The Beginning of it all

14 years ago …..

This story begins with the birth of the most beautiful and powerful Princess of Atleana. Though most of their people were Caucasian like, our dear princess was a fair child. Her mother sadly passed away in childbirth while her father was too busy preventing the court from revolting. In finality, the King overcome by Great Depression appointed the youngest guard to his beloved child. Being a child himself of merely five, this child was vigilant and efficient. His sword could cut through the blades of God. He became the little princess's Knight of Darkness. 

That night a storm raged in dear old England. The charming boy of the family of Wisconsin received piles of gifts. Mind you it was not his birthday but rather this older brother's. The young child though had quite a wonderful mind. At the mere age of four he was able to build up the most effective and conquering strategies of war. As he sat alone in a corner of the house he wondered if this year would be any different from his previous ones. But as a matter of fact, it was. Today, as the celebrations ended and all were lulled by the chirping of the crickets, his young eyes woke to a new land. The land looked savage. A land with no salvage. A land of horror. The first sense to absorb his surroundings were his ears as the clanging and clashing of swords penetrated his senses. Followed by his eyes as he ducked out of the wat of the onslaught of swords. Surrounded by the war he ran to where he deemed safe. But surprisingly, he had no desire to run to safety. His heart and his mind called to someone. Rather someone called to him. He felt a pull. An urge to protect. All he wanted was for the one someone to be safe. He travelled towards what looked like a medieval castle on fire. The red of the flames licking up the walls. Scattering the armed forces towards the heart of the war. Running as fast as his little legs would carry him, he found himself within the castle walls. It was as if the castle itself was helping the tiny knight to protect his someone. He wandered around the castle, following his instinct. As he approached the room of the little princess, he was already set to guard her. He knew in his heart and soul he would die protecting her. He would be her shield. Her sword. Whatever she deemed hi, necessary to be. He stood in the room looking at the tiny princess in her cot waiting for his orders. When the King shouted his final order, he took the young lady in his arms and fled. Fled across the terrains of Atleana to the woods, where he hid her with a trusted aide. For a child who had seen this world for the first time he knew this aide was safe. What he didn't realise was he left the little princess in the holds of a knight. A knight who would be highly significant later but for now he was her guide and his mentor. The child knew his trust wouldn't be broken. After all once knight could sense the other. One Frater could sense the other. A last look towards her was all he could spare for as the sun rose onto the now bloodied land, our Knight vanished. Vanished and taken back to his home to wait for the next night to be back. Thus, once and for all being called the Knight of the Dark. The Eques Noctis.

Present day: Atleana, Year 1556, 23:30

"Princess, please be careful. We are here to find aid and not to lose our lives.", the Knight stated as he looked at the little princess trying to walk over an uprooted tree. As he kept guard, he noticed how the little princess was not little anymore. She had grown to be a fine lady. She was known to be as powerful as the legends made her out to be, but only her Knight knew how childish and carefree she was. At merely the age of 14, she had learnt how to observe her surroundings well, hide and make hideouts in unusual places as well as wield weapons of various calibre. Due to her youth, all her knight wanted was for her to retain her innocence till the ends of time. A wish that probably should never have been made, for such wishes are just words that have never been brought to life. The Knight knew his duty was to protect her. But yet she had already clambered into his heart. Yet he had equipped her with her very own dagger while also teaching her to handle his glaive for he knew something that he could never tell her. The Knights' thoughts were interrupted when he heard,

"I am the Princess", the Princess giggled as she sang and yet again made a failed attempt to walk on the tree and almost slipped once again. All the Knight could do was shake his head and smile as he made sure she never took that fall she so obstinately would have in her mirth. 

"You're smiling, aren't you?", the young Lady pouted. This made the Knight raise his left eyebrow impressed that she could understand him without a word said. His smile grew as he walked towards her, grabbing her hand gently and finally helping her cross the tree. For one thing was sure she was as stubborn as him in dealing with her tasks. 

Once the task had been completed the young Lady smiled and looked up at her Knight. She always wondered who he was, for he wore a cape and a helm at all times. He was always dressed as a knight in a full knight' armour yet she knew him more closely that she knew anyone else. He had been there for her through thick and thin. Always ready to protect her and face of the demons who tried to attack her. He never treated her as a child and never forgot his duty. He was respectful but also fierce towards her enemy. Although the times had changed and so had she always let go the need to look at his face for she did not feel the need. She trusted him the most. To the degree that he was the only one to know her true birth name and rights. She had wanted to bury the past but knew she would have to face it eventually and at that time she had the confidence of having such an eloquent and protective Knight by her side. 

Catching her stare the Knight frowned and asked, "Is there a problem, Princess?" The little Princess snapped out of her thoughts and realised that she had been staring. She shook her head and looked up at her Knight. "No nothing. Just lost in thought." 

"Not exactly a safe place to lose one's mind."

The Princess giggled softly at this as she shook her head and walked ahead of her Knight knowing he was smiling at her fondly. She knew they had created a different dynamic between them. They had never found the lack of words a barrier in their communication. Rather it was a welcomed silence in the depth of the night with only a few stars being their guiding light most of the time. Even with minimal light and their day and night being switched for most part of their life, the two had found an unsaid understanding between them. They could understand each other through their body language. It was a welcome change to what the Knight felt during his days in his own hometown while it was a change the Princess accepted as a training for being calm and centred when faced with issues and attack similar to the one, she was about to face.

In the quiet night, the Princess finally felt tiredness catching up to her having walked most of the night. She revelled in the night stars but she missed the sun which made her stay up much later than she should after her Knight had left his position for yet another daytime to feel the heat of the sun and bask in the coveted sunlight. She decided to turn in early for the night knowing it was only a couple of hours left for the next halt in their journey when the snap of a twig was heard. Her Knight immediately stood protectively in front of her, caging her between himself and his glaive. The Princess places her hand on his shoulder blades and waited for the action to take place. She had already been averse to the night for each time they faced a challenge much more challenging than the previous night. It was just yesterday that they had fought beasts of the Nether Realm which had left them both tired and in need of a much-desired rest. This time they did not want to expend much energy as they both were yet recovering form the wounds of the previous fight.

They waited in patience but never losing their attentiveness. They stared at the darkness within the woods. Waiting for the first strike which could take place from any direction but something else was waiting for them. At that moment from the shadows stepped out another knight. He was young and had a battle scar across his right eye. His armour looked familiar yet held its own aura of gold around it. It was almost the same as that of her own Knight but it exuded the warmth of the sun. On setting his sight on the young Princess he knelt to the ground, sword hilt held in both hands with its tip touching the ground and bowed immediately. "Your Highness. I,