My Point of View

"Where the hell am I?" I muttered, staring at the massive castle looming in the distance.

Only moments ago I'd been asleep in my bed at Beacon. Now I was standing beneath an oak tree, a dirt road stretching before me toward stone walls and towering battlements.

No portal. No warning. No explanation.

Just one hell of a headache and a castle that definitely wasn't in Vale.

The sound of armored footsteps approached from behind.

"Oi! Move thyself from the road."

I glanced over my shoulder.

A man clad in polished plate armor marched toward me. A blue surcoat bearing a golden crest hung over his steel breastplate, and a longsword rested at his hip. Judging by the arrogant look on his face, he thought he owned the road.

I turned fully to face him.

"And who the seven hells are you?"

The knight stopped, clearly offended by the question.

"Sir Henry D'Arc." He declared proudly. "Knight of the Crown. Now move aside, knave."

I looked left.

Then right.

The road was wide enough for three wagons to travel side by side.

"How about you go around me, asshole?"

The knight's face immediately darkened.

His gauntleted hand dropped to the hilt of his sword.

"You insolent whelp."

With a metallic hiss, steel slid free from its scabbard.

Several nearby peasants immediately backed away.

I, meanwhile, sighed.

"Seriously?"

The knight leveled the blade toward my chest.

"You shall learn respect."

"Yeah, no."

My hand dropped to my holster.

In one smooth motion, I drew my FN 545 and leveled it at him.

The knight blinked.

His eyes narrowed as he stared at the gun in my hand.

"Ha!" He barked. "You think that little piece of metal can stop me?"

The arrogance in his voice was almost impressive.

"Yes."

Before he could respond, I squeezed the trigger.

The gunshot shattered the afternoon air like thunder.

The round slammed into the dirt inches from his armored boot, throwing up a spray of soil and pebbles.

The knight recoiled so violently he nearly stumbled backward.

His horse reared in panic.

Several people screamed and dove for cover.

For a moment, absolute silence fell over the road.

A thin trail of smoke curled from the barrel of my pistol.

Sir Henry stared at the crater beside his foot.

Then slowly looked back up at me.

The confidence was gone.

Completely gone.

I gave him a friendly smile.

"Now imagine what happens if I aim properly."

"What sorcery is that?!" He shouted, stumbling back a step. His eyes were fixed on the smoking pistol in my hand as if it were some cursed artifact.

I rolled my eyes.

"No sorcery."

I gave the side of the pistol a light tap with my finger.

"Just good old American engineering."

The knight's gaze flicked between me and the small crater beside his boot. His grip on his sword had noticeably loosened.

"What manner of weapon creates thunder from one's hand?"

"The kind that ruins a knight's day."

I lowered the pistol slightly but didn't holster it.

"Now do us both a favor and piss off."

Sir Henry's jaw clenched. Pride and common sense fought a brief war behind his eyes.

Common sense won.

Slowly, he lowered his sword.

"You're mad."

"Probably."

"And that weapon truly isn't magic?"

"Nope."

His gaze drifted back to the smoking hole in the road.

"I hate to break it to you, Sir Henry, but if you got dragons, monsters, and whatever else is running around, I'm pretty sure I'm not the weirdest thing you've seen."

The knight didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he took several careful steps around me, never taking his eyes off the pistol.

Once he was a safe distance away, he pointed at me accusingly.

"You're a menace."

I smirked.

"That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all week."

Sir Henry lingered for a moment longer, clearly debating whether his pride was worth another encounter with the 'thunder weapon.'

Thankfully for him, it wasn't.

With a final glare, he turned and continued down the road toward the castle.

"Good choice." I called after him.

The knight muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a curse.

Once he was out of earshot, I let out a sigh and holstered the pistol.

"Well, that could've gone worse."

A nearby peasant slowly rose from behind a cart.

"Is... is the demon gone?"

I blinked.

"The what?"

The old man pointed directly at me.

"The demon."

"Excuse me?"

"The thunder demon."

I stared at him.

He stared at me.

A young woman hiding behind a barrel nervously peeked over the top.

"He doesn't look like a demon."

"He made thunder appear from his hand!"

"It wasn't my hand. It was the gun."

The pair exchanged confused looks.

That apparently hadn't helped.

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Right. Forgot. Medieval people."

The old man cautiously approached.

"You speak strangely."

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

"And your clothes are odd."

I looked down.

Compared to plate armor and wool tunics, he had a point.

"And your weapon?"

"It's a firearm."

"A fire arm?"

"No. Firearm. One word."

The old man nodded slowly.

Then immediately asked, "What's a firearm?"

I groaned.

This was going to be one of those days.

Before I could answer, the distant sound of bells rang out from the castle.

The large gates began to open.

A column of armored riders emerged, banners snapping in the breeze.

At their center rode a woman in polished silver armor atop a massive white horse.

Unlike Sir Henry, her armor was ornate, engraved with intricate patterns that gleamed in the sunlight.

More importantly, she looked important.

Very important.

The riders trotted toward the road.

Several peasants immediately bowed their heads.

I remained standing.

One of the knights frowned at that.

The woman, however, simply studied me.

Her eyes swept over me carefully.

Not just me.

My equipment.

The tan armor covering my torso was probably unlike anything she'd ever seen. Thick fabric and and rigid plates protected my chest and abdomen, while numerous pouches lined the front in neat rows. Strange metal objects protruded from several of them.

My helmet was probably even stranger.

To the people around me, it probably looked less like a helmet and more like something a royal artificer would build after drinking too much mead.

Her gaze lingered on the night vision goggles mounted to the front.

Then the pistol at my hip.

Then at the rifle that was slung on my back, the bayonet sword on my left hip, and the RSH-12 on my chest plate.

Then back to the helmet.

Interesting.

Unlike Sir Henry, she didn't look confused.

She looked curious.

The riders came to a halt several yards away.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then she broke the silence.

"You are not from this kingdom."

It wasn't a question.

"Nope."

"Nor any kingdom I know."

"Nope."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Yet Sir Henry's horse returned without him."

I snorted.

"He's fine. Just suffered a severe case of meeting someone more heavily armed than he was."

Several knights bristled.

One even rested a hand on his sword.

The woman raised a hand, silencing them immediately.

Interesting.

Definitely important.

"I am Princess Eleanor of Valencrest."

I gave a small nod.

"Alex."

One of the knights looked horrified.

"You address Her Highness without a title?"

I looked at him.

"You address me without one."

The knight looked like he was about to have an aneurysm.

Princess Eleanor, however, surprised me by laughing.

A genuine laugh.

Not the polite kind.

The knight looked even more horrified.

"Alex." She said, recovering. "Would you care to explain how a man carrying thunder arrived on the King's Road without passing through any gate in the kingdom?"

I glanced at the sky.

Then at the castle.

Then back at her.

"Honestly?"

"Yes."

"I woke up under a tree."

Silence.

One knight coughed.

Another looked away.

The princess stared at me.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"No."

"Good."

"But it's the truth."

To my surprise, she didn't immediately dismiss it.

Instead, she studied me carefully.

Almost as if she was looking for signs of a lie.

Eventually, she sighed.

"Either you're insane..."

"Possible."

"...or something very strange has happened."

"That's the option I'm leaning toward."

The princess rubbed her temples.

Then motioned toward the castle.

"Come with us."

I raised an eyebrow.

"And if I say no?"

Several knights immediately gripped their swords.

Princess Eleanor merely smiled.

"Then I suspect half my escort will spend the next hour trying, and failing, to arrest you."

I considered that.

Then shrugged.

"Fair enough."

Besides, if I wanted answers, the giant castle was probably a better place to start than standing in the middle of a dirt road arguing with medieval people about guns.

The ride to the castle was quiet.

Mostly because nobody seemed quite sure what to say to me.

The peasants stayed behind as Princess Eleanor's escort turned back toward the open gates. I walked beside the column rather than riding. Not because I couldn't ride.

Because nobody had offered me a horse.

And judging by the nervous looks some of the knights kept throwing my way, I wasn't about to ask.

The silence lasted all of three minutes.

Then one of the younger knights finally cracked.

"What does it do?"

I glanced over.

"What does what do?"

"The helmet."

A few of the other knights immediately looked interested.

Apparently I wasn't the only one curious.

"The helmet?"

"Yes."

"What part of the helmet?"

The knight blinked.

"There are parts?"

I sighed.

"Fair point."

The princess looked over from her horse.

"You may answer him."

I shrugged.

"It protects my head."

The knight frowned.

"That cannot be all."

"It isn't."

"What else does it do?"

I considered explaining night vision.

Then I considered trying to explain electronics to medieval people.

Then I decided I valued my sanity.

"It helps me see."

The knight looked confused.

"You require assistance seeing?"

"No."

"Then why does it help you see?"

"Because sometimes it's dark."

The knight opened his mouth.

Paused.

Closed it again.

Several of the others looked equally confused.

Princess Eleanor hid a smile.

I grinned.

"See? Now you understand my problem."

The princess laughed softly.

The younger knight looked offended.

A few minutes later we passed beneath the castle gates.

The walls were enormous.

At least forty feet high.

Maybe more.

Guards lined the battlements above, watching us enter.

Every single one of them noticed me.

I couldn't really blame them.

I probably stood out.

As we passed through the gatehouse, one of the guards pointed.

"What happened to Sir Henry?"

"His pride was mortally wounded." I answered.

The princess nearly choked trying not to laugh.

The guard looked confused.

Several knights looked annoyed.

I considered that a victory.

Inside the walls, the city opened before us.

Stone streets.

Wooden buildings.

Market stalls.

Blacksmiths.

Merchants.

Children.

The entire place looked like somebody had ripped a page out of a history book.

And every single person we passed stared.

Conversations died.

People stopped walking.

Several merchants crossed themselves.

One woman grabbed her child and hurried away.

A group of boys followed us for nearly a block before one finally worked up the courage to ask a question.

"Mister!"

I glanced over.

"What?"

The boy pointed at the BAR on my back.

"Is that a dragon killer?"

I blinked.

Then looked at the rifle.

Then back at him.

"...Sure."

The kid's eyes widened.

His friends immediately looked impressed.

"Awesome."

The princess shook her head.

"You should not encourage them."

"Why not?"

"Because now they believe you're a dragon hunter."

I thought about it.

"That sounds considerably better than thunder demon."

She sighed.

"Fair enough."

Eventually the streets widened into a massive courtyard.

The castle itself towered overhead.

Its white stone walls stretched skyward, banners fluttering from dozens of towers.

At the top of a long staircase stood armored guards wearing polished silver armor.

Unlike the others I'd seen, these men didn't look nervous.

They looked professional.

Experienced.

Dangerous.

As we approached, their eyes immediately locked onto me.

One of them stepped forward.

"Your Highness."

Princess Eleanor nodded.

"Captain."

The guard's gaze shifted to me.

"What is that?"

I looked down at myself.

"You're gonna have to be more specific."

The captain stared.

Then, to my surprise, Princess Eleanor burst out laughing.

Again.

A genuine laugh.

The captain looked horrified.

The knights looked horrified.

Several servants looked horrified.

Apparently princesses weren't supposed to laugh.

That only made it funnier.

When she finally recovered, Eleanor gestured toward the castle.

"Come. My father will want answers."

I looked up at the towering structure.

Then at the guards.

Then at the princess.

"Good."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Good?"

"Because I'd like a few answers myself."

For the first time since meeting her, Princess Eleanor's expression became serious.

Something flickered behind her eyes.

Concern.

Curiosity.

Maybe even worry.

"Then perhaps..." She said quietly. "...we can help each other."

And with that, she led me toward the castle.

The interior of the castle was exactly what I expected.

And somehow still impressive.

High stone ceilings arched overhead. Massive banners hung from the walls between narrow stained glass windows. Servants hurried about carrying stacks of papers, trays of food, and various items that looked important.

Most of them stopped to stare.

I was getting used to that.

The princess led the way through a series of hallways while her escort followed behind.

Eventually we reached a pair of enormous wooden doors.

Two guards stood watch outside.

They immediately straightened upon seeing Eleanor.

"Your Highness."

"Open the doors."

The guards obeyed without question.

The massive doors swung inward.

Beyond them sat a large chamber.

A throne room.

Sunlight poured through towering windows behind the throne, bathing the room in gold.

Nobles lined both sides of a long crimson carpet.

At the far end sat an older man wearing a crown.

King Richard, presumably.

The moment the doors opened, dozens of eyes turned toward us.

Then toward me.

The silence was immediate.

I looked around.

"Wow."

The princess sighed.

"What?"

"You people really know how to make an entrance."

Several nobles looked offended.

One elderly man scoffed loudly.

The king, however, looked amused.

"Eleanor."

The princess stepped forward and bowed.

"Father."

The king's eyes shifted toward me.

Unlike everyone else I'd met so far, he didn't immediately focus on the weapons.

He looked directly at my face.

Interesting.

That usually meant he was smart.

Or dangerous.

Sometimes both.

"Would you care to explain why you've brought an armed stranger into my throne room?"

His voice wasn't angry.

Just curious.

Princess Eleanor glanced at me.

Then back at her father.

"He appeared on the King's Road this morning."

The king nodded.

"And?"

"He claims he woke up beneath a tree."

Silence.

Several nobles immediately began whispering.

One started laughing.

The king raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?"

I shrugged.

"Pretty much."

The laughter stopped.

Apparently nobody expected me to answer.

The king leaned forward slightly.

"You are remarkably calm for someone who has supposedly appeared in a foreign kingdom."

"Panicking hasn't helped me so far."

A few nobles reluctantly nodded at that.

The king's amusement grew.

"I see."

One of the nobles stepped forward.

A tall man with a neatly trimmed beard and an expression that instantly annoyed me.

"Your Majesty, surely you do not intend to believe this nonsense."

Ah.

There was always one.

The king glanced at him.

"Lord Hawthorne."

The noble gestured toward me.

"The man is clearly a mercenary."

"I am?"

"You are armed to the teeth."

I looked down.

"Fair point."

Several people snorted.

Lord Hawthorne did not.

"He is dangerous."

"Also fair."

The noble blinked.

I smiled.

"You'd be surprised how much easier life gets when you admit obvious things."

A few servants immediately looked away to hide their laughter.

Lord Hawthorne looked like he wanted to strangle me.

Princess Eleanor appeared to be enjoying herself far more than she should have.

The king rubbed his beard.

"Tell me, Alex."

"Yeah?"

"Sir Henry has apparently suffered a severe case of wounded pride."

I glanced at Eleanor.

Traitor.

The princess looked entirely too pleased with herself.

The king continued.

"My daughter also claims you carry thunder."

I sighed.

"We're really calling it that?"

"What would you call it?"

"A firearm."

The king nodded.

"Can you demonstrate?"

Half the room immediately tensed.

The other half looked excited.

I looked around the throne room.

At the priceless artwork.

The stained glass.

The nobles.

The guards.

Then back at the king.

"Inside?"

The king paused.

"...A fair point."

Princess Eleanor covered her mouth to hide another laugh.

At this point I was beginning to suspect she simply enjoyed watching her court struggle to understand me.

The king stood.

"Then we shall move to the training grounds."

A murmur spread through the room.

Clearly that wasn't a normal occurrence.

The king ignored it.

His gaze remained fixed on me.

"I would like to see this thunder for myself."

I considered refusing.

Then remembered I needed answers.

And that these people currently controlled the biggest source of information around.

"Sure."

The king smiled.

"Excellent."

Lord Hawthorne looked significantly less enthusiastic.

That alone made the decision worthwhile.

The training grounds were packed.

Word had spread.

Fast.

By the time we arrived, dozens of guards, servants, knights, and nobles had gathered around the edge of the field.

Apparently 'the man who carries thunder' was today's entertainment.

I wasn't sure whether to be amused or concerned.

The king stood near the front with Princess Eleanor beside him.

Lord Hawthorne remained nearby as well.

Judging by the look on his face, he was hoping this ended with me embarrassing myself.

Unfortunately for him, reality had other plans.

The king gestured toward the empty range.

"You may begin whenever you are ready."

I nodded.

Then reached for the FN 545 at my hip.

The crowd immediately stiffened.

Several guards instinctively gripped their weapons.

I drew the pistol and held it up.

A murmur spread through the spectators.

"It's so small."

"That's the thunder weapon?"

"How can that create thunder?"

I ignored them.

Walking a short distance down the range, I found a wooden training dummy.

Perfect.

I turned back toward the crowd.

"Everyone standing behind me?"

Several people looked confused.

The king raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Trust me."

After a moment, he motioned for everyone to step back.

Once they had, I turned toward the dummy.

Took aim.

And squeezed the trigger.

The shot echoed across the castle grounds.

Several nobles jumped.

One servant screamed.

A horse somewhere nearby panicked.

The round punched straight through the dummy's chest and blasted splinters out the back.

Silence.

Complete silence.

A thin trail of smoke drifted from the barrel.

I lowered the pistol.

Nobody spoke.

"...By the gods." One knight whispered.

Another slowly approached the ruined dummy.

His eyes widened.

"The wood is pierced completely."

"Yep."

The knight touched the hole.

Then quickly pulled his hand back as if the dummy might explode.

The king looked impressed.

Lord Hawthorne looked pale.

Princess Eleanor looked fascinated.

The king stepped forward.

"That is remarkable."

"That's one word for it."

"What powers it?"

I considered explaining smokeless powder.

Then remembered where I was.

"Chemistry."

The king frowned.

"I do not know that word."

"Yeah, I figured."

A few chuckles came from the crowd.

The king folded his arms.

"And the others?"

His gaze shifted toward the weapons I carried.

The BAR slung across my back.

The RSh-12 mounted to my chest rig.

Several nearby knights immediately became interested.

One pointed.

"The larger one."

"The rifle?"

"If that is what it is called."

I nodded.

"It does the same thing."

The knight blinked.

"The same thing?"

"More or less."

Several people exchanged uneasy looks.

Another knight pointed toward the RSh-12.

"And that one?"

"Same thing."

The knight frowned.

"The sword?"

I glanced at the bayonet.

"That one stabs people."

A few guards looked relieved.

Finally.

Something they understood.

The king studied the rest of my equipment.

"So every weapon, but the sword, you carry creates thunder?"

"Pretty much."

Silence.

One noble swallowed.

Hard.

The king slowly looked back at the pistol in my hand.

Then at the rifle.

Then at the enormous revolver.

Then back to me.

"How many times can they create thunder?"

I smiled.

"That depends."

"On what?"

"How much ammunition I've got."

The king looked concerned.

Lord Hawthorne looked even more concerned.

Princess Eleanor looked like she was trying very hard not to ask a hundred questions at once.

Unfortunately for her, she only got one out first.

"How many shots does that one hold?"

She pointed at the FN 545.

"Twenty."

The princess blinked.

The king blinked.

Several knights blinked.

Lord Hawthorne looked as if I'd personally insulted his ancestors.

"You can create thunder twenty times..." The noble whispered. "...without reloading?"

"Yep."

The man's face went completely white.

For the first time since arriving in this kingdom, I realized something.

To me, this was a pistol.

To them?

I was casually holding a weapon that sounded like something from a myth.

And judging by the expressions around me, they were only just beginning to understand that.

"Where are you from, Alex?" The king asked.

"The United States of America." I answered, my chest puffing out slightly.

The king frowned.

"I'm unfamiliar with that kingdom."

A familiar irritation tugged at the back of my mind, but I kept it off my face.

"It's not a kingdom." I said. "The closest comparison would be fifty kingdoms united beneath a single banner."

Several nobles exchanged interested looks.

The king leaned forward.

"A confederation?"

"Not exactly."

I thought for a moment, trying to explain a modern nation to people who still thought crowns were the pinnacle of government.

"Imagine fifty kingdoms. Each governs its own lands, laws, and people, but they're all part of something larger. When dealing with the outside world, they stand together as one nation."

The king stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"And this nation is called the United States of America?"

"Yep."

"Who is your king?"

I couldn't help but grin.

"We don't have one."

That earned a chorus of confused murmurs from the nobles.

"Then who rules?"

"That's... a longer conversation."

The murmuring spread through the crowd almost immediately.

Several nobles looked horrified.

One appeared genuinely offended.

Lord Hawthorne looked like I'd just announced that water flowed uphill.

"You don't have a king?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Then who commands your armies?"

"The President."

"And what title of nobility does this President hold?"

"None."

The noble blinked.

"The Duke-President?"

"No."

"The Prince-President?"

"No."

"The Lord-President?"

"No."

Lord Hawthorne stared at me.

I stared back.

Princess Eleanor looked dangerously close to laughing again.

Finally, the noble threw his hands into the air.

"Then what is he?"

"An elected official."

The silence that followed was deafening.

The king frowned.

"Elected?"

"Chosen by the people."

The king blinked.

The nobles blinked.

Even Princess Eleanor looked caught off guard by that.

"The people choose their ruler?" she asked.

"More or less."

Lord Hawthorne looked ready to faint.

"You allow peasants to determine who governs the nation?"

I pointed at him.

"See? That's exactly why we dumped tea into a harbor."

The room fell silent.

The king raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

I rubbed my face.

"Wrong audience."

Princess Eleanor finally lost her battle with self-control and laughed.

Several nobles looked scandalized.

Again.

I was beginning to suspect half the kingdom's aristocracy considered smiling a crime.

The king, however, appeared fascinated.

"And this system works?"

"Most days."

"Most days?"

"Depends on who you ask."

A few chuckles escaped the guards standing nearby.

The king studied me carefully.

"You speak of your nation with considerable pride."

I nodded.

"Yeah."

"Yet you do not serve its ruler."

That one actually made me smile.

"I serve the Constitution."

The king frowned.

"The what?"

Right.

Medieval kingdom.

I thought for a moment.

"Imagine a set of laws so important that even the ruler must obey them."

The king's expression shifted.

For the first time since I'd met him, he looked genuinely surprised.

"You mean the ruler's authority is restricted?"

"Very."

The nobles looked horrified.

The guards looked intrigued.

Princess Eleanor looked thoughtful.

The king slowly folded his arms.

"And your people accept this arrangement?"

I laughed.

"Accept it? Most of us would riot if somebody tried changing it."

The king stared.

The nobles stared.

Princess Eleanor stared.

Finally, Lord Hawthorne spoke.

"Your nation sounds completely insane."

I pointed at him.

"Now you're getting it."

The princess snorted.

The king covered a smile with one hand.

Meanwhile, I found myself wondering how exactly I was explaining representative democracy to a medieval royal court.

My history teacher would probably be having an aneurysm right now.

"How did the United States of America come to be?" The king asked.

I pondered the question for a moment.

"Well, originally we were colonies of another nation. The Kingdom of Great Britain, to be exact."

The king nodded, following along.

"And then?"

"Then we got tired of being told what to do."

A few nobles frowned.

Princess Eleanor smirked.

I continued.

"So we revolted."

The murmuring started immediately.

"You rebelled against your king?" One noble asked.

"Yep."

"And won?"

"Yep."

The noble looked horrified.

I shrugged.

"Imagine it. Thirteen colonies on the edge of the world standing up to what was arguably the most powerful kingdom on the planet."

The king's expression became thoughtful.

"And they prevailed?"

"Against all odds."

A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth.

"We kicked their asses, signed a treaty, and became our own nation."

Several nobles looked scandalized.

Princess Eleanor outright laughed.

I pointed at her.

"See? She gets it."

The king ignored the interruption.

"And these thirteen colonies became the foundation of your nation?"

"That's right."

"Yet you spoke earlier of fifty kingdoms."

"States." I corrected. "We call them states."

The king nodded.

"And there are now fifty of them?"

"Yep."

His eyebrows rose.

"You expanded considerably."

I couldn't help but chuckle.

"That's one way of putting it."

"How large is this United States?"

I thought about it.

How exactly do you explain a modern superpower to people whose maps were probably missing half the world?

"Big."

The king stared.

"Big?"

"Very big."

Princess Eleanor rolled her eyes.

"An excellent measurement."

"I'm trying here."

That earned another laugh from her.

The king sighed.

"I gather your homeland is difficult to explain."

"You have no idea."

"What about you, Alex?" Princess Eleanor asked.

"What about me?"

She tilted her head.

"Is there anything special about you?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Special how?"

"Magic. The ability to summon beasts. A blessing from the gods. Something along those lines."

I shook my head.

"That's a negative."

Several nobles looked relieved.

Then I paused.

"Though I suppose being a prince might count."

The room went silent.

The king blinked.

Princess Eleanor blinked.

Lord Hawthorne nearly choked.

"A prince?" The king repeated. "I thought you said your nation had no nobility."

"It doesn't. For the most part."

The king frowned.

"For the most part?"

I sighed.

"This is going to require some explaining."

Princess Eleanor smiled.

"I'm noticing that's a recurring theme."

I pointed at her.

"Exactly."

A few chuckles spread through the room.

I folded my arms.

"Before the United States existed, the land was inhabited by hundreds of tribes. Some were small. Some were enormous. They had their own leaders, laws, cultures, and territories."

The king nodded.

"And your people conquered them?"

"Some of them, yes."

A few nobles shifted uncomfortably.

I shrugged.

"I'm not going to pretend otherwise. There were wars. Some tribes fought. Some made treaties. Some sold land. Some were allied with us. History is messy."

The king seemed pleased by the honesty.

"And where do you fit into this?"

"My great-grandmother was the daughter of the chief from one of those tribes."

That earned several surprised looks.

"So your title comes from your mother's family?" Princess Eleanor asked.

"Partly."

The king leaned forward.

"And the rest?"

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"That's where things get weird."

Several nobles looked offended.

Princess Eleanor looked interested.

I continued anyway.

"I'm also descended from English royalty."

That got everyone's attention.

The king raised an eyebrow.

"Royalty?"

"Very distant royalty."

"How distant?"

"A lot of generations."

The king considered that.

"And this grants you a claim to a throne?"

I barked out a laugh.

"God, no."

The nobles looked confused.

I pointed toward the throne.

"Trust me. If somebody walked into London tomorrow and claimed the crown because their great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was a king, they'd get laughed out of the country."

Princess Eleanor covered a smile.

The king nodded slowly.

"So you are a prince only by lineage, not by authority."

"Exactly."

That seemed to make more sense to them.

The king sat back in his chair.

"Interesting."

"If you say so."

"You do not sound particularly impressed."

I shrugged.

"The king I'm descended from wasn't exactly known for being a wonderful person."

The king chuckled.

"Most kings are remembered for either their victories or their failures."

"Well, this one managed both."

That earned a laugh from Princess Eleanor.

I smiled.

"Personally, I'm happy being American."

The king tilted his head.

"Even with royal blood in your veins?"

"Especially because of it."

The king's laughter joined Eleanor's this time.

For the first time since arriving in the kingdom, the room felt less like a royal court and more like a conversation.

Which was probably a good thing.

Because explaining modern history to medieval nobility was exhausting.

The king's laughter gradually faded.

"So..." He said, leaning back in his throne. "...if you possess neither magic nor noble authority, how did you become such a warrior?"

Several knights immediately straightened.

Apparently that was a question they wanted answered as well.

I shrugged.

"Training."

Lord Hawthorne looked unconvinced.

"Training alone does not produce a man carrying weapons capable of piercing armor from impossible distances."

"Sure it does."

"It most certainly does not."

I pointed at him.

"You're thinking like a noble."

The room went silent.

Lord Hawthorne looked offended.

The king looked interested.

Princess Eleanor looked amused.

I continued.

"Where I come from, being dangerous isn't determined by your birth. It's determined by your skill."

The king slowly nodded.

"Go on."

I gestured toward the training grounds outside.

"You take a farmer. Train him long enough, and he'll become a soldier."

A few knights nodded.

"You take that soldier. Train him long enough, and he'll become a veteran."

More nods.

"Keep going, and eventually you get someone people send when things absolutely need to be solved."

The king studied me.

"And that is what you are?"

I considered the question.

"Nah."

The king blinked.

"Nah?"

"I'm a guy who likes reading, writing, hunting, cooking, and occasionally getting dragged into situations that are way above my pay grade."

Princess Eleanor laughed.

Again.

At this point I was beginning to suspect she laughed more than the rest of the kingdom combined.

The king smiled.

"Yet Sir Henry disagrees."

"Sir Henry picked a fight with a stranger because I was standing in the road."

Several nobles looked away.

Princess Eleanor outright groaned.

The king pinched the bridge of his nose.

"That does sound like Henry."

I grinned.

"See? You get it."

The king shook his head.

Then his expression became thoughtful.

"You said you are a hunter."

"Yep."

"What do you hunt?"

Now that got my attention.

"Depends."

The king raised an eyebrow.

"On?"

"What's trying to eat me."

Several guards laughed.

Even a few knights smirked.

The king chuckled.

"I meant animals."

"Oh."

I thought for a moment.

"Deer. Coyotes. Wild hogs. Rabbits. Things like that."

The king frowned.

"What is a coyote?"

"A small predator."

"And a hog?"

"A pig."

The king blinked.

"You hunt pigs?"

"Wild ones."

The king still looked confused.

I sighed.

"Trust me. A wild hog can ruin your day."

Several nobles looked skeptical.

The king looked amused.

Princess Eleanor tilted her head.

"You hunt dangerous animals for recreation?"

I paused.

"When you put it like that, it sounds weird."

"It is weird."

"Fair enough."

The princess smiled.

Then her expression became curious again.

"There is something I do not understand."

"Only one thing?"

The princess rolled her eyes.

"You speak of kings as equals."

The room immediately became quiet.

Even the king seemed interested in the answer.

I thought about it.

Then shrugged.

"Because where I come from, they're people."

The nobles looked scandalized.

I continued anyway.

"They eat. Sleep. Bleed. Make mistakes."

The king didn't seem offended.

If anything, he looked intrigued.

"Surely you still respect authority."

"Of course."

The king nodded.

"But?"

I grinned.

"But respect and fear aren't the same thing."

The king stared at me for several seconds.

Then slowly smiled.

Princess Eleanor's eyes widened slightly.

Apparently that smile wasn't common.

Finally, the king laughed.

A deep, genuine laugh.

"Alex, I believe you are either the most honest man I have ever met..."

He paused.

"...or the most reckless."

I thought about it.

Then shrugged.

"Probably both."

That earned another round of laughter from everyone except Lord Hawthorne.

Lord Hawthorne looked like he was reconsidering every life choice that had led him to this moment.

"Besides..." I said, folding my arms. "...I don't particularly care who someone is."

The room grew quieter.

"I'll treat a king the same way I'd treat a farmer. A god the same way I'd treat a soldier. A ruler the same way I'd treat anyone else."

Several nobles looked horrified.

I continued anyway.

"Respect is earned. Not inherited."

That earned a few sharp intakes of breath.

Lord Hawthorne looked like he was on the verge of suffering a stroke.

Princess Eleanor's eyebrows climbed slightly.

The king merely watched.

"I also don't bow."

Now the room went completely silent.

"You what?" One noble whispered.

"I don't bow."

The words hung in the air like a challenge.

"It goes against everything I am."

A murmur immediately spread through the court.

Several nobles looked appalled.

A few knights looked offended.

One elderly lord appeared moments away from demanding my execution.

I ignored all of them.

"Where I come from, a person's worth isn't determined by a crown, a title, or the family they were born into. It's determined by their character."

The king's gaze never left me.

"If someone is worthy of my respect, they'll have it."

I shrugged.

"If they aren't, a crown won't change that."

The murmuring grew louder.

Princess Eleanor looked torn between shock and amusement.

Lord Hawthorne had finally reached the point where words seemed to have abandoned him entirely.

The king, however, remained thoughtful.

For several long moments, nobody spoke.

Then, to the surprise of everyone present, the king leaned back in his throne and smiled.

"A dangerous philosophy."

I grinned.

"Maybe."

His smile widened.

"An honest one, though."

That answer shocked the court far more than anything I'd said.

"That it is." I said. "My country was founded on the ideals of freedom and equality. We don't always live up to them, but they're ideals worth striving for. They're something I believe in."

The king regarded me thoughtfully.

"You seem to embody those beliefs rather well."

I snorted.

"Maybe a little too well."

Princess Eleanor smiled.

"Oh?"

I shrugged.

"It gets me into trouble more often than not."

A few nobles scoffed.

I pointed at them.

"Case in point."

Several servants struggled to suppress their laughter.

The king chuckled.

"And yet you continue?"

"Of course."

"Why?"

I considered the question for a moment.

Then answered honestly.

"Because principles don't mean much if you abandon them the moment they become inconvenient."

The king's amusement faded into something more thoughtful.

Princess Eleanor's smile softened.

Even a few of the knights seemed to respect that answer.

I shrugged.

"Besides, if standing by what I believe gets me into trouble, then so be it. I'd rather deal with the consequences than spend my life pretending to be someone I'm not."

For a moment, the room was quiet.

Then the king nodded slowly.

"A rare conviction."

I grinned.

"Or stubbornness."

Princess Eleanor laughed.

"I'm beginning to suspect those are the same thing when it comes to you."

"There's a very real possibility you're right."

The king shook his head, a faint smile still lingering on his face.

"No, Alex. I believe stubbornness is refusing to change when proven wrong."

I raised an eyebrow.

"And conviction?"

"Standing by your beliefs because you know them to be right."

I considered that.

"Fair enough."

Princess Eleanor rested her chin on her hand.

"You speak often of freedom."

"Because it's important."

"What does freedom mean to you?"

That question gave me pause.

Not because I didn't know the answer.

Because there were too many answers.

I took a moment before speaking.

"Choice."

The princess tilted her head.

"Choice?"

I nodded.

"The freedom to choose your own path. Your own future. The freedom to speak your mind, worship who you want, live where you want, and pursue whatever life makes you happy."

Several nobles exchanged uncertain looks.

I continued.

"The freedom to fail."

That got everyone's attention.

"The freedom to fail?" The king repeated.

"Absolutely."

The king frowned.

"Most people would not consider failure a freedom."

"That's because most people don't think about it."

I folded my arms.

"If you're not free to fail, you're not really free to succeed either."

The room fell silent.

Even Lord Hawthorne looked momentarily thoughtful.

I pressed on.

"If somebody tells you what job you'll have, who you'll marry, where you'll live, what you'll believe, and how you'll spend your life, then any success you have isn't really yours."

The king slowly nodded.

"And your people truly believe this?"

"Most of us."

Princess Eleanor smiled.

"You make your homeland sound appealing."

I laughed.

"Trust me. We've got plenty of problems."

The king chuckled.

"Every nation does."

"Exactly."

For a moment, the conversation settled into a comfortable silence.

Then Eleanor spoke again.

"Tell me something."

"That's usually how conversations work."

The princess rolled her eyes.

Several guards hid smiles.

"Your weapons."

I sighed.

"Ah. There it is."

The princess ignored me.

"If your nation possesses weapons like that, why hasn't it conquered the world?"

The room immediately became interested again.

Even the king leaned forward.

I thought about the question.

Then shrugged.

"Because conquering the world is a pain in the ass."

Several nobles stared.

The king blinked.

Princess Eleanor blinked.

Lord Hawthorne looked offended on behalf of conquest itself.

I continued.

"You have to occupy territory. Maintain order. Feed people. Build infrastructure. Handle rebellions. Deal with politics."

The king slowly nodded.

Those were problems he understood.

"A kingdom isn't land." I said. "It's people."

The king's expression sharpened.

For the first time, I got the feeling I was talking to the ruler instead of the man.

"Go on."

"You can defeat an army."

I pointed toward the training grounds.

"You can defeat ten armies."

Then I pointed toward the city beyond the castle walls.

"But if the people hate you, you'll spend the next hundred years fighting them."

The king sat quietly.

Princess Eleanor looked thoughtful.

Even Lord Hawthorne didn't interrupt.

"Besides..." I added. "...most people just want to live their lives."

The king nodded.

"Wise."

I smirked.

"Don't sound so surprised."

That earned another laugh from Eleanor.

The king smiled.

Then his expression became more serious.

"Alex."

"Yeah?"

"You said earlier that you woke beneath a tree."

My smile faded.

"That's right."

"You still have no idea how you arrived here?"

"Nope."

The king drummed his fingers against the arm of his throne.

The room grew quieter.

"Then I believe we have a problem."

I raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of problem?"

The king's gaze met mine.

"The kind that begins when a man appears from nowhere."

For the first time since arriving in the kingdom, the amusement in the room began to fade.

Because everyone had finally returned to the question that mattered most.

How had I gotten here?

And more importantly, could I get back?

"I see." I said. "Truth be told, I have no idea how I got here. One moment I was asleep in my dorm room with my team. The next, I woke up beneath a tree wearing my kit."

"Dorm room?" Princess Eleanor asked. "Kit?"

"Right."

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"A dorm room is basically a bedroom at a school. Students live there while they attend classes."

The princess nodded.

"And your kit?"

I gestured to myself.

"My armor. My weapons. All the equipment I'm carrying."

Several knights looked over my gear again.

The king frowned.

"You awoke wearing all of that?"

"Yep."

"Convenient."

"That's one word for it."

A few guards chuckled.

The princess tilted her head.

"You were attending a school?"

"Yes."

"What does this school teach?"

I thought about how to explain Beacon.

"A lot of things. History. Combat. Survival. Strategy. Teamwork."

The king nodded.

"A military academy?"

"Sort of."

The king raised an eyebrow.

"Sort of?"

I sighed.

"That's another long explanation."

Princess Eleanor smiled.

"I'm noticing a pattern."

I pointed at her.

"See? You're catching on."

That earned a laugh from her.

The king shook his head.

"Then give us the short explanation."

I considered it for a moment.

"My school trains us to hunt monsters."

The room fell silent.

The king blinked.

The princess blinked.

Several nobles looked confused.

"Monsters?" the king repeated.

I nodded.

"Creatures of darkness."

The amusement vanished from the room.

Several knights straightened immediately.

The king's expression hardened.

"What manner of creatures?"

"Big ones. Small ones. Fast ones. Flying ones."

I shrugged.

"Most of them want to kill you."

That answer seemed to resonate with the soldiers present.

The king folded his arms.

"And your school teaches students to fight them?"

"That's the entire point."

Princess Eleanor frowned.

"You cannot be much older than twenty."

"I'm not."

"And they send people your age to fight monsters?"

I laughed.

"When you say it out loud, it sounds a lot worse."

"It sounds insane."

"Fair."

The king studied me carefully.

"These monsters. Are they common where you come from?"

I nodded.

"Very."

The room became quiet once more.

The king glanced at my weapons.

Then at the armor covering my chest.

Then at the scars visible on my hands.

For the first time, there wasn't curiosity in his eyes.

There was understanding.

Not complete understanding.

But enough.

Enough to realize that nobody carried weapons like mine unless they had a reason.

And enough to realize that wherever I came from was far more dangerous than he had first assumed.

"That seems... problematic." The king said carefully.

I shrugged.

"Eh. If it bleeds, it can be killed."

The statement earned several concerned looks.

I didn't see the issue.

"Besides..." I continued. "...my weapons are pretty tame compared to some of my classmates'."

That immediately got everyone's attention.

The king raised an eyebrow.

"Tame?"

"Relatively speaking."

Princess Eleanor looked at the FN 545 still resting in my hand.

"The weapon that creates thunder is considered tame?"

"By Beacon standards? Absolutely."

The princess looked both fascinated and concerned.

The king folded his arms.

"What do your classmates carry?"

I thought for a moment.

Then decided there was no easy way to explain Huntsmen.

"One of my classmates is named Ruby Rose."

The princess smiled.

"That is a rather pleasant name."

"It fits her."

"And her weapon?"

I pointed upward.

"Imagine a scythe."

The king nodded.

"I am familiar with the concept."

"Now imagine one bigger than I am."

The room fell silent.

Several nobles looked skeptical.

One knight frowned.

"A scythe larger than a grown man?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"That's what I asked."

Princess Eleanor laughed.

I continued.

"And then imagine that giant scythe can transform into a rifle."

The laughter stopped.

The king stared.

The nobles stared.

The knights stared.

"You are joking." Lord Hawthorne said.

"I wish."

The king frowned.

"A rifle?"

"A thunder weapon."

Understanding dawned on several faces.

Then confusion immediately returned.

"You mean the scythe becomes one of those?" Princess Eleanor asked, pointing at the FN 545.

"Not exactly."

I held my hands apart.

"Much bigger."

The princess blinked.

The king blinked.

Several guards exchanged uneasy looks.

"And it fires rounds more powerful than mine."

The room became very quiet.

Lord Hawthorne looked physically uncomfortable.

Princess Eleanor stared at me.

"You consider this woman a classmate?"

"Yep."

"And she carries such a weapon to school?"

"Yep."

The princess slowly turned toward her father.

"Perhaps we should stop asking questions."

The king rubbed his temples.

"For once, Eleanor, I am inclined to agree."

I grinned.

"Oh, we haven't even gotten to the weird ones yet."

That statement caused several people in the room to visibly tense.

Princess Eleanor pointed a finger at me.

"No."

"Come on."

"No."

"You asked."

"I am now unasking."

A few guards snorted.

Even the king chuckled.

For the first time all day, I felt a little sorry for them.

A little.

Because if they thought Ruby's weapon was ridiculous, they were really going to hate hearing about the rest of Team RWBY.

"Fine, fine." I relented, holding up my hands in surrender.

Princess Eleanor looked relieved.

The king chuckled.

"A wise decision."

"I was outvoted."

"Decisively."

A few of the nearby guards laughed.

The king's amusement gradually faded as he regarded me thoughtfully.

"Well, Alex, I imagine you would prefer to return to your team."

I shrugged.

"Eventually."

The king raised an eyebrow.

"Eventually?"

I grinned.

"I tend to live life by the seat of my pants."

The king stared at me.

Princess Eleanor stared at me.

Lord Hawthorne stared at me.

After several seconds, the king finally spoke.

"I have absolutely no idea what that means."

"Honestly, neither do I half the time."

Princess Eleanor groaned.

The king laughed.

"I believe that answer tells me everything I need to know."

"Glad I could help."

The king shook his head before turning toward his daughter.

"Regardless, our scholars will begin looking into how Alex arrived here. If there is a way to return him home, we shall find it."

I nodded.

"Appreciated."

Until then, however..."

A small smile appeared on his face.

"Eleanor, why don't you show our guest around the castle and the city?"

Princess Eleanor straightened slightly.

"As you wish, Father."

The king looked back at me.

"Try not to start any incidents."

I pointed toward myself.

"Me?"

The king simply stared.

Princess Eleanor stared.

Even several guards stared.

I looked around the room.

"...That's fair."

The princess rolled her eyes.

"Come along, Alex."

I pushed myself away from the wall and adjusted the sling of the BAR across my back.

"Lead the way, Princess."

Eleanor turned and headed for the doors.

I followed after her.

As the massive doors opened, I heard the king call out one last thing.

"Alex."

I glanced back.

"Yeah?"

The king smiled.

"Please refrain from teaching my nobles about revolutions."

A grin spread across my face.

"No promises."

The horrified expression on Lord Hawthorne's face was worth every second of it.

Princess Eleanor groaned as the doors shut behind us.

"You're going to be a problem, aren't you?"

I considered the question.

Then smiled.

"Probably."

The princess sighed.

Somehow, I got the feeling this wouldn't be the last time she'd say that.

"Ya know..." I said as we walked through the castle halls. "...y'all are surprisingly friendly."

Princess Eleanor glanced over.

"Oh?"

I nodded.

"Most royalty I've read about would've probably had me thrown in a dungeon by now. Maybe even ordered my execution."

The princess laughed softly.

"We prefer diplomacy over bloodshed."

"A good policy."

"It has served our kingdom well."

I nodded in agreement.

"My country had a saying similar to that once."

Eleanor looked curious.

"And?"

I shrugged.

"Unfortunately, we're very good at war."

The princess raised an eyebrow.

"You say that as though it is a bad thing."

"It is."

That answer seemed to surprise her.

I continued after a moment.

"The United States has never wanted war for its own sake. Nobody with any sense does."

I looked out one of the castle windows toward the city below.

"But when war comes, we're very good at it."

The princess studied me for a few moments.

"You sound proud of that."

"Not proud."

I shook my head.

"Confident."

There was a difference.

A big one.

"My people would rather build things than destroy them. We'd rather trade than fight. We'd rather go home to our families at the end of the day."

I glanced back at her.

"But if someone starts a fight, we tend to finish it."

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Princess Eleanor smiled.

"You are a very strange man, Alex."

I grinned.

"I've been told that before."

"Frequently?"

"More times than I can count."

"Somehow, I believe that."

Princess Eleanor led me out of the castle's main wing and into one of the larger courtyards.

The afternoon sun hung high overhead, bathing the white stone walls in a warm golden glow. Servants moved between buildings carrying supplies, while soldiers trained nearby with wooden swords.

Every single one of them stared.

I was getting used to it.

"Do they always stare?" I asked.

The princess glanced at the nearest group of guards.

"No."

"Good."

"They're staring because of you."

"Ah."

That tracked.

A pair of younger guards quickly looked away when I caught them watching my gear.

I couldn't blame them.

To them, I probably looked like a walking armory.

Princess Eleanor hid a smile.

"You seem remarkably unconcerned."

"I've had worse."

"Worse than an entire castle watching your every move?"

I thought back to Beacon.

"Much worse."

The princess decided not to ask.

Probably a wise decision.

We crossed a stone bridge connecting two sections of the castle.

From there, I got my first good look at the city below.

It was impressive.

Rows of stone and timber buildings stretched outward from the castle walls. Market squares bustled with activity. Smoke rose from bakeries and blacksmith shops.

The whole place looked alive.

"Not bad."

The princess looked mildly offended.

"'Not bad?'"

I shrugged.

"I was trying to be polite."

She rolled her eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"It means your city is beautiful."

The princess smiled.

"Better."

"I learned long ago that women appreciate specific compliments."

That earned a laugh.

"You say that as though it was a difficult lesson."

"You have no idea."

The princess shook her head.

Then pointed toward a large building near the center of the city.

"That is the Grand Library."

I followed her gesture.

The building was massive.

Three stories tall with marble pillars supporting the entrance.

"That's a library?"

"Yes."

"That's bigger than some schools."

The princess frowned.

"You have schools larger than libraries?"

"Several."

She stared at me.

I grinned.

"Don't ask."

"I'm going to ask."

"Trust me. You'll regret it."

The princess sighed.

"I am beginning to understand why Father looked exhausted."

"See? You're learning."

We continued walking.

The next stop was the training grounds.

Unlike the one I'd used earlier, this one was significantly larger.

Dozens of knights trained there.

Swords clashed.

Shields slammed together.

Archers practiced against distant targets.

I watched quietly for a few moments.

The princess noticed.

"You approve?"

I nodded.

"They're disciplined."

Several nearby knights immediately stood a little straighter.

The princess smiled.

"High praise?"

"Very."

One of the older knights approached.

He was broad shouldered and heavily scarred.

Unlike most of the others, he didn't seem intimidated.

Curious, maybe.

But not intimidated.

"You are the thunder warrior."

I groaned.

"That's really catching on, isn't it?"

The knight grinned.

"It is."

The princess looked amused.

I sighed.

"My name is Alex."

"Sir Roland."

We shook hands.

His eyes immediately dropped to the BAR slung across my back.

"That weapon."

Here we go.

"What about it?"

"How many men can it kill?"

I blinked.

Princess Eleanor blinked.

Apparently neither of us had expected that question.

Sir Roland looked completely serious.

I considered the answer.

"Depends."

"On what?"

"How many men are standing together."

The knight stared.

Then burst out laughing.

A deep, booming laugh.

Several nearby soldiers joined in.

Princess Eleanor buried her face in one hand.

"You're impossible."

"That's what my teammates tell me."

The princess paused.

"Your teammates."

The humor faded slightly.

It was the first time either of us had mentioned them since leaving the throne room.

I nodded.

"Yeah."

For a brief moment, I thought of them.

Alexa'

Francine.

Andy.

Wondering where I was.

Whether I was alive.

Whether they were looking for me.

The princess noticed the change in my expression.

She didn't say anything.

Didn't push.

Just quietly continued walking beside me.

And honestly?

I appreciated that more than she probably realized.

"Your sword..." Sir Roland began, his eyes settling on the bayonet at my hip. "...are you also a swordsman?"

"Sort of."

I reached down and rested a hand on the weapon.

"I've had some training with swords, but this isn't really meant to be used by itself."

The knight frowned.

"Then what purpose does it serve?"

I unslung the BAR from my shoulder.

Immediately, every knight in the vicinity became very interested.

"This rifle here."

Several soldiers took a cautious step back.

I pointed to the suppressor mounted on the barrel.

"If I remove this black tube from the end, I can attach the sword to the barrel."

Sir Roland blinked.

"You can what?"

"It turns the rifle into a spear."

The knight stared at me.

The princess stared at me.

Several nearby soldiers stared at me.

Finally, Sir Roland spoke.

"Why would anyone do that?"

I shrugged.

"Because sometimes you run out of room to shoot."

That answer did not seem to help.

I continued.

"Back home, wars, soldiers would occasionally charge enemy positions with fixed bayonets."

The knight's eyebrows climbed.

"You charged into battle carrying thunder weapons and spears?"

"When necessary."

Sir Roland looked impressed.

Princess Eleanor looked horrified.

"That sounds incredibly dangerous."

"It was."

The princess folded her arms.

"And people willingly did this?"

"Usually because the alternative was worse."

That earned a few grim nods from the older soldiers.

They understood that kind of logic.

Sir Roland gestured toward the bayonet.

"Yet you said it is no longer used?"

"Not often."

I nodded.

"The tactic fell out of favor as firearms improved. Battles changed. Weapons became faster, more accurate, and deadlier."

The knight considered that.

"So swords became obsolete."

"More or less."

A few of the younger knights looked offended on behalf of swords.

Sir Roland, however, simply nodded.

"A shame."

I chuckled.

"Maybe."

The old knight looked genuinely curious.

"You sound unconvinced."

"Because swords never completely disappeared."

That got everyone's attention.

Princess Eleanor raised an eyebrow.

"They did not?"

"Nope."

I patted the bayonet.

"People still train with blades. Militaries still issue knives. Some units still teach bayonet fighting."

Sir Roland grinned.

"Then the sword still has value."

"Sure."

I returned the grin.

"It's just no longer king of the battlefield."

The knight looked thoughtful.

Then his eyes drifted to the BAR in my hands.

"And what became king?"

I glanced down at the rifle.

Then back at him.

"The gun."

Silence followed.

Not because they disagreed.

But because after seeing what the pistol had done to a training dummy, nobody could honestly argue otherwise.

Sir Roland stared at the BAR for a few moments longer before finally nodding.

"I suppose every age has its preferred weapon."

"Pretty much."

The old knight grunted.

"I still prefer a good sword."

I smiled.

"Nothing wrong with that."

That seemed to satisfy him.

With one last nod, he returned to supervising the younger knights.

Princess Eleanor and I continued on.

"Well..." She said. "...that went surprisingly well."

"What did?"

"You managed to discuss the death of the sword without starting a fight."

"Give me some credit."

The princess gave me a look.

"After meeting you?"

"Fair."

The castle grounds gradually gave way to the city beyond.

The moment we stepped through the gates, the atmosphere changed.

The city was alive.

Merchants shouted from their stalls.

Children darted between crowds.

Blacksmiths hammered away at glowing steel.

The smell of fresh bread drifted from a nearby bakery.

For a few moments, I simply took it all in.

It felt...

Normal.

Which was strange considering where I was.

"What do you think?" Eleanor asked.

"It's nice."

The princess rolled her eyes.

"That's all?"

"What do you want me to say?"

She gestured broadly.

"The architecture. The markets. The people."

I looked around again.

The city really was impressive.

The buildings were clean and well-maintained. The streets weren't overflowing with filth like many medieval cities I'd read about.

People seemed genuinely happy.

That alone spoke volumes.

"It's prosperous."

That caught her attention.

"You can tell?"

I nodded.

"People aren't starving."

The princess blinked.

"What?"

I pointed toward the marketplace.

"The stalls are full. People are buying things instead of just looking. The buildings are maintained. The guards aren't under-equipped."

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Most visitors comment on the castle."

"I noticed the city first."

The princess was quiet for a moment.

Then she smiled.

"Father would like you."

"Pretty sure he already does."

"Unfortunately."

I laughed.

A nearby merchant glanced over at us.

Then his eyes widened when he recognized the princess.

Immediately, he bowed.

"Your Highness."

The princess offered him a polite smile.

"Good afternoon, Thomas."

The merchant looked pleasantly surprised that she'd remembered his name.

I noticed that.

So did Eleanor.

"You saw that."

"Yep."

"And?"

"You know your people."

The princess looked away for a moment.

"A ruler should."

I nodded.

"Good answer."

She glanced at me.

"You approve?"

"I respect it."

For some reason, that seemed to mean more to her than I intended.

The conversation drifted into a comfortable silence.

Then a small blur slammed into my leg.

I looked down.

A little girl, maybe six or seven years old, stared up at me.

Her eyes immediately locked onto the BAR slung across my back.

"Oh."

The princess closed her eyes.

Apparently she knew what was coming.

The little girl pointed.

"Are you a knight?"

I looked at the rifle.

Then at my armor.

Then at the princess.

Then back at the girl.

"I don't think so."

The girl frowned.

"You have armor."

"True."

"And weapons."

"Also true."

The girl narrowed her eyes.

Clearly she was conducting a very serious investigation.

Finally she nodded.

"You're a knight."

I sighed.

"Can't argue with that logic."

The little girl beamed.

Then immediately ran off.

Princess Eleanor laughed.

"You handled that remarkably well."

"I've got younger cousins."

"That explains a great deal."

As we continued through the city, I couldn't help but smile.

For the first time since waking up beneath that tree, things almost felt normal.

Almost.

Then I remembered I was walking through a medieval city with a princess.

Yeah.

Normal was definitely the wrong word.

"If you became a knight, what kind of knight would you be?" Princess Eleanor asked suddenly after several moments of silence.

I raised an eyebrow.

"That's one hell of a question."

The princess smiled.

"I thought so."

I considered it for a moment.

"Honestly? I'd probably be the American Knight."

"The American Knight?" She repeated.

"Has a nice ring to it."

I shrugged.

"Besides, my country never had knights. Might as well be the first."

A small laugh escaped her.

"I somehow expected that answer."

"What was that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing."

The princess waved a dismissive hand.

"Just thinking."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"That sounds dangerous."

Eleanor rolled her eyes.

"I'll try to restrain myself."

"Please do."

The princess shook her head, though I caught a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then I glanced around at the bustling city streets.

"Aight. So where to next?"

The princess looked ahead thoughtfully.

"That depends."

"On?"

She turned toward me.

"Do you wish to see the parts of the city visitors normally see?"

I nodded.

"Or?"

A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes.

"Or would you prefer to see the parts most people never do?"

Now that got my attention.

I grinned.

"Now you're speaking my language."

"But we're already speaking the same language." She said.

I let out a long sigh.

"It's an expression."

Princess Eleanor tilted her head.

"An expression?"

"Yeah. It means you've caught my attention."

"Ah."

The princess nodded in understanding.

"Your people seem to have a great many expressions."

"You have no idea."

"Another expression?"

"Yep."

She rubbed her temples.

"I am beginning to suspect half of our conversations involve translating your language into the same language."

I pointed at her.

"Now you're getting it."

Eleanor groaned.

"I walked directly into that one, didn't I?"

"You really did."

The princess shook her head as we continued down the street.

For a few moments, we simply walked in silence.

Then Eleanor glanced over at me.

"You know, despite your habit of confusing everyone around you, speaking with you is surprisingly enjoyable."

I raised an eyebrow.

"That's not usually how people describe me."

"Oh?"

"Most people go with 'annoying.'"

The princess laughed.

"I can see that as well."

"See? Now you're being honest."

That earned another eye roll.

I was beginning to think she had perfected that particular skill.

"So," I continued, glancing around the city, "what was that thing you were thinking about earlier?"

Eleanor looked away.

"What thing?"

"The American Knight thing."

The princess immediately became interested in a nearby building.

"Nothing."

I narrowed my eyes.

"That sounds suspicious."

"It isn't."

"It absolutely is."

The princess sighed.

"You're rather persistent when you're curious."

"That's because curiosity keeps me alive."

Eleanor stared at me.

"How does that make any sense?"

"It doesn't."

"Of course it doesn't."

I grinned.

The princess looked skyward for a moment, as though asking the heavens for patience.

Something told me she was going to need a lot of it.

We continued through the city, passing merchants and townsfolk as Eleanor led the way.

For a while, neither of us spoke.

Then something caught my eye.

Near the center of a square stood a bronze statue.

The figure depicted a knight standing atop a pile of broken weapons, his sword planted into the ground before him.

I slowed slightly.

"Who's that?"

Eleanor followed my gaze.

"King Aldric the Peacemaker."

"Peacemaker?"

The princess nodded.

"He lived nearly two hundred years ago."

I looked up at the statue.

"Interesting title for a king."

"It is."

Eleanor's expression softened.

"He inherited a kingdom that had been at war for almost thirty years."

"That's rough."

"It was worse than rough. Entire towns had been destroyed. Trade had collapsed. Famine followed."

I winced.

"Yeah. That'll do it."

The princess continued.

"When he finally secured victory, everyone expected him to continue expanding the kingdom."

"But he didn't."

She smiled.

"No."

I nodded toward the statue.

"Hence the name."

"Exactly."

I studied the bronze figure for another moment.

"He looks like the type that would've hated politicians."

The princess stared at me.

"What?"

"You can always tell."

"You cannot."

"You absolutely can."

The princess rolled her eyes.

Again.

At this point I was starting to think it was a royal tradition.

As we resumed walking, I noticed several children following us at a distance.

They'd been doing that for the last five minutes.

One of them finally worked up the courage to approach.

A boy around ten years old pointed at the BAR slung across my back.

"Are you really a knight?"

I looked at Eleanor.

Eleanor looked at me.

The boy waited patiently.

"I have absolutely no idea."

The child frowned.

"You don't know?"

"Nope."

"How can you not know?"

"That's a fantastic question."

The boy looked confused.

The princess looked amused.

Eventually the child gave up and ran back to his friends.

I watched him go.

"Kids are the same everywhere."

Eleanor tilted her head.

"Everywhere?"

I quickly corrected myself.

"Every place I've been."

The princess nodded.

That had apparently made more sense.

We turned down another street.

This one was quieter than the marketplace.

Less crowded.

More residential.

Flower boxes sat beneath windows.

Children played in the streets.

Old men sat outside shops discussing things that were probably very important to them.

The atmosphere felt peaceful.

Comfortable.

Then Eleanor finally spoke again.

"You miss them."

I looked over.

"My team?"

She nodded.

I was quiet for a moment.

"Yeah."

The princess didn't press.

Didn't ask questions.

Didn't offer empty reassurance.

Just listened.

Which I appreciated.

After a few moments, I continued.

"They can be annoying."

Eleanor smiled.

"I suspected as much."

"They argue. Cause problems. Make terrible decisions."

The smile widened.

"And?"

A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth.

"They're family."

The princess looked surprised by that answer.

I shrugged.

"Not by blood."

My gaze drifted toward the distant castle.

"But family all the same."

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Eleanor smiled.

"A fortunate thing."

I looked at her.

"What's that?"

"Having people worth missing."

For the first time in a while, I didn't have a joke ready.

Because she was right.

And somehow, I got the feeling she understood that better than most.

"That reminds me of a military quote." I said.

Princess Eleanor glanced over.

"Oh?"

I nodded.

"I don't remember who originally said it, but it goes something like this. A true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."

The princess was quiet for a moment.

Then she smiled.

"That is an impressive quote."

"I've got several."

That earned a curious look.

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

We continued walking through the streets as people stepped aside to let the princess pass.

"I thought about joining my country's military once."

Princess Eleanor looked surprised.

"You did?"

I nodded.

"For a long time."

"Then why didn't you?"

I was quiet for a moment.

The answer wasn't complicated.

It was just difficult to explain.

"Life."

The princess waited for me to continue.

I shrugged.

"It changed my mind."

She frowned slightly.

"That is a rather vague answer."

"It is."

"And?"

I let out a small chuckle.

"And that's about all you're getting."

The princess rolled her eyes.

"You are remarkably difficult to question."

"I've been told that."

"Frequently?"

"More than once."

The princess shook her head.

"I am beginning to understand why."

I grinned.

"See? You're learning."

That earned me another eye roll.

At this point I was starting to think it was her favorite form of communication.

Princess Eleanor led me deeper into the city.

At first, nothing seemed particularly different.

The streets grew narrower.

The buildings became less grand.

The crowds thinned.

Eventually, I noticed something.

We were moving away from the districts I'd seen earlier.

Away from the markets.

Away from the wealthy merchants.

Away from the places visitors would normally be shown.

I glanced at the princess.

"You weren't kidding."

She smiled.

"No."

A few more turns brought us to a section of the city hidden behind several larger streets.

There were no grand statues here.

No impressive monuments.

No bustling markets.

Instead, there were workshops.

Lots of them.

The sound of hammers echoed through the air.

Blacksmiths worked at their forges.

Carpenters shaped lumber.

Masons cut stone.

Tailors sat outside their shops mending clothing.

The entire district felt different.

Real.

Alive.

Working.

I watched a blacksmith pull a glowing horseshoe from a forge.

A nearby apprentice immediately dropped it.

The older smith smacked the back of his head.

I couldn't help but grin.

The princess noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

I pointed toward the blacksmith.

"Some things are universal."

She followed my gaze.

Then laughed.

"Master Gerald has been training apprentices for nearly twenty years."

"He seems patient."

The apprentice yelped as another smack landed.

The princess snorted.

"By his standards."

We continued walking.

Unlike the main districts, people here weren't bowing every five seconds.

Most simply greeted Eleanor by name.

A baker waved.

A carpenter nodded.

An elderly woman sitting outside her home smiled.

"Good afternoon, Eleanor."

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Whitmore."

The woman then noticed me.

Her eyes traveled up my armor.

Then to the rifle.

Then to the helmet.

Then back to Eleanor.

"Friend of yours?"

The princess glanced at me.

I glanced at her.

The old woman waited.

"...Maybe?" Eleanor answered.

I looked at her.

"You sound uncertain."

"I've only known you for a few hours."

"Fair."

The old woman laughed.

Then waved us onward.

As we left, I noticed something.

"You're different here."

Eleanor looked over.

"What do you mean?"

I gestured around us.

"Nobody seems afraid of you."

The princess was quiet for a moment.

Then she smiled.

"They shouldn't be."

"Most nobles I've read about would've disagreed."

"Most nobles aren't my father."

I considered that.

"Fair point."

We eventually reached a small hill overlooking the city.

At the top stood an old stone building.

Simple.

Unremarkable.

No guards.

No banners.

Nothing suggesting importance.

I looked at Eleanor.

"What's this?"

The princess climbed the final few steps before turning back toward me.

"This."

A small smile appeared on her face.

"Is the place I bring very few people."

Now I was curious.

The building itself wasn't impressive.

The view was.

From the hill, the entire city stretched out before us.

The castle rose above everything else.

The river cut through the eastern side of the city.

The distant fields beyond the walls glowed gold beneath the afternoon sun.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Eleanor sat down on the stone ledge overlooking the city.

"This is where I come when I need to think."

I sat down beside her.

"Good view."

"It is."

The city below continued moving.

People living their lives.

Working.

Laughing.

Arguing.

Existing.

The princess rested her arms on her knees.

"Most visitors see the castle."

She gestured toward the sprawling city below.

"I prefer this."

I understood immediately.

Because this wasn't the kingdom's power.

It was the kingdom itself.

The people.

The homes.

The lives being lived beneath those rooftops.

After a few moments, I nodded.

"Yeah."

Eleanor glanced at me.

"Yeah?"

I smiled.

"Now I understand why you brought me here."

The princess returned the smile.

And for the first time since we'd met, neither of us felt the need to fill the silence.
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A/N: And done. kuwebby2 what do you think?