The Knights of St. Harfeld

6- Apprentice

Napalunok si Fenris nang walang salitang tumalikod ang Grand Knight. Nagbulungan naman ang taga-media. Nag-aalangan yata ang mga ito na ipagpatuloy ang live coverage.

This was a scandal. No woman dared to be a Knight.

Until now.

Bumalik ang Grand Knight sa itaas ng platform at muling tumayo sa tabi ng gintong trono.

"Women are not allowed in the Order," he said. Fenris could hear the strain in his voice. He wasn't pleased.

She swallowed the lump forming in her throat to gather her courage. Nasabi na niya ang wish n'ya, ngayon ay kailangan n'ya namang patunayan na pwede siyang maging apprentice.

"With all due respect, Glorious Grand Knight, but it's not true."

She could hear muffled gasps from the media people. Napansin n'ya rin ang pagiging restless ng mga Knight. Se could see slight movements of their fingertips and hear their labored breathing.

Pero laking gulat n'ya nang malakas na tumawa ang Grand Knight. His laughter echoed in the whole room but he didn't sound amused. It sounded a little forced.

Did she cross the line? Did she anger the most powerful man in the land?

"Courageous. I like that," he said after a full minute of laughing.

Hindi pa rin nawawala ang kaba ng dalaga.

"Why did you say that I'm wrong? Give us proof that you, women, should be allowed in the Order? We know your gender is weaker."

For the first time in Fenris' life, she found that offensive. Dati, tinatanggap n'ya lang kapag sinasabi ng mga lalaki na mas mahina ang mga babae. Their land believed that being a woman meant being a weaker gender. And they accepted it to be a fact. Iyun kasi ang lageng sinasabi ng Grand Knight. Iyun kasi ang itinuturo sa kanila mula pagkabata. Well, her father didn't treat them like he's better. Kaya siguro hindi n'ya masyadong maramdaman ang problemang ito ng bayan dahil sa bahay nila, ramdam niya ang respeto mula sa ama.

Pero ngayon, hindi n'ya 'yun matanggap. Why did she feel rebellious all of a sudden?

"I don't make mistakes," muling sabi ng Grand Knight. "So, please, indulge us. Defend your statement."

She swallowed hard. Kailangang magtagumpay siya. She really wanted this.

"The laws of the Order of the Purple Lily didn't mention, not once, that only men are allowed in the Order. The only requirement was willingness to serve and protect the land."

"But why is there no woman Knight...ever?" she could hear how the Grand Knight was mocking her now. Mocking her gender.

"The first generation of the Order didn't have any woman and the next generations followed. I only have one theory why. Women in the past were in-charge of the home. They were not the defenders, they didn't have any profession. They took care of the family."

She paused so she could gather her thoughts. Ilang oras niyang prinaktis ang speech na 'to pero nagkakabuhul-buhol pa rin ang mga ideya n'ya.

She cleared her throat bago nagpatuloy. "But the world has changed. Women nowadays have more rights. We can have professions, we can get our families promoted to a higher caste, we can be fighters. There is no reason not to give us a chance to protect the land we very much love."

Silence.

Nobody said a word after her speech. Nobody moved. Heck, she wasn't sure if they were still breathing.

This was a big deal. This was a big mess. Kapag na-offend n'ya ang Grand Knight, pwede siyang bitayin.

He, on the other hand, had to think this through. This was televised and millions of Narguillians witnessed how she voiced out an outrageous but fair issue.