Aldous walked through the castle with smooth steps, the sound of his armor gently clinking echoing through the vast hallways of the palace. He was doing his morning rounds to check for any discrepancies, testing the locks on the double doors by rattling them slightly.

The night guards had done their job adequately... though Aldous knew he could do it better. But he couldn't be everywhere at once, could he? His Prince might figure out he's not what he seems. That he's most certainly not human.

He still wondered how the royal family hadn't picked up on it yet. The matriarchs were very aware of what Aldous was, but the children remained oblivious. The guards just assumed he was an exceptionally determined knight who refused to eat or sleep in the name of protecting the royal family.

Which wasn't entirely untrue.

Aldous would do anything to protect this kingdom and its royalty. But he'd rather not have the children scream and run in terror at the sight of him. That wouldn't be good for the Kingdom's reputation either.

Regardless, Aldous was good at keeping his secret hidden. The Prince remained oblivious, while the younger children were too busy throwing mud at each other and being scolded by their parents to notice anything unusual. Speaking of the children, he'd just passed them with a small nod, watching the nannies hurry after the little balls of energy.

He clasped his hands behind his back as he climbed the spiral staircase, occasionally glancing out the small windows that lined the walls. Reaching the top, he took small steps toward the fancy double doors of the Prince's chambers, removing one hand from behind his back to place it on the handle.

Opening the door silently, he peeked his head inside to check if that fool Artus was present. After confirming the room was empty of that particular annoyance, Aldous stepped inside and closed the door behind him, walking to stand beside the Prince's bed. "Hey," he grumbled, reaching down to poke them with the tip of his index finger. "You cannot sleep in. It's a beautiful day outside, Prince, and this is how you're spending it?" Aldous scolded, giving them another, harder poke.