Chapter 5
After the Harvest Festival, we returned to our daily routine, where I spent my days training and telling stories, and without realizing it, a year passed. I turned fourteen, and Ciri turned eleven.
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"AIDEN, RUN AND TAKE CIRILLA."
"GRANDMOTHER, NO!"
The queen's eyes settled on me, a moment of fragile softness crossing her gaze, despite the firmness in her words.
"Aiden," she murmured, her voice tinged with restrained sadness, "this is an order."
I felt the weight of her decision, and, struggling to hold back my own tears, I grabbed Ciri and fled into the woods. Her heart-wrenching cries echoed behind me, pleading for me to turn back, to save the queen. But I knew I couldn't disobey. She had entrusted us with this mission, and deep down, I sensed there was no turning back.
As I ran, my heart pounding and my mind in turmoil, the sounds of pursuit grew closer, their voices rising in the darkness:
"They're over there! Catch them!"
Soldiers were hot on our trail, and despite my efforts to push forward, a crushing, inexplicable fatigue washed over me. It was as if every step drained my strength, slowing my movements. Yet my senses were oddly sharp; I could hear every rustle of leaves, feel presences behind us, every movement around me setting off a new alarm.
Just as one of the soldiers raised his sword to strike, a figure appeared, as silent as shadow itself. The man dispatched the soldiers with chilling ease, a deadly stream of efficiency. Then, he turned to me, and I was frozen by his gaze: golden eyes, slit like a cat's, piercing and inhuman.
Without a word, he raised his hand in a mysterious gesture. Before I understood what he was doing, the entire world plunged into darkness.
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"Ahah!" I bolted upright, heart pounding, sweat trickling down my forehead. My breathing was ragged, as if I'd truly been running to escape those soldiers.
"These dreams are becoming far too frequent," I muttered, troubled.
At first, they were just blurry images, shadows, and the feeling of fleeing from something unseen. But over time, the visions became sharper, clearer, as if they were showing me a future I couldn't escape. A kind of clairvoyance, a window into coming events, drew me night after night into scenes that felt hauntingly real.
"I hope I'm wrong..."
I took a deep breath and went over to the basin of water that the servants had prepared for me. Lately, I had carved out a place for myself at the palace; the queen had bestowed on me the title of Knight Protector of the Princess, a position almost as honorable as that of a baron.
As I dipped my hands into the cool water, my reflection caught my attention. My hair, once black, was now almost entirely white. This change, slow but relentless, intrigued me more each day. Where was it coming from? Was it truly magic, or was something darker, more powerful, slowly altering my body?
I ran a hand through my hair and noted another unsettling detail. My eyes, once both a deep blue, had changed. One of them was now a vivid green, gleaming in the morning light like an echo of those strange dreams. Even more troubling, my reflexes seemed heightened. Sometimes, I sensed movements before they even happened. Like the time a vase fell off a windowsill; my hand caught it before I even realized what I was doing.
"I'll never get used to this," I murmured, stepping away from the basin and letting my blurred reflection fade in the water.
Of course, these changes hadn't gone unnoticed. Ciri, more worried than ever, had begged her mother to summon a doctor. I remembered that consultation as if it were yesterday.
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"Your Majesty, I see no problem with Aiden," declared the old doctor, bowing respectfully.
"That's impossible! Look at him; he's changed," insisted Ciri, her voice full of fear, her eyes darting back and forth between my face and the doctor's.
The doctor gave her a reassuring smile. "Your Highness, I assure you he is not ill." Then, turning to me with a look of curiosity, he added, "However, I believe his body may be adapting to magic. It's only a hypothesis, of course, but these signs could be proof."
The queen nodded, concerned. "Thank you, you may go." The doctor bowed and quietly left the room.
She left us alone, but before stepping out, she paused in the doorway, watching the bond between Ciri and me. A gentle smile touched her lips as she saw us talking before she disappeared down the corridor.
"Aiden, are you sure you're okay?" Ciri asked, her voice nearly trembling, as if she feared losing me.
I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Of course, Princess. Don't worry. Do you remember my promise? I told you I'd protect you, no matter what."
She nodded and, without warning, wrapped her arms around me, her small frame clinging to me with surprising strength. "But... promise me you won't do anything dangerous, okay? I don't want you to disappear."
I felt her grip tighten, and I held her gently in return. Her words revealed her worry, and I wanted so badly to promise that nothing could separate us. She looked up at me, her eyes glistening with tears.
"I don't want anything to change, Aiden. I want it to stay like this... forever."
I nodded, moved by her words. "Don't worry, Princess. Remember our promise."
She gave me a faint smile, a spark of trust in her gaze.
"Yes... I remember," she whispered before saying louder, "From today onward, you and I will always be together until the end of time. And even if the world turns against us, we will stay strong."
I finished the phrase with her, my voice filled with the same determination: "If hardship and suffering should come, we will bear it together."
Together, we spoke the final words, an echo of our promise: "Simul usque ad finem."
Our voices rose like a solemn whisper, and I felt our bond tighten, almost tangible. We burst into laughter, as if this lighthearted moment could shield us from whatever lay ahead.
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Thinking back to that moment, a smile appeared on my face.
"This promise... I'll never regret making it."
I left my room, ready to wake the princess.
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"Your Majesty, is it time?" a servant asked.
"You're right. It's time to conquer the North. Tell the armies to prepare."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The servant bowed and left the office, where a man stood, gazing thoughtfully over the capital.
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Names, memories, promises—all powerful elements that forge our world. This promise, sealed between two souls, appeared in a place invisible to all eyes, where two cords, one black and one white, intertwined more and more. They pulsed with an almost living energy, like a shared heartbeat. Every word, every memory seemed to strengthen them, twisting together, unbreakable, ready to face the trials of destiny, united forever.
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(We're finally starting to get to the heart of the story. Some might find this build-up lengthy, but I believe it's a necessary step for character, setting, and relationship development. Thank you for reading!)