A Knight's Heart

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!A Knight's Heart !! !!! //They say every creature in Hollas has magic in them. It doesn't have to be too much, but there will always be just a bit inside even in the weakest people. You, on the other hand? You have no magic. Nada, nelch. No mana runs through your veins, no sparks glow from your hands. You are the only magicless creature on the continent. So why is that you have visions of your death?// A Knights Heart is a tale of you, a knight who is framed for the crime of summoning demons in a place where they should not have. As a result, you are executed...in your dreams, that is. Yes, you are not dead quite yet, but you know the details of what will happen. It's your job to not only save yourself from that tragic fate, but also serve as the personal knight of the prince of Fenia. ---- *Play as a customizable MC; your gender, sexuality, height, hair and eye colour and even your trusty mount! *Your relationships with the characters decide your fate; do you develop them into life long friendships? Or do you burn all bridges with your enemies? Perhaps...even romance will bloom? It's all up to you. *Meet different magical and mythological creatures; from faeries to demons to even mermaids, or in this case, mermen. Just as this world is magical, so are its inhabitants. *Save this world from war...or doom the kingdoms to their fates. Merge the two kingdoms of Fenia and Vol or side with one and take over the other. *Gain your own personal demon who'll follow your every command. You can even select what gender they present as. *Eat a salmon and gain unlimited knowledge...by sucking your thumb. No joke. <<button "New Game" "New Game">><</button>>

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<<nobr>>  <li>[[Knight's Stats]]</li> <li>[[Knight's Relationships]]</li> <</nobr>>

!Prologue //“What have I done...to deserve this…”// Chained and tied against a boulder, your life hangs on like a loose thread. It’s a pity, you think, staring deep below in the depths of the lake. On any other day and in any other circumstance, it would’ve been the perfect body of water to rest your weary bones. Well, you’ll still be doing that now, but this time, you won’t be waking up. It’s a dreadful way to die, but it’s not unexpected. In Fenia, the guilty are swallowed up by their guilt and being the most awarded knight in the land is no exception. But...you have nothing to be guilty of. Nothing worth death by drowning anyway. Sure, you may have swiped a few sweet rolls when the kitchen staff weren’t looking and may have laid sticky fingers all over book pages, but nothing as serious as treason! Your head lolls forward and you stare at the deep wide lake before, taking in the calm waves and serene breeze. The mages behind you take position and prepare to lift your rock. If you turn your head a little, you can see the reactions of your friends behind you. Would you like to? [[Yes]] [[No]]

A Knight's Heart

by <a href="https://knightsheart-if.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Mona</a>

!Your Stats !!Mental Stats Determination: $determination Charisma: $charisma Smarts: $smarts  <center><<link "Return to game" $return>><</link>></center>

!Your Relationships !!Your personal friends Oscar: $oscar Oran: $oran Rionna: $rionna Dahlia: $dahlia Adrean: $adrean  <center><<link "Return to game" $return>><</link>></center>

The first person you spot is Oscar and...well, you expect nothing less from him. All fire, no ice, the prince of Vol held the same look in his eyes: fiery, passionate, intense. He looks very much like the man his father once was; strong and regal, his entire presence able to draw a crowd along. Certainly, Oscar is doing exactly that right now. His voice howls against the wind, fueled by despair and outrage. A man on a mission, he pushes everyone who tries to hold him back to the side, determined to try to free you from your hanging rock. You’d joke about him picking a lost cause again, but you’re afraid your voice won’t reach out to him. A shame, really. Perhaps you could’ve stopped his next words if it did. “I’ll never forgive you if you do this! Peace will never happen!” Heh, he’s still such a kid. Even when he’s now crowned king, he still acts exactly the same. Rash and impulsive, Oscar doesn’t understand that words can’t always stop the actions of others. It’s endearing of him to try, but it’s ultimately fruitless. The King of Fenia shares similar sentiments. “I understand that the accused is your friend, King of Vol, but while I sympathize with you, my country comes first. No matter what you say or claim, this execution will continue.” Oscar is frozen in rage by this. His entire body stops moving and goes lax against the people holding him back. There’s multiple sighs of relief in the crowd, blatantly relieved that their king has calmed down. Unfortunately for them, Oscar lunges towards the King of Fenia with the speed of a fae cat. It’s only by the sheer numbers of knights that surround him that they manage to stop any potential injuries. This isn’t the young prince you once knew, but a man embittered by the injustice shown to him. No longer the youthful prince nor the unready king, Oscar of Vol is instead rendered back into the Royal Bastard. Shaking against his restraints, he howls with sobs and breaks down so all can see. An unfitting sight for the newly crowned king. You look away. [[Oran...]]

No, it’s too painful to look at them...Oscar, Oran, Rionna...even Dahlia, despite her betrayal. These people were your friends and you don’t want to imagine the suffering on their faces when you look their way. Or the loathing that lines Dahlia’s. But...you do wonder what they look like. Is Oscar withering in rage? Is he about to start a fight with the king of Fenia? That’s quite plausible actually; he’s always been one to pick fights with someone who tried to hurt you. When he wasn’t trying to challenge you first. It’s rash of him, but there’s something nostalgic in knowing that your oldest friend hasn’t changed. Is Oran standing up to his father? Or is standing like the good crown prince he is? You couldn’t say if you would blame him or not; you haven’t been in his position. He’s still a young man who hasn’t decided his wants and goals yet so deciding between honor and family is something that will hurt him. Is Rionna beside herself in guilt? Or is she holding Oran back? She’s always been protective of the Fenian knights, yourself included, but her loyalty to the prince is something different. He introduced her to the knight life that she currently enjoys, so you couldn’t imagine her turning her back on him. Is Dahlia regretting what she’s done? Framing you for summoning demons in Fenia? Does she know what her actions will do to Hollas as a whole? You suppose she must have or she wouldn’t have taken them in the first place. Dahlia may be somewhat naive when it comes to the world, but she is quite the quick learner, working to live a legacy in this world. [[Next]]

The next person you manage to find is Oran, who still manages to keep a determined face on. In all the years that you’ve known him, his persona has always been cool and collected and even now, that hasn’t changed. He stands stalwartly and stares at his father with a calm gaze, withholding his inner emotions. It must be painful for him to be put in this position; protect his chosen knight or stand by his father’s decision. It’s a predictable enough situation. Honor or family...it’s a difficult choice. It’s also not a position Oran has been in before; usually, he’d never have to side against his father, his family. The Fenian royal family have always been loyal to each other. So...to see him speak out like this, it’s truly shocking. But sadly, not unexpected. “Father, please take heed right now! There’s...there’s no way my knight would’ve done something like this! You must be mistaken!” His voice is calm, steady and stable. Even when shouting, it sounds natural for him to do so, sounds like he was born to speak confidently. Like none of it was practised. No, the respected heir of Fenia always spoke like this...so why did he stutter? His father catches this hesitancy, but he doesn’t make any move to acknowledge it in his next words. “Oran...for someone still young, I don’t expect you to understand my decisions completely. What I do expect from you, however, is to put aside your personal feelings for the sake of our kingdom. If you can’t do that, then I’ll have no choice...but to find an heir that will.” They’re harsh words and the king does nothing to sugarcoat them, to the chagrin of his knights and to the shock of his son. With his confidence shaken and his heart betrayed, Oran turns away from his father. You can’t see his face, but by the reaction of your fellow knight Coby, he must be crying. Your once proud prince, now rendered to tears by the man he called father. Every wall he built up now crumbles for everyone to see. The words dug deep and you knew, you knew that he wouldn’t say anything else. You turn away from his shaking shoulders and quiet sobs. [[Rionna...]]

<<set $charisma>> <<set $charisma to 5>> <<set $determination>> <<set $determination to 5>> <<set $smarts>> <<set $smarts to 5>> <<set $oscar>> <<set $oscar to 0>> <<set $oran>> <<set $oran to 0>> <<set $rionna>> <<set $rionna to 0>> <<set $dahlia>> <<set $dahlia to 0>> <<set $adrean>> <<set $adrean to 0>>

You didn’t have to turn far to spot Rionna, your sister in arms not standing too far away from Oran. Her eyes are downcast and the weight of the sword on her back is only carried in weight of that of her guilt. But what exactly is her guilt? Is it siding with the king instead of her prince? Just like the royal family, the knights that serve Fenia are ultimately loyal to the king first and foremost...but she wasn’t found by the king, just like yourself. She was found and brought into Oran’s service by the prince himself. Her loyalty should, quite obviously, be with him. Just like how you were loyal. So why did she answer to his majesty? She wasn’t obligated to, she didn’t need to answer his summons, but she did nonetheless. Was there an offer she couldn’t refuse on the table? You want to ponder on it more, but suddenly, her eyes meet yours and her mouth begins to form words. //“I’m sorry.”// It’s a simple apology, one expected from Rionna. She knows that saying anything else is a waste so she leaves you with few words and a remorseful gaze. It's okay, you want to tell her, but your lips won’t mouth them. Whether it’s because your heart doesn’t believe them or not, you don’t know. “Rionna, escort his highness back home.” The king is almost a relief, taking away both of your dearest friends from having to watch you die. Yet you do not think to thank him, for he is depriving you of having your last moments witnessed by those closest to you. A resentment of the man burns inside of you, but you let it pass when she refuses to move. She, along with Coby, instead stand side by side with Oran and keep the upset prince on his feet. With you about to be executed, they will be his sword and shield, for better or for worse. You hope nothing happens to them now. Looking away, you turn towards the last person you would consider a friend. Dahlia. [[Her]]

She’s exactly how you remember seeing her the first time you met. Hair as blue as the sky and eyes that shone brilliantly in the light, you’d be mistaken for thinking of her as innocent. Alas, you know from personal experience that she is anything but. Willing to do anything to get her way, even if that includes sacrificing those she calls friends. Like yourself, for example. You need not wonder if she regrets her decision or not. The look on her face tells you all you need to know. Regrets are for people lesser than her, for the people who have no confidence in themselves. Dahlia could never have regrets like that; no, that would be impossible for her. For her to be remorseful, she’d have to be able to feel for her actions, but alas… Her head turns towards you, her pair of icy eyes meeting yours. There’s a certain cruelness to them, but...it isn’t sadistic. Dahlia was never like that anyway. Instead, it’s more pragmatic. There’s no sense of attachment to her framing you. Rather, it was calculated and planned out, no feelings involved. You wouldn’t expect anything less from her. “Lady Evergreen, you don’t have to be here to watch. If it would please you, we can have our knights escort you back to the castle.” “There’s no need, your majesty. I want to see this through to the end.” Her words are said ever so sweetly and the king has always had a weakness for Dahlia. No one completely understands why, but he took a complete liking to her the moment they met. Some even think he’d replace his wife for her, but that’s very speculative, especially considering she arrived as a prospective for his son. Still, despite his wanting to spend her away, he lets her stay near his side and she remains very close With this change in position, you get a better look at her and feel her magic growl through the air. Shards of invisible ice gather around her and her presence suddenly becomes far more intimidating. This is her power, her magic, in it’s basest form and, when looking at the king, you realize that she is only showing this to you. Perhaps as an indicator of her own wrath; cold, unyielding and unforgiving. Maybe this decision to frame you wasn’t as emotionless as it appeared to be. [[Next]]

Finally, after a long time of waiting for his majesty to address you, the king of Fenia turns to you with a grim look. You know he doesn’t want to do this, but for the sake of his people, he will do it anyway. He’s a good man, but good men are often flawed and he’s no exception. The mages holding you start the chant to let you drop and you know that it’s time. Briefly, you wonder where Adrean has gone after their stint in front of everyone. Perhaps they disappeared to save you from this fate? It’s a nice thought, but you doubt it’ll actually happen. It’s a shame, really, because what’s the point of dying so young? You still had a whole life to lead and places to see. Having it end so suddenly like this...what a waste. What a tragedy. There’s no use wallowing in it, however, because soon death will take you and the dead don’t grieve. But the living do. Now faced forward, you are forced to look upon the faces of your friends, your allies and your heart aches for them. You close your eyes, but it’s too late, their grief already strucken into your mind like a painting. They’re going to watch you die and you can’t even tell them to leave. How saddening. After a long moment of silence, the king looks to you again, his eyes frozen with coldness. He wastes no time laying out the charges against you. Demon summoning, selling Fenian secrets to Vol, murder...if there was one more charge, it would be like a smorgasbord of crimes. “How do you plead?” He asks in such a serious and nonchalant tone, but it’s a waste to even ask such a question when the answer is obvious. You don’t even bother to answer the farce of the question and he doesn’t force it. Instead, he asks another, more straightforward one. “Do you have any last words?” How do you act? [[Resigned. It doesn't even matter what happens anymore.]] [[Angered. How dare they treat you this way?!]] [[Saddened. Have I really meant nothing to him?]]

There’s not much point in saying anything at this. You’re going to die. No matter what you say, death is the only option for you. Resigned is ultimately how you feel and you just want this to all end. Drop the rock already, your majesty, for the guilty party is ready to proceed with their sentence. But no, the king does not do that for he is as cruel as he is old minded. He wants a response from you, no matter how tired you feel. Otherwise, how can his long drawn out farce be complete without your last words? So you do the only thing that will satisfy him: speaking. “Do you truly wish to hear the words of a dead knight walking? Or do you simply wish to immortalize your greatest mistake?” His face flushes red and he does not respond. Neither would you, now that you think about it. To be taunted must be embarrassing for someone with a stature such as himself. It brings a little joy to yourself and if you looked around, you’d see a peak of a smile coming from Oscar and the whisper of a laugh from an invisible ally. The king’s arm raises and the mages begin their chanting. Your rock starts to lower and your eyes look down at your final resting place. The deep blue calls for you and you brace yourself to sink into its embrace. Once scary, now a loving friend, you watch as the cool, green energy emitted from the mages lowers you fully into the water. It disappears and soon enough you feel yourself falling. And falling. And falling deeper into the watery grave. Is this what it feels like? To finally give into death? It’s not so bad, you think, closing your eyes. Maybe now you can finally rest. [[Then, you wake up]]

Hey! Thanks for reading! This is the current stop point of this build, but if you're interested in more, please make sure to follow my blog, @knightsheart-if, on tumblr! Thanks again! :)

This isn’t fair! You want to scream it out to the world how much injustice is happening. You’re innocent, but nobody cares for innocence in a rigged trial. It’s infuriating, how passively the others can just watch you die. Were you nothing to them?! Were you nothing to the king who currently controls your fate?! There’s only vile you can spit out as your last words, your anger completely taking control over you. It’s not fair, it’s not fair, it’s not fair! The one who should be is Dahlia, not you! The chains restraining you won’t let you thrash around, but they won’t stop your words. “Act like you care about me, your majesty. Maybe then I won’t think of you as a pretender king as I die falling.” His face remains stoic, but his eyebrows raise in anger. Ha! You at least have this reaction from the noble king of Fenia. It also pleases you to note the small chuckle coming from Rionna and the cackle of magic in the air from Dahlia. How charming of them. The king’s arm raises and the mages begin their chanting. Your rock starts to lower and your eyes look down at your final resting place. The deep blue calls for you and you brace yourself to sink into its embrace. Once scary, now a loving friend, you watch as the cool, green energy emitted from the mages lowers you fully into the water. It disappears and soon enough you feel yourself falling. And falling. And falling deeper into the watery grave. Is this what it feels like? To finally give into death? It’s not so bad, you think, closing your eyes. Maybe now you can finally rest. [[Then, you wake up]]

Once a treasured knight of Fenia, now a loathed criminal, you feel saddened that this has happened. Was Dahlia’s words really enough to convince the king to arrest you? To kill you? It stings to think about. All the years you’ve lived in Fenia have meant nothing to a king who puts his people and reputation first. How sad. So you can’t spit anger, but you don’t resign yourself to your fate either. Truthfully, you just want to know what you meant to him, the man who knighted you properly and gave you your role. Was he perhaps a father figure? Maybe, but clearly that doesn’t matter here right now. Family is a special thing here in Fenia, but if someone adopted acts out of line, they can easily be replaced without a thought. “Did my presence mean nothing to you, your majesty? Was I nothing but a thorn at your side the whole time?” His eyes soften, but he says nothing. Not a word to disprove or confirm what you say. How tragic, you think as you turn your eyes towards Oran, who looks at you with a longing look. There’s a growl in the air, seemingly coming out of nowhere, but you know better. The king’s arm raises and the mages begin their chanting. Your rock starts to lower and your eyes look down at your final resting place. The deep blue calls for you and you brace yourself to sink into its embrace. Once scary, now a loving friend, you watch as the cool, green energy emitted from the mages lowers you fully into the water. It disappears and soon enough you feel yourself falling. And falling. And falling deeper into the watery grave. Is this what it feels like? To finally give into death? It’s not so bad, you think, closing your eyes. Maybe now you can finally rest. [[Then, you wake up]]