The Princess Knight

At Dusk

At Dusk

The sun began to sink, casting the sky in crimson and gold. The castle grounds glowed beneath banners of white and silver.

I stood by the edge of the courtyard, watching as guests arrived one after another, lords and ladies draped in velvet, noblemen in polished armor, merchants, commoners, and knights. There were far more knights than I had expected; their armor gleamed like liquid fire beneath the sun. Father must be serious about making tonight special, I thought, smiling faintly.

Then, through the crowd, I spotted him. My father, King Maeric, stood at the back of the courtyard, deep in conversation with a few men. Their faces were grave, their voices hushed, it seemed a serious matter, but I paid it no mind. I ran toward him without a second thought.

Father was not only a king but a warrior through and through. Even after Mother passed, he never once faltered in his duty, neither as a ruler nor as a father. He carried the weight of the crown with quiet strength, and somehow, he still found space in that heavy heart of his to smile at me. To me, he wasn't just the King of Aurelen, he was my father. And in that moment, seeing him, stand out in his full glory, I couldn't have been prouder.

"Father!" I called, then quickly corrected myself, "I mean...Your Majesty."

He turned, a smile tugging at the edge of his lips, the kind that softened the sharpness of his eyes. He dismissed his men with a nod, and together we began to walk.

"I must admit, you've outdone yourself this time," I teased. "I thought Cousin Everen's feast was the grandest I'd ever see, but this__" I gestured toward the decorated arches and the ocean of guests "__this may just outshine it all."

He chuckled softly, though something heavy lingered in his gaze. "Little star," he said, the name he had always called me since childhood.

His hand rested gently on my shoulder. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The warmth of his touch was both comforting and unsettling, I could feel the weight of something unsaid.

Before he could speak further, a knight hurried toward him, whispering into his ear.

I watched as the color drained from my father's face. His posture stiffened, and in the next breath, the warmth in his eyes was gone, replaced by a cold urgency.

"Elowen," he said sharply turning to me. "Find Father Martins or Brother Kaius. Stay with them, and do not leave their side. Do you understand?"

"What's happened?" I asked, the question barely leaving my lips.

"Do as I say," he ordered, already turning away.

As he strode off, I caught a glimpse of the sword at his belt, his war sword, and the faint glimps of armor beneath his royal cloak.

The sight froze me.

Around the courtyard, more knights began to assemble, their armor catching the dying light. The air that once rang with laughter was growing tense, uncertain__ as if the wind itself sensed what was to come.

---

I looked around in distress__everywhere was loud with screams and yells, people running wildly, confusion and tension thick in the air. Cold sweat slowly rolled down my face. It was as though the world was spinning around me, my legs glued to the ground.

The last time I felt like this was when I lost my dear mother.

Just then, I heard a familiar voice__a voice I hadn't even realized I'd been longing to hear. It was my maid, Victoria. The moment her words reached me, something in my chest eased. It was like the world finally stopped spinning, if only for a second.

"Princess Elowen!" she called, rushing from behind.

"Victoria!" I turned sharply, panic laced in my voice.

"Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you," she said, breathlessly.

"What? W… What's happening?" I asked, panic rising even more.

"What is happening?" Victoria repeated, her brows knitting together. Then seeing my trembling hand, she walked close and held it.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes darting across my face in worry.

"You're sweating," she added softly, using the edge of her dress to dab the sweat from my forehead.

"Come, let me take you somewhere quiet."

Her voice was calm, and steady as She gently took my hand and led the way.

Victoria had been my personal maid since I was little. We grew up together, though she's a few years older, and she knows me better than anyone else. She could tell when I was slipping into one of my fits__ those strange moments when the world blurs and my chest tightens for no clear reason.

But… why was she asking what happened? It was obvious the whole place was in chaos... or… was it?

As she guided me through the crowd, I looked around__and froze. Nothing was happening.

The noise and screams I thought I'd heard were actually music and chants of celebration.

The people I thought were running in fear were simply dancing joyfully to the rhythm.

The noise I'd mistaken for terror was the sound of celebration.

Gradually, my heartbeat slowed. My breath steadied. And I realized__ nothing terrible was happening at all.

As we reached a quiet corner, Victoria turned to me, her face filled with worry.

"Wait here. I'll fetch your tonic," she said quickly, already turning to leave.

I caught her hand before she could go. "Have you seen Father Martins?" I asked, my eyes scanning the crowd behind her.

"I saw him in the ceremonial hall a while ago," she replied, then placed her hand gently over mine. "The court physician said you shouldn't be wandering about when your nerves are unsettled. Please, just stay here. I'll be back soon."

"But I'm fine now, I just—" Before I could finish, she was already hurrying away, her figure swallowed by the stream of guests.

I exhaled deeply, watching her disappear into the crowd. Of course, Victoria would never stop worrying over me__ even the smallest tremor in my breath was enough to set her heart racing.

Now, my tension had eased, the rush of panic fading into a dull calm. I had already forgotten the instructions my father had given me. My gaze wandered to the courtyard, where music and laughter filled the air. The people danced, their instruments echoing against the stone walls.

Watching them made me realize something painful__that perhaps most of them were here not for me, but for the Feast of Dawn.

Maybe it was just my insecure mind whispering again.

I remembered the countless occasions I had been taken to__ banquets, dedications, parade. All for reasons I was never told. "Your presence is needed, Princess," they would say, and I would go, smiling and bowing where I was told.

But that phrase had made me feel less like a person and more like an ornament—something to be displayed, not someone to be known.

That's exactly how I felt now, watching the crowd. It was about what I possessed, not who I was.

Then, admist the stream of people, I saw her.