After the long discussion with Nicklos, we found ourselves down at the training grounds. General Bregus was busy overwatching the new recruits training and didn’t want to step away. We sat quietly, watching the new recruits as they practiced with wooden sticks. Swinging them diligently through the air as they swung at their partners. Feet scuffled the ground as they countered each attack or dodged out of the way to avoid each encounter. It made me feel reminiscent, reminding me of the days when I was just a kid with an ambitious dream. Every one of them was here for a reason, may it be for the throne, for themselves, or for their families. They wanted to prove to themselves that they were capable of defending their home.
A particular soldier caught my eye. The female soldier that the General had mentioned
Now secured in the office of Mr. Siege, we sat around the table. Grim silence filled the air after explaining my plan to General Bregus. He sat still; his hands clasped together as he stared at the table. He had begun to protest, but immediately shut his mouth. He did this a few more times before returning to silence. I had him pinned unfortunately. He has firsthand seen how uncompliant Emmanuel has been. With only ten days left now until the banquet, time was of the essence. I am sure it would at least take a few days to track Emmanuel, especially in his state, so the more time we had to track the better. “I hate when you pin me like this Alliah. You know his Majesty won’t agree to this.” General Bregus muttered under his breath as he passed a stressed hand through his hair. I swore over
"Alliah? What brings you here?" Father's eyebrows cinched together as I walked through his door. Even in front oh him I felt nervous. I had to hold my hands together so that my hands wouldn't quake. This was out of character for me as a Knight. But in the end, I guess if you where to give your status up prematurely, I guess any Knight would feel forlorned. "I came to talk about my marriage father." I simply said. He steepled his hands infront of him, his eyebrows raising that of surprise. Then he sort of chuckled to himself and waved at me to go on. I watched him lean back in his chair, like he was waiting for some sort of fight to ensue. I gripped my hands together, trying to slow my fast beating heart in my chest. It felt like it was going to errupt at any given moment. "I have decided that I want to Marry Nickl
Angered and in my haste to get away from Nicklos and Illia, I found myself aimlessly walking through the garden. the butterflies flittered from flower to flower, the luscious smells graced my nose, and the bees flew busily about. Normally I would find comfort in these things, but my mind was angrily racing, pounding on any opportunity to make me even the slightest bit happy. I think this was truly the first time I have ever felt so bitter. Not only where secrets being kept, but he was also going back on his words too. How shameless he was? Not to act like my sister, but what was so good about her that she had to turn his head her way? Was it because I seemed and appeared to masculine? My willingness to throw myself into battle to protect my people? Was I too head strong in my decisions? There where countless man here, but I still only had my heart on one, and even he was slippin
As expected upon our arrival, dinner was a bit strained. Illia was sitting on one side of father, and I on the other. Nicklos, surprisingly enough, decided to sit on my side of the long table, and not on her's. Marquise, being stoic and passive, sat on the other side of Nicklos. There was little in words being exchanged around the room, and that was odd for me. Normally this lot was chatty and chaotic, but right now, they where quiet. Was the last dinner I attended so bad that they would sit so tight lipped? I looked towards father for an explanation, but he just smiled warmly at me. Another unsettling cue that something was indeed wrong. I casually, and absently picked up my wine glass, twirling the red liquid in the cup. The uncomfortable atmosphere was indeed distracting me, and I further declined in wanting to eat my food. Even the smell was making me nauseous. Nicklos said not
Marquise and I turned around, surprised to find that the General's son came walking down the hallway. His pace was brisk and stiff. I watched his face, his brows pressed down in an angry frown as he stormed towards us. It was amazing to see how much he looked like his father. The brown hair, the stern eyes, and the sharp set of his cheeks and jaw. It was like staring at a young version of my most trusted and beloved friend. "Aren't you on probabtion for sneaking out the last time." I wouldn't endanger him. The General would never forgive me if something happene to him. But the determination on his face told me that he wasn't going to follow orders anyway. He really was like his dad. Micheal knelt before me, his hand over his chest. "My father greatly respects you, your Majesty. Tonight, I couldn't
Like violent thunder, the many sounds of hooves pounding on the ground filled the air. This dense forest surrounded us, making the visibilty very minimal. Only few rays of the moonlight made their way through the thick foliage of the company that sat over our heads. Faint outlines of the trees barely gave away their positions as we weaved around their thick trunks. Dead twigs and branches along with dead leaves crunched underneath us as we stromed through the thick woods. Despite our urgency, I was enjoying the heavy smell of the oak woods that surrounded us. It filled and wafted through my nose, clouding my thoughts. Despite our urgent pace, the night was calm. Critters slept quietly in their homes, not making a peep despite our reckless stomping. It was so peaceful, that it almost seemed as if we where taking a casual ride through the forest. But with the peace of the night, it
Shades of pink, reds, and oranges graced the sky as the sun rose over the horizon. The dark shadows of the trees, turned into dark browns with light and dark green tops. The lusious canopy that laced over our heads, did little to hide the beautiful morning sun rise. With the rise of the sun, came the stirring of critters big and large. The forest was now coming to life. Small creatures scampered across the forest floor looking for food. Large herbivores moved slow and casual as they stamped their hooves looking for food. The three of us, slumped forward in our saddles, restless and tired. Despite the glorious morning, and the energy that it gave off, we where utterly and hopelessly drained. The night had been long. The lingering possible threat of an ambush had kept us alert and on edge. The mere thought that our comrades where in danger was another issue looming over our heads like a nasty storm. I co
Inside the village, it was a little crowded. Lots of homes sat close together, standing tall and well cared for. Kids scurried around, screaming as they playfully chased after each other. Women crowded in a small area, talking amongst themselves as they watched the children play. There was a project in each of their hands. Some where knitting, others mending clothes, or some where even washing as they talked. With how open these people seemed to be, it looked as if they where a close knit community. While the men worked, the women here tended to the chores and to the children. But they seemed happy, almost carefree. The loud chatter resonated off the close buildings as we reached the center of the town where everyone was gathered. The center was basically a large area with a single well erected in the middle. A few benches where placed about for sitting, and maybe a few vendors sc
I will skip the boring bits and just tell you what happened next. Things actually went more smoothly than what I had expected. Illia was tossed in the dungeons as soon as I arrived per my request. She did her obviously tidbits of flailing and screaming how unjust I was for arresting her without a reason. Of course, my father tried swooping in and saving the day. But with the evidence in hand about her treason to the kingdom, she was soon after locked away. I couldn't explain to you how good it felt knowing that I was uprooting the problem. That and she was a terrible human being to begin with. Uriah's father had been in tow of my father, and was then given the evidence of all of my father's wrong doings. After scanning through the documents, he went through a trial that lasted well over a year. In that year, Laylia was caught trying to sneak into the border of my kingdom and was arr
The air between all of my soldiers was heavy with silence. Almost like an invisible weight bad been placed on everyone of our shoulders. Grief hung above their heads, having lost one of our own, and learning that their was a traitor amongst us. Even as they sat on their horses, baccks straight and reigns loose in their hands, they still hung their heads. General Bregus was probably the most quiet out of all of us. He uttered not one word since we told him what had gone down the last few days. There was a strangled grunt from his lips, but he uttered no more since then. As he rode by my side, I was able to gauge his reactions. But it was hard to read him as he stared blankly into the distance. His eyes where on the horizon, but his mind had wandered into his own thoughts. It would almost seem like he had even paled a little, grieving in the silence of his own mind. I know that Micha
The breeze brushed through my hair with gentle fingers. It caressed my face and body with its cold embrace, making me shiver. Goose bumps formed on my arms, making my skin tingle against the leather I had dawned on earlier this morning. We were finally free. No longer mingling with criminals, no more stuck behind the many walls of the city, we were free. Instead of the pounding laughter of loud and drunk people, the air was filled with the thunder of horse hooves frantically trying to put distance between us and the city of criminal. The trees where giant blurs of dark and light greens as we raced through the tightly knit forest. Twigs and leaves laid snapped and torn apart under the heavy beats of our horses hooves. In our desperation to get back home, we neglected to actually hide our trail. All our hope was on them being so distracted they wouldn't know where to start l
Just as expected, the streets where lined with criminals. Their pace was slow as they crawled through the streets like timid cockroaches. I watched as the sea of people flucuated, a gentle tide coming in and evading back into the ocean. The murmurs that rose above the steady beat of feet across the stone pathway, was like a mother hushing her child back to sleep. But it came with a dark whisper of warning as they passed by. The gentle whisper of death caressed their lips as the words escaped their lips. Like a gentle chant, all I could hear was 'Laylia wants their heads.' Who else would she be talking about other than us. We single handedly walked through her walls, the comfort of her own walls, her territory. Her privacy was disrupted, and the quiet comfort of the suprise she had been building for so long was now in disarray. No longer was she able to have the upper hand in her plot to over throw my h
Whilst rubbing sleep from my eyes, I wobbled down the stairs like an infant toddler. I hadn't completely woken up yet and I don't think I was fully recovered from yesterday's endeavor. Honestly, from looking at the rest of the crew, I don't think they would agree either. On the couches laid an exhausted looking Micheal. His head was lulled to one side, mouth slightly popped open with a small sliver of drool coming out. It oozed out in a small stream of clear liquid spittle. He had somehow managed to fall asleep with his arms crossed over his chest. One of the very few men that I have met that doesn't snore like a loud fog horn. Seria had two big black and saggy bags under her eyes as she laid passed out on Micheal's lap. Her arms where crossed over each other upon his lap, making a makeshift pillow out of her own muscle and flesh. Her body was a straight as a board until you came u
When the room had finally grown silent, I decided to dare a glance over my shoulder. I could see a clear line of sight straight to Maxwell's cell. The guards instructed to watch over him, where not in my line of sight. Knowing that they wouldn't be able to see us, I moved away from Seria. She sat frozen in place, hands clenched into tight fists as she stared into space. I waved a hand in her face, trying to coax her out of her deep thoughts. But she continued to stand as still as a statue. "Seria, I'm sorry I put you in an uncomfortable spot, but your dress would have given us away. I have no intentions of harming you if that was what you where worried about." She didn't say anything as she continued to stare off into space. My frustrations where starting to grow as I tried to stir her from her thoughts, but nothing I did was working.
"I am not going to help you, so you might as well kill me already you stupid woman." Maxwell groaned angrily. You could sense the defeat in his tone as he spoke, like a man who was ready to just give up. I gingerly approached the gate door, kneeling down to his level and hoping he would recognize me. I wrapped my fingers around the cold wrought iron and giggled it slightly, testing the weakness of the gate. Unfortunately it didn't budge. "Maxwell, it's Michael. The Princess sent out a small team to rescue you. It hasn't been an easy journey, but we are here now so don't worry." I said jiggling the door once more. There was a dark and weak chuckle that radiated from Maxwell. "Don't bother Michael, I am far to weak to be escorted out safely. You would be killed because of me. Laylia that bitch has been to
How can a woman dressed in bright green clothes disappear so quickly? There was no way she could just up and vanish without a single warning. With her attire, any man would love to shove their greedy and grim covered hands all over her. Especially in this establishment. I don't know what infuriated me more, her vanishing and not telling me what she had planned, or that someone would even dare pray on her. I had to find her fast before someone else decided to grab a hold of her. How did I casually hunt for someone while my heart was racing and my panic was starting to spike. I had no doubt she could handle herself if things went sideways, but I would still rather be at her side if things did turn sour. I knew I made her mad when I vented my frustrations on her, but not enough to abandon me in a crowd full of horney men and lustful women. Soon I would be seen without
Six months I have been training for field work. I was barely even close to graduating, and now here I am. Sitting in the enemy territory with little experience on sneaking around. I wasn't the best for remaining unseen. Anytime I snuck out of the Kingdom, father would always catch me. I was even caught on the last excursion to find the bandits. It was the first time I had ever met her Majesty. I thought she would give me a verbal whipping for sneaking out on to missions before my graduation, but to my surprise she remained docile. When I offered to go along in my father's stead, I didn't think that this journey would be this perilous. I mostly just wanted to get back at Emmanuel for hurting my father. But it turned into more than that. My best friend is dead, my other friend is a traitorous, and my future Queen has her family's secret history to shoulder. Princess Alliah has become quite tired w