Part Three

Knowing you care

The meal was over, and everyone in the great hall began to gossip, while he sat deep in thought. He remembered the day crystal clear, almost as if it was yesterday when he had spoken to Aurelia, and she had eagerly agreed for him to be her guardian, though reluctant about his friends being her uncles, as she hardly knew them.

From then on, he thought things were going well, as she seemed to be happy around them, though most time she did stay quiet, but he thought that she was still thinking about her parents, but then one night changed it all, and he realised that she still hadn't fully trusted him.

Flashback

860

5 years old

A month later

He had gone to check up on Aurelia since she had gone to bed early, mumbling that she was tired. Now as he peeped his head round the door, he could see that the bed sheets had been thrown aside, and her face looked flushed.

Concerned that she may be coming down with something, he walked into the room and appeared by her bedside, covering her up with the blanket again, which she had previously thrown off.

She began to stir, when he removed his hand from her brow, confirming his thoughts: she had the fever.

"You have a fever" he whispered to Aurelia who was beginning to wake and she revealed her blurry eyes to him.

He reached to pick her up and carry her to sickbay, but she flinched away from him, her wide eyes showing her uncertainty and distrust of him.

It pained him to see the distrust in her eyes…she was still afraid of him, even though she had been staying with him for a month now.

"Wait here" he said calmly, then disappeared from her room for a moment, ordering a nearby knight on guard to go fetch a medic, before he returned to her room, and by her bedside again.

She hadn't moved an inch since he had disappeared, although he could see that she was frightened and was struggling to remain awake.

Opening his arms to her, he motioned for her to come to him.

Aurelia had not let herself be held willingly since the confession in her room, a month ago, and just this once he hoped that she would liked to be held, without squirming or kicking, and he motioned again for her to come to him.

Her eyes seemed to be searching his eyes for something, anything to say that he wasn't going to harm her, and she slowly but cautiously began to crawl her way over to him and into his lap.

Happy, that she was starting to finally accept him, he smiled and closed his arms around the small child, protecting her, and he subconsciously began to rock her back and forth, lulling her to sleep.

"I care, Aurelia" he spoke softly and she fell asleep with a smile on her face, just as a medic arrived at the door.

End Flashback

After that night, he spent more time with Aurelia, and she slowly over time began to open up to him more, trusting him, and in no time at all, the two became inseparable.

Standing from his place, he walked out of the hall, and towards the castle wall, where he overlooked the forest and wondered not for the first time what like would have been like had Aurelia lived. He sighed and turned his back on the forest, and stared at the training grounds below him.

The knights had, had a few hours training this morning, and so now nobody was in the training grounds, most having gone home to their family for the day, or still sat in the hall, their friend Aurelia on each of their mind.

Intending on going down, and checking the weapons room, he descended the steps, and walked across the grounds until he stood outside the door, and instead of going in as he intended he found himself looking upon a familiar sight, and he looked along the corridor where he once did duty many years ago, as a young knight.

Being a young knight then he was often on duty, and had to take Aurelia with him, so she didn't cause trouble. He had several times tried to leave her with a babysitter, but every time they came back to him, frustrated, and would hand her over to him, saying that she had 'caused too much trouble'.

He remembered especially one day when he had been on duty, and she had caused more trouble than usual.

Flashback

861 - Six years old

Standing on guard, where he had been assigned to do duty, he could see in the distances a woman, with a small child at her side whom he could easily tell to be Aurelia approaching him, and he wondered what Aurelia had done this time.

Watching as they drew near, until the stood before him, Aurelia he noticed to be avoiding his eyes, instead looked down at her shoes finding them rather interesting, he turned his attention to the young woman who he noticed to be Ionae, and could see that she looked dishevelled and thoroughly frustrated.

"Something wrong?" he asked curious as to what sort of trouble Aurelia had been brewing this time.

"As a matter of fact there is" she clipped. "Concerning this charming young lady here" she said pushing Aurelia in front of her, to stand before her guardian.

"What did she do?" he sighed.

"I say not, only that Aurelia may enlighten you, and tell you the details" she said, then tucking a strand of hair behind her ear spoke

"Good day" then strode off down the corridor and out of sight leaving the two alone.

Yet another person who could not handle Aurelia for more than a couple of hours, before she started to cause trouble, though he wondered what she had done this time, as he knew that Ionae was a fairly patient gummi, didn't seem to have any patience left.

Turning his attention back to Aurelia who still seem to be looking at her shoes, or looking at things around her, doing anything to avoid his eyes, he knelt down to her level, and lifted her chin to look at him.

"What did you do?" he asked calmly.

She stayed silent, and seemed to searching his eyes for any anger, then seeing none, she began to tell the story from her point of view of what happened.

"It was an accident, honest" she blurted out. "I didn't mean to drop the stupid bag or-".

His finger on her lips caused her to stop talking.

"What bag?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at her, and trying not to smile.

She mumbled something incoherent, and he looked at her a bit more sternly, indicating he didn't hear what she just said. "Flour bag" she muttered.

He nodded his head guessing the rest of the tale, when he said "What happened to Ionae".

At this Aurelia's eyes widened and she immediately ducked her head, her cheeks aflame with embarrassment.

"Aurelia" he demanded, but careful not to sound too stern.

"I'm sorry" she muttered, her voice cracking and tears welding up in her eyes.

"Aurelia" he called softly "I'm not angry" he replied softly, lifting her chin again, so could see his eyes again.

"But I would like to know what happened" he said smiling, looking amused.

"S..she was…teaching..m..me how to do p..pancakes" she finally, replied. "She left a..and…I w..w..wanted to f…flip the…pan…pancake so I did…but it landed on her head!" she was wailing now, completely distraught, and mortified to what she had done.

Unaware of the strong arms around her, and the laughter of her guardian, she buried her head in his neck.

End of flashback

For some reason that particular memory never failed to make him laugh, and he shook his head sideways. He hadn't punished her for what she'd done as both he and Ionae knew it had been an accident that the pancake had landed on her head, and she had simply been there at the wrong time and place. Instead he only asked her to clean the kitchen, which had been left in a complete mess, with flour dusted everywhere.

Realising that he hadn't budged a inch since arriving here, and being lost in thought he soon figured an hour had passed, and he closed his eyes for a moment to clear his head, before opening them again, but they were filled with sorrow and pain, instead of joy and happiness he had experienced just but a moment ago.

Sighing, he felt empty without Aurelia around for she always seemed to make him smile, and seem more alive, especially when she was off on one of her adventures, and he walked into the weapons room.

TBC…

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