Page 17 of A Kingdom's Heart
I turned my eyes back to the gate, though my thoughts lingered on his words. The thought of the princess did not interest me much. I had never seen her, only heard whispers about her beauty, her defiance, her father’s wrath. Every knight had his own version of her story, passed around like a warning or a prayer.
But I had already seen someone far more beautiful. Someone real.
The memory came unbidden: the soft fall of pale hair, the clear blue of her eyes, the quiet strength in her voice. For a moment, the courtyard around me faded. The noise of clashing steel and shouting men softened, replaced by my own thoughts.
I drew a slow breath and looked away from the castle towers.
Some things were better left in memory.
—
The hours passed slowly. The sun sank behind the towers, and the courtyard emptied until only a few guards remained at their posts. The torches along the wall flickered to life, their flames bending in the cool wind.
Eric stretched his arms and yawned. “Finally. Shift’s over. Time to rest before I start snoring on my feet.”
I nodded. “You go ahead. I’ll be there in a moment.
He gave me a knowing grin. “Suit yourself. The barracks are through the west corridor. I’ll save you a bed before the good ones are gone.”
“Go,” I said quietly.
He laughed as he walked off. “Don’t get lost, Sir Stoneface.”
When he was gone, I looked up at the castle. Its towers reached high into the night, dark against the faint glow of the moon. It felt strange being inside its walls after years of only seeing it from a distance.
I leaned my spear against the gate and began to unfasten the straps of my chestplate. The armor came loose with a dull scrape, heavy in my hands. I set it down beside me and rolled my shoulders. The air was cool against my tunic, and I breathed in deeply. For the first time that day, the weight on my chest eased a little.
I should have gone to the barracks then. Instead, I found myself
walking along the outer path, drawn by curiosity. The night was still, and I wanted to see more of the castle’s edges, the parts where the noise did not reach.
The path led toward the trees that bordered the training fields. The wind rustled through the leaves, soft at first, then sharper, like whispers slipping between the branches.
I slowed.
The quiet here was different. Too still. The kind of stillness that
listens back.
A prickle ran down my neck. My hand went instinctively to the hilt at my side.
I turned my head, scanning the dark. The moonlight spilled across the path, pale and clean, but the shadows beneath the trees were thick, shifting.
Nothing. Only the creak of wood and the distant sound of water somewhere beyond the walls.
I exhaled, started forward again.
A single step. Then another.
The strike came fast.
A flash of movement, then a deep, tearing pain across my shoulder blade. The shock stole my breath. I stumbled forward, gripping the wound as a voice hissed behind me.
“Told you this wasn’t over.”
I spun around, teeth clenched. The moonlight caught the edge of
a blade and the sneer of a familiar face. The men from the theatre. The one in front lunged again, but this time I was ready. I drew my sword in a single motion and met his attack with a clash of steel. The force rattled through my arm, but I pushed forward, slamming my shoulder into his chest. He hit the ground hard.
