Chapter 1
She keeps herself hidden away from the world in the castle's library. Floating books come towards her at her will if she has a question or is simply getting the books she's already written. The books she's completed, she made her own shelf to keep those. She sits at the table next to the shelf with her stack of papers and quill. It's silent until she groans, wadding up a paper and throws it at the wall and slumping back.
She looks at the shelf again. Her trophy collection in her eyes. She doesn't know if anyone reads them, but it doesn't matter either way. She likes the idea of being a real author. Someone who can help people forget about all the chaos around them and let them take a moment to breathe someone else's air. Sometimes it's the only thing to keep her writing, especially when that someone is her.
This night was harder to get inspired by her trophy shelf. She's been at this for hours and had no idea what she was doing. Was she working on her trilogy? Her mini story? Or starting a new idea she had a few days ago? But with the writer's block fogging her mind, she stayed looking at the ceiling, slumping even further against the chair. The only sound was her breathing and the heartbeat connected to it. After a moment, she began to hum. A subtle tune but one that brought back memories. Maybe a break was what she needed.
She tapped her fingers together as she hummed. The melody helped her control her breathing and calm her brain. A little trick her mom taught her. Soon, a once foggy brain turned into a partly numb, relaxed mind. She looked around the library to confirm nobody was around. Who would be awake this late? The knights? The princess? Definitely not the servants. Unless a servant and knight decided to have their own special night together.
Alias carefully stood up and walked to the fireplace at the end of the wall close to the front of the library, noticing the lyre that lay against it. She sat on the fireplace with her legs crossed. After getting herself situated, she looked to the right and saw the lyre on the stand. She took it, placed it on her lap, and felt the muscle memory coming back. Testing the string to make sure they still sounded the same as before, she played, following the notes with the hums she sang before.
That silent library with a few lit candles was now a hidden room with a melody playing through it. Alias closed her eyes and let it take over. The melody, the ease of playing, the relaxation. It was all a part of her. Maybe one day she'll be able to share this part of her with someone in the castle. The place where, for as long as she knows, is her new home.
“Why does that brat even need more knights?!” A sharp, deep voice shouted through the halls. Heavy metal footsteps made their way closer to Alias, and they were clearly unhappy.
”Doesn't she have magic or something?! Why does she need someone else to watch over her? ”
Alias stops humming but continues playing the lyre to ease herself until he walks past. People have walked past those doors countless times with her in here, and they never seem to care. Everyone either has a job to do or is excited to take a break from the one they chose. But she listened, waiting for the outbursts and footsteps to go past.
The doors to the library slam open before she can stop playing. She froze, and the two locked eyes. A knight, clearly. His heavy metal armor was unmistakable. He had no helmet to hide his black hair and green eyes. But the sword to his side still had him ready for battle in case of an emergency.
For a moment, the library was back to silence. They both seemed embarrassed. For the knight, he had no idea anyone was around. Did she hear him? No, maybe not. Should he stay or walk away? But he heard a melody that sounded familiar; what was it?
“That song…” He blurted, still clearly upset.
The song? Alias thought to herself. He heard the song. Nobody was supposed to be here.
”What was it?” His voice was slightly calmer when he questioned her.
She studied him. Was he rude? Embarrassed? Or maybe just tired and annoyed with the knight's late watch. After a moment, she decided to give him a chance. She gives him a small chuckle.
“It’s nothing much, just a small song I used to sing.”
The knight walks closer to Alias as the library doors slowly close behind him. He couldn't remember where he knew the melody. But this was a stranger whom he bluntly disrupted there alone time. This woman might think he's just crazy or sleep-deprived.
Alias scoots over to one side of the fireplace and taps her hands next to her.
“You're welcome to join me.”
He's never been offered that before. A knight was always told what job to do and when to do it. But this, it wasn't a demand. It wasn't a job being assigned. A simple request with care and meaning. How could he say no? But he had no idea who this woman was. He knew everyone and everything about the castle before he moved in. So, who was she? Why was she here? Was this a trap? He decided to play along. If this really was some trap, he had no problem being bait to humor whatever it was for. He carefully, cautiously walks to the fireplace and sits in the space she left for him. He keeps his hand ready to draw his sword at any moment.
Alias continues playing. The melody went back to taking over the sound of the library. Back to the contagious peace and relaxation. When the song would end, Alias would effortlessly blend it into the beginning and replay it again. It was awkward at first, but the two learned to breathe in those notes. Alias lay back against the side of the fireplace, laying her legs in front of her. The knight took a few breaths to relax as he remembered where he knew the tune. He felt like a slight fool to not notice it sooner. Alias even continued to hum alone to the lyre. She would keep an eye on him when every few notes passed too. Watching the music calm him down as she felt the tension ease. So, after the three plays of nothing but song and melody, Alias got the nerve to speak.
“I heard you earlier. Is everything okay?” She continued playing as she talked.
He was taken off guard as all the anger and stress returned to him. Okay? How would he be okay after everything that happened to him?
“Yes.” He said in a knightly autopilot tone. Maybe she just needed a response to move on. Surely she didn't actually care? Or maybe she does. But how could she? This was a stranger who just ruined her night. Or maybe it was morning now? The sun would be shining any moment.
“Are you sure? You don't sound okay.”
He could hear the care in her voice. Wasn't this a trap? Was this another trick for him to let his guard down?
“We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.”
The knight knew when he was being lied to. He knew when he was being led into a trap and when he would have to fight at any moment. But this? Since when does someone care about a stranger who barged in and demanded a song? Nonetheless, a stranger. If this was a trap, she’ll give him a sickening laugh about how pathetic he is on his first day. He can already see it. But if it wasn't?
“It's just… the princess.” He whispers.
Alias slowly sits up.
“Ah. What’d she do this time?”
He doesn't answer.
“Have you met her?” She whispers.
He scoffs.
"Met her? I don't need to. She complains even if her tea is slightly too cold for her liking.” He moves his hands to his face, leaning his elbows on his knees, moving forward. Just the thought of Princess Raven frustrated him.
Alias chuckles. Yeah, she'll do that.”
For someone who wasn't known. How did she know that? The knight wondered. He slowly opened his eyes as he realized and turned his head behind him to look at her.
“How do you know that?” His tone darkened from before.
Alias gave a nervous smile as her fingers went still on the lyre. She rests her arms on the top of the instrument and leans on them.
“She's actually my sister, believe it or not.”
This woman. The only one who’s been nice is the knight since he got here. The only one who offered him somewhere to sit, to not bark an order. To speak in a soft tone and play a melody that helped remind him of home. To treat him like a person and not a soldier, not an accessory, like a human, was related to that brat? He couldn't believe it. This woman was the sister of Princess Raven.
“Y-you're lying. The princess is an only child”
Alias crossed her legs.
“Well, sort of. The king- believed it or not had a love child.” She points to herself.
“So, I kept it a secret until- well- you know.”
Of course he knew. The death of the King and Queen that shocked the kingdom. When a demon mysteriously made it into the kingdom and killed them both. It was the moment the kingdom changed. When Raven became the ruler of this kingdom. The only reason they call her the princess is that she refused to accept the title of queen. Other than that, she's just as much a Queen as her dad was King. Which is the reason she's allowed the title. She was the only child with her father's blood. Or so the kingdom thinks.
“So, you're a royal?” He asks her. Still trying to understand.
“Oh, gods!” She would have choked on water if she had any.
“Never call me that. I don't want anything to do with that. Raven and I just say I’m a wizard and call it a day.”
Raven. Not Princess Raven, just Raven. That's how she thought of her. Nobody dares address the princess like that without it being seen as a threat or an insult. But Alias, it was a simple sentence with no hate to it. He couldn't wrap his head around any of this. Someone with royal blood who wanted to hide and use a cover story? Princess Raven’s just as queen as Alias is a royal. Did the kingdoms even know about her?
Alias sighs, clearly getting bored watching him try to grasp everything. Is this how it was going to be every time she talked to someone in the castle? This is the first person she's met, and it's turned into a life story. The knight gets even more and more curious.
“Who are you?” He asks in a pure haze of questions and curiosity. Who are you was the only thing he could think of to say.
“Oh right.”
She offers her hand, still cross-legged, facing him as his feet touch the ground.
“I'm Alias.”
He looks at her for a moment. Royals and mostly anyone in the castle usually bow to each other. A way to acknowledge that they respect each other's status and appreciate it. The last time he shook someone's hand was in training when he left the village to live in the castle of Akari. There, he learned to fight and become what Raven was looking for. One of the strongest knights in the kingdom who can kill a demon who steps out of line. Now, he was sitting in front of a fireplace, being offered a handshake as if none of it mattered. Which, to Alias, it didn't. By no offense or disrespect, the knight could very easily tell by now that she didn't grow up royal or know any of the rules just yet.
He accepts the handshake.
“Well?” she says with a smile.
“Well?” He says with a cautious tone. Did he forget how to shake hands?
“What’s your name?” She smiles.
He hasn't had to introduce himself in a long time. The people around him either knew his name due to status or didn't care and just needed a body to guard who knows what.
“Knoxeus.” He says in a soft tone.
