Chapter 69

When a knight offers a Vow of Chivalry, they pledge not only their strength, but their very soul to a single master. It is a sacred oath—a lifelong commitment to serve, protect, and obey without question. So absolute is its binding force that even a monarch cannot override it. Among knights, this is known as an “absolute domain.”

I offered my Vow of Chivalry to Jocelyn. If only I’d realized sooner how childish and foolish that was… maybe the end of my life wouldn’t have been such a meaningless death.

Once sworn, the vow compels the knight to carry out their liege’s every command—no matter how impossible or cruel. Even an order to take one’s own life must be obeyed. That was why, when Jocelyn gave the command, Matthias had no choice. If he hadn’t driven his sword through her heart, she would’ve had to do it herself.

“He wouldn’t…” Odelliana whispered, her voice trembling as panic crept into her chest. “Not in front of so many people… that would be insane…”

The ritual of swearing the vow is brutal and symbolic: the knight wounds themselves, smears their blood onto their blade, and offers the sword to the person they wish to serve. If the offering is accepted, the bond is sealed. If rejected, it becomes a deep and lasting humiliation—one that can ruin a knight’s name forever. Because of that weight, only the most resolute dare to attempt it.

“When a knight pledges their Vow of Chivalry,” Odelliana said, “it means surrendering their life to one person. Do you even understand how reckless that is?”

“But… isn’t receiving a knight’s vow the highest honor someone can be given?” Malena asked softly, unsure.

It was true. The act is so rare that being chosen as a recipient—regardless of gender—is seen as the highest form of esteem and trust a knight can offer. And when a knight offers the vow to a woman, it takes on an even deeper meaning. In such cases, it’s not just loyalty—it’s love. The gesture is seen as the noblest, most romantic declaration a woman can ever receive. It’s a vow not just of duty, but of a desire to spend one’s life beside her.

“That’s never going to happen,” Odelliana snapped, though her voice shook. “Why would Matthias do something like that? He’s still just a trainee knight. A greenhorn making a Vow of Chivalry? Ridiculous…”

She forced a tight, uneasy smile, but the knot in her stomach refused to loosen. Matthias wasn’t foolish enough to make such a reckless vow… was he?

Throughout the entire morning, Odelliana remained on edge. The approaching knighting ceremony gnawed at her nerves. She had tried to laugh off the maids’ anxious chatter as nothing more than superstition, but her own thoughts kept betraying her.

What if…

The possibilities looped through her mind like a curse. No matter how hard she tried to dismiss them, the worst-case scenario played out in vivid detail: Matthias, standing tall before the crowd—drawing his bloodied sword and kneeling in front of her.

Her mouth went dry.

Please… don’t be that foolish.

“I’ll wear the dress,” she said finally, her voice low and tight.

The maids immediately sprang into motion, easing her into the gown. It was made of sleek black fabric, adorned with silver embroidery that shimmered like starlight. Voluminous pleats gave the skirt movement, but the design was understated—clean, refined, and elegant. Just the way she liked it.

“Hold your breath, my lady. We’re tightening the waist now.”

Odelliana inhaled sharply, bracing herself. The laces drew tight, and a sharp pressure cinched her waist from chest to abdomen. It felt as if her organs were being rearranged.

She grimaced.

Her chest looked fuller in the mirror—undeniably beautiful, almost regal—but the pain was a steep price for aesthetics. It had been years since she’d worn anything this restricting, and the discomfort was nearly intolerable.

How did I ever endure this every day back when I was queen? she thought bitterly.

After strapping splints to her leg and wrapping them in fabric, the maids stood back, satisfied.

“All done, my lady. I think this cane will suit you best today,” one said, offering her a sleek ebony cane.

Odelliana took it wordlessly, testing its weight in her hand before nodding. With Malena at her side, she stepped carefully into the carriage waiting at the entrance.

The vehicle pulled smoothly out of the castle gates and into the city streets, heading toward today’s destination: Grand Orlenta Square.

“Why are they holding it publicly?” Odelliana murmured, frowning as she looked out at the restless crowd. “One misstep and it could turn into a safety hazard.”

“It’s probably a show of strength,” Malena replied, her tone pragmatic as she adjusted the fall of Odelliana’s cloak. “A way to ease the tension that’s been simmering throughout Eisenwald. People are on edge.”

Odelliana’s brow furrowed as she scanned the mass of onlookers. “Still… there are more people here than I expected.”

“Well, knighting ceremonies are rare for commoners to witness,” Malena said, gesturing subtly toward the packed square. “And this one’s special. It’s the young lord’s first public appearance—and the one being knighted just happens to be Matthias.”

Odelliana’s lips tightened.

A young lord, heir to a northern duke. A rising knight who made his name in the Prove subjugation. Two high-profile figures in one ceremony—it was no surprise the event had drawn such a crowd.

Even more so considering that the usual ceremonial excess had been trimmed away. The organizers had chosen to focus solely on the investiture itself, cutting the rites down to a single, sacred moment: the conferring of knighthood. That glimpse of solemn glory was enough to attract not only Eisenwald’s citizens, but also visitors from outside the region.

After stepping down from the carriage, Odelliana cast a glance at the vast sea of people below the raised platform. Murmurs buzzed in the air like insects. She made her way toward the seating area reserved for Eisenwald’s most distinguished families, her cane tapping softly against the wooden planks.

“Look,” Malena whispered, nudging her gently. “Everyone’s watching the lord.”

Following her gaze, Odelliana turned her head—and there he was.

Blair stood at the center of the stage, commanding attention without effort. He was striking in his ceremonial attire, a rare figure among the nobility—young, composed, and undeniably handsome. His strong northern features only made him more distinct, more magnetic.

“Not many young lords among the highborn,” Malena added with a faint grin. “And when one happens to be easy on the eyes…”

Odelliana said nothing, but her gaze lingered a moment longer.

Behind Blair, the silver-armored knights stood in perfect formation. They shimmered like a wall of steel and light, their presence another spectacle in an already unforgettable scene.

The knights assembled today were all elite—either high-ranking officers or direct subordinates of the Order’s inner circle. There were only about a hundred of them, but fully armored from head to toe and standing in razor-sharp formation, they exuded such gravitas that their presence alone commanded silence and respect.

“Looks like it’s about to begin,” Malena murmured, leaning in slightly as a deep, thunderous drumroll rolled across the square.

A broad-shouldered knight, draped in a ceremonial cloak that marked him as commander, stepped onto the platform. His heavy boots struck the wooden boards with deliberate weight. Raising his voice, he formally declared the commencement of the knighting ceremony.

A roar of cheers burst from the gathered crowd, surging like a wave through the square.

At his signal, three knights in gleaming plate armor stepped forward from the ranks. These were the “trainee knights,” now moments away from becoming full-fledged members of the Order.

“Matthias really stands out, doesn’t he?” Malena said.

He did.

Matthias drew the eye like a masterpiece in the center of a gallery. His height, the proud line of his shoulders, and his composed posture made him impossible to ignore. Odelliana found herself staring.

She hadn’t noticed it before—at least, not so acutely. But in this sea of armor and men, he burned like a flame.

“He was always tall… wasn’t he?” she asked, almost to herself.

Malena glanced at her, then back at the stage. “He does look taller than before. He’s still growing, I guess.”

Odelliana didn’t reply. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. Somehow, he looked like someone else—like a man fully formed, far removed from the boy she thought she knew.

The commander began to recite the knighting oath. His voice, low and solemn, carried clearly across the square. Each word rang with tradition and weight, grounding the moment in ceremony.

Once the oath was finished, a group of senior knights ascended the stage, each carrying a gold-trimmed box. As they opened them in unison, the blades within glinted under the afternoon sun—swords gifted to mark the new knights’ ascension.

Assigned mentors stepped forward, one by one, standing before their respective trainees. They held the sheathed swords before them like relics.

Then, without drawing the blades, the mentors began the ritual strikes—one heavy blow after another. Nape. Chest. Waist. Abdomen. Legs.

The sound of each impact echoed like drumbeats across the square.

It looked more like a beating than a sacred rite. Brutal. Unforgiving.

Odelliana’s brows furrowed as she watched the sheer force behind each strike. Any ordinary man would have staggered, maybe even fallen.

But Matthias didn’t flinch.

None of them did.

Like stone, they withstood it all—unshaken, unyielding.

After enduring the grueling five-minute rite, the trainee knights were at last presented with their swords—symbols of their new status.

From her elevated seat, Odelliana watched blankly as Matthias accepted his blade. It was a natural step for him, expected even. And yet, an unfamiliar tightness stirred in her chest. Pride? Anxiety? She couldn’t name it.

Is this what a mother bird feels, she wondered vaguely, watching her chick take its first flight?

Even as Lord Blair stepped forward to deliver his congratulatory address, Odelliana’s gaze never left Matthias. He stood among the newly anointed knights with calm poise, the sword now at his side, and the cheers of the crowd swelling around him.

Only after Blair’s speech concluded did the knighting ceremony officially come to a close.

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause, celebrating the birth of a new knight. In the guest section, nobles rose from their seats with barely contained eagerness, already beginning to move. Odelliana stood as well, intending to approach Matthias herself.

But after only a few steps, she stopped.

It wasn’t her injured leg that held her back. It was the sudden rush of others—faster, flashier, more determined.

A parade of lavishly adorned noblewomen surged toward Matthias like a flock of jeweled birds. Draped in silks and jewels, each trailed by a small entourage of servants, they descended upon him with dramatic flair, fanning out their figurative feathers in calculated displays.

Odelliana let out a quiet, dry laugh. The sound held no real amusement.

“Of course,” she murmured under her breath. “It’s happening again.”

This had played out once before—at his knighting ceremony in her previous life. The same scene, the same women, the same eager competition. History, it seemed, was content to repeat itself.

Malena, who had stayed close at her side, glanced at her. “It’s begun,” she said, almost amused. “The knight collectors are making their move.”

Odelliana didn’t need the explanation, but she nodded.

There were always noblewomen—especially the wealthy and influential—who took pride in surrounding themselves with dashing young knights. Patronage, they called it. But for many, it was nothing more than a thin veil for possession and indulgence.

A curated collection of loyal, beautiful men.

The so-called knight collectors.

For some of them, it was more than a pastime. It was an obsession—a status symbol that lasted far longer than a single ceremony.