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Moments later there came a knock on the door, and Theo opened it. Four armed men stood there, heads and shoulders above the boy. Theo bent his knee and head, making an impressive curtsy...

"Greet—"

Smack. The boy's curtsy was not impressive enough, apparently because one of the recipients slapped him in the face, knocking him down on his butt. The boy let out a yelp as he fell, covering the whacked face. Blood was on his lips, and he was trembling. The look on his face was pitiful, the eyes dazed and all. Ouch.

I'd gotten a little pleasure from his pain, true, but that did not establish an amicable impression of the child-beating beast of a man. Clad in a blue tabard on top of chainmail, the man was wearing iron-studded gloves. Which meant that Theo's potential for speech was seriously impaired, at least for a while. He'd be lucky if he hadn't lost any teeth. If it were me, I'd have hit the boy where a bruise wouldn't matter.

The man regarded me for a moment, with eyes thick with contempt.

"You, my master wishes to see you," he said.

I had finally brought myself on my knees, though it did little to support my dignity. Looking up, I carefully mimicked the expression on the man's face, making the most arrogant and insolent impression that my facial muscles allowed. I wanted to turn this into the opportunity I had hoped for.

"Address me properly, cur! I am Osric, a knight of Eldaril."

My indignant claim was followed by a moment of awkward silence, which in turn was followed by bursts of hysterical laughter. Don't mind them, I told myself. You're a knight, so look like one...

Eventually, the man with the studded gloves held up his hand and the laughing ceased. He took a step forward and pushed my head with a patronizing sweep of his arm.

"A knight of Eldaril, eh? You seem more like a real piece of shit to me! If you are a knight, then Her Majesty the Royal Queen Regent is my f'ing whore!"

Well, I do smell like shit, I thought.
The man chortled at his own vulgarity, and barked an order.

"Bind the boy, and raise the man."

The three men did as told. One pulled me up by my hair then cut the rope around my ankles, while the other two bound Theo and lifted him up. I didn't resist. The gloved one led the way.

"This way, Sir Shithead," he said.

We were led across the streets into the gates that separated the inner district from the outer one. The streets were empty but for few farmers heading out to their fields. Not that I minded the lack of attention, of course.

As we approached a neighborhood occupied with brick manors, I glanced at Theo behind my shoulder. He was still staggering a bit, but the eyes showed alertness. His face was already swollen badly. Our eyes met, and I sent him a wink. Told ya, kiddo.

Now the streets were cobbled, with carefully organized stretches of trees and flowers. The men led us across a small plaza with a fountain, where two more with the same blue tabards joined us. I greeted them and asked them a few questions, in a knightly manner no less, but all I got was "Shut up and keep walking."

Soon the guards took us to what had to be our destination, a great three-story mansion surrounded by its own forests and ponds.