To Do What Is Right

A foreign princess of different race, stood alone in the tower, no one dare approach her.

A trophy of war for this kingdom, and a symbol of peace for her own, her marriage to this kingdom’s prince was the unification needed to bring about the end of a bloody war. As she neared the looming door, she could hear the roar of the crowd now gathered in the city square, many of whom had lost loved ones in the bitter fighting and wished to see her dead.

As the huge door crashed open, a rush of searing hot air swept past her, almost sending her off her feet as she stepped out towards the spiteful crowd. Taking shelter from the heat and watching from a nearby archway, a knight saw as the crowd grew large and restless. Many of whom had certainly felt the effects of the prolonged war, but non having seen its horrors.

He cared not for anything anymore, the roots of this conflict burning deep into his heart. The only emotions he felt were in the nightmares that haunted his dreams.

As the great door cracked open, the crowd screamed their disgust as the foreign princess stepped out. He looked to see her delicate frame descending from the tower steps into the city square. Her kind had been his enemy for so long, but now he harbored no ill feelings towards them. Seeing that, like he had done before; she was simply serving her people in pursuit of peace. He watched as she struggled with each step. Clearly weakened from her long journey across the continent.

The city guard, now barely able to contain the crowd from pushing past them, did not care as the princess tripped and fell, and the crowd erupted with laughter and applause.

The knight felt a sudden sharp sensation in his heart, knowing such innocent beauty did not deserve this treatment. Before he realized, he had begun pushing his way through the crowd.

“Steady their knight,” a member of the city guard barked drawing the attention of many people in the crowd. As the knight continued forward he was unsure of his own intentions.

Once more the guard ordered, “halt knight, in the name of the king!”

As the knight approached, the guardsmen drew his blade, now in full focus of the bewildered crowds. The knight stepped forth, the guardsmen swung his sword only for the knight to strike him with a thunderous punch, dropping him to the ground.

The knight approached the princess, still unsure of his own actions, as she descended the tower steps. Stunned by her gentle beauty his eyes locked onto hers, shining like blue crystals, he could not think of what to do and continued to move forward. Cries of tyranny rang through his ears from those who saw his actions, yet amid the screams, there was an echo of silence where he walked. As if those around him could not understand why a knight, a servant to the king and protector of the citizens, was abandoning his post. He cared not for the silence, nor the screams.

As her legs gave out from underneath her, she fell to the ground and felt the sharp pain from her delicate skin tearing on the rough stones of the pavement. As she summoned the will to hold back her tears in front of the hostile crowd the princess realized she did not have the strength to rise to her feet. As she tried to force herself onto her numbed legs, a sudden cooling shadow loomed over her, blocking the hot dry sun. She winced, preparing for the painful blow to be dealt to her weakened figure. But it did not come. When she looked up she saw a cold figure looming over her. The knight, whose armour was unlike those of the men who guarded the city, unpolished and heavily battered and worn, simply outstretched his hand and said only two words.

“My lady.”

The princess caught a quick glimpse of his eyes. Shining green like polished emeralds, they were young, and reflected the feeling of sadness, held only through the pain of many lifetimes.

She put her weight onto his arm, and he quickly thrust her to her feet.

Continuing to walk towards the city keep the crowd became more violent, now hurling rotten harvest and stones from the streets. Before a single blow had time to land, the knight had pulled her waist into his and raised his shield to protect from the oncoming barrage. As she looked back to where she had fallen, the princess saw that he had raised his cape to shield her. A cape that, like his armour, was tattered and heavily torn. Scarred from countless battles. Soon realizing that unlike the city guard, his had not been dyed with colour, but rather stained red with blood. Despite this, she felt more at ease, with the knight protecting her, than she had felt since leaving her home.

"Why do you do this?" she asked quietly amid the violent rage surrounding them.

The knight remained silent. Although his eyes turned to her within the slits of his helmet. Eyes which once more reflected only sorrow towards the one in his arms.

The two quickly approached the city keep as the violent crowd closed in on them.

The tall doors of the keep swung open revealing the kingdom’s prince, he betrothed to be there waiting. The knight quickly pushed through the doors to ensure the princesses’ safety. The prince, barely acknowledging the shaken princess, gave a shocked look as he turned to her knight and gave a half bow. “It’s an honour to finally meet you.”

The knight ignored him, turned to the princess, and locked eyes with her once more. “Until you need me my lady.” Turning quickly and drawing his sword, the knight once more descended into the city crowd.

The princess could only watch and lose sight, as the great doors closed, not knowing the fate of her knight, nor even his name.