The Knight of Avalon
Chapter 14

When I arrived at the stables, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of calm wash over me. Being around horses always had a way of grounding me, especially after a conversation like the one I just had with Prince Thomas. I headed to the tack room and started gathering Casper’s armor. With everything in hand, I made my way to his stall. As I approached his stall, Casper neighed and sniffed me with his nose, as if asking, “Did you bring any apples today?” I chuckled and scratched behind his ear, “Sorry, Casper, no apples today. But I did bring some exciting news for you. You get to accompany me to receive Queen Amber at the gates.” Casper seemed to perk up at the mention of the queen, and I could tell he was excited. I don’t talk much about him, but Casper is a magnificent horse, young and full of energy. His coat is a brilliant white, earning him his name, with the exception of his pink nose.

As I went through the routine of getting him ready, my thoughts drifted back to the idea of matchmaking. I had always been a bit not fond about the whole topic of love, but as a knight, I never really had the time to pursue my own love life. That was a good excuse for not finding that kind of love. So helping others find love seemed like the next best thing. But as I adjusted Casper’s saddle, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was getting in over my head. After all, love is a tricky business. What if my attempts at matchmaking only caused heartache and disappointment? I shook my head, pushing those thoughts aside. As a knight, I couldn’t let fear hold me back. And besides, who said love had to be easy?

After finishing with Casper, I led him out of the stables and made my way towards the courtyard. When I arrived, I hopped into the saddle and waited patiently. Soon enough, I saw Princess Amity and Princes Thomas and Frost approaching from the front door. Princess Amity was wearing the same beautiful attire she wore when she arrived, and so was Prince Thomas, and Prince Frost was dressed just as he was earlier. I greeted them warmly as they approached, and we exchanged pleasantries. Suddenly, Prince Frost interrupted, “Alexis, you forgot something.” It was then that I noticed he was holding my helmet, which I had carelessly left in the dining room earlier. “Thank you for reminding me, sire,” I said, taking the helmet from him and securing it on my head. As Princess Amity gazed up at me, her eyes sparkled with admiration. “You look very knightly up there,” she said, smiling warmly towards me. “Thank you, Your Highness,” I replied, smiling back at her. “I’ll take my leave now and head towards the gates at the end of the village to join the rest of the knights,” I said to them.

Prince Frost nodded, and I turned Casper’s head towards the village. As I rode through, I could feel the excitement in the air. The villagers had lined up on either side of the street, waving flags and cheering loudly as I passed by. Children were jumping up and down, trying to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s carriage. It was clear that the arrival of Queen Amber was a very important event for the village. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride and responsibility as a knight of the kingdom. It was my duty to protect the Queen and ensure that everything went smoothly during her visit. As I approached the gates, I saw the other knights waiting in formation, all dressed in their finest armor and holding their lances at the ready.

I rode up to them and joined their ranks. They greeted me warmly, and we chatted for some time. We waited patiently for the Queen’s arrival, watching as the villagers continued to cheer and wave. As we gazed into the distance, a carriage gradually emerged, and as it drew nearer, I saw the queen seated within. The knights quickly assembled into a procession, and I joined them, riding alongside the carriage as we made our way through the village towards the castle. The villagers cheered and waved us on as we rode past. Throughout the journey, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride in my role as a knight, and it was an honor to ride alongside the Queen of Snowman’s Land.

Eventually, we arrived at the palace gates, where Princess Amity, Princes Thomas and Frost eagerly awaited her. The carriage came to a gentle stop at the courtyard, where the other knights had formed a guard of honor for the Queen’s arrival. As the carriage doors opened, my eyes were drawn to the stunning figure that emerged. She was dressed in a long dress with sleeves that flowed beautifully as she moved, exuding elegance and poise. Her crown was perched gracefully atop her head, adding to her regal presence.

As I dismounted Casper, I bowed deeply to the Queen, following the lead of all the other knights. Princess Amity and Princes Frost and Thomas, who were waiting at the palace gates, also followed suit. While I was in the midst of bowing to Queen Amber, my senses were suddenly jolted by the sound of an arrow flying past me and embedding itself into the ground. Without hesitation, I yelled at the knights to take the Royals inside the palace for their safety. I drew my sword and quickly scanned the area, trying to locate the source of the attack. On the far side of the wall, I saw four masked figures with crossbows and arrows, all aiming in our direction.

My instincts kicked in, and I mounted Casper and rode towards the wall; the other knights quickly joined me. We were determined to stop whoever was responsible for the attack. But as I looked back, I noticed Prince Frost hesitating, trying to resist going inside. “Prince Frost, go inside! It’s not safe out here!” I shouted. But he stubbornly refused, even as another arrow narrowly missed my head. One of the guards had to grab him from behind and drag him inside the palace for his own safety. As we charged towards the wall, I caught a glimpse of the arrow that had just flown past me. Its shaft was made of ice, and the arrow head looked sharp and jagged, like frozen shards of glass. It was no ordinary arrow.

And then the other three came. I tried to block them with my sword, but they were too fast, and one managed to pierce my armor and embed itself into my shoulder the force of the impact made me fall of the saddle and landed with a thud on the ground. I gritted my teeth in pain and tried to pull out the arrow from my shoulder, but it was stuck. The masked attackers continued firing, and I knew I had to act fast. I motioned for the knights to split up and take down the attackers from different angles. With the attackers now focused on the other knights, I managed to finally pull out the arrow from my shoulder, but it snapped, and the arrow head was left inside. I had no time to take it out, so I left it. The pain was excruciating, but I pushed through it and charged towards the attackers, determined to end this.

I saw the other knights engaging in fierce combat with the masked attackers, but they were outnumbered. I had to act quickly before anyone else got hurt. I drew my sword and charged towards the attackers. The attackers turned their attention towards me, and I knew I was in for a tough fight. They were skilled and relentless, but I was determined to protect the Royals.

As I swung my sword, I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder where the arrow had been lodged. It slowed me down for a split second, but I pushed through the pain and continued fighting. One of the attackers managed to strike me on the same arm, but I quickly retaliated and took him down. With three attackers left, I could see that they were starting to retreat. They had underestimated our strength, and they were now paying the price. As we chased them, I shouted for the knights to capture them alive. We needed to find out who they were and why they had attacked us.

After a few moments of pursuit, we finally caught up to them. They were unmasked, and to my surprise, they were not human. They were a group of skilled elf archers, known for their stealth and precision. I wondered what their motive was and why they had targeted us. “Is everyone okay?” I asked, scanning the knights faces for any signs of injury. “We’re fine, thanks to your leadership,” one of them replied. I collapsed onto the ground, the pain in my shoulder becoming too much to bear.

One of the knights came over to help me up, and I winced as he examined the wound. “It’s not too deep, but that arrowhead needs to come out,” he said urgently, “we need to get you to a healer immediately.” He tried to pick me up, but I yelled in pain, so another knight brought Casper over, and they helped me onto the saddle. I groaned in pain as they lifted me onto Casper’s back feeling the world spin around me. But suddenly, everything went black, and I felt myself slipping away. Panic seized me as I fought to hold on, to keep my grip on reality. But it was no use. The darkness swallowed me, and I blacked out.

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