The earthy knight

        After getting dressed for the evening event, May and Miusa escorted me to the event alongside my many maids.

        

        As we approached the center for the event, I noticed a strange movement in the distance. Miusa gasped, her hands going over to hold my arm in fear. May quickly moves to cover me as the movement became louder, the guards coming into a stop to shield us with their swords and spears, leaving us in the center for protection.

        

        It was dark at this side of the castle and the center where the event was happening was still a bit far from us. 

        Someone may most likely be here this minute, trying to kill me. But I wasn't scared. 

        

        Where did all this paranoia suddenly come from? I question myself as I slowly scanned the trees.

        The plants made sounds again, Miusa's gasps getting louder.

        "Quit gasping like that, Miusa! You can defend yourself!" May scolded her.

        

        "Who's there?! Show yourself!" One of the guards calls fiercely.

        

        The movement quiets down immediately. We wait for someone to walk out from the dark, or even to attack or to strike, but nothing. I look closely into the distance and thought I saw the image of a person, standing tall just behind the tree.

        

        The image disappeared immediately and I started to question myself. Was there really someone out here trying to kill me? Did they kill my parents too?

        

        Miusa gasps again.

        "Miusa! Quit....." May started to scold her again but instead, Miusa quickly cut her off.

        

        "Did you see that person?! " She explained "tell me you all saw it."

        

        "Who's there?! Show yourself right now!" I said finally, my eyes straining to picture the person hiding in the shadows. 

        

        Then, as If my voice was the summoning they needed, a face appeared from the leaves gathered up on the tall tree. Everyone looked now to find a man dropping onto one of the strong branches of the tall tree right in front of us. 

        I tilt my head, trying to see his face properly. But his face is concealed with a deep ashes clothing that covered his entire face except for his two eyes, a scar appearing to be fading fast along his left eye.

        

        There was something about those eyes. About the dark shades of the eyes as they watched me intensely. This man is tall and well built, his body clad in black warrior outfits. His hair is white with a few strands looking rusty and grey. There's a band wrapped around his forehead, a particular craving on it. 

        

        My eyes widened at the realization of who he was, as I recognized him.

        

        Kael StarSeeker.

        

        In one swift move, he had dropped off the branch and was standing tall in front of me, a few feet away. 

        

        The guards quickly pulled their swords towards him.

        

        "Stand down!" I command them and they reluctantly lowered their weapons.

        

        All this time, my eyes never left Kael. He was here, in flesh, after so many years. 

        And even after those many years, my heart still managed to beat so painfully after him. What was this feeling? It's different from what I felt before as a child. And it was pushing me into his arms.

        

        "I mean no harm," Kael said, his voice now deeper and even more calmer than I remembered it "I came to give my condolences to your Queen."

        

        I feel butterflies in my stomach, and I feared it will rupture any time soon from the sight in front of me, and all the blood rushing through all the veins inside my body.

        

        May, Miusa and the rest of my maids moved behind me, their heads lowered as Kael approached me. Why was he here today of all days after all these years? And even though I couldn't see his face, he looked older than the Kael that I used to know.

        

        "Kael....." I call softly.

        

        Kael stops in front of me, his eyes watching mine intensely.

        Back in the mountain school, Kael barley ever spoke to me. He was always quiet and preferred his own company. He didn't keep any friends and didn't like to speak much. He always carried a relaxed face, making it hard for anyone to know what was going on his mind or head.

        

        He only started speaking to me the same year he graduated from the school. And now he came all the way here to give his condolences to me?

        

        He put a hand up and pulled down the cloth covering his face, revealing his sharp nose to me. His lips still looked as beautiful and sensual as before, only a bit rough now. His hair is a bit shorter but the front strands still covered a considerable amount of his face just like before. 

        

        "I'm sorry for the death of your parents, the king and queen," he said softly "and I heard that you would be choosing your husbands tonight." His voice soothed my heart. Nothing had managed to make me feel this way in the past few days.

        

        "Did you come to attend the ceremony too?"

        

        He shakes his head negatively, "I came just to see you, Your Highness." He replied.

        

        "I want you to come." I said to him. His eyeballs moved from side to side as his eyes watched me closely. The silence slowly picked up.

        

        "I should have come back to you quicker," he finally spoke "but I was away after I left the mountains. And I never got to see you again. But this is where I leave you, Aurora." 

        

        He said my name....

        

        "You make such a beautiful Queen, you'll make a perfect bride too." He adds.

        

        I watched as he took slow steps backwards and just like he came, disappeared from my sight. And I actually heard the cracks as my heart broke.

        

        I felt May's hand around my shoulder before she said "we should go now."

        

        I turned around and watched where the light was coming from and decided that just seeing Kael was enough for me. I didn't want more than that. I am going out there and am going to do what I owe to my people.

        

        So I raised my chin high and started towards the open space. The entire place is lit up and filled with plenty of people, all from within the kingdom and from the invited kingdoms.

        

        

       It's going to be a long night, I thought as I first notice the chief men all standing around, waiting for me, and their heads turning as soon as they see me.