After a few additional weeks of proper rest, he was starting to feel back to normal again. The healing cloths wrapped around his injured shoulder had mostly done their job. He couldn’t unwrap them just yet but it wouldn’t be long until he could according to Noreko.

Since he was feeling better, he found himself outside in the snowy outdoors. He was covered from head to toe with nice warm gloves on and a nice warm toasty coat that did its best to create a barrier between him and the cold. Unfortunately, today for whatever reason, a terrible wind blew up against him trying to make him regret his decision to leave Rinas’s wonderful mansion.

But he had a task to handle. And it was a task that he had been wanting to do for some time but he needed to focus on getting better first.

He went to make contact with the flame-bearing knight who he had saved multiple times. For the moment, she was being kept in captivity at a hidden location in the city.

When he arrived at the location hidden away in a dark alley, he said the password at the entrance gaining entry from the person at the door. He walked by them and through a long dark hall and found himself eventually in a room lined up with cells. It was far from an ideal sort of location. It was quite grimy and unappealing to the likes of him.

When he reached the far back of this hall, he saw Silvy inside one of the cells without her plate armor on. She was wearing a simple white gown with dirt all over it. Her once well-kept together curly brown hair was unkempt and wild. The fire that burned so bright within her had become fully extinguished judging by how she looked in there.

When she eventually chose to look up at him, her eyes were not possessive of the same fierceness as all other times they had met. They were gentle and even regretful if he interpreted them correctly.

He lifted his hand putting it to his chin. “How’s my favorite knight doing? Sorry, I couldn’t come to visit sooner. I’ve been having to recover as you can imagine after our last encounter with each other.”

“Why,” she simply muttered aloud with lips fit to quiver. “Why is it that you are so desperate to keep me alive?”

He crouched down so they could meet eye to eye on the same level. “Would you believe me if I said I don’t fully understand why myself?”

She shook her head and her shoulders slumped down. She sat up against the wall in a pathetic state. For one of the queen’s knight’s to be in such a situation, must’ve looked disgraceful to themselves. “I’ve tried to wrap my head around it. I can’t understand your reasoning. I’ve threatened your life countless times. I’ve even attempted to kill you several times and yet you have saved me multiple times and even defended me against your very own people. Nothing about you makes sense. You should want me dead.”

“Maybe your right. Most other people likely would. But I struggle to feel that way. I get the impression that you’re an honorable person even if the person you serve isn’t honorable.”

“And what are you suggesting the queen has done that is dishonorable?”

“Are you telling me that you don’t know?” She gave him a questioning look and eventually shook her head. “While you were busy assaulting the slums, your beloved queen assaulted an entire crowd of innocent people just to kill me.”

“Oh,” she simply said. “I-I was not aware of this.”

“She wouldn’t even trust to inform her own most loyal knights of her doings outside of her castle? I find that quite strange.”

Silvy appeared unwilling to respond as her mind dealt with this information. The silence however made him think that she was quite aware of the sinister nature of the one she so devotedly served.

“You’ve seen the queen’s cruelty firsthand before haven’t you?”

She looked up from the ground but didn’t desire to look him straight in the eye.

“There’s no easy way to say this but she is evil. Someone who massacres entire groups of people just to kill one person, cannot be anything other than that.”

“Her majesty, she…she does as she must to save and protect us all.”

“‘To save and protect us all.’ How’s that exactly? How is she protecting us when she’s killing us? That sounds somewhat contradictory to me.” He spoke softly and in a way that wasn’t overly antagonistic. He hoped it helped in some way in communicating his thoughts in a way that wasn’t at all sensitized. She was someone capable of handling this information from what he could tell even if it meant confronting uncomfortable truths.

“She acts in accordance with her greater will which is to secure the city. All that she does is to accomplish that. If in order to fulfill this will of hers means killing a few to save the many, then she will act in that manner. She is not someone who wishes to cause harm to innocent life or to ever be purposely cruel, yet her position necessitates it from time to time.”

“That sounds like something someone says to make it easier for them to sleep at night.”

“Can you not understand why some must suffer so many more won’t?”

“I’m not here to say,” he said. “What I can say is that, that has nothing to do with what she did to me and the rest of the crowd who died or had to witness the slaughter. Her actions Silvy were reckless and not at all necessary. If she wanted me dead, she could’ve apprehended me in a different manner. There was no reason for all of those people to die like that. Your viewpoint might have some validity in this instance if it weren’t for how her actions were completely unnecessary. And are you really going to tell me that the one I loved who was there with me deserved to be taken just like that? One moment she’s there and then the next—” He snapped his finger causing her to jump a little.

“I wasn’t there,” she said. “I also don’t know all of the queen’s motivations or reasons for what happened. I am sorry though about the one you lost. What was her name if I may ask?”

“Her name was Della.”

“Della,” she repeated softly. “I seem to recall her from a certain inn. You have my condolences.” Silvy lowered her gaze as she sat in her cell. She was much different this time around than the bold knight she had shown to him many other times before. “I must admit, my heart is plagued with uncertainty. I have served the queen for many years and I have been witness to her cruel nature numerous times. She’s always had good reasons for it, however, I don’t know whether I truly believe that anymore.”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Kiran stood back up and unwrapped his hands from the cell bars. “We must all choose who we serve and what we believe,” he said and prepared to walk away.

However, he heard her get up as he motioned away.

“Wait,” she muttered aloud.

He turned around noticing her hands wrapped around the metal cell bars. “What are you or they planning to do with me?”

“I don’t know yet.” He began to leave her in the cell leaving her to an unknowing future. He had wanted to speak with her for a while only having to delay it for his recovery. He thought that this person who had been a thorn in his side for a while wouldn’t be so prickly any longer. In fact, she might potentially be of use but time would tell whether that could manifest in any meaningful way.

For now at least, he managed to return to Rinas’s mansion only to be greeted immediately by Reginald who was in his butler outfit. “Master Kiran,” he said preparing to take his long coat for him. “I am here to make a request from you.”

“And what might that be?”

“I need you to follow me.”

Kiran began to follow the young boy who had been there to help him from time to time. It was still strange to him that Rinas would have his own son carry out such duties, but he had his reasons for it.

“If I may ask,” Kiran said while the boy walked ahead of him. “What exactly do you need me for?”

“Father has arranged for an emergency meeting to occur this evening involving the leadership of the coalition. He has requested that you attend along with Lar and Juna. However, such an attendance will require, let’s say, some grooming to be done.”

I’m to be groomed then? His black hair had gotten quite long. It had been overly long for a while only to worsen during his time in recovery. Now was as good a time as ever to do something about it.

When he arrived at his guest bedchamber, Regina was inside pointing a finger towards a chair. “Sit your butt down mister!”

“Sister,” Reginald said flustered. “You can’t just talk to him like that. Father will—”

She puffed out her cheeks and gave Kiran an intense look that would cause the soul in most individuals to flee from their own body. “Just sit already mister. We don’t have all day to make sure your appearance is right for tonight.”

I don’t dare upset this young lady. She has fire in those eyes of hers. I better do what she tells me to do otherwise I might die from her. He sat his butt down on the chair and noticed how Regina was essentially his height when he was sitting down. She wore a black and white maid outfit and began trimming the hairs around his sides and back. He had let it get so long that it fell halfway down him. Begone hair. Maybe one day you shall be long again. For now, I must get familiar with what it is like to have short hair.

Although Reginald and Regina were in fact twins, they didn’t look anything alike particularly because they were the opposite sex. She had brown hair put up in a bun and he had short brown hair but besides the color of their hair, they looked quite different. Their personalities were quite different as well. Reginald was rather nice and his sister less so.

“Here we are,” she said with her hands on her hips.

He had gotten used to having long hair. It was strange having it short for the first time in recent memory. She had done a good job though as she held up a small mirror to his face. She clearly knew how to cut a person’s hair judging by the quality of the cut.

“And who taught you how to cut hair young lady?”

“My mother of course.”

“Well, she taught you well. Thanks. Now, is there anything else I’m supposed to do or can I go?” He wanted to leave and do some other things to keep himself preoccupied but the young girl made a grunt with her mouth and pointed her finger back to the chair.

“Father wants you to appear proper tonight so you must be properly outfitted with something nice to wear as well.”

“How long is this going to take?”

“As long as needed,” she said assuredly.

“Well I can’t imagine doing anything better than spending time being fit into clothes.”

After spending what felt like hours being measured and given numerous clothes to try on along with an assortment of fancy shoes, he found himself wearing an expensive red doublet and red pants. Honestly, he didn’t like the way he looked. It was a bit too regal for his tastes and he much preferred simpler attire to wear. He wasn’t going to spend all day complaining, however. That would just be him wasting even more time.

“Alright mister, now father will be happy as you appear now,” she said somewhat apprehensively.

“I’m happy about that. Now may I go?”

“Actually, it’s time you follow us out of the mansion and prepare to leave via a carriage. You’ll be taken to a special location where the important meeting is taking place.”

“It’s not quite the evening yet. Why leave so early?”

Reginald looked him in the eye. “Other events being held at the location of this meeting will be underway soon. You’re expected to be there for them as well.”

“Wonderful,” he said regretfully that he’d have to set aside whatever other goals he had in mind at accomplishing for today.

She intensified that glare of hers likely noticing his will to do other things. This little girl is a lot scarier than she has any right to be. Don’t worry little miss, I’ll be sure to follow your orders even if you’re supposedly just a maid.

He followed the two twins outside and awaited the carriage. It shortly arrived with the driver hopping off. “Enjoy the ride, sir,” the driver said as he opened the door for him.

Rinas had treated him well and even now he was providing him with a carriage ride of all things. Perhaps it was all to make up for being injured by one of his coalition members that he wasn’t so keen on kicking out. If that was the case, he wasn’t going to complain.

Once he got in the carriage, someone began walking towards it. Lar appeared and urged him to scoot over so that she could join him.

“Aw, look at you. I don’t think I’ve seen you in a dress before until now.” While she wore a white dress, she also wore a nice fancy cloak around her to keep her protected from the cold chilly air.

As she fully sat down in the carriage and the door closed from the driver, she lifted one eyebrow towards him. “Sometimes it would be better if you said nothing at all.”

“Oh come now. I just find it amusing since I’ve never seen you wear one before. You don’t seem much like the type to.”

“Because I’m not.”

Their ride to wherever they were going ended not soon after it began.

“Here you two are,” the driver said.

As they exited the carriage, someone’s arms waved wildly at the front of another mansion. Their sparkling green dress drew the eye towards it and he eventually realized that it was Juna.

“Heya! Over here!” Juna as almost always, was in an excited state. He hadn’t seen her since the tragedy that befell the winter holiday. She was likely not in a position to be in immediate contact with Rinas since he appeared to keep many within the coalition at a distance for his own protection and theirs. Perhaps that was going to change though. Kiran got the feeling that today, he and others would proceed to rise within the coalition.