The Knights of Mount Luna

Prologue

The strong scent of vanilla and white roses are clinging to my nose, I looked around it's still full of tall shining trees, where are we going, hmm? The trees are shining like the most fascinating heavenly body in the sky at night. I want to touch the leaves but I'm too small to do that.

I sighed heavily and stopped walking. We're doing this for like five hours now, he told me that this is his gift for me because today is my seventh birthday but I'm doubting it. I can't even remember where I came from so I can't trust anything that he says. When I woke up, I am sleeping on a wooden bed and only a gas lamp is lighting the whole house. I also got a small but deep wound on my left wrist and I can't remember where I got it. He told me that I lost my memories, but when I am trying to remember it, I am just passing out. He didn't elaborate specific details on how I lose it, he just told me what my name is and how old I am and I didn't bother to ask anything to him even more.

"Eury, come on!"

"Coming!" I almost shouted at him and started walking again.

When I heard some voices, I feel the excitement rushing to my system. Finally! We are here!

"Euryale!" he smiled at me and I also tried to give him my brightest smile, I ran towards his position and he suddenly kissed my forehead, I don't mind it because I feel like he doesn't mean any harm.

"We're finally in your new home!" he gladly announced and we went out of the forest.

I saw a lot of people and different sizes of houses. They are all celebrating something, the aroma of different foods is filling my stomach and it is making me so hungry. A lot of kids around my age are playing in the fire and some lights are coming from them. I want to play with them too. Should I ask permission? Should I?

"Mister, can I..."

I suddenly feel nervous, where is he? He's right behind me seconds ago, where did he go? I look around but he is nowhere to found. I saw the path we took earlier and it's gone, where is he?! I can feel a lump on my throat, I'm scared. Where did he go? Why did he leave me here?!

"Mister?!"I called out for him but my voice is just being covered up by their joyful music and voices.

I still looked around, maybe he talked to someone and left me here for a while? He will come back. Yes, he will come back to me! But what if he wouldn't? What if he left me here?

My tears are starting to escape from my purple eyes. No, Euryale! Be brave! He will come back! Don't cry!

But my eyes are being so stubborn, my tears are continuing to fall. One of the kids noticed me and told her parents, now that I got their attention, I can feel myself shaking with fear. Mister, where are you?! I want to leave this place, they are all looking at me. I don't like it. It's like I'm in the middle of the ocean and all of them are sea monsters.

Shaking, I ran away from them, someone shouted and tried to stop me but I ignored it. I want to leave this place. Earlier, I was excited but now, I'm scared as hell.

"Ah!" I shouted out because of pain. I fell on the ground, my butt hurts! I cry, even more, I don't know where to go now. What should I do?!

"Are you all right?" I heard a lullaby-like voice and it's coming from the one whom I bumped to. I slowly look at him and saw his worried face.

"Get up, you'll get dirty if you stay sitting like that" he offered his hand at me and smiled.

"Dimitri! Your father is looking for you!"

A Knight comes to my vision, he's wearing a beautiful armor and holding a sharp magical sword.

"I think she's lost, I've never seen her before," he told the knight and still offering his hand for me so I slowly grab it and stand up.

The Knight looked at me with wide eyes and I can't help to wonder why he's so shocked.

"Grimore, I told you that she seems lost. We must take her to the castle first, she bumped to me while crying" the boy named Dimitri looked at me again and smiled for the second time.

"She's not lost, Dimitri. She's one of us starting from now"

"Excuse me but what do you mean?" he awkwardly looked at me and came closer.

"He left you here, sweet girl. As far as I know, he can't give you a proper life so he asked the King and Queen to accept you here. He said that you can wield a strong magical sword and sooner, you'll become a knight and protect this kingdom..."

"Wait, I just can't understand what you're talking about. Mister told me that this is his gift for me and now, you're telling me that..."

I just can't understand, I am just seven!

"Hey, don't cry..." Dimitri went to me and I immediately felt the warmth from his embrace. His strong scent, what's that?

"Grimore, leave! I'll bring her to the castle!" he commanded the Knight and I thought, he'll not listen to him but he left us here. Dimitri is trying to calm me down but I just can't stop crying.

I don't want to stay here, I want to know what kind of person Mister Lucius is. I want to know where he found me or where I came from? He's the only one who can help me to regain my memories but he left me here knowing nothing about my past.

If I only knew that he will leave me, I should have thanked him for taking care of me even if in just a small amount of time.

"You'll like this place, I promise" he softly murmured to me that made me cry even more.

I don't know where to start, I just don't know what to do. I'm so lost. I'm so lost in this unfamiliar yet so fascinating place.

"Shall we go to the castle? The night is getting deeper and you are also wearing thin clothes. You can catch a cold..."I just nodded at him as a response.

"I am Dimitri by the way, 12 years old. From now on I'm going to be your Prince in shining armor!" he laughs awkwardly when I didn't even utter a single word.

"All right, we shall go. I'm just embarrassing myself..." he murmured to himself and tried to avoid my gaze.

He's holding my hand and guiding me. In our position, I can saw the beautiful glass castle and the moon shining at the tallest tower of it, they are shining so perfectly. What a perfect combination.

The gigantic black gate with a crescent moon on the middle opened up by itself. Every knight we walked through is giving respect to him, they are bowing their heads. We enter a wide space area, I can see some knights are testing their swords and other weapons but the ground caught my attention. It has the color of the night, this is my first time seeing a black colored ground.

"This is the open training ground for the Lunas"

I just nod at him and continued observing the place. All of them are doing their best to become stronger knights. Soon, I’ll be in their place too like what Grimore said to me.

"Let’s go!" we started walking towards another gigantic gate but this time it's a glass with a golden crescent symbol in the middle and neat golden engraved letters forming the words Kingdom Luna. 

Slowly, I saw the true beauty of this castle. In the middle of the straight path, I saw a mysterious fountain with shining water flowing from it. The scent of vanilla and white roses becomes stronger.

It's a garden full of white roses and some unknown trees at the corner. They are also shining like a diamond in the darkness.

"You can eat the rose" he whispered to me and he picked a petal and directly ate it

.

"Tastes like vanilla" he smiled while chewing the petal of a rose

"Go on, try it!" I just looked at him in a brief moment, I don’t know if I’ll believe him.

The hint of hesitation is evident to my shaking hands but I successfully picked a petal. I can taste the sweet scent coming from the flowers and the salivating flavor of vanilla.

Suddenly, I heard a weird sound. He looked at me and I just avoided his gaze. I think my stomach just growled.

"Hmmm, let’s go! Let’s get something for you to eat!" he pulled me and we ran towards the opening of the castle.

"Prince Dimitri, finally!"

It's Grimore with a young boy on his left. I think he has the same age as Dimitri. His deep blue eyes but cold face are giving me unfamiliar chills.

"We thought you lost your way" Dimitri's eyebrows instantly rose.

"Why would I? I am not dumb, Grimore," he said coldly to the knight.

I saw panicked in Grimore's eyes. He's scared with this young boy? Oh, I forgot. He's a prince and he had power over them…

"Did you already tell about her arrival to my Father?" Grimore immediately nodded at him.

"Yes, I already did! And she already has room to stay in, all of the things she will need are in there so you don't have to worry" he said while panicking, thinking that he will say something wrong and make Dimitri mad.

"Where is it? I'll escort her to her room and please ask someone to send her some food"

"It's in the Knights' Cabin, next to Ares' room"

So this boy with blue eyes is Ares. I glanced at him and saw his eyes meeting mine. I just quickly looked away, I can’t stand his intimidating eyes.

"That's the reason why he's here, he's the one who's going to escort her to her room because Queen Luna is so furious right now. She wants to see you, she thought that something happened to you" Grimore added.

I almost laughed at Dimitri while I looked at him and caught him rolling his eyes. He looked at me and I immediately smile like I didn't saw his eyes rolled because of irritation.

"Hey, I'm going to visit you later after talking to my mother. You must eat, understand?"

"Okay," He smiled at me and pinched my cheeks. I guess, he loves to smile.

"Just smile, everything's going to be all right," he said to me while smiling widely. The way his eyes look at me, it seems that they are also trying to encourage me.

"See you later" he bid his goodbye and turned around. He's walking to the grand staircase where the thrones are located. It looks like it's the privilege of Royalties here. They are the only ones who can use this grand staircase.

"Wait!" I called him and he quickly looked at me

"I'm Euryale Stheno"

Earlier, I forgot to tell him what my name is, that's very rude because he introduced himself to me.

"Is that so? Nice to meet you, Eury..." he winked and laughed afterwards. He climbed to the stairs and Grimore told me to follow Ares...

Unlike Dimitri who welcomed me with wide arms opened, this one is cold as ice, he's walking like a prince...

Is he also a prince?

He stopped and of course, I also stopped. I don't want to be near to him, I kept our distance to each other so I will not bump to him accidentally.

"This is your room"

I gathered my strength just to have the courage to look at him directly in his eyes. His deep blue eyes… It’s so beautiful yet so cold.

"My room is next to yours, just knock if you need something"

"O-okay, thank you so much..." he just nodded and went to his room. He didn't even introduce himself to me, I just shrugged it off and went inside of my room.

Just what Grimore said, all of my necessities are all here. The bed looks like cottony clouds, it’s so fluffy! I sat on it and confirmed it. I saw a pile of clothes and some shoes. Should I change to proper clothes? Because I can feel the coldness of this place, it’s making me shiver.

I decided to get up and looked at my open window. I can feel the strong cold winds coming from outside, it's midnight but here I am, remembering my first day in the castle. After 13 years of staying here, a lot of things happened and has changed. But something hasn't changed at all. I still feel so lost and empty in this place. A lot of times, I just want to disappear but the truth is I just want to be found.