My Broken Knight

Chapter 9: Tricked

-William-

She was exactly as I had expected—spoiled and under the impression she could dictate the terms. But I had been hired by the king, not the princess herself, so her little attitude didn’t really bother me. My job was to watch over her and keep her safe, though it was clear she was determined to make that difficult for me.

I worried about the kind of trouble she might get into and how it could drag me along with her, but I was bound by duty to protect her, not to rule over her. If she wanted to visit a friend, I had to follow, even if I didn’t like her incessant questions.

Clearly, her mission was to annoy me in every way possible. So I kept my answers brief yet sufficient to satisfy her curiosity. Still, I had to admit it was somewhat amusing to watch her actually believe she could rid herself of me.

“I expect you can ride,” she said, swinging her leg over the side of the horse’s back.

I stood in front of the majestic white stallion she was mounted on, holding his reins to be sure.

“Of course,” I replied.

She tugged the reins, making me release them, and then she flashed me a cruel smile.

“Good. See if you can catch me.”

I stared at her in confusion for a moment before she spurred the horse into a fast gallop, darting out of the stables before I even had a chance to prepare my own mount. I quickly understood her true intentions and cursed the little princess under my breath for tricking me like this.

“My horse!”

The black stallion I rode had been brought here when I arrived, but his saddle and reins had not yet been adjusted. I quickly mounted him, grabbed the reins tightly, and urged him to follow the princess, who had already gotten a considerable head start.

“Come on!”

I galloped out of the stables and plunged into the market, where the princess had left a chaotic trail. People scrambled to pick themselves off the ground, having been knocked over in their attempts to escape from the wild princess.

I followed her trail out of the city and into a dark, dense forest. My heart began to race with worry. Damn that princess, I thought, glancing at the ground for fresh hoofprints. She wasn’t just being reckless—she knew how to make men chase her.

“Princess!”

I had just rounded a sharp corner when I finally glimpsed the flutter of her hair and dress in the wind. I was closing the gap, but she merely turned her head to glance over her shoulder, a smile playing on her lips.

“Come on!” I urged my horse.

He quickened his pace, but hers was just as swift. She seemed determined to keep ahead, skillfully navigating sharp turns and narrow paths. I didn’t like it. Something deep inside me felt that this chase might not end well. Just as I finished that thought, I saw it—her horse was spooked by something on the ground.

Her horse reared, and she lost her grip, screaming as she tumbled down the hill. I urged my own horse even harder, racing to reach her. Without a second thought, I dismounted and followed her down the hill, though my descent was much more controlled. While she had rolled and bounced the whole way, I managed to slide down, maintaining my balance.

“Princess!” I called out.

She finally came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, but she lay motionless. My heart sank. Great, my first day, and I might already have a dead princess on my hands. She was lying on her side when I reached her, and I quickly ran over, flipping her onto her back and brushing her blond hair away from her face.

“Princess. Princess Grace!”

She didn’t respond. No, no, no, this was not good. This was very bad. What could I even say to the king? “Sorry, your daughter died on my first day of guarding her.” I would end up buried alongside her! Had I known just how stubborn and wild this girl was, I might have reconsidered the job.

“Your Highness!”

I shook her repeatedly, but she remained unresponsive. Frustrated, I rubbed my face before leaning closer to check her breathing. This couldn’t be happening.

“Boo!” She suddenly screamed into my ear, and I recoiled in shock to see her laughing. What in the world? I realized then that she had been faking it all along. The princess rolled around in laughter.

“You should have seen yourself,” she laughed.

I said nothing as my anger seethed within me. I wanted to shake her and make her understand how serious this situation was. It wasn’t a joke. My head was on the line here, and I wanted it firmly attached to my neck, not separated.

“Had enough yet?” she asked as I stood up from the ground.

I brushed the dirt off my hands and clothes, remaining silent.

“I told you I wouldn’t make it easy for you.”

I kept quiet, though it was clear she knew she had succeeded in irritating me with her little trick.

“Get up,” I ordered.

“This is how it will be,” she continued. “If you stay, I will torment you. I will be your worst nightmare. So just... go home.”

I struggled to maintain my composure as she taunted me. I closed my eyes and silently counted to ten before turning away and beginning the climb up the steep hill.

“Hey!”

I didn’t look back to see if she was following. I really didn’t care. At that moment, I was ready to leave... but where could I go? I had no home to return to. That was why I had accepted this frustrating assignment.

“Hey! Knight. I mean... Eh, Sir Will!”

I sighed and stopped, even though I had already climbed some of the way up.

“What is it, Your Highness?” I inquired, without turning to face her.

“My ankle,” she groaned.

I turned around at her almost painful tone and saw her still sitting on the ground, her face contorted in discomfort. But I refused to fall for her act a second time.

“Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?” I inquired before turning away.

“I’m not trying to trick you!”

“Her highness says, right after tricking me.”

“Please, I’m really in pain!”

“Don’t worry,” I said. “Darkness will come soon, and so will the wolves. I’m sure you’ll be able to walk soon enough.”

“Sir Will!” she cried more desperately this time, and I truly heard the desperation in her voice.

I looked back at her, noticing the sweat forming on her forehead, her glassy eyes, and the tears beginning to well up. I walked back down and crouched in front of her.

“May I take a look, Your Highness?” I asked as gently as I could.

She hesitated at first but then nodded and removed her hands. I knew I shouldn’t really be touching her, but this was an emergency—or at least I needed to confirm it was. As I lifted part of her dress to examine her ankle, I saw she hadn’t been lying. It was already bruised and beginning to swell. I groaned tiredly and glanced over my shoulder at the steep hill we had to climb... and she clearly couldn’t walk.

“What are we going to do?” she asked quietly.

I looked back at her and sighed. “Get on my back.”

“What?”

“On my back. Now.”

She stared at me, looking confused, but I turned my back to her and waited. After a moment, she wrapped her arms around my neck, and I lifted her off the ground. She instinctively wrapped her legs around my waist, and I began walking toward the base of the hill.

“Can you really climb all the way up there with me on your back?” she inquired.

I glanced at the hill again. I wasn’t certain if I could manage it, but I had no choice.

“We’ll see,” I said before starting the climb.