Paladin and Royal Knight

The revelation came as a shock to Priscilla. She learned much about Arcadia’s history thanks to her Queen’s personal lessons.

“Being a knight is not only about fighting for what you think is right. It’s about knowing what makes it right.”

Her voice rang clearly in her mind as she sat quietly on the stone paved part of the inn’s backyard.

‘Reinhardt Lorraine.’ She thought while her eyes followed Rionara’s clumsy movements with the sword. ‘The last Paladin to serve the crown just before the Great War ended… to think a legend of the past would be in a place like this.’

Her gaze then switched to the knight that was beside Rionara. Reinhardt instructed the young woman on how to properly hold the sword.

“It’s a waste.” Elaine’s voice came from beside her as the elf shook her head while taking off her kettle helmet. “He shouldn’t be here with those skills. He should be in Arcadia serving a ruler worth serving.”

“Miss Elaine, who is Sir Reinhardt to you? I’m sure if I were to ask Queen Leona, she wouldn’t deny giving him a pardon. But is this truly what he wants?”

The elf’s grip tightened around the helmet she held.

“You don’t understand, this self-inflicted purgatory is something he came up with because of the rest of his family. They ruined the Queen’s name when she was trying to rebuild the kingdom.” She clenched her teeth and frowned her brows. “Yet he has done nothing wrong himself.”

Priscilla quietly watched him teach Rionara how to properly swing the sword. She could see the kindness in his face—he wasn’t averse to helping others, he was disgusted at the blood that ran in his veins.

“Well then…” Priscilla stood up and patted the edges of her clothes. “I would like to have an answer from him directly.”

The royal knight walked up to him. Before she could say a word, Rionara turned to her and smiled as she excitedly said.

“Pris! I finally got it!”

Priscilla smiled.

“That’s good. Did you learn it properly?”

“Yes! Thanks to Sir Reinhardt.”

“Haha. That was all your effort, young Rio.” He replied while slightly shaking his hand in front of him. “That being said, you should stick to practicing your swings to get your body accustomed to using a sword.”

“I will!” Rionara nodded before bowing. “Thank you very much.”

She returned to hitting the pell with her now properly structured strikes. In the meantime, Priscilla gestured with her hand at him. An invitation to talk privately.

They walked to the side of the backyard, far enough away from both Elaine and Rionara. Reinhardt already imagined what that conversation was about, but it nevertheless instilled him with a sense of dread.

That was a past he didn’t want to revisit again.

“Sir Reinhardt. What is it that you are seeking by being in this far flung city away from the capital?”

“Why is it that you ask?”

Priscilla looked at Rionara diligently repeating the exercises he had imparted upon her. She smiled quietly.

“Your strength would be a welcomed addition to Arcadia’s finest.”

He chuckled bitterly.

“Hah, you speak as if you were from royalty.”

“Well, I am a Royal Knight.”

His laugh was cut short once she said those words.

“You… are you truly?”

She nodded firmly.

“Dame Priscilla Avellion, of Blade and Magic. Alongside Knight Commander Leonard and Dame Phoebe.”

Her words struck him like a warhammer. The weight of those words couldn’t even begin to compare to the self-inflicted isolation he felt.

“A Royal Knight…” He lowered his head and snickered shortly. “Then that must mean the Queen has sent you for something in this city, doesn't it?”

She nodded.

“You are correct. As you know, my father is missing and I intend to find him.”

“I see…” In turn he looked in her eyes. “So, what is your goal behind all of this, Dame Priscilla?”

“Shouldn’t it be obvious at this point?” She gestured at him with an open palm. “I need to get to the bottom of his disappearance and you two know your way around the dungeon.”

“So you’re offering me a way back into the ranks?”

“I’m offering you to see the light, Sir Reinhardt.” She shook her head slightly. “Self-exile or not, with your skills, I’m sure I’ll be able to accomplish this mission and save my father.

Reinhardt lowered his head once again and stared at both of his gauntlets.

‘To make things right.’ Were Maxwell’s final words. The memory of his death was still fresh in his mind. ‘Reinhardt. You must not yield, you must not fail the kingdom, become the pillar that will raise the people, only then you can call yourself a true Paladin.’

His fingers curled in and the metal creaked under the tension. He had abandoned it all, not because of his lack of resolve—much to the contrary of it. He was willing to let his family’s legacy die with him because no amount of effort could undo all the suffering his name had wrought to Arcadia.

He was about to answer Priscilla, but when he turned to face her, her eyes were on the high elf that was still practicing her sword swings.

Beads of sweat formed on Rionara’s forehead as she repeated the same strike over and over again on the pell with a determination so fierce it was practically impossible to tell she was an amateur just a few days ago.

“Sir Reinhardt.” Priscilla spoke without taking her eyes off the high elf. “We are not defined by blood or name, but our actions and resolve.”

She then looked at Elaine, who had her head hanging low.

“And she doesn’t care about your blood, but you as a person.”

After following her gaze, Reinhardt replied.

“Loyalty, that is all that is.”

“Maybe, but what about our Queen, what would she call your exile? Noble? Selfless? Loyal?”

He couldn’t find the words to reply. Everything he had done up to that point was because he believed it was the right thing.

Elaine didn’t question him, his heart didn’t deny it, but his honor demanded it so. An exile until the end of his days, the atonement for his family’s betrayal. It all culminated in a self-inflicted suffering that degraded his sense of self.

“I…” He hesitated for a while until he finally spoke. “I will consider your offer.”

He walked over to Rionara to bid farewell and with Elaine in tow, they both left. Priscilla sighed quietly as she kept watching the high elf train.

‘Forgive me, my Queen… but I need all the help I can get to finish this mission.’

That first experience in the dungeon made her realize how truly dangerous that place was. It almost felt calculated.

‘First a single goblin, then not an hour later, half a dozen of them…’

“Pris, are you okay?”

Rionara asked her as she stopped mid-swing.

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine, why do you ask?”

“You’re frowning.”

The knight only noticed her sour expression after being told so. She decided to laugh it off in order to not worry her.

“I was just thinking about some things.”

Rionara lowered the sword and walked up to her before asking.

“Pris, have you heard of a girl called Eleanor?”

At that moment the knight’s heart skipped a beat as she eventually answered.

“No, why are you asking such a thing?”

“I dreamed of a woman calling out to me, but instead of my name, she kept calling me Eleanor.” She touched the stone floor beneath her feet with the tip of her blade as she leaned her weight on it. “I don’t know her, yet I feel a strange sense of… familiarity.”

“Is this the first time you’ve had this dream?”

She shook her head.

“It has been happening more lately. It doesn’t stop me from sleeping since the dreams are rather peaceful, but they do leave me with a strange urge to cry.”

Priscilla took one step forward and pressed Rionara’s head against her chest as she hugged her lightly.

“Pris?”

That surprised her, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, it made the high elf a bit more happy as she eventually closed her eyes and hugged the knight back.

Down a couple of blocks from the inn, Reinhardt was dragging his feet across the street as he was making his way to the blacksmith shop. Elaine followed him quietly as she had a mix of regret and relief in her heart.

‘Have you come to an answer, Rein?’ She asked herself. ‘Were all these years for nothing? Or will you finally realize that there is no salvation through pointless suffering?’

Once inside Geralt’s shop. Elaine simply kept to herself as she watched him go to the counter and start speaking with the blacksmith.

“Geralt.” The knight spoke firmly. Surprising even the hardened blacksmith. “How many arrows do you think you can make until tomorrow?”

“Arrows? Are ye thinkin’ o’ goin’ into the dungeon again?”

He hesitated for a moment before answering him with a nod.

“I have a promise I’d like to keep.”

“Ah… I see. Well… I can make a couple dozen fer ya.” He leaned on the wooden counter and motioned with his chin towards Reinhardt’s sheathed blade. “Do ye want me to sharpen yer sword as well? Free o’ charge.”

The knight drew his blade and left it on the counter.

“Thank you, Geralt.”

“Aye, don’t mention it.” He started heading to the back of the shop. “I’ll be done with it in just a moment.”

Elaine approached him and spoke softly.

“Are you going to help her then?”

“One last time.” He said without looking at her. “I’ll try again—to be the Paladin you once saw in me.”

There was first a hint of surprise in her usual emotionless face, but after a few moments she closed her eyes and smiled faintly as she lowered her head.

‘So our journey begins once again. My lord.’

Reinhardt kept staring at his gauntlets atop of the counter before closing them tightly. His strength as a paladin was nothing to scoff at and yet, he found himself hesitating to use it for the greater good—something that now brought him both grief and sadness.

‘How long will you live this lie?’

Those words echoed in his mind as he opened his hands and uttered under his breath.

“Power without conviction is meaningless.”

One day had passed and a new morning was rising in Arivaul. With it, a new set of challenges that awaited Priscilla.

“Pris, are you heading out?”

The knight nodded as she adjusted the dried gourd canteen of water to her belt.

“Yes, I’m heading in the dungeon again today.”

“Will you be okay?”

Priscilla smiled and ruffled her hair for a bit.

“Of course. But remember what I told you, I’ll only be back tomorrow morning.”

“I know…” Her eyes drooped a bit from remembering it. “Take care, Pris.”

“I will, Rio.”

“Tomorrow will be Radiance day so… can we go browse the stalls after you come back?”

“If I’m not too tired, yes.”

Rionara forced herself to smile.

“Alright, it’s a promise then.”

Priscilla nodded and headed to the dungeon. She could feel Rionara’s stare on her back but she reminded herself to not look behind. It wouldn’t do well for a knight like her to show regret in front of the person that was looking up to her.

The streets were mostly empty. The morning before Radiance was usually like that. A calm before the storm.

“Priscilla.”

A calm male voice called her from the crowd. She glanced to the side and noticed a fully armored knight holding a large rucksack on his back and an elf carrying three quivers full of arrows in it with her longbow resting on her shoulder.

“Are you ready?”

Elaine asked with a confident smirk to which Priscilla answered.

“As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go.”