to the coffee, even if he still had to look for a solution because he strongly doubted that he would be able to prepare sweets that needed coffee every day without risking being suspicious or keeping all the members of the royal family from sleeping at night.

Too bad he didn't come up with ideas for dealing with bullies.

Since usually his solution was to find a friend who would protect him.

But Giada wasn't there...

At the moment he had about an hour's rest before he had to make sweets for teatime, and was on his way to the dormitory in the remote hope of getting a few minutes sleep as the knights were at training, but evidently they too had a lunch break, because the moment he entered the room, Lionel, the only one present, drew his sword.

Leo sighed and turned around, but the noble knight was definitely well-trained, for he had already come close to him, and had slammed the door shut before Leo could get through. He then pointed his sword at Leo’s throat, menacingly.

“Hey, I understand you hate me, but aren’t you exaggerating now?” Leo complained, trying to keep calm.

“Have you complained to anyone?” Lionel asked, in a furious tone.

That tone struck Leo deeply, and made him pale.

He wasn't kidding. He wasn't threatening him with jokes he considered insignificant —whether Leo feared snakes was another matter, Lionel clearly just wanted to intimidate him normally—, he was seriously threatening him, with a sword aimed at Leo’s throat.

It was the second time Leo had a sword pointed at him, but it was the first time he'd been so intimidated.

“No!” he hurried to tell the truth “I didn't say anything to anyone! And I definitely didn't mention your name” he swore, raising his hands and smearing himself against the door.

“If it's true then why did the librarian come to ask me if there was any problem in the dormitory?” Lionel inquired, even more menacing.

Leo fell from the clouds.

“Persian?” he asked, surprised. He really hadn't expected him to investigate, and he hadn't really told him anything. Only that he was tired as an excuse for the fact that he still couldn't make a decent bow.

“It's Sir Lavoie, for you. And I'm Sir Lionel Vinterberg, don't forget that! We are nobles, and you are a nobody who will be thrown out the moment you lose your usefulness. Just because the queen liked your dish doesn't mean you're worth anything now. No one will miss you if you disappear. In fact, they probably won't notice for quite some time or they'll think you're just back to being a spy, so if a single word tries to come out of your mouth again, it will be the last thing you'll ever say” Lionel threatened him, grabbing his head by the hair and slamming it against the door, to make the concept understood.

“I didn't say anything to anyone! I know I'm worthless! I don't want problems” Leo insisted, lightly rubbing his head and trying to not let the tears show.

He was seeing stars, and he was sure he was going to get a huge bump. Lionel was a horrible person, but he wasn't one of the most promising guards for nothing. He was strong.

And dangerous.

“Good, keep your mouth shut. From tomorrow I'll make sure you don't go around babbling up” he threatened him, elbowing him on the stomach which made Leo collapse to the ground, and then overtaking him to leave the room.

Leo was breathing heavily, his head spinning, and he was very lucky he hadn't started spitting blood.

He got up with some difficulty, his legs shaking, and his first thought was to get out of the room before Lionel returned to finish the job, taking advantage of being alone.

He leaned against the wall and moved away as quickly as possible, looking for any place to retire to reflect.

At the moment the library was his favorite place, but he absolutely didn't want to run into Persian and risk being interrogated by him.

Maybe the garden? He hadn't visited it much, but it was large and full of hiding places. He had observed it carefully from the window of the prince's office, every time he went to bring him food.

Yes, the garden, he had to reach the garden, sit down, breathe, and think about what to do.

“What are you doing?” a harsh voice made him jump and stiffen, and Leo turned to the direction from which it came with ill-concealed terror. It was Chevel, and he was approaching menacingly. Leo didn't have the strength to face him too, so he turned around again and tried to flee, but the knight was faster, and grabbed him by the arm, stopping his desperate escape.

“Are you by any chance doing something you shouldn’t?” he attacked him, bringing him close, but widening his eyes and losing his hard gaze as soon as he saw the conditions Leo was in, with tears starting to run down his cheeks “What happened?” he asked, weakening his grip but not letting go completely.

He looked genuinely concerned, but Leo highly doubted he could help. And he hated himself for appearing so weak in front of Chevel, of all people.

“Nothing! And if something had happened I wouldn't tell you!” he exclaimed, trying to free his arm with a jerk without success.

“Mind your language!” Chevel hardened his gaze and kept Leo anchored in place.

The knight’s grip was iron even when it was loose. If he wanted to, he could probably have snapped Leo's arm without too much effort.

Leo theoretically shouldn't have given him a reason to do so, but as you well know, he was good at digging his own grave and talking and acting out of turn.

“And to think I was trying to be polite, instead of sending you directly to hell!” he exclaimed eagerly, trying again to free himself without any success.

His wrist was starting to hurt.

Although not as much as the head and stomach.

Chevel looked more confused than offended.

Well, they probably didn't have hell, or the devil, or other Christian concepts there. They had the seven gods.

Gods that definitely hated Leo with all their hearts.

After the moment of confusion, Chevel shook his head, and decided to ignore Leo’s choice of words.

“I was looking for you, I have some news to give you” he explained, releasing his arm but ready to take it back in case he tried to escape again.

Leo decided to listen to what he had to say, even though he still wanted to flee as soon as possible and work out a way to get rid of Lionel without getting killed.

He rubbed his wrist and waited for anything Chevel had to say, probably some more threats because they were never enough from the knights.

For some strange reason, in Chevel's presence, he began to calm down. He was menacing, and Leo didn't like him, but Leo was getting to know him better, and he looked like a dog that barks but doesn't bite.

Not like Lionel.

Brrr, Leo wondered what he meant when he said that from tomorrow he would make sure that Leo didn't go around blabbering.

“From tomorrow and at least until the princess's birthday, Lionel will be your personal guard, he will follow you everywhere and keep an eye on you” announced Chevel nonchalantly.

Leo froze, and looked at him hoping he had misunderstood.

"What?" he asked terrified.

Chevel was taken aback by his reaction.

“Lionel will be your personal guard for about three weeks. Why, do you have some problem with him?” he asked, without a trace of hatred, but only with a certain curiosity.

Leo cursed his emotional transparency, because he couldn't help but turn pale and break into a cold sweat.

“No” he lied, in a whisper, starting to back away.

“Leonardo…” Chevel approached, trying to investigate.

But Leo didn't want his concern. He didn't want anyone's concern. It would have only created more problems.

“I do not have any problem. I just want to go for a walk. Am I allowed to go for a walk or do I need a babysitter?” Leo started to get even more agitated, and backed away.

"A what?" Chevel froze, again confused by Leo's modern lexicon.

“I only have a forty-minute break now. Can I go or do you have any other news to tell me?” like tomorrow you'll burn me at the stake, while we are at it.

“No, nothing…” Chevel observed him with some concern, but didn't investigate further, and acted as if he weren't at all interested in Leo's drama.

Leo was fine with it.

“Then, with permission, Sir Podbart” Leo tried to make use of the lessons of Persian, and made a short bow in the direction of Chevel, who seemed quite surprised by the respect shown after that strange and agitated conversation.

“Yes… eh… go” he dismissed him, with a small nod of the head.

Leo was too busy running away to realize that, according to Persian's lessons, Chevel had just shown him a respect usually reserved for people of similar or vaguely higher social status.

Leo was way below Chevel, he wouldn't deserve a nod of respect even from a sewer rat, since he was on their same level.

But he didn't notice, and anyway he didn't care much what Chevel thought of him. He just wanted to stay as far away from him and his knights as possible.

He reached the garden and sat down on the grass in the most secluded spot he could find, behind a bush carved into the shape of a dragon.

It was really very well done, even if Leo couldn't enjoy it, with all the panic-filled thoughts running through his mind.

He put his head in his hands, and tried to think.

Maybe if he kept a low profile, he wouldn't attract attention and annoy Lionel with favoritism towards him.

Maybe he could just get kicked out of there and sleep.

But Leo didn't like to just give up without a fight.

Even if in that situation it wasn't a question of facing a couple of bullies, but much more powerful knights armed with sharp swords. It was as if in his world he had gone against the mafia, and he wasn't a protagonist of some fiction. If he went against the mafia, he ended up with cement shoes.

Maybe the cement shoes didn’t exist there.

But it was possible that there was the Judas’ cradle, and Leo feared medieval tortures more than a death that was slow, but at least final.

But he didn't have to think about that for now.

He had to find a way to win Lionel's favor.

Perhaps with a biscuit, or some other delicacy. The way to a man's heart is always his stomach.

But Leo had sworn that none of those three would ever taste his food, and he didn't want to go against that promise.

But better to lose dignity than life.

While Leo was thinking, he got up and started walking back and forth trying to think better.

He stopped short when he noticed that, not far away, Prince Daryan was taking a walk, talking distractedly with Persian. He seemed very focused.

The prince turned his head in Leo’s direction, and for a moment their eyes met.

Then Leo ducked abruptly, covering himself with the dragon bush, and began to crawl as far away as possible to prevent the prince from reaching him to ask if everything was all right.

He doubted he would, honestly, but better not risk it.

He didn’t need Lionel to see him talking to the prince outside of work hours.

It really would have killed him.

No, no, better run.

Leo managed to get out of the garden and far from the castle, starting to get lost in the trees.

He was still in the territory inside the walls, so he wasn't doing anything wrong, right?

Though as he drifted further and further away, he began to wonder if he'd be able to make it back in time to prepare the chocolate muffins he had in mind for teatime.

Maybe he should have settled for some quick pancakes, even if they took a while to cook. But if he made less dough, and made them bigger…

Arrived near a small lake with clear water, Leo decided it was better to stop, sit down, and breathe.

He returned to thinking about how to resolve the situation with Lionel.

He needed some help, honestly. Someone strong but not too strong who could take his side with Lionel and whom Lionel would have listened to.

But not someone to complain to, but a person who could constantly protect him.

So not the royal family, nor Persian, nor the cooks.

And definitely not Chevel, because Leo highly doubted Chevel would side with him, even though he would have easily stopped Lionel, being his direct superior.

But Leo would have rather died than ask the head knight for a favor, so he had to fall back on something else.

Maybe a knight himself.

Certainly not Prankit.

Someone like…

"What are you doing here?!" asked a very alarmed voice, a voice Leo didn't immediately recognize.

He jumped in concern, and turned towards the source from which it came, finding himself face to face with an embarrassed and intent on taking a bath…

"Alex?" he asked, surprised.

The man, with purple cheeks, was trying to cover himself as best he could.

It took Leo a few seconds to put two and two together.

Then he averted his eyes.

Oh… that might have helped.

Or definitively condemned him.