Chapter Text
When Richard set out to this adventure he definitely expected something else. Someone else…
But let’s start on an earlier point.
Richard wasn't a knight by normal standards. He considered himself a man with the necessary skills, you could say, far too used to living in a time where everything was managed with fear and blood, and his skills were always in demand.
Ladies and Lords ruled the lands, uncouth and ruthless, and his current request was given to him by Lord Pace, who in turn, angered another Lord several castles down from Richard's own. In means of retaliation, the son of Lord Pace was stolen from his home, a young boy, and held hostage.
Equipped with a sword and armour, he looked akin to a real knight. But in his opinion he hadn’t deserved this title yet.
He wasn't one to babysit, nor was he normally interested in returning children back to their homes, but the impressive reward changed his mind very quickly.
Considering the boy was being held hostage not far from his actual home, Richard couldn't really say he was going on a life changing journey of sorts, fairly certain he would be home for dinner. The walk through the forest took him to the other side of the castle, the walls weren't high, and certainly quite old, guards watching over the front gates, barely giving thought to the back entrances.
He stripped off his armour and hid it behind a tree, in the hopes once he's climbed the walls, he can walk freely without much detection. A quick look to the guard towers proved the night duty was changing their shifts, and appears empty.
Richard kept his sword close, tucked under a thin jerkin. Scaling the wall was easy enough, slipping over the side and hiding behind a mound of haystacks. He followed the path to the main courtyard, recognising the doors and barricades to the poorer parts of the castle which belonged to the dungeons.
He knew dungeons far too well. Too often was he thrown in them, and learned the ways to escape once guards had forgotten his mere presence. He figured the boy would be kept inside, bound, possibly, waiting Lord Pace's word or truce. He glanced around, servants pay him no heed, the occasional villager passing through barely acknowledges him. He slipped inside, feet almost silent against the stone floors.
He hastened down the dark corridor, blending together with the shadows splayed across the walls, slipping around the large carved arch ways, suppressing his own amusement when the guards cannot either see him nor hear him.
Richard took a deep breath, the request was simple, find the boy, and smuggle him out without being caught, with or without the use of his sword. He contemplated too long, suddenly, and alarmingly interrupted by a shadow that tried to sneak past him. His reflexes were quicker than the stranger's - though it begs a question, why is there someone, aside from guards, lingering in these corridors? Why does the stranger try not kill him?
He grappled the stranger's shoulder, easily pinning him against the wall, the tip of his sword resting against the pulse point of his neck. The man's eyes flash with determination.
"Where is the boy you've kidnapped?" He whispered, harshly. "Tell me."
The man remained silent. Richard pushed the sword harder, cutting the skin slightly, beads of his blood gently seeping from the wound.
"I won't ask again," Richard sneered, leaning closer. "Where is the son of Lord Pace? Where is Lee?"
Challenge and amusement flickered in the man's eyes. The man's hand relaxed, Richard noted with surprise he's holding a small dagger in his direction. He opened his mouth to speak, but the man cuts him off.
"I am Lee, you idiot."