Wardenheart

Beginning

I peered in to the shining, scarred metal of the masterfully crafted blade, seeing a haggard, rough man staring back at me. Crudely sewn-up slash marks marred his face, one of them having come dangerously close to taking out his right eye. His face was clean-shaven; and this was the only detail about his appearance that did not declare that he was a man of battle. His name was Theris, the Bloodied, and when I smiled, so did he.

I placed the silver blade back in to my scabbard, tired of looking at my reflection. I was only delaying the inevitable chaos that was to come. Even after so many years of combat, of using this blade to forge my destiny, I still had my doubts; I still had my fear of death. Many men better than I had told me that a fear of death is useless, unimportant, a crutch that only cowards lean upon to justify running when the going gets tough. I had always nodded in agreement, always knowing that I would never be able to throw the instinctual understanding of my own mortality to the side, and if that meant I could never achieve greatness, I knew my answer would be "So be it. At least I am alive."

"Theris?" a woman's voice called to me. "It's nearly time. He must die, and he must die tonight."

I looked up to see the most beautiful woman in the world standing over me. Though her entire body was covered head-to-toe in black armor, I could imagine the way she was most likely looking at me: giving me that same expression that she would always give me when she knew I was delaying the unavoidable. She always was braver than I, and she probably thought that tonight's contract would be the same as always.

I looked up at the dark, imposing figure and smiled.

"I always loved how you look in that suit, Margo." I told her. It was true; I had seemingly acquired a taste for women in full plate, all from courting the woman shielded behind that metal suit.

"I know." Margo said, offering me her hand. "A battlemage, of your caliber, becoming weak at the knees from seeing a woman in a suit of jet-black armor? I thought your type hated the restrictions that it placed on movement."

"That does not mean I have to dislike the aesthetic." I said, taking her gauntlet-clad hand and standing up. "It is, in actuality, your fault that I like said aesthetic so much."

"My fault? Dearest, I cannot be blamed for every strange thing you find attractive about a woman." Margo said, crossing her arms. "Tell me, is there something you liked before you met me?"

My heart began beating faster, and adrenaline pumped through my veins as a torrent of emotion overtook me. I reached in to my satchel and procured a small wooden box. I knew it was the right time, it had to be. Nothing would stop this moment, not even a contract that felt different, or more dangerous than usual. I believed at the time that it was now or never. I got down on one knee and opened the small box.

"How about the thought of spending the rest of my life with the woman I love?" I asked, looking up in to her armor-clad face.

"Will you marry me?" I asked her, hoping in my heart of hearts that her answer would be yes. If she could just say that one word, and become my wife, I felt as if my life would be complete, that every scar, every tear, every day learning to fight would be worth something infinitely more valuable than gold.

She quickly removed her helmet, her long blonde hair flowing out at last. She looked down at me with brown eyes, the same color as the chocolates she loved so much, and the wide smile on her face perfectly complimented the tears of joy that streaked down her cheeks.

I did not even need to hear the "yes" before I knew that I had won her over, and that all my problems would feel so much lesser and my victories so much greater with her by my side until the end of infinity.

She knelt down, her watery eyes looking in to mine with an expression of utter bliss on her face that I felt matched mine quite well.

"Yes, Theris," she said, leaning her forehead against mine and closing her eyes. "A thousand times, yes."

"Well then, brave knight," I said, trying to keep my voice steady as tears began to fall down my face as well. "Let us be wed. First thing tomorrow, after we finish up this job, we'll get married. We may even be able to convince the priest who posted this contract to perform the ceremony."

"I think Kayla should do it." Margo said thoughtfully. "She's been with us through thick and thin, pulling us back from the brink of death on more than one occasion. I'd even venture to say she's practically a sister to us."

"I thought she was still working to get her certificate of priesthood." I said, surprised but delighted by the idea.

"She's very close, in another month she should have it, she tells me." Margo replied. "That will give us plenty of time to plan for the wedding, get an invitation list together, and prepare a feast that will put a few pounds on everyone who eats it."

"Margo," I said, embracing her tightly. "I love you, and I am never going to let you go. After the wedding, I want to get away for a while, just live in peace, and enjoy this new life for a time. Perhaps even start a family soon."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." She said. "Just think about it: we could even make this a family business one day: fighting evil all around the world!"

I chuckled and held her tightly. "Darling, you say the strangest things sometimes, but that's part of why I love you."

Author's Note: Hey folks, welcome to my new series, Wardenheart! And yes, you read that description correctly, I'll be updating this story every day with a new chapter for the foreseeable future. Thank you so much for reading, please vote and leave a comment telling me what you think! Thanks :)