The Knight of Avalon
Chapter 1

I emerged from the snow-covered shrubbery to replace myself in the middle of a winter wonderland. I’d been riding through this forested wilderness for days when it came to an end. I leapt off Casper, my boots crunching the snow, and as I glanced about, I observed a blanket of fresh white snow covering the trees scattered around the plains, with a hint of blue-gray clouds in the sky. In the distance, I spotted a palace tucked away in the center of a village. “Come on, Casper, we’re nearly home,” I murmured as I got back into the saddle. Giddy up! Casper broke out into a gallop toward the palace. The cold air stung my eyes through the helmet. I could hear the sound of Casper’s hooves crunching over the snow-covered twigs as he made his way through. The scent of damp pine trees filled the air with a sense of freshness and purity.

As we approached the village, I admired the palace standing tall with its massive gates, which are a work of art, each curve and swirl of the metalwork catching the light in a different way. I slowed Casper to a trot since the streets were narrow and crowded. On certain corners, there were shops with a lot of Christmas decorations and smoke rising from the bakery chimney. They were also children playing on the sidewalk, and when I rode by, they stopped, smiled, and waved. I came to a halt in front of the blacksmith, tethering Casper to the post outside. When he shook his head, all the snow in his hair tumbled out like a mini-snowfall. “I won’t be long,” I murmured as I patted his head and walked into the shop. I didn’t see anyone behind the counter, but all I heard was a tremendous hammering on the shop’s side. A little shack to the side of the business housed a roaring, red-hot forge. The blacksmith was hammering away at a hot piece of metal, sending sparks flying everywhere.

“How are you, John?” I said before the hammer went down. “Oh, hello Alexis, long time no see,” he remarked, putting the metal back into the forge. “I see you’re keeping yourselves busy.” I said as I glanced around the forge. “Oh well, it’s better than sitting at the front desk,” he remarked, turning the metal in the forge. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of having the Great Alexis, Knight of Avalon, visit me?” he said, a smile on his face. “Stop it; I’m not that great, and I’m here to inquire whether you’ve finished Casper’s shoes,” I said. “Yeah, I finished them; would you like me to put them on for you?” he offered. “No, that’s okay, I’ll put them on myself; after all, you’re also busy; oh right, how much for the shoes?” I responded. “Oh, those are free,” he explained. “Wait... What?” Did they already get paid for?” I was curious. “No, it’s a present for you and Casper,” he added as he handed me the shoes. I don’t know what to say. “Just keep on doing what you’re doing for this kingdom,” he replied. “The next time I go on errands for the prince, I’ll bring you something back as a thank you,” I remarked as I stepped through the doors. “Oh, before you leave, tell His Highness that the people miss him and that he should come outside,” he shouted as I unhitched Casper from the post and climbed back on. “I will,” I said as I rode towards the palace.

As we approached, the guards stationed in front saluted me and unlocked the massive gates. ” I brought Casper to the stables, removed all of his tack, made him a comfortable bed of fresh straw, and draped him in his favorite blanket. “Here you are, Casper: a nice warm bed, your blanket, and most importantly, some delicious oats for you to nibble on while I go meet the prince.” I patted his head. I emerged from the stables and made my way to the palace’s ornate double doors, which groaned on the hinges as I opened them. I headed to the throne room, but he was nowhere to be seen. I stopped a passing maid to inquire whether she’d seen the prince anywhere. “He’s up in the music room, playing his drums,” she remarked as she walked away. I entered the foyer and climbed the wide staircase to the second floor, where the music room is located. As I approached the chamber, I could hear the snare drum banging and the bass drum thudding, the noises echoing through the empty halls.

I braced myself on the door frame, looking at him play, but he seemed too occupied, so I tip-toed behind the white pillars of the room, trying not to make a sound or be seen, but he was so busy playing that he didn’t see me come out of the corner. “Boo! I shouted. “Ahh!” he screamed as the sticks flew out of his hands. “Would you stop doing that? You could’ve given me a heart attack,” he said, looking at me with his blue eyes. “You know it’s my homecoming tradition, and no, I can’t stop it; it’s a habit,” I replied as I picked up his sticks. “By the way, cool drums; where’d you get them from?” I said, looking at the icy drums. “I made them with my frost powers,” he said as he took the sticks from me. “Have you delivered all the letters for me?” he asked, twirling the sticks with his fingers. “Yes, I have, and I also have a letter here from the Kingdom of Snowman’s Land,” I explained. “Ah, yes, the Queen; she must want us to join alliances, through marriage, I presume,” he said, looking at the drums. “From the way you’re saying it, it sounds like you’ve met her before,” I said. “Yes, I met her when I was a child; I used to go there with my parents when they had balls or meetings, and while the adults were talking, the princess and I would sneak out into the gardens and play or steal pastries from the kitchen and eat them in her room,” he said, smiling. After I got older and mom and dad weren’t around, I couldn’t go to their events anymore because I couldn’t leave this place and the people unguarded. “Don’t you write to her?” I asked, an eyebrow raised. “Oh yes, I do, but not recently; I’ve been busy with a few things,” he said. “Sooo... did you have a crush on her?” I said with a smile. “No, I never liked her in that way,” he said, trying hard not to blush. “You’re lying, you can’t hide that blush from me, and after all, I never said anything about liking,” I replied, chuckling.

“In my opinion, though sire, it’ll be a great idea to join alliances with them; they have great resources, and it’ll be nice to have this place bustling again,” I said. He looked at me puzzled maybe from the opinion I just made. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he questioned with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, you know, this place has been lonely for far too long; imagine I could hear you playing from the end of the hallway,” I said. “Another thing, it’s the Christmas season; where is your tree and decorations and so on?” I asked. Before he could answer, there was a loud trime signaling dinnertime. “Ahh, it seems our little meeting has been cut short by the dinner bell,” he said as he got up. “You still didn’t answer my question,” I said, looking at him. “Speaking about dinner, would you like to join me and we could discuss why I’m not celebrating Christmas this year and the years before?” he offered. “Sorry, sire, but I can’t; I have other plans tonight,” I said. “Oh, like, putting on those new pairs of shoes that you got for Casper?” he said, smiling. “Wait... How’d you know about that? Are you spying on me?” I asked. “I was walking past my window and I happened to see you come out of the blacksmith, so I suspected that you got some new shoes,” he replied.

“That’s still spying,” I said, walking out the door. “Oh... don’t be furious; you weren’t doing anything wrong,” he added, jogging behind me. How can I make it up to you? “You may start by going out to the village and getting to know the people; they’ve missed you,” I suggested. He immediately came to a halt. “You know I can’t do that,” he said, matching my speed. “Why not? Are you afraid of the weather because, last I checked, you’re the Frost Prince?” I said, my gaze fixed on him. “Of course not; I’m not afraid of the weather; remember, I can control it; it’s just that what happened the last time troubles me to this day,” he added, his shoulders slumped. “When you’re too focused on the past, you miss what’s in front of you,” I replied. “You don’t get it,” he yelled at me. “How can I know if you don’t tell me, sire?” I said, trying not to irritate him. “Anyway, I’m going to the library to borrow a book or two, and there’s nothing you can do,” I grumbled as I exited the foyer. “That’ll teach him not to snap at me,” I mumbled to myself.