The King of Northon

Part 1 - Inside The City Walls

It was an Autumn night, it was dark outside, dogs were barking, people were singing and the streets were crowded with civilians enjoying life with their friends and family in the city of Northon. There were laughs of joy in every corner of the city but in one of the castle’s chambers, The King sat lonely.

King Reeve II was preparing a strategy plan for his troops, which were to go for a bloody war across the country. With an enemy that no man had ever defeated, The King had no chances. He turned his head and looked through the window, lost in thought. Suddenly a guard came in with a letter in hand and gave it to The King. As he started reading it, he got up in distress. He walked slowly by the fireplace, reading the contents of the letter. Soon he dropped onto his chair in front of the flaming fire. At that same moment, his son - Junior Reeve William - came in.

“Father! You should come and celebrate this splendid night with us!” He exclaimed with a bright smile on his face.

“Oh William, I am in no mood to celebrate, I’d rather burn down this bloody castle!” The King said with fury as he stood up from his chair quickly.

“It’s the war, isn’t it Father?” William asked with concern.

“You know I was able to defeat King Jarin the Great and conquer almost all of Europe, but this enemy, this enemy is different.” The King said, looking down in sadness.

“I can’t defeat him nor bribe him.” he said as he turned towards the fire burning in front of him.

“Father, you know we can defeat this enemy somehow. I mean you’re the greatest knight this Kingdom has ever seen and he’s a shadow racing throughout Europe, taking everything in his path.” William pointed out.

“No one can break shadows, William, not even the greatest knight.” The King said, drinking his sorrow away with some wine. William lowered his gaze, suddenly feeling hopeless.

“We must celebrate our life while we can.” The King said as he stood up with the glass of wine in his hand. William followed his father’s movements with his eyes.

Suddenly the door opened and Cuthbert came into the room.

Cuthbert stood straight facing the two royals.

“Your Majesty, it’s time,” he said gently. William looked at his father with confusion.

“It’s time for what?” He asked softly, looking into his father’s eyes.

“Ah, yes, of course. Today I’m going to check on my subjects. I do this every couple of years as I care about them.” Responded The King calmly.

“I see Father. Do you want me to accompany you?” William asked calmly, walking up to him.

“No son, go enjoy your youth. It doesn’t last forever!” The King exclaimed with a broad smile. William smiled and helped him with his coat. As soon as his father left the room with the general, his smile dropped in great concern.

In the streets, the people were going crazy. They were laughing, having bar fights, eating, and singing. The King put his hood on and stepped out of the carriage.

“Good luck sir, remember there are guards around every corner. If you need them.” Before Cuthbert could continue, The King interrupted him.

“Knight, I do this every now and again, I'll be fine.” The King said with a calming voice, looking at the soldier.

“These streets are not the same as they used to be, Sir.” Cuthbert responded calmly yet with a tone of concern for his Majesty.

“See you soon, Knight.” The King said with a soft smile before turning around. As soon as he started walking, his smile faded slowly.

As The King walked he didn't look very happy with how his civilians treated each other. As he walked through alleys directing to the city center, the streets got more and more muddy and dirty. He could smell death roaming through them. Suddenly he heard a woman scream. He quickly ran towards the sound and saw a man holding a woman tightly by the arm. The woman was struggling to get out of his grip. The King acted quickly and noticed two guards coming from another alley. He swiftly alerted them about the situation and they quickly took action by the orders of his Majesty. As soon as they arrested the man, The King decided to keep on walking.

He made his way through the city at a slow pace, looking at everything around him. He couldn’t believe what this city had become. The walls were filthy and the streets were full of rats and diseases. “What happened to the beautiful city I once knew,” He thought. “How could I have neglected my city for it to become so dark? Has it been so long?” Lost in thought he reached the darkest and most dangerous part of the city - the Black Area.

Along the way he found a tavern and sat down on a block of hay outside to rest. He continued to look around and observe the dark streets in front of him. As he was observing his surroundings closely, a tall man with a sword tucked onto his belt, along with a group of friends came up to the man.

“Well look what the cat brought in, an old rat.” Said the tall man rudely.

“I mean no trouble.” The King replied with a calm tone.

“Too late for that old rat.” Suddenly he took The King, threw him on the floor and started kicking him together with his friends.

They all had a mischievous smile on their faces except the man who was getting beaten. The King had a bitter face on, covering his face with his hands. People started gathering around them, no one bothered to stop the cruelty of the men. Instead, everyone around watched and laughed. Before they could do any more harm, a young woman stepped in.

The woman looked like a warrior. From the first glimpse it was known that she wasn’t a normal silly young girl. She looked strong and confident, like a hero.

“Hey! Neale! Why don’t you cut it out.” The woman shouted. Everyone turned to face her. She started walking towards the men with a serious expression and everyone made way for her.

“You mean the rat?” He answered, pointing at his Majesty.

“Run along, Neale. Come on, no need for trouble.” She made a quick movement with her head pointing to the right. The men stepped away from The King as everyone around them slowly walked away.

“I only listen to you because you’re my little sister.” He said as he rubbed his shoulder against her walking the opposite direction.

“I’m not your sister.” She exclaimed as she turned her head towards Neale.

She went up to The King and reached out her hand to him. The man looked at her with admiration.

“You okay, old man?,” She asked with a soft tone.

“Sorry for him, he doesn’t like people, in general.” She explained helping him up as the man grabbed her hand.

“Oh yes, thank you very much, miss. I don’t know how to thank you.” Replied The King.

“By not walking around this area, these people are very dangerous.” She pointed out. The King looked at her closely and the first thing that caught his eye was the sword tucked on her waist.

“You should be careful with that young lady, that sword could be dangerous to use for a lady as yourself.” He pointed at her sword.

“If I didn't know how to use it, I wouldn’t have it.” She said with confidence and a slight smile.

“Anyways, let me accompany you out of this area, you don’t wanna cause any more trouble, believe me.” She said as she showed him the way.

They started walking slowly towards the square town of the city where criminals and thugs from the Black Area wouldn’t harm The King.

“So you know how to use a sword. How skillful and strong of you.” He remarked, with a royal air, as he was The King.

“Well, many people say I was born to wield a sword. They even say I am a great leader.” She said with an air of a great leader, which she was, yet mocking her own words.

“Which you seem to doubt.” The King replied in an instant.

“Yeah, I mean a woman, a leader? Not today.” She replied, being sexist to herself. She was a very complex person.

“I have contact with The King and maybe I can talk with him and make you a ….” Before The King could continue, he was interrupted by another group of guys who stepped in their way.

They seemed to have a problem with them like the previous group. The woman crossed her arms in annoyance and looked at the men with a frown.

“Step out of the way, Favian.” The woman said with no hesitation in her tone.

“Helping rats again, I see.” Favian replied, looking at The King and ignoring her. She rolled her eyes as if she had heard that more than once before.

“What are you doing with this old rat anyways, you should be drinking with your group.” He replied with an angry look on his face, trying to order her around.

“I’m taking this old man back home, so beat it or I’ll make you.” She threatened as she untangled her arms.

“I’m not moving until I…” Before he could finish, the woman took some kind of powder from a small bag tucked to her belt and blew it into his face.

“Ahhh, my eyes! They burn!” Favian shouted in agony, rubbing them frantically.

“Shoo. Unless you want to end up like him.” The woman exclaimed at the rest of the guys frowning.

The men took Favian and left the two alone. The woman silently released a sigh of relief. They continued their way towards the square town.

The King looked confused as well as surprised by her actions. He’s never seen a woman so brave to confront a bunch of dangerous men. He was astonished by her actions, it reminded him of his wife.

“What did you blow at him?” The King questioned.

“Just some spices, but don’t worry old man, he’ll be alright.” She replied with assurance in her tone.

They soon got to the square town and stopped by the tree in the middle of it. They turned to face each other. She looked confident as if she had done these kinds of things many times before. The King looked tired and very curious, he wondered who she was and how she became such a brave and nice young woman.

“Well, this is where I leave you, old man.” She said with a slight smile.

“Oh, thank you again. I never got your name though.” The King put his hand on his chin, expecting a name to be spoken by her.

“Everyone calls me Ai.” She replied with confidence.

“I see, well it was very nice meeting you Ai.” He replied, reaching his hand for a shake.

“You too sir, and take my advice - don’t come back here unless you want to get beaten to death.” She advised him as she grabbed his hand and shook it.

“I understand, thank you again. Could I ask you one more question Ai?” He asked.

“Go ahead.” Ai said, bowing her head.

“Why were you so nice to me?” The King asked with curiosity because after all, he imagined she lived in the Black Area, the most dangerous part of town where criminals live and citizens gamble.

“I respect every living creature, as long as they respect me back too.” She answered sincerely.

The King nodded with an understanding expression on his face. He walked away lost in thought as Ai looked at his back. She soon turned around and went back to The Tavern.

The next morning, the birds were singing, flowers were blooming and the people were mostly wasted after that night’s party, as always. Ai was helping around cleaning and organizing the morning’s market by picking up some fruit that laid on the floor when Gavin - the boss of the Black Area - came up to her with an annoyed expression on his face.

“I heard you helped an old rat get out of here. Again.” He emphasised the last word as Ai got up to face him.

“You know I do the opposite of what you tell me to do. And besides we should respect old men, they know more than we will ever know.” She replied as she took a basket of apples from the ground.

“This is my area, my rules. And you better respect them cause I can get you thrown out in no time.” He replied, threatening the young lady. She raised her brows in disbelief but suddenly Gavin punched the basket of apples with fire in his eyes.

“Really who would throw me out? Everyone fears me, including you.” She pointed out. At this point Gavin got so angry that he drew out his sword. At the sight of his actions, Ai swiftly did the same.

People around started to gather up and scream “Fight, fight, fight.”. Ai looked at Gavin with a serious expression, not necessarily with an angry one. The whole action was interrupted by two royal guards who came into the square town on horses, pushing people to the side.

They stopped in front of Ai and Gavin. Both were forced to withdraw their swords back to their scabbards. They turned to the two guards on their horses.

“His Majesty wishes for your presence in the castle.” One of the guards said.

“Well, at least I am known, in comparison to you.” Gavin said, giving an air of selfishness with a proud tone, trying to show off to the public.

“Sir, we are actually talking to the girl.” Said the other guard. Gavin had a blank expression on his face. He didn’t expect that to happen.

“I’m so sorry Gavin but you will have to excuse me. His Majesty requests me.” She said with an air of glory as she walked away from the square town. Gavin froze and got all red out of anger. He started shouting at everyone around blaming them for his embarrassment.

A few moments later Ai arrived at the castle. She walked through the doors leading to the throne room. There she met The King who she recognized right away as she smiled at the floor. The King approached her with greetings.

“Welcome to the castle, Ai. I’m sure you remember me, seen by the expression on your face.” Said The King.

“Hi, old man. Why did you call me in?” Ai replied, curious for the reason.

“I was thinking about you all night,” He said casually and Ai raised her brows in surprise.

“I talked to many witnesses who say that you even defeated your own boss, Gavin, in a fight once, which is quite fascinating. So I was wondering, if you are as good as they claim you to be, then could you help me out.” The King said as he sat back down on his throne.

“Well, I’m sure there is someone better than me, old man. I’m not the one, look for someone else.” As she was about to turn around and walk away, The King spoke up.

“Very well, as you wish, but I would like to see your skills. If that’s not a problem.”

“I really need to get going, sir.” She replied with impatience in her tone. The King ignored her words and turned his head to introduce Cuthbert.

“I introduce you the greatest knight and the leader of my army, Cuthbert Waye.” Cuthbert came into the throne room wearing a great polished, silvery-like armor.

“Look, I don’t have time for this. I got more people to protect from those nasty thugs.” She said, trying to make an excuse.

“Fight him and I will bother you no longer.” Said The King calmly, convincing the young woman.

“Fine, let's get this over with.” She said as she drew out her sword without hesitation.

The day was warm and sunny. It was a good day for a battle. The first time she saw Cuthbert he was sweating in that big metal cage. She had an advantage - the heat of the day. As she held her sword with both her hands, she felt her heart beat faster. As she observed Cuthbert getting ready by taking a sword from his squire, people in the castle shouted "You can do it, sir! Show her who's the boss!" As the battle began, everyone was backing Cuthbert but no one backing Ai. She wanted to show them what she was capable of.

Ai's eyes filled with determination and she took her stance. Cuthbert advanced towards Ai and attacked her. Ai deflected the attack and stayed in the same position. The man struck hard again and Ai dodged the hit. The warrior bashed once more with even more fury than before. He attacked but missed as she sloped to the left. She soon got cornered with a table.

She took a tray and used it as a shield. Ai tried to avoid the strike of the sword as much as she could, while Cuthbert was just trying to defeat her. As good as the knight was at fighting, Ai was at strategy planning. She used his strength and anger to her advantage. Ai used her speed to escape from the dead end. Quickly, she used the pommel of her sword to hit the man’s knee. At this point, Cuthbert was all sweaty and tired as he fell to the ground. Ai took the stance once more and he got up. Before the man could strike once more, Ai kicked the knight and he fell to the floor. As Cuthbert was trying to get up the idea of victory crossed Ai's mind. Ai could feel the weight of his armor as he stumbled.

“Strike me!” He yelled. Ai tried to strike at him but the sword was a little heavy and did not cooperate with her.

The knight pushed her to the floor and her sword went sliding through the floor. Ai took a pot and threw it at the man. While he was rubbing the soil off his face Ai went and grabbed her sword. Ai Swiftly took the tablecloth and threw it over the warrior in the armor. He dropped his sword as he tried to get out. Ai kicked Cuthbert in the chest making him fall again and pushed the sword with her foot making it slide across the floor. Panting Ai pointed the tip of her sword at Cuthbert.

The King called it a win for Ai and a loss for the knight.

Nobody could believe their own eyes, a woman had defeated Cuthbert, the greatest knight after The King. After a few seconds of silence the people started to scream “She cheated!” and “She’s a witch!”. The King soon took the situation over and calmed everyone down. As he started to speak everyone bowed.

“May this day be remembered. Ai, I personally invite you to join the warfare council. I believe that with your skills and brains we will be able to win this damned war.” He shouted in a deep voice. Cuthbert spoke up.

“I think that she should bow before you as an acceptance of your offer.” He said with a serious expression on his face. Ai peaked at him.

“I bow to no one.” She looked at The King with confidence but at the same time seriousness.

“I will accept this offer, after all we’re talking about our country, my home.” She replied to The King.

“Great, the meeting will be held in the dining hall this evening.”

“I’ll be there.” She turned around and left the castle leaving everybody still shocked.

#

Later that day Ai was getting ready for the meeting. She tucked her sword to her belt and was about to leave the room when Neale came in. He stared at her as he leaned over the door frame. Ai could see he was trying to hide the jealousy from his face. They both stared at each other for a moment before Ai left the room, brushing her shoulder with his.

When Ai arrived at the castle she was greeted by guards and was led to the dining hall where the meeting was supposed to take place. As she entered the room she saw 6 men sitting by a long table. As soon as she was seen, everyone got up and The King introduced her to them.

“Welcome back Ai. Everyone, this is Ai, the woman with the skill of the sword.” He said as he raised his glass of wine in the air.

“I still do not understand why your Majesty invited a woman to a war meeting. I mean this is no tea party.” One of them said in a very British accent and seemed very irritated.

Suddenly The King exclaimed.

“That’s enough Sir Wiscard, the decision has been made, plus, believe me, she’s full of surprises.”

Later the King’s son - William, came up to her and greeted her like a gentleman.

“Nice to meet you ma'am. I’m Prince Junior Reeve but you can call me William.” He said as he bowed.

His eyes glimmered at her sight, her ocean blue eyes made his heart skip a beat.

“When father told me that he found a woman who can beat our enemy, I didn’t think it would be such a lady with gorgeous blue eyes.” He thought. “She’s beautiful.”

“Nice to meet you too, I’m Ai.” She introduced herself, reaching out her hand to receive a hand shake. The Prince came back to his senses. He looked at the hand and shook it with a warm smile. William ushered Ai to her seat and sat down between his father and her.

“And you guys are, ?” Ai asked with sudden interest, looking at the other men.

“We are his royal Highness’ consultants.” Said one of them with a British aura.

“Oh, you’re Sir Wiscard, if I’m not wrong.” Ai said with positivity.

“Yes, I’m sure you heard a lot about me. I’m his Highness’ number one consultant.” He presumed of his status as he raised his head proudly.

“No, I never have.” Ai responded with confidence in her voice.

She was trying to provoke Sir Wiscard, after all he was a selfish snob that only cared about his position in the eyes of The King.

Sir Wiscard gave her a cross face and turned to The King with a bitter expression.

“My Lord, are you sure that this is the right decision for this glorious nation?” The King looked at him with an angry face and quickly Sir Wiscard started drinking his wine, ignoring eye contact with him.

After a few minutes of silence The King started sharing his strategy to beat the enemy. The plan was to attack the troops from the East and later push them towards the South. Everyone agreed with his strategy except Ai, of course. She suggested they attack from the North and have more troops hidden in the Southern forest. She also mentioned that if the Northern troops wouldn’t be able to stop the enemy, the troops from the forest could attack from behind and ambush the enemy. Upon hearing that proposition everyone in the room started to complain about stupid details like “What if they spot us?” or “What if it doesn’t work?”. Ai responded briefly and sincerely to them.

“If they see us or if it doesn’t work, then I’m sorry but our troops are useless.” This response shocked everyone at the table. Even the maids in the castle froze for a second.

“How dare you say that?! Our troops are one of the strongest on the continent.” Sir Wiscard responded as if Ai was talking about him personally.

“No, she’s right. If our troops are not careful we might all fail.” The King said, with a serious tone looking at the members of the meeting.

“The point of a battle is to be unpredictable.” She said, nodding her head.

“This is why I have another idea.” Ai said with confidence.

“We will let them come through the city walls and from there we will attack them with our troops.” Ai said with a calm and intriguing voice.

The King put his hand on his beard and started thinking. After a few moments he finally spoke.

“Fine, yes. I think this will be a success. If not, it will be the end of the City of Northon.” He said with a mighty voice and everyone at the table nodded their heads.

It looked like everyone agreed but Sir Wiscard looked at Ai with rage and annoyance. Unlike everyone around, William looked at Ai with admiration and a twinkle in his eyes.

A few days passed and the enemy troops approached the city walls. The King’s troops marched towards the enemy protecting the city. On the walls of the city stood 50 archers ready to fire. Ai stood next to them, alongside William, Cuthbert and The King. The knight observed everything happening in the battlefield with determination. He looked like he knew that it was going to end badly for everyone. For a few minutes the battle went splendidly, they were winning but then more enemy troops came. At that point Cuthbert panicked and gave an order to the archers to shoot. But Ai intervened.

“You can’t shoot, your people are down there!” Ai shouted, pointing at the battlefield.

“You may be smart but you are clearly out of your mind . If we don’t shoot them down they will attack the walls directly.” The knight shouted back in rage and panic.

This made Ai irritated and she took control over the archers by shouting.

“All eyes on me, archers!”

“What do you think you’re doing? They’re my archers!” Cuthbert screamed.

“I’m doing the right thing.” Ai responded with fire in her eyes.

“How are you going to lead my men? It’s impossible to…” Before the knight could finish, The King quickly asked him to escort him to his chambers.

The man quickly did as he was told and left Ai alone with William and the archers. William stood next to Ai, admiring her aura of confidence.

“Positions!” Ai shouted as she raised her hand.

She closed her eyes and her face cooled down. It looked like she was looking at something and could clearly see it yet her eyes were closed. William turned to look at her flawless face with confusion. “What is she doing?” He thought. “Why close your eyes all of the sudden?” Suddenly she opened her eyes and gave the orders, waving her hand down.

“Shoot!” Ai shouted and the archers released their arrows from their bows.

William looked at the arrows landing on the battlefield. His gaze was fixated on one of the city’s soldiers. It was like a miracle, no arrow hit any of their own. Maybe it was pure luck. Soon enough, the enemy’s troops withdrew their steps away from the city walls. It was a glorious day for the city, the battle ended in victory.

Everyone cheered. The King came out and hugged William who warmly hugged him back. Later The King went up to Ai and she reached her hand for a shake but The King hugged her with a broad smile. As Ai didn’t expect that, her expression was blank. Soon she came back to her senses and patted his back with a proud smile. She seemed to be quite proud of herself but as soon as The King broke the hug, her smile faded. The King shouted,

“This battle must be celebrated! Tonight! I invite all soldiers to a nice hot meal in the castle’s dining hall!” There was this flare in his eyes which seemed rare, like if he had conquered the world. William cheered along with the soldiers around them but when he looked at Ai, she didn’t seem to be happy about it.

Later that night, the party began. Everyone was laughing and cheering. Everyone seemed to be having a great time eating together. All smiled with glee in their eyes as they drank. The King and Willaim were eating when William noticed that Ai was sitting all alone on a windowsill. He excused himself and walked away. The King smirked as soon as he noticed William walking towards Ai.

William made his way towards Ai with his heart beating faster with every step he took. She didn’t even seem to notice him approaching her. He soon stopped in front of her and leaned his shoulder on the wall.

“Hey, don’t you want to join the party?” He asked with a casual voice.

“Nah, thanks. I’m good.” Ai said simply as she carved a wooden block, not even making eye contact with him.

“Is everything alright? You seem not in the mood to celebrate.” William sighed as he sat down on the windowsill next to her, keeping a distance between them.

“When I was little I used to lie about small things. You know like I would steal a piece of pie and never tell anyone that I took it. But since I moved here, I’ve started to lie even more.” She said as she looked at him with a long face.

“So I’m trying not to lie as much.” She said as she took a deep breath. A smile grew on William’s face as he observed her delicate features.

“Well, as long as those lies don’t hurt anyone, you should be fine.” He got up and reached out his hand towards Ai. She looked at his hand and later smiled as she shifted her eyes to his. She took his hand and leaving the wooden block, she went to sit down.

They started talking and eating. This was one of the brightest nights of the year and yet the truth was that no one was safe as long as the enemy was around. For some it was a night to be remembered but for others, it was their last one.

#

The next morning most of the citizens of the city were fast asleep. William woke up in his room lying on his fur carpet in front of the fireplace which was full of ashes from the wood burnt the night before. As he got up he started to wonder how he got there in the first place. The last thing he remembered was drinking wine and talking to Ai. He quickly got dressed and headed out to find Ai. He went to the dining hall and looked through the window where Ai was sitting the night before. As he searched for her outside, he spotted her. She was sitting under the willow tree of the royal garden and quickly went down to her.

As William approached her his heart started beating erratically again. Then he noticed that she was continuing to carve the wooden block just that that block was no longer a block. He decided to sit next to her.

“I see you have already finished carving that wooden block you had yesterday.” He said, smiling and pointing at it.

“Yeah, it’s supposed to be a deer but I’ve never been good with these kinds of things.” She sighed and put it next to her on the green grass.

“Well, I think it’s nice.” He said with a warm smile.

She turned her head towards him upon hearing his words. She started to feel a warmth inside her chest as she looked at him.

“Are you working on something yourself?” Ai asked him returning the warm smile.

“No, not really but I love everything related to ancient magic stuff you know, like witches and the rune language and the culture. It just fascinates me!” William exclaimed with excitement.

Ai nodded with a smile raising her eyebrows; surprised by his answer. She got up and reached out her hand to him.

“We should go get your father.”

“Indeed.” William said as he grabbed her hand and stood up.

Suddenly the sound of horns could be heard. That was the signal of something approaching that posed a threat to the city walls.

“That can’t be good.” Said Ai.

They quickly ran towards the wall, following the sound of horns.

When they got to the wall, they saw a big army. The soldiers looked like shadows cast out of their souls. They had black armor and most of them wore red capes which were partially ripped. Suddenly, they stopped. From behind a white horse with a black-armored knight approached the soldiers in the first row. He had a lance with a red flag on it. As soon as he nailed the lance in the ground the flag really showed. It had a rune symbol. As soon as Ai saw the symbol, her eyes widened and soon she commanded the guards to observe the army carefully. She was afraid of something but wouldn't tell. Even Though William was fascinated by Rune Language, he didn’t know what that symbol meant but he knew it wasn’t anything good.

William followed Ai quickly into the throne room. She was angry and maybe even panicking inside.

“Where’s The King?!” She shouted at the staff with fury in her voice.

“He’ll be down here any minute now,” One of the maids said calmly. Suddenly The King came in. It looked like he had just woken up. He had a confused yet worried expression on his old face.

“Is everything all right?” - He asked with concern.

“Are you even aware who’s your enemy?” Ai exclaimed in rage.

“They’re a shadow which…” Before he could end the sentence, Ai interjected him.

“Do you know who you’re dealing with? Are you aware you can’t win against him?” She asked furiously but shouting no more. The King got quiet for a moment, looking down in shame. Ai put her hand on her forehead and walked up to the window. She leaned on it with both her hands.

“We have no chances against that man. We’re doomed.” She said with concern.

“You know him?” William asked modestly.

“He’s known as the most powerful dark magic magician. No one has even beaten him. Many wizards and witches sacrificed themselves to achieve something that wasn’t even possible, to defeat Sir Briceus.” She said as she sat down on a chair.

The King and William stood in silence. With no words to say and no questions to ask. After some time of silence, The King spoke up.

“Yes, maybe we’re doomed, but we must try to save our home.” He said.

Ai stood up from a chair and walked over to a map on the table.

“This is what we will do.” She said as she pointed at the map. Everyone gathered around her to hear her plan.

William, once more, admired her ability to come up with quick and effective ideas.

A few hours later, before the sun set, the soldiers were getting ready to leave the city walls. Cuthbert approached Ai, at a normal pace, with an offer.

“Ma’am,” He said as he bowed.

“I know that our skills are on different levels.” He said, calmly.

“So I’m giving you the chance to lead my army in the battlefield and win this battle.” He said politely.

“Thank you but no. I don’t like leading armies.” She said not even looking at him.

“Very well, if you change your mind, a horse is waiting by the gate, ready to ride.” The knight said as he turned around.

The army exited the gate and advanced towards the enemy. There were clashes, crashes, bumps and horses neighing. It was a complete chaos. As Ai looked down, her eyes were filled with sadness but as well with anger. It was confusing yet intriguing.

As the battle continued Ai started to walk around nervously. From one side of the wall to the other. It looked like something was bothering her. William noticed and couldn’t stop thinking about that symbol on their flag. “What does the rune letter mean?” He thought. “Surely something that greatly bothers Ai.” He then walked towards Ai and tried to cheer her up.

“Hey Ai, we’re the greatest nation on this continent. An army of black-armored soldiers won’t hurt us.” He said with a calm voice.

“True, but that magician will.” Ai said as she gripped the end of her sword tightly.

“Look! It looks like we’re winning.” One of the soldiers shouted, pointing at the battlefield. Ai quickly went up to where the soldier was standing. She began to actually believe that the war would be won until she saw more dark troops approach. Although they were very far, they looked like giants coming to destroy everything in their path. Suddenly a voice was heard,

“Retrieve!” This quickly triggered the archers who began to shoot the enemy and Ai, well, she froze.

William tried to put his hand on her shoulder but suddenly she rapidly turned around and screamed.

“Get me that horse!” She quickly ran down the stairs and mounted the horse.

She rode towards the battlefield to help the survivors.

She jumped off and gave the horse to an injured soldier and his acquaintances. She told them to ride back into the city as fast as they could. She turned around and looked at the shadowy soldiers riding on black horses coming from a far. By every second they came closer and seemed more fearsome.

She drew her sword, slowly. At the sight of the sword the troops stopped. The knights looked at each other and chuckled probably at the view of a woman standing in front of thousands of soldiers, standing no chance against them. They began to run towards her at full speed. With no hesitation, Ai waved her sword and nailed it down into the ground as she kneeled. Right after, Ai started to whisper something. Soon after that her sword started glowing. The rune symbols on it glowed orange. No one could really see what was written, but it was definitely a magical sword of some kind. The knight on the white horse stopped and froze, shocked. He wasn’t scared, but intimidated. He narrowed his eyes on the sword and soon a devilish smile grew on his face. Suddenly the forest around them was revived.

The trees were growing from the Eastern and Western forests, creating a barrier around the city. At the sight of the first branch reaching out from the forest, the black army chickened out in a split second. On the other hand, the black-armored knight stood there not even flinching. His eyebrows narrowed in anger yet he did not do anything, only observed the city disappear behind the trees.

Everyone was amazed yet frozen in place. No one cheered at their win. All the voices in the wind got silent. The people on the wall observed Ai as she stood up weakly and turned towards the city walls. She looked tired, exhausted, out of energy. William looked at her exhausted body walking, feeling worried.

When she reached the gate, she was dragging the sword behind her. At her sight, everyone shushed, and took a step back in fear. Without making eye contact, she made her way to the castle where she entered the guest room.

Disappointed, tired and with the most powerful weapon in the world which was thought to be a legend, she locked herself in that room to rest, to have some peace and quiet, and to think over what she had just done.

#

The King and William were at the dining hall eating breakfast in silence the next morning. Not a word was spoken, yet it looked like they were talking with their eyes. Many servants said that the symbols on Ai’s sword were a secret language but no one till this day understands how it worked. As The King asked a maid to fill up his bowl, another maid came to him.

“I did all I could, your Highness. She won’t come out. She says she’s not hungry” The maid said innocently.

“It’s okay. Let’s give her some time.” The King responded quickly but calmly.

“I don’t want to concern you, father, but the walls she created won’t hold the enemy back for much longer.” William said with a concerned voice.

The King put his hand on William’s shoulder and gave him a peaceful smile.

“Don’t worry, she will eventually face reality. She would never leave this city…” Before The King could finish, Sir Wiscard burst through the door, shouting.

“I can’t believe that the witch still lives in this castle! I knew it! I knew it all along!” He shouted as he walked back and forth furiously through the room.

The King and William followed his slender body with their eyes from one side to another.

“I knew she was a bad apple! And that sword? She shouldn’t have that sword! You should, your Majesty! Not her! She doesn’t deserve that sword!” Sir Wiscard shouted with fury.

William was angry with him as he narrowed his brows. “How can he call her names?!” He shouted in his thoughts. “I won’t let anyone offend her!” Unlike William, The King listened to Sir Wiscard with a calm expression as if he knew this would happen. The King raised his hand and Sir Wiscard immediately stopped moving or speaking.

“She saved our city, and that's what is important.” The King said as he took a spoon of porridge and put it into his mouth.

Sir Wiscard quickly reacted with irritation and flames in his eyes.

“You barely know her! She might be a witch trying to rule over this mighty city!” The consultant spoke angrily.

Meanwhile Ai came out of her room and headed to the dining hall. She wanted to speak with The King about what happened the other day. As she got to the hall, she noticed the door was wide open. Angry shouts could be heard coming from the room. She recognized the voice right away, it was that snob - Sir Wiscard. “What does he have to say about me, I wonder?” She thought curiously. To satisfy her nosiness Ai slowly came up to the door and peeked through it. Fortunately for her, no one saw her.

Sir Wiscard continued to criticize her but this time he crossed the line, at least for William.

“Maybe she is working for the enemy? Maybe she’s something worse! She does come from the Black Area after all.” Sir Wiscard exclaimed as he crossed his arms.

“Then why don’t you say it? Come on, say it. If you can call her a witch, I’m sure you can tell us what you actually mean by ‘maybe she’s something worse’.” William said angrily as he leaned on his chair.

The King looked surprised by his son’s reaction. He has never seen him act this way. the King narrowed his eyes on the prince in suspicion. The consultant froze at the words spoken by William. After some silence he replied to the prince.

“I would rather not say.” He said quietly looking down to the floor in shame. The King looked at Sir Wiscard and later at his son in interest.

“Please, say what you meant. No need to be ashamed my friend.” The King said surprisingly with a calming voice. The Sir said nothing, he only stayed silent but William didn’t let this go.

“Father, you dare call him a ‘friend’? After all he said?!” William exclaimed as he turned to The King, with fire in his eyes. The King’s brows fell. He was angry at his son. This expression rarely was seen by William.

“He has been our best consultant since you were little. Have some respect, son!” The King exclaimed angrily.

Sir Wiscard put on a proud smile for The King defending him. At the sight of the consultant's face, William’s blood began to boil. “How could he tell me to have some respect?!” He thought angrily. “He should be telling this to Wiscard!”

“He has no right to call her those names, father!” The prince exclaimed.

The King turned his head towards Sir Wiscard, still with an angry expression.

“Yes, you’re right. He can’t call other people names.” The King said calmly yet with an irritated tone.

“Well, let’s hear what you meant, consultant.” William said with a coldly.

“Well, what I meant was …..uhhhh,” Sir Wiscard stuttered.

When he was about to say it, suddenly a loud clash was heard.

Everyone turned their head towards the direction the sound came from. A maid had dropped a tray with tea onto the floor. Suddenly William stood up and hit the table with his fists in anger. The maids around him backed off in fear. No one has ever seen the prince so frustrated before, he was usually a very calm individual. Sir Wiscard jumped backwards too in fear, but The King didn’t even flinch. No one moved, said or did anything. Everyone was in shock, as if a storm that they had never seen before came and razed everything. Suddenly behind the door Ai quickly ran up to the maid and helped her with the tray on the floor.

Seeing her William calmed down a bit and sat back down. His father patted him on the shoulder with a smirk and continued his food. The prince didn’t take his eyes off her. As soon as Ai got up, their eyes locked. She was surprised yet smiled warmly at William. They both felt a warmth in their chests but she quickly broke off their gaze and she put on a calm, neutral smile as she walked towards them.

“I’m sorry for not coming earlier. I had to regenerate my strength after the battle.” She said ignoring Sir Wiscard by her side.

Sir Wiscard looked at her with angrily. Ai turned towards him.

“When it comes to you, Sir Wiscard…” She said with a wide smile on her face which quickly changed to a much darker and serious gaze. “Get out of my face, you snob.”

Sir Wiscard looked at The King full of anger, expecting him to defend him.

“You may leave, Wiscard.” Said The King calmly.

Sir Wiscard became furious and like a little child left the room while Ai looked at the ground smiling, evilly.

When the consultant left the room Ai turned towards the Prince and The King again.

“I wanted to thank you for standing up for me.” She said with a warm smile that penetrated through William’s heart like an arrow.

“You must thank my son.” The King said, patting his son’s back.

William tried not to make eye contact with Ai. He was trying not to smile too much at her but he could feel her eyes on him. He couldn’t resist it and raised his head and their eyes met. His heart skipped a beat at that moment. She, again, quickly broke eye contact and looked back at The King.

“The wall I created will not last forever. We must plan our next moves if we want to be ahead of them.” She explained while crossing her hands behind her back.

The King nodded as the prince lowered his head again.

“Very well, if you need anything I’ll be in my room.” Ai said as she left towards her room.

Later that day at noon The King went to talk to Ai. He knocked on the door and soon after, a “Come in!” was heard from behind the door. He entered and Ai was sitting on her bed, holding her sword. The King came up to her slowly, holding his hands behind his back. Ai put the sword on the bed.

“How can I help you, old man?” Ai exclaimed with curiosity.

“May I sit?” The King asked, pointing at the bed.

She nodded. He sat down and looked at her.

“I just want to tell you that I won’t let a single soul in this city hurt you in any way and I will make sure you are respected whether you’re a witch or not.” The King declared.

She was surprised and nodded but took a sharp breath in.

“Why do you care so much about me? Me, specifically.” Ai asked with curiosity.

He put his arm on her back.

“You remind me of my wife. She had a good heart. You know she was the one who enlarged the market in the city. And she also made sure we didn’t cut any old or ancient trees. She was able to create peace in the most chaotic situations.” The King said with confidence.

“You must have really loved her.” Ai replies with a calm voice.

“Ah, yes. She was the love of my life. When I became King, I was forced to marry her. She hated me. I was a pig in a rich environment. The only thing I cared about was the money and the conquests. But she made opened my eyes, she taught me how to respect everything around me and how to appreciate it.” The King sighed as memories flowed back into his head.

“What happened to her, if I may ask?” Ai asked politely.

“Well, she, uhh… “ The King stood up and walked to the other side of the room to the burning fireplace in hesitation to answer.

“She, died. She left the walls one morning and when she got back she was very sick. William adored her though she was strict when it came to children. She left us when he was only five.” He dropped onto the armchair in front of the fireplace, holding his face in sadness.

Ai noticed his emotions and tried to cheer him up somehow.

“I’m not very good at cheering people up but I had a very similar experience to William’s.” This quickly captured The King’s attention.

“When I was little I used to live in a village called Millfort.” She stated.

“I remember it was a Sunday morning and my mom and I were picking flowers in the field, when suddenly knights on white horses came and started to slaughter everyone in the town, including the children.” She said as her gaze turned cold.

“I survived by climbing up the big tree. I didn’t come down for days. I remember it was freezing, I was starving. A few days later the men from the nearby village came. They found me and they took me to their home. Gave me food, a roof over my head, and all that stuff.” She said as she walked over to The King.

“And I was only eight years old.” She commented.

“My guardian - Averitt, taught me how to fight but he also taught me how to steal and lie and live a life of a criminal. Although he had high hopes for me in the criminal path, I never did.” She sighed as she crouched down to look at the flames in the fireplace.

“And then I discovered I was a magician and I ran away. I initially thought I did it for them but recently I realized that I just wanted to get out of there.” This silenced The King for a moment, when later he asked.

“How long have you been away?” Ai looked at the floor.

“Since I was 16. It’s been 5 years. If not for my sword skills, I wouldn’t be here.” Ai answered with honesty.

The King got to his feet and sat on the bed once more.

“Thank you, Ai” - The King put his hand on her shoulder.

“You made me realize that no one is alone in this world. There will always be someone with a similar past.” The King got up and left the room leaving Ai in silence.

Ai looked at the sword lying on her bed with a thoughtful expression. When she grabbed the sword, the ancient letters on it started to glow orange. At the sight of the glowing letters, she slowly started to pull the sword closer to her face. Suddenly William busted right through the door. Ai quickly lowered the sword back to the bed. Though Ai was quick, William noticed the glow and stood there, reminding himself about the day before when he saw the sword glowing from afar. After a moment he came back to his senses and looked at her.

“We’re about to have a meeting in the dining hall.” William said as he held the door.

Ai nodded and put her sword into its leather scabbard. She got up and left the sword on the bed. As Ai headed to the door, William showed her the way out, directing his hand towards the exit. Ai passed through the door and William after her, he shut the door, looking at the sword left on the bed.

William and Ai entered the dining hall and sat down next to each other, not giving each other a glance. The King rose from his chair and started to give ideas concerning the defeat of the enemy. Everyone listened to The King carefully but William was still thinking about the sword. “A magic sword, huh?” He thought. “How does she possess such a thing?” Questions started popping into his head, he looking for answers. The King saw the distracted expression on his son’s face and dared to ask.

“Is something wrong, son?”

The room went quiet for a slight second. The prince looked at his father and later at Ai. She looked sad and worried about something. After a second of looking into each other's eyes, she turned her head to The King. William did the same and answered his father’s question.

“Everything’s okay.” He said in a neutral tone.

During the rest of the meeting William sat quietly. Ai didn’t say anything either until the end of the meeting. She suggested that they wait until dawn to observe the enemy’s potential.

“Very well, we shall see what the dawn brings.” The King said with a straight face. All members stood up and bowed in front of The King. They left quietly, including Sir Wiscard who gave a nasty peak at Ai. The King came up to Ai and put his arm around her shoulders.

Walking towards the door he started speaking. William followed behind.

“Now that you are a part of this great kingdom, I must show you where we keep the weapons.” The King exclaimed in excitement.

“Don’t you have responsibilities, old man?” Ai asked, raising her brows.

“Yes indeed, I do! You are one of them. I must give you a tour around the castle to show you how everything works.” The King said with a smile on his face. Ai followed his lead.

While The King guided Ai through the castle, William sneaked into Ai’s room and closed the door quietly. In the room he went up to the bed where the sword was and took it. As he held it, he looked at it with curiosity. Then he pulled the sword out of its scabbard. At the sight of the ancient letters, his eyes got intrigued by the weapon. He looked at it from every angle. He concentrated on the eight symbols engraved into its blade. Suddenly Ai entered the room and caught William off guard. She was mad and shut the door with a slam. William holding the sword took a step back but Ai quickly took the sword and pointed it at him. When her hand touched the sword, the letters started to eject an orange glow making the engraved symbols much clearer. It was a word in the Rune language. The word spelled translating to Excalibur. Realizing what that sword was, he didn’t hesitate to confront her.

“Where did you get that sword? Do you know what it is?! William exclaimed with a concerned voice, trembling slightly.

“I know what it is. You don’t have to lecture me, Your Highness.” - Ai responded with an angrily. William raised his hands up to his chest in surrender.

“I didn’t want to take the sword. I just wanted to give it a look.” - William said. Ai’s face relaxed a bit.

“Well, you could have asked me that.” She lowered the sword down.

William released a sigh of relief in silence.

“I’m sorry.” William expressed as he looked at her crystal blue eyes.

“You should be, because you just lost a friend and an ally.” Ai put her sword in its scabbard and tucked it into her waist. She started to pack her things. William looked surprised as she started panicking.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“I’m leaving. I can’t stay with people who I can’t trust with my life.” She said as she hung her bag on her shoulder.

She was still mad but was able to contain a straight face.

“Oh, so living with those criminals that could betray you, those are the people you trusted with your life?” William exclaimed angrily.

Ai didn’t say anything, she didn’t even look at him, she just kept on walking out.

“You can’t just leave, we need you!” William exclaimed as Ai reached the door. Ai turned around and looked at him straight into his emerald eyes with a relaxed face.

“There’s one person in this room to be blamed.” She said calmly. Silence flooded the room for a brief moment before Ai turned around and left through the door, leaving the prince with a huge problem.

To be continued,

Leire Orella