Defending Left-Handed

Chapter 9

“Are you insane?!” Reasee shouted in a whisper.

“If you can’t help then I wouldn’t push you. There are other ways to do it without your help.”

Reasee face palmed himself. “That is a very dangerous move, Liriel. You could not trust a guy you just met in the forest. You are very compulsive and that compulsion would result to your downfall. I don’t really know if you are thinking or not, Liriel,” Reasee said, frustrated. He took a deep breath to redeem himself. He really could not understand his best friend. He wondered how he was able to put up him with for five years.

“No, I can’t help you with that, Liriel, because I would not let you do that.”

“You can’t stop me,” Liriel hardheadedly said and turned his back to him.

“You always turn your back. Are you not turning back right now? Turning back to the fact that you could not do anything for your parents death? You can’t do anything, Liriel. You are powerless and you are against the most powerful man in the kingdom. Why can’t you just move on? It’s been five years.”

Liriel stopped on his tracks. “You can say that because it isn’t you who lost his parents. You never felt love from your parents, Reasee.You didn’t even know them. That is why it is easy for you to say.”

Reasee painfully laughed. What Liriel said was true. He never knew his parents. Ever since he was an infant, he was already in the orphanage. But Liriel did not have to right to tell him that to validate his irrational decisions. He was being stupid. All of his plans were very risky. Dangerous. He was against with all of Liriel’s decision because he cared for him and he cared for his safety. He was like already a brother to him.

“All right, I am sorry. From now on, I would not interrupt you with all of your decisions,” Reasee said and walked passed Liriel to go to the door. He went out without looking back.

It was already past midnight. They just finished their first training in the forest. Liriel realized what he said to Reasee probably hurt him but he was overpowered by his emotion and he could not take back what he said. And, with his pride, he could not say sorry to him. He will never say sorry or feel sorry for anyone because he was so done feeling sorry for himself.

Liriel decided to go out. The knights that were assigned during the nights were roaming around the entire vicinity to make sure no one would be able to break in to hurt the king.

Liriel looked up the palace to see the king’s bedroom. The lights were already off. How could he manage to sleep after what he has done? Liriel asked himself.

Beside the king’s chamber, he saw a very light candle light from the window. Both he and the candle holder met eyes. It was the princess.

Liriel saw how the princess immediately blew the candle off. With the help of the moon’s light, he could see that the princess was no longer behind the window.

~•~

“Knight Sarhel, starting from now, you will be transferred to another quarter near mine so that I would be able to call you when I have orders.”

Reasee stood firm and saluted. “Yes, sir.”

“And Knight Gaden” the captain looked at Liriel. Liriel stepped forward a little and saluted.

“Starting from now, you will no longer be the king’s knight,” the captain announced.

Liriel felt cold as he work very hard to get his position right now and he could not understand, why? He performed with outmost performance. He ranked second during the training yesterday.

Liriel looked at Reasee but Reasee but Reasee did not look at him. Could it be his doing? He thought. He wanted to close his fist he wanted to punch. He said that he would no longer interfere with his business.

“The king personally asked me to reassign you,” the captain continued. The king? Then it was not Reasee. Does the king already knew his intentions?

“He wants you to be the princess’s first guard. Which means you will be around her everywhere she goes. Do you accept that?”

The king personally assigned me to be the princess’s guard? Does he really trust me that much to place his daughter’s safety on my hands or was he using his daughter to keep an eye on me? Liriel thought. He was really indeed selfish by using his own daughter to be the bait. He was not just a cruel ruler but a selfish father, too.

“Yes sir,” Liriel answered.

“Good, you can now go to the princess. She has an agenda outside the palace. You have to be with her.”

“Yes, sir.”

~•~

“Liriel…” the princess softly said as she saw Liriel walking towards her direction. She was standing outside her carriage. She already heard the news. He was assigned to be her guard. She was happy about that but as she observed Liriel’s expression, he looked like he was force to do so. She could not see any emotion on his eyes. She could not even see the anger that he projected during the king’s fifth anniversary ball.

Liriel looked at the paper on his hands it was the princess’s schedule. She was set to be on the orphanage for a donation drive.

“Let us go, Princess,” he said and helped her get inside the vehicle. The princess could help her heart as their hands touched. She immediately pulled her hands away and grabbed to the vehicle, instead.

“I do not need help in getting into my carriage,” she said with contempt to mask away the real feeling she was feeling right now.

But Liriel did not listen and still helped her without any uttering a word. After she has finally set and make herself comfortable on her seat, Liriel closed the door and sat beside the coachman. The princess could see Liriel’s back. The wall between them was made of glass in order for the guard to check on her from time to time.

~•~

“Liriel?”

“Liriel?!”

A group of children ran towards the carriage as they saw a familiar face who was helping the princess get off the vehicle. She was not able to move that freely because of the dress that she was required to wear. It fit her perfectly but she moved with limitation.

“They knew you?” the princess ask to Liriel. Liriel did not have a choice but to answer her since he was serving her.

“Yes, princess. This is where I was staying for the last five years.”

Because of what Liriel said, the princess looked down and felt shame and guilty because the reason why Liriel stayed in the orphanage because her father, the king, killed his parents.

“I am sorry,” she unconsciously said.

“Let us go,” Liriel said and directed the princess towards the nuns who were waiting for her.