Abby's POV
(A month ago)
Just like now. He terrified me then too.
I fought the urge to take a step back or better still hide behind the prince, anything to get me away from his hostile piercing gaze.
He was a heavily built man with a lot of temper issues by the looks of it.
He was clearly devoid of any perceived human weakness.
Everything about him screamed dangerous and formidable.
He was unusually tall with a rather confusing skin color.
He wasn't quite pale like the prince and everyone else I knew. He was…darker.
If I wasn't too terrified, I would see he was appealing to the eyes of someone with a death wish…. with black hair, chiseled chin and a distinctive mark by the side of his neck.
His eyes color was confusing, it almost looked black.
"Who is he?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.
"The Lord Commander, milady" the prince answered with a smile that didn't reach his eyes and he had his eyes glued to the lord Commander.
"But I thought he died in the war" I blurted out without thinking.
"If wishes were horses, milady…if only wishes were horses" the prince murmured.
I realized almost immediately that I just said out loud to someone who obviously enjoys the pain of others that I thought he died.
"I apologize, Sir. It was just a rumor I heard. It's obviously not true" I quickly said.
I loved breathing.
"Actually, he did die" The knight leaning by the wall said before the lord commander threw him a look. "What? It is true"
"I guess it didn't stick" The first prince sounded disappointed. I am beginning to realize that there was no love lost between them.
"It never does, Markie" the lord commander said with a smile that looked more like a smirk.
"It is First prince Markle! We've had this conversation more times than I care to count, Abbott!" the first prince snapped.
"And I want to smolder you with a pillow while you sleep just for the pleasure of seeing you struggle for air or my personal favorite, hang you by your legs in a pit filled with venomous snakes and watch you die a painful and excruciating death but…I am not getting that wish, am I Markie?" the lord commander said.
I watched as sir George threw his sword for a fight and so did the knight that was eating an apple.
"It is treason to threaten the prince of Zurich!" Sir George yelled as he pointed the sword at the lord commander.
He was unfazed. Like it wasn't a real sword but a child's harmless toy.
"By that logic, I should slit your throat for drawing a weapon on Lord Commander Raven. Last, I checked he is also his royal highness, Prince Abbott Raven of Zurich too. Lower your sword or join your ancestors" The apple eating Knight had his sword on Sir George's throat.
"Everyone! There is a lady amongst us!" Prince Markle yelled with a little smile. "Sir George, lower your weapon, I am sure my uncle was just joking"
"I really wasn't" The lord commander said with a smile too.
Sir George lowered his sword but the other knight didn't.
"Lower your sword, imp!" The prince Markle ordered the apple eating knight but he didn't obey.
"I am sorry, your royal highness. I am in the crescent battalion" the knight answered.
"That is Sir Bastian's way of saying he doesn't give a rat's ass about your authority…because you don't have any over my army. You are just a spoiled little brat, Markle"
"That is not the word I would use... exactly, Lord Commander…" Sir Bastian murmured and scratched his beard.
"Lower your sword, Sir Bastian. We must respect the first prince" he said mockingly.
"Oh, spare me the theatrics, you are just boiling that my birth displaced your bastard ass from the throne! I am the first prince and you are the second. I am the heir…you are just the spare!"
"Yes, you are" He admitted. "A very useless one but still the heir" the lord commander turned to the guards "Does any one of you object to my presence in the king's court? Any one…. I thought so too"
he strolled into the court without another word and I wanted to turn back and run but Prince Markle smiled at me.
"I apologize for our behavior, milady. We may go in now"
"I would rather stay out there until…" I started to say but I was overruled.
"You are under my protection; Abbott can't touch you. He is all bark"
I wanted to say I disagree with him, the man whose reputation was widely known, fondly called the prince of darkness…or widowmaker was definitely not all bark but I didn't.
He was my knight in shining armor and I was keeping my tongue in cheek.