Of Death and Life (OPEN)

"Sire we know and understand that, we seek no special attention and we ask no special favors save we be allowed to stay together. We just want to find a good king and kingdom to serve faithfully and loyally and...." Jay stopped tiredly, looking up with a weary look in his eyes. "And to have a home again..."

There were a few things that Stuart understood the importance of in life anymore. One of those was the importance of his position as king and the sheer power that he held in his hands while making decisions that faced his nation; the other being the importance of how he acted towards the lowly and downtrodden of his society. Though he wanted nothing to do with them, though he found them dirty and desperate, he forced himself to create a smile on his face as he spoke. "I suppose I could allow you into my kingdom..."

"Y-You would sire? Jay asked softly, not sure if this was some sort of dream that he'd soon wake up from. Since losing his home he had ofter had dreams of finding a new one and the dreams gave him hope and dispire. Dispair at the idea that it was only a dream and hope that it would someday finally happen. "W-We'd both be extremly gratful...." His eyes dropped tiredly and his skin flushed from a heat, he had a fever. Many nights of sleeping outside in freezing cold having finally taken its toll on him. Adam was still some ways away from the camp, worried about his brother.

"You are sick," Stuart noted, looking him up and down. "I will not have you amongst my men giving them diseases. You shall get well inside the castle first. When you are well, if you get well for many men have not, you shall join my ranks. Clean up here, I shall spend a few more moments amongst the dead."

Jay nodded slowly and started to pack up his blanket and other things.

Adam walked back to the camp, "Jason? I am back little brother, i found some more dry wood." Adam said as he smiled at him. He then noticed his brother was flushed with fever, "Oh Jay.... I should of returned sooner..." He gently felt his brother's forhead, frowning worriedly at the fever he felt there. "I need the herbs... Was it my pack or yours?" He asked going over to the packs.

"M-Mine..." Jay said softly before adding, "Brother the king is here..."

Adam looked up, "The king? Of this land?" He asked softly, before finally spotting the other man.

Stuart bowed, his eyes locked on the other men. He shouldn't have to bow. He shouldn't have to look at these men with mock kind eyes. He didn't respect them, he didn't care about them. He only offered a home because he didn't want them to snoop around his life. "So you are the brother of this here knight," smirked Stuart, "you look just as powerful as he does."

Adam gave a small bow, deep inside not trusting the man, "I am his brother, Sir Adam Copeland of the Copelands of Broodhid." Adam looked down at his younger brother worriedly as he nelt next to him again, "My brother has told you why we are out here sire?" He asked softly as pulled Jay close to him.

"He has said that you two youths were exhiled from your lands," Stuart nodded, knowing that the man in front of him was untrusting. It was a sense that he had picked up over the years. Many people did not trust him.

But they all feared him.

"We were... Despite Our grandfather efforts..." Adam answered quietly, he hated thinking of the home they had been forced from and the mother and sister they had to leave with their grandfather. "We have been seeking a home for many months through each land..."

"Well you have found a home in my beautiful land," Stuart smirked, "you will honor the code of a warrior through my name. Anything that you do will be with my men and if you do not like my home, you are free to leave at anytime."

Adam nodded slowly, wary of the king's smile but knowing he had no other choice. "Thank you sire, we are both very gratrful for this kindness." He tightened his arms worriedly as his brother shivered in his arms, he needed to get him warmer.

Stuart stood and nodded, "It is not a long walk to my castle. You will accompany me and I will show you to the soldiers barracks. You and your brother will stay there until you are called for supper."

"Yes sire..." Adam nodded, he finished packing up the horses before carefully lifting his brother up into his horse. He was going to lead his horse so he could keep an eye on his sick brother. He'd have to remember to get him the herbs when they arrived, he waited for the king to be ready.

Stuart finished what he was doing, making a mental note to come back later by himself just to see if these young men were lying to him about being the only ones out there, and got onto his trusty steed Lucian. It was a beautiful albino clydesdale which many of his enemies called "the horse of hell".

"Let us ride to my castle boys, it is not far away," Stuart nodded as he looked over them.

"Yes sire..." Adam replied as he made sure he and Jay had everything from the campsite. He didn't know how long he and his brother would be in this place, but something in his gut told him he'd rather not stay too long.

Stuart smirked at the men as he rode alongside them, "Tell me, men, what are your beliefs of this wonderful world we live in?"

"We were rasied by our parents to always fight evil, to not let it hurt innocents and treat everyone human no matter what what their station in life for we are all people." Adam answered, reaching his hand out to make sure his brother was still awake. It would not be good if he fell sleep and fell off his horse. "Father said honor is the greatest part of a man and no honor was greater then caring for those weaker."

"Honor is not caring for those who are weaker, your father was a fool," Stuart cruelly said as he cut eyes at the young warriors. "Honor is defending whatever your king no matter who it is tell you. The lower class, the poor pathetic peasents that I allow to live in my villages are beneath me and any of my warriors."

Adam leveled a carefully look at the king next to him, the insult to his father made his gut curn. Were it not for the fact that his brother was sick he would consiter just turning and leaving right now, but he couldn't til Jay was better. He looked back at his brother and choose to take the high road and say nothing.

Stuart smirked at his new knight, "Did I say something to offend you boy? You do not agree or disagree with your new king?"

"I humbly disagree with you sire... My father was a good and honorable man and both I and my brother are grateful for his life lessons he gave us." Adam said softly as he looked up.

"Ah, you are a man of your own convictions. That is sometimes a dangerous thing in my court but it is something that I cherish above all others," he smirked as he sat back on his horse. "So tell me what you believe, Sir Knight."

Adam glanced away from his brother as he asked the king, "Do you mean the Religion of our land? Our people believed in the lady of the earth that protected us with grace... It is the only thing our people believed..."

Jay forced his eyes open as he glanced at the king.

"Nay, nay. I do not care for such frivolities as religion. It is all useless and only causes more war in my opinion," Stuart shrugged off. "I mean how you believe in the views of how much better the royalty is than the peasants. What do you believe in that aspect?"

Adam was surprised as his brother answered, "Royalty is not better or worse then peasants, we as people are all the same... Royalty is there to help and care for the peastants and protect them, and peastants do what they can for what it is they do..." Jay leaned forward tiredly, he had used energy to get his answer out and now he wished they were already at the castle.