The silence rang like lead in their ears. Randel’s speech still vibrated in the very air. Time itself seemed to have stopped; every soul on the square held its breath.
Then Tywin broke eternity.
He took one step forward. The grandeur hidden in his aged frame was the grandeur of a warlord who owned battlefields. His back straight as a drawn sword.
“Keeper,” his voice rolled low and deep, making the cobblestones tremble. (Has this man always been this terrifying?)
Tywin inclined his head, a gesture of reverence so profound it felt alien on him.
“My son’s words are not mere gratitude.”
Each syllable carried the weight of duty forged in blood and iron.
“They are an oath. From this moment forward, House Eichenwald is bound to you by a debt that will never be repaid.”
His steel eyes glistened, just for an instant.
(Hold on, is the iron duke about to cry?! For real?!)
“You did not simply save my heir. You gave me back my son.”
He clenched his fist until the leather of his glove creaked.
“Our enemies are cunning and mighty. But as long as you stand beneath this roof…”
His voice rose, unbreakable.
“Every treasure, every blade, every drop of pride in Eichenwald is yours. You are the most honored guest this house has ever known, and its shield.”
The square stood stunned beneath the gravity of his vow.
(Wow, those lines would be the climax of an anime season, hands down!)
Next came Eleonora.
Still on her knees, she slowly she lifted her tear-streaked face. Her eyes shone like captive constellations.
“Thank you…” Her voice trembled, fragile yet searing with truth. “For saving his life… my boy…”
The words dissolved into sobs.
(Oof, straight to the heart. Maternal love is a lethal weapon.)
She drew a shuddering breath.
“I do not know what price could ever repay such mercy. Everything I have, my gratitude, my prayers, everything, I lay at your feet.”
Her hands shook against her breast.
“This palace is your home. Now and forever.”
Amanda stood paralyzed.
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(What is this atmosphere?! It’s crushing me! How am I even supposed to react?!)
Her heart thundered inside her ribs.
Two forces before her: Tywin’s adamantine resolve and Eleonora’s tender tears. She felt as though she had stumbled into the final scene of an epic saga.
(But… being trusted like this… it doesn’t feel kind of nice, doesn’t it?)
The corners of Amanda’s mouth twitched into a faint smile.
“Heh. Leave it to me.”
Her voice came out light, yet unexpectedly firm.
“This shield of Eichenwald will do its job proudly!”
Every gaze swung to Roxana.
She did not bow. She did not kneel. She simply stood, regal and unflinching.
Those crimson eyes, so like Amanda’s yet tempered with colder, earthly fire, dissected the golden figure with the precision of a scholar confronting an unknown specimen.
“‘Power beyond mortal understanding,’” she murmured, almost to herself, turning her brother’s words over like a rare gem.
(She’s analyzing me with terrifying calm!)
Her gaze locked with Amanda’s unseen one. The air between them crackled.
“My brother is not prone to exaggeration,” Roxana said, voice cool but edged with challenge. “Wiped out an entire Crimson Claw squad with a single gesture? If that is true…”
Her flawless lips curved into a fascinated smile.
“…then our library doesn’t contain a single scroll that even hints at such magic. That is… extraordinarily interesting.”
(Hey, wait! This girl is pure, concentrated curiosity! I’m about to become her lab rat!)
Roxana paused, studying Amanda even more intently.
“Listen, Keeper. When you have a moment… shall we talk?”
Her tone softened by half a degree.
“The secrets of the forest… perhaps we each have something to offer the other.”
It was not a request. It was an offer. An offer between equals, no, between future strategic allies.
(Wow, that brain of hers shifted straight into negotiation mode!)
A murmur swelled into a roaring tide of awe and adoration.
“Keeper! Glory to the Keeper!”
The people shouted her new title. Their voices crashed across the square like thunder.
(Whoa, the hype is real! They just turned me into a hero!)
Amanda’s heart beat in time with the clamor.
(But you know… this feeling… it’s not bad at all.)
At that moment Randel’s hand tightened around hers. His warmth seeped quietly through the metal, steadying her.
“Look,” he whispered, words meant only for her, soft and warm. “To them you are not a threat. You are hope.”
His eyes shone with gentle, unshakable faith.
(Ugh, this handsome idiot is looking at me so seriously my heart can’t take it!)
He squeezed her fingers once more.
“From now on you are under more than just my protection. All of Eichenwald will be your shield.”
Something warm and strange flared in Amanda’s chest.
(…Seriously? This is main-character-level plot armor!)
Her lips spread into a grin she no longer tried to hide.
“Heh, not bad,” she declared, voice bright with resolve. “This ‘Keeper’ won’t let you down!”
A triumphant roar rose to the heavens, heralding the start of a new chapter.
Amanda stood immersed in the whirlwind of jubilation. The panic had finally ebbed, leaving behind a heavy, solid weight deep in her chest.
Responsibility.
(I… saved them.)
Her heart trembled with quiet awe. In their eyes she was no longer a mere tool. She had become part of their destiny.
She gave the faintest nod, to House Eichenwald. Not an answer. An acceptance. A resolute acknowledgment of the duty she had shouldered.
(Wow, things just got really serious!)
Tywin straightened, his voice snapping back to battlefield command as he addressed the servants.
“Prepare the Tower Chambers! The finest in the palace!”
His gaze flicked to the retainers.
“Our guest is to be disturbed by nothing!”
Then he turned to Amanda.
“Rest,” he said, the unfamiliar softness in his tone softened by genuine strength. “The road was long. And… you have done a great thing.”
His eyes drifted briefly to Randel’s bandaged shoulder.
(Wow, the old man showing care! And somehow… it’s actually really cool!)
Randel finally released her hand. The gesture said: The choice is yours now. Vanish, or stay.
Everything hung on Amanda’s decision.
She looked toward the open palace gates. Beyond them waited an unfamiliar fortress. Yet now… it was also her sanctuary, and her new theater of war.
(…All right.)
Beneath her helm she drew a deep, silent breath.
And took a step forward.
Toward her new “role.”
Toward the future she herself had forged.