William watched Louis, his heart heavy with the weight of the unspoken struggle he saw in his nephew's eyes. The boy he had helped raise, now a man facing the impossible choices of kingship, was torn between loyalty and suspicion.
"Louis," William began softly, meeting his gaze with steady resolve. "If I had any ill intention toward you, why would I kneel before you willingly? If I wanted to hurt you, I could have done so already."
His eyes shifted briefly to Harold, the knight who stood tensely by Louis's side, gripping his sword as though ready to strike. William's calm demeanor only deepened Harold's suspicion, and the knight took an instinctive step backward.
Without breaking eye contact with Louis, William reached for Harold's sword, smoothly disarming him in one fluid motion. Harold immediately moved to shield Louis, but William was faster.
