The weight of a promise
The princess looked at the horizon expectantly; her beloved war maiden and her knight had embarked once more on the fight that existed against the barbarians. "Please come back safely, my light," she begged with a sigh. Every day when she got up, at noon after her classes, and before going to bed, she looked at the horizon, looking for the glow of some torch in the distance.
A week had passed since then, and the princess did not lose hope that she would return, perhaps unharmed or with a new medal marked on her skin. Her fingertips unconsciously caressed her lips, thinking about how her knight would be rewarded.
It was then that the march of the troops was seen in the distance. After two weeks of conflict, she was able to see the return of the sick, the old, and the wounded that made up the first company that arrived at the entrance of the castle.
But not her knight; she was not among them. "Where is your captain?" she asked them, but no one knew how to answer her, and everyone who came back looked at each other with shame.
Where is the light? She asked again, and her voice began to tremble with fear.
"Have faith; she will come back to you," an old soldier replied, kneeling down to be at the princess's level. "She is your strongest knight; have faith and wait for her, princess.
Amity wanted to believe her, but the look of the rest of the soldiers destroyed her hopes. The princess, feeling overwhelmed by fear, ran back to her room, locking herself in tight.
"Don't lose hope; she'll come back," she said to herself in front of the mirror. She waited again by the window in the morning, and it wasn't until noon that she could see him in the distance.
The second company arrived at the gates of the city. A part of her wanted to go to meet her at that moment, but it was not proper for a princess to act like this; she would wait with her mother, the queen, for the arrival of her sweet knight in the room of the throne.
The joys and praises once rained down on the troops that had defended Hibralt; the city had won much more than anyone could think at that moment. The laughter of the children, the smile, and the jubilation of the inhabitants of the city did little to ease the grief the troops were feeling at the time.
The whole parade seemed like a repeat of the one they had two weeks ago, with people celebrating, children laughing, and praise raining down on the brave soldiers who defended the city from barbarians and invaders who only sought to destroy what the ancient kings built upon throughout generations.
There was only one small thing that differed from this moment in the past: the kingdom's heroine was absent from the scene, but the people didn't seem to notice how the troops were led by a drooping prince, Edric.
There was no laughter, no jokes among the soldiers returning home, just a silence that was overwhelmed by the noise of the celebrations. Edric couldn't smile at a moment like this. "It's a victory, it's supposed to be, but at the same time, it's a great defeat." The prince's gaze was fixed on the castle that was getting closer. His pulse quickened from the nerves of telling the result of the battle, but what weighed him the most was
"How am I going to tell Mittens?" The prince whispered, looking up and seeing the same gate where he received his future sister-in-law a few weeks ago, "Waller, let me in. I must see the queen."
Edric ordered the guard, the expressionless gaze behind the helmet letting out a sigh: "Get in... and good luck, prince." I hear behind him mention the guard.
The heavy door of the throne opened, and Edric was greeted by the embrace of his younger sister. "Light, you're finally back!" Amity buried her face in Edric's chest.
Amity! Her voice made the young princess react.
-Edric?! Where is Light? Amity moved away from her brother's chest. The girl's eyes desperately searched for the knight, her knight in the room, but she wasn't there.
Luz Noceda had not returned home. Where is Luz? Where is she? You're probably out with the troops, right? The princess tried to take a step out of the room, but her brother stopped her by taking her by the wrist. Princess Amity felt her strength leave her body, and she fell to her knees. "Where is Luz? she asked again, and a couple of tears began to appear from one of her eyes.
Edric looked at her with a cold face. He wanted to look away from her, but he remained firm. "Please sit down, sister," Edric asked her in an almost monotonous tone. "There is something you should know." He took the contract that Belos had given him and left. He offered it to the queen; the signatures of the old warlord and the captain were at the bottom of the paper.
Is this true, Edric? What is written here is true. When Odalia questioned her son about the veracity of the present document, Edric could only nod at her mother's question and could almost swear for a moment that he saw her smile.
Mother, what does the document say? Amity tried to see over her mother's shoulder, but the queen offered it to her so she could see for herself what was written: "See for yourself, my daughter, and first of all, I'm sorry, my girl.
Amity did not understand her mother's words at first, but the more she read the paper, the more she understood why they were: "Why mom? Her voice broke, and Odalia could only extend her arms towards her daughter. She hated that gentleman, but she hated even more that this made her beloved daughter's smile disappear.
Amity's gaze began to fill with tears. She leaned on her mother's chest; she could only let everything out of her while her brother looked at the ground with conflicted emotions.
Edric felt helpless because of this; she was one of her best friends, and he couldn't do anything to save her. He had failed her, he really had, and now he couldn't do anything for her.
Luz woke up in a place unknown to her, took a deep breath, and was able to catch multiple scents in the air. The ash from the fire, the fat from the meat, and the sweet aroma of fruit alcohol were all within the tent where she had slept.
Finally, you wake up, foreigner. The voice of an old man made her turn around, and the old hierarch saw her with a satisfied smile.
There he was in front of her, one of the hierarchs of the barbarian clans, Belos the beast. Luz looked at him carefully. She strongly wanted to fight him, kill him, and run away to return to her love. "But that would be silly," I muttered in her mind.
She was no longer in her land; this was the home of the barbarians, a place truly far from home. She couldn't go back, not after everything she had been through.
Belos looked at her and raised her eyes to see beyond her; a smile marked her face. "It's good to know that I still have a chance to see them if I survive this winter." He whispered and left the cabin, giving her one last look, smiling at her, and murmuring, "Welcome to the family, Miss Noceda.
Luz felt her blood boil for a moment. She wanted to get up, take a piece of cutlery from the table, and stick it in the eye of that old demon, but a strong arm grabbed her waist and brought her back to bed. "Don't leave me little light," the voice of that warrior whispered in his ear. His blood quickly changed direction towards his ears, which began to burn with shame.
"If only I had been stronger," the girl murmured, remembering how she had ended up like this, in this situation so crazy and ridiculous that no one could believe it was something real or feasible for her.
You have my word, Captain Noceda! Belos the beast swore fervently, bowing, while the rows of barbarians roared in joy, as they would have gone all the way for one of them to get to the front.
The challenger observed her once he was in front of her. Luz could see part of her face covered by a helmet, and a smile formed on her face. "It's perfect." Luz managed to hear the warrior's voice say to the old warlord when I reached next to her.
The challenger snapped his fingers, making the barbarians form a circle around both of them. Luz watched him get ready, take his sword, and walk to a corner of the circle. The barbarian that he had to face in order to return home kept smiling, his gaze fixed on her.
"Damn it, stop looking at me wild." Luz growled in her head; she wanted to rip hers from her rival and see the fear of death in his eyes, but above all, she wanted to win this fight and go home with her beloved princess.
Both were now in the middle of the circle, beginning to spin without losing sight of the other, analyzing their opponent for some sign of weakness, an oversight, until they stopped, dissatisfied for not finding anything, and both drew their swords and threw themselves into combat. "For the kingdom and for princess Amity! Give me the strength to win today, princess.
Luz asked the heavens, the steel flashing for an instant as the metal of the swords collided. The barbarian's strength was superior to hers, but his movements were simple for Luz.
Her hands trembled as she separated from him. "I must win, but I must avoid intense clashes." Luz could feel it; the guy was stronger but not more skilled. "I must be faster, more precise, and not give him time to recover.
Hibralt's knight charged at the barbarian, cornering him against the wall of meat that his comrades had created. Come on, brat! Don't you dare lose—the voices of the barbarians echoed as they pushed her rival back against her.
Gathering momentum, the barbarian jumped and lunged hard against the ground. A dense curtain of dust formed around him. "It's my chance to end this." Luz pounced on him with an ascending thrust. The sound of screaming metal echoed in the makeshift arena. A sharp thud followed the screeching of metal, and slowly the curtain of dust dissipated.
Both had their swords on the other's neck; their gazes were fixed and immersed in the other's. Luz could finally see the face of the damned savage that was blocking his return to the fertile lands of Hibralt.
Well done, gentleman; not many have been able to reach this point. The barbarian congratulated her by pushing her sword away from her and stepping back to take her helmet. but I wouldn't expect less from you, Luz Noceda. The strongest knight in the kingdom!
Steel against steel again engaged in a duel for the survival of one of the two: "I will engrave my name in your memory, Knight of Hibralt, and I will claim you as my trophy." The barbarian again lashed out against her, and Luz gave a He took a breath and deflected his blow to the side.
You'll have to defeat me first, beast of the forest! Luz tried to attack him; small and accurate cuts were marked on her rival's skin, but he was not willing to give in and launched a side cut that she jumped around.
That's all? Come on, show me the true strength of Hibralt's knights! En provoked her, her sword pointing in the direction where she was standing at that moment.
He kept provoking her; the clash of swords kept repeating itself, and the result was the same. They had done this too many times, and for Luz, this had already lasted too long. Her hands began to tremble from the brute force that he demonstrated with each blow; his cuts were more and more precise, but in the same way, his own thrusts began to leave traces each time. of its passage over the body of the warrior.
Luz meditated, his sword held only by the little willpower he still had with it.
At the other end, the warrior was in no better position than her; the lost blood and the long fight were beginning to take their toll on her abilities. Luz could hear her ragged breathing in the distance, and she couldn't help but smile.
"Maybe I have a little chance," she told herself before tightening her grip on her sword and starting to walk towards hers for the last blow. - This is the Beast Moment; only one of us will walk out of here.
Luz declared openly, pointing her sword at the barbarian, looking at her, and returning the smile. "Amity, please allow me to be a little stronger today; may your hand guide my sword and your gaze be my next destination." Luz prayed and brandished his sword with force.
This is the end of the road, Noceda. The barbarian cried out and raised his sword at the same time as her; a roar echoed at the moment that both blades hit each other in the final onslaught.
A brief silence filled the place, a calm that was broken by screams of pain and agony from opposite directions, but both combatants were still on their feet, their swords broken, and the rest facing the onlookers.
-No no no no Nooooooo! The strident cry of the Hibralt knight surpassed that of the two unfortunates who had been the recipients of the broken blades.
Luz fell to her knees, her gaze lowering as she heard the warrior approach. "Just kill me, finish with this," she said, her eyes fixed on the broken sword. "No, I won't give them the satisfaction of finishing me off." Luz gritted her teeth and pointed at the remains, from his sword to his own neck.
They will never have the glory of finishing me off! I am Luz Noceda! Luz guided the sword to her neck. (Sorry, Amity, I have failed you, my princess.) Her eyes closed, and she surrendered to a sweet, sweet death.
She didn't feel any pain, just the warmth of her blood running through her. "I won't allow it, Noceda." The barbarian's voice made her open her eyes. The blade was buried in his hand. The warrior looked at her, and she felt lost for a moment in her gaze—a moment that he took advantage of to remove the blade from her hand.
-Because? ¿! Why did you save me? I am your enemy!" Luz screamed, pushing the warrior. "Let me die once and for all." She claimed him, but he just smiled and got up from the ground.
Because you're not mine yet and because you haven't given up yet, it's because the battle hasn't ended yet. The warrior responded and discarded his weapon. It seems that we are both unarmed; all that remains is to solve this in the oldest way possible. His hand was raised in the air.
"With your fists! he exclaimed. Luz sighed at the idiocy that the warrior dared to propose, but at the same time she couldn't help but see the appeal of hitting that damn man and breaking that perfect nose next to that sculpted chin and...
"Fuck"-Luz shook her head to expel all the unclean desires she felt towards the warrior; she had her beloved princess, Amity, the owner of her heart, and future queen Hibralt.
She was the person she loved, not a dirty savage with a sculpted body, a pair of arms perfect for hugging, and long blonde hair that she could spend hours styling. "Control yourself, woman! She is the enemy." Luz continued with her internal dialogue for a few more moments before reacting and recovering.
"Very well, savage, this is the true end; only one of us will get out of here." Luz began to run towards him with her fist in the air. She jumped and put all the force she had into the blow, planting her fist on the The warrior's face could feel how he receded.
But he didn't fall, and the laughter began to be heard again. "Well done, Noceda; that was a good blow, but it wasn't enough to finish me off." He approached and hugged her tightly. Luz could feel how the force left her body, and as it faded, cheers resounded throughout the camp.
Hours passed before Luz regained consciousness inside one of the barbarians' tents. Confused and surprised to still be alive, she went outside and could see how the day had given way to night and the heat of the battle had already died down. There were a lot of people in the camp.
The barbarians celebrated the victory of the young warrior with tribal songs, food, and drink. The barbarians rejoiced in jubilation at the success that the warrior had had in his rite: "He has awakened! The girl has woken up, one of them exclaimed upon noticing her head peeking out of her from the entrance and pointed at her.
Luz was taken by the wrists by two barbarian women and carried to the center next to the warrior; the cries of joy ceased once she was in front of him.
All her eyes were fixed on both of them, and Luz couldn't help but feel like it was a rare display for them! Luz Noceda—her name was called, and in the distance, Luz saw him approaching.
Belos walked towards them and looked at them carefully before speaking: "Luz Noceda, thanks to you, my nephew has managed to pass the tests imposed on him by the elder leaders of the tribes, but..." Belos paused. "There is still one last part missing.
He presented Luz with two things: in one hand was a necklace beautifully ornamented with tribal symbols and runes of the barbarians, and in the other hand was a short sword still sheathed by Captain Noceda. I present these two objects; you can only take one of them, and the one you choose will mark your destiny.
Luz felt tempted to take the blade; even sheathed, she could feel how it was calling her. Her mind screamed to take it, fight, and die like a hero, but her heart made her take the necklace.
Jubilation broke out in the crowd that had watched attentively all this time, and the warrior sighed with relief, standing up to be at his height. "Thank you, Luz, for not taking the sword." He thanked her and took the necklace around her neck. "You look beautiful with him," the warrior complemented her.
After that, the rest of her was a blur to Luz; she only remembered small traces of memory, and her headache didn't do much to help her. There were only two clear things for her, and they were that she had drunk like she had never done before, and that is why she had ended up sleeping with the warrior.
"I definitely can't go back to Hibralt anymore." Luz mused, her gaze fixed on the sleeper. In her head, she began to connect the pieces of all the events, getting closer to the truth, and she began to shudder at what was happening.
The ring on her finger sealed the deal, and a shrill shriek soon echoed throughout the camp.
A week later,
Princess Amity visited a neighboring kingdom with her family. Peace once again reigned in the lands of Hibralt thanks to the treaty that the barbarians had given their kingdom, but the princess could not feel happy for this peace, not one that had cost her your dearest person in the world.
The kingdom of Hibralt had dressed in mourning the day Captain Luz's sword had returned broken and bloody, along with some of her clothes and the letter announcing the result along with the promise of peace. Amity was now on a trip to the kingdom of Consorcia, the kingdom of music and art. Her mother had sent her with the idea that she get out of her head everything that had happened in recent times.
The weight of her and the guilt of losing her were too much for her; her wrists were now festooned with scars, and her eyes were reddened from nights she'd cried herself to sleep. Edric and Emira had been unable to cheer her up, and her mother had decreed that her youngest daughter would be visiting the neighboring kingdom with her brother Edric's fiancée.
far from home, far from everything that happened. Will I be able to move on? The princess questioned herself for a moment, sighing down. Even as the years passed, she would never be able to forget her, her first love, the person who illuminated her life and made everything easier to carry. No! I'll never be able to forget you! She swore in her heart that she would never love another person with the same intensity that she gave to Luz Noceda.
Princess Amity, my name is Willow Park, captain of Princess Skara's personal guard. Please follow me; I will escort you to Princess Skara. A female voice offered her a robust hand. Amity hesitated for a moment to accept it, but she finally took it timidly. Even if this girl was a knight just like Luz, there would only be a knight in her heart.
Amity took his hand and got out of the carriage, following her closely until she reached the entrance of the garden where the other princesses were waiting for him. She took a deep breath and her hand took a pendant from her neck, inside the image of her beloved knight. She smiled before entering, knowing that even without her, Amity would strive to be strong and wait for her.
Because in the end Luz was Ultimately My Knight in Shining Armor, Always Yours Luz Noceda/From Amity Blight.