The King's Lover-Chapter 481: Fealty

Caius sat in his study alone. Rylen had excused himself; he didn’t say where he was heading, but Caius could take a guess. There wasn’t much time before lunch, after all.

Caius knew he would be busy for the rest of the day. After the meeting, he would have to entertain the lords for a bit, as leaving abruptly would be sure to draw unnecessary attention. With the burial starting tomorrow, he certainly had his hands full.

Hopefully, he would be able to get away from them in time to go see Rose. He had so much he wanted to talk to her about.

Should he ask for her hand tonight, or was it too soon? He also had to tell her about what had transpired between him and Caira. He didn’t want to keep that from her, but he wanted to ask her to marry him first.

Caius realized he was terrified that she would decline, but he intended to make a lot of changes and let her know that she was safe with him. With his father gone, there wasn’t any obstacle in the way.

The lords might need a little cajoling, but there was no denying that he was king, and unless it drastically affected the kingdom, he could do anything or make any changes he preferred.

Caius frowned as he heard a knock. He wasn’t expecting anyone at this time, and with only a few moments before lunch, he would have to leave his study soon.

He was hesitant to let them in, but whoever it was didn’t knock again; rather, they remained by the door, unmoving. Caius could see the shadow of their boots peeking from under the door.

Eventually, he gave orders to let them in, and the door opened to reveal Maximus. Caius could hardly hide his shock.

The huge man walked towards him with his equally huge sword by his side. His boots shook the ground with each footstep. He stopped in front of Caius and bowed.

Caius studied him while leaning back in his chair. "To what do I owe this visit, Maximus? You don’t get to barge into my study."

"Forgive my insolence, Your Majesty," Maximus said and moved to the side, away from the desk, so Caius could see his frame more clearly.

Caius stared oddly at the giant, wondering why he was here. "You still haven’t stated what brings you here," Caius said with impatience.

Maximus suddenly pulled out his long sword, and Caius didn’t flinch. The silver blade glimmered in the rays that streamed through the window. The shiny surface reflected the painting on the ceiling.

Caius moved his gaze from the sword to Maximus. He wasn’t worried that the old giant would strike him down, and even if he would, Caius wasn’t scared. It had been a while; he was equally itching for a fight.

Maximus dropped to one knee. He stretched out his palms with his sword resting on them and bowed. The hilt of his sword bore the royal family crest, and Caius wondered why he hadn’t noticed it before now. But there was no time to dwell on it, as right here, right now, Maximus was swearing his fealty to him.

There was no need for words to be exchanged; all he had to do was accept his sword. Caius wasn’t surprised, however; he didn’t expect it to be so soon.

Caius didn’t move to accept the sword right away. Rather, he stared at Maximus, who didn’t raise his head or act impatiently at his delay. Instead, he remained in position with his hands stretched out.

Maximus’s role was simple. He didn’t give advice, didn’t question orders; he was simply the King’s sword. But more importantly, he kept his mouth sealed but didn’t keep any information from the king. It didn’t matter what it was. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

However, his father had used Maximus as more than just a sword; he was known as his father’s right-hand man, and Caius knew his father wouldn’t pick just anyone for that role. Maximus must have proven himself to his father somehow.

Maximus was important, but Caius found that he didn’t trust him. He didn’t doubt that Maximus would be as faithful to him as he was to his father; he just wasn’t ready to make him his right-hand man just yet.

But perhaps, his sword.

Caius took the sword from Maximus’s palms. It was heavy, probably almost twice as heavy as his own sword. He slightly turned it, watching the sharp edges while Maximus remained unmoving.

He placed the sword back in Maximus’s palm, then grabbed the hilt and placed the tip on the ground. Maximus rose to his full height, sheathed his sword, and struck his hand on his chest.

"Your Majesty, I live and die by your word."

"I didn’t expect this to be as ceremonious," Caius replied as he turned his gaze away from Maximus to the table.

Maximus’s jaw tightened. "May I speak freely, Your Majesty?"

Caius shrugged. "By all means. You did come here on your own accord."

"Your Majesty doesn’t trust me."

"I didn’t expect you to be so intuitive." Caius clearly remembered he was the reason his mother had been able to kidnap Rose and sell her off.

"What do I have to do to prove it?"

"I know you are loyal to the throne; there is no question about that. Why would you need to prove anything?"

Maximus paused for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face as he pondered Caius’s words, then he started to speak again. "Your Majesty worries if my interests align only with the throne or with who sits on it."

Maximus had his full attention now. Caius could see why his father made him his right-hand man. He leaned back, looking at Maximus right in the eyes. "And what are these interests?"

"I have no interests, only yours. As of this moment, only your orders matter. Everything I am is yours. I am loyal to the throne, but there is no throne without the one who sits on it. However long it would take Your Majesty to believe me, or perhaps if you require a task of me to prove this, I am willing to undertake it."

"I hear you, Maximus," Caius called him without his title, staring at him intensely to see if there was a change in his demeanor.

Maximus simply bowed as he waited for his orders.

"You may leave. I have accepted you as my sword. However, you will have to show me that you are indeed trustworthy."

"With my life, Your Majesty." Maximus bowed one more time before exiting.

Caius watched Maximus leave. The lord indeed didn’t ask questions, and Caius didn’t intend to toss him aside, as Maximus most likely was the only one who had the information he wanted.

Information about the masked auction.

His father was clearly protecting someone, and Caius was curious as to who.