The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the castle walls. Amanda sat on the stone balcony, her legs dangling over the edge as she let the cool evening breeze brush against her face. The events of the past few days had been exhausting, but for the first time in a long while, she had a moment to breathe.
Elias leaned against the railing beside her, his usual smirk replaced by something softer, almost thoughtful. "You should be resting," he said, glancing at her with an amused expression.
Amanda scoffed. "Oh, please. If I close my eyes for two seconds, some crisis is going to pop up, and suddenly I’m fighting a war in my pajamas. I’d rather enjoy this rare moment of peace."
Elias chuckled, shaking his head. "Fair point. But still, you need to take care of yourself."
She turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? And since when did you become my personal caretaker?"
Elias smirked. "Since you became my personal headache."
Amanda playfully nudged him with her shoulder. "Rude."
Before Elias could respond, the door to the balcony burst open, and a flustered Daniel stumbled out, panting as if he had just run across the entire castle. "We have a problem!"
Amanda groaned, dropping her head back. "See? Two seconds. I told you."
Elias sighed, rubbing his temples. "What now, Daniel?"
Daniel gulped, catching his breath before answering. "It’s the council. They’re demanding a formal meeting with you, Amanda."
Amanda frowned. "Me? What did I do this time?"
Daniel hesitated. "Well… they want to question your leadership decisions. Some of them believe you’re not fit to lead."
Elias’s expression darkened instantly. "That’s absurd. Amanda has proven herself time and time again. What more do they want?"
Amanda rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I’m surprised it took them this long. Fine. Let’s go deal with the council of grumpy old men."
---
Inside the grand hall, the council members sat in a semicircle, their faces stern as Amanda and Elias entered. Lord Belmont, the most outspoken critic, stood and cleared his throat. "Lady Amanda, while we acknowledge your efforts in battle, some of us are concerned about your… unconventional methods."
Amanda crossed her arms. "Unconventional? You mean the ones that keep everyone alive? Yeah, I’m a real monster for that."
Several council members exchanged uneasy glances. Lord Belmont sighed. "Your tactics are reckless. Throwing dirt in Sir Gregor’s face? Winning battles by sheer luck? These are not the actions of a proper leader."
Amanda smirked. "Oh, I’m sorry. Would you prefer I follow the traditional method and get myself killed instead? Because I can arrange that."
Elias stifled a laugh, while the council members looked scandalized. Lord Belmont’s face turned red. "This is exactly the attitude that concerns us! We need stability, not chaos!"
Amanda took a deep breath, trying to rein in her temper. "Listen, I get it. I’m not what you expected. But I’ve done what was necessary to survive. And last I checked, we’re still standing. If you have a better plan, I’d love to hear it."
Silence.
Lord Belmont clenched his jaw but said nothing. Elias stepped forward. "Amanda may be unconventional, but she gets results. If anyone here doubts her, they can step forward and prove they can do better."
No one moved.
Amanda smirked. "That’s what I thought."
The meeting adjourned with grumbles, but no real opposition. As Amanda and Elias left the hall, she sighed. "That went better than expected."
Elias grinned. "You do have a way with words."
Amanda rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Now, can I go back to enjoying my evening?"
Before Elias could answer, a loud explosion echoed through the halls, shaking the ground beneath them.
Amanda groaned. "Of course. I jinxed it."
---
The courtyard was in chaos. Smoke filled the air as guards scrambled to put out a fire near the eastern gate. Amanda coughed, waving away the smoke. "What now?!"
One of the guards ran up to them. "An enemy force breached the outer walls! They set off an explosion to distract us!"
Elias clenched his fists. "How many?"
"At least fifty. They’re trying to take the castle from the inside."
Amanda’s heart pounded. "We need to move, now. Elias, take the west side. I’ll handle the east."
Elias hesitated. "Be careful."
She flashed him a grin. "Always."
With that, she sprinted toward the east gate, dodging falling debris and weaving through the chaos. As she reached the battlefield, she saw a group of enemy soldiers breaking through a weakened part of the wall.
Amanda grabbed a discarded sword and faced them. "Alright, gentlemen. Who’s first?"
The first soldier charged at her, swinging his blade wildly. Amanda ducked, sidestepping his attack before delivering a swift kick to his stomach, sending him sprawling. Another enemy lunged, but she blocked his strike and countered with a sharp elbow to his jaw.
"Really? That’s all you got?" she taunted.
A soldier growled. "You talk too much!"
Amanda grinned. "And yet, I still kick ass. Funny how that works."
More enemies poured in, but before Amanda could feel overwhelmed, a familiar voice rang out. "Need a hand?"
She turned to see Elias cutting through enemies with swift precision, his golden eyes burning with determination.
Amanda smirked. "Took you long enough."
"Thought I’d let you have some fun first," he teased.
Together, they fought side by side, their movements perfectly synchronized. Elias blocked an attack, allowing Amanda to land a decisive blow. She protected his blind spots, while he covered hers.
As the last soldier fell, Amanda let out a breath, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Well, that was fun."
Elias sheathed his sword, eyeing her with amusement. "You’re insane."
Amanda grinned. "You love it."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I do."
Her breath hitched at his words, but before she could respond, Daniel came running. "The enemy is retreating! We’ve won!"
Relief washed over her. "Finally, some good news."
Elias turned to her, a soft smile playing on his lips. "You did good, Amanda."
She looked at him, warmth spreading through her chest. "We did good."
As the castle settled into peace once more, Amanda found herself back on the balcony, this time with Elias sitting beside her.
"So," he said, stretching out his legs. "Do you ever regret getting involved in all this?"
Amanda considered the question, then shook her head. "No. It’s been insane, dangerous, and exhausting… but I wouldn’t trade it for anything."
Elias smiled. "Glad to hear it. Because I think this adventure is far from over."
Amanda smirked. "Bring it on."
And with that, the night stretched before them, full of possibilities, laughter, and perhaps something more.
For the first time in a long time, Amanda felt like she was exactly where she was meant to be.