Chapter 4 - No trick of the light

  Ryn’s eyes flicked to the source of the commotion, his usual mask of calm slipping for the briefest moment.

  A flash of gold struck the stone wall with a sharp clink before tumbling to the floor.

  “-Ariel!” a voice cried in shock.

  A young woman rushed forward, her maid's skirt brushing the ground And her silver hair bouncing on her scalp as she darted toward the fallen trinket. But before she could reach it, she collided with the wall of Ryn’s chest.

  She froze. Her wide eyes met his for a heartbeat, then she stumbled back as though burned.

  Dropping into a frantic bow, she bent again and again, words of apology spilling from her lips too fast to follow.

  Ryn raised a hand, trying to steady her. “Wait, calm-”

  But the more he spoke, the more she flustered, tripping over her own apologies until her voice dissolved into a breathless stammer.

  She bowed so low she seemed ready to vanish into the stone. Ryn almost wished he knew what words might ease her.

  Before Ryn could steady the panicked girl, Princess Ariel darted forward, her clothes half-fitted to her body. With a sharp glare, she wedged herself between them, palms striking against his chest.

  “Move,” she snapped, shoving hard enough to make even Ryn give ground.

  For once, Ryn’s composure faltered. His brow furrowed as he stared between the two girls

  He opened his mouth, then shut it again. For the first time in years, he realized he had no idea what he was supposed to do.

  “What is wrong with you!?” Ariel snapped, golden eyes flashing as she planted herself between Ryn and the girl.

  Ryn’s reply was flat, but a hint of uncertainty lingered. “That was hardly-”

  “Hardly what?” She scoffed “Honestly, you’re hopeless.”

  Caught between their clashing words, the maid shuffled nervously. Her hands twisted together, her head bowing so low her hair nearly brushed the floor.

  “I-I’m so sorry, Ariel,” she stammered, voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

  “It's not your fault, Lilia.” Ariel's voice calmed as she turned to look at the trembling maid, but quickly angered when she turned back to Ryn, “It's because this buffoon of a knight stood in your way.”

  Ryn’s jaw tightened, though his face betrayed nothing, ‘Buffoon ???’

  “I was only doing my duty,” Ryn said evenly, his voice low and precise.

  “Duty?” Ariel shot back, golden eyes narrowing. “Duty? Terrorizing maids counts as duty now?”

  Ryn's expression cracked slightly.

  The maid Lilia, apparently, looked between them, wide-eyed and pale, as if she had stumbled into a battlefield rather than a hallway.

  “Terrorizing?” Ryn blinked once, slowly. “I merely stood in her way.”

  “That’s terrorizing! Gods, do you even hear yourself?” Her voice cracked between outrage and disbelief.

  “You’re supposed to be guarding me,” she shot back. “Not scaring my attendants.”

  Lilia let out a squeak, bowing so low her forehead nearly touched the floor. “Your Highness, it was only an accident, really-”

  Neither of them heard her.

  Ryn’s eyes narrowed faintly, another crack in his composure. “If she’s scared just because I stood still, that’s hardly my fault.”

  “You brat!” Ariel gasped, rounding on him like he had insulted royalty itself. “You will apologize to Lilia this instant!”

  “…For standing still?”

  “Yes!”

  “…sorry, Ms Lilia?”

  The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on, broken only by Lilia’s desperate, muffled whimper.

  Ariel stamped her foot. “Ugh! You're insufferable!”

  Ryn tilted his head, ever so slightly.

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  His silence only seemed to anger him more. For a heartbeat, it looked as if she might try to shove him again, but instead she whirled on her heel, snatching Lilia’s hand.

  “Come, Lilia. You don’t need to waste another second near this—this thing.”

  Lilia stumbled after her, bowing awkwardly as she was half-dragged down the hall. “I-I’m sorry!”

  Ryn remained exactly where he was, the faintest crease forming between his brows as the echo of their footsteps faded.

  At length, he muttered under his breath, “…Buffoon?”

  Minutes later

  Ariel swept into the hall, her gown more casual compared to yesterday’s clothing; even in casual dress, she carried an effortless grace. Beside her, the silver-haired maid, Lilia, had her shoulders hunched inward, her posture curling small as though she were trying to disappear into the fabric of her apron. Ryn wondered if the princess and this servant shared a close bond.

  “What are you staring at?” she snapped.

  Lilia flinched at the sudden edge in her voice, pressing her palms nervously against her skirt.

  Ryn’s reply was calm and deliberate. “Merely observing, Your Highness.”

  Her frown deepened. “Well, observe something else,” she began, walking forward and dragging Lilia with her.

  He said nothing, but the faint crease in his brow remained as he trailed them.

  ***

  As Ryn followed behind the princess and Lilia, his gaze grew sharp and solemn. Their path was leading them away from the bustle of the city’s heart and into the outer hills of Solvara. Though still within the walls, those lands were far less secure. The threat of aberrations lingered,Impossibly rare, yes, but each one carried twisted powers that could render even the strongest stone defenses meaningless.

  ‘A princess should not tread so carelessly beyond the safety of the city,’

  With these thoughts pressing at him, Ryn finally broke his silence, his voice low and steady.

  “Your Highness… may I ask where we are going?”

  Ariel didn’t even look back as she answered, her words sharp.

  “Where we’re going is hardly your concern, Knight. Your duty is to guard me, not question me.”

  Lilia hesitated, her voice small as she glanced nervously between Ryn and the princess.

  “I… I think what Her Highness means to say is… we’re going to the place where Her Majesty, before her passing, awakened her own powers. The princess hopes she might… find some clue to unseal her dormant blessings.”

  Ryn tilted his head slowly in curiosity.

  Her majesty said nothing in return, letting her silence confirm the truth

  ‘So that’s her goal…’

  As they crossed the grassy plains on Solvara’s edge, the silence pressed uncomfortably on Lilia. At last, she glanced back at Ryn, her voice hesitant.

  “S-Sir Knight… if you don’t mind me asking… You seem rather young. No older than me or the princess herself. Is it common for knights to be of your age?”

  Ryn considered the question for a moment. It wasn’t unheard of for knights to be of similar age to him. In fact, two of his closest comrades, Brann and Sara, were only seventeen, barely a year older than himself. Kael, the eldest among them, was no more than three or four years older than them.

  At length, he spoke, his tone even.

  “It isn’t unusual. Many knights begin training in childhood. By the time we’re of age, we’re expected to serve. Although my situation is slightly different, I am no exception.”

  Lilia tilted her head slightly, her voice soft but curious.

  “That must be tough on your family… being away from them for so long.”

  Ryn did not falter, his reply as steady as ever.“I have no memory of my parents,” he said evenly.

  Lilia’s eyes went wide, and almost at once she dipped into a hurried bow over and over, nearly tripping over her own feet as they walked.

  “O-oh! I’m sorry!” she blurted, wringing her hands. “I shouldn’t have asked something so painful—please, just forget I said anything!”

  Under the familiar sight of Lilia's incessant bowing, he replied hurriedly

  “Painful?, There is nothing painful about this. I have no memory of them, therefore… I can't miss them.”

  Ryn tilted his head slightly. There was genuine confusion in his eyes; he truly did not understand why she treated the subject like a wound.

  “…You really don’t feel anything, do you?” Ariel asked, finally joining the conversation, her voice quieter now, though edged with frustration. “Most people would mourn what they’ve lost. But you-” she huffed, “you act as if it doesn't matter at all. It’s infuriating.”

  This only seemed to puzzle Ryn further. His brow furrowed faintly as he replied,“…How do I mourn something that I never had to begin with?”

  Ariel looked as though she might press the point further, lips parting in retort, but in the end, she only exhaled sharply and turned away. Her pace quickened, skirts brushing the grass as she strode ahead.

  An even more awkward silence settled in her wake as they continued forward to their destination.

  ***

  By the time they reached, the sun had climbed high into the sky, spilling golden light across the plains. The tall grasses swayed gently in the breeze, their tips gleaming as though dusted with fire. From this vantage, the entire city of Solvara stretched before them, its walls and spires etched against the horizon. It was a breathtaking sight, serene, almost unreal.

  “It’s beautiful…” Lilia whispered, her voice carrying a kind of reverence.

  Ryn’s eyes flicked toward her. For a moment, he almost spoke, but her words had already echoed the very thought that lingered unvoiced in his mind.

  Ariel’s lips curved faintly, her chin lifting as her golden eyes swept over the horizon. “This,” she said, her voice clear and sure, “is the true beauty of Solvara.”

  A gentle breeze rippled through the grass, carrying with it the warm scent of sun-baked earth. For a moment, Ryn almost felt… at peace.

  Almost.

  His eyes narrowed. A prickle ran along the back of his neck, a quiet alarm that something in the scene did not belong. He let his gaze sweep over the rolling fields until he caught it, an undulating blemish in the otherwise endless green. A patch of shadow, wrong in its appearance, as if the light itself refused to touch it.

  His hand drifted instinctively to the hilt at his side.

  “… there's something here,” he murmured.

  The words broke the quiet, and both Ariel and Lilia turned toward him in confusion.

  The tall grasses stilled, as though waiting.

  Then the darkness shifted. Low, guttural rasp rippled through the air, vibrating against his chest and throat, making his teeth chatter involuntarily. The sunlight seemed to hesitate, dimming slightly over the patch of ground as if the light itself recoiled.

  Ryn’s jaw tightened. His earlier unease crystallized into certainty. This was no trick of the light.

  It was something Ryn feared encountering the most.

  An aberration