“Please don’t do this!” pleaded the queen as she ran after him, but in that long dress of hers, she would never catch up.

I remember just staring into the man’s determined face as he charged down the castle’s corridors. Normally I would have been terrified from being pinned in such powerful arms. But after looking into his face, I realized I trusted him.

The soldiers were coming out of nowhere now. One or two guards every once in awhile would appear in the doorways that lined the halls, but my carrier effortlessly fought them all off. The trip took several minutes. Once we took our last turn, I looked over to see our destination and gave a little gasp. Two thirty-foot-high doors that appeared to be made entirely out of intricately designed metal were at the end of a very long hall. A large bolt secured the doors while two very important-looking guards were posted in front of them. They seemed to be wearing more armor than the earlier soldiers, and their stature intimidated me as they held 10-foot spears. I immediately knew that something behind those doors must be incredibly important.

The warrior, still cradling me, fought off a few more guards as he made his way down the hallway. He slowed a bit as he approached the mammoth doors. He gently laid me down a ways away. He then approached the guards while letting out a deep breath.

To my surprise he tried diplomacy. “Farlen?” He seemed to be addressing the guard on the right.

The guard swallowed, his blank face faltering.

The warrior addressed the other one, a little too desperate, “Leon?”


The guard lowered his eyes. Even as a sick seven year old, I sensed an old friendship being put to the test. He looked back up, “I’m sorry, sire.”

The warrior exhaled slowly, very disappointed in his answer. Despite this, a resolute expression filled his face. Apprehension overtook sadness in the warrior, as if these two guards would take all of the skill he had.

The guards took defensive stances, and the warrior pounced. I watched in weary awe as he staunchly fought both guards off. The guards were indeed much more skilled than the others, and the man seemed to have a much more difficult time winning than with his earlier feats. The spears whirled, jabbed, and knocked together as they tried to overcome the man between them. They flashed in the light of the chandelier, and their noise clattered through all the surrounding hallways. Finally, after a grunt and a groan, silence filled the corridor again.