He heard….   voices….

"Hey hey… look! He's coming to!"

"Wake up Markadis, I have a present for you."

Markadis slowly opened his eyes. His head was bent forward, and his arms hung in place, outstretched at the elbows. He looked up to pear though his dark hair, and his neck gave a wince of pain. "How long was I out?", he thought.

"You know Markadis, those chains seem to suite you for some reason."

Ignoring the pain of stiff muscles, the captive raised his head to peer into the eyes of the man in front of him.

"Dondarion…"

"That's Captain Dondarion to you now. Since your rank has been striped, the king thought it would be wise to have a replacement."

"Where's Malanaia?"

The blow came so fast and hard that Markadis thought he might pass out again. But, he concentrated all his effort in staying alert. After the initial shock he quickly scanned the room. It was then he noticed the other man. Lieutenant Osrick. Both of these men were under his command not to long ago. And, Dondarion was once a friend.

"That's Her Highness to you!" Dondarion scowled "Have you forgotten your mistakes so quickly?"

Dondarion followed the eyes of his captive and turned to his new underling.

"Leave us."

Osrick quickly stood up, "But Sir!"

"Now." That's all as was needed. Osrick was still fairly young, but was wise enough to know not to push an issue.

With the young man gone, Donadarion turned his full attention to the figure in chains. One of the strongest men he's ever known, Markadis was captain of the king's army for seven years. Within that time he had not suffered a single defeat on the battlefield. There were few men under God he respected more, but you would not know it by looking in his eyes now.

His voice came out low and quiet, "What you did was treason."

"Treason to whom?"

"Treason to your king!"

"What I did, I did because I…."

"Because you what?! You've slain fifty men with your own sword! You've won battles that the greatest strategists in the court said were hopeless! If you were any other man, and I mean ANY other man, the king would have your head on a pike right now!"

With each sentence Dondarion's face grew red with anger. In front of him was a man that he respected. A man that had everything. A man who could have even been crowned king one day. A man that threw it all away…..    for her.

Regaining his strength, Markadis stood tall now. Every inch the captain he once was. "Where is she Dondarion, I must know."

"She's in her chambers… recovering."

Markadis's eyes opened in shock. "Recovering? Recovering from what?!"

Dondarion made a short sound of disgust. "From her punishment you fool! Did you think that you were the only one to blame for this?"

The captive's mind reeled. No! She held no blame! He was the only one who should be punished! Still, left to his own devices, the king would never harm his own daughter.

"Who ordered this?"

"You never were very good at politics were you?" Dondarion shook his gloved finger as he spoke the first few words, "But still, you already know who it was."

It didn't take long for Markadis's mind to find an answer… Seliese. It had to be. The king was blessed with five daughters. No sons. This had never happened before, but by tradition the eldest daughter had the most right in claiming the throne. This meant that whoever married her would become king. Markadis himself was one of the top choices, even though it only came to his attention recently. Being Captain of the Royal Army had its own appeal, and he was always one of the king's favorites. Seliese was the eldest daughter. She was proud and saw herself as queen even from a young age. She was tall and beautiful, but underneath she was vicious and cunning. Seliese used her status in the noble court to its fullest extent, and quickly crushed anyone she thought of as a rival. Even if it was her own sister.

"What did they do to her." Markadis knew the answer would only anger him, but he had to know.

For a brief moment Dondarion's face looked almost sad. Then from behind him he brought out a small wooden box with a series of ruins carved into the sides.

"Didn't I say I had a gift for you?", he said. "I believe you'll understand once you see this."

Dondarion held the box just far enough from the other man so he could reach it. After testing the chains for a moment, Markadis brought his hand forward and touched the box. His black gauntlet reflected the candlelight. It was only then that he noticed that they hadn't stripped him of his armor. Something they would have done if he had already been convicted as a criminal. Even though he took care to open the box slowly, what was inside still blinded him momentarily due to its brightness.

Even though he had never seen one before, he knew what it was the moment he laid eyes on it. The shock caused his hand to move without thinking and before he knew it, he held the pulsating sphere in his outstretched hand. He could feel its warmth even though his gauntlet and its soft glow held him in a trance. This was the proof of her punishment.

The royal line had one trait that set it apart from all other noble families. Magic. The women throughout the bloodline acted like reservoirs of pure magical power, and with training and concentration they could put it to use. Over the generations this trait has been weakening, however. Where once a queen could bend the will of an entire army or call lightning from the sky, now even the most powerful of magic users can only hope to do what amounted to parlor tricks. Seliese herself can do little more than light a candle, or cause a small breeze. She still uses these simple displays of her power frequently during court sessions as proof of her claim to the throne. She was considered to be the most powerful of the king's daughters. That was, until Malanaia was born.

At the age of five, the king's youngest daughter could have any stray cat in the city do her bidding. At nine she could close her eyelids and see through the eyes of any bird within ten leagues. At eleven she tamed a stallion that had crippled three men with a single touch. And at fifteen there wasn't an animal in the land that didn't treat her as their own personal queen, tamed or not. She was the most powerful sorceress to walk the earth in more than a hundred years. But, even with such influence, Malanaia was the gentlest of creatures. She was beloved by the people, who quickly saw her abilities as a sign that she should become the next queen.

Her growing charms and figure were not at all unnoticed by the men in her presence either. Her golden hair and light blue eyes captured the heart of every man she looked at. This included, of course, Markadis himself. Although, the one thing that set him apart from all the others was that she fell in love with him as well.

Some movement snapped Markadis out of his trance. Was it his imagination? No, it was shrinking! His eyes snapped up and met those of the other man, "Dondarion, give me the box! Quickly!" His hand was shaking now, and he could notice the glowing sphere shrinking even further. It was now the size of a small chicken egg.

"I can't do that."

He couldn't form the words. He wanted to beg, to plead, to threaten, but all he could do was watch. Soon the orb was the size of a walnut…. the size of a pea…. gone.  For a moment he just stood looking at his empty palm and shook. Then the rage boiled up in him all at once.

They had striped her of her powers. The process was both cruel and dangerous. The "treatment" was rarely done, but from what he had heard it was like someone tearing off a piece of your soul. The effects on the victim's mind and body were mostly unpredictable, but no one was left unscathed. Even death was not uncommon. Malanaia only used her powers to help others. It was an integral part of who she was. And, he just watched the last of it dissipate into the air.

"You bastards! You God-damn bastards! I'll kill you! I'll kill every last one of you!" He was crying now, but he didn't care. He felt like he was going mad. He threw himself against the chains again and again willing them to break so he could have his revenge. But, they wouldn't budge, and all he could do was howl in anger.

"Shut up! You're acting like a bloody child! Do you honestly think I came down here to torture you? This was her choice!"

Markadis froze and stared at his captor in disbelief.

"While you were unconscious the court met to decide your fate. You know the punishment for bedding with one of the king's daughters is beheading. But, Seliese saw it as an opportunity to be rid of her greatest rival. So, she offered an ultimatum."

It was no secret that Seliese was jealous of younger sister's powers. With her guile and cunning, she could outwit just about anyone in the court. But, the symbolism Malanaia's raw magical ability represented was not something that could be overlooked.

"Be stripped of her powers, or watch you die. That was her choice." Markadis felt drained. He let his body hang limp. He wasn't sure what to even think anymore, so he just hung motionless and listened.

"Seliese wanted to have what you were just given, but the king wouldn't hear of it. I don't know, perhaps she believe she could use it herself somehow. But, even within a charmed container it would only last a day. Outside… well, you just saw yourself." Dondarion closed the wooden box and took half a step toward his captive. "The king wanted you to have this. He wanted you to see the extent she was willing to go through to protect you. So that you may do the same."

With these last words, Markadis looked up quickly. "She's alive?"

"Of course she's alive you idiot! Did I ever say she was dead? You're no captain anymore, but you're still a knight. The fact that you still have THAT title speaks volumes of what the king thinks of you." Dondarion pauses for a second. "You've been reassigned."

"To what?"

Dondarion stroked his beard for a moment and his brow furrowed as if even he himself didn't believe what he was about to say. "Personal guard to the royal princess."

"WHAT!?" Markadis's eyes shot open wide, and he couldn't help the monstrous grin that appeared on his face. "Are you serious!?"

"Yes, yes! Calm down! Without her powers she has no chance of becoming queen, so Seliese doesn't see her as a threat anymore. And, being fifth born, none of the nobles will even give her a second thought. Within a year everyone will have just about forgotten she even existed. Hell, I bet you could even marry the girl!"

Markadis was shakeing with excitement when a thought occurred to him, "Then why am I in chains?"

"Because I knew you'd beat me bloody if you weren't! Is there any other way you'd listen to everything I had to say?"

"Get me out of these things!"

"Alright, alright." Dondarion grabbed the large key ring off the wall and went to work unbinding the shackles around Markadis's wrists and ankles. "Now listen, I can't say you're out of the woods yet. There's something you nee…..   HEY!"

But it was too late, before the last chain hit the floor Markadis was out the door and half way up the first flight of stairs. He ran as fast as he could. As he left the dungeons he felt the cool night air hit his face. People watched him as he sprinted across the courtyard. Some of them ducked their faces and whispered to each other. He didn't care. All he cared about was that he could see her again. He was assigned to guard her for the rest of his life. To be by her side forever. He hadn't felt this happy since the first night they laid together under the full moon.

He reached the tower that her chambers were located, and sprang up the stairs. The guards he passed merely stared straight ahead, as if their own former captain was nothing more than a ghost. When he reached her doors he was nearly out of breath, but with a rush of energy he threw himself at them and burst into the room.

"Malanaia! Mala…" She was standing by the bed. Markadis took a few quick steps toward her and stopped. Something was wrong.

The look in her eyes was one of fear. He didn't understand. Not in a million years would she ever have anything to fear from him. "Malanaia… what.." Then it dawned on him, there was something else in that look besides fear. A look of uncertainty. One of the common side effects to the punishment was permanent memory loss. Parts of the mind are stripped out along with the magical energy. She didn't recognize him. Because, she had no idea who he was.

Markadis quickly dropped to one knee, put his fist to the floor, and hung his head low. It was a position of both respect and submission. "Please forgive my insolence Your Highness! I was merely overjoyed to see that you are safe!" After being so happy just a moment ago, it took a concentrated effort to choke back tears. He was glad that his hair was long enough to hide his face in such a position.

For a while Malanaia just stood there. It seemed like an eternity was going by. She neither dismissed him, nor told him to rise. It was as if time had stopped. Then, when Markadis thought he couldn't stand it any more he heard a soft shuffling sound. She was slowly walking toward him. After a moment he could just see the edge of her slipperd feet through his hair, and he felt two soft fingers gently touch his head.

"Who….  are you?"

Markadis regained his composure and thought of the one word which comprised the secret vow the king had interested to him….  forever.

"My name is Sir Markadis Denanarious, Your Highness." Markadis raised his head and stared straight into the gorgeous blue eyes he knew so well. "And, I am the most loyal of your servants."