My Broken Knight

Chapter 7: First Meeting

-William-

A part of me wished I hadn’t come. I wanted the quiet life I had always talked about, and I meant those words. But when I returned home, hoping to settle down and start crafting like my father had, I found myself unable to enter the house. Even though he had been put to rest and the house was cleaned, I just stood there, unable to cross the threshold of the home I had known my entire life.

No matter what I did, I couldn’t bring myself to enter. It was clear that there wasn’t really anything for me there anymore. Yes, there was the quiet life I wanted, but it was a lonely one. With my father gone, Vanessa married to another, and all my childhood friends now with families of their own, I was utterly alone.

So, I turned away from my home and set my sights on Catalla. I had shaved, cut my hair short, bathed, and put on new clothes. I barely recognized myself when I had looked into the mirror in the small inn where I had been staying. I looked younger, more like the Will I used to be. Only my eyes had retained their age and darkness. They would never be the same.

I arrived at the castle in Catalla on the last day I could still give my answer. The castle was a massive stone structure with a certain elegance. Beautiful blue flags featuring a roaring lion adorned each tower, waving in the wind and signaling the majestic royals who lived there.

I carried that very same lion on my chest. I had for years. But as I looked at it now, I felt a pang of hatred—or maybe resentment. The lion might roar into the faces of enemies, but the enemy had roared into mine, exposing me to horrors I could never forget or fully describe.

Guards patrolled the high stone walls, just as I had that fateful night. They saw me but did nothing more than turn their eyes back to the people coming and going from the city connected to the castle. To them, I was just another knight, a soldier who had fought bravely in the north and survived against the brutal Flesh Eaters. Not everyone could claim that, though I felt no pride in it.

The men I fought, though they were called barbarians, were still men. I knew this because I had seen them bleed red blood like the rest of us. They might have believed in different gods, dressed differently, and spoken another language, but at the core, they were still men.

I knew not many saw it the way I did, but how could I not view them as people? They fought for what they believed was theirs and had no love for outsiders. Were we really so different? Of course, I kept such thoughts to myself.

“Welcome, Sir William.”

“Just Will,” I said as I dismounted my horse.

Lord Edward was waiting on the steps, accompanied by a few others whose names I didn’t remember.

“Of course. I knew you would make the right choice, Sir Will.”

I didn’t respond. It wasn’t as if I had many options. It was either live a lonely life carving wood or a lonely life guarding some spoiled princess. In return, I would receive land and a title. My only duty was to keep her alive until her wedding. How difficult could that be?

“Shall we?” Edward inquired.

I nodded and followed him inside.

“The king is eager to meet you. He’s heard a lot about you,” Edward informed me as we walked through the numerous hallways. “And good thing you got your hair cut and shaved. You were starting to look like one of those northern barbarians.”

He was clearly making a joke, but I didn’t laugh. I was all too aware of my appearance, but somehow I felt more connected to the image of the barbarian in the mirror than to the person I looked like now. That old Will had long since died.

“In here,” Lord Edward said.

He knocked lightly on a dark wooden door. A powerful voice responded from within. Edward opened the door and I followed him inside. The room was a study with dark wooden walls, large windows, books, a desk, and chairs. There was even a fireplace.

The king, whom I had never met before, sat behind his desk, papers spread out before him and a quill in hand. He looked almost pleased as he saw me. Apparently, I hadn’t disappointed.

“William, I presume?” he inquired.

“Just Will, Your Majesty.”

The king smiled and then rose from his chair. He was a very tall and imposing figure, someone you wouldn’t want to anger. It seemed he would crush your head with his hands before letting his guards remove the body.

“I’ve heard many good things about you,” he revealed.

“Yes, I hear I’ve been mentioned to you.”

“Mentioned? No, I’ve heard great stories. Apparently, you were close to Lord Edward’s son, Greg, and there was also a commander you served under. Who was it again?”

“Commander Joseph,” Lord Edward said.

“Ah, yes. Commander Joseph.”

At the mention of that name, my hands tightened at my sides. Joseph had been a terrible commander during the two years I served under him shortly after joining the war. He enjoyed inflicting pain, whether on the enemy or his own men. He had no qualms about sending soldiers into hopeless battles already lost. Witnessing such needless death was horrifying, but miraculously, I had survived one of those battles. However, Joseph had not like that.

“He is a deserter!” Joseph shouted, forcing me to my knees after I had spent several days confined in a tiny cell.

I looked up, meeting his crazed gaze. He still couldn’t fathom how I had managed to cut through the massive horde and survive until they retreated, mistakenly thinking they had won.

“I fought! Like you commanded!” I protested.

“Shut up!” His hand struck my face, snapping my head to the side. “You’re going to lose your head right here, and it will serve as a reminder to everyone!”

I bit back a curse, swallowing my anger. There was no salvation here, and I knew it. I wasn’t the first he had subjected to this brutality, and I wouldn’t be the last. Resigned, I lowered my head, waiting for the blade to fall. Death seemed far easier than continuing to serve a power-hungry man like him.

I heard the scrape of a sword being drawn. But just as I steeled myself for the end, a voice interrupted.

“Another commander is arriving!”

I lifted my head to see a group of riders passing through the open gate. They halted in front of the grim spectacle, and the Commander surveyed the scene with his sharp eyes.

“What’s going on here?” he asked.

“Commander Colton,” Joseph stammered, “just handling a deserter.”

Colton raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking to Joseph. “Really? Because I was sent here to investigate what happened myself. Last I heard, you were ordered not to engage, only to observe.”

Joseph seemed nervous, and I glanced at him. Were those really his orders? Commander Colton turned to me, his eyes scanning my appearance. I knew I was covered in scars and bite marks, barely clothed in my tattered pants, and trembling from the cold.

“Did you fight the entire horde by yourself?” he joked.

“No,” I replied. “I was just the unlucky one who survived.”

The Commander appeared shocked but then burst into laughter, catching me off guard. But it seemed I had earned his favor as he waved his hand and said, “Release him. I want to speak with him alone.”

“B-But...” Joseph stammered, but it was already too late. The chains binding my wrists fell to the ground with a clatter. I was free.

“He... spoke of me?” I asked.

“Yes, he said you were very brave. Commander Colton praised you as well, mentioning your intelligence and strategic skills.”

That snake, I thought. I suspected that Commander Colton had spoken highly of me first, and then Joseph, eager to curry favor with the king, jumped in to share some of the praise. It infuriated me, considering how close he had come to costing me my life.

“I’m alright,” I replied.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Sir Will. I’ve heard too much about you,” the king admitted.

I simply nodded in response.

“I just hope you can manage my daughter as well as you manage a battlefield,” the old king teased.

I hoped so too. I had no clear idea of how to keep the princess safe, especially from herself.

“I do too,” I said.

The king laughed and then walked over to me.

“Ready to meet her?” he inquired.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

“Just a warning: when I told her she would have a personal guard, she was... less than thrilled. She can be quite a handful.”

“I’m certain I can handle her,” I stated confidently.

“We shall see,” the king replied.

He then walked past me, with Lord Edward and me following. We hadn’t gone far before I heard loud yelling and the sound of glass breaking.

“Seems like the princess has been informed of your arrival,” Lord Edward said.

The king nodded and moved toward the doors leading to what I assumed was the princess’s room. As he opened them, he had to duck quickly to avoid a porcelain teacup thrown in his direction.

“I do not need some stupid guard to watch over me!” the princess yelled.

She was addressing a maid who was on her knees, cleaning up shards from another teacup she had thrown.

“Grace,” the king called out.

The princess turned, and I was momentarily taken aback. I had heard she was beautiful, but the rumors had not done her justice. She had long, flowing golden hair and wore a stunning dark green dress with long sleeves, adorned with golden embroidery. Her sweet pink lips and water-blue eyes were truly breathtaking. But despite her beauty, I was determined not to be fooled again. I had been misled once. I would not let it happen again.

“Father!” the princess snarled angrily. “I refuse this arrangement.”

“You cannot refuse. He is already here,” the king said, gesturing toward me.

The princess’s blue eyes locked onto mine, and her angry stare turned to pure hatred, as if she could scare me away with a glance. Little did she know, I had no better place to be. Nothing could frighten me now. I had seen too much.

“I do not want you here!” she retorted, focusing me, before turning back to her father. “Get him out!”

“No,” the king said firmly. “This is for your own good.”

“My own good? You are being so unreasonable!”

“You are the one being unreasonable, Grace. You are behaving like a child!”

“Because you treat me like one!” she yelled. “You make all the decisions for me, including this ridiculous marriage!”

“Grace, my word is final. The wedding will proceed as planned, and Sir Will will be with you everywhere, ensuring your safety.”

“From whom, exactly? From me or some hidden assassin?”

“Grace,” her father sighed, “this is not up for discussion.”

“Nothing ever is,” she mumbled, crossing her arms.

“I will take my leave now, and Will will stay here with you. I suggest you accept this arrangement to make things easier for everyone.”

“I will not,” she stated calmly. “If I must suffer, then so will he. He will be running screaming from here.”

Her words almost made me smile, but I managed to keep a straight face, not wanting to reveal that I found her amusing. I could barely wait to see what she had in store for me.