The white knight.

It took no time at all to get dressed, to storm out of the room, through the corridor. Only a moment to light a candle at her room. And entering it.

“Clara.” Perhaps a bit too stern.

She was crying. Looking so sad. My heart broke seeing her like this. And knowing I was the only one to intervene effectively, it was not a matter of choice, it was a matter of... being the white knight or perhaps feeling like I could be one?

“Clara.” As if asking a question, but not quite that.

She only saw me when I was sitting right next to her. She was only dressed in panties and t-shirt. She startled and covered herself up with a blanket.

“Clara.” Gentle now.

She looked up at me, her tears streaming from her eyes, over her cheeks.

“Clara...” I sighed. “I am here. I came as soon as I realized... I was making a mistake.”

Emma stood up and silently tried to leave the room.

“No, Emma, stay here. I might need you.”

She smiled at me. A light smile, an understanding smile. And she stayed close at hand.

“Clara. I was evading you, because I didn’t want to hurt you. But I see now, I am hurting you by evading you.”

She wasn’t sobbing anymore, but still her tears were flowing easily.

“Clara. You have everything to offer to me. Your courage, your strength, your beauty and your innocence. So don’t tell yourself you have nothing to offer me. Even if you can’t show it, I know you can offer it. I have seen it. I have seen your courage. I have heard of it. I have seen your strength first hand, standing up for yourself. Oh Clara... I have seen your beauty... It is out of this world...”

She was trying to wipe her tears away.

“Clara. I have seen your innocence. The way you look at the world, at the people in your life. Your beauty, stunning as it is, speaks of innocence. I am attracted to it. But I feared to spoil it, to damage it. But if you are willing to give it, you are giving everything you have to me. I want you to stay innocent, I want you stay beautiful. Courageous and strong. Innocence is not in your body, it is in your soul. Even if you give yourself to me, making love to me, you will stay innocent as long as you want. By choosing what you do. Every hour, every day, every moment of your life.”

“You want to make love to me? But I am so inexperienced, I will never...”

“Clara. If I want to make love with experienced women, I can. If I want to have sex with experienced women, I can. If I want to simply release myself, I can. But only with you I can make love to an innocent woman.”

I stretched out my arms, gestured her to hug me and she did. She hugged me with all her might and I let her. As I will let her use me to fulfil her dreams with a white knight.

I looked at Emma and she looked sad and happy at the same time. I could understand why.

“Emma, I will need to talk to you with the other women. After I leave here, keep Clara company. After I have talked to the other women how to be her first white knight, I will ask for you. To find a way to keep you useful for all of us.”

It was easy to be a white knight for her as well, it seemed, as she smiled brightly to me.