My Broken Knight

Chapter 7: First Meeting

-William-

A part of me wished I had not come. I wanted that quiet life as I said … and I meant those words, but as I returned home thinking I could sit 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 cleaned from spirits. I just stood there. In front of the home, I had grown up in and known my whole life. I could not enter, no matter what I did … there wasn’t really anything for me there anymore, I realized. Yes, there was the quiet life I wanted, but it was a lonely one I came to see. Now with my father gone, and Vanessa married to another and all my childhood friends grown up with families of their own … I was all alone.

So, I had turned away. I had turned my back to my home and sought towards Catalla. I had shaved, had my hair cut short, bathed and put on some new clothes. I could barely recognize myself, as I looked into the mirror in the room that I had rented in a small inn. I looked younger, more like the Will I had once been. Only my eyes had seemed to keep their age and the darkness. Yes, they would never be the same.

I then left, able to arrive at the castle in Catalla on the last day that I could still give my answer. It was a big stone castle, but it had a certain elegance to it, and it was huge. Beautiful, blue flags with a lion roaring were on each tower, blowing in the wind and showing the majestic royals that lived here. I carried that very same lion on my chest. I had for years, but as I looked at it, I felt a certain hatred or maybe resentment towards it. It might roar into the enemies' faces, but the enemy roared into mine and made me see horrors I could never forget and never describe.

There were guards walking around on the high stone walls, just as I had … that night. They saw me but did nothing but turn their eyes back to the people coming and going into the city the castle was connected to. To them I was a knight. A soldier. I had fought bravely in the north and survived as one of the few against brutal Flesh Eaters. Not everyone could say they had done that … not that I felt any sort of pride thinking about it. These men that I fought, maybe they were called barbarians, but they were still men. I knew that because I had seen them bleed red blood like the rest of us. They might believe in different gods. They might dress differently and speak another language, but they were still men …

I knew not many saw it the way I did, but how could I not see them as people? They fought too for what they believed to be theirs and they did not like outsiders. Were we really so different? Of course, I did not speak such thoughts out loud. That could be called treason after all.

“Welcome, Sir William.”

“Just Will,” I said, as I got down from my horse.

Lord Edward was there waiting on the steps with a few others that I did not remember the names on.

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

I did not answer that. It was not like I had a lot of choices. It was either being lonely while carving wood or being lonely looking after some spoiled little princess, who in return would give me land and title … or her father would. I just had to keep her alive until her wedding. How hard could that be?

“Shall we?” he asked.

I nodded and followed him inside.

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

It was clear he was just making a joke, but I did not laugh. I knew what I had looked like, but for some reason I felt like I recognized the image of the barbarian in the mirror, better than I recognized this person I looked like right now. He reminded me too much of the old Will, and that Will had died long ago.

“In here,” Lord Edward said.

He knocked shortly on a dark wooden door. There was a powerful voice on the other side. Then he opened the door and I followed him inside. We entered a study with dark wooden walls, big windows, books, a desk and chairs. There was even a fireplace. The king, I had never even met before, sat behind his desk, papers in front of him and a quill. He looked almost pleased as he saw me. Apparently, I did not disappoint.

“William, I presume?” he asked.

“Just Will … your majesty.”

He smiled and then got up from his chair. He was a very big and tall man. Not one you wanted to make angry. He would most likely crush your head between his hands, than let his guards do the job.

“I have heard a lot of good things about you,” he said.

“Yes, I hear I have been mentioned to you.”

“Mentioned? No, I have heard great stories. Apparently, you were close to Lord Edward’s son, Greg, and there was a commander too, one you used to follow. Who was it now?”

“Commander Joseph,” Lord Edward said.

“Ah yes, commander Joseph.”

My hands tightened at my sides at the mentioning of that man’s name. He had been a horrible commander I had served under for two years shortly after I had joined the war. He liked to hurt people, whether it was the barbarians or his own, he did not care about, and he certainly did not care to throw some soldiers into a meaningless fight that had already been lost to us. It was awful watching people die like that. Miraculous after being sent into one, I had somehow survived. He believed I had survived because I had deserted and was ready to have me executed, but just at the right moment, another commander had arrived, to learn of what had happened in the battle we had lost. Joseph had told him about how I had deserted and therefore I was to be executed, but the other commander, Colton, an older man and a loyal friend to the king, did not believe it to be the truth. I carried scars and even bite marks a deserter did not get and asked me whether or not Joseph’s story was true. When I said no, Colton had laughed only to ask me to be released and transferred to his group. I had never been more grateful because I would have died under Joseph’s command. Everyone knew you were lucky to even last a year under his rule.

“He … spoke of me?” I asked.

“Yes, he said you were very brave. Commander Colton said it too. Spoke of how smart you were as well. You are a brilliant strategist.”

That snake. I bet commander Colton had spoken first, and then Joseph, to get on the king’s good side, jumped in too to collect some of the praise and honor, speaking well of me. It made me furious when he almost cost me my life.

“I do have a basic understanding,” I told him.

“Do not try to sell yourself short, Sir Will, I have heard too much.”

I didn’t answer that, but just nodded a little.

“I just hope you can handle my daughter as well as you handle war,” the old king teased.

I hoped so too. I had no idea exactly how to keep the princess safe, even from herself.

“I do too.”

That made the king laugh, and he walked over to me.

“Ready to meet her?” he asked.

“Of course, your highness.”

“Just a warning, when I told her she would have a personal guard to watch over her she was … well, less than thrilled. She can be a handful.”

“I am certain I can handle her,” I said.

“We will see.”

He then walked past me, and Lord Edward was right behind him and then me. We didn’t walk very far, before I heard a lot of yelling and the sound of glass breaking.

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

The king nodded before going over to the doors leading inside to what I guessed was the princess’s room. He opened the doors, only to have to duck as a porcelain teacup was thrown in his direction.

“I do not need some stupid guard to watch over me,” she yelled.

I saw she was talking to some poor maid, who was on her knees cleaning up from some other porcelain cup she had thrown as well.

“Grace,” the king called.

The princess turned around, and for a moment I felt myself a bit taken back. I had heard the princess was beautiful, but the rumors had not done her justice. She had long golden hair running down her back and wore a beautiful dark green dress with long sleeves, and had golden crowns embroidered into it. Sweet pink lips and water-blue eyes. She was breathtaking, but that did not matter, because I was certain a beauty did not hide underneath. I had been fooled once. I would not be fooled again.

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

“You cannot. He is already here,” the king said and gestured to me.

The princess's blue eyes went to me and I could see the angry stare just turned hateful, as if she could somehow scare me away with her eyes, but she had no idea, I had no better place to be. So, nothing could scare me. I had seen too much.

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

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

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

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

“Because you treat me as one,” she yelled. “You decide everything for me! Even this stupid marriage!”

“Grace, my word is final. The wedding will happen just like Sir Will, will be with you everywhere you go, making sure you are safe.”

“From whom exactly? Me or some hidden assassin?”

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

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

“Now I will take my leave, and Will will stay here with you. I advise you to accept this, making it easier for all of us.”

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

Her words almost made me smile, but I hid it well, not wanting to show I somehow found her amusing. I could almost not wait to see what she had planned because I knew nothing could scare me anymore.