The Last Watch

[Verse 1]
My sword is cold; the night knows my name,
I’ve outlived the banners, the battle, the flame.
The castle clock pauses—then tolls once more,
And I hear all the footsteps I can’t follow through the door.

[Chorus]
Lay down the crown, let the silence descend,
A lonely old soldier has come to the end.
No trumpet will call me, no kingdom will weep—
Only the dark, and the vows that I keep.

[Verse 2]
I wore iron for years where a heart should have been,
Saw the brave turn to shadows, the young disappear.
Now the moon lays its silver on mail by my bed,
And the names of my brothers ring loud in my head.

[Bridge]
If honor was bought with the years I gave,
Then bury my medals beside the brave.
Let the strings rise slowly, then leave me alone—
A king without country, a man going home.

[Outro]
The sword rests at last; the watch fires burn low.
I bow to the dark—and let go.