"You say you're not gonna fight
'Cause no one would fight for you
And you think there's not enough love
And no one to give it to
And you're sure you've hurt for so long
You've got nothing left to lose
So you say you're not gonna fight
'Cause no one would fight for you
You say the weight of the world
Has kept you from letting go
And you think compassion's a flaw
And you'll never let it show
And you're sure you've hurt in a way
That no one will ever know
But someday the weight of the world
will give you the strength to go
So hold on, the weight of the world will give you the strenght to go"

Robot Boy by Linkin Park

It was the morning after the defeat of the Giants. The air was crisp, and the dew that had formed on the grass over night glistened in the growing sunlight. The sun seemed to swallow the land in a back wash of bright orange and yellow colors. However, the sheer beauty a sunrise often bestowed upon the Kingdom had gone unoticed by everyone...with the exception of one man.

Elmont.

Captain of the King's men, and a Royal Knight, Elmont stood at the top of a castle wall facing the new day. Like most of the Kingdom, Elmont had not slept that night. He had been too involved in salvaging what was left of his men, and his King's home. It would take months, maybe a year, to restore the castle and its inhabitants back to its full potential.

He sighed, took a deep breath, felt the chill of the morning air fill his lungs and slightly rejuvenate his sleep deprived body. Turning to survey the courtyard below him, he saw a young girl, no older than three or four, with bright red hair, and wearing a sky blue dress, run into her father's arms, who picked her up and tossed her into the air happily. Her father, Typhon, was one of Elmont's men, and a fellow Royal Knight. A small smile played at his lips at the touching sight, of the laughter, the happiness; but that smile soon faltered as an unfamiliar pang pulled at his heart.

Loneliness.

Elmont had never felt the sting of loneliness, he had never really payed attention to it. His duties had made him methodical, uncaring and uninterested in the pleasures life could bring. Not once had he looked at a woman and had any kind of feelings for her. Since the age of eighteen, the year of his Knighting, he had been dedicated to serving and protecting the King and his daughter. But now, now that he had almost lost his life more than once, now that even the Princess had found love, he found himself craving it, needing it more than ever.

But what woman would love me? He thought to himself. I would be nothing more than a liability. What woman would want the burden of grief should I meet an untimely death?

Long ago, Elmont had decided that he had no use for love, having been bitten by the dark side of it and poisoned by its seduction. The mother and father he loved so much was taken from him when he was a small boy, only five years old. They had died of illness and were too poor to care for themselves. He was left to be cared for by a bitter grandmother who showed no love herself. If love were so pure, so good, how could it crush a little boys heart and take away the only thing he had in the world?

No, Elmont had vowed to never love another again. He had been hurt in a way that no one will ever know. To him, compasion was a flaw to be expressed in such a personal manner. If a woman would not fight for his love, then why should he fight for theirs? He was not a bitter man, he loved, but it was love for his people, and the Kingdom he served. To give love from his heart was something he just couldn't bring himself to do. For many years Elmont had struggled with his personal life, and he had accepted the fact that he would die alone, either of old age, should he live long enough, or on the battlefield with his men.

It occurred to him, then, that most of his men had families, not just Typhon. Even a few of the younger Knights had wives and children, or a baby on the way, and not one single person seemed to notice their lonely captain. Not one single person had suggested that he try to find love, or take a wife...not even Crawe.

Another pang, this time a pang of guilt. The death of his trusted comrad had rattled him. He was like a brother to him. They had even played together when they were young, fantasizing about becoming great hero's and the King's most trusted Knights. Elmont sighed once again, said a silent prayer for his fallen kin, and made his way down to the courtyard.

The streets within the castle walls were still littered with pieces of stone torn from them, charred trees the Giants had thrown to deplete the ranks and gain entry were still scattered, smoldering, and the statue of King Erik still lay upon the ground, a reminder of what the people fought for, what they lived for.

As Elmont weaved his way in and out of the throngs of people who still had the energy to stay awake, he himself having the overwhelming urge to just sleep; take off his armor, wash the dirt and sweat off first, but just sleep. He was so physically and mentally exhausted that he was sure he could sleep standing up. He managed to find the strength to enter the castle, find one of the Royal Handmaidens, and graciously ask her to run a bath for him.

Agreeing without hesitation, the handmaiden whisked off to his quarters to run his bath and set out fresh bed clothes. He followed, but at a slow pace, preferring to take his time and not over exert himself.

"Elmont!" A voice called from behind him.

He turned, and saw the Princess come running up to him. "Princess. What can I do for you?" He replied, trying hard to stifle a yawn, but to no avail.

"Your exhausted. Never mind. My matter can wait. You need sleep!" The Princess said, a look of concern deep withinin her face.

"I am alright for now." Elmont replied with a grateful smile. "Please, what is it that you need?"

Isabelle. The King's only beloved daughter. A woman of great strength, kindness, loyalty and spirit. It always astonished Elmont on how she would put everyone's needs before her own, and never once has she ever tried to be the center of attention. Even now she hesitated to answer him, but the always patient look he offered when it came for a task to be done for his Princess made her smile.

"Always the dutiful one." She said with a small laugh. "Alright, I'll tell you. It's not important enough to be done right away, but I have just hired a new handmaiden from one of our neighbor Kingdoms. She and her father just moved here a few weeks before the attack of the Giants. Her name is Elizabeth, and she doesn't know the castle grounds very well. I thought you might be able to show her around. After you've had some sleep, of course."

Elmont chuckled. "Of course I would do anything you ask, milady, but if I am to sleep, why not have one of the others show her around?"

"Well..." Isabelle hesitated. "She's still getting her affairs in order here, and she also wants to make sure her father will be able to manage without her. She also asked for you personally."

The last statement made Elmont furrow his eyebrows. "She asked for me? What for?"

Isabelle smiled slightly, and if he didn't know any better, he'd swear he detected a hint of mischief in that smile. "I'll let her tell you that." Isabelle replied. "It would do you some good to relax a little, Elmont. Take some time off. Now go. Sleep. I'll let her know you'll come and find her when you wake."

She didn't give Elmont time to respond, she just turned and walked away, the curl of her hair bouncing along with her. Elmont himself stood rooted to the spot. It was just as well, he didn't know what to say anyway. He was sure he never had an encounter quite like this before, and he sensed that the Princess was purposely toying with him, and enjoying it.

Shaking his head and chuckling, he continued on to his chambers where a steaming hot bath and a freshly made bed was waiting for him.

It was late in the afternoon when Elmont finally woke. The sun was shining in bright strips through the curtains that hung silently over his window. The brightness of the sun caught his eyes, causing him to fling his hand out to quickly protect himself from the intrusion. He rolled over, slid off the bed and walked over to the window to shut the curtain. It surprised him that he had slept as long as he did, but what surprised him more was that he was still tired. It was the life of a Knight, he supposed.

After stretching his muscles for a moment, he quickly changed into his clothes, and placed on his armor.

"Now, what was I supposed to be doing?" He said to the otherwise empty room. Elmont racked his brain for a moment. He remembered talking to the Princess, but after that was a completed blur. "Why can't I remember? Was I that exhausted?"

Elmont sighed, and decided to find the Princess and find out, but when he opened the door to leave, he ran full long into the King.

"Your Majesty! Forgive me, I truly didn't see you there!" Elmont exclaimed with a bow.

"No matter, no matter!" The King chuckled. "I came to check on you. My daughter says she sent you off to sleep. After many hours of not seeing you I began to worry!"

"You are most generous, my King." Elmont replied with another bow. "I'm afraid I have not slept well in the past few days. Forgive me, for worrying you."

"No worries, Elmont." The King replied. "Now, on to business. While you slept, a few things have transpired. I have agreed to the marriage of my daughter and Jack. He has shown more courage than I thought possible for a farm boy, and it has come to my attention that they share an equal love for each other. You know better than anyone, Elmont, that my only wish is to see my daughter happy."

"I do my Lord, but it will be rather difficult to plan a wedding when there is still so much to be done." Elmont replied. He was equally pleased to see the Princess finally settle down, but with the castle still in disarray she might have to wait a long time to fulfill her happiness.

"That is why Isabelle has hired a new handmaiden." The King said. "Now I think about it, weren't you supposed to show her around?"

That was what he had forgotten. He was supposed to familiarize the new girl with the castle. "Yes, my Lord. I was just on my way to find the Princess. I'm afraid I had forgotten. The handmaiden...Elizabeth was her name...am I right?"

The King nodded. "Indeed, and a lively young woman at that! They are in the Throne Room. Perhaps you might find something in common with this girl. Might do you some good."

With a wink and a smile, the King said no more, and took his leave, leaving Elmont to stand there with an expression of utter shock and bewilderment upon his face. He wanted to call out to the King, to ask him what he meant by his last statement, but when he opened his mouth, all that came out were incoherent sounds and unintelligent babble.

What just happened here? He thought to himself. Both the King and his daughter had acted strangely when speaking to him about this girl. Something was up, he just knew it, but he didn't have time to worry about that now.

"Duty calls." He said aloud, more to himself than anyone around him. So off he went, not realizing just how much his life would change the second he entered the Throne Room.

A/N So, what did y'all think? I decided to show Elmont in a different light than what was shown in the movie. He's still same old Elmont, but with a background, and a sad one at that. Hence the story title. Robot Boy is about being betrayed, either by love, or just the world in general. It's also about finding the inner strength to keep fighting no matter what happens in ones life. I suggest, if you haven't heard the song, to YouTube it or look for it on iTunes. It's an amazing effing song. Please review. Any ideas, tips, etc., are very much appreciated. :)

P.S. Did any of you spot the Star Wars references? ;D