She doesn't mean to. She is likely unaware of it. Where would she have even learned it? One of her parents or maybe a handmaiden, perhaps. Regardless, Evalina does not intend on initiating a staring contest, yet we are locked in a heated battle of seeing who will blink first. Years of training since childhood, though not when I was quite as young as she, has prepared me for such a match of wills. My eyes, after a prolonged time, begin to beg for a pardon. Blink, damn you, they curse me. But I will not yield. I will not bend to this toddler, this baby. Those big blue eyes as deep as the ocean and as dazzling as sapphires will not gleam in glorious victory. I will not give in. I will not blink. Not before she blinks. She is but a child, and her determination could and will never be greater than mine.
I blink. Fuck.
"I win!" she exclaims, bouncing in her seat. "I win!"
"Congratulations, little one," I smile at her, envious of her unbridled joy. What I wouldn't give to be that happy.
"Prize!"
She stops bouncing, the glee paused at my raised eyebrow. She goes quiet for a long moment, the delight bleeding out of her with every passing second.
"You want a prize for winning the game?" I ask, not able to take the sight of her fading smile any longer.
"Yes, please," she says, almost sheepish. "Prize, please."
"And what do you want for your prize?"
"I dunno," she shrugs, the hem of her green dress becoming vaguely interesting. She runs her tiny fingers over the white lace; the material reminds me of doilies the Baroness kept on her desk in her office in the Tower of Lost Children.
"Okay," I nod, tucking those memories away. "We'll find you a prize next time we stop."
"Prize!" The joy returns, and so does her toothy grin.
"Sir Rokkoh?" Torvald calls as the carriage comes to a stop once more.
"I'll be right back," I tell the princess, sporting that recurring smile she inspires. She nods, her focus returning to her dress.
Outside, with the carriage door closed, everything seems alright. No one lurks on the road behind or ahead. The boy doesn't look frightened or worried. The enormous horse is calm. Curious, I move to the horse's head, giving it gentle pats along the way. Once there, with my view of the other side of the road no longer blocked by the equestrian behemoth, I find the reason Torvald stopped us.
"It isn't too late in the morning," he postulates. "They're probably still serving breakfast. I hope so, at least. I haven't stopped thinking of that bacon."
Nestled amongst the trees sits a single-level building. Made of a dark wood, its two windows covered by curtains inside, it gives off only a slightly creepy aura. Two small gargoyles, one white and the other black, stand guard at the door. Their hunched frames show off the ridges of their spines. Sinewy arms wrap around the poles of spears, strong yet bony hands holding tight. Their ears are long and pointed, upright and alert. For a moment, I can't help but think they're perked up due to our arrival. Their faces, to my surprise, display joyous smiles like Evalina's. Perhaps these carved stone folk are unlike their bloodthirsty kin. Perhaps this duo, like my own brethren in the Paladin Order, are meant to protect.
"Only one way to find out," I say, heading back to the carriage.
Evalina, to my surprise, waits in the open door. I glance around, looking for potential kidnappers, but we are alone.
"Were you trying to get out?" I ask her, a curious humor on my lips.
"Didn't say I couldn't come," she explains, holding out her arms to me. "Uppy?"
YOU ARE READING
The Rokkoh Adventures
FantasíaFrom growing up as an orphan to becoming a mighty paladin, Rokkoh has gone through many things in his life. He has witnessed magical wonders, the depths of human depravity, and the strength of love throughout trials and time. Follow along in these f...
