Deep within the barracks of Crystalia Castle, Otto the Royal Paladin sat at a long, marble table accompanied by the white-armored members of his order. The men murmured about the rumors of Princess Ruby’s death, exchanging furtive glances with each other.
Otto looked up from his clasped hands as his father, the leader of their order, strode in and sat down at the head of the table. The middle-aged man rested one gauntleted hand on its marble surface, the other brushing his long, blond hair from his face. Otto had inherited the golden color from him, but over the years the great warrior’s hair had become flecked with gray.
“As we have feared,” his father began, his voice hollow. “Those who traveled with her have confirmed that the death of Princess Ruby was caused by none other than the Midnight Queen.”
There were gasps and whispers around the white war room. Being the latest and greatest of the Dark Consul’s generals, the Midnight Queen had devastated the royal line, and Otto was unsettled by how quickly she had managed to achieve such a feat.
His father lifted a hand to silence them. “As the order of Paladins, one of us must join the party of Heroes tasked with capturing her. I will be honest with you: whoever undertakes this burden will not likely survive it. Therefore, I ask only for volunteers. Who among you will take up this quest?”
The majority of the Paladins avoided his gaze, some twiddling their thumbs, others their mustaches. The dark rings around his father’s eyes appeared to deepen.
Swallowing his fear and steeling himself against the decision he knew would change his life forever, Otto raised his hand high. “If no one else will rise to meet this challenge, then I shall!”
Grunts of disapproval surrounded him. He was the youngest of their order, after all. However, the pride that appeared in his father’s eyes quashed any uncertainty that arose. That was all he needed to know: taking this quest to rid the land of such darkness was the will of the Goddess.
“Very well, a meeting of great Heroes will be taking place at the Rain Court soon,” his father said. “As the only Paladin there, you will be the representative for our entire order. Is that clear?”
Otto nodded, avoiding the contemptuous expressions of those around him. “I understand.”
The second-in-command stood up. “Commander, I—”
“The decision has been made,” his father interrupted. “King Jasper was quite clear. Many Heroes have already requested to join the quest, but only one warrior with an affinity to the Goddess is required.”
The man returned to his seat.
“The rest of us will rally our numbers for the front line.” His father stood. “There is a great battle ahead of us, and we must all be prepared. Paladins, that will be all.”
As the meeting concluded, Otto rose from his chair and moved to the exit before anyone could attempt to change his mind or explain how the glory of such a quest was not worth the risk involved.
I’m not doing this for glory, he thought. I’m doing this because it needs to be done.
The second-in-command stood and raised a hand to block his path, but Otto simply walked around him, heading straight to the Cells of Silence.
* * *
According to the many lessons Otto had received from his father, the Cells of Silence were a place for quiet rumination, where priests and mystics from all across Crystalia could read signs and cast spells to locate places of gathering evil, and where Paladins could pray before leaving to face them.
When he was done, he rose from where he had been kneeling and made for the door. Entering the connecting hallway, Claire of the Sisters of Light pranced over to him. Claire’s smile lit up the dim corridor. Her long, blonde hair was in pigtails that fell from the hood of her blue and white habit. The front of her garment was marked with a golden cross which swayed with every step.
“Otto! Otto! Otto!” she called as the door to the high priest’s chamber swung shut behind her. “I heard you’re going to join the group of Heroes that will soon be leaving for the Midnight Tower!”
“I say, would you keep it down!” Otto glanced around at the priests who were giving them sharp looks at her outburst. He turned and strode from the Cells of Silence. “But you’re correct, and according to the high priest, you are to accompany me at the meeting so you can inform him on everything that occurred there.”
Claire chased him down the winding corridors and through the Halls of Honor. Along their walls were the portraits of past Heroes, kings, and queens, as well as a large landscape painting of King Felspar I—the first king of Crystalia—looking out over the countryside surrounding the Castle.
“But it makes no sense, Otto,” Claire called as she caught up with him. “Why are we only now sending a group of Heroes there?”
Otto shook his head. “Because this is the first time they have been together since they were sent on their own quests to retrieve the princesses. After what they have all been through, they’re all invested in seeing this through to the end.”
“You don’t think the king will want them all to stay here and guard the princesses after everything that’s happened?”
“The princesses were able to handle themselves well in the most dangerous parts of the realm. I’m sure they will be safe inside the Castle. It would take a large army to breach these walls and enter by foot.”
Claire skipped to catch up with his long strides. “So, there’s no other way in?”
Otto cupped his chin. “By air, perhaps . . .”
“I’m sure the Midnight Queen has allies that can attack from the air.”
“It’s a possibility but a risk we’ll have to take. We must travel to the Midnight Tower and capture her as soon as possible.”
Despite saying this, Otto knew the Midnight Tower wasn’t a place that a soldier could just stroll into, even a Royal Paladin like himself.
After his initiation into the order of Paladins, his life had been a series of going on dangerous quests and recovering from the injuries he received on them. Whether it was bruises from the Wandering Monk Mountains in the east or broken bones from a fall in Dragonback Peaks, he had always returned with some wound that the Sisters of Light would tend to.
This was how he’d met Sister Claire. Ever since he had shared the story of his journey as she healed his broken arm over a year ago, she had demanded he come to her the next time he needed healing so she might listen to his stories of places she would never journey to. They had been friends ever since. Otto was more than happy to share his tales. It allowed him to return the favor for the effort she put into healing him, and the enchanted look he received from her always raised his spirits during his painful recoveries. Now whenever she was with him, her smile made obvious the affection she had for him—perhaps too much affection. His duty demanded that he exclude all emotion that might serve as a distraction. If he let himself feel the same for her, it would only hurt them both whenever he embarked on a quest.
They entered a stairwell at the end of the hall and climbed the many stairs that led up to the Rain Court. Otto came out into the great, open hall at the top of the Castle. High walls blocked the swift wind, and the bright afternoon sun shone down on the large circular table where King Jasper III, his two remaining daughters, and the greatest Heroes of the land held court. Looking at them, Otto wondered which of these Heroes would be accompanying him.