Prologue: Beginning of the Beginning
I’M the Princess. My kingdom is gone. Father and Mother are dead. I didn’t see their bodies. But I know, because the giant hole in the middle of my chest says so. It whispers, “You’re the only one left.”
We had so many knights, servants, and friends, and now all of them... Everyone, everybody, is gone. Only two are left. One is Captain Rob. His name’s actually Robert, but he goes by Rob for short, so they call him Captain Rob. I do too. Everybody does.
Everybody…did.
He was with me ever since I was a baby. He’s kind, strong, big, and I love him.
The other knight is…umm…what’s his name again?
“How’s it look, Gideon? Where’s the enemy at?”
“Not good. They’re pretty close.”
That’s right—Gideon. They call him the Thorn Knight. He’s a blunt, gruff old man with mean eyes and a scruffy beard. He’s wearing black shoes, black pants, a black shirt, black tunic, black gloves, a black hat, and a black cloak. Everything he’s got on is dark-black. His hair and beard are also dappled with black. If only his eyes were black too…
I don’t like his eyes. They barely have any color to them at all. Are they gray? Steel-blue? If I use my imagination a little and think of them as aquamarine, I might like them a bit more.
“Hey, knock it off, Princess! You can’t stomp around like that!”
His favorite words are don’t, no, stop, and some other way of telling me off. Honestly, I can’t stand him. I puff out my cheeks and quiet my steps, sulking. If Captain Rob didn’t pat me on the head I would’ve stomped on Gideon! That would’ve showed him!
Now would be the ultimate chance for attacking him. After all, Thorn Knight has been lazily spread out with his ear pressed against the ground and his eyes closed for some time. I wonder what he’s doing. I take a peek and his eyes snap open!
Oh, he’s looking at me.
I knew it—I can’t handle his grayish eyes. I’m pretty positive this person doesn’t like dealing with me either.
“…!”
See! He quickly looked away from me! Now he’s sluggishly pushing himself to his feet and swatting the dirt off his clothes. He stinks of dirt—I mean, obviously, but still.
Unlike the castle gardens, the dirt here’s damp. It’s very heavy and smells like a bunch of things are mixed in. Stinks of muddy water. And smelly weeds. Nasty smells come up from the dirt and scratch roughly inside my nose. It’s a weird scent that’s a strange mix of random smells. I can’t recognize it.
We’re in the middle of a wasteland. Everything is different, from the sights to the smells, nothing is familiar. This is the first time I’ve been this far away from the castle.
“This is it, Rob. I can’t go any farther with you.”
“Let’s hear why.”
Aw, another’s gonna leave us. Just like all the other knights.
The flat ground goes on forever. There’s nothing around as far as I can see. Sometimes there are tangled branches poking out of a tree’s husk. Other than that, I see rough patches of dry weeds, dirt, pebbles, and that’s it. I’m sure we can be spotted from faraway right now. I mean, we stick out like sore thumbs. Two adults, two giant horses, and one me. We can try to squat down on the ground as much as we want, but we still won’t look like weeds or trees or rocks. We can’t even hide behind them.
There’s just one hope.
A black forest spreads out where the dried-up wasteland meets the sky full of gray clouds. You must never, ever enter that place. It’s where our world and the spirit world intermingle. The person who taught me that is no longer around.
I’m glad it’s Captain Rob staying behind with me. I’m just a tad bit relieved.
“Rain’s fallin’ soon,” Gideon warns.
“Must be a sure thing for you to say so.”
“It’ll be a strong downpour. Visibility will suck. Take this chance to get Princess outta ‘ere.”
“What’ll you do?” Rob pointedly questions.
“You know what.” Gideon smirks. His white teeth shine through his lips that are turned up like a crescent moon.
I knew it! He’s…scary.
“I’m gonna ambush ‘em first.”
Captain Rob stares at Gideon’s face long and hard. He does this every time. Maybe Captain Rob wants to memorize what they look like before they go away. His eyes are just as soft as Mother’s when she looked at me.
“No, Gideon. That’s my role.”
“What? Wait. Hold your horses, Rob.”
Captain Rob doesn’t say anything.
“Robert! Captain ROB!” Gideon’s yelling.
Gideon goes stiff. I can’t move either. What? What’s going on? Don’t tell me…Captain Rob…is going away too? It’s a joke, right? I misheard them. See, Gideon looks confused too. He’s blinking like his eyelids are broken. He’s staring at the ground pressing his hand against his forehead. Then he jerks his face up.
“What…did ya just say?”
“I’ll stay behind. You go on ahead with Princess, Gideon Thorn.”
NO WAY!!
“Don’t be ridiculous. C’mon, however you look at our situation, this is where I get to die a glorious death, yeah? Take a hint, Robert!”
Captain Rob is quiet. Smiling. His smile’s so bright it crushes me.
Gideon yells again, “You take Princess!”
But he just shakes his head.
There’s no way out now. A large hand rests on Gideon’s shoulder. This is reality.
“You’ve got the most strength and greatest skill with a sword. That’s what you need to survive this. Teach our princess that stubbornness—that’s my final request.”
“…! That’s not fair!”
“I’m sorry.”
Everything after that felt like I was stuck in a dream. A sad dream I never want to remember.
Captain Rob’s warm arms wrap around me in a hug.
“Princess, Gideon is my most trustworthy knight. I am certain he will protect you till the end.”
“Don’t go…” I say, “Don’t leave me, C-Captain...Rob!”
“This is farewell, my princess. Please grow up happy and healthy.”
No. I don’t want this. I don’t want to say goodbye. I don’t want to let go. I don’t want to lose anyone else! Not now, not ever! But I am the Princess. I’m royalty. So I nod and see him off. What other choice do I have?
“I pray you have good fortune on the battlefield, Sir Robert,” I say, like Mother taught me.
“You honor me, Princess.” Captain Rob takes my hand and kisses the tips of my fingers. “This is goodbye, Gideon. If luck is on my side, I hope we meet again.”
“Don’t die, Robert.”
Captain Rob and Gideon pat each other on the shoulder, then Captain Rob mounts his horse and gallops away.
What should I do? I wanna cry.
“…Come here, Princess.”
“Eek!”
Rough hands covered by black gloves drag me up in the air. It’s not nice, like being picked up or held! Then he slams me down on the big saddle, like a sack of potatoes! The saddle is sturdy and smooth, but has no decorations.
“Hang on tight. Don’t worry yourself, this horse’s well-behaved. Far more than I’ll ever be.”
His horse really is well-behaved. It didn’t flinch, just accepted me suddenly on its back.
Its body is as large as a boulder. Four thick legs like logs support us. Its yellow hair sorta reminds me of buttercup flowers. Someone’s carefully brushed its fur and taken perfect care of its hooves and leather harness. If only this man took care of himself at least one percent of how well he cares for his horse! Maybe then he’d be a little more tolerable!
Thump! A huge body mounts the horse behind me. His black cloak spreads out like dark wings and wraps around me. I hate admitting it, but it’s warm.
“Let’s go, Princess.”
“Whenever you are ready, Thorn Knight Gideon,” I say politely.
The horse neighs and the body below me slightly shakes. Then the yellow horse takes off in a full gallop. Cold winds whip past us. But they don’t sting. It’s not dry.
I can hear the sound of water coming closer and closer. Or is that the sound of tiny animals running in a giant herd? A single raindrop splatters on my face. Instantly, the sound of a downpour surrounds us and we’re swallowed by a curtain of water.
“Rain…”
It really came.
“Yeah, it’s rain.”
✦ ✦ ✦
BEFORE them is a black forest. Their horse gallops on. With each rhythmic beat of its hooves hitting the ground, a merciless truth is carved into the princess’ young heart. Reverfeat Kingdom fell in a single night. If they glance behind them, all they will see is the enemy’s flag soaring over the castle. Flying on the banner is the coat of arms of Lord Siegfried, the king’s cousin and a man possessed by his ambitions. Crows swarm the skies, merrily pecking at the bounty of dead flesh strewn about the green lawns.
Under hot pursuit, Princess Lala and her black knight have no choice but to advance on…on to the forest, where their world and the spirit world intermingle; a place held in legend and mythology where only demons and beasts call home.
It was on this day that Thorn Knight Gideon became Princess Lala Lilia’s last knight.