• Chivalry, something true knights strive to achieve. It may mean many things in medieval Europe, honor, bravery, determination, fairness, loyalty. But many also confuse it for physical strength, status, or even to be number one.

    There are many stories on this subject of chivalry. This might just have one of those normal, predictable, plots. At least, one would think so…

    There once was a boy living in a small town. He dreamt of being a knight almost all his life, to be the best of them all. His name was Troy, a young ten-year-old with dark hair, light skin, and brown eyes. Troy seemed like any other boy with dreams, that had a big chance of being crushed, while that bothered many, it didn’t bother him.
    Troy had a best friend, Ella. She was a ten-year-old brunette of a wealthy family. Ella wasn’t as girly as every other woman at the time. She played a lot with Troy in the fields, forest, and ponds, having many adventures together.
    One day, they were playing by the pond. But Ella seemed to be a bit depressed about something, so Troy asked what was wrong.
    “You know we’ll always be friends, right Troy?”
    “Yes, of course, why?” he had a bad feeling about this.
    “W-well, my family doesn’t want to live in, ‘a town like this’ and go to a more ‘respectful’ place. S-so, I’ll be moving away.”
    “W-what?!”
    “My family doesn’t want to be here-“
    “I know that! I mean, at least we’ll have plenty of time to say good-bye, right?”
    “Uh, no, you see, it was decided rather quickly and…I’m leaving tonight.” She said, looking away.
    Troy was speechless, his best friend was moving away. The only person who ever supported his dreams…

    (Flashback)
    Troy and Ella were ‘sword-fighting’ with sticks at the forest.
    “Ha! I win!” shouted Ella triumphantly. She was taught never to boast of her victories, but once in a while, she wanted to forget about etiquette for a moment.
    “Fine, you win this time, but someday, I’ll be even better!” replied Troy, on the ground, defeated.
    “Hey, I’m actually helping you, you say that you want to be a knight, well, you’ve got to work for it!” Ella replied, hands on her hips.
    Troy was rubbing his head “You want to help me? Usually everyone else just says its just a dream, it wouldn’t come true.”
    “Well everyone’s going to be wrong, as long as you keep working for it!” she replied, helping him up.”
    (End Flashback)

    A memory to always treasure. They made the best out of their time together. But could not go to her mansion to bid good-bye, for Ella was not to be friends “with the likes of him” so their whole friends ship was based on secrecy. And Troy couldn’t read (specifically and map) or write, so there was no way to communicate with each other, with a slim chance of ever meeting again. Six Years Later…
    A sixteen-year-old young man, newly knighted, was on his horse, traveling down a path to a city early one morning, before dawn. He was to start there, where he would find out where to get his first piece of land. Following him, was one of his old friends, now his squire, Henry. The knight was excited, not only because of being a knight, but might also be able to see an old friend, and thank her.
    “Sir Troy!” Henry called, trying to keep up. “Are you sure that you’ll find this friends of yours in such a big city? Besides, we must hurry, buy, and go to your new land.”
    Troy sighed “No, I guess I won’t be able to see her. It has been quite some time. It’s just hope.”
    When they got to the city, it seemed emptier than expected. Suddenly, a local was worriedly running to his house.
    “You there!” Troy called “What is going on? Why is it so empty here in this popular city?”
    The man replied “A monster has come, taking our people, usually at night, little by little, for food.” Then went inside his house.
    “Sir Troy, this might be a great way to start your career! Battling a monster, and winning in triumph!” said Henry, excitedly.
    “True, but we must first go to the governor of this place, and inform him of such an offer, to be sure someone else wasn’t already planning to do so. We wouldn’t want to steal another knight’s honor.”
    So they went to the governor’s mansion and offered their services.
    The governor rejoiced “Huzzah! For a hero has come to save us!” Suddenly, a girl came in, that looked familiar to Troy.
    “Father, my husband requires your attention, he is planning to create a shelter for the oncoming threat.” Troy noticed that she was trying to avoid looking at them.
    “Not now daughter! C an you not see that I am busy?!” was her reply, being waved away, so the girl left. “Now, Sir Troy, I give permission for you to do as you will to get rid of the monster, and I will provide shelter for you in the duration of your stay in this city.”
    So they left to the rooms offered to them. When Troy headed alone to his, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around. It was the governor’s daughter. “You haven’t changed, have you Troy? So unobservant.” She jokingly said, rolling her eyes.
    “E-Ella?”
    “Of course! In the flesh!”
    “I can’t belie-“
    “Well believe it! So you’re a knight now? I told you that you could do it!”
    “S-so-“
    “We’ll talk later, I’ve got to go. It’s good to see you again!” she waved, walking off.
    There was something that seemed wrong here, she seemed just a tad different in appearance than he remembered. But Troy did not notice, for he felt something about her, like, love? Then he recalled what she had said to her father earlier, “…my husband…” that made him want to shake off the feeling, so he continued to his room.
    Later that day, Troy and Ella did get a chance to get to know each other all over again. He felt as if he was falling in love with her. Troy still didn’t notice the change in her. She was more boastful and snobby about her riches, when she used to be generous and act like a normal person. She no longer wanted to do the adventurous things they used to do, “They are much too childish and we have grown out of it, haven’t we? Besides, I’ll get my new dress dirty!”
    It was nearly nightfall, and Troy and Henry had already laid out their plans for the monster. They just didn’t know where it would come. So watchmen were called for the job.
    Then, Henry confronted him about Ella “She seems different from what you said about her when you were kids.”
    “Sure, you can’t expect everyone to stay exactly the same.”
    “Sir, you seem to be acting very strangely.”
    “What of it? I surely am not!” Troy replied, flabbergasted.
    “Oh dear, you are in love, and blinded by it!”
    “I do not wish to go further within this subject.” Troy said, blushing. He usually didn’t order Henry in this manner, but this was another circumstance.
    Then, in the middle of the night, one watchman came to them “The governor’s daughter has been taken!”
    So Troy, with Henry behind him in case anything would sneak up on him, went to the forest in the direction that it went. They heard screaming. Troy and Henry successfully came to the location of the monster. Its description is too horrid to speak of. Troy tried a peaceful approach, asking for a compromise of it, yet it refused. Obviously, the monster did not wish for peace, and was about to eat Ella. So Troy attacked, drawing his sword. The battle was very bloody and gorey, but in the end, Troy was successful.
    Ella suddenly threw his arms around him “Oh, let’s run away together! For your heroics have proved you worthy of my hand!”
    Troy would have been happy, had it not been for his conversation with Henry. With a questioning look, he asked “What of your husband?”
    “What of him, for I’d much prefer a great knight rather than a man such as him.”
    “You really have changed, I would have desired you, but now, I no longer wish so. Plus, you have a husband, and asking to steal one’s own, is not like that of a true knight.” He coldly replied, leaving her behind in shock.
    Henry watched the whole time “Do not worry, I will be here for you. I advise that we leave quickly, I forsee that she would come of with a lie and turn her family against us.”
    They did so, planning to find land someplace else, running away. Eventually Sir Troy did find someone. A woman more kinds and fair than Ella currently was. As for Ella’s fate, it’s best not to speak of it.

    …see what I mean? Well, this story did not end like most in some ways, past or present. Yet it did end with honor, a great part of chivalry.