A Knight of Contradictions Read online

  Table Of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  A Knight of Contradictions

  Copyright © 2018 by J. A. Alexander

  All characters and events in this eBook, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, then please return to the online retailer and purchase an additional copy.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Editing by The Pro Book Editor

  Design services by IAPS.rocks

  1. Main category—Fantasy

  2. Other category—Young Adult

  First Edition

  Chapter 1

  “After the brave knight slew the fierce dragon, he climbed to the top of the tallest tower in the keep to find the princess he had so long searched for. Upon opening the door to her chambers, he saw her angelic figure lying on the velvety bed. He strode up to her sleeping figure and planted a kiss upon her rosy lips. Her eyelids fluttered open to reveal two eyes the color of shimmering water staring back at him. He stroked her raven hair and said to her, ‘Good morning, my love.’ She said in reply, ‘My brave knight, have you finally come to save me?’ He said gently, ‘Yes, I have finally come. You need not be afraid any longer, for I shall never leave you alone as long as I shall live.’”

  Anna’s servant turned the final page of her favorite book, The Golden Knight, for what must have been the thousandth time. Anna managed to read it at least once every month, sometimes even more. A story about a heroic knight saving a trapped princess, it always captivated her heart. Its reliability also drew her in as well. She could read it an infinite number of times, and it would always stay the same. The knight gallantly charges in, slays the dragon, and rescues the princess—short, sweet, no complications or unseen misfortunes.

  “If only my life could be as such,” she said, looking into her gold-trimmed mirror.

  Anna might be a princess, but she could never hope to compare to the beauty inside her book. She was short and had a body that made everyone confuse her with a young child even though she was thirteen. She didn’t have rosy cheeks and blood-red lips. Her face was rather pale and plain, in her opinion. She sort of liked her long, blonde hair, except that it was so unruly and messy that it always looked as though she had just gotten out of bed. The only thing she could accept completely about her physical appearance was her forest-green eyes, a rarity in the kingdom thanks to her mother being from a foreign land.

  It’s not as if Anna could really complain, though. She wasn’t hideous. Plus she was a princess. So, she had everything she could ever want. Looking around her room, there was her large four-poster bed with a dozen pillows on it and large, fluffy blankets. Her mirror and dresser, all rimmed with gold, housed all her jewelry, fine perfumes, and makeup (none of which she actually used if she could help it). Then there was her walk-in closet that held her hundreds of fine gowns and shoes. If Anna had wanted to, she could have worn a completely different outfit every day of the year—though she usually just wore her favorite dress, a black gown with frills all over it. Unless, of course, she had to wear something else for one of many reasons.

  The room just screamed royalty. Everything in it belonged there, from the plush purple rug to the fine designer curtains—everything except her servant. Anna assumed he was the same age as her, being that he was only a few inches taller than her. She even went so far as to assume that “he” was even a he, though her only real basis for that was the occasional grunts he made when lifting something heavy. She couldn’t be certain, though, with the black leather suit he had to wear that covered his entire body and face. He wore this because he was a slave, and therefore unfit to ever touch his master, to be looked upon by his master, to utter a single word.

  Anna didn’t know why it was like that. It seemed rather stupid to her. He was just a regular person underneath there, after all. However, she was the only one in the royal family, in any noble family, that is, to think that. These servants were considered lower than dirt and therefore were treated as such. It wasn’t uncommon for them to be beaten within an inch of their lives just for the sport of it. There was a game all the noble children played called “kick the servant.” The game consisted of nobles kicking their servants in the shins. Whoever’s servant was last standing was declared the winner.

  But again, Anna thought this was barbaric. So, behind her family’s back, she treated her servant like she would anyone else. She played tag and hide-and-seek with him, read books with him, ate with him (though he was only allowed the scraps off the table), even slept in the same room with him (none of her servants or guards were about to tell on her). Wasn’t it natural for her to get used to him, to get to enjoy having him around? He seemed to comprehend her when she was giving orders. Why not talk about more casual stuff? Even though he couldn’t respond, she always talked to him when she was feeling anxious or upset. Though they could never actually touch, he was always there to give her a shoulder to cry on.

  Anna hated how the others treated their servants, as though they were mindless objects. As much as she hated to admit it, however, that’s what they were like. Any one of them could trade places with another, and no one would even notice. Anna prided herself on the fact that her servant wasn’t like that, that he did seem to have some personality, thanks to her care. He had favorite books and foods, plus he liked doing some things, like his training to be a fighter—a skill needed to protect the noble he served from any assassination attempt. Yet he seemed to abhor school time, the complete opposite of her.

  She had never given him a name. Not because she didn’t want to, but because he had refused one when she offered. He had simply knelt down and put his hand over his heart, a pledge all servants made to their masters to show their lives belonged only to that one noble.

  But this little life of theirs would soon come to an end, for tomorrow Anna was going to be recognized as a true heiress to the throne, along with her twelve other siblings. She would finally be in the running for who would succeed their father as ruler of Rutig, losing her servant, but gaining a full-fledged knight in his place. Anna had dreamed of having a romantic relationship with hers at one point in her life, until she learned the truth of what they were. Not real flesh and blood people, just hollow suits of armor with no souls or emotion whatsoever. They were mindless hunks of metal that followed every order to the letter no matter what it was, always ready to protect the noble who was their master.

  “Could you make me some tea, please?” Anna asked her
servant.

  Nodding in response, he went about making her a caramel tea, her favorite. As Anna watched him prepare it, she wondered what would become of him once he took his leave of her. Would he be sent away to live with the peasants and forgotten? He probably wouldn’t be given anything to help him in his new life, no gold or clothing, just a kick in the pants and a slammed door. Her servant finished making the tea and handed it to her.

  She took a long sip. “Delicious as always.”

  Of course, like always, he’d put in too much sugar, making it far too sweet. Anna never had the heart to tell him, so she just smiled and drank it. Truth be told, it had actually started to grow on her. As Anna sat there thinking of what to do, she had an idea. If her family wouldn’t give him anything, then she would. She went over to her jewelry box and picked out a bunch of gold rings and precious gems. Turning around, she handed them to her servant. He cocked his head as if he didn’t understand what she was doing. Anna sighed and took his hands, deliberately putting the jewelry in them.

  She said, “I’m giving these to you for when you eventually leave me tonight—no buts. This is an order, you hear me?”

  She turned and picked up The Golden Knight book. “Here, take this as well. Something to remember me by when you’re out there living your life.”

  Anna’s servant took the book and stared at it and the jewelry for a few seconds as if he had no idea what to do with them. Then, he simply nodded.

  “Good, now you’ll have a head start when you leave here.”

  Thus, they spent the rest of the day like that—her reading various books, and him holding on to the gifts she had given him. Finally, the guards came to take him away.

  There was a sharp knock on the door and someone asked, “May we come in, princess?”

  “Yes, you may.”

  Two guards wearing red suits of armor and matching plumes on top of their helms came in, each holding a halberd.

  “Come with us then,” one said, grabbing her servant and pulling him toward the door.

  “Now just wait a minute! Let me say my final goodbyes.”

  The guards stared at her but let him go.

  Anna gave her servant a hug, saying, “Goodbye. I hope you’ll finally be truly happy and live your life.”

  He simply nodded in response like he always did and allowed the guards to take him by the arm. Anna went into the hallway after them and watched as her only real friend walked out of her life. Her other servants came in after that and prepared her for bed, putting on her long white nightgown for her and tucking her in. It felt weird not having her servant there the whole time, but she would just have to get used to his not being there anymore.

  Anna had a nightmare that night. Horrible monsters were chasing her through a dark forest, constantly at her heels. She kept on running, believing that if she could just make it to whomever she was running to she would be safe. Soon, however, her arms and legs started to feel heavy, and she wasn’t able to run anymore. The beasts were closing in on her. Anna could see the light at the end of the path, but she never made it. The fiends converged on her and began ripping her apart bit by bit. She woke up in a cold sweat, crying out for her servant, only to realize that he wasn’t there to light a candle to comfort her. She eventually managed to go back to sleep, but it was an uneasy one.

  When Anna awoke, the sunlight burned her eyes even through the window drapes. Eventually, she crawled out of bed, getting up to let the servants into her room. They immediately went to work fixing her up. Anna grimaced as her servants tried combing her hair, achieving no real results. Next, they asked her to pick out a dress. Royal events being one of the few times Anna actually saw her father, she decided to pick out a golden dress he had given her for her last birthday. Finally, the accessories, jewelry, and makeup of the finest quality that managed to hide her plainness with a royal mask.

  All set, Anna’s servants scurried out of the room and made way for her escort of guards. The castle being as big as it was, the sleeping quarters were at the far end of the left wing. It took Anna and her guards a bit of time to get to the throne room where the ceremony was to be held. They made it to the huge doors that led inside. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself and walked in.

  It was a red carpet that Anna saw first, having been staring at the ground. She looked up. Dozens of nobles looked back at her. Silver and black banners with the emblem of her kingdom—two swords overlaid with a shield, and on that shield a suit of armor kneeling, its head under its arm—hung still. What Anna saw next always gave her chills. Her father, the king, on his throne looking down on everyone.

  He was an older man with a salt-and-pepper beard, but he had let neither his mind nor body wither away. The king wore fine clothing and a large cloak, all of them the colors of the kingdom. On his head, a silver crown with blood-red rubies embedded in it. However, it wasn’t this show of wealth and prestige that chilled Anna’s bones, but his face and demeanor. He had eyes the color of an icy lake, and a personality to go along with it. His whole body seemed stiff and rigid like one of her dolls. He showed no emotion, only a calculated move each time he spoke or moved, like his own empty set of armor.

  Shaking these thoughts from her head, Anna stepped forward into the room and started toward her father. Glancing around, it seemed as if none of her siblings had made it to the event, each likely too involved with their own struggles. As Anna kept on walking, she worried about becoming a true heiress to the throne. It meant that she, too, would have to weigh in on the power struggle between her family members. Anna had no more time to think, as she had reached her father and waited for him to speak.

  “Hello, Princess Anna,” he said in a voice like steel.

  “Hello, Your Majesty,” she replied with a small bow.

  “It seems that you are, as of today, a contender for the throne. As such, you will be fighting your siblings for the right to rule this kingdom. Being a princess, however, you won’t be expected to fight your own battles, but have someone lesser do it for you. So, I present you with your knight, your champion who will either live to see you become queen or die alongside you.”

  Somewhere behind the king, a small door opened, and out stepped her knight. He was tall, about six feet. The knight looked to have an average build, though Anna knew that he had ten times the strength of a normal man. His bucket helmet had two rectangular slots for eyes that were empty, save for darkness. He wore a white mantle and a cloak of bluish-green color that really were just for show. At his side were two morning star maces, each with hidden power in them. As he knelt down and placed his hand over where his heart should be, the knight did something rather unexpected.

  “Hello, Princess Anna. It is a pleasure to finally meet you,” he said, his voice having an echolike quality to it.

  Everyone gasped at this, for no set of armor had ever spoken before. Everyone present began whispering. The king raised his hand for silence. If Anna’s father was surprised, he didn’t show it as he spoke.

  “If that is all, I have some business to attend to.” The king stood and exited through the door her knight had come from.

  Everyone began talking again the moment he left, causing Anna to blush and feel very awkward. Her knight crossed his arms as two guards came over and asked the princess and her knight to come back with them to her room. When they finally got back, the guards left Anna and her knight, having the servants come in and undress her. When she was finally back into her favorite dress, Anna decided to look over her new protector.

  Even standing on her tiptoes, Anna didn’t make it halfway up his chest. She almost broke her neck to look at his head. Circling him, Anna poked him a few times to see what sort of reaction she would get, but he simply stood still, his empty holes always trained on her. Checking to see if he really would do whatever she said, Anna asked a simple question.

  “Can you please make me some tea?”r />
  Not saying a word, he went about making some caramel tea and brought it to her. Drinking it, Anna realized that he had put in too much sugar and felt a longing for her old, warm companion, not this metal creature.

  Sitting on her bed, she asked, “What should I call you? I mean, do you have a name or something?”

  “I need no name, for I am only your knight,” he said, kneeling and placing his hand over his chest.

  “Oh, great, more of this. Can none of my servants have a name so I can actually call them something? What am I supposed to do, just call you ‘my knight?’ Or should I just call you ‘you’?”

  “I don’t know, and I don’t care. That’s your business what you call me. Just pick something and be done with it.”

  “Of course, I get the one set of armor who can talk, and he has an attitude,” Anna said, plopping down onto her bed.

  “Yes, and I get you. A fair trade, don’t you think?”

  “Ooh, you just keep getting better and better. You know what, I’m going to give you an order to shut up.”

  “Wow, pretty bold, considering I could crush you in an instant.”

  “Did you just threaten me?”

  “You bet your flat chest I just did.”

  Anna gasped, storming out of her room and down the hallway. It was a few seconds before she realized she was being followed.

  “Why are you following me?” Anna yelled at her knight.

  “I have to follow you, remember? Keep you safe and all that.”

  “Oh, so you follow that order from my father, but you won’t listen to me?”

  “Hey, I made you tea.”

  “Argh! Whatever. I’m going to the bathroom.”

  Running to the nearest bathroom, Anna went in and locked the door. Sitting down on the chamber pot, she realized that she actually did have to go. So, pulling up her dress, Anna started to go when she heard a knock from outside.