Authors Note:This is a story I wrote for my 8th grade Language Arts final. It doesn't 8th grade level suck, but it is old.
I came up with this idea just as Birth by Sleep was being announced, and finished just before (or just after?) the designs of Isa and Lea were announced. I do not dispute the canon designs and stories of Isa and Lea, but I'm still proud of the version I made before I knew the truth, and I'd be happy if others could perhaps appreciate it for what it is, an inspired yet original story. Thank you, and enjoy!
The banging of metal heels on stone echoed throughout the castle's walled garden. Startled from their perch, a trove of brilliant white doves lifted off of the stone wall, blossom covered vines twirling around its supports. The usual beauty of the garden was ignored, beautiful spring ferns and fauna passed without a glance. A lavender cape whipped out of sight,momentum flinging it around a corner. The scenery changed from the white, fern covered stone of the outer garden to the palace's gray interior, the loud banging of steel boots becoming a steady clacking against the polished floor. Racing past several intricate stained glass windows, the thundering footsteps finally slowed near the end of the hall.
Aware of the authority he was facing, the knight took a deep breath before rounding the last corner separating him from the throne room. He made his way across the spacious, well-lit chamber in the most dignified manner he could muster. Stopping at the feet of the great, golden throne, he bowed deeply before the King of the castle, rising to address the man standing beside him only after he was sure the sincerity of his gesture was clear. Or at least, that's what he hoped it looked like. In reality, he was actually using that time to catch his breath, hiding all evidence of his previous flight.
With that done, he turned to the other knight, each word spoken with even authority, echoing slightly in the large room.
"You need not stand there any longer. The responsibility of guarding the king falls to me now."
The young knight currently standing guard replied with a clear voice; one that could not be called childish, yet had not yet been touched by the rough tones of a man.
"I needn't dismiss myself yet, if there's something you still need to do. I wouldn't mind staying another shift."
Face brightening, he leaned closer to the other knight.
"Really, you'd actually take over my shift?" He attempted to stop the joy in his voice from reaching the old king's ears. "That's fine with me! I have better things to do than stand next to the old goat until my legs go numb!" A playful smile formed on the others face.
"I figured that since you'd goof off anyway, I might as well give you permission." He winced as the other playfully jabbed at his side with a plated elbow.
"Well, Isa, maybe I figured that since you like the guy so much," the knight mimicked, "you'd do a better job!"
"You best run off before I change my mind!"
With a quick thanks, the knight turned to leave, mumbling something about a woman in the garden, his running figure mirrored on the reflective gray floor.
Isa watched him leave from his position beside the king. he stood proudly, the royal crest adorning the shining silver chest plate of his armor. An extremely large, wide-bladed claymore lay effortlessly across his back, covered by the lavender of his head knight cape that split at his knees. Above the cape's tall collar, Isa's handsome face was framed by a slender skull; slim nose and a gleaming pair of deep-set eyes were supported by his squared chin, their golden orbs so brimming with life that their narrow sockets seemed hardly able to contain them. His blue hair was so dark it was almost black and tied tightly behind his head in a long braid that rested on his shoulders. Despite being considerably younger than most of his rank, Isa stood almost equal in height to his fellow knights, being exceptionally tall for his seventeen years.
Isa turned to look down at the king. It was he who had helped young Isa, a lowly field boy, when he had returned home from the forest to find his small cottage in memory held no sadness for Isa, as it marked the day when he had met the king. His majesty had offered Isa his hand, providing him with one of the most honorable professions, supplying him a permanent place in royal society that guaranteed him a bright future. The king had given Isa everything he had ever wanted, and the person he respected more than any other.
The King was a tall, jolly looking man. His wide jaw combined with his short, thick, curly brown hair gave his face the impression of a square. The shadows cast by his thick eyebrows couldn't extinguish the sparkle in his brown eyes, dark and deep like the bottom of a great well, so you could hardly see his pupils. The king looked powerful, hands laying against the curled arm rests of his throne, whose back was adorned with a beautiful fan of purple peacock feathers.
Isa smiled fondly at the King. When he'd first arrived in the castle, the obligation he'd felt to the king had been immense. After nine years, that gratitude had not declined an inch and, always determined to live up to it, Isa had spent an infinite number of moments identical to now, standing beside the throne, reluctant to leave the king's side. Lost in his thoughts, Isa's eyes wandered about the room, resting on the beams of golden light cast by the rows of windows that lined the halls. He looked distractedly between the other windows, suddenly aware of the time. Glancing back to the king, a pair of brown eyes rose to meet his.
"Go on, Isa. You've already done more than enough for today, and it's obvious that you have other things to do. Meanwhile, there are plenty of other knights more than eager to take your place, if a certain mad dash through the castle is any indication." Isa thought there was a hint of laughter hidden in the darkness of those eyes. "We mustn't let them get lazy, Isa." Isa agreed, laughing as he ran off in the direction of the patio.
Miles above ground, a set of glass double doors opened into the patio. The round stone platform jutted out from the castle wall into the open air, casting shadows over a row of gargoyles below. Walking to the edge, Isa leaned against the rough concrete railing, admiring the breathtaking view. The jem-rich mines of the mountains towered impassibly at the edge of the horizon above the vast expanses of densely packed trees of Quaint Forest, which stopped abruptly behind wooden fences that bordered the far fields of Peaceful Village. The castle rose defensively over it's people, the great moat that separated them sparkling with sunlight.
"There he is, Isa, high knight of the royal castle, the king's pet." The familiar voice breaking apart his thoughts, Isa realized that he'd been too fixated on the scenery to notice the glass doors of the balcony opening behind him. He now turned to face its owner.
"Having a low rank that requires you to stand guard outside the gates all morning is no reason to be bitter, Lea, and it's certainly no reason to keep me waiting." Lea laughed as he walked up the the railing beside Isa, giving a quick glace to the landscape before hoisting himself onto the railing.
"Not everyone enjoys taking extra shifts, you know. The sun turns armor into an oven, and I have to stay out longer because there's some disturbance stalking outside the castle walls, and most of the guys are out on patrol looking for it!" Lea shut his eyes against the rays of the setting sun, sighing dramatically. "And as soon as my shift ends, I have to come back out here to meet you!" He kicked his legs though the air, the sunset reflected off the many plates of his armor.
"You do know that's dangerous, don't you?" Lea turned to Isa, his expression of mock exhaustion quickly replaced by a large grin. He extended an outreached hand, offering it to the young knight.
"Of course I do, but that hasn't stopped us before, has it?"
"I know," Isa lifted himself over the railing, leaving Lea's hand hanging, empty, "every day at sunset,"
"where we can feel bigger than the mountains." Lea finished, pushing Isa with his ignored hand so he struggled to remain balanced. "Still, you hear a lot at the gates. Recently rumor has it that the king hasn't got what it takes to lead a kingdom anymore."
"Who are they to judge his majesty, after all he's done for them!?" Isa's hand unconsciously strayed to the kilt of his large claymore.
"Hey, calm down! I'm only the messenger; don't go swinging your sword at me!" Isa took a slow breath, returning his hand to the stone railing. Lea relaxed and thoughtlessly continued.
"If you think they gave the King a bad rap, you should hear what they're saying about the queen!" Lea talked excitedly, thrusting his arms forward as he spoke. "So apparently she's obsessed with being the most beautiful woman in the land or something, so some people are saying she married the king just the keep an eye on the late queen's pretty princess; and as she's become more and more beautiful, the queen has become more and more jealous, and now she's planning on murdering her!" Isa could not believe what he was hearing.
"Kill the young princess? That's preposterous! Besides, she's the king's daughter; he'd have her head!"
"No no, it gets better, these folks have got all their bases covered!"
"As if I want to hear the lecherous gossip you hear at the castle walls." Lea was laughing at the absurdity of what he was saying, and Isa wished he'd stop, knowing full well that there was no stopping Lea when he was having fun.
"You see, it was no wonder that the king remarried, with his wife gone and the fairest in the land making herself known. However..." Lea was almost breaking into giggles, obviously enjoying himself, "however, the queen is also a witch!" Lea had to stop now, the strength of his laughter making it impossible for him to continue.
Isa was glad for the rest. Lea's story, no matter how absurd, was making him uncomfortable; especially now that that subject had turned to the queen. Isa had already been joined the castle's ranks when the king decided to remarry, and he was ashamed to admit that he wasn't all that happy for him. Something about the queen had always made him nervous, though he doubted it was as serious as black magic.
", she's been accused off conducting witchcraft in the dungeons, tainting his heart," Lea's voice drew him out of his thoughts, and hard as he tried he could not will himself to ignore his friend. "She cast her spell on him; bending the king to her will and bringing the downfall of the kingdom in the process. So even if she did kill the princess, the king wouldn't raise a hand to stop her!"
Isa glared at Lea, who struggled to remain balanced on the railing, his laughter having started up again.
"I don't see how you can find this so funny. What you're saying is downright treason." Lea saw Isa's face and worked to regain his composure.
"Look, you're taking this way too seriously. Like I said, pure insanity." Lea leaned back, letting the rays of the falling sun warm his face.
"And anyway, why would you want to kill someone because they're beautiful? I say, let'em have kids to pretty up the population; heaven knows some of us would like a sight for sore eyes." He straightened again, putting a hand on his chin and grinning thoughtfully. "In fact, if I were to hook up with the up-in-coming fairest, we'd probably have the perfect children." Isa guffawed, flinging a hand over his mouth to suppress unsuccessfully restrained laughter.
"You? The princess? I should you locked up in the dungeons for that ridiculous idea, pedophile." Lea's eyes widened in mock horror.
"The princess? I was talking about you!"
"You sick little-!" Isa punched Lea in the arm, bowing his head to hide his flushed cheeks.
"That's right- you need to stay though to make sure that witch doesn't get you! Hair black as night, eyes gold as the sun," Lea paused dramatically, lifting Isa's chin so he could stare into his eyes. "and cheeks as pink as pansies!" A loud clang rang through the air as another punch hit Lea's armor plating. "Okay, I get it! Can't talk about that either." Lea gave him a smile full of laughter, one that was impossible not to imitate on sight. "So, how about we talk about the most wonderful thing in the world? Me." Isa smirked.
"You?" he echoed, "who about 'face like a pig'?"
"Hey!" But Lea's complaints were drowned out by Isa's haughty laughter.
In truth, Lea was very handsome. A year older than Isa, Lea wore the same silver armor as he did, without the lavender cape of a head knight. His hair flowed behind him in a golden wave, blended with all the colors of a flame. His lips always seemed to be parted in a teasing grin, a deviant twinkle sparkling inside his striking green eyes.
"Sure, you're pretty- ow- but cut a guy some slack!" Lea's face was turned into a mock pout, quickly replaced by hs favorite grin. "Remember who always gets asked out at the balls?"
"That's only because you stand guard right where they come in- which is why you turn them all down, right?"
"Oh, I've accepted a few of the prettier ones..."
"We'll you're not supposed to! You're on duty!" Lea sighed.
"You've always been like that, endlessly devoted. It seems like you haven't left the king's side since you got here- how long ago?"
"Nine years. I was eight."
"Eight!" Lea flung his hands into the air, his feet still swinging back and forth so that his boots made a metallic thump on the worn stone banister.
"We're supposed to be loyal; we're his subjects. Besides, I'm not with him now, am I?"
"Yeah, and he probably needed a crowbar to pry you away. You go way beyond loyal, Isa." A strong wind blew across the knights' shining shoulder plates, blowing Isa's braid lazily across them. "It's getting pretty late, and my inside shift probably starts pretty soon. You coming in?" Lea offered his hand to Isa, and this time he took it, allowing the older knight to help him off the railing.
"No, I won't be coming in quite yet actually."
"Got a reason for that?" Isa considered Lea's question as he looked out into the now darkening sky.
"There's going to be a full moon tonight, and I'd like to at least catch a glimpse before I leave. I have a feeling it's light will shine down on many interesting things tonight."
"Doesn't always? Night's a scary time." Lea turned towards the glass double doors, looking at him warmly from over his shoulder. "Well, don't stay out to late; you'll catch your death of cold." Isa nodded as Lea disappeared silently behind the glass.