“Do you often guard the King?” The Queen asked, brushing her fingers along the fine, lacquered wood of the vanity near her bed.
Her Knight shifted on her feet. “No, Your Grace.” He answered. “My oath is sworn to the Queen.”
The Queen flashed a small, weary smile. “We’d not met until today.” She pointed out and the Knight watched carefully as she adjusted her cerulean skirts with one hand. “How does one swear to a dream?”
“It is an honor to bind myself to Her Majesty.” Knight answered softly, dipping her eyes to the floor in deference as the Queen approached him. “Your servant required nothing further.”
Knight stared at Queen’s skirts on the floor, so close to the toes of her boots that the fabric nearly brushed the dirty leather. The knight had the urge to step back… to keep the dirt from her Queen’s dress. Such filth did not belong so close to this divine crown.
“You swore yourself to me before the King… And the court.” Queen whispered. “But not before me.” Knight did not respond, simply kept his eyes lowered, waiting for a command. “I… I should like to hear it. Your oath.” Despite herself the Knight looked up, and briefly caught the Queen’s eye before she corrected himself. What she saw made her heart crack. Such apprehension, such skepticism… Perhaps a little fear.
The Knight understood. An outsider in a strange land, a woman with no anchor… Begging for some semblance of solid ground. It was her duty, and her honor, to give it to her.
“With witnesses of men and of God…” He began, hand resting on the hilt of her sword. “And humble devotion, I pledge myself to the service of my Queen.” Queen looked down at the Knight, kneeling at her feet like a supplicant, and felt her heart twist. “With my sword, I shall cut down her enemies. With my shield, I shall give her haven. With my hands I shall be her steadying sentry. With my cloak, I shall protect her sanctity. With my heart, I swear my fealty. With my soul, I give myself to her. I am the watcher while she sleeps. I am the hand with which she reaches. I am the well that fills her cup. With this oath, I forever bind myself to the service of my Queen, through life and after death.”
Queen stared down at her Knight still… Swallowing down emotion at the sincerity in the recitation. “Stand, good Knight.” She cleared her throat; folded her hands in front of her to hide her fidgeting as her Sworn obeyed, standing from the floor with a divine grace that promised equal protection and violence at once. Somehow this did not scare her. It reassured her.
“I thank you for your service… And your kindness.” Queen admitted. Perhaps she shouldn’t have. This vulnerability was foreign to her. But her Knight didn’t blink, simply dipped her head in acknowledgement. “You may go. I require rest.” She instructed gently before turning to walk towards the large window on the far wall. She made herself stay looking at the window until she heard the door to her bedchamber shut behind her guardian, now standing at her door to protect her while she ‘rested’.
And the Queen exhaled, pressing a hand to her bodice to calm her racing heart. She had no idea why her Knight impacted her so. But she recalled the soft texture of her hair when she’d knelt before her. The warm, heartfelt devotion pouring from his eyes as he happened to catch the Queen’s gaze. She recalled the strength in the way Knight moved despite the heavy armor draped over her, like it were nothing but linen.
For the first time since she arrived, with her protector standing outside, she felt truly safe.
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