“For how long will you be gone?” she asked before she quickly polished a dull spot on his otherwise shiny armour with the sleeve of her silk dress. It was scheduled to be washed anyway, so what difference would a dusty stain make?

“I don’t know…” Lance said, deep in thought. His eyebrows seemed to crawl closer together, like bushy, golden caterpillars, as he tried to calculate just how long it would take for him to return. “Three, four weeks?” he mused. “Six weeks, tops,” he corrected quickly, when he realized he had forgotten to take his journey back home into account. “Dragons are fickle creatures. We shouldn’t rush them, or we’ll end up grilled.”

A frustrated groan escaped the princess. She leaned against the wall before she let herself slide down to sit cross-legged on the ground. She bit her lip and tried not to let him notice just how nervous she was. “Then who will keep me company? Who will let me jump my horse over the hedges?”

“Oh deary me, whoever will chase away the scary monsters under your bed?” Lance teased.

“Sir Lance!” Tiffany shouted. “I was seven!”

The knight giggled. “Don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours, Tiff. I’ll be back before you know it,” he said as he wrestled his armour to crouch down beside her. His voice was practically overflowing with affection. “And besides, I already enlisted someone to keep you company while I’m gone.”

The princess followed his gaze as Lance beckoned someone over who was waiting by the door.

Tiffany could only stare at the person that walked towards them. They had short, platinum blond hair, a playful, chubby face, and when they flashed a nervous smile there was a gap where there was definitely supposed to be a tooth. They wore the same padded, dark grey suit Lance wore under his armour as protection. And as luck would have it, they seemed to be her age.

The princess immediately stood up to greet the stranger, while Lance once more wrestled his armour into a standing position. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you before,” she mused when her head allowed her to talk once again. “Are you new here, perhaps?”

The stranger said nothing, so Lance spoke in their stead. “Tiff, this is Noah. She’s been my squire for a few months now and I think you two are going to become the best of friends while I’m away.

“Really? I didn’t know girls could become squires.” Tiffany whispered, only not quite quietly enough.

The squire, Noah, blushed and turned her gaze to the floor. Until Lance elbowed her in the side.

“Well, where Sir Lance and I come from, it’s actually quite normal for girls to learn a craft from a craftsperson,” she spoke shyly and scratched at her jaw. “I want to become a knight when I grow up, so to learn the skills I need for that, I became Sir Lance’s squire.”

Lance nudged her again.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Princess Tiffany.”

“Girls learning a craft, huh? How interesting. It must be great to get to decide what you want to be when you grow up,” Tiffany said as she inched closer to Noah.

“It’s a real shame you can’t,” Lance interrupted. “You know, even our crown princess gets to decide what she wants to study before she marries and becomes queen.”

“I know.” Tiffany said coldly. If looks could kill, Lance would have fallen over backwards, but the princess’ lovely face was turned back to Noah soon enough.

“He’s right, though,” Noah said, shrugging but still timid. Noah’s gaze always landed slightly above, below, or next to Tiffany’s eyes, but never in them. “It’s a shame you can’t choose what you want to do with your life…”

“I may not be allowed to, but I’m quite sure I can,” Tiffany said as she folded her arms rebelliously. “For instance, how are you with a sword?”

“Ex-excuse me?” Noah stammered.

Lance was about to object.

“You heard me. How are you with a sword?”

Noah’s eyes darted to the floor and she rubbed her hand over her arm. “W-well, I think… I’m not as good as Sir Lance, but… I believe serviceable would be the right word to describe it?” she asked, more than stated.

“Then would you teach me how to duel? Pretty please?” the princess asked with a pout and her best doe eyes. “Sir Lance always gets so nervous when I handle pointy things.”

“You stole my sword when you were eight!” Lance said. “You made it halfway through before I could get a hold of you!”

“Then perhaps it’s high time I got duelling lessons, so I can learn what not to do with pointy things,” Tiffany teased.

“Noah, please help me out here?” the knight asked.

Noah stiffened. The colour drained from her face and she clenched her fists. “I’m sorry, Sir Lance, but I agree with Princess Tiffany,” she mumbled, and tried not to shake too much as she turned to the princess. “Tomorrow, after your lessons, I’ll teach you how to duel.”

Tiffany smiled at her small victory. One thing was for sure. With Noah around, her life was about to become a lot more interesting.

*

“Sir Lance, you can’t do this to me!” Noah said as she attached the saddle bags to Lance’s horse. “Why did you have to make me her bodyguard, out of all the people in the guard?”

“Ah… how nice it is to be an ignorant teenager,” Lance said dreamily as he mounted his horse. “I chose you because I know you can protect her like no other. It’s all right in here,” he smiled as he poked his index finger against Noah’s chest.

Noah looked at him and made a face as all the pieces of the puzzle slotted together. “But her fiance, the prince…” the squire started in a panic.

“What the prince doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Noah, just do me a favour and enjoy this. You’ve been staring at her for weeks now, just talk to her.”

“I have not!”

“You have too,” Lance grinned. “Don’t pretend it wasn’t obvious.”

Noah’s face grew red very suddenly. “Was it?”

“Yes, it was,” the knight sighed, smiling fondly at his squire. “In fact, I wagered ten gold pieces that you and Tiffany will be an item by the time I come home, so don’t disappoint me.”

“Yes, sir! I-I mean, no, sir! I mean…” Noah stammered, making an attempt to salute.

Lance chuckled. “I’m kidding, No.”

The squire relaxed instantaneously and let out a deep sigh. “Do you really think I’m ready for this?”

“I don’t think so, Noah. I know so.” The knight patted Noah’s head and ruffled her hair. It stuck out in every direction by the time he was done. “I have to go. It’s going to be a long journey and I have to be at the rendezvous point before sundown,” he said and spurred his horse to trot away. “This castle best be standing when I come home, or you’re in deep trouble, missy!”

“Yes sir!”

One thing was for sure. Being around Princess Tiffany would make her life a great deal more complicated.