FIC - First Knight (10/?)
Title: First Knight (10/?)
Author: wheelie47
Rating: NC17 (not for every chapter)
Pairing: Luke and Noah.
Word count: 1,825
Disclaimer: Don’t own characters, am not associated in any way with ATWT, Van and Jake. No offence intended.
Summary: Set in the fictional land of feudal Western Atlantia, King Damian has been overthrown and has fled the Kingdom of Oakdale. But his evil influence has spread across all eight Kingdoms. Lord Luke Snyder leads his army in an effort to bring peace and justice to a troubled time, aided in his quest by a certain dark-haired young Knight…
Chapter 1, Chapter 2 Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9
Noah stirred in Luke’s lap as he felt the blonde stiffen above him when he heard Grimaldi’s voice somewhere off unseen. He turned his head gingerly toward the sound, his good eye widening in shock as the cell door was pushed open and the tall man strode in.
Grimaldi was here! His chest constricted and his mouth went even drier at the thought that Damian was behind their capture and his torture. The brutalities and evils he had heard of and had witnessed at this man’s hand made him fearful of his and Luke’s fate.
Noah sat up unsteadily, weakly trying to put himself bodily between Luke and his nemesis. He had sworn to protect his Lord and that was what he would do with every last ounce of his energy. No matter what. Even if it meant laying down his life for the man. Noah would do so willingly… lamenting only that they had had such a short time together and that he would never again see those expressive hazel orbs gazing back at him with such depth of feeling.
His hand automatically reached out toward his hip, cursing inwardly when his fingers touched only the leather of his belt instead of his trusted sword hilt. He began to struggle to his feet regardless, hoping somehow to overpower Damian with his bare hands.
Noah felt the warmth of Luke’s fingers curling around his wrist followed by his other hand gently gripping his shoulder, pulling him back toward Luke and away from Grimaldi.
Confused, Noah turned his head to look at the blonde.
“No, Noah,” Luke murmured and shook his head as he tried to guide Noah behind him, out of further harm’s way. The man had suffered enough because of him.
Noah resisted, trying to pull himself free from Luke’s hold and return to his position.
“The time to protect each other is long since gone.” Damian’s chill voice stilled them both, the momentum of their movement causing them to lean into each other.
They looked up into Damian’s contemptuous countenance as the man took a menacing step closer to them, his long burgundy surcoat stirring the filthy straw on the floor.
A movement at the cell door drew Luke’s attention to an elderly man who had followed in Grimaldi’s wake. He appeared to be a clerk of some kind and was clearly uncomfortable with being in this place of torture. He shifted nervously from foot to foot, taking care not to move beyond the threshold of the door. The man sniffed disdainfully, his eyes never lifting from studying the floor.
Luke followed the clerk’s downcast gaze, pausing at the insignia emblazoned on his tunic. His eyes shifted back to Grimaldi and the ire rose in him as he realized that the design was repeated on his surcoat. The snarling fox of the House of Grimaldi’s royal seal stared tauntingly back out at him. The man was still displaying it as if it was his given right! As if he were still the King of Oakdale and not some reviled and overthrown exile.
“Ah, I see there is still some fight left in you,” Damian sneered. “Curious given your current circumstance.”
Luke ignored the taunt. “What do you want from us?” he asked, a hint of defiance flaring in his eyes.
“What do I want?” Grimaldi cocked his head as if deep in thought, clearly reveling in the power he had over the men at his feet. A malicious grin spread across his face. “I want what is rightfully mine. I want you to relinquish control over Oakdale and return it to me. In short, I want you to surrender.”
“Never!” Luke baulked at the very idea. “The people of Oakdale will never again be subjected to your rule. We have seen you for who you are.”
Damian chuckled harshly, sounding loud in the confines of the cell. “I beg to differ. You see, once I parade you and your…” he paused as he turned his head to take in Mayer, still sat against Luke’s side, and sneered “… companion in front of the ranks of your captured men for the disgusting deviants that you are, they will soon switch their allegiances to me. And the rest of Oakdale will follow their lead.”
Luke felt Noah stiffen against him. Damian knew about them; there was no denying that now. But, despite the threat of exposure, his heart soared with relief; Grimaldi had said ‘captured men’. Some of the others had survived the fighting!
“They will not follow you. You have destroyed their lives. Torn families asunder by robbing them of their fathers and sons. Sought to bend Oakdale to your will by ruling with a rod of iron,” Luke responded, his voice and courage strengthened by the knowledge some of the men lived still.
Without warning, Grimaldi lunged forward and grasped Luke by the neck, pushing him forcible against the stone wall. “And you? What have you done, Snyder? How many families have lost their fathers and sons because they have blindly followed you? Ask yourself - are you so very different from me?”
Luke tried to wrench the man’s fingers free as they constricted around his neck, leaving him gasping for breath.
Suddenly Damian’s hold was torn free as Noah gathered up his strength and surged at him, sending the both of them sprawling full length across the filthy floor.
Grimaldi struggled against him; kicking and punching Noah to release his hold.
Noah was too weak to fight back, concentrating all his efforts on simply holding the man in place and keeping him away from Luke.
“DO. NOT. TOUCH. HIM!” he hissed through gritted teeth. The sight of this monster with his hands on Luke’s beautiful throat and to hear him compare Luke to him made Noah seethe with anger. Luke was nothing like Damian Grimaldi. He wished he had his sword in his hand.
The guard positioned at the door sprang into action, pushing the clerk roughly to one side to come to his master’s aid.
Roughly grabbing Noah with both of his large hands, he easily broke the man’s hold on Grimaldi and flung him to a corner of the cell. He raised his foot and released a vicious kick to the fallen man’s stomach, making Noah groan and curl in on himself.
“No!” As the guard mercilessly raised his foot to land another blow, Luke scrambled through the straw to Noah’s side. He knelt between Noah and the guard, placing one hand on the brunette’s hip and the other to his head. Using his body as a shield, he leant forward and cowered over Noah; expecting a blow to strike his back.
The guard hesitated, his foot in mid-strike, and looked to his master.
Damian got to his feet, adjusted his attire and combed his fingers through his hair before shaking his head. “Enough!” He waved the guard off and strode closer.
“I am a reasonable man. There is but a couple of hours left till dawn. You have until then to decide. Either you surrender to me in front of your men. You will then be free to go… the both of you… but you must never set foot inside Oakdale again. Or I will kill you both right here in the filth like the vermin that you are. The choice is yours.”
Luke never moved from Noah’s side, brushing his fingers soothingly through the thick curls. He did not answer. He knew there was no choice; Damian would kill them both when he was done with them anyway.
“Until dawn.” Damian turned on his heels and moved toward the door, not even breaking his stride as he barked at the clerk. “Get word to Aiden to assemble the men!”
When he crossed the threshold of the open doorway he paused and spoke to someone unseen. “Stop sniveling in the shadows, boy.”
Luke turned at the sound of a struggle from behind him in time to see Grimaldi pulling a man into the light.
“Kevin!” Luke gasped in shock. He was overwhelmed with delight to see that his childhood friend was alive; he had thought him lost in the fighting. But he had not escaped unscathed; his face showed the unmistakable signs of a vicious beating. Grimaldi had had Kevin tortured too.
Luke made to stand, beckoning to Davies to step away from Damian and join Noah and him on the opposite side of the cell.
Confusion clouded his features when Kevin took a step back and lowered his gaze to the floor.
Grimaldi laughed harshly and he grasped Kevin by the shoulder. “Oh, I think you misunderstand the situation somewhat, Snyder. You see, Sir Davies here has been most helpful; if not for him I would never have learned of your dirty little trysts or have been able to set up that little ambush for your troops.”
Kevin! Kevin was the informer?! Luke could hardly believe it and the information struck him like a physical blow to the solar plexus, making him sink to the ground.
He felt Noah stir next to him; Grimaldi’s words seemingly relighting a spark of energy inside the brunette.
“You!” Noah spat out. “You are supposed to be one of Luke’s most trusted Knights. More than that, you… you are his friend!” Noah could not believe what he had heard. The pain from his tortured body made it hard to think clearly. How was this possible? Davies had fought ferociously on their side in the battle. He had appeared so shocked and wracked with guilt when he had accidently injured Luke in their sword play. Had that been an accident at all? Was it Davies’s intention that Luke had stayed behind at the encampment where he was more vulnerable to attack?
“Why?” The shaky voice from beside him interrupted Noah’s thought pattern and he turned to look at Luke. He had never seen the blonde look so broken and defeated. Kevin’s betrayal had struck him to the core and his world appeared to be torn apart as tears threatened to fall.
Silence prevailed in the small cell.
“Lord Snyder asked you a question,” Damian sneered, clearly enjoying Luke’s distress.
Davies finally lifted his head, his eyes darting to look between Luke and Noah before he dropped his gaze again. He opened his mouth but words seemed to fail him. He shook his head and mumbled, “I am sorry.”
“It seems that the valiant Knight does not even know his own mind now,” Grimaldi gloated but then appeared to grow tired of the sport. “Come, there is much to do before dawn.”
Without another glance at either Luke or Noah, Damian Grimaldi turned and strode purposely from the room, leaving the three other men to follow in his wake.
The last to exit, the guard slammed and locked the door behind him, leaving a dazed Luke and Noah alone again in the filthy cell…
Chapter 11
Back to master fic post
Author: wheelie47
Rating: NC17 (not for every chapter)
Pairing: Luke and Noah.
Word count: 1,825
Disclaimer: Don’t own characters, am not associated in any way with ATWT, Van and Jake. No offence intended.
Summary: Set in the fictional land of feudal Western Atlantia, King Damian has been overthrown and has fled the Kingdom of Oakdale. But his evil influence has spread across all eight Kingdoms. Lord Luke Snyder leads his army in an effort to bring peace and justice to a troubled time, aided in his quest by a certain dark-haired young Knight…
Chapter 1, Chapter 2 Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9
Noah stirred in Luke’s lap as he felt the blonde stiffen above him when he heard Grimaldi’s voice somewhere off unseen. He turned his head gingerly toward the sound, his good eye widening in shock as the cell door was pushed open and the tall man strode in.
Grimaldi was here! His chest constricted and his mouth went even drier at the thought that Damian was behind their capture and his torture. The brutalities and evils he had heard of and had witnessed at this man’s hand made him fearful of his and Luke’s fate.
Noah sat up unsteadily, weakly trying to put himself bodily between Luke and his nemesis. He had sworn to protect his Lord and that was what he would do with every last ounce of his energy. No matter what. Even if it meant laying down his life for the man. Noah would do so willingly… lamenting only that they had had such a short time together and that he would never again see those expressive hazel orbs gazing back at him with such depth of feeling.
His hand automatically reached out toward his hip, cursing inwardly when his fingers touched only the leather of his belt instead of his trusted sword hilt. He began to struggle to his feet regardless, hoping somehow to overpower Damian with his bare hands.
Noah felt the warmth of Luke’s fingers curling around his wrist followed by his other hand gently gripping his shoulder, pulling him back toward Luke and away from Grimaldi.
Confused, Noah turned his head to look at the blonde.
“No, Noah,” Luke murmured and shook his head as he tried to guide Noah behind him, out of further harm’s way. The man had suffered enough because of him.
Noah resisted, trying to pull himself free from Luke’s hold and return to his position.
“The time to protect each other is long since gone.” Damian’s chill voice stilled them both, the momentum of their movement causing them to lean into each other.
They looked up into Damian’s contemptuous countenance as the man took a menacing step closer to them, his long burgundy surcoat stirring the filthy straw on the floor.
A movement at the cell door drew Luke’s attention to an elderly man who had followed in Grimaldi’s wake. He appeared to be a clerk of some kind and was clearly uncomfortable with being in this place of torture. He shifted nervously from foot to foot, taking care not to move beyond the threshold of the door. The man sniffed disdainfully, his eyes never lifting from studying the floor.
Luke followed the clerk’s downcast gaze, pausing at the insignia emblazoned on his tunic. His eyes shifted back to Grimaldi and the ire rose in him as he realized that the design was repeated on his surcoat. The snarling fox of the House of Grimaldi’s royal seal stared tauntingly back out at him. The man was still displaying it as if it was his given right! As if he were still the King of Oakdale and not some reviled and overthrown exile.
“Ah, I see there is still some fight left in you,” Damian sneered. “Curious given your current circumstance.”
Luke ignored the taunt. “What do you want from us?” he asked, a hint of defiance flaring in his eyes.
“What do I want?” Grimaldi cocked his head as if deep in thought, clearly reveling in the power he had over the men at his feet. A malicious grin spread across his face. “I want what is rightfully mine. I want you to relinquish control over Oakdale and return it to me. In short, I want you to surrender.”
“Never!” Luke baulked at the very idea. “The people of Oakdale will never again be subjected to your rule. We have seen you for who you are.”
Damian chuckled harshly, sounding loud in the confines of the cell. “I beg to differ. You see, once I parade you and your…” he paused as he turned his head to take in Mayer, still sat against Luke’s side, and sneered “… companion in front of the ranks of your captured men for the disgusting deviants that you are, they will soon switch their allegiances to me. And the rest of Oakdale will follow their lead.”
Luke felt Noah stiffen against him. Damian knew about them; there was no denying that now. But, despite the threat of exposure, his heart soared with relief; Grimaldi had said ‘captured men’. Some of the others had survived the fighting!
“They will not follow you. You have destroyed their lives. Torn families asunder by robbing them of their fathers and sons. Sought to bend Oakdale to your will by ruling with a rod of iron,” Luke responded, his voice and courage strengthened by the knowledge some of the men lived still.
Without warning, Grimaldi lunged forward and grasped Luke by the neck, pushing him forcible against the stone wall. “And you? What have you done, Snyder? How many families have lost their fathers and sons because they have blindly followed you? Ask yourself - are you so very different from me?”
Luke tried to wrench the man’s fingers free as they constricted around his neck, leaving him gasping for breath.
Suddenly Damian’s hold was torn free as Noah gathered up his strength and surged at him, sending the both of them sprawling full length across the filthy floor.
Grimaldi struggled against him; kicking and punching Noah to release his hold.
Noah was too weak to fight back, concentrating all his efforts on simply holding the man in place and keeping him away from Luke.
“DO. NOT. TOUCH. HIM!” he hissed through gritted teeth. The sight of this monster with his hands on Luke’s beautiful throat and to hear him compare Luke to him made Noah seethe with anger. Luke was nothing like Damian Grimaldi. He wished he had his sword in his hand.
The guard positioned at the door sprang into action, pushing the clerk roughly to one side to come to his master’s aid.
Roughly grabbing Noah with both of his large hands, he easily broke the man’s hold on Grimaldi and flung him to a corner of the cell. He raised his foot and released a vicious kick to the fallen man’s stomach, making Noah groan and curl in on himself.
“No!” As the guard mercilessly raised his foot to land another blow, Luke scrambled through the straw to Noah’s side. He knelt between Noah and the guard, placing one hand on the brunette’s hip and the other to his head. Using his body as a shield, he leant forward and cowered over Noah; expecting a blow to strike his back.
The guard hesitated, his foot in mid-strike, and looked to his master.
Damian got to his feet, adjusted his attire and combed his fingers through his hair before shaking his head. “Enough!” He waved the guard off and strode closer.
“I am a reasonable man. There is but a couple of hours left till dawn. You have until then to decide. Either you surrender to me in front of your men. You will then be free to go… the both of you… but you must never set foot inside Oakdale again. Or I will kill you both right here in the filth like the vermin that you are. The choice is yours.”
Luke never moved from Noah’s side, brushing his fingers soothingly through the thick curls. He did not answer. He knew there was no choice; Damian would kill them both when he was done with them anyway.
“Until dawn.” Damian turned on his heels and moved toward the door, not even breaking his stride as he barked at the clerk. “Get word to Aiden to assemble the men!”
When he crossed the threshold of the open doorway he paused and spoke to someone unseen. “Stop sniveling in the shadows, boy.”
Luke turned at the sound of a struggle from behind him in time to see Grimaldi pulling a man into the light.
“Kevin!” Luke gasped in shock. He was overwhelmed with delight to see that his childhood friend was alive; he had thought him lost in the fighting. But he had not escaped unscathed; his face showed the unmistakable signs of a vicious beating. Grimaldi had had Kevin tortured too.
Luke made to stand, beckoning to Davies to step away from Damian and join Noah and him on the opposite side of the cell.
Confusion clouded his features when Kevin took a step back and lowered his gaze to the floor.
Grimaldi laughed harshly and he grasped Kevin by the shoulder. “Oh, I think you misunderstand the situation somewhat, Snyder. You see, Sir Davies here has been most helpful; if not for him I would never have learned of your dirty little trysts or have been able to set up that little ambush for your troops.”
Kevin! Kevin was the informer?! Luke could hardly believe it and the information struck him like a physical blow to the solar plexus, making him sink to the ground.
He felt Noah stir next to him; Grimaldi’s words seemingly relighting a spark of energy inside the brunette.
“You!” Noah spat out. “You are supposed to be one of Luke’s most trusted Knights. More than that, you… you are his friend!” Noah could not believe what he had heard. The pain from his tortured body made it hard to think clearly. How was this possible? Davies had fought ferociously on their side in the battle. He had appeared so shocked and wracked with guilt when he had accidently injured Luke in their sword play. Had that been an accident at all? Was it Davies’s intention that Luke had stayed behind at the encampment where he was more vulnerable to attack?
“Why?” The shaky voice from beside him interrupted Noah’s thought pattern and he turned to look at Luke. He had never seen the blonde look so broken and defeated. Kevin’s betrayal had struck him to the core and his world appeared to be torn apart as tears threatened to fall.
Silence prevailed in the small cell.
“Lord Snyder asked you a question,” Damian sneered, clearly enjoying Luke’s distress.
Davies finally lifted his head, his eyes darting to look between Luke and Noah before he dropped his gaze again. He opened his mouth but words seemed to fail him. He shook his head and mumbled, “I am sorry.”
“It seems that the valiant Knight does not even know his own mind now,” Grimaldi gloated but then appeared to grow tired of the sport. “Come, there is much to do before dawn.”
Without another glance at either Luke or Noah, Damian Grimaldi turned and strode purposely from the room, leaving the three other men to follow in his wake.
The last to exit, the guard slammed and locked the door behind him, leaving a dazed Luke and Noah alone again in the filthy cell…
Chapter 11
Back to master fic post