Sir Wilson led me away from the cooking fires and into the trees at the edge of the camp. The choice of location felt ominous somehow, even though I knew it was the only way we could speak privately.

As expected, the rest of the knights were waiting among the trees, just out of earshot of the camp. I was relieved, however, to note that we were still within shouting distance should the need arise.

“Sir Evan,” said Sir Francis, one of the two senior knights, his tone stern, “I trust you know why we’re here?”

“To have a heart-to-heart before we part ways?” I asked hopefully. There was no harm in playing dumb.

“Certainly not!” Sir Francis snapped, unimpressed with my response, “Don't you dare be flippant about this! Sir Wilson heard everything you said last night, blasphemer.”

“Now wait a moment, Sir Francis,” Sir Gordon interrupted in a placating tone, “We should at least hear him out before condemning him.”

I sighed, “Yes, I am well aware of why we are here, Sir Francis. What I wish to know is what the Knights of the Golden Palace intend to do about it.”

“You say it as though you are no longer one of us,” Sir Wilson said, his expression tinged with sadness. I had no idea what he found so sorrowful, considering he was the one who reported me. Perhaps he felt guilty.

Actually, it was possible he hadn’t even considered the consequences. In some roundabout way, the fool probably thought he was saving me.

“I cannot deny what you heard, Sir Wilson, so it’s up to all of you to decide if I am or not,” I replied, meeting his gaze, “I would like to think that this changes nothing, as I have not been amiss in my duties as a knight. However, I am inclined to think that won’t be the case.”

Sir Wilson couldn’t maintain eye contact and lowered his gaze to the ground. He shifted uncomfortably as the weight of the situation came crashing down on him.

As expected, he hadn’t thought this through.

“You may have upheld your duties as a knight, but you have been amiss in your duties as a Royal,” Sir Nolan, the other senior knight, cut in from the side, “and that is a far graver crime. Not only have you deliberately neglected your duties, but you have also monopolized perfectly fertile women for moon cycles at a time, just to cover up for your own… strange urges.”

“I have monopolized nothing!” I snapped, forgetting all pretense of politeness. Monopolizing fertile women? Did he understand what he was saying? Sera and Carsyn’s faces flashed through my mind as I turned to confront Sir Nolan, “Did you ever consider that not every woman wishes to be used for her fertility? I offered those women a choice, nothing more. If they wished to perform their duty, then we would do so and that would be the end of it. Only those who desired a respite from the demands of duty chose to remain with me.”

Sir Francis raised a hand, drawing our attention, “Evan de Vray, by your own admission, you are guilty of neglecting your duties and assisting others with neglecting theirs. As a mentionable relation of the King, these are dire transgressions. You are not some riff raff whose actions we can simply ignore. You must return to Luz Dorada with us immediately.”

“No,” I stated firmly, “I’m not going back. My service now belongs to the former Marquis and I am no longer bound to obey you. Such were the orders of your future King. Otherwise, I have treated every woman who has graced my bedroom in accordance with her own wishes, which is more than I can say for the rest of you. Does it thrill you to know that half of your bed partners would rather not?”

To my relief, they all flinched at my words. At least they recognized it was wrong.

“We all would rather not sometimes,” Sir Nolan cut in, flustered but unyielding, “but we need to make the best of the situation when it arises. If we were doing it for fun, then it wouldn’t be a duty.”

“Make the best of the situation?!” I shouted incredulously, “Really? A golden-eyed child will be born to every generation regardless of us performing our so-called duties. How can you not see that we are nothing more than breeding stock for the King?”

“We are not breeding stock,” Sir Francis replied calmly, “We are the hope for the future of Vrayna. Everyone blessed with the Royal blood is responsible for doing our part to bring that golden-eyed child into being. It is our duty, our purpose, and our joy. Sir Evan, I know you’re a good lad. You are simply a little misguided. We can help you find your way again. But first, you must answer for your transgressions and redeem yourself in the eyes of our Creator.”

“Sir Wilson,” Sir Nolan barked, startling him out of his staring contest with the ground, “Until his blasphemous thoughts have been eradicated, Evan must be treated as an apostate. Take him into custody. We will return to the inner city immediately.”

Sir Wilson looked between me and Sir Nolan, hesitating on how to proceed. I could tell that he didn’t want to do it, but he didn’t dare to not do it either. He looked as if he were about to cry from the stress. I almost felt bad for him.

“Sir Wilson,” Sir Francis warned, his expression darkening, “I trust you aren’t considering something so foolish as disobeying a direct order.”

“No, Sir Francis,” Sir Wilson replied with a sigh, “However, before I obey your orders, I would entreat you to consider another option. Where Sir Evan has made questionable choices, re-educating him would be meaningless if he is to live his life in the Beastlands. I must also add that there is a high probability that His Highness will take issue with our return. Need I remind you that he places high value in this treaty? If we turn back now, he might view it as a direct violation of his orders.”

My impression of Sir Wilson improved ever so slightly. Those were possibly the most well thought out words he had ever spoken. That they were spoken on my behalf almost made me want to forgive him for reporting me.

“His Highness is certain to understand the gravity of the situation,” Sir Francis disagreed, “Whether Evan is still a Palace knight or not, as a man of the Royal bloodline, he has committed the most dire of blasphemies. For his own sake, we must correct this before he becomes anathema. His Highness cares deeply for Evan and will therefore agree that we have made the right choice.”

“He will not agree!” I argued, feeling the first stirrings of panic, “The service of a Palace knight was intended to be a gift of the highest honor. You can’t just decide to take back his gift to appease your misguided beliefs.”

“That is it!” Sir Nolan shouted furiously, halting our debate, “Sir Gordon, Sir Rian, seize the apostate. We will bring him to the church of Vraylewit so he may atone. Sir Wilson and Sir Devyn, the two of you will serve as guards for the former Marquis until a suitable replacement can be sent. Report to him immediately.”

It was obvious what he was doing. The two younger knights were hesitating, neither of them confident in these new orders that contradicted those of their future King, so he was sending them away.

Meanwhile, the two squad commanders reacted immediately, grabbing onto my arms.

“Let go!” I yelled, remembering we were still within shouting distance of the camp. “Ahhhh! Aaaahh—”

Sir Rian clamped his hand over my mouth to silence me.

I struggled, attempting to let out muffled cries, but I was no match for the two more experienced knights. Sir Gordon effortlessly bound my hands behind my back while Sir Rian prevented me from calling for help.

For a moment, I was truly afraid. Had I truly come so close to freedom, only to have it ripped from my grasp?

The church would surely keep me locked away for at least a year, probably several, listening to them drone on and on about Royal duty and the Gods. Then, once they decided I was fixed, I would finally regain a semblance of freedom, but I would be closely monitored for a long time, likely for the rest of my life.

Was it a fate worse than death? Certainly not. But it would be a life without hope.

“And what the hell do you fuckers think you’re doing?”

Everyone looked up at the sound of Vargas’s voice, coming from the direction of the camp. Vargas and Nico emerged from trees with fury in their eyes. I felt almost dizzy with relief.

I was saved.