Legends (The Revival)

Chapter Three

"My Lady. I'm sorry you had to see me in such dishonoring act, please ignore my insolence" 

"You speak too much for a noble my Lord, I do not consider your creativity insolence" she tilted her head at him, observing his facial features.

Conrad was amazed by how the Lady seemed to always stay calm and in control of her entirety, she spoke slowly as she considered every word before they appeared at her lips.

"Walk with me?" she asked gaining a half nod from the Lord.

They were about to begin walking when she raised a hand to wait.

"Will you walk around the city with armor, considering you are walking with a lady? The attention you will get from that may not be in my favor"

Was she flirting with him? He asked himself, but he replied to her nonetheless.

"My Lady, I am not to the people a noble though I may be by birth, I am just a local mercenary in Lalin"

"Yet to the people you are like a god? And the fame of my Lord has spread across the land."

"I am favored my Lady...by the people"

"Lord Conrad..."

"Just Conrad to you my Lady"

"Yet you speak to me with such decorum?"

"I'm sorry my Lady but I do not understand what you speak" Conrad answered, he was lost in the Lady's words, composure, and absolute beauty.

"You address me like you were a lowly attendant, you are from the house of Lord Anderson of Lalin, and yourself Lord Conrad is considered greater than all of my father's house, if the people were to listen in on this conversation for sure I will be cursed for dominance" 

Conrad's eyes widened as he came to an understanding of her words. What she spoke was true, Layrim loved him most of all the children of the Lords of the three tribes even more than the King's son, he could even be said to have more prestige than the Lords themselves and he was closer to the people than the King. In Layrim, Conrad’s prestige was invincible, to the people he was a figure of the same level as the lost knights, perhaps even higher.

"My apologies Elizabeth, does that soothe you?"

"It does" she replied with a bow.

"Since you will not take off the armor, we will walk within the castle." She said and began walking toward the main building of Khalon's castle.

Conrad stood rooted to his spot as she walked away, what was she saying? She spoke of him like his did not affect her, the ladies of Layrim would be dreamed just by the calling of his name. He remained confused trying to find meaning to her words and reasons for her actions until she called.

"Are you coming or are you too ashamed to walk with a lowly Lady?" she did not speak of herself as being inferior but she spoke with humility. Conrad immediately pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind and followed her as they walked around the castle of Khalon and enjoyed the air of spring. He concluded that she was just a little bit unintentionally arrogant... If that was possible.

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It was dark by the time Conrad arrived at the tower prepared for him and his sister, she was to stay in the room adjoining his. He dragged himself through the stairs to the top of the tower, as he opened the door of his room, he saw his sister Isabella sitting by the window of the tall structure. He took off his armor and joined her, he was still amazed by the composure of the Lady Elizabeth as she spoke nerve-racking words peacefully. 

"Nice night for a walk don't you think?" Isabella asked as Conrad sat beside her on the window. All he could give in reply was hmmm as he continued to wonder over Elizabeth.

"She leaves everyone who meets her in a trance" Conrad was brought to the present by his sister's words.

"What? Who?" he asked pretending to not know of what she spoke.

"Stop! I saw you with Lady Elizabeth from here"

"You shouldn't have watched"

"I saw her coming to the training ground and waited for the fun to come when she sees your skill after you pretended to be incapable of handling a bow"

"Yeah that didn't go well, but she said nothing of my pretense"

"So tell me, what is it that leaves you in this state? Her attitude?" Isabella asked, she did not expect the witty Conrad to be perplexed by Lady Elizabeth, although she knew well of the songs written in the latter's name. Of how she left Lords and Ladies in amazement by her composure and control over her words and actions.

"I don't know Bella, she's...weird...How old is she? She's a witch for sure"

"The scrolls say... at the end of every day, she writes on her palms her mistakes, those she said wrong and her misdeeds...the lords believe her to be a legend and her words to be sorcery, the likes of those who attended to Lalin the great Knight" Isabella replied reminding Conrad of the words written about Lady Elizabeth...

"Those cannot be true, write on her palms mistakes of the day? That’s like being kept in a cage and naming it perfection"

"So tell me brother, what was it that she said?"

Conrad took a deep breath and then began to relate to his sister all that happened with Elizabeth... when he was done, Isabella began to laugh at her brother and his thoughts...

"So she is as the scroll says..." she exclaimed climbing down from the window back into the room. 

"I'll go to bed now son...." she continued and made to leave the room, Conrad couldn't escape the smug expression on her face but chose not to speak about it. As she approached the door she turned to Conrad and asked a question he was least expecting.

"Why do you think she asked you to walk with her?"

"I don't know... you tell me" he answered not ready for the sarcasm he expected to follow...

"She is impressed by you Conrad, I know what the Bards sing and the words of the scrolls, I also know she is a girl, and you Conrad, you are the dream of many Maidens. The Lady only expressed herself in simple ways keeping control over her tone and expression...is simple so difficult to understand?"

"Isabella, we are talking about Lady Elizabeth of Taliha the cautious one of Layrim" he replied doubting every word from his sister and surprised she wasn't just continuing with her jokes.

"Yes, and you are Lord Conrad of Lalin, the courageous one of Layrim and bane of its girls. Who is it most loved by Layrim? And who is most honored and celebrated? Is it not you Lord Conrad?" she asked in a smooth, flat tone of finality and left the room and Conrad to his thought.

The training of Lords and other nobles to become the Revival was tough and very interesting for Conrad who to Lady Elizabeth's displeasure kept hiding his abilities and skill.

"Thank you for having I teach you the art of archery from the Legends scroll, you may proceed to King Julius except you Lord Conrad, please would you ride with me to the craftsman?" Elizabeth announced one day after training. Conrad was intrigued by the Lady, although each day he looked forward to learning to wield the sword from King Julius, he agreed to go with her.

"Yes, My Lady"

They walked together in silence toward the stables where their horses were, both had Maje's, while Conrad's was black and Majestic, Elizabeth’s was white and simple, though it was also a mighty warhorse.

"I never got to ask why you hide your skill with the bow Conrad." She asked as they mounted the horses, Conrad hesitated, choosing his words carefully before he spoke.

"I do not feel worthy of Knighthood and an elite knight must wield every weapon available in Layrim. If I can’t use a bow… " he stopped. She understood his meaning, if he couldn’t aim an arrow even with his skill in other weapons, he would not meet the requirement. A knight of the Lost had to be proficient in at least four weapons, and among those four, swordsmanship, archery, and dual daggers were compulsory.

"So you do not want what Lady Isabella wishes? To protect the people of Layrim?" Elizabeth asked intrigued to learn that Conrad the great lacked self-esteem, she was even more surprised that he rejected his identity as a noble Lord.

"If I were instructed to enlist in the army, then I wouldn't mind, but how can I live up to the Legend of the Lost? How can I live up to Lalin the great? For sure I cannot lead Lalin, how can I accept this responsibility of a Knight?" What was wrong with opening up to her? She would be an Elder if she were older, surely she could guide him. So Conrad thought and so he spoke his heart.

"You know of all the Lords with this responsibility I think you Lord Conrad are the one worthy of leading Layrim's Knights, not just being part of the Revival"

"Why me?" Conrad asked with, a frown revealing his surprise.

"Because although you are a Lord of the house of Lalin and a great swordsman, you have the heart of a leader, you think you are not worthy and I think that's what drives you to do your best. You do not have to be Lalin, because you are already Conrad, within and beyond Layrim you are the youngest and one of the most prestigious mercenaries. And you recognize that being part of the Revival is more than just knighthood, you understand that we must be more than soldiers, that is why you should lead us" With those words she beat the ropes of her horse and rode toward the gate of the castle, after a few seconds of hesitation Conrad followed and they rode in peaceful strides to the craftsman's workshop. He was lost for words and was even more confused when she used ‘we’ in referring to the Revival.