Ifrailian Tales

Princess and the Knight

Tyran met up with Kirishima soon after. Wearing his own matching set of golden armor. Unlike his fellow knight, Tyran's armor was designed to stick out among the crowd. Each gauntlet and shoulder plate had small edges with sharpened points, all curving upward. In general the build was slimmer, less bulky, freeing up the joints for complex movements. And finally, the helmet maintained a continuity through all those within the royal guard. This helmet was the symbol representing the strongest among mages, the king's protectors, and the swords of Alexandria. 

Even this didn't stop the knights from adding their own personal touch to the helmets. Whether it be small markings, a sudden alteration in color, or adding additional equipment. Practically everyone had made some sort of adjustment to their armor, all except for the one who held the top spot. After all, his armor had been optimized to support Tyran's fighting style to a tee. He saw no reason to meddle with something already perfect. 

The two knights moved towards docking port zero, normally this vehicle bay was exclusively used by the king and his royal guard. If the king thought it necessary to reveal his secret hanger, he must think of the small nation as a valuable ally. As explained, a Pretian airship was awaiting the knights. Standing next to the ship's extended walkway was a rather frail looking man and a woman. Her hair was black as night, a few inches under Tyran's height but nowhere near Kirishima's 6'3. She wore a dress that matched the colors of the airship next to her, light blue with a splash of red which on her dress was represented by a red ribbon looped around her waist. The weak looking man turned his head, and waved at the knights. 

"Ah, mister Victrovna and Gaho," the man replied. "I'm Milo Greene, the royal advisor for his highness-- I mean governor Nabor." 

"It's alright Milo," Kirishima started, "As far as King Zayden's concerned, Nabor is every bit as kingly as himself." 

Milo wiped sweat from his face and sighed, "Oh thank god, I was afraid of slipping up hahaha." He turned to the lady beside him, "Where are my manners, this lovely angel here is Vulvia Nabor, next in line for the throne." 

"Well if we're doing introductions, I'm Kirishima the knight of three and this stunningly quiet gentlemen is Tyran, the golden knight of Alexandria" 

Tyran had little to say, so he simply nodded. The Pretian princess exchanged formal greetings with the two of them. The only thing left was to board the ship. Soon the Alexiandrian capital became little more than a blimp on the horizon. 

Aside from a few armed guards, Tyran and Kirishima really were the bulk of the security force. The airship was of modest size, down the hall and to the right from the cockpit was the princesses quarters. A little bit behind that was a small living area for the few men and women who staffed the vessel. Tyran found himself staring out into the blur of distant landscapes passing by. Like any other mission, he wore his helmet at all times, no exceptions. 

Kirishima passed by, taking a double take once he noticed his friend staring off into nothingness. He walked behind him, giving his shoulder a light smack. Tyran snapped backward, a rush of adrenaline shooting through his veins and it instantly vanished once he realized it was just Kirishima. 

"We're about an hour away from their kingdom," Kirishima said, "Guess I was right. This was just another babysitting operation." 

"We still need to keep our eyes open. Never know when something might happen." 

Kirishima, wearing all but his helmet pressed his back against the wall and folded his arms. "Coming from the one staring off into space, not sure if that means much my man." 

"Hey, I'm uh... keeping watch!" 

"Whatever makes you happy." 

Tyran sighed, "It's just... so boring!" 

The sound of a door sliding open intrigued Kirishima. The advisor, Milo had just left the Princesses room and suddenly a brilliant idea sparked. "Bet the princess is feeling the same way." 

"Huh?"

"Yeah, in fact why don't you go pay her a visit." 

"W-What!?" Kirishima grinned mischievously, and grabbed Tyran's arm. Tyran struggled but it was futile, before he knew it, the sliding door to the princesses chambers was right in front of him. Kirishima pressed his hand against the door's control panel and it opened up. Princess Vulvia was sitting in front of a mirror, she tilted her head, puzzled at the sudden visit. The golden knight tried to step back, but was halted by Kirishima. With a single shove, Tyran fell into the room. His heart sank, the doors once again attached to one another, locking himself inside the room, alone with royalty. 

A moment of silence passed, Vulvia and Tyran fiddled with their thumbs. Assumably both parties were waiting for the other to speak... but neither did. Tyran felt as if his entire body was being swarmed with some dark aura, whenever he looked Vulvia's way it only got worse. What sort of twisted magic was this, he'd never experienced anything like this before. Vulvia Nabor must be some sort of dark sorcerer, that had to be it! It would explain why he only felt the spell's presence around her highness. 

"Um, your name is Tyran right," Vulvia spoke up, her voice was small and sweet, strangely it reminded Tyran of small strawberry sweets he ate as a child. His cheeks felt warm, he found it hard to formulate a response. At this point it was abundantly clear, she wasn't some ancient spell caster... Tyran was simply experiencing his first crush. 

"Y-Yes!" His voice cracked. "I-I mean, um yes it is ma'am." 

Vulvia giggled, "There's no need for such formalities." 

"I'm just showing respect to Ms. Nabor." 

"Please I insist, call me Vulvia." 

The blush underneath Tyran's helmet grew, "As you wish... Vulvia." 

"Hehe, now then. Did you need something?" 

"N-Nothing in particular..." Tyran's mind was set ablaze. He couldn't just tell her his friend forced him to speak with her, it'd be rude! A lie, he needed a lie. Well not a lie that's too extreme, an excuse and a believable one at that.

"I-I've come to give you your breakfast!" 

"...at seven pm?" 

"..." Tyran had never felt as low as he did at this very moment. He wanted nothing more than to throw himself out of the airlock. Pulling him out of that darkness was the laughter of an angel. Vulvia was holding her sides, tears streaming out the sides of her eyes. So that low feeling Tyran had, yeah now it was pure unbridled embarrassment. He turned around and hid himself away in the corner of the room, he didn't understand. This was not the personality he expected from her at all. 

Eventually the fit of laughter came to an end, and Vulvia managed to compose herself. She gifted the flustered knight a few pats on the back before turning around. Those pats did little to ease Tyran's worry. Without looking back he could hear the sound of metal clanking against one another. Strange, he didn't recall seeing the kitchen area inside of her chambers. 

"Would you like some tea?" She said, looking back at the cowardly knight. 

"T-Tea?" 

"Yes, it's leftover from my dinner," She replied. Tyran cursed himself silently, of course not only was it seven pm, her highness had already been served dinner. Not wanting to be rude, he nodded and clasped the small tea cup in his gauntleted hand. He brought the glass cup to his lips, only to hear a small Clink followed by amused laughter from Vulvia. As if he needed another embarrassment tonight, Tyran's helmet was still activated... 

"Uh, you're gonna have to take that off sweetie." 

"On second thought I'm not thirsty-" 

Vulvia rolled her eyes, and moved closer to the golden knight. Her slender right arm wrapped around his head. Tyran could already hear his own thoughts over the sound of his heart beating. He swore his heart stopped for a moment when his protective shell faded away. Leaving nothing between him, and the smooth features of the woman's face. That cold, empty feeling of embarrassment melted away into a warm, radiating feeling much like a mother's embrace. Wait, Tyran was reminded of all this just from seeing one smile, the golden knight struggled to understand his own feelings. 

Vulvia pinched his cheek, "There, now drink up." 

"R-Right..." Tyran brought the cup up to his lips, sipping the sweet liquid. Another brief stint of silence fell upon the pair. Only occasional slurps and gulps were heard.

This was awkward, Tyran thought. Maybe he'd spent enough time with her, so if he were to leave it wouldn't be an issue right? Honestly he wasn't sure, but there was one thing he was certain of. He wanted to spend more time with her. Something, just say something! 

"You know, you're not what I expected. From your photos, I assumed you were just another sheltered little girl." 

...That was too blunt, stupid! Was currently the only thought occupying Tyran's headspace. Vulvia set her teacup down and planted herself onto the queen size mattress that took up a large portion of her private quarters. 

"Well you aren't completely wrong," she stated in monotone. "That's the impression I wanted to give off. An innocent, pure maiden who only values the safety of her subjects. That's what you thought when you saw me, correct?" 

"I--" 

"Don't even answer, I already know it is," she sighed, "Well that's not all I am, sure I do care about my people. Still though, there are so many other qualities I have that I can't show. Did you know I'm an excellent swordsman, or that fossils excite me more than anything? Of course not, only I know that."

Maybe Tyran shared more in common with her highness than he anticipated. "Huh, why're you keeping those things hidden?" 

"Image," she said, "I need to be adored by all. Some of the things I do that could be considered 'controversial' need to be kept under wraps." 

Still suffering from his slip of the tongue, Tyran spoke up. "How is anything you do controversial?" 

"My father's a perfectionist. Dueling could be considered needlessly violent, and paleontology could be seen as desecrating the dead or whatever nonsense. My father's reasoning was never sound." Vulvia groaned and fell back into the cushioned frame. "I envy you, people expect one thing from knights. Strength, so long as you have that no one expects anything more from you." 

"That's not completely true," Tyran said, moving himself closer to the bed. 

The princess craned her neck up, meeting Tyran's gaze. "If I was your run of the mill knight maybe I could get away with that. But me, I'm the highest ranking member of the royal guard. The kingdom's sword, the golden knight of Alexandria, but most of all... I'm me." 

Perhaps he was overstepping his boundaries. Hell he knew it was a bit rude to flip the conversation around to himself. But if anyone understood how she felt, it would be him. Moreover, Tyran had carried this burden on his shoulders for the last few years of his life. Maybe speaking his mind will help alleviate some of the pressure. 

"I'm not a silent protector, or invincible for that matter. I'm just me. A guy who loves greasy food, cracking jokes, and honestly I don't think I'm cut out for the position I'm in." 

Tyran sat down next to Vulvia on the bed, which bounced back against his hefty frame. "I guess I'm more like you then I thought huh?" 

She giggled, "Wait you're telling me the guy afraid to take off his helmet likes telling jokes?" 

"Are you seriously asking me that after we both had a heart to heart? That's heartless, pun intended." 

"Pfft- hahaha, okay that was a good one." 

"I wasn't telling a joke," Tyran mumbled. Prompting the princess to pinch his cheek. "Ouch!" 

"Oh stop pouting you big baby. Aren't you supposed to be a big, strong knight?" 

"Aren't you supposed to be kind and caring?!" 

They both burst out into a fit of laughter. This was nice, Tyran was happy. His heart was still beating out of his chest. Not from a series of anxious thoughts this time. Instead it was her alluring, warm presence that engulfed his very being. 

"I suppose we're both two fakers then huh?" 

Tyran turned his head, "Yeah, seems that way..." 

"Do you ever wish things were different? I do, a lot actually." 

"Of course, but I believe anyone can do anything. They just need to be brave enough to take the first step." 

"Really," she sat up, still staring at the knight, "Well, why haven't you taken the first step yet?" 

"...I'm not strong enough." 

"Nonsense!" the princess shouted. 

To Tyran's absolute astonishment, Vulvia pounced him. Pinning his limbs to the bed, her grip was surprisingly tight. "W-What are you-" 

"You have the strength, and then some!" 

"You're just being polite. I'm really nothing special." 

Vulvia snarled, "Another lie! Sure I might not know you that well... There's just something about you that I like. Maybe it's the similar situation we're both in or maybe it isn't. But what I do know is this, I want you to be yourself." 

Tyran shifted his head to the side, "... What if they don't like the real me? What if I end up tarnishing the name of the king?" 

"I'd rather you live a life you can be proud of. As opposed to a sham built for the public to adore! Not everyone's going to like you, and that's okay. In the end, if I'm proud of myself, then I'm happy." Vulvia filled each sentence with an undying passion. Tyran doubted the king himself was capable of reaching out to him on a similar level as Vulvia. "Thank you Tyran. You helped me realize this truth." 

"Why're you thanking me, I didn't do anything," he said. 

Vulvia shook her head, "Not true. You being here was enough for me." 

Tyran felt his cheeks warm in a light blush, "We just met." 

"Well I can't argue with that," she nodded to herself, "How do I explain this. Since we're similar, seeing you in such a pathetic state... suddenly I realized, it's unhealthy." 

"Was that a compliment or an insult," Tyran groaned. 

Vulvia chuckled and jutted a finger towards Tyran, "A compliment to be sure. It was like facing a reflection of myself. Another person faking their personality, letting others dictate the course of their life." She pulled her finger back and greeted the knight with another grin, "And if I wanna change the person looking back at me. I need to take the first step." 

"I'm not sure I-" 

"You said you weren't strong enough to take the first step. So we'll take it together, after all the reflection moves in tandem with the real thing."

He opened his mouth to speak, only to be halted by the slight whine of the bedroom door opening. Both he and the princess froze, in an indecent position no less. Neither turned to see who stood in the doorway, but there was no mistaking that relaxed tone, "Well, that's one way to kill boredom." 

Afterward the princess's airship reached its destination. The grand castle, home to Pretia's royal family. This more closely resembled the fairy tale ideal of a king's castle. Constructed out of a metal alloy, that sparkled in the sunlight. The exteriors golden shine was a shining star inside the cluster of skyscrapers.

The ship docked within a hanger bay built into the midsection of the palace. On account of Kirishima and Milo seeing him and the princess sharing an... intimate moment. Tyran decided it was best to keep his distance from her highness. And so while ignoring his partner who pestered him for details, the knights accompanied Vulvia till she was inside of the throne room. The Pretian king expressed his gratitude, and this 'babysitting' mission came to an end. 

The Pretians offered to fly the two knights back to Apilena. Kirishima was never one to back down from anything labeled as 'free' so they accepted their invitation. While waiting for the ship to be refueled, Tyran enjoyed the view from a nearby Terrence. Despite the stunning twilight before him, he was occupied replaying a phrase Vulvia had said to him. 

"We'll take the first step together huh," he said aloud. Clasping his hard light constructed helmet with both hands. Removing the golden tinted armor. He turned it in his hands, examining the knight everyday citizens knew, the knight he used to know. If every journey has it's starting point, this was Tyrans. All he needed to do was take the first step. A voice called out to him from behind, informing him on the status of the ship. 

"Thank you, I'll be right there," without a second thought he chucked the piece of armor over the edge. No one can predict how things will turn out. Or if your actions will make those around you praise or belittle you. But even so, you need to face the unknown. The princess helped him see this, and now he would see it through. 

Tyran was going to show the world his true self, sure he was anxious but more than anything..

He was relieved...