It was dark in the room but I recognized them immediately and I tried to act normal, briefly glancing at every single one of them before I, as usual, hung my weapons beside the door and removed my outdoor jacket. I saw the stains of blood covering my clothes and I realized that I should have been more careful.
My clothes were usually clean even though they were old and worn. I always wore leather pants which had been patched so many times that I stopped counting and a leather vest that saw the same fate, but I didn't think much about it since I didn't care much about my looks.. I felt the same way about my copper red hair, it was so curly and uncontrollable it got in my way, but mostly I just let it fall freely down to my waist. And right now it shone redder than usual from the light of the fire and I could still feel the men's inquiring eyes on me.
But no one said anything, so I ignored them and went to sit next to Daniel who smiled at me and ruffled my hair even more.
"Let me introduce to you, Princess Evelyn," he said with a wide grin.
The man who had the staring gray eyes turned to Daniel with a questioning look.
Dramatically I sighed at my big brother's bad joke and I tried to straighten my frizzy hair.
"Stop It Dan."
I was anything but a lady, we both knew that. After all, he was the one who raised me.
"So, you trained her?" sighed the gray eyes "I can't say I'm happy, you've put her in great danger!" The man's voice had a harsh tone, but
Daniel met his gaze steadily without seeming affected by the serious tone. He shrugged.
"She was the one who wanted to learn how to fight .."
I looked at Daniel with inquiring eyes and interrupted them.
"Can anyone explain what's going on?"
When no one seemed to hear me, I got up and looked around at the men standing along the walls of my home to finally meet the gaze of the grey eyed man standing in front of me.
"Excuse me, Miss, I owe you an explanation," he said stiffly as he looked down at me.
From a corner in the darkness I heard a choked laugh, I turned around and recognize a pair of brown eyes that glitter as they look at me. But I couldn't care less about him at that moment, I need an explanation.
Impatiently I stared at the leader of this little group and he was just about to open his mouth when he was interrupted by Daniel's low whisper.
"I've been lying to you."
I turned quickly to stare at him.
"What?!"
He looks down at the table to collect himself before meeting my gaze again.
"When you were a kid, I was assigned to take care of you, protect you ... and I did."
He sighed but gave me a warm smile as he continued
"I have taught you everything I know, seen you grow up to be an amazing young woman and I have been so proud to call you my sister. But Eve .. I am not your brother, I am your knight .. you are my princess. "
I stood quiet for a while before realising this must be a bad joke but I stoped myself from laughing when I noticed no one else was. Everyone looked so serious and someone in the corner moved around uncomfortably.
"That's true," said one of the knights who'd been silent all this time, I looked at him and he met my gaze as he continued.
"Your father, the King, left you to Daniel to protect you from our enemies. It was too dangerous to leave you in the castle."
His eyes wandered between me and Daniel and as he fell silent, their master continued the story.
"We are your personal knights. My name is Mathew de Lorys this is Patric of Olton, Leon of the Green Islands and Byron Stone, and we have come here to bring you home again, your kingdom needs you."
He nodded to each of them as he mentioned their names.
"My kingdom?! .." I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing, but then it all seemed to sink in. Daniel was to serious for to long for this to be a joke.
"Let me introduce myself"
Leon steps up and bows a bit too dramatic according to me.
His half-length dark brown hair shades his sparkling dark eyes for a moment before looking up at me smiling.
"It is an honor to meet you a second time, I hope I can be of use again."
He took a few steps towards me to reach out his arm to move my hand to his lips, it tickled and surprised and slightly annoyed I noticed my heart beating a bit faster in my chest and I quickly turned to inspect the others and to hide my blushed cheeks.
Patric who talked before looked like the typical knight, strong and straight-backed. His blue eyes looked friendly and his blond hair was well-groomed.
The young man standing next to him, Byron was it? He wore the exact same equipment and armour but he was not comparable to Patric, he was young, younger than me, tall and very skinny underneath those plates and very pale for a person who spends a lot of time outdoors. Can you even be a knight when you're that young? I shrugged and turned to Daniel.
"So you're one of them?"
Mathew answered before Daniel opened his mouth.
"Sir Daniel is one of our best knights, that is why he was stationed to be your guard."
Suddenly my stomach ached as I realized we might get separated. Dan, my Daniel, how can I live without him! He has always been there for me.
I noticed him watching me and he raise from the chair in front of the fireplace and walks up to me. He pulls me close to his chest holding me tight in his big arms, just as if he was reading my thoughts.
"I will be your Dan forever Sis, wherever you go I'll follow. But go and rest you now, we'll be leaving tomorrow morning."
"Tomorrow! .. Not a chance! I have things to do, and .." I hesitate before continuing. "People to say good bye to, give me one more day!
"I'm sorry Eve, it's not possible. It's not safe."
I stared at Daniel, bit my lip and my eyes were teary.
He lets go of me and ruffled my hair, the way he always does. Usually I hate it, but not now.
My head was spinning and I knew I had to talk to Ren. Looking around at all the people gathered in the room I sighed "I'll be back in an hour, okay?"
And then I left.
The night air was chilly And I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment.
"Don't tell him too much Eve, it's dangerous for both him and you."
I gave Dan a nod before heading to Ren's house. He lived two houses away and it didn't take long. Then I waited under his window as I had done so many times before. I didn't want to wake his mom and sister so I gently tapped the window to his room but there was no answer.
I waited for a while and was about to walk away when I feel his arms wrap around me from behind.
His voice whispering close to my ear.
"Why are there four knights in your house?"
I giggled, Ren, always straight forward. I turned and smiled at him, leaning my cheek against his chest and we stood like that for a while. I hesitated, if I told him it would all be real.
He stroke my hair and kissed my forehead patiently waiting for my explanation.
"I have to go with them." my words failed and I didn't know if he heard me.
Ren raised my chin to make me look him in the eyes.
"Are you coming back?"
As I sighed a tear fell on his hand.
"I don't know, I don't think so. Ren I'm going home to my father."
Reyn frowned and he asked nothing more but lifts me in his arms and carries me away to the barn. I knew he realised there is more to the story and i was grateful that he didn't ask more. Instead he put me in the hay and sat down next to me.
"When are you leaving?"
"At dawn, but I have to be back in an hour."
He pulled me closer and i felt his lips on my neck. I twirl his blond hair around my fingers, my lips meeting his. I breathe in his scent and I'm trying my best not to cry, is this the last time I see him?
Inside the house, Daniel takes the opportunity to talk to his old friends.
"You have no idea who they are?"
"No, but they are easy to recognize, they were all dressed alike, black coats with some kind of tattoo on their forehead." Patric pointed out.
"What happened to the guy with the hood?" Leon asked "You were three to one! I took down two of them and our little princess had already managed to kill three .. THREE ..." he laughed. "Tsk .. Mathew, you should have put me on the leader instead .."
"What do you mean?" Daniel's voice sounded harsh "They found her?"
"Yes, they had surrounded her when we arrived, but she had the situation under control."
Daniel shrugged "That's why I taught her to defend herself."
Sir Mathew moved closer to the fire "I am impressed Daniel, but a princess does not need such knowledge, they only pose unnecessary risks."
I was grinning wide where I sat outside the house listening to them. I had left Ren in the barn after we had said goodbye. And now I was resting on my favorite spot on a barrel just outside the front door. As I listened to the men my thoughts wandered to all the moments when Dan and I trained with the swords, hunted and tracked animals. Even fought against bandits who hid in the woods.
I am not a princess, I sighed to myself, they are wrong.
They where all making themselves comfortable inside the house, that's when Daniel came out to look for me.
"I'm here."
"Good."
He came over and gave me a hug.
"Sorry, I had to lie to you, you will always be like a sister to me."
I nodded and jumped down from the barrel and was on my way in.
"How did he take it?"
"What do you think? We've been together every day since we were little Dan .. how do you think he took it?"
I sighed and went straight into my room to lay down on the bed. I cried myself to sleep that night, aware that my life would be completely different and there was nothing I could do about it.
When I woke up it was already late morning, the sun was shining and I heard noises from outside. I quickly got dressed and went out into the other room, it was as messy as usual, on the table were leftovers from breakfast and I took a slice of bread and cheese before going out.
But I didn't get that far, standing in the doorway looking at the men who were at full speed to get ready to leave.
Sir Mathew gave me a brief nod as a greeting then turning to his horse again. I looked around, Patric was busy fetching bread from the village bakery, Daniel was nowhere to be seen and Byron stood by himself, looking nervous studying the ground when he noticed my gaze. He was so different from the other knights, so childlike and weak I thought.
My thoughts were interrupted by Leon's playful voice
"Stop staring at the poor man, don't you see how nervous you make him."
He was standing right behind me, so close to my ear that I felt his warm breath against my skin.
I turned my head and rolled my eyes at him, but he just laughed in response. And as he reached out his hand to my face, I felt my heart begin to beat a little faster, his fingertips rubbing my mouth to brush something off.
"You had something there."
Our eyes meet.
"BANG!"
I jumped when a heavy saddlebag is dropped right next to me. Daniel gives Leon a long stare, who innocently raises his hands in the air and backs away from me with a wide smile on his lips. He quickly disappears and I look up at Daniel standing there.
"Slept well?" His eyes following Leon with a wrinkled brow.
I take a new bite on my bread and shrug my shoulders, my gaze studying him from the top down. He looked like the other knights, the same type of armor and blue cloak and I can't stop admiring my brother and he notices my gaze and laughs.
"I packed your things, get ready, Mathew wants to leave as soon as possible."
I bend down to pick up my bag when Patric shows up to help me clamp it on my horse while giving me a friendly smile.
"Good morning princess"
"Call me Evelyn."
Mathew turns to me and shakes his head.
"It would be disrespectful of us Your Majesty."
I sighed low as I took a step out of the house and looked around the small village, someone opened the door to Ren's house, his mother stopped at the doorway looking at us. I wave at her and she waved back while glancing at the leather workshop where Ren worked. I followed her gaze and noticed that he was standing there in the doorway watching me.
How long had he been standing there?
Our eyes met and we looked at each other for a long time.
It broke my heart, it hurt to leave him like this. Quickly I walked up to my horse I needed to focus on the future. Looking back would hurt to much.