Chapter Text
Once upon a time in a far away land, there was a cleric, a very powerful cleric that everyone in the kingdom adored as he was a very kind being. He was raised as a prince, son of the queen Joyce Byers. He was raised kind and brave, and when he learned to cure others, his kind heart used the power given to him to help those who needed. It is told that William lived a very happy life, and he never dwelled about not being the future king. He needed no more than his heart to be fulfilled.
Prince william was a very lovely person, and he accepted people as his heart could see the good in everyone, but it was known that he was very fond of his knight, sir Michael wheeler.
William will never forget when he met Michael.
It was a sunny afternoon in which four years old prince William was picking out flowers in the garden of castle Byers. A noise from the bushes next to him caught his attention.
His father always said he was far too sensitive for a boy, but William wanted to be brave, and despite the pressure in his chest and wish to run and hide, he got close to the bushes. That’s when a boy jumps out. William falls back with a yelp, clearly not expecting the boy to have been there.
"I apologize" he says when he notices he has startled William "I did not mean to scare you, my lord!" he says, seemingly distressed, for he did not intend to make William scared. He rushes to help William up.
"My lord?” William was not used to be called something other than prince, but he does remember hearing people call his father ‘my lord’
"Yes, prince william, my lord,” he smiles “I'm not supposed to be here, we are to be introduced until tomorrow, but could not wait!” he wipes his hands on his trousers " I'm Michael, sir, Michael Wheeler. I am supposed to train to become your knight and be at your service"
His own knight, his mother had not mentioned that, but his mother doesn't ever mentions any of the important things, most of the time he knows what is going on in his family because Jonathan tells him or because he hears his father's screaming at his mum during the night.
His own knight, someone just for him, someone to protect him from everything.
“Well, sir Michael, I find myself happy to meet you” Michael’s face lifts in a bright smile.
“I am the one that should be happy, for you are a prince” a red tints his cheeks “I hope one day I can be at your service, my lord.”
The next morning the sun rose again, as it did every day in the kingdom. William woke up, he had forgotten about michael. He was focused on his routine, he wore his clothes as his father ordered, and did his hair as his father ordered. He walked into the main hallway when one of the servants stopped him, he was required by his mother in the training grounds.
“William, dear” his mother smiled at him. If there was one thing William loved in the world, it was his mother’s smile. It could lit up the entire kingdom.
“Mother” he walked next to her, knights training around knelt to them, or kept training.
“My boy, you know how dangerous the world is, and even more to such as us royalty” his mother spoke and william nodded “and one day, when you are older you will be able to do anything you want”
“But I will not become king” his mother chuckles.
“Sure you won’t, but not being king does not take away your life, and you will do great things, I’m sure of that” she keeps walking without looking at him “but, you are my youngest son, and I will never forgive myself if I were foolish enough to let you without protection”
In that moment William remembered the day before, in the garden, where Michael introduced himself. He guessed his mother will introduce them both now, he couldn’t keep his smile off his face, he had liked Michael, he wanted to meet him officially as his future knight.
“Mother?” Finally his mother stopped walking, sir Jim Hopper knelt to his mother.
“My queen” he said. William always found him funny, but he knew better than to laugh.
“Is he ready?” His mother doesn’t look at sir Jim, she never does. He stands up and takes them to a small training zone for sword training.
“Yes, my queen, he is already starting to be trained”
And William sees him. Michael. He is listening to a knight that is teaching him the basics of how to wield a sword.
“Michael” sir Jim goes to get Michael.
Michael is smiling, he kneels before William and the queen.
“My queen, my lord”
“William, this is Michael, and some day, when you two are older, he will be your knight”
And William went almost everyday to the training grounds to see Michael train, when he was allowed.
He had never liked the training grounds, but something about Michael was deeply interesting, he wanted to be there and see him train, for him. Sometimes Michael would catch his gaze and smile, then he would train harder. He would talk to him, and say he swore in his honor to become the greatest knight in the kingdom for him.
William was grateful to have his brave knight Michael, and William knew that Michael was in fact, becoming the greatest knight for him.
And Michael was not just brave and ready to defend him upon danger, Michael was a good friend.
William found himself crying in the garden, his father had hit him for being too sensitive. It was nothing new, William was used to being mistreated by his father, but it still hurt.
A voice came from behind, alarmed.
“My lord! Are you alright?” It was Michael, he knelt in front of William, seeing the red painting his cheeks and the tears that ran down his face, Michael felt anger “my lord… who did this?!”
William looked down to his knees, his lip wobbled.
“My father”
Michael’s angry face was gone, not because he wasn’t angry, but because it was the king. His prince had been hurt by one person he couldn’t fight.
“Oh” he looked away before bringing his hand up to William’s cheek “I am so very sorry my prince, for he should have never put hands on you” he kissed his cheek and pulled away looking startled by his own action “i- I apologize my lord!” He was so red, he reminded William to the roses his mother wore on her hair “that was so wrong of me, I should never have done that, I just- that’s why my mother used to do when I got hurt, and I thought-” he spoke fast, nervously rubbing his hands together “how foolish, I am not to make decisions as such”
William giggled. He found Michael cute.
“It is quite alright” he stopped Michael’s apologies “if I must, I do feel better” Michael looked at him, finding William’s eyes so beautiful. Michael smiled.
William talked to Michael about his father, and Michael always listened.
Michael didn’t talk much, not because he didn’t want to, Michael was loud and loved talking about everything that came to his mind, but he respected prince william far too much, and he was already breaking royal code by forming a bond with his prince. However, in those scarce moments where Michael let himself speak, William listened to his knight, he cared not for the royal code he was breaking, he was the prince, he could do what he wanted.
Michael was a great knight, his wonderful prince had chosen him and no other. And one day, the paladin will teach someone else how to protect their cleric, as he did, all his life