Ryder Read online

  Stryker scanned the tall walls of vines before sprinting down the path. He made multiple turns— left, right, right, left. I didn't get how he knew where he was going, but I couldn't focus on that. I was just worried about Rosalina and didn't want her getting hurt.

  It didn't take us long till we entered a clearing, a soft singing voice was gliding on the warm breeze.

  "I'm a little teapot, short and cute, here is my pink dress, this is my crown!"

  We sighed, following the cute singing voice to a bench— Rosalina sat on it with her legs crossed beneath her dress while Nighty was relaxed on her lap. She was playing with a plastic crown.

  We were ready to approach, but stilled— a beautiful white horse appeared a few feet away from us. Stryker retreated, letting me take over, I shook off the wave of dizziness that assaulted my senses from the switch, trying my best to stand.

  The horse approached, walking over to Rosalina who glanced at him in awe.

  "Hello, Mr. Pegasus. Did you come to visit me today?" she hummed. She reached out as the horse reached her side, petting his nose.

  He went to his knees as if to bow.

  "No bowing. I don't like it. I, Princess Rosalina Heart of Heila, ban bowing across the realms. It's silly." She giggled.

  The horse stood, turning to face me. Rosalina followed his gaze, her eyes growing wide as she smiled brilliantly.

  "RYDEY! Meet Mr. Pegasus. He's from far away. He came to visit me," she introduced.

  "A Pegasus? Like the horse with wings?" I asked, approaching them. When I reached the tall horse, he lowered his head in greetings.

  "Yeah! Like in Sailor Moon."

  "Sailormoon?"

  "It's an Earthey show Kadey lets me watch. Mommy doesn't know. Shhhh." She pressed her little finger against her pink lips before giggling. I smiled, her happiness making my heart melt in awe. I quickly pet the horse before he turned around, beginning to walk away.

  "Bye Mr. Pegasus! Safe travey. Don't talk to strangers," Rosalina called out.

  The horse looked back before making his way into the maze, disappearing from our sight.

  "So...he's a horse," I pointed out.

  "He's a Pegasus," Rosalina countered. She pointed to the sky.

  I was about to argue when my eyes grew wide— the same white horse we'd just encountered was in the air— large white wings flapped from his back. He disappeared into the clouds. I rubbed my eyes, thinking I just imagined it.

  That couldn't be real...

  "I think it was," Stryker pointed out.

  "Mr. Pegasus said he wanted to bless me. He won't be able to come to my birthday so he came early!" Rosalina announced, lifting her little arms.

  I stared down at her, still in shock. "How old are you, Rosalina?"

  "Five."

  "When's your birthday?"

  "Five...Ten...SOLACE!" she declared, proudly.

  "May, 10th...so next cycle," I confirmed.

  She nodded, her arms still raised.

  I lifted my eyebrow at her.

  "UP!" she requested.

  I smirked, picking her off the bench and into my arms. She hugged me, resting her head on my shoulder. I took a seat on the bench, Nightmare climbing onto my lap.

  "Rosalina?"

  "Yes, Rydey?"

  "Am I your future knight?"

  "...Yes. Mine. Nightmare said so," she whispered.

  "You’re okay with me being your knight? We just met," I reminded.

  She maneuvered herself so she faced me— her eyes glowing a bright pink.

  I froze, feeling a wave of power hit me.

  Her little hands cradled against my cheeks. "Ryder Carter, host of Stryker Carter and son of Violet and Alexander Carter. You are my knight and no one else's," she confirmed, her voice low and laced with commanding power.

  I nodded, unable to pull my eyes away from her glowing ones. They dimmed— her turquoise eyes returning before she yawned.

  "Sleepy!" she announced, resting her head back on my shoulder, as she cuddled against me.

  "Rosalina!"

  I turned my head to see Catherine and Mother, huffing and puffing— Kade and Xavier came into view as they ran toward us.

  "Is Rosalina okay?" Kade asked, reaching us first.

  "She's fine. Rosalina?" I asked, pulling back to see she was already asleep.

  "She fell asleep," I commented, looking back at Kade who sighed in relief.

  Mother and Catherine walked toward us.

  "This is why I tell you not to leave the window open," Catherine scolded.

  Kade frowned, looking sad. "I didn't mean to! Nightmare was on the ledge and Rosalina wanted her inside. She said Ryder is her knight! I was just trying to get more info from her. I didn't think she'd go out the window, again," Kade defended.

  Again?

  "Adventurous Princess," Stryker commented.

  "Knight?” Catherine turned to stare down at me.

  I nodded. "Rosalina said Stryker and I are her knights. She knew Mom and Father's names too," I admitted.

  Mother and Catherine exchanged looks.

  I frowned. "Are we in trouble? Rosalina didn't mean to. Don't be mad at her." I cradled her closer to me, feeling defensive of my Princess. If I was her knight, I didn't want her getting in trouble. It would make her upset.

  Catherine smiled, kneeling down as she placed a comforting hand on my knee— Nightmare rubbed her head against it.

  "Neither of you are in trouble. Were Rosalina’s eyes pink?" she asked.

  I nodded. "Yes. A really pretty pink and they glowed. I could feel her power and aura too. It's strong like Mother's and Father's," I admitted, attempting to describe the wave of power that had surrounded me in those moments.

  "That must have been Nightmare," Catherine remarked, petting the little ball of fur who began to purr— her tails waving back and forth, glowing pink.

  "Nightmare...as in the god?" I asked.

  "Yes. Nighty is Nightmare, the God of Destruction. That's a secret that needs to stay with us. Can you do that?" Catherine asked.

  I glanced up at Mother. "But Mother's right there," I pointed out.

  She laughed, my Mother approached my other side and sat down.

  "Father and I are well aware. You can't tell anyone else, like Leonardo for example," she described.

  "Okay. I can do that. Can I carry Rosalina back? Please," I begged.

  "Yes, you can. But if you get tired, you let me know," Catherine agreed.

  "I'm not tired. I'll be fine." I did feel exhausted, but I had a duty to fulfill.

  Mother shook her head. "He's stubborn like his father. Why don't we head back? We can inform Winterlya when she arrives tomorrow." Mother stood up, ruffling my hair before she continued.

  "How did you follow Rosalina so quickly?" she asked, raising her eyebrow at me.

  I blushed, glancing away as I stood up, making sure Rosalina was securely in my arms. "Um..." I trailed off, trying to think of an excuse.

  "He jumped out the window," Xavier announced.

  I glared at him. "You suck," I commented.

  "Mom! It was so epic though! He literally jumped down the patio onto the third floor and went over the ledge and landed in the soft bush and sprinted so fast, I couldn't keep up! It was really brave of him," Kade defended, using different hand gestures to emphasize his storytelling.

  I took a nervous glance at Mother, ready to receive a lecture, but she had a wide grin on her face— her purple eyes softened.

  "You did well, Ryder. As Catherine said, you aren't in trouble. But next time, you find an adult and not jump four floors down to be the hero," Mother praised.

  "Okay! I will," I replied a yawn escaped me.

  "And you need a nap. Did Stryker help out?" Mother asked.

  I nodded. "Yes. He helped with the maze. I'll nap when I put Rosalina to bed," I declared.

  Mother and Catherine giggled.

  "Alright," they both agreed.

  Xavier rolled his eyes. "I st
ill get to decide if he's worthy of Rosalina. I'm going back," he announced, beginning to walk back.

  "Stop being stubborn, Xavier. And wait for me!" Kade called out. He was ready to dash after his older brother who was already heading toward the maze when he stopped, quickly turning to face me.

  "He doesn't mean to be rude. He just sucks at communicating. He thinks you’re gonna take Rosalina away from us," Kade admitted.

  "I won't, I promise," I replied.

  Kade grinned, glancing at Rosalina who was still fast asleep. He placed a quick kiss on her forehead. "I know. If you're her knight...well, after what you showed, I'm happy. Just don't make her cry or I'll beat you up," he said firmly, narrowing his eyes. I could see a flicker of gold in his blue eyes, causing a shiver to run up my spine.

  "Angel," Stryker announced.

  I quickly nodded my head. "Got it. No making Rosalina cry," I confirmed.

  "KADE! I'm leaving you," Xavier yelled.

  Kade jumped. "Aww wait for me! I don't know how to get out!" Kade complained, turning to give me a wave goodbye before sprinting to Xavier who stood at the end of the entrance. They both waved at Catherine, saying they'd be at dinner before walking away.

  "Let's make our way back as well," Mother announced.

  "Let's. I can already imagine Arthur freaking out and Alexander trying to calm him from breaking anything. You know how distressed he gets when it comes to Rosalina. With the boys, he didn't even care if they fell into a rose bush. He would use the excuse ‘they're boys,’" Catherine huffed as we began to walk back.

  "Hahaha. Alexander did the same with Ryder. The moment he knew how to walk, he was on his own. Got to be adventurous. Now that Anya can run around, he's having panic attacks every time she cries thinking she hurt herself." Mother shook her head.

  I zoned out of their conversation, wanting to focus on the path and not trip. I was tired and my eyes were struggling to stay open.

  We reached the end of the maze— Arthur and Father standing anxiously at the entrance, causing Catherine and Mother to laugh.

  "Settle down, boys. Our Princess is fine," Mother announced.

  "Yes, thanks to her loyal knight, Ryder, who jumped out the window to track her down," Catherine exclaimed, her hand resting on my shoulder.

  Father and Arthur glanced down at me— looking at Rosalina who was still asleep. Nightmare walked over to my feet, having followed us all the way back.

  "Four floors?" Arthur asked, looking shocked.

  "Yup. I have to admit, I'm impressed, Alexander and Violet. Ryder's training must be going well with the bravery and quick action he demonstrated today," Catherine praised.

  I blushed, feeling embarrassed. "It wasn't that big of a deal," I mumbled. I didn't get why they were stressing over me jumping out the window. It wasn't that far up compared to our field training and the towers we were expected to jump from. At least I didn't have to use any magic to get down like in practice.

  "Why don't we go put Rosalina to bed? We can discuss it after," Mother stressed.

  Arthur and Father nodded.

  I moved forward, following Nightmare who ran ahead— leading us to the back entrance of the huge white castle. I wanted to appreciate its beauty, but I was struggling to stay awake. I will stay awake and fulfill my duty.

  I kept the same thought in my head, chanting over and over again as motivation. It wasn't long till we arrived back at Rosalina’s room, the window now closed. I reached her bed, laying her down.

  Nightmare jumped onto the bed, making her way to Rosalina’s face. She settled in between her neck and shoulder, her tails resting on Rosalina's stomach. I lifted the blanket, covering her and making sure her head was on the pillow.

  "Mine," she mumbled, turning slightly to one side before she stilled. I smiled, feeling proud of myself for completing my duty.

  I placed a kiss on her forehead, backing away and saying goodnight to her and Nighty who lifted her head.

  "Mew." She made a small sound, as if saying goodnight and rested her head back against Rosalina’s neck.

  I walked out of her room, hitting the light switch off— noticing the soft pink glow in the dark, coming from the stars stuck all along the ceiling. I slowly closed the door, sighing in relief as I yawned again.

  "Excellent work, my son."

  I turned to see Father standing in the hall— Mother, Arthur, and Catherine a few doors down. They all had smiles on their faces as they glanced our way.

  "I did it," I emphasized, yawning again.

  "You did. Now, you deserve a nap, don't you think?" he asked.

  I rubbed my eyes. "I don't..." I argued.

  "Uh huh.” Father presented his hand.

  I held onto him as we began to walk toward the others. I dragged my feet, my eyes closing for a moment. I heard a deep chuckle before I felt myself being lifted off the ground and pressed against something warm.

  "Did he fall asleep?" I heard Mother ask, but her voice was farther away.

  "Yes. He must be tired," Father suggested, his voice louder than Mother's.

  "He switched to Stryker to get through the maze fast enough," Catherine explained.

  "Amazing. That Maze takes even us a while to figure out," Arthur stated.

  "Rosalina went through it with ease," Mother pointed out.

  "She's a burst of energy. I take her for walks at night. I don't understand how she's able to remember the exact path at her age," Catherine explained.

  "She's excelling for sure. We just have to wait and see what happens when she turns six," Father acknowledged.

  "Indeed," Arthur agreed.

  I must have dozed off, my hearing returning to me when I heard the sound of a door opening. I tried to open my eyes, but I was so tired, still attempting to fight the darkness that wanted to claim me.

  I felt myself being laid upon something soft— my mind recognizing it as my bed. I relaxed, enjoying the rose scent of my pillow. I'd come to love roses since I could walk and my mom always ensured my room smelled like the fresh blossom, regardless of where I slept.

  "Goodnight Ryder and Stryker. I'm so proud of both of you," Father whispered.

  I felt something soft press on my forehead, a smile tugged at my lips as I allowed his words to linger in my mind.

  Father is proud of me...I did my duty. I'll be a good leader like him and be a good knight to Rosalina. I'll make him proud.

  That was the last thought I had before sleep claimed me.

  ~STRYKER~

  I walked through the dark path, knowing exactly where I needed to walk in order to reach the clearing.

  It was the middle of the night, the day before Rosalina's sixth birthday. I was heading through the beautiful maze garden I've come to know like it was the back of my hand.

  We'd promised to meet before the special day, knowing Ryder would be keeping Rosalina distracted all day today and forcing her to sleep earlier so she'd be refreshed for her birthday celebration.

  Neither of us could believe it had been seven rotations since we met that fateful day, our parents allowing us to come to Heila as our birthday gift.

  We didn't think we'd have a crush on the princess, Ryder still attempted to deny he had feelings for her. He thought it was embarrassing to think about, but I was a part of him and knew from the way his heart skipped when his eyes landed on her, that he cared dearly for her.

  I couldn't blame him; I too had a crush on her demon spirit, Roseline. I turned the corner, entering the clearing.

  Within seconds, my eyes landed on my crush— Roseline sitting on the bench, staring at the stars. Between her, Hope, and Rosalina, she had a maturity to her that made her appear older and wiser.

  I didn't know if it was due to being a demon spirit, our nature to gain knowledge and appear older a key attribute of ours, or if she simply took the mature role to keep Rosalina from doing adventurous activities. Like yesterday, when Rosalina thought it was a good idea to try and jump off the large oak tree, insisting she could jus
t fly.

  She lowered her head; royal purple eyes met mine as a serene smile formed on her pink lips. "Hello, Stryker," she greeted.

  I blushed, smiling in greeting as I reached the bench, taking a seat next to her before leaning and placing a kiss on her cheek. She blushed, her face growing red.

  "Good evening, Roseline." I grinned, chuckling at her embarrassment.

  "Mom said you can't go kissing me whenever you want, you know. It's not proper," she mumbled.

  "Or you can admit you love it when I kiss you on the cheek."

  "Hmph." She returned to gazing at the sky above— numerous stars twinkled brilliantly in the dark sky.

  I placed my hand on top of hers, following her gaze as we took our time to appreciate Mother Starlight's immense beauty. We were silent for a long time before Rose spoke.

  "Are you worried about tomorrow?" she asked.

  "Should I be?" I questioned.

  "I don't know. Is it weird for me to be nervous? Rosalina is excited...I am too, but I don't know what we should expect," Rose admitted.

  "You don't need to worry. Your mother said it wouldn't be painful. It's just your powers that will be awakened and your knights, who are supposed to serve and protect you, will also awaken. You should be excited."

  "I guess. Just deep inside...I feel like something bad will happen," she whispered, her voice trembled, making me frown as I turned my attention to her.

  "Roseline."

  She glanced up, her bright purple eyes showed a glimpse of fear, something I hadn't seen before. Rose being a mature spirit, she didn't show much of her emotions unless we were alone or if she was with close family. It was a rare sight to see her sad, mad, or even fearful.

  "Everything will be fine. Ryder won't be leaving Rosalina’s side and neither will I. You can always take over and ask for me and I'll be there. The security will be top notch. There's no one that can get in to try and cause harm. Only close family members and acquaintances are allowed to walk the halls. Ryder and I will be in your room bright and early tomorrow. Does that reassure you a little?"

  "Yes." She nodded, but I could tell my words weren't helping get rid of her worries.

  "Roseline, you want a hug?"

  She met my gaze, looking around before she moved into my arms.