"Of course I'm coming back," she reassured him. "You should be more worried about yourself," she said, grinning. "I always was the better Knightmare pilot." Guilford laughed. There was a monotonous announcement that all troops were preparing to move out. Guilford pulled Blanks into a tight hug. This wasn't the first war either of them had participated in, but the fear of losing each other never faded.
"Good luck, brother," Blanks whispered into his ear before she skipped off to her Knightmare.
The sun was setting. Guilford was standing in the same spot he'd been in all day. He was staring down at a slab of rock, waiting for some sort of feeling to hit him. He felt nothing. Only empty.
Lynette Blanks was gone. The woman he'd been closest to. His sister, his best friend, his confidante. He would not see her again. Guilford had seen death before. He'd known people who had died in battle. He just never thought it would happen to someone like Lynette. Someone who was so full of life, and so deserving of that life.
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant." The voice startled him. He had been certain he was alone. He turned his head, seeing someone he hadn't expected. Cornelia. Her dark pink hair was falling to her shoulders in gentle curls. Her usual stoic expression had softened and held a look of genuine pity and sorrow.
"Thank you," he said stiffly. A small, irrational part of Guilford felt that Cornelia was responsible for Blanks' death. The rest of him knew he was just searching for someone to take his anger and grief out on. Still, he was not sure he could not control his emotions.
"She didn't die in vain," Cornelia continued, stepping closer to Guilford. "I hear our efforts in Japan are more than successful, thanks to you."
"Just doing my duty, Princess," Guilford said, bowing. He did not meet her eyes when he addressed her.
"Something about my presence bothers you?" she asked softly, sensing his irritation. Guilford tried to hold his tongue, but the words spilled out of his mouth before he had a chance to think twice.
"How could you let men go into battle without Knightmares?" he asked, his voice harsher than he had expected. "There were countless unnecessary deaths. Blanks died trying to help those without Knightmares." Cornelia was silent for a moment, studying his face.
"Guilford," she said, softly, "I do hold high rank in the military, but permitting those men to do battle was out of my control." Guilford wanted to believe her, he did. But the irrational side of himself dismissed her explanation.
"Guilford," she said slowly, drawing herself up to full height. "I have matters to discuss with you." Though she was smaller in stature than he, she still looked quite regal and commanding.
"I have heard of your valor in battle and know of your loyalty to your friends," she said, her voice never losing its compassion. "I want you to be my knight."
Guilford tried to show that he was not impressed with her offer. He had been trained for years that he should respect nobility, and he had a specific duty to respect Cornelia, for she was in line for the throne. Becoming Princess Cornelia's knight was an honor, yet Guilford felt it was just a way for her to mock him.
"Why?" he asked, the words spilling out of his throat before he could stop himself. "So that you can constantly remind me that you are superior? That my life is in your hands? My lesson is learned, Princess." Had the two of them been in public, he would never have addressed the Princess so. Yet, they were alone, and Guilford felt as though he could be more like himself. There was something about Cornelia. Perhaps it was the fact that he felt he had known her for so long, perhaps it was because they'd spent so much time training together, perhaps it was because he was vulnerable. He couldn't quite claim what it was, but around Cornelia, he felt free.
"No, Guilford," Cornelia said, laughing almost openly. "It is because I know you are capable. You're not like the other soldiers. There's something very different about you, aside from the fact that you excel at what you do. I trust you. I am honored to trust you with my life."
"You ask me to protect you, even when you see I cannot protect those that are most important to me?" he asked, motioning towards Blanks' grave. Tears were blocking his vision. Cornelia stepped forward and pulled him into a gentle embrace. She stood on tiptoe and whispered into his ear.
"I ask you to protect me because I know you will. You will protect me to the very end. I see everything you've done for Blanks and know I will be fortunate to receive half of that kind of treatment. You're my knight in shining armor, Guilford, I know it."
"Princess Cornelia," he said as she stepped back. His tone was something of awe. It wasn't the way he had hoped to sound, but that couldn't be helped now. He had always felt that Cornelia was mocking him. He never realized that she actually admired his skill.
Guilford bowed deeply, immediate respect for Cornelia filling his being. Her request had humbled him, silencing even his most irrational side. Once he thought Cornelia was arrogant, but now he realized her noble intentions were hidden behind this mask. All of the times that she had challenged him, all of the times she had pushed him harder and made him feel weak, were for his benefit. She had been looking out for him all along, trying to unlock his potential. Princess Cornelia, who had indeed made him the man he was, had named him as her knight. Her gentle words had somehow managed to ease the dulling pain inside his heart. She had given him a new reason to live. Thus, he would devote his life to serving and protecting her. Nothing else mattered to him anymore. She was all he had left.
"Guilford," she said, "bowing is hardly necessary. We are alone after all. I couldn't care less if you bowed to me or not. As long as I command your respect and have you by my side." Cornelia continued to speak as he straightened himself from his bow. "Do you accept?" she asked, in that ridiculously serious voice of hers.
"I accept," he whispered, stepping closer and taking her hand in his. "And vow to protect you with my life, as well as to carry out all of your wishes, whatever they may be."
As he looked into Cornelia's face, he suddenly realized what sort of reaction was happening inside him. Not only was he bound to Cornelia through the chain of duty, he was bound by another chain. A natural chain. The chain that his heart had forged since the moment he first laid eyes on the Princess, though the creation of this chain was unbeknownst to Guilford until this moment. Guilford, the knight to Princess Cornelia, was bound to her by love as well. Whether or not his ardor was returned was of little importance to him at the moment.
With one hand placed gently under her chin, Guilford drew Cornelia closer. Their lips brushed, though Cornelia's were stiff and unresponsive. Guilford shrank back at her touch, immediately regaining his senses. He stepped away, inwardly repulsed at his behavior. However, his heart was aching for what he had briefly experienced. He only wanted Cornelia.
He shook this idea aside, reminding himself that such behavior was hardly fitting for a man of his station.
"Forgive me, Princess," he said, bowing his head quickly and keeping his eyes focused on the ground. "I forgot my place." As he raised his head, he noted the shine in Cornelia's eyes. She stepped forward, placing her hand under his chin, mirroring his previous motions. She drew closer to him, smiling slightly.
"There is nothing to forgive," she said quietly. This time, as their lips touched, Cornelia's were entirely yielding. Her lips were soft and gentle, where previously Guilford had believed them to be rough in a way. They were always commanding and giving out orders. He had hardly imagined her lips to be this delicate, this wonderful. She let her fingers softly trace Guilford's sharp jaw line. Cornelia's smile widened.
"We are alone after all," she whispered against his lips.