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"King Sonic! There are bandits in the village threatening the citizens and stealing their goods!"
Azure ears stood at immediate attention, head whipping up from the letters he was surveying. Lancelot stood by his side at attention, gaze never leaving the young informant who burst into the office. His white-tipped ears twitched at the volume but stayed at full attention regardless.
"Have they hurt anyone?" He questioned as he placed the letters to the side, ignored for now.
"Not yet, but the people are afraid if they will."
That was all Sonic needed to hear as he lifted a hand in a stop gesture, shifting in his seat to sit straighter as he cleared his throat.
"Thank you for the news, this will be dealt with immediately."
The informant nodded and bowed briefly before exiting the room, waiting for a moment to hear the receding footsteps before slumping back into his chair. He let out a sigh that screamed 'here we go again' as he slanted his head to move his gaze to his knight. Lancelot was no longer facing the door but instead facing Sonic, awaiting orders of what to do next.
"We're dealing with this, come on." He stated bluntly as he stretched briefly and stood up.
"Excuse me, Sire. But-"
A hand lifted again, "First off, I told you it's Sonic when we're alone. Second, no buts, Lance. We're both going so I can negotiate and you can be my backup!"
The smile on his face paired with the excitement in his voice was just enough to convince him, curse his softness on the king's impulsivity. He nodded once in hesitant agreement as his hand rested on his sword sheath, battle ready before they even left the castle.
"I'll even race ya there~"
Sonic teased before hopping over the desk and flying out of the room, a hint of his blue light trail following behind. He sighed as he quickly followed suit, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach.
They arrived at the heart of the village in no time, Sonic impatiently tapping his shoe against the stones as Lancelot stood beside him on guard. Lancelot stayed silent as he surveyed the town's square, looking for any signs of the bandits. Sonic snickered as he took a few steps away from where they were standing, picking a rose from a local volunteer as he winked in thanks and walked back. Lancelot faced him fully as he approached, Sonic bowing slightly as he extended the flower towards the knight.
Lance quietly gasped beneath his helmet as he stared at his king, baffled at how forward he was especially when they sat front and center where everyone could see. He could feel his cheeks heat up at the gesture before clearing his throat and keeping most of his composure intact.
"Sire, what is your intention?" He couldn't just ask what Sonic was doing since they had eyes around them, otherwise he may have just let out a small scoff in bewilderment.
Before his king could respond, a crash sounded from nearby. Lancelot's focus immediately shifted towards the ruckus as he quickly pulled out his sword, his trusted Arondight. The blade reflected the light of the afternoon sun making it look like it was glowing, Sonic transfixed in it before shifting his attention to the imminent threat.
"Come on, Lance!" Sonic stated as he stepped forward, gaze staying on Lancelot for a moment before turning away and walking speedily away. Lancelot didn't have to be told twice before following right behind him.
As they arrived, the bandits had pushed away a cart that Sonic knew belonged to a newly-arrived family trying to get by. They held sacks of goods over their shoulders as they didn't even both to hide themselves with disguises, out in plain daylight committing crimes like idiots.
"Woah there, guys!" The bandits turned towards him, eyes flashing briefly with fear before mock confidence settled in. "What are we doing here? Don't ya got better things to do besides thieving and stealing?"
The leader of the small group grinned wildly as he stood up straight, tossing his sack to a nearby teammate as he turned fully towards the king.
"Don't you have better things to do besides dealing with a few lowly bandits?" He snickered once he was done speaking, intent clear as day to Lancelot. He wasn't afraid to try anything to hurt the king, and Lancelot couldn't allow that.
"Step back, or you will face the full consequences of this kingdom." Lancelot stepped in front of Sonic, not blocking his view but blocking the bandits' easy access to him.
Sonic tsked as he side-stepped the knight, staying behind him still but able to see more in front of them. He kept his voice low as he graveled in his ear.
"Lance, let me handle this first."
"My duty is to protect you and this kingdom, I cannot have you hurt, Sire."
Sonic was once again cut off as Lancelot pushed him backwards, the sound of swords clashing against one another ringing out. Sonic gained his footing again as the brawl began to pick up, the bandits taking turns swinging at the knight as he struggled to keep up. Sonic tilted his head in confusion at the sight, why was Lancelot having trouble defending him? This was Sonic's best knight of the round table, and he was being near overpowered against three measly bandits?
Sonic gave himself no more time to think as he reached for his own sword, drawing it out quietly as he searched for an opportunity to strike. One came as Lancelot ducked under a sword swing, giving Sonic just enough time to jump over and standing in front of him to take over. Lancelot seemingly had no complaints as Sonic's eyes went dark, channeling his energy into his voice as it boomed across the area as if he had a speaker.
"Leave my kingdom at once, or you will face eternal darkness and misery in my dungeons!"
The fear from earlier filled their eyes once more, now permanent as some abandoned their sacks and scrambled away. The leader held a mean scowl on his muzzle, teeth unaligned and growl just under his breath. He didn't utter a single word this time as he too left his sack behind and left to follow his men, tail tucked between his legs.
Sonic waited until they were out of eyesight before exhaling a huge sigh of relief, sheathing his sword at his side and fixing his posture. When he turned around, he realized that Lancelot was now hunched over on the ground clutching his side. One glance showed him the dark crimson spilling over silver metal and that was all he needed to see before rushing to his side.
"Lance? Please tell me you're okay."
The knight groaned in pain, taking a few shortened breaths before responding with a sickly tone.
"I will be alright, Sire. Are you alright?"
The knight coughed between sentences, somehow still having the audacity to ask him if he was okay despite him being the one being injured. Sonic rolled his eyes as he looked briefly at the crowd surrounding them, thinking quickly before deciding on doing damage control.
"If your goods were stolen, please feel free to take them back. If any goods were damaged, please send a letter to the castle and someone will reimburse you. Do not worry any longer as there is no longer a threat!" Sonic looked back at Lancelot as he quickly scooped him up bridal style, not caring for public opinion for two seconds as he made a dash for the castle.
He burst through the front gates and made a beeline straight for the medical examiner, neither one of them uttering a word the whole way. He set him down on a table as the medical staff got to work, stopping the bleeding and stitching him up like a torn fabric doll. Once they got him cleaned up and looked over again for any other injuries, the lead doctor held him aside to explain what happened.
"Sir Lancelot suffered a blow from a sword, it only grazed his side so the damage was minimal but he will need plenty of rest in order to fully heal."
Sonic processed the information given to him, shoe tapping against the stone floor again with his hand holding his chin.
"How long will he need to rest? Will most of it be bed rest at least?" Sonic question mostly out of concern, nerves frayed as the adrenaline still coursed through his veins.
The doctor nodded as he explained his treatment plan; bed rest for at least a month before even attempting to become active again and needing to change the bandages every day to cover the stitches so they don't get infected. Sonic mentally noted every single word until he finished, nodding slowly before thanking the mobian and walking over to Lancelot.
The knight looked almost peaceful as he slept, pain meds in his system as the bandages covered the gnarly wound underneath. Sonic grimaced thinking about it, taking a moment to fully look him over himself. He looked, well, sickly almost. The bags under his eyes were stark even under dark fur, and his breathes were still staggered as if he had trouble just taking a simple inhale and exhale. It made him sad that Lance pushed himself so hard that it even got to this point. How had he missed this for so long?
Eventually he was able to be moved back to his room in the knight's quarters, finally comfortable in his own bed under his own covers as his breathing evened out just a bit more than before. Sonic stayed by his side the entire time he slept, having a servant clear his entire schedule for the next few days just to care for the knight. Extreme? Maybe, considering he had kingly duties that couldn't be held off for very long, but this was Lance and he couldn't just leave after he protected him so valiantly. Even if it was just a few little bandits (the same bandits that hurt him bad, maybe he'd send some other knights to hunt them down and throw them in the dungeons).
In the midst of being deep in his thoughts and spacing out, Lancelot had woken up with a groan and shifted from discomfort. Sonic snapped out of his thoughts as he immediately cooed at the knight, shushing him like a fussy baby before stopping himself and giving them distance. He cleared his throat to grab his attention as his gaze shifted to him, eyes slightly glossy from the meds and his short nap.
"Hey Lance, you feeling any better?"
The knight blinked once slowly, almost as if he was falling back asleep before opening them again and refocusing his vision onto Sonic. If he wasn't so injured, Sonic would've called him cute for it.
"Uh, so you're not gonna like me telling you this," Lance blinked quickly this time, signaling confusion and to elaborate if Sonic got the tone right. "But uh, you have to be on bed rest for about a month so the wound heals, and then you gotta stay rested and ease back into training again."
The way Lance's eyes widened at the statement made him nervously laugh, looking like he saw a ghost behind him if he hadn't known better. A loud groan escaped the ebony hedgehog as he processed that he's be stuck in his bed for Gaia knows how long. While yes he would properly heal, he thought about his duties as the king's top knight. Who would take on his responsibilities while he was gone? He didn't doubt that the other knights of the round table, Percival and Gawain, could protect the king in his absence, yet the thought of it made him shudder.
It took a moment to fill his dry mouth with saliva again to coat his throat, opening and closing his mouth like a fish for a moment so he could speak.
"Sire-"
"Lance." A sharp tone, a reminder.
"Son- Sonic." The name felt foreign yet oddly correct in his mouth, taking a moment to think about how to word his thoughts before continuing. "You cannot stay by my side during the length of my absence. You have duties of your own to attend to, more important than taking care of me."
Sonic listened carefully as he spoke, sitting quietly for a moment after he finished before placing a gloved paw on messy quills. His armour had already been removed when he was patched up, but he would never get used to seeing Lancelot's face. His muzzle was a tanned brown usually adorning a slight scowl, his eyes a fiery red that screamed danger yet didn't deter Sonic in the slightest, and his quills were streaked with red like the blood of anyone who tried to bring down this kingdom. And dare he say, Lancelot looked absolutely beautiful in his eyes.
"I cleared my schedule out for as long as I possibly could, even told the messenger to notify our allies that we needed to lay low due to internal problems."
Sonic definitely could've worded that last part better as Lancelot stiffened in his hold. His eyes were now slightly frantic as their gazes strengthened on each other.
"Sire- Sonic. My apologies for becoming a bother to the kingdom-"
Sonic shushed him once more, moving both his paws to gently cusp his muzzle with the softest smile he could muster. He moved his thumbs to caress under his eyes, tracing dark eye bags over and over again until the knight relaxed enough.
"You are not a burden on this kingdom, Lance." Giving in to impulses, he leaned down slowly as his placed a gentle peck on his eyelid, both hedgehogs closing their eyes for just a moment before their gazes softly met. "Things happened, and we will grow stronger once you are healed. But I need you to promise me."
Lancelot stared at his king for a long moment then, near baffled by the gesture but also honored that the king would go out of his way just to take care of him. A question settled into his mind and sank to his gut, the need to ask him something strong as he spoke again.
"Why do you do this?" A small head tilt told him Sonic was confused, continuing so he could elaborate his thoughts. "I mean, why do you choose to stay and care for me? I am but a knight, loyal to you in every way, but.. why?"
His thoughts were still frazzled from the medicine, but he hoped his message came across clear as he awaited an answer. Sonic moved a paw down the rest on his chest just below his chest fur while the other settled back into his quills, massaging the base of his skull gently. He was deep in thought for just a moment, thinking about how to put his feelings into proper words before taking a deep breath in and responding.
"Because you're mine, Lance. You are not solely my knight, but.." He took another breath before continuing, "Over the time we have known each other, all the training, the boring meetings, the quiet moments to ourselves, I found my gaze always drifting to you."
Lancelot looked away for a moment to process his king's words, eyes flitting across the room in thought before the lightbulb turned on in his head. Was the king.. confessing? To him? No, it couldn't be. He was just a knight – his knight. Being lovers meant being more than, and for a moment he was unsure of how to respond. But the hand in his quills and the hand in his fluff gave him just a glimpse of what that could look like. And dare he say that it didn't bother him in the slightest. He felt so at ease here with him, so comfortable and relaxed for once in his entire life. That would be his decision then.
"My king, my Sonic." He tasted the words in his mouth, pleasantly surprised by how good it felt.
He reached a shaky paw up towards his king, resting on his muzzle before acting out the same gesture he gave him just minutes before. Sonic leaned into the touch, eyes closing as he moved a paw to cover his and keep it on his face. His lids slowly opened again, showing off his emerald eyes suddenly so full of love and affection. And he loved every moment of it.
"Will you be mine, Lance? For me to care for, and in turn do the same for me?"
Lance found himself pulling his azure lover forward, having him lean over the bed as their lips finally met. The moment they came together, it was like light spilling from them throughout the room, brightening the space. It felt like everything all at once, like love and comfort and warmth like he'd never felt before.
They separated after a few long moments, eyes becoming lost in one another as they continued to bask in the light and affection. Sonic once again gave into his impulses as he quickly stood up to shed his cape and crown and carefully climbed into the bed. He adjusted them so they were facing each other, Sonic's back to the door with Lancelot on his good side facing him. He embraced his knight in a gentle hug, tails whacking the mattress below out of sheer happiness.
Lancelot huffed in amusement as he settled into his hold with his paws folded between them, the pain now just a second thought after his love for the king. He could feel vibrations reverberating through their bodies, unsure of what it was until he heard it. The purrs sounded from Sonic's chest, steadily getting louder as they laid down in peace. He could feel his own purrs begin in his chest in response, volume rising and force rising until they matched each other in tandem.
"Impressive, the big bad knight is purring for his king." He sang, giggles littered throughout as they shook the bed slightly.
"Only for you, Sonic."
The giggles stopped as Sonic looked at him in amazement, grin growing wider and brighter as he leaned back in to their hold. He rested his muzzle in pitch black fur, nuzzling the area with both sides of his face multiple times to rub off his scent. Lancelot could feel his own tail cautiously give a slight wag before it sped up the longer Sonic continued.
Sonic slowed down eventually as their scents combined, metallic steel mixed with fresh grass that reminded them of all the times they laid in the meadow behind the castle. The meadow filled with tall grass and batches of lavender as they bathed in the warm rays of the sun whenever they felt like it. It brought soft smiles to their faces, the memory one they would keep forever until the end of time.
"I promise." Lancelot whispered into Sonic's neck, craning upward slightly so their eyes could meet again.
Sonic looked confused at the sudden declaration, giggling at his slow processing as he elaborated once again.
"I promise to take care of myself better, so that I can always protect this kingdom," he paused to place a paw back on his muzzle, "and to protect you for as long as you will it."
Sonic smile widened again as he pulled Lancelot in for another kiss, lips meeting for even longer this time as they both sighed heavily in content into each other's mouths. The warmth spread throughout their bodies making them feel like they were floating among the clouds. After a few more moments they separated, but not without Sonic littering soft kisses everywhere he could reach across Lancelot's face; his head, his ears, his nose, his eyelids again, no inch of skin went untouched by the time he finished, leaving him breathless and wanting even more.
But for now, Lancelot snuggled into Sonic's chest and obliged on his order to rest. Their breathing and heartbeats synced as the sun fell under the mountainous horizon, basking the two lovers in warm hues as the air was filled with love and devotion for each other for as long as they lived.