Reddit Stories 2019

The Brave Knight

"Are you ready, Sir Bearington?" Susie asked her silent companion, knowing the knight would never respond. He took a vow of silence when she turned five, as a sign of respect for the lost. Susie swore Princess Tigerpants was still out somewhere in the land of The Old Home, but Sir Bearington knew the truth and so the old bear stayed quiet.

There were many important reasons for this quest. Above them all was restoring his voice.

From the edge of her domain, Susie gazed out at the land below. There were many dangers between her and the Temple of Kitch. The Glitter Kingdom was safe on the plateau atop Mount Staircase. The other kingdoms respected the Mom Treaty, enforced under the magic of the moon and stars and, of course, Mom. But in the daylight, with the treaty guardian far away, there was no peace.

Mom spent more time away since the schism that lost Princess Tigerpants and much of her army. And sometimes, when she ventured back to The Old Home under the binding agreement of the two greats, Susie rescued those members of the army she could find. Even after two years, the princess remained lost.

"We have to do it," Susie responded to Sir Bearington's unvoiced protest. His vacant stare and stitched mouth were hard to read to outsiders, but after years of questing together, Susie learned to read his stoic gaze. "Without the guardian, there is limited time to commit crimes. Once she returns, we must once again follow the treaty."

Susie spoke with the noble-sounding language she heard from the venomous gang that occasionally frequented the Underneath, although butchering it with the lisp. Her lisp earned her the name Toothy, a close approximation to how she said her own name, but that was something Susie did not usually talk about. Especially not when the gang was nearby.

They did let her watch them share their stories, though.

Today, though, it was only their leader, regent of one of the principalities under Mom. He was always around, no matter what. Jonathan sat below, creating a bridge with his body between the couch and coffee table. She could go around the bridge, but then she would risk blocking the gift of the fae and incurring Jonathan's wrath. He used their magic box to interact with foreign worlds, often through violence.

Violence that sometimes seeped into the kingdoms of 7 Roxbury Lane.

"Sir Bearington," she started, raising the teddy knight to her shoulders as she walked toward the edge of Mount Staircase. "The journey will be long and difficult. But with you at my side, nothing can go wrong."

With that rousing speech, Susie began her quest, slowly taking the stairs one step at a time. The mountain was not dangerous, but caution was still important. The moment she let her guard down, one of the Glitter Kingdom's many enemies would strike. She had yet to see the Night Queen, but Susie saw through the gate of her kingdom. There was darkness, but no queen.

She was somewhere in the lands below.

At the landing, Susie and Sir Bearington tried to prepare for the next, most dangerous part of their quest. Jonathan was an imposing force, even without the backup of his dice-wielding gang, and he somehow managed to take up the entire of the Treaty Room. At least, that's what it was called when Mom was around.

Susie ducked low. The cave formed by Jonathan's legs were treacherous, but if she was lucky, he wouldn't notice.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Susie froze in fear. She'd been spotted and now all that was left was for her to face her fate. She slowly counted the seconds to her inevitable demise.

But a comforting furry paw held her hand. Susie turned to Sir Bearington, her eyes full of tears. "You can't."

"Get out of here," Jonathan commanded.