Knight's Curse

Part 2: Second Chance

Tonga was what one would see as extremely weak at heart. He would very easily start to cry. In the training field, he was often referred to as "cry baby". Which was very different from his partner, Fiji. Nothing seemed to get through to her. It was probably why they were paired together in the first place. There was also another big difference between the two. Tonga was actually an extremely good soldier. Fiji was not.

But he was patient with her and soon she was almost as good as she was cold. The two of them got on the top of their class, ranking the same. This was highly unusual, but Fiji had the right mind and Tonga had the right body. As they climbed the ranks, they were feared by anyone who met them in battle. Despite their difference and constant bickering, they became best friends. However, neither dared say it out loud.

That night had been the first and only time he'd seen Fiji cry. He had been standing by the foot of her bed, having no idea what he should or could do about it. There was a big lump in your stomach and when he opened his mouth to speak, it moved to his throat and threatened to choke him. He took a deep breath and walked back to the chambers he'd soon hear words that would be the best and worst words he'd ever hear in his life. The bed had been stripped of the old sheets and new, clean sheets had taken its place. Janen was still unconscious or she had fallen asleep. Her face was washed and it was back to its normal, pale and pretty color.

Tonga sat down on the chair where the King had been sitting in, just an hour earlier.

Janen was more than his beloved Queen, she was also a dear friend of his. She had often said he was her favorite of the twenty-six royal knights, but for all he knew, she said that to everyone. Still, he was the only one staying in her room that night.

He was also the only one there at 6:27 that morning, when she woke up and pinched his arm. Startled, Tonga jumped up from the chair and looked down at the Queen. She had pushed herself up on her elbows, her face was once again twisted in pain. "T-Tonga!" Queen Janen hissed between her teeth. "I think-" she got stopped by another wave of pain, "-something might be wrong." Her words were now only a whisper, but he heard her more clearly than ever.

Before 7 A.M. the midwife was again swaddling a little lump in white cloth. But this time it was screaming like a lunatic. "Spicy, this one," she said and it was clear in her voice that she was about to cry again, but this time of happiness. "Lungs like her mother. Healthy, too." Tonga felt the Queen squeeze his hand in the absence of the king, glad to know she had not passed out again. He squeezed back. The midwife walked over to them, smiling. She was about to give the swaddle to the mother, but she just shook her head, too tired to speak. They both understood. "It's a baby girl." He just nodded and felt his entire body go numb and the lump was back in his throat and he wouldn't think of anything to say.

"She's all yours, Tonga," he heard Janen say and before he knew it, he was holding the little one in his arms, glad he had taken the most part of his cold, hard armor off. He had to let of Janen's hand, terrified to drop the little princess. Tiny black hair was standing up in every direction and he watched, out of breath, as the tiny girl slowly opened her eyes. They were dark brown and it hit him just how much she looked like her mother. Tonga was only 19 years old and would never be allowed to have children of his own, but at that moment, he realized he had gotten one after all.

~

Her name was to be Ankylo and she was a beautiful little baby. She cried a lot, but Tonga just let her be, just like the nanny had told him to. Although it was hard for the young man. He always wanted to help out when his little princess needed him. Most of the time, the nanny would let him hold the bottle, but except that she did most of the work.

He spent the days sleeping while she took care of the baby and was awake all night to guard it. The room had no windows, but he sat on a chair by the door, watching. One had to go through the nanny's room to enter the baby's room and once the nanny was no longer needed Tonga would move out of the bunk he'd shared with Fiji for five and a half years, and move in there. He did feel sorry for her, but he had to do his job. Princess Ankylo was his first priority.