The Knight

  ( Cutiehorn )

  She waited patiently amongst the foliage. Lush leaves pressed against her skin. Fruit blooms filled the air with succulent scents. It was the most beautiful of gardens. A true paradise.

  Then she spotted them. A family of fluffy brown and speckled white. Lithe-legged and cloven-hoofed. They'd come to eat the fallen apples. Ripe and ready, cradled by soft, dew-kissed mosses.

  She remained as still as stone. A void of absent flesh cupped her mouth, shadowy fingers quietening her breathing, so as not to frighten the hungry herbivores.

  The creature at the family's centre was different to the others. A branching crown sprouted from its head. A magnificent array of curving spikes that marked it as a guardian. The protector of its herd.

  She watched with fascination, until something changed. A crackling that spooked the family, sending them fleeing. An acrid burn that stung her nostrils and itched her lungs. Grey and billowing.

  No longer was the garden a place of peace and tranquillity, but a host of infernal flame. She ran as the wildfire spread, seeking shelter from its fury.

  Then, in a clearing, she spotted it. An upright coffin with the face of a pained maiden. Iron doors creaked open as if in welcome, revealing an impaling interior.

  She reluctantly stepped inside, and pulled the doors to a close. Sharpened points pressed to her flesh, threatening to puncture should she struggle.

  "I'm sorry!" she cried.

  The conflagration surrounded her tomb, heating its surface until sizzling.

  "I'm sorry!" she screamed.

  She gasped for breath. Hot, suffocating smoke surged into her lungs.

  "I'm sorry," she choked.

  Dunk dunk dunk.

  Cutiehorn clenched her eyelids and exhaled slowly. She steadied her breathing, and waited for her heart to settle. It wasn't her first nightmare. It wasn't even her thousandth. She'd become used to waking in cold sweat, but that didn't make it any less unpleasant.

  Dunk dunk dunk.

  Eyes fluttered open at the sound, only to be greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling. Her head jerked up from the pillow in panic. The room was bland and sterile. One of a dozen that served as the palace infirmary. To her relief, the only person present was Splishsplash.

  "Where is it?" Despite the urgency, Cutiehorn's voice emerged coarse and quiet.

  Did something happen to my throat? Is that why I'm here?

  Splishsplash nodded to the foot of the bed. Cutiehorn calmed at the sight of her armour. Only, it was missing parts. She seemed to have lost both pauldrons, as well as the left armguard and gauntlet.

  Dunk dunk dunk.

  Then she remembered why. Why the armour was incomplete. Why she was laying in a bed that wasn't her own. Why she was under Splishsplash's vigilant gaze once more.

  "Did everyone make it?" She'd screamed so hard it'd strained her vocal cords. "Are the others ok?"

  Splishsplash gave a single nod.

  Relief rolled from Cutiehorn's lips as she let her head fall back to the pillow. After a moment, she flexed the fingers to her right. Easy enough. Then she tried the same with her left, only the sensation was different. Numb, yet painful. It felt like something was moving, yet her hand couldn't find the bed. She pulled back the sheets to confirm what she already knew.

  Strange... no nerve endings remain, so why does it still hurt?

  Dunk dunk dunk.

  "What's the deal with the knocking?" she whispered.

  The merprincess motioned to the door. "Bubblebun. She has not ceased."

  "Splishsplash? Who are you talking to? Yo, Cutiehorn! You awake?" called a familiar voice from beyond the door. "What's going on in there? I can hear everything, you know!" The handle clunked and frame rattled.

  I'm pretty sure she can't... Her hearing's good, but not infallible.

  "She can't come in?" asked Cutiehorn.

  Splishsplash shook her head.

  With a groan, Cutiehorn tried to summon her strength, raising the quietest of whispers to a raspy whine. "It's ok, Bubblebun. You can stop knocking now."

  The door fell still. "...Are you ok?"

  Cutiehorn looked to the smooth, bandaged lump of her shoulder. The limb's final moments had been more excruciating than she'd ever imagined possible. In those last seconds of consciousness before her body shut down in shock, she'd watched Sunshine swing her hammer repeatedly. Losing an arm should be traumatic, and yet, all she'd felt was relief. She'd gotten her sisters to safety. That knowledge alone was enough to heat her heart like a toasty hearth.

  ...Will she get angry if I tell her I'm happy?

  "I'm... pretty good, actually."

  "Good?" asked the ballerina beyond. "What the hel are you talking about?"

  "I didn't expect to live," said Cutiehorn. "Is it wrong of me to feel lucky?"

  "You... You idiot!" shouted Bubblebun.

  Cutiehorn smiled. "How long have you been out there? Have you eaten?"

  "Of course I haven't eaten! I don't want to eat! I want to see you! Tell this flat-faced freak to let me in!"

  Cutiehorn looked to Splishsplash, who only shook her head once more. "Soon, but I'm famished. Could you do me a favour and fetch us all some food?"

  "Nuh-uh!" snapped Bubblebun. "No way I'm leaving you with her! She was ready to abandon you! Go ahead and ask her!"

  The merprincess made no effort to deny the accusation, and considering what had transpired, Cutiehorn didn't doubt it for a second. But she bore no ill feelings. Had the corruption claimed her, who knows what damage she could've inflicted upon her sisters. If anything, she was glad of Splishsplash's caution.

  "Please, Bubblebun," called Cutiehorn, her voice cracking.

  A click sounded from behind the door. "You've gotta be kidding me... Dammit. I'll be right back."

  Cutiehorn wanted to call out one final time, and tell Bubblebun not to rush, but her voice just couldn't take it. Besides, she knew all too well the ribboned rabbit would already be half-way down the hallway.

  With the door no longer under constant threat, Splishsplash moved closer, trident in hand, as always. "Winterwish claims you were ready to sacrifice yourself for her."

  "I was," whispered Cutiehorn.

  Unwavering oceans peered down at her.

  "Is that a problem?" whispered Cutiehorn.

  The merprincess began to tap upon Loyalty's shaft. After a moment, Splishsplash glanced toward the door, as if to check no one else was about to enter. "...You are a veteran. She is a novice. I believe that would've been a poor exchange."

  Cutiehorn shook her head. "You know, when I found out I didn't have magic like the rest of you, I figured I'd just have to make up for it with hard work."

  "Commendable and logical," said Splishsplash.

  Cutiehorn could've laughed. "What other choice did I have? Give up and let everyone down? I couldn't do that to the rest of you. I just had to do what I could, regardless."

  "They say Queen Useelia hasn't used her magic in a thousand years, yet Diremaw still stands," said Splishsplash.

  "But I am no Queen," said Cutiehorn. "Anyone can carry faefire. Anyone can swing a sword until it melts. But Winterwish and Merrymint... they're capable of so much more. They've barely had any time together, yet with their magic combined they were able to slow the ichor. That's why. Through all of the chaos and fear, I realised with perfect clarity, that they had to survive. No matter what."

  "I believe your thought process is flawed," said Splishsplash.

  Cutiehorn looked up at the placid pools with curiosity.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  She's not one to lie or sugarcoat things...

  "What makes you say that? Is it not true that they can save more lives than me? Are they not more precious to the queendom?"

  "In isolation, perhaps," said Splishsplash. "But the others need a leader."

  "That's your job," said Cutiehorn.

  "No. I cannot read their emotions, nor comprehend their actions. I find them unpredictable and irrational. But they look up to you. They have faith in your decisions, and accept you as one of their own. They will never trust me as they trust you."

  Warmth flooded Cutiehorn's cheeks. She quickly diverted her blurring vision. There had been times in her life that she'd believed herself unfit for the title of Fairy Princess. Times she'd felt she was little more than a drain of royal resources, like a waste of a metamorphosis. A misshapen part that only served to hold other pieces back. She certainly never expected to hear Splishsplash of all people make such claims.

  "Don't say that. Of course we accept you. Of course we trust you," she whispered.

  "Perhaps I have misread their feelings. Understanding others has always been difficult for me. But it matters not. Queen Titania has made her choice. We both have our roles to play, and yours is one of leadership."

  Cutiehorn blinked.

  There's no way. That doesn't make any sense.

  "Why would Queen Titania choose me?"

  "Because you are the best candidate," said Splishsplash. "The others already follow your lead during training. The Queen simply wishes to make it official."

  "But Queen Titania..." Cutiehorn bit down on her lower lip.

  Queen Titania hates me.

  Yet she knew she couldn't just say such things, even if undeniably true. "...Was anyone else involved in this decision?"

  Splishsplash resumed tapping the trident's shaft. Inscrutable thoughts calculated behind impenetrable eyes. "...She was counselled."

  Cutiehorn recalled her very first memories. The look of shock and disgust upon Queen Titania's face. Being thrown into a dark cell without understanding her crime. The weeks spent under Splishsplash's watchful gaze as she awaited judgement.

  Cutiehorn looked toward her incomplete armour and sighed. "This isn't the first time you've stuck your neck out for me, is it?"

  "It was the correct course of action then, just as it is now," said Splishsplash.

  "And... she listens? Queen Titania accepts that?"

  Splishsplash closed her eyes a moment. "Our monarch has experienced much in her long life. She is aware that the past can cloud her judgement at times."

  "I see..." Cutiehorn could hardly believe her ears. "Then, thank you, Splishsplash."

  The merprincess gave a single nod.

  "Are you sure you're ok with this though?" asked Cutiehorn. "What will you do, if not lead?"

  "I do what a leader cannot."

  "And that is?"

  "The people require heroes. Symbols of hope and bravery. Champions pure of heart, such as yourself. But a queendom cannot survive on valour alone. Not every hand can remain clean." Splishsplash looked down at Cutiehorn's wound, then bowed her head. "Forgive me. I should've taken greater care with my words."

  "It's fine," laughed Cutiehorn. "I can't expect the entire world to change just because of this." She wiggled her bandaged stump. "...But, do you really think anyone would want to follow me now?"

  "I believe your sacrifice has earned you more respect than ever," said Splishsplash. "Though you will need to adapt your fighting style. Without a shield you cannot continue to charge in so selflessly."

  "No," said Cutiehorn. "I will not be without a shield. I'll simply learn to wield one with my right."

  "You intend to fight with shield alone? Your sword hand is well-trained."

  "My sword did little. My shield saved lives. Without it..." She couldn't bear to say, so finished with an unsteady sigh.

  Splishsplash nodded precisely once. "Very well. Once the enemy discovers you are commanding our forces, they could target you. A shield may prove more beneficial after all."

  Oh. Now I understand...

  "So that's why she agreed." Cutiehorn gritted her teeth and shuffled back until she could sit upright and peer out of the window. Nothing remained of Candy Town but charred ash and drifting clouds. "The eruption this morning was no coincidence, was it? So much ichor on our very doorstep. It was planned, right? A trap intended to reduce our numbers. Splishsplash, who exactly are we fighting?"

  "I cannot say for certain, but I assure you, steps are being taken to uncover their identity."

  Dunk dunk dunk.

  "Yo. Snack delivery. Open up," called Bubblebun from outside.

  Cutiehorn tried to hold her lips straight.

  Splishsplash looked to the door. "I have already explained. Cutiehorn is under quarantine. You cannot enter."

  "Oh for fuck's sake, Splishsplash," groaned Bubblebun. "We were all there. The entire palace might as well be a quarantine right now. You've got twenty seconds before I turn this door to splinters. Make that nineteen. Eighteen..."

  "Let her in, Splishsplash," whispered Cutiehorn.

  Sapphire eyes peered down at her blankly. In that moment it became clear the merprincess really was only referring to the others when it came to Cutiehorn's newly granted position.

  "Please. She already knows," whispered Cutiehorn.

  "...That was not part of the arrangement," stated Splishsplash, firmly.

  "I know, but she's the only one," whispered Cutiehorn. "There'll be no one else. Ever."

  She'd meet Splishsplash's vacant gaze for as long as it took.

  If she and Queen Titania want me to become the enemy's prime target, then they'll have to accept this, at the very least...

  Again and again, a finger tapped faesteel.

  "...Two. One. Zero," counted Bubblebun. "Ready or not, here I -"

  Splishsplash unlocked the door, much to Bubblebun's apparent surprise. But the expression didn't last. As soon as the ballerina met Cutiehorn's gaze, her face creased. She thrust a bowl of apples to Splishsplash's chest and rushed forward. For a moment it seemed like she was about to fling her arms around Cutiehorn, but she paused at the last moment, eyeing the bandages.

  "...Does it hurt?" she asked.

  "Not as much as you'd think."

  Bubblebun's mouth trembled. "I'm so sorry. We should've been watching. We should've noticed sooner. Maybe if -"

  "Shush," whispered Cutiehorn. "We can't all be everywhere at once. Everyone survived, that's what counts."

  "Yeah, thanks to you, apparently," said Bubblebun. "Had to go playing the damn hero without me."

  Cutiehorn was glad to see the vaguest hint of a smile upon her closest sister's lips. "You've talked to the rest of the day team? How are they?"

  "Pretty shaken," said Bubblebun. "Not just Winterwish and Merrymint, but Sunshine too. I've never seen her so timid. They won't tell me what happened. Why didn't she just fly you out of there?"

  Cutiehorn lowered her eyes. She didn't know what had happened to cause Sunshine to lock up, but she did know better than to tell Bubblebun. The ribboned rabbit could be a little too righteous at times, and would undoubtedly blame the feathered fairy for everything. In truth, Sunshine was responsible for the loss of Cutiehorn's arm, but in doing so, she'd saved her life.

  "I don't know," whispered Cutiehorn. "I wasn't there for everything. I just thought they were training harder than usual, until I looked out of the window... Wait, where are they now? They're not searching without me, right?"

  Bubblebun leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms. Iridescent eyes shot Splishsplash an unkind glance. "Nope. No more searches, apparently. We're under lockdown."

  "What? Lockdown? What do you mean?" whispered Cutiehorn.

  Bubblebun just waited for Splishsplash to explain.

  "No one is to leave the palace without Queen Titania's permission."

  "But what about the villages? The forestfolk?" whispered Cutiehorn.

  "They have flares," said Splishsplash. "Queen Titania will continue to answer their call.

  "In other words, we're just hiding." Bubblebun clearly didn't approve.

  "...I suppose that interpretation is not incorrect," said Splishsplash. "We are to remain here and await orders."

  "So the bastard that did this just gets to run free, for now." Bubblebun balled her fists, as if ready to punch a hundred holes in anything that got in her way.

  "Maybe that's for the best," whispered Cutiehorn.

  "What?" asked Bubblebun. "Are you kidding me? We should be out there, smacking bad guys!"

  "And which bad guys are you planning on smacking, exactly?" whispered Cutiehorn. "We can't fight the enemy until we know who they are. Let's just enjoy this peace while it lasts. Give Queen Titania time to work."

  The ribboned rabbit tried to hold onto her anger, even after it was clear she'd realised Cutiehorn was right. Rather than admit it, she opted to grab an apple from the bowl and crunch it to pulp in her pugilist palm.

  "...And that's an order," whispered Cutiehorn.

  "A what now?" asked Bubblebun. "What are you talking about?"

  Cutiehorn just smiled, and closed her eyes to rest.