When I woke up, the sun had just set. I blink my eyes to adjust to darkness in my room.

"Leon?" I called soflty but no one answered. It looks like he has not come back yet.

’Maybe he was still talking with my father about some important matters.’ I thought.

I slowly stand up and exited my room. Outside the maids are doing their normal routine for the evening.

"Princess." Tricia was walking towards me. "You are awake."

"Yes." I nodded. "How long was I asleep?" I asked.

"Not very long princess. An hour at least." Tricia replied.

"Oh." I reacted. So I wasn’t asleep that long. But the nap did some good, I feel refreshed.

"Dinner is being prepared. It will take about an hour." Tricia said. "Prince Regaleon said that he will be accompanying you for dinner so I have prepared the usual dishes he likes."

"Thanks Tricia, your the best." I smiled whole heartedly.

Tricia has been with me for quite some time now. I treat her as a big sister rather than my personal maid. She knows many of my secrets, including my magical abilities.

These past two years when we were at the country side, I have told her my secret. Tricia accepted me whole heartedly and vowed her loyalty to me. She is my most trusted servant and confidant.

"How is William doing by the way?" I asked. I have ordered him to rest in his quarters a while ago in the hall of justice. I wonder how he is doing.

"Sir William has been in his quarters since the time he arrived a while ago." Tricia answered. "We were shocked when we saw his white uniform stained with blood. We only heard after that his wounds re-opened while defending you inside the hall of justice. I personally went to his room to bring some medicine and new bandages. But when I knocked on his door, he did not answer. Maybe he fell asleep."

I became worried after hearing Tricia’s words.

"Where is the medicine and bandages? I will take it personally to him." I said.

"Oh okay. Let me get it princess." Tricia said and left to fetch it.

***

I was standing outside William’s room, holding the tray of medicine and bandages.

’Knock knock’ I knocked gently on the door.

When no one answered, I knocked even harder.

"Will, its me." I called out to William.

By that time I heard something crash on the floor inside the room.

"William, are you okay." I began to worry.

In just a few seconds, the door opened. William was standing in front of me with a shy look.

"Alicia, it’s you." William said in surprise.

"Yes, it’s me. What happened?" I peaked inside his room.

"Oh...ah... I kind of hit the side table when I scrambled to open the door for you." William said, looking embarrassed. He was scratching his head casually and his gesture made me giggle.

"You don’t need to get embarrassed. That sometimes happens to me as well." I giggled.

William looked at me with a gentle gaze and smiled.

"You are not angry at me anymore?" William asked.

I looked at him from head to toe. It looks like he had just taken a bath. He was wearing a clean white inner shirt and black pants. But it looks like he hasn’t dressed his wounds yet.

"I won’t be mad if you attend to your wounds." I said. "I brought some medecine and new bandages."

"Thanks. I was about to go to Tricia to get some." William said. He reached out to get the tray I was holding when I purposely dodged the tray from his hands.

"Let me help you treat your wounds." I looked at him with a piercing gaze.

"Huh?!" William was surprised. "N-No need...Alicia, I can do it myself."

"You can’t reach the wounds in your back, can you?" I asked with a sarcastic tone and lifted one of my eyebroe at him.

I know that Tricia helped him dress his wounds last night. She was the one that told me that William’s wounds was only flesh deep. But still, a wound needs to be taken care of so that it won’t get infected.

"B-But Alicia..." William was trying to reason out but I cut him.

"No buts." I entered his room swiftly. "It’s the least I can do after saving me yesterday and today."

I hear William heave a deep sigh and closed the door. I sat down in the couch and patted the area right next to me. William smiled but I see his smile twitched.

"You know, you don’t need to do this. It’s my job to protect you as your knight." William walked towards me and took his seat right next to me.

"You may say that, but to me you are still William, my best friend. I pains me to see you get hurt." I look at him with with sorrow.

William sighed once again and gave me a genuine smile. "Then I will trouble you in putting the medicine." He said.

William turned his back towards me and slowly took off his shirt. I am used to seeing the bare upper body of my brother Richard and Regaleon when they were practicing and sparring. But still, this is the first time I saw William’s bare torso. I feel kind of embarrassed. His back muscles were toned beautifully. Even though he was a future duke, he didn’t laze around and still worked out his body. Now that his shirt is off, I see the fresh wounds on his back.

The wounds were made by swords slicing thru his flesh. It was lucky that he only got flesh deep wounds. But still, looking at the long cuts and bruises made my heart ache. Not only that, the wounds re-opened a while ago when he saved me from general McGregor.

I opened the lid of the medicine bottle and placed some onto the cotton. I carefully pressed the cotton onto his wounds.

I see William’s flinch and it made me worry. "Did I hurt you? I’m sorry, I will apply the medicine more carefully." I said.

"No, it’s okay. The medicine just stings a little. I can handle it." William said.

And so I resumed applying the medicne to his wounds. After applying on his back I gestured him to face me. Once William turned around, I see his bare chest and well formed abs.

His front torso had as many cuts as the ones at the back. My heart ached even more. Tears are welling up in my eyes.

"You got hurt because of me." I said with a heavy heart. I started to apply the medicine on the wounds.

"Don’t cry." William gently wiped away my tears. "My job as your knight is to protect you, even if it costs my life."

"But I don’t want that." I said to him. "You are one of my most precious friends. You are very dear to me. I don’t want you to get hurt or worse, give your life just to protect me. I would ask father to relieve you of you duties as my knight. You should be the one governing your dukedom, not here taking care of some princess."

What I said to him just now was my true feelings. I feel that I am robbing him of his future as a duke. He should not be here taking care of me.

"Alicia, no." I can feel the pain in William’s voice. He suddenly grabbed my hands and squeezed them near his chest. "Please, don’t push me away. This is where I decided to be, this is where I ’want’ to be."

"But Will..." I want to tell him that he has a bright future as a duke.

"Alicia," William looked at me straight into my eyes. "This is where I want to be. Please don’t take it away from me. You know how I feel about you."

"But Will, I can’t return those feelings." I said with sincerity. "My heart belongs to only one person. This is unfair to you."

"I know, Alicia. I know that you can’t return my feelings. But at least, let me keep this chance to be by your side. Let me be of help to you and to stay close. At least let me love you at a distance." William said ernestly.

I nodded slowly. I have told him what I wanted to say. I have clearly set the line between us. If it is still his decision to be my personal knight after hearing what I said, then I will let him stay. I don’t want him to get hurt, but I don’t want to reject his plea.

William is still a precious person to me. He was my very first friend.

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