Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 114: The Paladin

Chapter 114: The Paladin

The Holy Church stood tall and solemn, its white walls reflecting the morning winter sun with a blinding glow that enveloped the area in a magical radiance.

Within its expansive halls, the air hung still, unaffected by the outside world. Quiet and serene, these words perfectly encapsulated the atmosphere within its towering walls. It was a sanctuary of peace and reverence, yet it also served as the residence for many influential individuals, including the paladins –– a distinguished order of knights endowed with the ability to wield magic and blessed with holy powers, their purpose transcending mere earthly matters.

They were those who controlled the flow of any type of magic within the Kingdom. They were those who could judge the mages and alchemists, seal their powers, or sentence them to prison. And they were the ones whose single word could decide the fate of the ones holding magical powers. No matter who they were.

Embraced within the tranquil solitude of the Church’s library sat Sarith, his deep golden eyes firmly fixed on the yellow pages of an old thick book on the desk before him.

Sarith was the chief paladin of the Holy Order of Knights. He was a tall man who had just turned thirty-five, although both his strong frame and beautiful youthful features could never betray his real age.

The morning sun reflected on his neat red, orange, and white uniform which went well with the fiery flow of his long straight orange locks that cascaded all the way down to his lower back. He was known as the man of fire; "The Sun" of the Holy Church. He was a person with a presence so powerful, that he could outshine even the King, but his modesty was just as outstanding, and that was precisely why he could never cross that line.

Sarith’s eyes continued to slowly scan the contents of the page when his attention was caught by the sound of approaching footsteps coming from the library’s entrance.

A tall man in a pristine white knight uniform stood behind the paladin, his voice clear but quiet as he greeted his commander,

"Lord Sarith, Sir Kamil greets you to deliver some news."

Sarith moved his golden gaze away from the book’s pages and focused it on the distant shelves in front of him, returning the knight’s greeting,

"What news is that, Sir Kamil?"

"The necromancer witch has left the forest, My Lord."

The Paladin placed his gloved hands on top of the book and stretched his lips into a subtle smile.

"I see. Was she alone?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"Where is she headed?"

"The North."

"Interesting..."

Sarith put his elbows on top of the desk, interlaced his fingers, and rested his chin on top of his joined hands, taking a moment to mull over the newly received information. Kamil, slightly concerned by the prolonged silence in their conversation, raised his eyebrows and asked,

"Shall I send someone to fetch her, My Lord?"

At last, the man closed the book and answered, his face beaming with a bizarre, slightly menacing grin,

"No need to. She will come here on her own."

***

As two horses approached Duke Valentine’s castle, their movements slowed down, four pairs of hooves stepping on the dangerous icy road that led to the castle’s gates.

Bjarna removed the hood of her long black cloak and turned to Ahspid, offering him a somewhat judgemental look,

"How long are you going to keep concealing your presence? Aren’t you safe here?"

Ahspid’s reply with accompanied by a nonchalant shrug,

"My presence is concealed no matter where I go. It is better this way."

The witch sighed.

"They are no longer looking for you, you know. Some of them are already dead."

"It does not matter. This is how I prefer to live. I do not wish to be associated with that past any longer. Even if they want to apologize, I do not want to listen to them."

Their conversation was interrupted by two Raven Knights who stood guard before the entrance to the castle’s territory.

"It’s alright, gentlemen, this woman is with me. Her arrival was approved by His Grace."

The knights nodded and opened the heavy gates, allowing the pair to go through.

Bjarna took a good long look around and said in a somewhat content voice,

"The North looks exactly as I imagined it –– cold, desolate, and lifeless. Perhaps I should settle here instead, I think it would suit me well."

Ahspid’s reply was a mere scoff. While he agreed that the cold and lifeless atmosphere of The North would suit the witch’s craft, he doubted she could survive its solitude. After all, in the forest, Bjarna was surrounded by other forms of life though her soul was endlessly haunted by nothing but the loneliness of death.

"Ahspid!"

The lively sound of a familiar female voice attracted the mage’s attention and he swiftly turned his head towards its source. Aideen was outside the castle, accompanied by King Yuraon and the Doberman siblings who were playing together in the snow.

He was strangely happy to see the princess but the dogs evoked a displeased furrow on his face.

The moment Ahspid jumped off the horse, Aideen rushed to greet him with a warm embrace –– an unexpected gesture, followed by even more unexpected words,

"I’m so glad you are back! We really missed you here, Ahspid!"

Such seemingly innocent words made the mage feel unexplainably strange. He was struggling to get away from everything and make sure that nobody would ever miss him or depend on him again, and yet, completely out of the blue and despite his juvenile attempts to look pricky and annoying, this young woman still managed to develop sincere affection towards him. And against his will, that affection was seeping through the many thick walls he had built around his heart, persistent and unstoppable.

Getting off her horse as well, Bjarna scanned the princess with her piercing silver eyes, her lips curling into a subtle grin.

’So this is the girl he is trying to protect, huh? Well, she does look like her a little... Ahspid, you old softie, after all these years, you should have let her go.’