My Broken Knight

Chapter 6: An Offer

-William-

I didn’t know a heart could break like this. I had felt pain before. I had lost people and witnessed too many deaths, but my heart had never felt like this—so utterly broken and hurt. Vanessa’s words echoed in my mind:

“No, you don’t, and I don’t love you. I never did. Now you need to leave. Goodbye, Will.”

I had always seen Vanessa as sweet, gentle, and caring, not... not a... monster. How could she speak to me like that? How could she claim she didn’t love me when I remembered her promising to wait for me? She had lied. She had lied to me and then shattered my heart after seven years of waiting, fighting for her, and staring death in the face. Being rejected by someone I once adored felt like a betrayal deeper than words could express.

“…I got a better offer.”

An offer. So that’s all I was—a mere option to be discarded when something better came along. My hands tightened around the cup, and it protested under my harsh grip. I just couldn’t make sense of any of it.

For three days, I had been holed up in this tavern, drinking to numb my mind. I refused to feel anything because if I allowed myself to, I would shatter. I had fought for so long, dreaming of Vanessa and what awaited me when I came home. Now, the only reason I had for wielding my sword was taken from me by the very person I had promised myself to. It was incomprehensible, but I made myself a vow: I would never love again!

Never again would I let another woman steal my heart only to crush it beneath her heel. Love didn’t exist—only convenient offers that could be cast aside when something better came along.

“Pathetic,” I mumbled to myself.

That was what I had been—a lovesick fool, just as Greg had called me. I had truly believed she loved me and would wait for me, but now I saw how foolish I had been. Yes, love was a lie...

“Sir William?” I looked up to see a man I found familiar but couldn’t quite place. Or maybe it was just that the world was spinning slightly.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“You don’t remember me? I was the commander you spoke to before you returned home. My name is Edward. You knew my son, Greg.”

As I squinted to focus better, I saw the resemblance. The man was older, but he looked like my friend. They both had dark hair, his streaked with gray, sharp features, an upturned nose, and the same light green eyes.

“I knew Greg,” I said, my voice a bit slurred.

“Yes, I know you did. He spoke highly of you in our letters.”

Edward took a seat in front of me, dressed in high-quality lord’s attire.

“And I’m a good friend of the king.”

“Yes, you mentioned that, but I don’t see what that has to do with why you’re here,” I retorted, taking another drink.

Edward smiled kindly as he watched me.

“Something bothering you, William?” he inquired.

I laughed, setting my cup down.

“Something bothering me?” I laughed again. “Yes, something bothers me. I fought for seven years to return home to a woman I believed loved me. Her memory kept me going, made me defy death over and over. And when I finally returned, not only did I find my father dead a week before my arrival, but I also discovered that the woman I loved wasn’t who I thought she was—she had married someone else. So, yes, Lord Edward, you could say something is bothering me!”

“I understand. I spoke to Tom, the physician from your hometown. He mentioned you might not be in the best condition.”

“Why were you even looking for me?” I inquired, irritated. I just wanted to be left in peace so I could drink.

“I have an offer for you.”

“Sorry, I’m waiting for a better one.”

“What?” he inquired, looking confused.

I rolled my eyes. Of course, he didn’t understand—he hadn’t heard my conversation with Vanessa. I took another drink, ignoring him.

“William,” he said finally, “it’s an offer from the king.”

“The king?” I asked, sitting up slightly.

He nodded.

“What does the king want with me?”

“Do you not remember that he has heard of your bravery?” Edward reminded me.

I narrowed my eyes at him and pointed a finger, even though he was a lord. At this point, I had nothing to lose.

“I’m not going to fight another war for him,” I growled. “I’m done.”

“It’s not war,” he said. “It’s protection.”

“What?”

“My son, Greg,” he clarified with a pained expression. “After the war in Seeka, he was supposed to return home and become the princess’s personal guard, to watch over her. But we didn’t anticipate that she would need watching because she’s a danger to herself.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Princess Grace was very upset upon learning of her engagement to King Hector. She’s been behaving dangerously. Her father is now more determined than ever to find the right man to guard her.”

“So, you want me to babysit her?”

“No, protect her. Even from herself.”

“What exactly did she do?” I questioned, leaning in closer, intrigued.

The man just smiled.

“William, we believe you’re the right person for this task,” he said.

I laughed. How did they come to that conclusion?

“My son thought you were special too,” Edward continued. “You only need to stay until she’s married. After that, the king will reward you with land and a title so you can retire and live a quiet life. You’ll be rewarded beyond your expectations.”

It sounded too good to be true, and I pointed that out. But he just shook his head, insisting that it was very important to the king that she stayed safe until the engagement.

“You’re marrying her to an old man?” I inquired.

I knew King Hector’s sons had died in the war. I had fought alongside two of them and witnessed their deaths—one was even eaten right there on the battlefield. It was something I would never forget. Their father had to be at least in his fifties, and they were marrying a young twenty-one-year-old princess to him. I almost felt bad for her... almost. If I wasn’t so numb, I might have felt something.

“She is marrying a king,” Edward informed me calmly. “She can do no better than that.”

“Funny,” I mumbled.

Vanessa had said something similar—just another proof that love didn’t exist.

“William, this is an offer of a lifetime. You protect the princess, and you will be well rewarded. Then, you can retire as a lord yourself.”

“The king will make me a lord?”

“Yes. You deserve it. You deserve it all.”

I leaned back, crossing my arms and feeling my muscles flex as I considered the offer. A lord, he said. The thought almost made me smile cruelly. With that title and the land, I could return and show Vanessa what she had missed out on.

I felt a dark satisfaction at the idea. I wanted to teach her a lesson, but protecting a spoiled princess? No, that wasn’t how I wanted to spend my time. I longed to return and become a carpenter like my father. I wanted a quiet life now, not later.

“William, don’t you see all that you stand to gain?”

“My father warned me about going,” I finally said.

He stared at me, looking puzzled.

“He told me about the horrors that awaited. About the men who would scream and die for a glory that didn’t exist. I learned that quickly as I stared into the Flesh Eaters’ eyes. I saw the horror and realized that glory was a lie. When I returned, I intended to become a carpenter so I could live a quiet life like my father. That’s all I wanted. Nothing more.”

“You’re lying to yourself,” he accused. “I see it in your eyes. You’re still seeking something.”

I shook my head, but he continued without letting me speak.

“Look around you, William. Your father isn’t here. The woman you loved has married another. You’re home, but you feel like a stranger. The king is making you a generous offer. I advise you to accept it because you’re a man who will never be fulfilled by the life of a carpenter, no matter how much you believe otherwise. Something drove you to serve the king, and it wasn’t the desire to cut wood. Take the offer, son. You won’t get a better one.”

Edward stood and said, “Come to Catalla in three days, or the offer will go to someone else. Make the right decision.”

He turned and walked away, leaving me to my thoughts. He is wrong, I told myself as I reached for my drink. The life of a carpenter would be enough...