"I met her on the streets…"
Valon said quietly, his voice soaked in memory. The past played clear in his mind—still crystal, still sharp. No matter how many times he wished to forget… he never could.
---
"Be my knight."
A young girl, no older than six or seven, stood proudly in front of a beggar boy—roughly her age but lightyears apart in fate. He was malnourished, crawling through the dirt-stained alley, clutching a piece of dirty bread and cleaning it on his sleeve.
"W-Who… are you?" he asked, his voice barely audible, eyes wide with disbelief.
"I'm Samantha Ironhart," she declared proudly, chin raised high, "the only princess of Eleanor. I saw how you fought those boys just now."
Her smile gleamed despite her broken front tooth. "Hehe… become my knight," she giggled, extending a tiny hand toward him.
"Lady Samantha, you shouldn't touch the beggar…" another girl whispered nearby—gentler, more reserved. Ruby. A small child with bright eyes and a cautious heart.
"No! I'm making him my knight, Ruuuby~" Samantha shot back, puffing up her cheeks.
The boy stared, stunned. A royal… talking to him? The weight of it left him dazed.
"…Will I… get food… if I become your knight?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yes!" she beamed. "A tummy full of food! I'll tell Father to give you lots! If you become my knight, I'll make sure you eat until your belly bursts!"
"I'm Samantha, and this is Ruby, my best friend. What's your name?" she asked, full of innocent energy.
"…Don't have one," the boy mumbled.
"Huh?" she tilted her head, eyes wide. "You don't… have a name?"
"…No."
"What? That's not allowed! Hmm…" She tapped her chin, eyes sparkling with excitement. "If you're going to be my knight, then I'll name you! You'll be… Valon! Yep! Valon's your name now!"
---
"It was one of the stupidest…" Valon muttered, a pained laugh escaping. "But the most important decision of my life. I chose… to protect her. I chose to be her knight."
His voice faltered. His body began to tremble.
"It was her fifteenth birthday. I remember it so clearly."
---
"Daughter, do you want something for your birthday?" Elie Ironhart—graceful and kind—smiled at her daughter, brushing a hand through her hair.
"I want to see the whole kingdom, Mother!" Samantha grinned, her youthful joy radiant.
"Happy fifteenth birthday, darling," Elie whispered, hugging her tightly. Then she turned to the two standing nearby. "Ruby, Valon. Come. You're part of this too."
She ruffled their hair and pulled them close. "Stay together. Always. And you—" she looked at Valon—"Protect my girls, okay, little knight?"
"Yes, Lady Elie! I swear to protect Miss Samantha with my life!" Valon declared, placing a fist to his chest, voice loud and proud.
"Big words for a little knight," Elie chuckled, rubbing his cheek. "But I believe you."
"Let's visit the royal bakery!" she said.
"Yaaay!!" Samantha squealed, grabbing Ruby's hand and pulling her forward.
But just then—
"Queen Elie, His Majesty summons you."
A cold voice echoed from the hall. A boy—early twenties—stepped in. Elric Ironhart.
"This child… call me Mother next time, Elric," Elie said gently, before walking past him.
Elric stood frozen for a moment. Then turned to the three teens, his gaze filled with quiet, murderous intent.
---
"I should've known, Nyx," Valon's voice cracked. "I should've known that bastard was plotting something. I should've killed him the moment I saw him that day."
He gritted his teeth, fists clenched.
"Soon after… Lady Elie was dead. Poisoned. By the one she treated like a son. That bastard Elric."
He paused, swallowing hard.
"Samantha… broke. She didn't eat. Didn't drink. Not even a drop of water for a whole week. Just sat there. Waiting. Waiting for someone—anyone—to come comfort her."
"But nobody came." His voice dropped to a growl. "Not even her father."
---
Valon's eyes dimmed as the memory flooded in.
Samantha… being dragged through the palace like a criminal. Ruby and Valon tried to stop them—but they were children. Powerless.
Samantha didn't fight. She didn't cry. She just… let it happen. Her body limp. Her spirit shattered.
She was brought before the King.
Ministers. Nobles. Eyes full of judgment.
She looked up. Her eyes pleading. Her voice a whisper.
"Father… Mother is gone… Please… bring her back…"
And then—
"This wench should be executed," Elric sneered, stepping forward, full of mock grief and venom. "She poisoned the Queen. I say we hang her for it."
Samantha turned to him, shocked. Betrayed.
Before she could speak, Elric tossed a blue vial onto the ground, letting it shatter.
"She took Mother to the bakery and used this poison. All for her birthday celebration. Such a sweet daughter, isn't she?"
The King remained silent. Then finally—cold, detached, heartless.
"Take this criminal away."
Samantha's knees buckled. "FATHER! PLEASE! I DIDN'T DO IT!"
But the King never even looked at her.
"I didn't… I didn't…" She fainted mid-scream—thrown out like garbage along with Ruby and Valon.
---
"I should've broken free," Valon whispered. "I should've torn his damn throat out…"
His knees hit the floor.
"I promised Lady Elie I'd protect her. I took a vow… but... I failed."
Behind him, Nyx stood motionless. Not speaking. Not blinking. Not even breathing.
But the fire in his eyes—slow, silent, and terrifying—was rising. Growing. Eating at him like a storm.
A storm about to be unleashed.
---
Back in Samantha's room…
She lay curled on the bed, her head resting quietly on Ruby's lap. The room was dim, shadows stretching long across the walls, as if the pain inside refused to let the light settle.
Ruby didn't speak. She just sat there, as she always had—gently stroking Samantha's hair, her fingers moving slowly in a rhythm only best friends could share. Not as a maid. Not as a soldier. But like a mother comforting her child.
Samantha didn't move. Her eyes were open but distant, staring at nothing. Her body was here—but her mind was somewhere far away. Caught between the weight of the past and the uncertainty of tomorrow.
And then she whispered, soft and fragile:
"Ruby... let's just run away."
Her voice trembled slightly, as if the words hurt to say.
"Far from everything. From everyone. Just you, Valon, me… and Nyx. We'll disappear. We'll live quietly. Somewhere no one knows us. Somewhere no one can hurt us. We'll never come back. Not to them. Not ever."
Ruby remained silent for a long while. Because… she'd thought about it too.
There were days she wanted nothing more than to escape—to leave behind the cold marble of royalty and the blood-stained walls of power. To vanish into a world where crowns meant nothing, and peace wasn't a fantasy.
She had imagined it. A tiny house in a quiet village. No politics. No swords. No death.
But lately…
She'd been watching Nyx. Watching how he fought—not just battles, but the world itself. Watching him drag them forward, even when it hurt. Even when he bled.
And for the first time… Ruby felt like maybe it wasn't impossible.
Maybe they didn't need to run. Maybe they could win.
Samantha shifted slightly, her eyes flicking up—waiting for an answer.
Ruby looked down at her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Then she smiled, soft and aching.
"He said to believe in him… didn't he?" Ruby murmured, her voice low. "And every time… he's kept his word."
She paused.
"So please, Samantha… let's trust him. One more time."
It wasn't a command. It wasn't advice. It was a plea. A hope.
A desperate little belief… that maybe this time, they wouldn't have to run.