It was at the time when the war between Elves and Humans were still ongoing.
king Orian had found a human infant between the dead bodies of mercilessly killed humans.
"Your Majesty, Let us put an end to this child"
"Stand still! no one will lay a hand to this child" bawled the king with an assertive look towards his troopers.
"Remember our war is with the selfish and foolish humans. This child doesn't even know what's going on" The King said as he looked at him with compassion.
Later he adopted the child to his family as a knight and named him 'Leocadio'. As a human in the elves society, he was left out all on his own, despised by the society but there came one who would spend time with him every day. Princess Elvinia, Daughter of king Orian.
"Why are you crying Leo?" asked Elvinia
"I'm not crying. I would never cry" replied Leo
"Then why are there tears coming from your eyes,"
"This... my eyes are itchy that's all and... not all humans are bad"
The King was surprised that Elvinia would always hang out with him and he could see how much she cared for him.
Growing up together closely, they had a bond that could not be broken. Even after growing up, there were only a few people that cared for and liked Leo.
The war with humans were still ongoing and Leo would fight for his kingdom and his family.The Elves had only seen Leo's cold side. Words of a human siding with Elves didn't take much time to spread in the human territory. Even though he was a human, he would not show any sympathy or pity towards his kind but he would secretly save the innocent humans and give them food and shelter.
He was one of the top Knights in case of power and reputation.
The final moment of war was finally coming closer.
Everybody outside the Palace were waiting to hear words from the princess as it was the time, Elvinia would take over the throne as an heir of the family.
"Are you frightened, daughter?"
The words of her father touched her ears as they walked along the high paths upon the Citadel walls. So many people! So many!
"I confess...I am, Father. This day. This responsibility is overwhelming."
He smiled and patted her hand as they walked. "It can be if you allow it."
She smiled. "Is that how you ruled so well? Not allowing it?" He smiled back at her. "Ale (a drink made like beer but without the addition of hops) helped overmuch." And they both laughed. Today was a day among days. The day of succession. Elvinia did her best to quieten her nerves but still could not accomplish such a mighty task.
"I confess, father. I confess I am unsure of my ability to do as you did when you were King."
He chuckled. "I am still King." A sheepish look overtook his face. "Until Noon." His eyes thinned humorously. "You are not going to exile me, are you? I'm too old for that life."
Elvinia was shocked. "What? Of course not! Why would you say that? Father!" To her outburst, he just laughed. Warm eyes met her own as they neared the balcony
"Listen to me. And listen well. Do not rule like me. Make the choices I made. Rule as you would. Not as a Sovereign. Nor a Queen. But as the Mother of this kingdom. Just as I was Father to it for so long. Each one of these people is yours to care for and protect. But always remember, you serve them. Not the other way around. They will grow weary. They will grumble and hate. But that is the way of all children. They will grow to love and respect you as they did me, as long as you do the same for them. You embody them. Walk with your head up. Chin out. Proud and strong. They will follow your example. And they will see what I have always seen."
"And what is that Father? What have you seen?"
The King smiled. "That you are a blessing. A Heavenly gift given to a man who was not worthy of such love and devotion."
"Hush, Father. That is enough of that." Elvinia said as she embraced him warmly. "I will make you proud. I will."
The King chuckled. "I have always been proud of you, peanut. Always." And both father and daughter shared looks of love and respect for long moments. Not King and Princess. Just father and daughter, walking.
"Come." He said, patting her hand. "Time to make you Queen. Time to take your place."
Elvinia breathed calmly now. She would be Queen.
She would be an example. And she did not feel any fear anymore...
A majestic entrance at the balcony by both the king and the princess. Everyone had a dignified look including Leo. After them a priest came holding a crown in his hand which was placed on the princess and she stood proudly with her dignity.
The cheers and shouts from and among the crowds were stunning and the bands played when the crown was placed was truly fantastic.
"No matter how proud I am, I can't waste much time but keep thinking about the war. We might lose, We might win, but we will give our best try and along with the troopers, I will also be joining them in the war"
The people fell in silence as everybody whispered with each other.
"Are you sure about that Elvinia?" asked the King and the reply came positive.
"Yes, Your Majesty. While I will be in charge of the first unit, Leo will be in charge of the second unit"
Though everybody thought that it was a hasty decision, they could not help but agree to it after hearing Elvinia's speech.
And at last, Elvinia and Leo's eyes met with a smile below.
•Day of the Final War
The day of the war finally came with both sides being ready. leo's unit took the lead on the North while Elvinia's unit on the south. The King's unit on the front sabotaged everything that came towards them mercilessly.
Things were looking good on both Leo and Elvinia's side so far. The war was slowly taking the side of the Elves with the heavy loss of the humans.
"Captain, there seems to be a human supporting the elves," said one of the troopers of the human side to his Captain.
"Human or beast, I don't care. He is a traitor so, kill him without mercy"
Without notice, a huge pair of fireballs came flying from the sky killing and injuring half of the Elven soldiers. Elvina who had barely managed to dodge it fractured her leg while trying to dodge it. Her troopers surrounded her to protect her but the arrows shot from the sky managed to kill all of them leaving Elvinia alive alone.
"Ughh!... I- not now"
Leo's unit overpowered the enemy by full. The battle place was dead silent with blood stench coming from the dead bodies. Leo began to question himself as it did not make any sense because the enemy side had more people than them.
Unexpectedly a sudden movement in the groundbreaking it apart came a giant worm with sharp teeth all over inside its body. Its tail launched Leo through the rigid trees.
"Crap" he omitted out blood and he could barely breathe. But he stood strongly carrying his prominence and enchanting spells trying to make his defence strong. He charged towards the worm who was constantly feasting on his soldiers.
"Blaze!" he shouted, his sword glowed all red and grew longer slashing into the thick skin of the worm. The sword got stuck in its skin half through but he kept tugging it deeper down not giving it a chance to make a move until it died.
It was the end for the worm... was what Leo thought but his luck was just starting to go down as not 3 but 4 of the same species of the worm but even bigger and had scales protecting them came through the fragile soil.
"Kkh!"
As soon as Elvinia was about to get hit by the arrows, King Orian with his troops came into action, protecting her and healing her in a swoosh.
"I'm alright father, it's just a scratch so please look if anyone is hurt and quickly heal them," she said but she could not even stand properly. With the help of her father, she rode in a horse and was said to take a rest in the medical base camp in the elven kingdom but, she did not leave her people and fought bravely for the rest of the hour.
"Hah, hah, hah" Elvinia took a few deep breaths and her knee could barely support her.
Bang, a red coloured loud flare was shot upwards in the sky. It was a signal which meant that the Elves had won the war and the humans had surrendered.
"... We... We finally did it?"
"Leoooooo, we did itttttt" shouted Elvinia with an energetic spirit.
She wasted no time and sat on her horse and went looking for Leo, after 5 minutes she found him peacefully laying down, resting in a big fallen tree.
•𝓐𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻'𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽𝓮
(you can listen to *Giovanni Puocci - stay alive* if you want to get sucked into the story, its just my opinion)
She came smiling and said "Leo, hehe, the war is finally over now"
"...I see, so the war is finally over" he said in a soft voice.
"I can't wait to-" before she could complete her words, she was petrified from the shock from what she had seen.
Leo's body was in a condition that could be called half dead. His right hand and left leg were dismembered with crimson blood dripping slowly from the cut off circulation and a black sword releasing a dark aura with a crest that represented demon kins. It had been impaled in his back to the front of the chest.
"... Heal! Heal! Heal! Heal!" She desperately tried to shout with her hands near Leo's body but her voice couldn't reach the air.
"It's no use" Leo whispered
"The sword has permanently stopped my body from being healed and functioning and... the poison has already started flowing..." he was barely conscious and was trying hard to stay conscious with the magic power he had left.
"Do you... remember the... promise" he murmured.
"Protecting the kingdom together so that we can once again see the prosperity in the kingdom" Elvinia bowed her head down because she knew she was helpless at the time.
"... I kept my promise and you d-did too, but... I won't be able to see those precious smiles... So, please can you look them for me" his last request which couldn't be turned down, Elvinia silently nodded as tears fell from her dark circled eyes.
He stared off blankly into the distance for a moment still, the words penetrating the haze of death not quite yet. No, he could only feel the slowing of his pulse, with the extinguishing of the warmth that made him... him. That made him alive. It would be gone soon. It fell out of his body with every drop of crimson, with every beat of a drum that didn't make a sound.
If a drum beat, but didn't make a sound, did it exist?
...Did he exist?
He felt his body, cold and still, but warmer now, shake as something... no, his love gripped his shoulders.
"You saved us all, Yet... You couldn't save yourself" Elvinia bent down, and took the helm off his face for one last time. She smiled a horribly sad smile as their foreheads touched. He was cold. "And I... I can't save you either. I can't-..."
"Why are you still smiling?" She asked as her tears endlessly drizzled
"I'm just happy knowing that... There will be generations because of you..."
He felt warm, then tears that were not his own drenched his face.
His heart was horribly cold.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't be your Hero, Leo I'm sorry."
He felt the warmth increase, as her body wrapped around him in an embrace, but his heart was frozen now.
He ached to make the words form his throat, but despite himself, he couldn't get them out.
He ached to talk to her, to smile with her, to laugh with her again.
He ached to say 'I love you,' but his body was no longer capable of it.Almost as if she knew, as if she understood.
The hold around his body grew tighter, as she whispered 'I love you'. He felt his body, cold, still, and no longer his own to control, sink into the feeling, into the warmth of his one true love, who loved him evermore even if he couldn't say it back. Even if he wouldn't be there to hold her hand on the chilly nights, even if he wouldn't be there to kiss away her tears, and even if he wouldn't be there as she grew old.
The last thing he felt was a warmth of his blood down his face, and then.
He felt nothing...
Elvinia's father came at the scene and when he saw her tears, he knew he was too late...
Elvinia kissed him one last time until his body was cremated along with the other fallen soldiers.
That night, as on every night since the day the war ended. The Ballad of The Fallen Knight and other fallen soldiers were sung, so that even if only a few knew their tales, The whole kingdom may know their heart and their victory.