The Crimson Queen

4. Knighted

A knight had told her that they'd have to find somewhere to stay for the rest of the night, as they wouldn't be able to make it back to her home before dark.

The moment she let go of her brother and got up was the moment she'd broken. All she felt was emptiness and her mind was blank. Alice turned to Theodore, who could see her lifeless eyes, as they stared at him though the helmet. They were face to face, but she didn't know who he was and in that moment she didn't care. But she had a task for him.

"What is your name?" Her voice was hoarse from screaming and crying.

To Theodores surprise she was speaking to him. "Dorn, your highness," he answered, adjusting his voice to sound deeper, than it was.

She held out her hand. "Your sword." Her redend eyes looked up at him with sorrow. He contemplated on what she was going to do but he had told himself to do what she wished no matter what it was. He owed her this.

He gave her his blood soaked sword. "Kneel." She said, and he did. Anyone else would have feared for their lives in this situation but Theodore didn't.

He trusted her.

She placed the sword flat on his shoulder, letting blood drip onto his armor. "I, Princess Alice of Lyria, herby dub you Sir Dorn, to my personal knight." She spoke, as she lifted the sword once more and placed it on his left shoulder.

This wasn't a game for Theodore.

"Do you accept?"

"Yes." He spoke as she lifted the sword of his shoulder and he looked up at her. A wind rushed passed them making Alice's hair flow around her face.

"Stand." She commanded as she gave him back his sword. He held it with both hands placed the tip into the rubble and swore, "I, Sir Dorn hereby swear to keep you, Princess Alice of Lyria safe and unharmed, even if it means to give up my own life."

She nodded at him and the winds seemed to play along as it made her cloak and hair spin playfully in such a serious situation.

From this moment on things changed. He was now Dorn. And he was now her knight. He'd accepted and sworn and he wasn't lying. He'd lay his life on the line for her, if need be. In case he'd be asked what his name was he had already thought of Dorn. It should have been the name of his second brother. He was born in between Jaxon and himself, but was stillborn. In honor of his dead brother and his plans on changing his ways he'd decided this name was worthy.

Picking up the bag of coins, which was still laying on the path, Theodores grip tightened as he thought of what had happened all because of money. He bound it to his belt.

The five of them got back on their way. The Prince's body was wrapped up in his cloak and bound to one of the horses. A proper burial would be appropriate.

On their ride to the next village the sun began to set, painting the sky red and yellow, resembling a fire. And what a fire it was. Alice's world has broken and right now the skies seemed to reflect that.

The ride to the next village didn't take long and they soon arrived. Alice hadn't felt anything as silent tears kept rolling down her cheeks. She looked back at her brothers body which was hanging over the back of a horse always holen that he'd start moving again.

She'd hoped that all of this was a cruel joke or dream.

They decided to knock on a small farmers hut on the outskirts, trying to avoid attracting the whole villages attention.

A small middle aged woman opened the door and stared at the knights and noble before her. Panicked she closed the door on them. The knight who'd handed Alice the napkin was named Emeric who knocked once more.

The whole situation seemed to simply go past the young Princess as her deceased brothers last words seemed to  replay in her head over and over. „Don't go back to him."

Emeric tried explaining with a loud voice, „Please open the door, we don't mean any harm!" he knocked again.

„We just need a place to stay for the night!" he argued, but no one answered the door. Just as they turned to go ask someone else the door cracked open slightly and the husband of the woman who'd answered cautiously looked outside.

"Are you Walzenorian or Lyrian?" He asked nervously.

Theodore wasnt sure that they'd crossed the boarders to Lyria already so he decided to tell them the truth, and the man took a good look at each and every one of them before opening the door back up. His frightened wife stood behind him and shot her husband a questioning look. "We only need to stay the night, we'll be gone as soon as the sun has set." Emeric tried to convince them.

The couple hesitated but finally nodded in agreement. Theodore helped Alice get off of her horse and the wife of the hospitable farmer, seemed to sense Alice's mental state quickly. She brought the young woman into a small chamber, with a bed, to get some rest.

Emeric had decided to take the first shift guarding in front of the door to the princess's room. The moment Alice had  spread herself onto the bed, was the very moment she'd fallen asleep.

Theodore had stayed downstairs in the simple kitchen area, watching the couple, who offered him something to eat. His fellow knights had gone to rest, watching the horses, along with the princess's belongings and the corpse of the young prince.

Theodore declined their meal but asked for a cup of wine, if they had one. Soon he'd gotten a wooden cup full of cheap wine and in the first time since they'd left he'd taken of his helmet. These people weren't poor but they were nowhere near nobles or higher class farmers, which he concluded made it impossible for them to recognize him.

It was a different story with his fellow knights but they weren't here.

"Are you folks crossing the boarders?" The farmer asked as he'd taken a seat across from Theodore with his own cup of wine.

"Yes." Theodore spoke, not wanting to talk and taking a swig. It was of horrible quality and he couldn't help but pull a grimace.

Ignoring this, the nosy farmer spoke further, "I don't mean to be rude, but that's a horrible idea."

This got Theodore listening.