Honor of Duty: CH2 (Patreon)

Phillip hung onto Mildred and had his face literally pressed into her neck.

Her arms were resting casually across his shoulders, holding onto him in a gentle way. As one might hold a bird in a cupped hand.

“Hello, Phil,” murmured the big soldier.

“Hello, Milly,” replied Phillip, not pulling his face out of her neck.

“You uh… can you… that’s really kinda ticklish,” muttered Mildred. Her shoulder had come up a bit and her head down, as if she were trying to squirm away from him.

“I’ll bite you if you don’t stop trying to squeeze me out,” threatened Phillip. “Explain that to Sadie later if you can.”

Mildred let out a sound that sounded like a groaned laugh and clearly forced herself to not hunch up. She just stood there instead.

“Don’t move so much then. Really ticklish,” Mildred complained even as they stood there holding to one another.

“Why are you here? What’s going on? Is everything okay? I can’t get much in the way of news,” Phillip said and finally pulled back from Mildred’s throat. “Everyone walks around on eggshells around me. Making sure I don’t get told anything Sadie doesn’t want me to know.”

“Yes, she’s being very careful with you. Very careful. I have no doubt that she’s spoken with everyone about you, what is allowed to be discussed with you, and what is off limits,” agreed Mildred, looking down at him with a smirk. “The only reason I’m even allowed to be here was Alice and Mim raised a stink about it. That you didn’t have a chaperon and that there was a distinct problem with that. She claimed she was already working on it but I’m not too sure on that.

“And before you ask, yes. Alice and Mim are both here at court. They’ve spoken with Sadie a number of times. She never denies them an audience whenever they call on her.”

“Just not allowed to see me,” muttered Phillip, his eyes moving across Mildred’s face. He was disappointed he couldn’t see Mim or Alice, though he was gratified to know they were here.

“I don’t know if they’re not allowed to see you, if I’m being honest,” countered Mildred. “Alice has asked to speak with you and Sadie said she’d consider it. She never said yes or no.

“Same response that she gave to Mim as well. Neither yes or no. Outside of courtesy to you there’s also no reason for her to let them see you. You’re a prisoner.”

“I… yes, I suppose that’s true. I wonder if I can bring it up in a round-about way,” mused Phillip. “I can’t do that today or tomorrow though. Not unless she brings up the subject first.

“Otherwise she’d assume you spilled the beans, so to speak. Then there’d be a question of your trust and honor.”

“Yes. Please don’t do that,” agreed Mildred with a chuckle. “I’m here because of my reputation. Both with your mother and Sadie’s mother. Doing anything that would diminish that belief in me could easily have me removed from the palace grounds. I don’t think either of us wants that.”

Staring at Mildred Phillip had a strange thought bubble up.

A question, really.

“Why are you here, Milly?” Phillip asked suddenly, unable to repress his curiosity.

“You, obviously,” Mildred said with a chortle. “I mean… well… we both know how I feel about you. The idea of leaving you here as a prisoner, alone… that just didn’t sit right with me.

“Made my heart hurt. Could feel every awkward beat of it and I just hated it. I’ve been pushing to be able to see you, be your servant, or just break you out of here, since the day you were made a prisoner.”

Phillip felt his heart flutter and squirm about at her words. Twisting one way then another much akin to a fish trying to wriggle free.

“Oh, yes. I can see how that’d happen,” mumbled Phillip, staring up at Mildred. “Even to break me out, huh? Wouldn’t that be an issue for Jamie if I was suddenly missing?

“Yeah, it’s why we didn’t do it,” Mildred admitted. “Dark Horse girls are all waiting for an opportunity and just remaining in the area. No one wanted to leave without you in tow.”

“Well. I’m quite flattered by all that. I had no idea I warranted such treatment. It’s good to hear though.”

“Phil… you know first-hand that you’ve left women chasing after you where-ever you’ve gone,” Mildred said with a look of admonishment. As if he were being vapid at the moment. “From line soldiers to noble girls, they’ve all come to heel for you. Even the queen treats you more like a fiance she’s courting regardless of what she says. There’s no doubting that she’s attracted to you.”

With a grunt, Phillip shook his head.

In the dark parts of the night, when he was being extraordinarily honest with himself, he’d often contemplated how he could take power in this situation. How to wield it and make it his own despite the situation.

That if he truly put some effort into it, he could probably have Sadie bending over backwards just to make him happy. To give him whatever he wanted with a smile all as he dragged her along.

Only his own sense of pride kept that in check. That he still had worth and was above such petty power plays.

“Well, I’ll not look over the gift I’ve presented. Do you have any limits on your service, Milly?” inquired Phillip, changing the subject.

“None. I’m to sleep in this study to insure no one attempts to creep into your bed,” answered Mildred.

Ah… yes. A good plan.

Except for the fact that Mildred was one of the women I was actively being courted by. If they knew that, they’d likely suspect that she could be the one doing the creeping.

“They don’t know, of course. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here,” Mildred remarked with a grin. “Good thing we both hold our honor and duty in high regard. Lest there be a problem for us.”

Yes… that we both hold our honor and duty.

Phillip leaned up and kissed Mildred on the mouth, holding his lips to hers for several seconds. Breaking away after a short amount of time had passed he smiled up at her.

“Let’s go see Sadie’s mother,” he said, remembering his mother’s letter. “It’d be a good distraction and earn me some points with Sadie.”

Mildred stared at him for several seconds before blinking once. Then she looked around to all the parcels around them.

“Pretty sure you’ve been earning a lot of points with her already. You earn anymore and you might find her buying you new bedsheets and a pillow for herself. Maybe less points would be better?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I have you here now. The only person I have to fear getting a pillow for herself is you. Let’s go!”

Phillip didn’t wait any further and instead grabbed her hand. He began to drag her away to the door leading out of his study.

“I’m a fool,” whispered Mildred to herself.

Certain he wasn’t supposed to hear that, Phillip ignored it.

***

Standing at the door to Duchess Lorie Karen’s room, Sadie’s mother, was Janice Balstir.

A woman in her fifties with red hair and eyes that were sometimes green, sometimes brown. She had a naked blade type of feeling about her almost at all times.

Phillip suspected that she’d been in and around battlefields long enough that she had to have been a soldier at some point in time.

The woman had been the right hand of the Duchess Karen. Phillip had the impression she’d been with her longer than Sadie had actually been alive, in fact.

During the early days of Sadie taking over Janice had been there to help with anything and everything. Providing assistance of any sort that was required.

Or at least, that’s what Sadie had told him.

After a while Duchess Karen’s health began to stabilize and Janice transitioned her duties to someone else to work with Sadie. Returning to her position beside her long time liege.

“Good afternoon, Janice. I was wondering if I could visit the duchess,” Phillip said with a polite bow to the woman. “I wanted to ask Sadie for permission first but I couldn’t get any time with her. She was rather busy.”

Janice’s eyes flicked to the royal guard that were accompanying him, then back to Phillip after a short delay. He imagined they must have given her some type of signal or response.

“I don’t mind it, but I’ll need to speak with my lady, first,” answered Janice. “Dread Maiden, it’s good to see you. Though also odd to see you in a house uniform. Especially one that isn’t a Curis uniform.”

“I live to serve Phillip,” Mildred replied in a no-nonsense kind of way.

Contrary to what he’d expected from Janice Mildred’s response made the older woman smile. Warmly so, in truth.

Turning, Janice opened the door to the room the duchess was in and entered. She didn’t close it behind herself though he could hear her moving through the room inside. Fading away as she went deeper inside.

Only a minute or two had passed before Janice returned to them.

“She’d love to see you. Go on ahead through the entry, through the study, and to her balcony. She’s getting some sun right now,” said the older woman, holding the door open. “Mildred and Phillip only. No one else. I guarantee his safety and decorum myself.”

Glancing to his side Phillip had the impression that the royal guard in charge wanted to argue that point. Instead the woman hesitated, her helmeted head focused on Janice.

“If it’s okay, Janice, could Max come with me?” Phillip asked on behalf of the liuetenant. The woman had been quite polite and courteous to him, despite being in charge of his person. There’d never been a moment that she had been unkind to him.

Reaching out, Phillip laid a hand to Max’s armored forearm. Pulling gently at it he was able to guide the lieutenant to stand next to him.

“Just Max. No one else. I promise we’ll be very careful of your lady’s health and humor,” offered Phillip, his hand still resting on Max’s arm.

Janice’s eyebrows had become more akin to a v as she looked at Phillip. Then she let out a soft breath, her face clearing up.

“Fine. You three then,” she relented.

Keeping his hand on the lieutenant’s arm, Phillip went into the room. Practically dragging the armored woman along as if she were the prisoner, not him.

“Sir, I shouldn’t—”

“Hush, Max,” Phillip hissed, speaking right over Max’s whisper. He emphasized his words with a thump to her gauntleted wrist. “And it’s Phil, remember? Do you remember, Max?”

“I… I remember,” replied the lieutenant before going silent. She let Phillip pull her along through the entry room they now found themselves in.

The door behind them shut causing Phillip to glance over his shoulder.

An amused looking Mildred with a wide smirk was watching him as he led the lieutenant through the room. She gave him a shooing motion as if to say “keep going” as she padded along behind them.

Turning his gaze ahead Phillip decided to try a small push.

After talking to Mildred and thinking about how he could take power, he wanted to just poke a little. Just to see what might happen.

“If anything I’m glad for this opportunity to talk to you alone, Max,” murmured Phillip. He’d slowed his steps down as they moved through the study. “You sounded a bit down this morning when you took over the watch. Is all well? Are you alright?”

There was a moment where Phillip practically heard the gears in Max’s head smash together. Getting horribly locked with one another before one of them shearing off completely.

“Uh… I… my niece is a prisoner of war. We finally heard back on how much they want for her,” said Max, her helmet turning toward him.

She wasn’t an unattractive woman, but neither was she actually attractive either. She had a mostly plain looking face with watery blue eyes and dark brown hair.

Younger than many of the soldiers and guards he’d seen, she’d climbed the ranks somehow. Likely through combat as Mildred had considering she was unmarried and seemed not very well experienced with nobility.

“Ah, I’ve had a great deal of experience with that lately,” quipped Phillip with a laugh. “Well, I’m supposed to have dinner with Sadie tonight, so I can’t really fit that in.

“Tomorrow just after the shift change win the morning could you and I talk about your niece? I imagine I might be able to help in one way or another. It’d be a good time to discuss it too since we can talk about your needs of me for the day. If you don’t mind, Max?”

Slowly, Max nodded her head up and down. Then she abruptly shook it.

“That wouldn’t be right and you—”

“Have the Dread Maiden as a chaperon,” Phillip said with a chuckle, leaning in toward Max. “It’ll be fine. Thank you for agreeing. Now, let’s go see the duchess. Have you met her before?”

“No, Sir, err, Phil, I think—”

Not letting her get a word in edge wise, Phillip began dragging Max at a higher speed now. Pulling her right through the study and out onto the balcony.

Dressed in some very loose fitting clothes a woman in her early forties or late thirties was laid out on a cot watching the sky. Her green eyes following a bird in flight as it hovered in the air distantly.

Her broad shoulders were somewhat hunched and her short blonde-hair lay limp against the pillow behind her head.

Though her head didn’t turn, her eyes slowly moved to the side as Phillip approached. He saw her left arm twitch, almost as if she wanted to push herself upright.

Though she ended up doing nothing but laying there.

“Hello, my lady,” Phillip said with a smile. Thinking on his mother’s letter, he decided to try and make her at least smile. “I’m glad you were willing to see me today. I wanted to come earlier but… I wasn’t sure if it was a good time to do so yet.

“Sadie assured me you were doing well so I didn’t feel like I had to try and force my way in. Maybe Max and Mildred would help me.

“Or… maybe we should try that. Should we help you escape, my lady? Is there anywhere you’d like to go? Although, knowing my mother and my sisters, we could always try to get you to something like a brothel. You’re still a beautiful woman, my lady. I have no doubt we can find a willing young man.”

Lorie Karen, a duchess now who had been a queen only a month ago, leader of countless armies, killer of soldiers in frontline combat, laid there staring at him with wide eyes.

Then part of her brow scrunched up, the corner of one side of her mouth turned upward, and the eye on the same side crinkled. There was a hissing laugh escaping from her mouth.

One that would have probably been full on roaring laughter not long ago.

Bullseye.

“Oh? Do you like that one? Any brothel you have in mind?” Phillip asked, releasing Max and moving over to sit down next to the Duchess on the ground. “I don’t know any so I’ll have to defer to you. With how lovely you are, I’m sure you’d only be able to go to the higher end ones. Lest you distract the employees.”

Karen was staring at him now, her whole body trembled as she continued to laugh. To the point that tears were actually running down her face.

Reaching out from where he sat Phillip took her hand in his own and held onto it. He’d deliberately made sure to take the one he was fairly certain wasn’t functioning.

True enough, there was no life there. It was a limp and unmoving lump between his fingers.

“Ah… my lady, this won’t do at all,” Phillip said, inspecting her hand between his own. “How do you expect to hold a young man down in a brothel with a grip like that.

“You can do better. I know you can. Come on then. Show me the woman who made my mother curse and scream at every turn.”

Karen’s eyes narrowed at that, even as she continued her hissing chuckle. Her lips didn’t move and it was obvious to him now that she really did only have movement with one side of her body at best.

Nothing happened though.

He could see her struggling, her good shoulder flexing as she lay there. Her eyes staring through him, practically.

Then she went still, as if she’d given up.

“What? That it?” Phillip asked in a low voice. “Come on. My little sisters could do better than this. How do you ever expect to hold a grandchild with a grip like that.

“Come on now. Are you Lorie Karen the soldier, general, duchess, and once upon a time queen? Or some old woman Tralin could suffocate with a pillow. Should we call her over to finish it?”

Phillip could see Max’s face off to one side. She was as pale as a ghost now at what Phillip had said. A clear look of horror on her face.

Even Mildred looked shocked and floored at his words.

Karen’s nostrils flared at that and her eyes shot wide open.

Once more she trembled and shuddered as she worked to move her bad arm.

Then, suddenly, and without warning, her hand spasmed weakly in his own.

“Well, well,” Phillip said, squeezing her hand between his own. He needed to capitalize on the sudden gain. “Looks like we don’t need Tralin after all. We just need to keep tempting you with a brothel.

“Because I felt that one, my lady. I felt your hand move just as surely as you did. Didn’t you?”

Karen was panting now. Breathing hard through her nose.

The look in her eye was unmistakable, though. It was something Phillip had often seen in his mother, his sisters, and even his guards when they felt threatened.

Determination.

“Alright, come on my lady. Give me another squeeze. You won’t be winning over any young men with just one flimsy grasp,” demanded Phillip holding her hand gently once more. “Give me another and we’ll call it done for the day and move to sitting up.

“If you can sit up for me, I’ll read you my mother’s letter she sent. Just a little sit mind you. Prop yourself up and try to get those muscles moving.

“And beyond that, if you manage to give me a wriggle of those pretty toes of yours on the right foot and I’ll tell you about the time she tried to cook for my father on his birthday. It was a true miserable failure that culminated with her managing to set an iron pot on fire.”

Unmistakable tears began to once again roll down Karen’s face. This time they didn’t look like tears of laughter at all. These looked like they were shed out of relief.

“Ah. Don’t cry for the iron pot. It had a good life. We buried in the backyard and gave it a nice little stone placard,” consoled Phillip. “Now… how about that second show of strength, mmm?”

Karen responded immediately and began striving to do as he’d requested.

In the end, she even managed to do all he demanded of her.