Ser Gold the Golden is the perfect knight in every way. Crowds adore him, legends follow him. But behind the radiant armour lies a man who despises the very people who praise him. When the king orders him and his brother to escort a condemned criminal to the capital for execution, Gold sees it as nothing more than another display of his greatness. Yet the mission won't be as easy as Gold expects... (Making for writathon)
“Look! There he is!” A woman stared from afar, watching in awe, her eyes glistening as she watched the knight on his horse. As if she had fallen in love already. “They say he can turn enemies into gold statues, with that sword of his.“
All the villagers were looking at, not just any knight passing through. But the golden knight himself, riding his chestnut horse proudly, almost boastfully. He was none other than, Ser Gold the Golden. That wasn’t a fictional title, that was his literal name.
His build was the exact definition of perfection. So beautiful that some people forgot to even breathe when he passed by them. His Blonde, shiny hair swooped upwards as if forming a great tide wave about to come crashing down at any moment. His eyes were water-blue. Constantly shifting left and right, as he waved his luminous white hands at the peasants who cheered on for him. His hands couldn’t even be seen, they were blocked by the gold gauntlet he wore but the villagers had assumed his bright face carried the same lightness down to his hands. His face was smooth: neither fat nor skinny, just right. He had a sharp jaw, as if it was an edge of a dagger. His shining white teeth shimmered constantly as he smiled joyously to the side. His body was strong and masculine, more so than any other knight in the realm. He wore golden armour which constantly caught the sunlight, reflecting into the eyes of those who stared into it. His WHOLE plate armour was coloured golden, down to his literal foot. Etched into the breastplate itself were flower petals, scattered all across. His golden helmet formed a T-shaped opening for the eyes and mouth, he held it in his left hand whilst he waved with his right. His horse rode forward. Without him even touching it’s reins. As if the horse had a mind of its own.
Most the peasants clapped, chanted and cheered, there were so many of them, two hundred to be exact. Lined up, right and left. Staring at the golden figure, as he rode his majestic chestnut horse through their puny little town.
His scabbard was attached to his waist… it was golden too.
“He’s so kind… he’s so lovely… he’s so beautiful.” A woman said, reaching out her hands at Gold in the hopes of him noticing her.
Gold looked at the woman, smiling gracefully. “Look at these disgusting boars.” He silently whispered under his breath, his smile, not vanishing for even a second. Gold’s stature and beauty were really gold. His language and actions… were not.
“Brother—” Silver said, his brown hair and eyes were all so boring. He was skinnier than Gold. Silver was beautiful in his own way, but when he was next to his brother, Silver looked like a peasant. “You can’t say that.” Silver was waving his hands towards the villagers as well, but no one was looking at him, they were all gaping at Gold. Silver was used to it, he didn’t mind at all, in fact he liked it that way.
Gold was nine when Silver was born. Even at that age, Gold had already become famous for his beauty. On that fruitful evening, he commanded his parents to name his new born brother ‘Silver’ and they listened, they listened to everything Gold had to say.
“It stinks of horse shit here.” Gold sighed but his perfect face did not change into anything else. He was right. The town really did smell horrible. Not just of shit and mud but of rotting flesh hanging thick in the air, maybe an animals? Gold didn’t have time to discern it. Him and Silver had a job to do.
“Does Gold not have any guards for the mission?” One of the peasants said, unaware of who Gold the Golden truly was.
Everyone around the peasant who had just asked the question looked at him as if he was some kind of monster.
“You— You think he needs guards?” One of the villagers laughed madly, as if the thought itself was some kind of sick joke.
“He doesn’t need guards… and never will.” Another said, looking at Gold with awe. “No one in their right mind would wanna fight Gold the Golden anyway. He’s the equivalent of ten men.”
“That ain’t possible.” Another said.
“It is!”
“Gold is a fuckin’ fraud!” One more shouted.
Suddenly, their conflicting opinions turned into rage, and in an instant a brawl broke out to the side. Peasants started tearing into each other, punching, strangling and kicking those around them like starving hounds. Most in favour of Gold, to save his honour and reputation, while a few to oppose him.
Gold twisted his head to the right and noticed the brawl. He rolled his eyes in disgust. “Great.” He said sarcastically.
Silvers face turned in worry. “We must stop them.” He tugged on his white horses reigns and shifted it right in the direction of the chaos.
“Silver… no.” The statement came out of Gold’s teeth. He said it the way fathers scold their sons. It was clear he wanted no one to notice the words that had come out of his mouth except Silver.
“But brother—”
“We don’t have time.” He pulled his brothers shoulder and nudged him back towards him. “We cannot fail the king, can we now?” Whispering into silver’s elf-like ears, like an angel guiding the way.
Silver nodded as the scent of lavender came out from Gold’s breath. Silver looked at the brawl and shifted his head away, his head now straight as an arrow.
But then, in the distance, ahead of Gold and Silver… cows started appearing from behind one of the wooden building from the right. Not just one or two, exactly fifteen of them. White and black dots, so many of them, turning left and now walking straight towards Silver and Gold.
Gold was dumbstruck for just a milliesecond. “Great! Now this towns gonna smell of horse and cow shit.”
Silver looked at Gold apologetically, “I told lord Ortum to stop all labor whilst we crossed.”
Their ‘moos’ echoed throughout the small village. Gold’s heart-shaped lips twitched, but he knew he could not be seen angry. He put on an even braver smile, pushing down the anger which was trying to erupt out of his throat. This would be bad for his reputation. He couldn’t be seen surrounded by a bunch of dirty cows. What would everyone think?
But behind the cows, was a man, guiding the cows forward toward Gold and Silver. He had been planning this for a while, it was obvious.
The man guiding the cows was none other than Podzod of Milkstone.
“Not you again…” Gold quietly let out, a faint smirk popped on his face, reliving the past.
A month back Gold was passing by Milkstone. A massive cow farm owned by Podzods father. Gold had simply spat out the milk which was offered to him, it was warm. Gold did not like warm milk. He thought nothing of it back then. But it was clear Podzod had taken it as a grave insult, not just to himself, but to his whole lineage.
Even the brawl which had broken out had stopped, all the villagers gasped and looked around in confusion, as to how the cows had even appeared in their town in the first place.
“YOU INSULTED MY MILK!” Podzod shouted, spit coming out of his broken teeth. He was a lean man, having messy black hair. His brown eyes dull and heavy.
When Gold had passed through Milkstone, Podzod’s face was bright and welcoming like warm petals. But now it was sharp and ugly like poison.
Gold chuckled lightly, looking around at the villagers on either side, he hated being embarrassed and Silver knew it. Silver could read his older brother as well as he could read a book.
“Gold, let’s just go around—”
“How dare he bring a bunch of filthy cows in front of me.” Gold’s face was still warm. The villagers didn’t suspect a thing, no one could hear him.
Podzod weaved and spun through his cows and was now in front of his pack. Staring out at Gold like a vicious viper.
“I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL TO THE DEATH!”
Most of the villagers shook their heads in disbelief, thinking Podzod was a madman.
“Does this fucker not know who he’s talking to?” A villager from the side lines questioned Podzod.
Gold smiled. He knew if he declined, people would call him a coward, it would tarnish everything he had built. I’m. Not. A. Coward, he thought viciously.
“Gold… we mustn’t, you said it yourself, we don’t have time.”
“Oh but we must now brother.” Gold said calmly, smile twitching even faster. “He’s blocking our way. Therefore, he’s blocking the kings orders.”
Gold elegantly got off his horse as if, floating down. All the villagers went silent. Even the dark clouds which had started appearing overhead stopped moving.
“I accept!” Gold waved his arms out and turned in a full cricle majestically.
The crowd went wild, cheers louder than before erupted. “Gold. The. Golden.” They all screamed out, even the ones who had thought Gold a fraud were on his side. No one knew the cow farmer, or whatever he was and no one cared either. Podzod had no supporters.