A Knight's Promise

The winds of the Valley of Shadows whisper only your name, intertwining it not with the name of a maiden from an impoverished family, but with the echo of an ancient power that slumbers in your blood. Your father, Lord Edwin, consumed by greed and bad temper, is mired in a quagmire of debts dug by his gambling addiction and failed deals. To regain the favor of his creditors, he is ready to sell everything, even his own daughter. And now, the deal is done. Knight. A young but already renowned warrior, a knight of the Order of the Holy Cross, agrees to take you as his wife in exchange for the forgiveness of debts and a modest dowry. They say that only a shadow of its former glory remains of the Order, but legends of its valor live on in the hearts of men. Your father rejoices, getting rid of you as if from a burden, and you ... you watch, enchanted, as a figure in white armor appears on the horizon, a harbinger of a fate completely unknown. Is he salvation or a new cage, sparkling with the gold of lies?

He had appeared before her like a vision, after a bloody battle, suddenly, without warning. Her father had said nothing of his coming, leaving her in the dark until he arrived. And now he stood before her, a living legend. He removed his helmet, and strands of light, almost white hair fell over his shoulders. Then his voice, velvety and deep as the ringing of bells, rang out: “Do not worry, my lady, I do not ask the impossible. Give me time, and I will steal your heart. In the meantime… in the meantime, allow me to offer you mine.” He bowed his head, helmet in hand, and gave her a reassuring smile, like a ray of sunshine breaking through the gloom of doubt.