"Kent..."
The red-headed commander of the Caelin army stopped his horse and turned around. He saw the slight frown on my face and asked, "What is bothering you, Lady Lyndis?"
"Oh...it's nothing, " I said. Lately, I had been wondering why my head knight was always at my side. He knew better than anyone else that I could easily protect myself, yet he was always bothering himself with my safety. "Except..."
"If something is bothering you, milady, you can tell me. I will always be here for you, to protect you and to listen to you."
I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to ask. I had to let it out. "Kent, I am strong enough to cope with what is wrong. I can protect myself. I need nobody to stay with me. You know this better than anyone else, so why am I not alone? Do you hope to gain a higher position, or a bonus from my grandfather when we return to Caelin? You are already in one of the highest positions one can reach!"
"Lady Lyndis, I have one thing to gain, and everything else to lose. Unfortunately, that long list includes you I couldn't live knowing that I let you die while neglecting my duties."
I was so unprepared for an answer like this, that my cheeks flashed every crimson, magenta, pink, rose, and every last shade of red. As I slowly stepped back, I mumbled, "I... I apologize Kent. Pardon my rudeness." I swiftly ran away to finish the battle. Anything to get away from that embarrassment.
I slowly walked back to my tent. It had been a long battle: the longest one yet, but she had not been sorely wounded. After leaving Kent, she had not seen him since. I held my side where I had a small flesh wound. As I slowly walked back to my tent, I heard a shaft slice through the air by my head, catching me off guard.. A second arrow hit me in the shoulder as I turned around, and a shape on a horse came from behind me. That was all I remember before everything went black.
"Lady Lyndis?" I opened my eyes to see Kent looking over me with a worried expression. He let out a sigh of relief as I opened my eyes, and I looked to my left to see Lord Pent holding a staff to heal my wounds, who left me alone with Kent in the infirmary when he finished. After his relief settled, Kent looked ad me with a serious expression. "I would like to fully answer your question from earlier. I'm afraid I didn't give you the full truth."
"It's all right Kent. I understand." I stood up and tried to start walking, but Kent stopped me. He pulled me down onto the bed and seated me.
"I must speak of it, Lady Lyndis."
"I really must be going now, Kent..." I attempted to get away again, but he pulled me back down.
"Please listen!" He held my hand firmly to prevent me from escaping.
"Kent! Let me go!"
"I cannot Lady Lyndis. Even if I wre not your knight, I could not bear to part ways with you.
"What.. what are you saying?"
"When I first laid eyes upon you in Sacae, I was sure that you were who Sain and I had been sent on a mission to retrieve. That was also where I started to fall in love. As I got to know you better, I fell deeper in love, resisting, because it was unbecoming of a knight to fall in love with his lady. No one ever suspected that such a dutiful knight could ever have forgetten his duty. But the said knight has. I hve forgotten my duty for over a year now, and my mind pulls me to duty, but my heart shoves me away from it, so I settled in the middle where I would keep my affection from anyone, but put on the facade of a truly virtuous knight. I am, however the least virtuous of any knights. I hope that you will not banish me from your side after hearing this, Lady Lyndis, but I have not yet lied to you, and I do not intend to lie about love."
"Kent... No, I hope that you will stay by my side. It has made me happy. Please... please never let go of my hand."
Well, that's it. I've been thinking about this story in bed for a while now, and well, let's just say it's better in an intangible form.