Chapter Forty-One – Blood in the Streets

Ailith sprinted towards the inn. The thought of her parents being harmed hastened her strides until she burst through the entrance.

She almost immediately clattered into the body of someone carrying half a dozen drinks. The inn was filled to the brim with occupants, creating a lively and buzzing atmosphere. Ailith could barely recall the last time their inn was this packed. However, she had no time to question the inn's capacity and searched around until she found her parents.

Both of them seemed unharmed, standing by the counter and confronting a stocky, armoured man. Actually, Ailith's mother was confronting the hulking brute whilst being held back by her father, who attempted a peaceful resolve. ''Perhaps, you could find residence elsewhere?'' he inquired pleasantly enough.

However, the brute responded by waving his hand dismissively. On closer inspection, Ailith recognised the tanned man instantly.

''I can't!'' Anoke barked. ''I've got little coin left. Your inn is the cheapest I could find, and you're telling me you have no rooms left? What kind of service do you run?''

''Sir, if you don't lower your voice, we're going to have to ask you to leave.''

''Oh, really? Are you going to show me to the door yourself?''

Demeka sneered and rolled up her sleeves ''Gladly.''

She received an exasperated look from her husband. ''Dear, I don't think that'll work this time.''

When Anoke took another menacing step forward, Ailith snapped. ''Hey!''

Everyone in the inn was silenced and turned to Ailith's direction. Ailith's parents stared with eyes wider than the dinner plates used by their guests. Breaking the peace was a small gasp that slipped past their lips.

''You?'' Anoke wheezed.

At that very moment, Nassandra had finally caught up with her companion and hurried through the door, frozen with fright upon seeing dozens of eyes in her general direction. She quickly adjusted her hood to cover her face.

Anoke's already pallid expression paled considerably when Ailith advanced. He held out his arms defensively. ''Hold on, I have no quarrel with you. Because of the Kingdom's lockdown, I'm stuck here passing from inn to inn, and these vituperative vultures are refusing to cater to my demands.''

''That's my Mama and Papa!''

Still as a statue, the slack-jawed Anoke showed no visible reaction to the revelation.

Without warning, he took off like an arrow, running out of the door before anyone could blink.

Nassandra leant closer to Ailith. ''Do you know him?''

''Thankfully, not that well.'' Ailith wasn't sure if she was happy or annoyed that Anoke dashed off like that.

The other occupants returned to their casual business, dining or chatting amongst themselves.

Ailith turned around to greet her parents. Before she could even utter a syllable, they had flung their arms around their daughter and held her in a tight embrace. The questions flew out of their mouth without patience. More questions followed before Ailith could provide them with answers. Their frantic manner was too incoherent for the warrior to understand. Not that it mattered. It might not have been the longest time she had spent apart from them, but seeing them now created the biggest smile across her face.

Nassandra watched on. Her heart fluttered at the affection display.

''I'm fine, I'm fine,'' Ailith assured them when she finally had the chance to speak. ''Look, I'm standing and in one piece.''

''You were gone for weeks.'' Demeka shrieked, trying to hold back tears. ''We weren't sure what happened to you. We didn't know if you'd been imprisoned, executed, or shipped away to another part of the world. How did you get yourself involved in this mess?''

Ailith arched her brow. ''Get involved? What are you talking about?''

Her mother reached for something hidden behind the counter nearby. ''We received this message from a Knight. He didn't stay long and said he couldn't give details before running off. I was about to storm the castle myself to find you.''

Sinley nodded at the last statement.

Taking the letter from her, Ailith inspected it carefully. All mentions of Nassandra and the assassin were censored. It merely informed her parents that she had become a witness to an attack on castle grounds and was to be kept and watched under the security of the Knights until further notice. Finely written and expertly laid-out, it baffled Ailith to see that the insignia of the Kingdom was nowhere to be found. Instead, there was only a signature marked at the bottom.

'Marshal Cadere Helmer.'

A small grin tugged at her lips. She looked up at her parents. ''I'm fine, I promise. I'll tell you everything. Or, everything I think I'm allowed to tell.''

Ailith let her gaze wander until she found Nassandra, standing quietly a few feet away. The warrior sprang towards her and gently nudged her forward. ''But, before I do, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine. This is...Cassandra. She's a servant who works at the castle.''

Nassandra bowed to them, greeting them and hiding her nervous gulp. ''It-it's a pleasure to meet you.''

The couple shared a look and responded with a hasty bow of their own. Sinley smiled. ''Our apologies, we were so caught up with...''

He was interrupted when Demeka patted him on the chest. ''Let's apologise properly by cooking a proper return-home feast.''

~X~

Dinner with Ailith's family was certainly different from anything Nassandra had experienced before. Then again, it was the first one she attended where she had to pretend to be someone she wasn't. The meal itself was pleasant despite arriving in small portions. One look around at the other occupants at their respective tables told her where the rest of the food went.

After reciting her tale as much as she could, Ailith also glanced around at the vibrant environment, watching her father collect empty plates and finished mugs.

Sitting opposite them, Demeka sighed wistfully. ''I shouldn't complain too much. The inn is livelier than it's been in years, but we simply can't accommodate everyone with the Kingdom on lockdown. It doesn't help when we encounter unruly guests like that man. How do you know him?''

''He was going to enter the tournament,'' Ailith answered. ''But he quit when he realised he was in over his head.''

Demeka then turned to her daughter's new friend. ''I'm sorry, Cassandra. You've been quiet. I don't mean to ignore you. Tell me, what is it like to work in the castle?''

Tucking her hands under the table and resting them on her lap, Nassandra sat up straight. ''It's no different from what you and your husband do.''

Demeka scoffed playfully. ''I find that difficult to believe. Doesn't it feel overwhelming at times to be in the presence of the King?''

Nassandra's lip twitched. ''All the time.''

The table fell into an awkward silence and Nassandra bit her bottom lip, not sure if this was better or worse.

''I probably haven't given the best first impression,'' Demeka said in a softer tone. ''I might seem like a bull who sees red at times, but anyone who is a friend of my daughters is a friend of mine.''

Nassandra fidgeted in her seat. ''To be honest, with the way my mind works, I feel overwhelmed day and night. I-it's worse...when you walk in the footsteps of someone great. You feel out-of-place or like a burden. You feel like you're not worthy to follow that path. I...'' she hesitated for a moment before continuing. ''I think that's why I admire Ailith so much. Life tells her to go down one path, but she chose to forge her own and fight for it with the fire of the stars.''

Ailith felt her cheeks heat up and gave a beaming smile. In doing so, Nassandra noticed the adorable freckles across her face more clearly.

The innkeeper showed off her own radiant smile. ''You shouldn't place so much on your shoulders. You're only a servant girl, not royalty.''

Ailith and Nassandra exchanged a quick glance with each other just as Sinley arrived to join them, taking a seat next to his wife.

''Have I missed anything?'' he asked.

''Cassandra was just telling us about life in the castle,'' Demeka said to him before returning her attention to their new guest. ''Speaking of royalty, you haven't mentioned the Princess. We don't know much about her. What's she like?''

''Nothing!'' Nassandra yelped, surprising everyone at the table. ''I mean...I mean she keeps to herself. I don't know. I don't see her.''

''I've seen her!'' Ailith proclaimed, also surprising everyone at the table.

Nassandra shot her a firm stare, wondering what the warrior was planning.

''Only a few times. I'm not allowed to go near her unless instructed. At first, she wasn't what I expected. She does like to keep to herself, but she's also kind and smart and thoughtful. If she felt that I was upset or uncomfortable, she'd do everything she can to make me feel at ease. She doesn't treat me differently because I'm from a different background. I've seen her vouch for me even when others have doubted me. The moments when I'm with her are the closest I've felt to becoming a Knight.''

Tucking herself into what was left of her food, Ailith didn't notice Nassandra gazing at her. The Princess's smile was small. However, the light in her eyes couldn't sparkle anymore even if she tried.

The sound of the door crashing open caught everyone's attention. An older woman stood with a worried look on her face. ''There's a Knight outside. I think he might be drunk. If there are any children, keep them indoors.''

Ailith felt her heart plummet. Ignoring the worried glances shared by her parents, she rushed off to find out what was happening. Nassandra followed closely, keeping her hood up at all times.

Once outside the inn and standing on the uneven porch, Ailith saw a crowd of people gathering to the scene. Many were simple watching while a few were shouting insults at an armour-clad Jerimoth. He stumbled around even with the assistance of his quarterstaff. An empty bottle of wine rolled on the ground next to him.

''Leave now! You don't belong here!'' a heckler yelled.

Jerimoth squinted his eyes. ''I can't quite tell, but you look half my age, so I'm twice the citizen you are. I have every right to be here if I want.''

Ailith's parents joined her and Nassandra on the porch. A groan came from Demeka before she turned to a civilian close to them. ''What happened?''

''To be fair, that Knight was minding his own business when some people started jeering him. But, he refuses to back down.''

Their attention was brought back to the row when another man stepped forward. ''Why are you never here when we need you? Why do you only keep to the Inner Circle of the Kingdom? Are we not worth protecting when compared to the Bluebloods?''

''Blue blood, red, green, does the colour make a difference? All that should matter to you is if blood gets on the outside. Then you have a right to be concerned.'' His words and laughter were slurred.

''There's no point arguing.'' The first heckler said. ''They don't care about us. They haven't for years. The only good Knight is a dead Knight!''

Jerimoth stopped hobbling around, slowly fixing his gaze on the heckler. ''Well, you're in luck. I know a lot of dead Knights...and they were good.''

The pain in his voice was felt. As everyone became quiet, the sound of Jerimoth tightening his grip on his quarterstaff set Ailith's danger signals aflame. Memories of the last time she had seen him in this state replayed in her mind. If Kuval hadn't stepped in that night, Jerimoth would have hurt people. With Kuval nowhere to be found now, Ailith knew someone had to step forward.

''Jerimoth, stop!'' she called out and leapt forward to confront Jerimoth before anyone could stop her.

Whispers passed throughout the crowd as all eyes turned to Ailith. The one-legged Knight faced her with a cold, bitter expression. His sarcastic, drunken smile disappeared. ''You know, I'd almost forgotten about you. I would have thought that you'd grown up and learnt your lesson, or wound up dead pursing your goal. The latter option is still open.''

''Calm down, you-,''

''Don't talk to me like you know me!'' he snapped. ''You don't know me! You don't know what I've been through. You've never been in a real fight. You've never dealt with loss. If you had, you'd never want to become like me. Those were your words. All those years ago, you said that you want to become a Knight like me. Well, take a good look. Is this what you want to become?''

Ailith scowled at his manner. Her patience wore thin for the man who seemed to have learned nothing over the years. ''I want to become better.''

''Don't we all?'' Jerimoth murmured quietly before raising his voice again. ''Having someone like you in our ranks would dishonour the men and women that I fought alongside.''

''I deserve to be a Knight as much as they-,''

Jerimoth slammed his quarterstaff into the ground to silence her. ''No, you don't! You don't deserve it. You're not bred for this like we are. This is our duty! Do not treat our curse like it is your blessing. My comrades deserved this honour.''

''Not if they were anything like you!''

Jerimoth's fist crashed into her stomach.

Despite being drunk and handicapped, his speed was more than she anticipated. The wind was knocked out of her as she dropped to the ground. The ringing in her ears muffled the shocked gasps from the crowd. Ailith tried to stand. Moving too quickly almost caused her to vomit.

Jerimoth staggered forward; the momentum of his charge not mixing well with his drunk state. ''How dare you-,''

''How do you know I don't deserve this? If this isn't what I want?'' Ailith coughed, finally rising to her feet.

He stared at her mystified. ''Why do you want this? Why do you want to be on the edge of death and desolation for every waking moment? Do you want to see those closest to you die? Can you imagine going through those horrors over and over again until nothing can numb the pain?''

Suddenly, something flew out from the crowd. One of the hecklers tossed a glass bottle in Jerimoth's direction. Ailith had no time to warn him before it collided with the back of his head. The glass shattered upon impact and Jerimoth stumbled forward. Rubbing his head, he looked up and that's when Ailith noticed his expression had changed. Fear clouded his eyes. They moved erratically as if he'd spotted a hundred enemies closing in on him.

''No, stop! No!'' He panted and thrust his quarterstaff at the heckler. The weapon extended towards him with a violent intent.

Reacting quickly, Ailith jumped in the way of the strike. Coating her arms in diamond, she took the full force and diverted it away from the crowd. Even with the added protection, it was enough to knock her aside. She crashed and rolled before finding her feet.

Jerimoth continued to swipe his quarterstaff with no regard for who was in the way, causing panic in the crowd as they tried to escape. Hoping to stop him, Ailith rushed towards the hysterical Knight. The moment she got close enough for him to notice, Jerimoth lashed out and elbowed her in the face, knocking her down once again. Drops of blood poured from Ailith's nose. She'd hoped he would be easier to subdue being drunk and unfocused. If anything, that made him more dangerous.

She tried with all her might to stop him. However, his reflexes were too sharp and his attacks were too strong. Whenever it seemed like someone in the crowd would be caught in the crossfire, Ailith obstructed the weapon's path, taking the hit herself.

How could this happen? How could a Knight show no concern for the innocent they might hurt? Why would they let the Kingdom become fractured? Why would they cheat? Why would they discriminate? Did Ailith believe a lie all this time?

The dream before her was fractured, leaving nothing but the pieces for her to salvage and pretend they aren't broken.

A primal scream ripped itself free from her being. Her fist clenched and shrouded itself with diamond. After taking another hit from Jerimoth, Ailith counted with a strike of her own. Her punch landed on his left cheek, forcing him to lurch away from her.

Bloodied and bruised, but free from the entanglement, Ailith glared at the Knight. ''I don't care what I have to face! I'll fight it! And it doesn't matter what you say, because to me...you're not a real Knight!''

Jerimoth growled between breaths and gripped his quarterstaff tighter. Too frail to move, Ailith feared that the next attack would be the decisive blow. She raised her arms, prepared to defend herself when something draped in white came between her and the Knight.

Nassandra shielded Ailith, holding out her arms and refusing to move, even as Ailith tried to reach her in time before Jerimoth swung his weapon in her direction.

Everyone jumped at the sound of wood clashing with steel. Those brave enough to witness the outcome saw that Jerimoth did not hit the hooded woman who rushed to protect Ailith. Instead, Jerimoth's quarterstaff was caught in a stalemate with a blade belonging to Emlyn, who had launched herself from the crowd to intervene.

''Commander?'' Jerimoth garbled.

Keeping the drunkard's weapon locked with hers, Emlyn leant forward. ''Look at who you almost struck!''

Jerimoth stared at her before shifting his gaze to the hooded woman standing between Emlyn and Ailith. His face froze once he recognised the Princess's face. The haze in his eyes was lifted. Tilting his head, he spotted the people in the crowd circling them, staring at him in terror. Many held their beloved closer when Jerimoth looked at them for too long. Two figures ran from the crowd and over to Ailith, tending to her wounds and keeping her on her feet.

Jerimoth recognised them. They were the girl's mother and father...the girl who was a battered mess for trying to protect everyone from him.

Finally, he lowered his weapon, leaning on it for support as he stared at the ground.

Emlyn scanned the area. There were too many people for her liking with the Princess out in the open, despite her disguise. A parting in the crowd revealed Fethawi floating over to the Commander.

Emlyn tilted her head towards Jerimoth. ''Escort him back to the castle and report everything to His Majesty. We will join you later.''

''As you wish, Commander Emlyn,'' Fethawi replied and turned to Jerimoth. ''Please follow me.''

Jerimoth slowly followed the Drasa, without any resistance.

Emlyn sharply turned to Nassandra. ''Inside. Now.'' She snarled and marched towards the inn before they could argue. Frightened by the swordswoman's tone, Nassandra didn't delay.

Ailith hissed in pain with every step she took, even with her parents helping her along the way. The bloody nose and lip wouldn't be too much of a problem, but the limp would no doubt keep her up tonight.

Storming through the door, Emlyn waited for all the occupants to face her. ''Out!'' she bellowed.

Knowing best than to argue with an armoured Knight who had the roar of a dragon, everyone scurried out of the inn leaving only her, the Princess and the Natia family. ''What were you thinking?'' she interrogated Ailith.

''He was going to hurt someone-,''

''I'm talking about you taking the Princess out of the castle while there are threats against her life!''

''Princess?'' Ailith's parents gasped in unison.

Nassandra stepped forward. ''C-commander, the fault is mine. I was...I-it was my idea to leave the castle and I brought Ailith along for protection...''

''Look at your protector now!'' Emlyn pointed at Ailith, ignoring the scowl from the warrior's mother. ''If Kardas had found you first, you'd both be dead! You know the danger you're in, and you still gallivanted around the Kingdom?''

''It was my fault,'' Ailith interjected. ''Nassandra wanted to return, but I decided to come here to see Mama and Papa.''

''That confession is enough to necessitate your arrest for endangering the Princess.''

''No!'' The next outburst from Nassandra caught everyone off guard. The Princess locked eyes with Emlyn. ''I refute that order, Commander. I reiterate that leaving the castle was my idea. If anyone is to be punished for their actions, it should be me. Under no circumstances, is Ailith to be punished when she returns to the castle. Is that understood?''

Emlyn kept herself poised. She looked out of the closest window, noting the few people outside still discussing the madness they had viewed, and the sun disappearing behind the horizon. ''What is the most secure room you have here?'' she asked the shaken innkeepers.

''On the upper-floor, second door to the right. It's most likely empty now.'' Sinley replied.

''The Princess's identity might still be safe, but it's too great a risk to leave now. We'll stay here for the night. Before dawn, when the streets are quietest, she and I will return to the castle.'' She turned to Ailith. ''And you won't be coming with us.''

''What?'' Ailith whispered.

Emlyn raised her hand to stop Nassandra's inevitable protest. ''Fethawi will report all that has happened to the King and the council, including Ailith striking Jerimoth. They won't look fondly on someone who attacked a Knight, regardless of the context.''

The pain in Ailith's body disappeared, replaced by complete numbness. The Commander's words might as well have fallen on the ears of a deaf person.

Ailith looked up when she felt Emlyn's eyes burning into her. ''You're no longer a suspect in this investigation. We have no reason to keep you. If you return to the castle, you will spend the rest of your life in a dungeon. I've given you a chance to walk free.''

Emlyn walked away silently, escorting Nassandra towards the stairs. As she was dragged away, the Princess refused to tear her eyes away from her friend until the wooden boards of the upper-floor separated them.

Sitting down on a chair, finding it difficult to breathe, Ailith didn't know what to do. She felt a delicate hand cup her cheek, compelling her to stare into her mother's eyes while her father brushed a stray strand of hair off her brow.

Ailith swallowed hard and forced a smile. ''It was fun while it lasted.''

She could no longer hold back her tears.

A/N: Phew, what a chapter. Did you enjoy it? What was your favourite part? Is that Ailith's one and only chance of becoming a Knight gone? Or can she find another way? Until next time, thank you all and take care.