Knight-Captain Rose Delores made her rounds of the castle as she did every evening, watching the sunset through the palace's second story windows as she walked. All that remained of today's rounds was the Hall of Heroes, her last stop before she retreated to her own rooms for the night. Like always, it filled her with dread.

"Captain," one of the Hall's guards saluted as Rose approached.

"Marques." Rose waved away his salute. "All quiet?"

He nodded. "Nothing to report, captain."

"Good," Rose said as she entered the Hall.

The Hall was a squarish room, a wide window filling the far wall. The window was now a stained-glass pane, although Rose remembered the view when it wasn't. In the morning, the window was lit with the dawn's sun, illuminating the image of five young adventurers, the Wandering Vagabonds. It was for that reason, Rose never entered this room before noon. Now, in the evening's dusk, the window was too dark to tell that it depicted anything.

On the walls, various paintings hung. Some of them immortalizing deeds of distant heroes from the kingdom's legends, but most depicting events far fresher.

The crown prince at the time had commissioned this room's refurbishment after the death of his sister, Katryn, to honor her. It was redone again after his death, becoming a memorial for many heroes of the past. Since then, it had become a popular place for young knights and nobles seeking a place of quiet reflection.

But Rose hated the place. For her it was just an uncomfortable memory, filled with ghosts and regret. An unpleasant reminder of the past.

It was only just bearable to face alone and utterly impossible when others were around.

Tonight though, she was not so lucky, for a girl with long, blond, curling hair stood before the stained-glass window. She turned at the sound of Rose's entrance. A smile lit her face and soft blue eyes at the sight of the knight-captain.

"Lady Rose!"

Rose smiled back at the young, crown princess. She was the spitting image of her mother, Rose thought, except the eyes. The eyes were the same soft blue of her uncle. So similar, that looking at the child hurt her heart.

Still, to greet the girl with anything but a polite smile was unthinkable, so a polite smile she pressed to her lips. "Highness."

The girl frowned. "Why do you always call me that? I heard you always called my momma and uncle by their name's."

"I don't know what you mean, highness. I believe I always spoke to them with the same respect I now show you."

The girl crossed her arms over her chest.

"A lady should not pout, highness," Rose reminded her.

The girl's frown only deepened at the comment. "I know you used to use their names when it was just you guys. I just want to know why you won't do the same for me."

"I'm your knight, highness." Rose folded her hands behind her back, puffing her chest out and squaring her shoulders.

"You were theirs too!"

Rose's shoulders slumped at the accusation. "It was another time."

The princess turned back to the darkened stained-glass window, her arms still crossed over her chest.

Rose relaxed, or relaxed as much as she was able in the Hall. She took her usual seat by the door and pulled a bracelet from her pocket. Four charms hung from the silver chain. Her head drooped and her eyes closed as she leaned over the bracelet in her hands. Her fingers clung to one charm in particular, a gold cat.

Under her breath, Rose muttered her prayer. It wasn't much, but it was what she could do. There wasn't much comfort in it, but comfort wasn't what she expected to get from the act. She did not deserve comfort.

"Lady Rose?" the princess asked. She leaned over Rose, her head cocked to one side, her eyes on the bracelet in Rose's hand.

Rose shoved the bracelet back in her pocket, looking away. "Yes, highness?"

"I just wondered..." She hesitated, her eyes flicking back to Rose's pocket before making her decision. "...if you might tell me about the Wandering Vagabonds?"

Rose raised an eyebrow. "What's to tell? Everyone knows their stories. They held the best adventurer record the Adventurer's Guild has seen in over twenty years. More rescue and escort missions than any party in at least thirty." She shrugged. What more was there to say?

"But weren't you one of them?" the princess asked.

Rose stood and stepped away from the girl. "Yes, highness."

The princess's eyes were wide. A smile grew on her face.

Rose turned away, suddenly finding the painting on the wall of Ulgot the Great of immense interest.

"Lady Rose." The princess had sidled up to Rose and now stood at her elbow.

"Hm?" Rose grunted.

"What was it like to be an adventurer?"

Rose glanced down at the girl. The princess looked up at her, her soft blue eyes wide with admiration. Rose turned away again. "More chaotic than being a knight. More work. Much more dangerous."

"Do you miss those days?"

"It is not a life I could recommend to anyone."

The princess frowned. "But you were a hero."

"It's nothing to brag about."

"Why?"

Rose shook her head. "It's in the past."

The words didn't directly answer the princess's question, but Rose didn't elaborate further.

"Please," the girl said. "Tell me a story of when you were a Wandering Vagabond."

Rose only sighed. "Anyone can tell you about it, highness." She gestured to the books in the bookcases around the room. "Plenty of our stories have already been recorded in this room. Why do you want me to tell it?"

The princess was silent for a moment, her hands clenching the fabric of her dress at her sides. "Because I want to hear the truth?"

Rose chuckled. "What do you think they recorded?"

"A bard's tale."

Rose snorted. "Then listen close. If you want tohear it that badly, I'll tell you."