Lance guided his horse with ease, turning its head at will. Glancing backward, he noticed that Duke Arthur had just lowered his bow, and there was no trace of guilt in his gaze.
"Duke Arthur." Lance greeted.
Duke Arthur, unapologetic, replied, "I apologize for disturbing the Consort during my shooting."
With that, he rode over to retrieve a fox he had just shot with his arrow.
Accompanied by a group of guards and butlers, it wasn't easy to voice any disapproval. So, with a smile, Lance responded, "I was in the way."
Duke Arthur observed him briefly, hesitated, then abruptly turned and handed the fox to Alfrefo without a word, riding away in silence.
Lance glanced at the lifeless fox and mused, "I prefer the living ones."
"They are both rather challenging," Lance thought. Guiding the reins, he ventured further into the forest.
Although Lance's riding skills were pretty good, he knew that Original Lancelot wasn't particularly skilled at riding horses. Thus, he feigned inexperience.
007 chimed in, ["What's his plan? The host was nearly killed."]
Lance grinned, ["I did not get killed, did I, by the way, what happens if this body dies?"]
007 responded, ["You cannot proceed with the task or complete the task if you're dead. Unless you fulfill the task before death, the task will be deemed a failure."]
This was an expected answer.
As Lance ventured deeper into the woods, intending to follow King Alexander and First Consort Jace, his horse abruptly stepped on something, causing it to panic and gallop uncontrollably.
In a panic, Lance grabbed the reins, attempting to slow the horse down. To his surprise, his actions only seemed to make the horse run faster.
His horse, carefully chosen from beyond the borders, was trained to be exceptionally docile but exceptionally swift when it lost control.
The nearby guards attempted to intervene but could only watch as Lance's figure disappeared into the distance.
The baffled guards exchanged glances. The lead guard pointed in a direction and commanded, "Hurry, let's chase him!"
The direction he indicated was not a random one; it led to the heart of the forest.
Lance sat casually on the horse, waiting until the shouts of the guards grew faint in the distance. He then straightened up and gently calmed the horse beneath him, coaxing it to slow its breakneck pace.
Lance remarked, ["Let's see where Duke Arthur is. We'll go find him."]
007 seemed worried, ["He's very close to King Alexander. Do you still want to go there?"]
["Of course, this is a good opportunity"] Lancelot chuckled.
Guided by 007, he successfully located Duke Arthur not far from King Alexander's shooting location, Duke Arthur was picking up a fallen cheetah with an arrow through its eyes.
Lance glanced at Duke Arthur, then at the prey in his hands, and remarked, "If I were you, I wouldn't have shot it."
Anyone with even a modicum of political knowledge should know that, on such an occasion, outshining the King was ill-advised.
Capturing a running cheetah was far more challenging than a lion driven by guards.
Duke Arthur said, "King Alexander is only a hundred steps away, but you're quite bold to approach me."
Peering in the direction of the King Alexander. Lance added, "I am not so good at horse riding. I suppose that's a form of understanding for ending up here, isn't it?"
Lance flashed an intriguing smile, "But it seems Duke Arthur and I share an even deeper connection, ending up at the same place."
Lance's smile deviated from his usual dignified demeanor, and Duke Arthur remained unfazed.
"What's your intention in getting close to me? Isn't the position of being the King's Consort enough to satisfy the De Vere family's ambitions?"
They all believed the De Vere Dukerom harbored ambitions, if not, why would they send their loved son into the harem.
Lance commented, "The De Vere family's desires are straightforward, they seek safety within the kingdom."
Duke Arthur couldn't deny this fact. "The De Vere Dukedom is indeed stable now."
"His Majesty, the King is quite convinced about the rumors about a close relationship between the De Vere family and you," Lance inquired.
Duke Arthur lapsed into silence. He and Duke De Vere had jointly investigated the rumors, and he knew exactly who was behind them.
Yet, he didn't wish to escalate tensions with King Alexander to the point of becoming enemies.
Lancelot led his horse closer and asked earnestly, "The De Vere family's situation isn't favorable either. The King spared them once, but there's no guarantee He'll do so again."
Duke Arthur stared at Lance. Alexander disliked the De Vere family, and Lancelot's first instinct was to pull King Alexander off the throne.
"The De Vere Dukedom won't give up their Duke title unless they're pushed to the brink," Duke Arthur assessed.
"Duke Arthur has royal blood. I doubt King Alexander will feel at ease unless Duke Arthur meets his end," Lancelot remarked, reflecting on Duke Arthur's predicament.
Lance continued, "So, Duke Arthur, what do you think about us cooperating?"
Duke Arthur began to respond, but a sudden cry interrupted their conversation: "The Blood Rain People are here!"
In an instant, Duke Arthur halted his words, mounted his horse, and before riding away, he turned back briefly, addressing Lance, "Don't follow me."
Lance's eyes sparkled with amusement as he grinned, "Thank you for the fox, Duke Arthur. I should repay the favor."
Duke Arthur pursed his lips, and that brief smile of Lance appeared in his eyes as he proceeded toward the direction where King Alexander was.
Lance sighed, "Really someone who would do anything for his kingdom.." He mounted his horse and followed suit.