Ridley

I knelt before my king. I wasn't exactly sure why it was necessary to have such a large ceremony for this. But then again, I was never one to argue with the rules.

"On this day, we gather to celebrate the valor of Sir Ridley of Alteria, who courageously returned my daughter to our kingdom." The crowd filling the throne room let out a thunderous cheer. "Sir Ridley is a knight we always knew would come to do great things, just like his father before him." The King smiled, eyes crinkling around the edges. "I'm sure Daniel is looking down on you right now and couldn't be prouder."

My eyes stung at the thought, and I blinked furiously before anyone could see their 'gallant' knight getting teary-eyed.

"It is a tradition for the most noble and brave knight in our land to bear the sword Crystalbreaker," The King continued, beaming down at me. "It was an honor which once belonged to your father. And it is my pleasure to bestow it on you now."

My heart caught in my throat. Crystalbreaker? But...surely I wasn't worthy. 

The King extended the sword toward me. It was a beautiful thing, its hilt studded with sparkling diamonds. I had seen it at my father's side so often that my chest ached at the familiar sight of it, like welcoming home an old friend. Ignoring the lump that'd formed in my throat, I accepted the weapon as it was handed to me, planting a gentle kiss on the sword.

The crowd began to cheer, "Sir Ridley! Sir Ridley! Sir Ridley!" The cry of name drowned out everything else. 

After the ceremony, Annette approached me with a smile. "Congratulations."

I bowed my head. "I'm afraid I'm not worthy of the honor, Princess."

Annette laughed, bumping her shoulder against my own. "Stop being so humble. You rescued me and fought off a Bone Monster. It doesn't get any more heroic than that."

"I had help." 

Annette shrugged. "There's no shame in that. The important thing is that you were brave and never backed down."

"I was simply doing my job, Princess. This war against the demons is important to me." My expression darkened. "If I could, I would like to see every one of them wiped from this world."

Annette's gaze fell to her feet. "Ridley, I hope you don't mind me asking, but...wasn't your father killed by demons? Is that what makes you hate them so much?"

I nodded stiffly. "Not just my father. My mother and sister, as well."

Annette's breath caught. "What happened?"

I usually tried not to think about that day when I was ten. By no means did I want to recount the tale, but...she was my princess. She had a right to know.

So I took a deep breath. "When I was a boy, my father was my hero..." 

He was the kindest man, and one of the finest demon killers of all time. I would see the way people admired him, the way they adored him—and I wanted to be exactly like him. Father was the one that started training me. He taught me that light would always conquer darkness. That's what made him a target.

One night, I was awakened by screaming. I ran to the window and saw demons standing in a circle in the courtyard below. They were holding my little sister, Lily, up by the collar, dangling her in the air like a cat that had caught a mouse. I rushed from my room, racing down the steps towards the courtyard. I don't know what I was thinking. Maybe that I could be a hero and save her? 

I burst into the courtyard just as my mother and father appeared.

Father saw me before the ring of demons did. His face went ashen, mouthing the word, 'hide'. And even though I wanted to fight, even though I wanted to save them—I just couldn't. I was petrified. So I dashed towards a rose bush, its branches rustling as I shoved myself behind it. A second before a demon turned to see what the sound was, my father spoke. I stayed hidden in that bush, a coward, thorns biting into my skin. I'd been trembling, unsure whether it was from the bitter wind or from fear. I suppose, even now, I still don't have the answer. 

My father barked at the demons to let my sister go, while my mother's sobs filled the air. She begged them to take her instead, charging at them to grab Lily. One of the demons ran her clean through with their sword. Mother's blood stained the snow in scarlet. 

My sister began to wail, and the demon gripping her neck squeezed until there was a sickening pop. She went limp. Then, the demon simply let go. Lily's broken body hit the snow with a thud.

Demons grabbed my father by either arm as the circle parted for a hooded figure to pass through. I knew in an instant that he was the leader of the attack. The demon leaned in and whispered something to Father, his words casting a shadow over my father's expression. I thought about rescuing him, envisioning bursting from the bushes to divert their attention and provide an escape route. My muscles tensed, ready to propel me into action, even though my legs threatened to buckle beneath me. But I hesitated a moment too long. With his bare hands, the demon leader ripped out Father's throat.

"My father collapsed to the ground, and the demon and his followers left," I finished, shuddering as the words left my mouth. I hating how vividly I could still recall the image.

Annette lay a hand on my arm. "There's nothing you could have done. You were just a boy."

"Yet, there's something I could do now..." I said softly. "Even though I couldn't see his face, the demon who killed my father had a ring. It was silver, with a moonstone at its center, and it wasn't any common ring either. There was a snake made of gold curled around it. If I find the owner of that ring, I can finally avenge him." I shook my head, staring down at my hands. "But no matter how hard I try, I can't find any leads... "

Annette's eyes went wide. "Wait! Wait, Ridley!"

I blinked. "What?"

"The ring! Did the snake have rubies on it?"

"Yes—Wait, Princess? Did you see it?" My heart took off rabbiting in my chest. Could it be? After all these years, I could finally find a clue about the demon that killed my father?

"It was in the Demon Palace!" Annette exclaimed. "When they were taking me from my cell to my new quarters, I remember seeing it in a glass case off one of the main rooms!"

Demons, unlike humans, tended to live in a hive together like bees. That meant the ring could belong to anyone at the Demon Palace. Still, it was a start.

I was practically shaking from excitement. "If I can get my hands on that ring, I might be able to figure out who it belonged to. It must have initials or a family crest on it somewhere..."

Annette froze, her back rigid. "You're not planning on going back to the Demon Palace, are you?"

"I have to."

Annette shook her head. "I...I shouldn't have said anything. Ridley, it's too dangerous! You kidnapped their prince. They'll kill you if you go back there."

I met her gaze. "Princess, please. You don't know how long I've waited for this opportunity. If you could find some way to cover for me, say you sent me out on a mission..." I lowered my head. "I promise, this is the first and only thing I will ever ask of you. I just...I need to do this."

After a moment, Annette let out a slow exhale. "Alright. But you need to swear to me that you'll come back."

I sank to one knee before her, my head bowed. "I swear."

Well, it seemed I'd be heading back to the castle of the demons far sooner than expected. Hopefully I wouldn't run into a certain Demon Prince of Darkness while I was there. I didn't think he'd be too pleased to see me.