Chapter 19: Moonlit Stroll With A Moonlit Knight

She looked at him.

He looked at her.

‘Hm?’ he tilted his neck at her.

‘Nothing,’ she shook her head, grinning.

Thorne shone. Really shone. His armour was as white as the moon, his visor darker then the night. A dark red cape lay draped over his shoulder, cuffed by gold chains.

‘She really doesn’t spare any expenses…’ Lily breathed quietly, still staring at him.

The air was cold, Lily shivered as the wind blew at her exposed legs. She tugged at her socks, they only stopped a little way after her knee before giving up protecting her from the cold.

The wagon shook as they made their way down the cobbled road. They’d already been travelling for some time; Lily still hadn’t been able to get over Thorne’s appearance. It was so… different from what she was used to.

Lily had let her hood down since it was just the two of them in this wagon. Alouette hadn’t questioned why Lily had been wearing a hood during the whole fitting, but she had offered Lily a matching one for her outfit.

She sighed happily; Alouette had been so sweet to the two of them. Lily hoped that Alouette’s time at the ball would be just lovely.

‘They just cleaned up my armour,’ Thorne confessed, breaking Lily’s daydream.

‘That’s what it looks like, clean?’ Lily raised an eyebrow at him, she had been under the impression that they’d replaced it entirely.

He nodded.

‘How high-ranking of a knight were you again?’ Lily laughed nervously.

‘I was the king’s personal guard.’ Thorne shrugged.

Lily rubbed her chin thoughtfully, though she didn’t think very hard at all. Thorne would have to tell her more about who he’d been way back then. She wondered if it would be new to her. Or if it would have been a story she’d already heard.

She had this strange feeling that she’d met him before.

‘How did you convince them to let you keep the armour?’ Lily asked, pressing her fingers against the gleaming armour. Her fingerprints left a mark, he really had been polished well.

‘I wouldn’t let them take it off.’ Thorne sighed, ‘I didn’t want them to panic.’

‘Do you think that there will be a time when they won’t?’ Lily wondered.

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‘Probably not.’

‘Figures.’

The wagon shook again, even with cushioned seats the ride was mildly uncomfortable. This was why Lily generally avoided rides. Not that she travelled much.

They stopped; Lily pulled at the curtains to see the glimmering castle up ahead.

It was a strange thing, seeing how the royalty of the country lived. Lily and Thorne were early, all things considered, and yet they could already see dozens of small figures slow dancing in the distance.

Lily stepped out; a soft dark blue carpet cushioned her feet. It was warmer here; they’d lit dozens of small fires all around the place. Thorne stood by her side; he really was intimidating under the light of hundreds of torches. She held his arm.

They walked into the center-most part of the castle. The royal guards here were dressed in tight fitting armour, quick and light. Expensive leather and bits of gold embellishments made them seem more like strange looking mannequins then actual people. They were so stiff, like they were scared of moving.

And amongst them, Thorne really did stand out.

‘Why don’t you wear, you know, like that?’ Lily asked, pointing at one of the gaurds.

‘The weight reminds me of what I stand for.’ Thorne answered stoically.

‘Stood for,’ he corrected himself.

She rubbed his shoulder in sympathy, she was sure it would take a while before he’d be able to escape himself, his hopeless mission.

‘You can stand for yourself, you know,’ she suggested tentatively. It’s not like she ever knew what to say in moments like these, where his armour was soft and his heart shook ever so slightly.

‘Maybe.’

A hand burst out from the crowd in front of them, Alouette jumped up and down as she waved. By her side was her dance partner, the prince. His hair looked less disheleved then last, they’d seen him, still messy but just a little more fashionable. He seemed uneasy, shifting his eyes all around him. But no one paid him any mind.

Lily felt like people were staring at Thorne but she shook the thought away; she wasn’t the only one to have brought a strange visitor. Knights of all creeds stood, some spoke to each other in hushed voices, most stayed silent.

‘Let’s have a little walk,’ she said, struggling to make her voice heard over the chorus of people chattering, ‘I don’t want to make any more new friends just yet.’

Thorne obliged, together they disappeared out of the main cluster of royalty, out onto the balcony.

The balcony was large, it encompassed the entire castle. Lily thought she could walk for days around the place without ever touching the first floor.

‘You’re so calm here,’ she shivered as they walked further from the warmth of the center room, Thorne’s footsteps echoing as they did. For once, his armour didn’t creak with each step.

‘I’ve attended these ceremonies before,’ he answered as he carefully unhooked his cape, draping it around her shoulder. He did it like it was second nature, not even a conscious thought. But it did make her heart beat just a little faster.

‘T-Thanks,’ she murmured, wrapping the cloak tighter around her. It was warm.

‘How were they like?’ she looked at him as they continued making their way around the balcony.

‘The same as now,’ he breathed, ‘Royalty hates change.’

‘It’s what keeps the money flowing.’ Lily scoffed. But she didn’t much care nor understand what it was the royals did. It hadn’t helped her before.

His armour glistened.

‘And they really didn’t just replace all your stuff?’ she asked, pressing a finger against his chest, ‘How do I know they didn’t replace you?’

He laughed a little, ‘Am I more important than you thought?’

‘You’re important to me.’ Lily gave him a cheeky grin though the words were genuine.

Thorne looked at her, the light that reflected off of him felt so soft in that moment,

‘You are too.’

She held his hands in hers, nervously rubbing the palms with her thumbs,

‘Say it.’

‘Say what?’ he tilted his helmet at her.

‘Say that you-‘

‘So that’s where you two were!’ came a voice from above them.