“Help me find something?” Lander echoed with a subtle tilt of his head. “No, I don’t think so.” He leaned against the doorframe of his new room. “I was just thinking that we started off on the wrong foot, and I just figured – since we’re going to be spending so much time together and all – that I’d like a chance to start over.”

He stood up straight again, taking his weight off of the frame, and walked over to the princess. “I know you look down on me because of my status. I’m not trying to make you change that.” He shrugged indifferently. “I just hope we can come to a mutual toleration of each other. That is all.”

Lander turned and crossed back to his new room, “Goodnight, Princess.” He waved at her without looking back before he opened the door and went inside. Moria could think what she wanted about it, but that didn’t alter the fact that he was still going to be living across the hall from her. The king himself had ordered it, after all.

Considering the other places he’d seen so far in the castle, this room had a much more subtle beauty. It had simple furnishings – a bed, a wooden closet, a table, et cetera – and one window overlooking the kingdom. While everything in the room was likely more expensive than Lander’s entire house, the plain setup of the room was slightly comforting. It was like a richer version of his own home.

As had had taken hardly anything from home – most of which he had traded away in order to buy armor – he had nothing to stow away. So instead, he took the time to explore the drawers and other compartments. Most of them were empty, but in the closet he found that he had been provided with linen clothes – all free of holes and stains, no less.

Lander changed out of his armor and old village clothes to put on a set of fresh linens. Afterwards, he walked over to the single window to look outside. The view was amazing. The sky had darkened to a midnight blue and the streets of the towns were empty apart from the occasional patrolling knights. Candle lights flickered in some of the windows, dotting the kingdom with pinpricks of orange. Everything looked so peaceful. It was difficult to imagine a hidden threat lurking in the shadows, threatening the life of the king’s only daughter. And yet, here he was: Called upon by the king himself to protect Moria from this invisible power.

He stepped away from the window and flopped down on the bed, raising his arms over his head in a luxurious stretch. Well, threat or no, at least he now had a way to send a steady stream of money to his family back in the village. That was a blessing in and of itself. With that comforting thought in mind, he rolled over and closed his eyes, letting sleep take hold.