A knight's tale

Once upon a time, there was a princess who was as beautiful as could be. She was put in a high and lofty tower that all were forbidden to go near. Her father said it was for her protection, for her own good, but we both know better don't we? No, it was because of her two very unique characteristics. 

Her long, flowing,  silver hair, and her blood red, all knowing eyes. Eyes which could tell truth from lies, eyes that could see through even the most well created disguise. 

Scared he would be cast out for being a father to a demon, her father made the agonising decision of hiding her from the world. Soon everyone forgot her or simply assumed she had died. All except her sworn knight from birth. He was there when she opened her eyes and ever since then had been captivated by her. To him, she was no devil.

To say the least, she was an angel, perfect in every single way.

He was always at her side. When they decided to put her in her prison in the sky, he was the one who took her. Since then he hadn't seen her. And the pain of not seeing her was slowly killing him from the inside out.

The king told him if he was to ever speak of her, he would be cast out.

For a time, he was quiet. He carried on his knightly duties, but his memories ached. The wars, the pains, all his woes constantly tiring him at a rate far quicker then he would tire if he had contact with the princess.

He took off for the tower. Knowing if anyone found out he would be cast out or worse. Yet still on he rode on. Anything that might help would be worth any consequence. He at least had to try. 

He arrived and slid off his horse. He looked up. The sun was shining and the tower was lit up in light grey. It wasn't threatening in the least. He ran his fingers over the carved inscription, reading as he did so. 

"Abandon all hope ye who enter here" (do not enter at any cost, death looms within)

Well he never knew hope, only action, and he wasn’t afraid of death. So he drew his sword and entered.

It wasn't a enormous tower, a rather small one indeed. He'd heard of towers with dragons in them and thought the very thought was ridiculous. One could never fit in here, or at least not comfortably.

He started up the stairs, still holding his sword. The king would have left some guards or something, so best to be prepared. 

Around halfway up, or so he thought, there was another floor. Finally he wouldn't have to worry about falling off the side of the steps and plummeting to his death. As he came up the stairs to it, he saw someone coming down the steps on the other side of the room as well. 

His hand tightened on his sword and he kept going as did the other. "This must be his protection," thought the knight. They stopped in the middle of the room, their stances a mirror image of the other. The knight could see hints of armor beneath the black robe that seamed to emanate darkness itself.

"Who are you?!" yelled the knight. 

The hooded figure didn't move nor speak.

"Looks like I have to go through you then," said the knight with a smirk. He spun his blade, which the other copied, and they both charged. 

They fought for hours never making any head way. They both knew each others moves. Every blow parried and every punch, dodged. He was going nowhere, and fast.

Again, he yelled at him, "Who are you!!!"

A feminine voice replied, giggling, "You still haven't figured it out?" 

His head snapped up and he saw her. Silver hair flowing as she came down the steps. She had really grown up since last time he'd seen her.

He stuttered back, "P-pr-princess?!" surprised, and quickly kneeled.

Looking back up he saw she was next to the hooded figure who was kneeling as well.

"Get away from him!! He's-"

She pulled back the hood.

"....Me."

The knight starred at the mirror image of himself.

The princess stood and started for the stairs, "In the end, knight, the only person you have to answer to is yourself."

He didn't think and just acted. He dropped his sword. It clattered along the floor with his doppelganger's. He closed his eyes and walked forward. He felt something that can't be explained. He felt like he walked through a wall of water is the closest he could come. He looked back and saw his double where he had stood moments ago looking back. 

He had passed, and so he ran up the stairs, chasing the princess. He arrived at the top and opened what had to be the last door. He didn't have time to register what happened. She was on him, her lips fervently attacking his. He wrapped his arms around her and enjoyed the most passionate kiss of his life. She pulled back and licked a bit of blood off her lip and winked at him as she sat on the edge of her bed. He smiled back and-

.....Blood?

He put his hand to his mouth and pulled it back bloody. Confused and weak, he dropped to his knees. He looked down and saw the dagger sticking out of his chest. He looked up at her with a need to understand. What was happening. 

She answered the question he could not find. "You came here for peace. An escape. It hurts now but it will feel good soon. I promise."

It was hard to breath. He was drowning in his own blood. He managed to push out, coughing blood between words, "not...your....decision."

"It was made mine when you came to me," she said, getting off the bed and kneeling next to him. She put a hand on his shoulder and cradled his head in her lap right before he would have fallen.

He smiled. It didn't hurt so much anymore. He couldn't feel much and he closed his eyes as she stroked his hair. Finally he could sleep.

Isn't that what he'd wanted all along? 

He opened his eyes as the world swirled around him. Stone walls turned to white walls. He was laying in the bathtub. He looked down and saw his slit wrists pouring red.

His silver angel in his hand.

He laid his head back,

And smiled.

Author's Note

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Reviews

[compositionc]

I found that...

...eerily disturbing, yet kind of sweet in a not so sweet way.

I enjoyed it a lot though. It started off kind of like a fairy tale, but then it evolved it something no child should ever read. The wording, the plot twist (I kind of guessed she was a vampire), the idea...Genius.

xx
Excellent write. Will add to favourites.