Lion.

I woke up, ate and played, as always, studying was never the easiest thing for me, but I tried hard, almost always receiving scolding, because they told me that soon I would have responsibilities and I had to improve a lot, but a 3 out of 10 seemed like a lot to me and I didn't understand how the rest got between 5 and 8, the smartest of my brothers even got 9, which filled me with pride.

When I asked, they didn't always seem sure how they did it. Those who scored the best were usually the ones who had the most hope of inheriting territories or putting their future families in order, from children to adults. I remember at least part of their explanations well.

The shining armor, the warriors passing around the streets, those who guarded the walls, I spent a lot of time imitating them, they were the best and I wanted to be part of them, when they finally took me to one of those parties that they mentioned I should attend, I practiced etiquette with the maids and many people, but the king's palace seemed very big to me, bigger than my house and I promised myself one day to have one just as big, I got too excited and got lost in the halls.

When I got to the garden I saw it, dawn had been gone for a long time and despite not being able to see well, the atmosphere of lights dancing around, I got encouraged and ran to capture some, to be able to show the family.

I continued following them, while I noticed better how the place shone and finally when I reached a secluded place, I didn't see anything else around, but I did see a cry, I approached carefully, while I noticed how around it, it began to gain brightness again and the light seemed to begin to bathe it and only a hand of light embracing it made me realize, it was just like the stories that had been read to me since I was a child.

The girl seemed to be crying, but before she knew it she was watching the boy get on one knee closer, taking a stick and putting it in front of her.

"I am León, of the Lica family, Saint. Whatever ails you, know that I will fight bravely so that you may laugh once more." Speak at whatever volume you consider appropriate.

“And… I just got lost, that’s all.” She wiped away her tears, remembering how she should have dignity for her family.

“Then follow me, Saint, I will lead you to your temple, above all evil in our path.” I stood and turned around, ready to march. “We are children of Lasha, and in our march, we will show greatness,” I repeated the words of the white-armored warrior from the story with all my conviction.

“Yes.” I second the march.

On our way, we saw everything, the fountain trickling with water that we drank to quench our thirst, the dark spaces that were taller than us, the calm of the animals, when we heard the horses and changed our path, heading towards them, to remember where we were and we went around the wall of plants, arriving again at the mansion and the saint ran towards the walls and I followed her quickly, arriving at the entrance, where I informed the guards of my brave rescue.

We said goodbye in the living room when our families called us, and I felt like the hero I always wanted to be as I told them about my journey, the holy waters, the darkness that prevented us from passing, and how the call of the animals cleared our minds.

“Greetings to the Lica house. It’s been a while.” The gentleman greeted them both, not remembering their names.

“Greetings to the Celim household. My son told me what happened. It seems he got a little carried away in the middle of his game.” He roughly grabbed his son's head.

"It's okay. My daughter was lost in the courtyard maze. Who knows if we would have been able to find her?" I lean down to the sleeping girl in my arms. "Young Lion, I thank you for your rescue."

“I have sworn to protect the saint, know that I will give my life if necessary.”

“You’ve raised the boy well, Lady of the Lica house.” I look at the woman with joy.

“What can I say, he’s very lively.” I stroke the boy’s head proudly.

The boy's complaint came as he broke his immersion in the paper and was able to sort out his thoughts, in the midst of saying goodbye to what he considered his destiny.

The next day he left, heading to look for the saint once more and be her escort and thus the months would pass until he found her properly.

The games continued with the closest thing to friendship the girl could muster, not fully understanding how she should play her role and uncomfortable with not having time for herself, but following the routine of being escorted to the temple, where they would pray for quite some time and then walk through the streets, looking around.

“Santa, I’ve come to escort you on your journey once again,” he said cheerfully.

"My escort is ready as always." She quickly arranged her dress and headed for the temple, which was closer, and with it, the routine.

The prayers delivered, they walked through the streets, playing a more direct escort, while they found the passage to the noble streets, nothing more than happy murmurs and unseemly mockery of their repeated game, while Leon only understood the astonishment at their passage and with the same imagined himself as a knight in white armor and shining weapons, while he walked aimlessly.

“It’s here, Saint, rest as you wish.” I see the plaza as it always was, the plants and the trees.

“Thank you very much.” He went to the tree and opened the book, so he could read, and as before, the discomfort of seeing Leon standing there, patrolling around like a sentry. “He doesn’t like sitting down.”

“I can’t, my duty demands that I be alert to any danger.”

It didn't take long for her to resume her work, stopping every so often when the saint offered her a break, as she saw fit, but at the same time the passage of time brought the end of the book to a close and with it, they found their way back to the Celim House and an authorized farewell to both of them, while she returned to the Lica house, noticing the difference in decoration and care, not to mention that of the servants.

“The saint’s knight returns home.”

The youngest children clapped and proceeded to play as usual, while the rest concentrated on their studies or on problems at home, depending on their age, a constant, given the little or no conflict in the immediate vicinity or any calls from the surrounding tribes or kingdoms.

Night fell, as sleep seemed to overtake him, and he slept, along with the dozen and a half brothers and sisters, only to wake up and return to his routine, in search of new memories.

The ritual continued as expected, his family put in mostly coins, and he was one of the last to contribute his own and proceeding to put order to many more problems, following the final escort, feeling like just another protector of the bunch, no one said anything, since the idea of a child eager to be useful to his house had become so clear to them, that even the saddest of them congratulated him for not seeing that near future.

As the deception continued, the problems increased, due to the lack of income, they proceeded to deliver services to people a little further away and a good part of the Lica house, was in campaigns much further away and with the cursed kingdom, reinforcing Ritmo, the most that arrived from battle there, was some stray arrow from the practices.

Upon arriving at the León house, he found disconcerting news; officially, he was no longer sufficient to protect his saint, and determined to seek reinforcements, he set off for the square with his particular call.

“We are children of Lasha, and in our march, we will show greatness.” He walked, whirling around and shouting it every 100 steps, practicing his mastery of numbers in the process, but he waited patiently for someone to join his entourage properly so he could return to fulfilling his duties as a great warrior.

To his misfortune, he would face months of walking alone, only to grow weary of walking and continuing to walk, until someone finally joined him, and only when he realized how the footsteps followed him all the way to the plaza, he finally set off again for Casa Celim, ready to continue with his self-proclaimed duty of protecting the saint.