Adventures of the Lightborn Squad

Chapter 3: Knightess' Resolve

It's next morning when Silvanna decides that she really desperately needs a bath.

It's been Lord-knows-how-long since she last had the chance. Being dragged around half-conscious didn't exactly afford her any opportunity to take a bath.

While she was as desperate to get back to the Imperial Sanctuary as Granger was to finish his mission, she was just as desperate to feel clean again.

But of course, when she voices it out to Granger, he flatly tells her that they don't have the time.

"Look at my hair," Silvanna complains. Granger looks away. "I'll be quick. I'll just take a dip in the river, then we'll be on our way."

"Fine," he groans. "We have to stock up some supplies anyway. I'll go down to that village nearby."

Grabbing her makeshift lance, Silvanna makes her way down to the river. The water glistens off rocks, almost as though to invite her in.

She checks the perimeter to make sure she's alone. Then, quickly, she divests her body of her pants and shoes. She keeps the oversized shirt on for modesty, thinking that she could swap it out with another shirt when she comes out. Sinking into the water, she can already feel the tension on her shoulders melting a little.

Fortunately, Silvanna is used to roughing it up and sleeping on the hard ground, despite her royal status. Since she was eighteen, she had joined the Knights Order to become an Imperial Knightess. There, they had truly tested her mettle with tough training and missions. To everyone's surprise (and her satisfaction), she handled everything they threw at her without complaint. A spoilt princess, they did not see.

After all, she was determined to prove herself. Ever since she was a child, she had been dutifully by her mother's side, thinking that she could serve her empire that way. Years passed before she realized she wanted to serve her empire by protecting it. She wanted to be strong, like one of the Imperial Knights she admired. She wanted to protect her people, in the way she could not protect her... her own brother...

Silvanna shook herself out of these thoughts before her brain relieved these treacherous guilty memories again.

She's glad that this weird push-pull relationship with Granger is starting to ease off. Last night, she had awoken to realize that her fellow companion was obviously in the midst of a nightmare. Granger had been shifting and murmuring out loud, a look of pain on his face.

Torn between trying to wake him up and ignoring the still-awkward stranger, her compassion won out in the end, and she prodded his shoulder till he jerked awake. They had stared at each other for three seconds, before Granger looked away. He never mentioned anything after that.

But clean up this morning was a lot more relaxed between the two, as they traded quiet jokes and basked in a lighter atmosphere.

Silvanna shakes the water out of her hair and climbs out of the river disappointedly. Hopefully they'd make camp near another river or lake later tonight so she could look forward to a bath again tomorrow.

Now dressed, she got back to the camp, as she saw Granger's figure disappearing towards the nearby village.

***

Wizard boots, Granger thinks to himself, why can't I find wizard boots anymore?

The coins jingle jauntily in his pocket as he considers his options. Never mind, he thought, I'll just get Magic shoes then.

Satisfied, he turns around, which is when he catches a glimpse of a large poster on the wall opposite.

His eyes widen as he suddenly notices a familiar face staring up at him from the yellowed paper.

Granger studies the poster, before he rips it off the wall. Emma had a lot to explain.

***

"Isn't it funny?" Silvanna heard Granger walk up from behind her, "How you look exactly like the Princess Silvanna?"

Silvanna whipped around, and her eyes went straight to the yellow poster Granger had in his hand. Her face stared back at her, a photo of one of her royal portraits.

MISSING PRINCESS, the headline screams at her. HAVE YOU SEEN HER?

Oh Lord, Silvanna thinks, as she glances back up to Granger's mad face.

***

"I was protecting a princess all this time, and I didn't know it." he snapped. "I had the right to know, and I would have kept a closer eye on you!"

"How would that have changed anything?" she tries to protest.

"Protecting a girl and protecting a member of royalty are two different things!" Granger runs a hand through his hair, messing it up.

"I'm not just a princess, I'm an Imperial Knightess too," Silvanna raises her chin defiantly, trying not to look at the scar on Granger's left eye. "I'm trained to fight and protect myself too."

"Oh forgive me, Your Highness," he snaps, and she flinches at how sarcastically he mentions her title, "but I didn't forget you were kidnapped which means people were out for your blood!"

Silvanna looks down as she breathes out heavily, massaging her temple.

"Look, you're right. I should have been honest with you. You should have been clear on the dangers involved."

"But the mission has not changed," she tried to reason. "It's still important for me to get back to the Imperial Sanctuary, and when I do get back, you will be rewarded for your efforts."

Granger pinches the bridge of his nose as he contemplates. The situation has changed too much for his liking.

"Let's make this quick."

***

"I'm sorry I fooled you," Silvanna says eventually as they sat side-by-side on the carriage. They've travelled the whole day but exchanged no words with each other.

It was like whatever camaraderie they had going on was lost, and Granger had withdrawn even more into himself.

Now it's nearly dusk and almost time to make camp. She tries to explain, so hopefully they can make up and it would be much less awkward.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" he asks.

"Of course." Silvanna says. "Once I wasn't travelling alone with just you, a stranger whom I've known for all of two days, by the way."

"I am a stranger," he concedes. "So why me? You can just find an Imperial Knight in the next town and you can get back."

"I wish it was that easy," Silvanna sighs. She gazes up for a moment.

"I don't know who was behind my kidnapping. There'll only be very few people I can trust when I get back to the Imperial Sanctuary. That's who I'm aiming to get to so we can get to the bottom of this mess."

She glanced at him. "And I thought I would be much safer if I was just a noble girl in your eyes than if you knew I was the princess. I didn't want you planning something else against me either."

Granger acknowledges her words with a nod, and doesn't speak again.

***