The Lady's Knight

You'd be surprised at the amount of support a hero gets when they're released from prison.

Between the rubber stamp punishment for 'desertion' and 'dereliction of duty', it's surprising just how little punishment you get once the princess - soon to be queen - declares you innocent. Guess it helps that everyone knows you're innocent too I guess.

Well, it's good to know this isn't going on my permanent record!

Three months since the end of the war.

The media's all over me. I don't think there's much to say. I mean...where do I even begin?

Reconstruction goes well. I've recently taken upon myself to start getting reintegrated into the film industry, coming hot off of the war. Of course, I progress is slow. But I'm sure people understand. A lot of people died during the war. I'm trying my best to raise awareness about reconstruction, refugee reintegration, and veteran pensions but man...it's a lot of work to juggle on top of everything else I already have going on. 

I've got an acting role lined up too. It's for some kind of post apocalyptic military series. I think I'm supposed to be a barbarian leader or something. I'll get more info in a few months, they say. It's based on a game though, which I have been taking time to play, which I have been releasing on RecTube! Thank you for all your donations, Backshot Bill. May your woman be beautiful and your backshots be plenty, I guess.

Novemia's...I don't even know what's going on over there. I heard having a referendum about government transition. Mozaka and Elodia's agreed to not ask for reparations given the whole country's on the brink of collapse. Despite everything, it seems like people are more interested in stability than revenge. Hey, they broke the record for the largest UN peacekeeping mission 2014 though, which...hopefully is a good thing.

***

"Hey." Gavin walks up to me and tosses me a beer. "So, how's things going with Sophie?" This ramen shop was built shortly after the war, believe it or not. It's small, but the food is good. Gavin introduced it to me. 

I turn my head towards him. My bowl sits empty, it's contents long since having slid down my throat as my old flight lead sits down. 

"Eh, haven't seen her since the end of the war. I...wish I could say." I stop. "How are the others?"

"Percy's got himself a girlfriend. I'm surprised actually. He actually managed to get a girl before you. He's off in Mozaka, trying to get money for his new startup or whatever."

"Oh shut it. What else?"

"And last I heard from Trisha, she's travelling the world. Heard she still does vlogging, and I've heard her channel is big, but I haven't checked it out yet."

"I see. I really want to catch up on everything with everybody. Is Kay..."

Gavin sadly shakes his head. 

"Still in the hospital. He's paralyzed from the waist down. The soldier who did that to him came by recently and tried to apologize, but Kay didn't want anything to do with him. He's also refused the honorable service medal that the new Prime Minister offered him."

"I don't like him. I voted against him personally. Well, he wasn't the worst option, so I guess I can't completely blow him off yet. Besides, as ridiculous as they are, at least they're not corrupt or anything?"

"Haha, that so? Well, maybe my politics differ from yours Alex. I like the new leaders. But yeah, they're cringy."

"Yeah, we're invited to a new ceremony dedicated to the leaders of the war, and I'm the last speech giver. It's kind of self serving and indulgent, in my opinion, but if parliament says, I guess there's nothing we can do about it. Not my fault the party most equipped to deal with these bozos sided with evil during the coup. Besides, all the veterans invited to give speeches there are technically being paid."

"Wow, I love money. Will Sophie be there?"

"Sophie...huh?"

I'm silent for a moment. Sophie. I haven't seen her since I landed the plane that day, the day that we retroactively know as the end of the war.

I hope she still remembers me. My face is being plastered all over the country - and honestly, many places around the world, but three months is a long time. I still get visitors plenty, and autographs on the street. But time is brutal. Fortunately, I no longer need to worry about stalkers or need bodyguards to walk around. I guess there's one upside to not being the big thing.

But as the Christmas kiss we shared rapidly fades into the past, I wonder - does she remember the real me?

Of course, she has to. It's different from last time.

"Well?"

"Yeah, she will."

"Well, it's your last chance Alex. Popularity's fading. You gotta strike while the iron is hot. By the way, you going to drink that?"

"Oh come on Gavin, you know I don't drink. But hey, my treat." I hand him the beer while flicking my hair, giving him the classic Alex grin.

"You and I both know I bought that with my money." Gavin says, laughing. "Well, more for me. Never change Alex, never change."

"Yeah. Never change..."

It's a beautiful day outside. Gavin's a country boy, so he doesn't find the city to be relaxing, but for me, the capital city's not a bad place to be in. If you ignore the rubble, of course.

***

"Ahem." The guys at the peace venue hand me a mic. "So Mr. Pliot sir. You have your speech ready, yeah?"

He's done with his speech. He's walking back. He quickly, slips me a note.
"You got this." He whispers into my ear as he slips something into my back pocket.

Thank you, artilleryman. I step up and onto the podium.

"To all in the crowd today, I thank everyone for their brave service. To our soldiers. To our citizens, who fought back even as civilians. To our late leadership, killed during the coup."

And to our diplomats of the Elodian Renewal party, the speech says. But fuck that. I reject your partisan ceremony.

"The ending of the war had to be chosen. And though I may have fired the killing blow, I reject the idea that I alone, determined this war. The credit goes out to each and every boot on the ground, who bled for Elodia, our motherland. The ancient kingdom."

The politicians are jittering a little, but they haven't noticed anything off yet. Now it's time to really turn up the heat. I toss aside the official script. I spent hours on this, with significant oversight from the committee. Nothing in it I don't want to say. But there are more important things to talk about.

"We've been through so much. I can't possibly do it justice here. I'd like to go on about how much this world has changed, and how much everything is different now, but honestly, you've all heard this a dozen times already today. I'll spare you the boredom."

One of the politicians sigh and shake their head. Another chuckles. Well, glad to know my speech commission isn't entirely gone.

"I've been told who I am for most of my life. I've been just a tool for them. And during my journey, so have many others. I've been used, from my parents, to my instructors, to the state. But honestly, I don't hold it against them. Because of that, I got to connect to someone else."

Tender. More slow now.

"When I was young, I met a girl during my first film awards. I think then, that's when I decided I'd like to be her knight, her protector, and that she'd be my angel. But, life has a way of throwing curveballs at you. And I'll say it up and front, that even though our entire lives have just been what everyone's told us to be, maybe that's not all it has to be moving here on forwards."

Is this cringe? Is this selfish? I'm nervous, but no one's stopping me. Even the politicians who look at me with eyes of disapproval, the ones  that could steal my mic at any moment, seen curious. The secret script I spent days crafting and sneaking onto the stage too, feels inadequate now. I also spent hours on this with a particularly helpful soldier. I put it aside.

"I don't care what everyone else says. When I saved her from that burning airplane, when she saved me during a certain high school day I'm sure only she knows about...I think we were looking out for each other in a way. I don't care if this is stupid, or corny. But...I...I have to say it now, before I regret it forever."

No turning back now Alex. Time to ramp up the excitement! I take a deep breath. 

Yeah, I'm doing this.

"Your majesty. No, Sophie. I never got to ask you privately, so here I am! Please, would you go out with me?" 

Most of the politicians look mildly annoyed, but almost all the soldiers are hysterical. There are people in the audience yelling, cheering, and laughing. Maybe if I do run for Prime Minister, I can use this moment as my starting point. Or not, given who my address is dedicated to.

From the crowd, I can see Sophie laughing too. And in that moment, everything is alright.

~***~

Side - Sophie:
There's cheering. There's laughing. And there are cries of joy as well.

When I look up onto the podium, I see a handsome young man, his arm outstretched towards me. Inviting. He's like an overexcited puppy, yet he's also a bold protector. For some reason, I'm at ease talking to him. His eyes sparkle in the podium light, and as a couple politicians bicker about 'going off script,' I get up and off of my seat.

He needs an answer.

And my answer is yes.

FIN