Desmond Taken

"You dare deny to bow before your king?" Father straightened his back, silently showing that he'd never bow. "Kill him," the king said.

"No! Please sire," I said as I rushed to hug my father. "Don't kill my father. He's the only one that makes sure we can eat." The king arched an eyebrow at me.

"Desmond, go back to your room," my father said.

"No. He'll come with me. You won't kneel before your king, I'll take your future." A guy grabbed my arm and yanked me from my father as another hit him across the face, knocking him to the floor. They carried me out of the house kicking and screaming as loud as I could. Before the door closed, I saw my mother rush to my father's side. Her nightgown billowing all around her as she kneeled next to him with tears streaming down her face. I tried to get free of the arms that were still holding me so I could rush back to my parents, but a large hand landed across the right side of my face and the world went black after that.

I awoke to find myself in a cold stone room with barely any light from the torch I could see flickering at the end of the hall. There was a blanket covering me and I was laying on a bed made of hay. I sat up and wiped the sleep from my eyes, but cried out as pain seared through the right side of my face. A door somewhere down the hall opened and slammed shut. Before I could think of what I could do, a small door opened and a tray slid in. "Eat and drink that, and keep your mouth shut from now on," ordered a rough voice. Scared to say anything at all, I nodded and stood up, swaying as blood rushed from my head. I leaned against the wall, feeling my body stop swaying after a couple minutes. I walked over to the tray and looked to see what I'd been given, finding a wedge of cheese, a slice of bread, and a cup of water. I picked up the bread and cheese in one hand, and downed the water quickly. "If you need to go to the bathroom, pick a corner. If this door ever opens, you do as your told or I'll knock you unconscious again, understand?" I nodded. "I'll be back later with your dinner," said the rough voice again as a hand reached in and took the tray and cup.

I stayed silent until I heard the door close again. "Is there anybody else in here," I asked out loud. The door slammed open again and I scurried back into a corner, trying to make myself so small I wouldn't be seen.

"I said keep your mouth shut, you worthless sack of bones! I’ll knock you out again if I hear a single sound!" I nodded in terror and the man left, slamming the door shut again. I ate my meager meal and sat down on my bed of hay, missing my parents. Dinner was brought in and was the same wedge of cheese, slice of bread, and cup of water. I went to bed after that and cried myself to sleep as quietly as I could. Breakfast included a small cup of pudding, but that was the only variant. For nine years, this was my life. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner shoved through a door with barely any light from a torch flickering down the hall. The same man always brought my meals, but I never saw his face. He kept that hidden behind a helmet. Once a week, the door would open and a man would come in with a shovel and bucket to clean out my bathroom corner, but the door would close and I'd be left alone again until meal time.

One day, the door opened and Helmet Man walked in. I stood in place, not knowing what he was going to do. Yanking my hands in front of me he tied them together, then tied them to my body before slipping a rope over my head. "In case you get any ideas on trying to run," he said as he tugged the rope to show me it'd go tighter. "Follow me." He led me out the door and down the hall. "Hurry it up," he snarled as he yanked the rope. It tightened around my neck and I stumbled forward, trying to keep my balance. We stopped in what looked like a bathroom, but it only had a spigot with a woman holding a towel. "Wash him. The king wants to see him." She silently bowed her head and Helmet Man shoved me towards her. I'd long since outgrown my clothes and they were so tattered that they were barely hanging on by threads. "Be clean before I return and keep your mouth shut," he snarled as he took the ropes off me. The woman pointed to the spigot as he left.

"Hurry now. You don't want to anger him," she whispered as she handed me a small piece of soap. I undressed and went to the spigot, washing the best I could. "Wash everywhere. Hurry," she whispered again. I hurried more and made sure I was as clean as possible, then turned the water off. She motioned for me to come to her. "Keep quiet, don't look him in the eye, and don't speak unless he asks you a question. Understand?" she whispered as she dried me off.

"What does he want with me?" I whispered back. She pressed a finger to her lips as I heard footsteps coming closer. The door opened and the woman stood and backed away.

"Good to see the boy obeys orders. That'll make the king happy. Put these on," he said as he threw some clothes at me. The pants brushed the ground and got a little wet as I caught them, but I tugged them on, then pulled on the shirt. Helmet Man tied the ropes around me again and led me up a staircase to a grand room. It was well-lit, large enough to fit all 20 of the homes in Tebury in it, the walls were decorated with tapestries hanging down, and there was a throne at the far end of the room. On the throne sat a man I hadn't seen in years, but knew all too well - King Betyn. Remembering the woman's advice, I lowered my eyes to the floor and kept my mouth shut.

"The boy you requested, your majesty," Helmet Man said.

"Bring him closer." I got walked a few steps closer and was yanked to a stop as the rope around my neck tightened. Our breathing was the only sound in the room for a few moments. "Does he have any skills?"

"He keeps quiet, sire. I've only had to warn him once. Never got to beat it into him."

"Good. I like my servants quiet. Does he obey?"

"Yes, sire," Helmet Man said.

"Better. A quiet obedient servant is what I want. He should do well. What's your name, boy?"

"Desmond," I whispered out.

"Speak up when your king asks you a question, you fool!" he bellowed, making me jump as the rope got yanked, slightly choking me this time.

"Desmond is my name," I said a bit louder. The king looked at me for another moment, but nodded.

"You'll be at my beck and call. Take him to the servant's quarters and put him in a room. Desmond, you speak to no one but me from now on. Understand, boy?"

"Yes, sir," I said, using the same volume I had when I’d repeated my name.

"And he learns quick. Yes, he should do quite nicely. Take him away." Helmet Man led me off through another door and up a stairwell.

"I’ll come get you when the king wants you. You do whatever he says without complaint. You'll be bound whenever the king needs you until he says to remove the binds. Your next meal will be delivered here. Inside," he said as he opened a door. I walked in but kept my eyes down as he removed my binds. "You’ll be required to clean yourself weekly now. Also, you’ve now got a bucket to use for your bathroom. No more messing on the floor. You need to be civilized for his majesty. Understand?" I nodded and the door behind me closed. I finally looked up, surveying my new room. I had a raised bed to my left and a small window on the back wall, but it was too high for me to try climbing out. I sat on the bed and found that it was hard. Lifting the blankets and looking under them, I saw that my bed was made of wood. I knew extra blankets would never be given to me, but I was happy that I was no longer sleeping on the floor.

Such simple things as a raised bed and a bucket for my bathroom making me happy. How my parents would weep if they could see me now, I thought. As the sky outside my window darkened, my door opened and Helmet Man walked in. He wrapped the ropes around me again and dragged me back out to the throne room.

"Stand here," the king said as he pointed at the ground in front of him. Helmet Man walked me over and I stopped where the king had said. "Give me the ropes, then leave us." My ropes were handed over to the king and Helmet Man disappeared from my left. I heard a door behind me close before the king spoke up. "Will you kneel of your free will or must I force it of you?" I stood still like I'd seen father do all those years ago and a fist hit my gut, knocking the wind from my lungs. "Kneel before your king and swear to serve me." I knelt in front of him, not wanting to get hit again as I tried to catch my breath.

Now I understand why father always said the elves were better. How I wish one would come here now and save me, I thought.

"Good. Stand." I stood and he spoke again. "As my servant, you will bring my meals to me and stand by my side all day. You will be my memory. Anything that is said to me or that I say to you, you will remember it. Forgetting anything could cause irreparable damage. That happens and you'll wish you were still my prisoner rather than my memory. Try to run or cause me harm and you’ll be killed. Understand?"

"Yes, sire."

"Good. Magden!" A door opened a moment later and Helmet Man came in. "Remove his binds. He has sworn to serve me of his own will and knows the punishment should he fail in his duties or attempt to harm me." Magden removed the ropes from me as the king spoke to me again. "Go to your room but arrive here when the sun rises. I’ll have need of you then."

For the next ten years, I stayed one step behind the king from sunrise to sunset. I served him out of fear for my life rather than the loyalty he believed he had from me. I kept quiet, reminded him of previous agreements he'd made, and did my best to keep him from causing any more damage than necessary without him realizing it. One morning, early in the year, I walked in to stand in my normal place but found him already in the throne room. "Kneel, Desmond." I knelt, hoping my actions hadn't been caught. "You've been a good and faithful servant, but now I need more from you."

"Yes, sire. Whatever you ask of me, I will do."

"You will travel to different cities to relay my messages to the city lords. These travels must be made as quickly as possible. You'll be given a horse when you need to leave the city. If you attempt to leave without my permission or try to run while on these travels, I will have you hunted down and only your head will return, Desmond."

"Yes, sire. Your wish is my command. All you need do is tell me where to go and what the message is. I will deliver your message to the lord of the city and return as quickly as possible."