Chapter sixteen:Reflections of the Past

**RAYAN'S POV**

Whenever I spend more than an hour with that royal, I act absurd. My fingers unconsciously find their way to the spot between my eyes. At least I left her; otherwise, our encounter would have ended badly. Emotions show vulnerability, vulnerability shows weakness, and weakness is exploited.

"Emotions show vulnerability, vulnerability shows weakness, and weakness is exploited," I remind myself again. Tonight, the girl can sleep on her own, for both our sakes. I let my head rest on the tree I was leaning on, allowing weariness to drag me into a deep slumber.

**LITTLE RAYAN'S POV**

I sat on my bed, joined by my older sister, Sarah. The room was bathed in the warm glow of the rising sun, casting a golden hue across everything. She looked a lot like mom, with both of them having blonde hair and deep blue eyes. To be honest, I was always envious of her eyes, as they reminded me of the clear blue sky. However, Sarah had this weird obsession with my hair. Every day, she'd treat me like one of her dolls, infuriating me with her endless braiding, combing, and trying out weird hairstyles. She would even claim that she's mom's favorite, but I knew mother said she doesn't have any favorites.

My hair had never been cut since birth, reaching my back now, causing other kids to call me a girl. But mother assured me that I looked a lot like father, with my eyes as grey as his. I think our hair is silver in color; Sarah once said it reflects the sunlight. Despite her annoying habits, she is also my best friend. I still remember the time Peter, the son of mother's friend, bullied me, making me bow down with my face to the floor. Sarah came to my rescue and gave him two black eyes.

Right now, Sarah is treating me like a doll again, combing my hair. The gentle rays of the sun streamed through the curtains, illuminating her face with a soft radiance. "You have really long hair, princess," she said teasingly.

I hate that word, but I don't say anything. And, secretly, I must admit that I sort of like it when she combs my hair. It's our little bonding time before she lets me go out to play.

Father, a tall man with big muscles from his daily work, has silver hair and grey eyes, with thick eyebrows. People often say he's the most handsome man in the entire region, though I'm not entirely sure what handsome means. He's a merchant, selling fabrics and crops, which he spends most of his time planting. I believe he's the strongest man in the world; I once saw him pulling a bull.

Mother had golden blonde hair, deep blue eyes, a beautiful smile, and a pretty laugh. Sarah looks a lot like her, and she always takes advantage of that, claiming to be mom's favorite.

"Ray, Ray, it's lunchtime! Mother is calling you, and while you're outside, go and call father," Sarah shouted from the doorway.

I put aside my makeshift sword and shield and ran to the market where father usually is. He closed his shop and walked me back home.

"Father, is your work fun?" I asked as we were walking. The town's lively atmosphere surrounded us, as merchants called out their goods and children played in the streets.

"Well, it's not fun, but it does put food on the table. Why? Do you want to be like father when you grow up?" he said, playfully ruffling my hair. Thankfully, Sarah had tied it into a ponytail, so there was no chance for father to ruin it.

"No, I want to be a knight when I grow up. I'll carry a big sword and make a lot of money so that you, mother, and Sarah will never have to work ever again," I said, filled with determination.

My father stopped walking, and for a moment, I thought he was mad at me. But then, a smile I had never seen before spread across his face.

"Then you'll be the greatest knight who ever lived," father said proudly, making me blush a little. In a swift motion, he grabbed my wrists and spun me around until I was on his back, with my arms around his neck and legs around his waist.

"Every great knight always travels by chariots and horses. What do you think of your horse, Sir Ray?" he said playfully.

"I don't know; is it fast?" I asked with excitement.

My father took that as a challenge and started running as fast as he could, and I grabbed onto him tightly. In just a few minutes, we were back home, with my father panting from the exhilarating race. Mother was waiting at the door for my father, as she always did, with a smile on her face.

"You two look like you're having fun," mother said. The sweet aroma of a home-cooked meal filled the air, making my stomach growl with anticipation.

"Oh, come on, dear, don't tell me you're jealous," father teased, his eyes twinkling with playfulness.

"Why would I be jealous?" mother replied, trying to sound serious, but her voice held a hint of playfulness.

"I guess it's not you on my back," father said, playfully crouching down in front of her.

"You're a moron," mother laughed before grabbing a fistful of father's hair and pulling him up.

"Ow! Hair, hair, hair," my father chanted, and we all burst into laughter as we entered our loving home together. The cozy interior greeted us, a warm fireplace crackling in the corner. At that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of belonging and contentment, cherishing the precious moments we shared as a family.

"Dear, do you know what Rayan told me?" my father said as we sat down for the delicious lunch prepared by my mother.

"Now, how would I know what he told you?" mother asked, a playful smirk dancing on her lips.

Sarah couldn't resist joining in on the fun and discreetly stepped on my foot underneath the table, trying to contain her laughter. I picked up the fork from the table and discreetly poked her with it at her leg. She didn't jump up, but she did glare at me.

"Our Ray here wants to be a knight when he grows up," father said.

Mother and Sarah's gaze quickly shifted to me; I got embarrassed and I cast my eyes downward.

"Well, when you become a knight, promise that you'll always visit us," mother said with the same smile father had.

"And also, since you'll be a knight and knights are supposed to protect the kingdom, you'll always protect us first, right?" Sarah added. I didn't know if she was making fun of me or not, but...

"Always," I said.

**RAYAN'S POV**

"Always," I found myself whispering before the morning sun burned through my eyelids, waking me up from my dream. Or was it a memory? I don't know but it feels like a memory anyway this is better than that dream.

I did a few light exercises to shake the sleep from me and went in the direction where I had left off the royal. The birds had also started their morning songs. I found a nearby stream, and I took off my mask and my clothes off and took a bath. After my bath, I refilled our water skins with fresh water. I went back to where our camp was, the royal girl was sitting with her head in her arms. Judging from her sitting position, she hadn't moved an inch after my outburst. I was getting ready to pour her entire water skin on her head, but I think that memory made me soft. I lightly tapped her shoulder, and she quickly bolted her head from her arms.

Her hands found their way to her hair, and she was surprised to see that her hair was dry, but my focus was on her eyes. She had dark circles forming beneath her eyes; she didn't sleep well last night. The stag carcass was still on the last burning embers of the campfire. I took out the stag from the fire and cut it into enough portable pieces.

"I didn't sleep here so I think it's right for you to clear up the camp," I said.

"okay," was all she said. I left her to pack everything and clear the campsite it didn't take her long and we continued our journey.