The old king, before his passing, had placed words of command upon the golem, to give the princess counsel and shield her from harm. Sleepless, tireless, the golem followed her white chariot with granite footfalls, and whispered in her ear in a voice of ashes and caution.
With the king dead and a child upon the throne, soon the kingdom's enemies made a league against them and marched upon their borders. The golem proposed peace, but the princess's pride counseled conquest.
On the field of battle her armies failed, and her white chariot bristled with errant arrows. "Smash them," she ordered the golem in fury. "Slay them. Defend me, as my father bid you."
"No, my lady," its dead voice replied. "This hurt I will allow, to save you from a greater one: living forever in my shadow."
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