CH. 22 - Interlude - A Knight's Perspective

The clip-clopping of the horses' shoes against the road surface and rustling of armor as we left the Baronet's territory filled the otherwise empty air.

Seated opposite me in the carriage, the Duke's daughter constantly shifted in her seat, unable to sit still.

Switching between looking out of the carriage windows to intently look backwards to the town of Caarthite, glancing around the empty carriage space restlessly, before then returning to stare intently back at the town.

"What's wrong miss Arabella? Is there something amiss? Did you leave something behind that we need to return and collect?"

"Grrnnn."

Eyeing me off with a sideways look, she groaned then finally sat still and faced me.

"Is it perhaps the young master Seth that has you constantly setting your attention back that way?"

"W-what! Absolutely not! I was just thinking how nice a town it was given the circumstance, and that it would be nice to visit sometime to experience it properly. Once everything has settled accordingly."

Once everything had been settled…

How could I face the Duke after my epic failure of protecting his daughter? It was the single, most important role I was assigned to. One that I had sworn my life to.

Ever since she had been born, I had been by her side, wherever she went.

My own family were lower nobles, a Barony, and I was the fifth child in a total of eight, as well as the third daughter. As it stood, there was nothing I could expect to gain through the family. The firstborn male after all, is the one who gains the Barony after father and therefore control of the territory with the noble title.

All I had to look forward to was being used as a political tool for marriage. To strengthen ties between other noble families for power and influence with my own.

So, I decided I would forge my own path, and the way I would choose how I lead my own life brought me to the sword.

At first my parents resisted fiercely against my decision. My requests, that eventually became demands as they roadblocked me again and again. Finally, after an argument that was one of so many I had lost count of, they relented and conceded the opportunity to at least train.

After years of training, I finally attended the Knight's Academy in the capital. Against the odds stacked against me and the torment from the other male students constant, I managed to graduate. At the completion of the ceremony and in front of my family, the Duke presented himself, asking if I was interested in serving his household.

At first, I thought he was joking, but very quickly came to understand he was completely serious. I agreed to serve under his house, where I was appointed as the personal protector of miss Arabella, whose birth was due at any moment.

"You could always request his attendance to the manor, if you were so inclined miss. I'm sure your father would not disagree with it, in fact, he would support it, considering what has happened."

"I said it's not about him! Gah! Why must you assume that just because I keep looking in that general direction, it has to do with him!"

Grabbing her blonde drill bits and pulling on them, she glared at me and covered her face with them.

Sure it wasn't.

Rolling my eyes, I too stared out the window back to Caarthite. Since I had been inseparable with miss Arabella for the past years, I was more than familiar with exactly how she reacted and behaved to certain stimuli.

She could be frigidly cool with those she didn't know. Physically turning her back on them and walking away as soon as they presented themselves to her, no matter their standing amongst nobles or other important persons.

This had caused no end of grief for the Duke, who was left apologizing for her rudeness on her behalf to those individuals. The number of scolding's she had been on the receiving end of due to this and other similar incidents from her mother and father were endless.

Although to be fair, the people she refused to engage with were the types of people that were involved in shady business dealings or other distasteful holdings.

Children always seemed to have a sixth sense about the character of people I'd found, it was strange. Almost like they could sense their negative traits or smell them. Or vice versa sense if someone were of a virtuous character.

But she could also be kind and caring for those who were deserving of it, or possessed other virtuous natures.

"Haa…"

Although I was shamed by my defeat and saddened by the loss of my comrades, I was still able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, the Baronet's son had miraculously stumbled across the ordeal. I wasn't much for believing in fate, destiny, or any other such trivial nonsense. But his singular appearance had been a gift from the gods.

"I've thought long and hard about what I should ask father to reward master Seth with, but I can't think of anything."

Having calmed and composed herself somewhat, miss Arabella peeked at me from behind her now ruined curls, seeking my input into the matter.

"Hmm… It's a difficult one. But I am sure whatever you decide to reward him with, it would be sufficient."

"That's not helpful at all Freya! What is it that boys my age want? Whatever it is, it must be directly proportionate to the deed he has wrought for the both of us."

Whining, she flopped herself down onto the bench seat and stared up at the ceiling. For someone who could hold themselves as the perfect lady, even at her young age, she could certainly behave like a child.

Although, I don't think that's fair of me to say, since she is a child. Something I occasionally forget during her more mature moments, where she behaves far beyond her years. Her parents are quite proud of her, and rightly so.

But for the both of us?

Well, if I thought about it, certainly he had also saved my life by sending his sister to collect the towns guard. By holding off that Julius bastard and his trope, buying valuable time and defending miss Arabella, we were both still able to keep breathing and living.

"Boys your age, is it? I don't think I'm qualified to answer that. I was training with the sword the moment I had the strength to carry one. I wouldn't know what to gift a boy your age I'm afraid, miss Arabella."

"Is that really what you were doing? Shouldn't you have been learning noble etiquette so as to debut as a lady in the future?"

"Ha! Perhaps I should have been. Not that being a noble lady held any interest for me. No, I much prefer the way my life has turned out, even if I risk losing it in the process. Being your personal knight has been my greatest treasure."

"You're crazy. Though I appreciate the sentiment."

Smiling a brilliant smile at me, her body visibly relaxed and the tension abandoned her shoulders. Twirling one of her ruined drill bits between her finger and trying to re-curl them was failing. Once undone the curls could not be redone by mere fingers alone.

"By the way, during one of my talks with the Baronet, he advised me that the captain of the towns guard, a person by the name of Stoldt, would be training him in the use of swords and other weapons. It appears he has a habit of getting himself into situations that are less than ideal and the Baronet wishes to at least provide him with some basic skills to protect himself, should such an occasion arise in the near future."

I offered up some information I had learned about the boy's future to miss Arabella, who listened keenly to what I had to say.

Slowly digesting what I had told her, a slow smile spread across her face once again.

"Thank you, Freya, that has given me the perfect idea!"

"H-how so miss?"

Confused, I wasn't sure what reward I had thought of that was mentioned in that information. No, I definitely hadn't mentioned anything that would seem appropriate, or even resembled a reward.

"When I return to father, I know exactly what to ask for! No, demand!"