The archive of the forgotten

The daughter is the favourite son

The sweat drips from my forehead and I try to hide my exhaustion as I hit the sword with my own, the heavy armour pulling me down. I smile as I see a weak point in the blonde knights defence. But when I try to aim there suddenly my sword is laying on the ground and his sword is pointed at my throat.

He smiles kindly and lowers his sword, "Better luck next t.." He cannot finish his sentence when I hear the booming voice of my father. "What are you doing?" He questions as he grabs my arm, it even hurts through the armour, "Do it properly!" "Your majesty, Odelyn has been training for several hours, she must be exhausted she has done it properly for hours. This time she was simply exhausted my lord." Readan says, trying to make my father understand not to be so hard on me. "I do not care Readan! Does she not understand this is not good enough." I stand up and walk towards my father, "Of course I understand" Readan stops me he looks at me with his signature blue eyes, expressing the same don't you dare stare as always. "We will keep training. She'll be just as good as I am, or better." "She's a girl, she won't be." My father says and I feel anger and a punch from Readan in my stomach so I don't say anything. "I promise she will surprise you your majesty." He scoffs and walks away. "Let's go riding for a moment." He says with a smile. "Odelyn, don't get yourself in trouble, whatever your father says is true, he is the king. You should learn to keep your mouth shut, even as a knight you will have to Odelyn." "But you talk back to him." I say with a frown he laughs and looks at me, his freckles almost shining in the sun as he takes off parts of his armour, "Politely."

"Orvyn, I know you're not my squire but will you please get mine and Odelyn's horse." "Of course honourable Readan!" The sixteen year old boy says while  running away, his halflong strawberry blonde curls bouncing up and down. I laugh, I like Orvyn, he is kind and pretty knightly, chivalrous others would say, I am sure he'll become a great knight eventually. He seems very excited to be one, I smile, what dreams all of us have.

Readan and I both mount our horses and start riding. "You know you are not....... you are not obliged to be a knight Odelyn, your father would probably be proud if you'd just be....you." I chuckle and look at Readan. "No readan. My father wishes for a boy, a son, a knight. I need to be his son, his knight, his boy. And even if I cannot be I will forever wish to be the one." He looks at me, studying my green eyes and short curly red hair. "I believe you are proud to be his son, and I believe he is proud you are his daughter." I chuckle and doubt it.

Two years later

I haven't been home for two years, but we emerged victorious so it was worth it. I have protected my country and proven myself as a Knight. I smile as I begin to recognise the roads, nothing really changed. I look beside me, at Readan, and realise something has changed.

Readan's smile had faded, he isn't the same as the one I used to know. The broad scars through his eye, and over his nose have make his sunny and once beautiful face almost frightening. The freckles seem misplaced on his strangely pale face. Instead of his one proud and upright stance he now was slumped, tired, as if he has given up. And still he is more beautiful than any other knights I have met. so much changed, He doesn't laugh the same anymore, his bright laugh has made place for a deep repressed chuckle, as if he hides it. I sigh, I almost feel ashamed for not being cowardly enough to accept defeat that one time. But it did lead to our ultimate victory, sometimes we need to give up our friends, we need to surrender our friends for greatness. I wonder if it was worth it.

"Are you alright?" I ask. He smiles faintly and nods as he stares into the nothingness. I take a deep breath and try my best not to feel the guilt, I wonder if this is worth it. If my father will finally realise who I am, How talented I am and that I am better than any son he could ask for.

We enter the courtyard of the castle when we see that it's incredibly busy. They're preparing for some kind of ceremony. I look at the orange and purple banners and immediately know it is for a knighting ceremony. My heart makes a little jump, will I finally officially be knighted? Could it be? I dismount and look around at the busy people. I smile, "Are you thinking what I am thinking?" I ask Readan, He flashes his old smile for just a second and nods. "I think we are thinking exactely the same."

"Odelyn!" I hear, I don't quite recognise the melodic dark voice. A beautiful boy with long red curls comes up to me. I recognise the green eyes but I don't know from where. I look at the young lad, it is as if I am looking at a male reflection of myself. "I am so happy to hear how you emerged victorious, the stories back here have been absolutely wild. Of course you cannot trust every story but even when half of them are true it is incredible what both of you have done, You do readan." He says with a smile. "Remind me, who did you say you are?" Readan says cynically. The boy looks surprised. "Don't you recognise me? It's me, Orvyn."

Both our mouths are agape as we look at the boy. His armour identical to mine, well, not exaxtely but the gold, the silver and other ceremonial things are all the same, it really feels like looking in the mirror. "Both of you haven't changed a bit!" He says with a smile. "Yeah, as if I would believe that." Readan says sarcasticly. "Come on, let's go to the throne room, the celebration will almost start." Orvyn says. "Melissa will bring you to your seats." he says with a smile while going another way himself.

"Am I wrong or does he look like me?" I asks Readan. "He is basically a  painting, or a reflection, not exactely like you, but you are more alike than different." He says frankly as we ascend the stairs. "Do you really think I am finally good enough?" I ask nervously. "Why wouldn't you be?" He says with a smile. "Right, exactely. Do I look alright?" I say while pacing while he opens the doors. He looks at me and smiles. "You look beautiful." he says with a faint smile.

We sit down in the pews set in the ceremonial room. I can't help but fidget as my father stands up to give his speech before announcing the reason and for whom this ceremony is. I take a deep breath. and look at my father, proud to have him as my father for one of the first times in my life.

"This story does not start a few years ago, no this story starts long ago. Back when my lovely was still alive, we had our first child the most beautiful girl, Odelyn. Who I will always love, but unfortunately my loveliest wife did not make it after an exhausting birth. So there I was, without heir, without son. Alone, with my loveliest girl. But alas, God had a plan for me, he sent an inexhaustable knight, they trained for days, they prayed, they hoped for so much. And really, they deserve a lot." I smile and want to stand up and thank him when he starts talking again.
"I Will forever be grateful for god that he has sent Orvyn to me, the poor orphan needed guidance. And with that guidance he has become a fomidable man, and with that I have accepted him as my son. Orvyn, please step forward."

I look at the reflection of myself when he walks forward, the same ceremonial clothes I have worn for years, the same signet ring, the same king of jewellery. I feel a tear in my eye as my fathers knights the beautiful boy. "From now on you are a knight, and my heir." He says while putting the golden crown I have worked towards all my life on his head. I feel anger, hatred, sadness, no, I feel numb. My father has found me, he had learned to love me, only difference was that this time I was a son.