Chapter 4
Amity felt a bit nervous while she stood in the throne room lined up along the floor with a bunch of other knights. She might not have been as worried if she didn't catch a glance at the returning carriage which was days earlier than it was supposed to be and the guards who were with it seemed to be out of it. There was just an awkward feeling in her stomach as she couldn't help but worry that something happened to Luz on the way to the reform school.
Her focus almost immediately shifted from her thoughts when her commander cleared his throat. "Your majesty you asked me to bring you my top knights because you wanted to send them out. Is there a battle I should know about?" Amity was unsure if he was asking because he didn't know or if he thought this wasn't requiring his best knights. She assumed it was the latter because she knew that the bunch of knights that were here were not his 'best'. He even included the one guy who jumps whenever someone yells his name, but obviously, the queen didn't know that.
"Yes, it has come to my attention that the carriage on the way to the reform school was raided and Luz is now missing. I need you to send your best knights out and find her."
"My queen, my knights are meant to protect this castle with their lives and while it is important to find the princess I don't think a little rebellious phase is worth putting out this many knights."
"What are you saying?" The queen leaned forward on her throne, and her expression looked a bit more angry than the commander was expecting. His eyes widened a bit and then he cleared his throat.
"I don't mean to make assumptions but Luz has always been 'creative' in her way of thinking, what if this was just a trick to get her out of going to the reform school."
"Then what do you suggest I do? Leave my daughter out there with all of the wild creatures in the wild!" Everyone seemed to have taken a step back when she yelled. The queen almost never yelled, so it showed how important this was to her.
Amity felt her body fill with dread the moment that her commander glanced back at her then back to the queen. "No, I suggest we dispatch a small group of knights in different directions who will search for the princess. I specifically think that our best bet would be to send out Ms.Blight because of her relationship with the princess."
The queen looked away from him and in the direction of the knights, her eyes gazed down the line before they locked on her. She stared at her as if the realization of who she really was just dawned on her and Amity couldn't help but tense up. "Your hair was green was it not?"
Amity flinched, she could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on her. The queen was speaking to her as if she was familiar, and while she was once upon a time, even going as far as to consider her a second mom, that wasn't their relationship anymore.
"Yes it was, but I just let the dye grow out during school your highness."
"You're Luz's friend and I've always been grateful for your friendship with her. I know it will be a lot to ask of you, especially since you're still new to knighthood, but please, please bring back my daughter." The desperation was clear in her voice and it was obvious to everyone in the room that the queen was putting all the pressure on her, and that was exactly what the commander wanted, especially if the sly grin was anything to go by.
Amity hated this, it felt like no one was able to move on from the past. She would always be seen as Luz's childhood friend, she would always be seen as a noble-born knight, she will always be High and Mighty Amity. Why would that ever change?
She needed a chance to prove herself, to show that she's more than just Luz's old friend and that she could stand on her own two feet. Or maybe she could take advantage of this. If she brought back Luz, then the queen would acknowledge her abilities and maybe make her a commander herself! Maybe even higher!
Okay, now she was letting her fantasy go a bit wild, but she took a deep breath and bowed. "I will do my absolute best to bring back the princess." She ignored the way the other knights looked at her, some with jealousy, they probably understood the opportunity she was just presented with, some with pity, they probably understood why the commander was smirking at her that way, and some who just looked bored, she ignored those idiots every day already.
"Thank you, you're all dismissed." The queen waved her hand and all of the knights started to disperse, but before she could get far the commander walked up to her side.
"Meet me in my quarters later, I would like to have a chat with you." Was all he said before walking away, and Amity wanted to groan but she held it in. Despite the way he just lied to the queen, and just put all the responsibility of finding Luz onto her, he was still her commanding officer.