It was a windy night. The rain was pouring down heavily on the ground. A flash of lightning struck through the dark sky, illuminating the surroundings for a few seconds.
The thunder kept rumbling continuously, and the branches of trees swayed vigorously in the strong wind.
Anna tossed and turned on her soft bed. Her night’s sleep was disturbed by the inclent weather. She opened her eyelids as the roaring thunder deafened her ears.
Unlike usual, the surrounding was engulfed in total darkness. She rubbed her eyes a few tis and noticed that not even a glint of light was on.
"Why is it so dark? Where’s the light?" Anna murmured.
Although it was late at night, the servants usually would have left a few lamps on until dawn. She quickly rose and looked around.
Sudden rushing footsteps coming from the door caught her attention.
Who could that be at this late hour of the night?
The door was pushed open hastily by the hands of the middle-aged nanny.
"Princess! Run! Save your —"
’Thudd!’
Before she could finish her words, a sword’s blade pierced through her body. A gasp left her mouth, and blood began to wet the floor.
"Nessy!" Anna scread.
Nessy’s body fell onto the floor lifelessly.
The princess ran to her nanny, hugging the body that was no longer moving and covered in blood. Before she knew it, a group of n had already surrounded her.
Lightning struck again.
The flash revealed the faces of n before her. From the crowd of unknown people standing up, wielding swords in their hands, she saw a familiar face; Kaizer Ronan, the Pri Minister of the Kingdom of Ardel.
"Kai-Kaizer? What are you doing?" Anna stuttered in surprise.
Her eyes opened wide, and after a mont, she finally realised what was happening.
"Isn’t it a pleasant surprise, my dear? Well, you wouldn’t have guessed this was coming, would you?" A hysterical laugh left the man’s lips.
"But.... But why?" Anna was confused.
The man she saw now was not the sa man she used to know. Kaizer was once the most trusted person at her side—the one who had been there since her family’s demise.
"You should’ve died in the wrecked ship before, like your family! But you’re like a cat with nine lives that keeps living!"
Kaizer moved forward, gripping a dagger, ready to strike. Trembling with fear, Anna flinched her shoulders as she saw the blade shine when lightning struck.
Groups of Kaizer’s soldiers had already captured the castle. The supporters of the princess had all been eliminated rcilessly. Only those who conspired with him were left.
That man was determined to take over the throne, regardless of what it took.
Kaizer roughly yanked Anna’s long, auburn hair and pulled her up. The princess scread in pain.
"It hurts! Let go! Help! Sobody help !" she shouted.
Kaizer wasn’t bothered by her scream. He slapped her cheeks until blood trickled from her lips and tightened his grip.
"You’re a st*pid b*tch! You don’t deserve to rule. You’re clueless and know nothing, yet they want to put you on the throne? " Kaizer glared with a face full of hatred.
"How could you do this to ? I thought you cared for ," Anna cried.
"Cared? Huh! I’ve been suppressing my hate for you for a long ti! You’re better dead than alive, you useless thing!" he snarled.
Anna was speechless.
All that was heard was her trembling, sobbing voice. Now, the words of her counsellors rushed through her mind. They had constantly been reminding her that Kaizer was not to be trusted.
Fearing for her life, Anna scread for help again, calling the guards, but the n laughed at her.
"No one will co for you! They’re all dead!" yelled Kaizer.
Anna was utterly shocked.
The princess’s heart sank at his words. The faces of the people flashed through her mind. Her counsellors, officers, teachers, escorts, maids and nanny, all of them, were no longer in this world.
"No!" Her tears trickled down. Her cheeks stung as the warm tears wet them.
The Pri Minister smirked in arrogance and opened his mouth.
"Do you know what ’Kaizer’ ans? It ans ’the Emperor’! I should have been the ruler of Ardel, not you! Now, die b*tch!!!!" He raised his voice as he lifted the dagger in his right hand.
Thunder rolled again, and the lights poured into the room.
Anna closed her eyes tightly. Was this the end of her life? Kaizer was ready to slit her throat when suddenly, a rough voice was heard from the group of n.
"Hey, such a pretty w*nch you got there! I didn’t know that the Princess of Ardel was this cute."
A man with a scar stretched on his face, from the right eye until his nose bridge, opened his mouth. He was the leader of the Bargesians who conspired with Kaizer.
The man ca forward with an eerie smile, glancing at her from head to toe.
"Why don’t you give her to ?" he continued.
Anna’s chest was pounding hard. She knew it wouldn’t be any better even if Kaizer surrendered her to him.
"She’s the princess! She must die!" Kaizer insisted.
His right hand held the dagger while his other hand grabbed the princess’s hair.
"Her supporters are already dead. After all, I haven’t tasted a beautiful woman in a while, Your Majesty."
Kaizer had yet to reply. He was contemplating the request made by the Bargesian leader, who was his biggest ally, for the usurpation.
It was difficult for him to refuse such a demand from his accomplice since they had a pact that the Bargesians were entitled to loot their enemies and own all captives.
"Don’t worry. I’ll finish her once all of us are satisfied."
The n began to laugh at the excitent. A beautiful princess would soon beco their ’feast’.
"Fine! You can have her!" Kaizer finally answered.
He withdrew his dagger and put it back in the sheath hanging on his waist. Pulling Anna’s hair, his left hand roughly pushed the princess’s body to the Bargesian leader. She nearly fell again, but the burly man’s arm quickly caught her up.
"No! No! Don’t! Please!"
She struggled frantically to let herself go, but it was useless. Such a petite princess was nothing compared to the robust figure. The Bargesian leader put the princess’s body up on his shoulder, like carrying a flour sack.
"Let’s go back to our barracks and have a victory ceremony! We’ll have her and the other won as well!" announced the man.
"Yeahhh!!" The other n shouted happily. Anna’s screams drowned in the din of the n’s voices.
***
The balcony door swung in by the gusts and eddies of the wind as the heavily pouring rain wet the hall floor.
The calloused finger of the knightess slowly moved. A groan escaped her mouth as she opened her eyes. Slowly, she moved her body, which was covered in blood.
Lightning struck, and she could see the others lying on the floor in the ssy hall. Not a single one of them moved.
Amid the sound of heavy rain, she heard a scream for help. The voice was familiar to her.
Clara took the sword lying next to her. With shaking legs, she forced herself to get up. The scream was heard again; she was sure it was the princess’s voice this ti.
She moved to where the sound ca with wobbly steps. Then, she saw them. Anna was being carried away at the back of the Bargesian leader.
Clara gripped her sword with a trembling hand. She wanted to rush and save the princess, but there were too many of them, and she was alone.
The injuries she suffered after facing Kaizer’s uprising army made her unable to fight anymore. She needed to find a way to save the princess.
"I will save you, princess! I swear!" The last standing knightess of Ardel murmured with quivering lips.
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