Alliar

There were few times in my life that I've ever felt at peace. So many times had my life been an art work of roughly sewn pieces of ragged cloth all bent up and torn, the edges fraying making for odd corners. Each piece of cloth held fear, uncertainty, and pride. The same pride that had been built up over years of endless tortures and dignitaries. A princess must be strong, she must be ruthless and wise, but she almost must show heart. She must be kind and courteous and as sweet as a summer flower.

In my opinion, a summer flower normally smelled bad with its burnt petals from the harsh summer sun. I guess that's what I felt like now. I burnt out summer flower.

I was tired and exhausted. My muscles ached and I was beginning to lag behind. The rest of the guards wondered well ahead, while some of the older ones lingered back, taking glances at the Princess they thought dead. I knew many of them. This was Tristan's guard. The few middle aged guards like Lord Tannous had spent years guarding the young Prince and Princess, and had earned Tristan's trust, quickly becoming the leaders in his main guard as he grew into his crown.

The younger guards were unknown to me. Their unsure glances at the girl covered in mud showed their unease and uncertainty. They didn't recognise me. They didn't know me.

Lord Tannous kept me within arms reach, his concerned eyes focusing on the blood stains on my clothes. "Are you sure you can walk?" He asked me again and again.

"I'm fine." I would tell him. "Don't you dare carry me."

I don't think I could bare anymore humiliation in this lifetime.

It wasn't entirely a lie. My bruised body would last a little while longer and if I was honest with myself, everything felt numb anyways.

But a glance to my left was all it took to make me waver. My legs trembled a little unsteady.

Jonathan walked with his his hands tied in front of him while a guard pointed a board sword at him. He put up a struggle the entire time, catching the attention of some of the more experienced guards. They stared at him with critical eyes. I had given Jonathan a stern looking full of warning. Don't make a scene. I pleaded with him.

To my surprise he had stopped struggling, but as one of the guards helped him to his feet, a small tear in his shirt opened a little more, revealing his birth mark, dar k against his white skin. Or should I say; the brand. Coloured white from years of healing the slightly raised skin in the shape of a crown hidden just below his collarbone, to the left - not far from his heart. The younger guards simply looked confused, but the more experienced men turned their swords on the defenceless King. They knew what the birth mark meant.

"Wait!" I screamed in protest as Lord Tannous stepped in front of me. "Don't touch him."

"Princess," Another guard started. "He is - "

"I know who he is." I interrupted him. "Lower your weapons now." I tired to pull on all of my practiced authority and lessons.

No one made a move.

Jonathan's eyes stared at me intensely. He was waiting to see what I would do. And truth be told, so was I. It had been a long time since I had taken on the role of Princess, so long I had spent as the Kings pet simply trying to survive. Was I his loyal Mistress that would protect him from the guards of his enemies? Or was I something more?

"We can't do that Princess." The guard warned me.

I didn't know the answer. But I no longer felt like a Princess and I was no longer afraid of the wraith that haunted my steps, waiting to claim me.

I turned to stare at Jonathan one last time. His life was in my hands. And it felt good. For once the power was in my hands, and I was going to reveal in it for a little while.

"Fine." I couldn't help the small smirk that embraced me at the shock in Jonathan's eyes. He looked a little pale, almost sickly. Maybe the curse was finally taking hold.

A part of me didn't care.

Another part of me broke at the thought.

The guards stepped forward.

"But, if you do that I can't protect you from the consequences. The King is here to speak with my Brother, he is my present to him and if you harm my present then there will be hell to pay. And when the Shadow's come crawling, I'll be sure to give them your names."

I kept my face stern and raised an eyebrow.

No doubt they had heard of the shadow knights in the North, had feared them as I once had.

The guards bowed their heads in unison, if anything, a bit strained. Weapons dropped in seconds and Jonathan's hands were untied.

I can't deny, I enjoyed watching him suffer for a change.

My pace slowed as I considered myself. Have I really changed that much? Was I becoming a monster who enjoyed the pain and suffering of others?

I knew the answer.

And it scared me.

It was a long walk. My body was beginning to shake as tremors made it difficult to continue. I was out of energy, my mind struggling to find the will to take another step.

One more step. I lied to myself.

Just keep going.

My left leg gave out from under me and I stumbled. Catching myself, I braced my hands against a tree and caught my breath.

The guards behind me halted. Waiting for me to find my feet.

I waved them on and stole a glance behind me.

A flash of colour, the sliver of sunlight catching on golden hair.

I squinted and tried to focus my tired eyes. But there was nothing there. I wiped the sweat from my brow and shook my head. The wind ruffled my air, cooling my too-warm skin. My necklace burned, the metal putting a heavy pressure around my neck.

I shook my head and turned back toward the waiting men and tried to shake of the feeling that someone - something - was watching me.

We crossed the main bridge into Leece.

My breath caught in my throat. A choked sob escaped me.

I was home.

The company of men waited by the barracks, giving us space. It was different than how I remembered it. I hadn't been home since I was a young girl, barely ten years old. My brothers and I had stayed here under the protection of my father's counsel while my mother was securing allies for her young son, the boy king. Once Kaya was born, my mother had sent for Tristan and I and we moved to live in another man's Kingdom.

I still remembered crossing this same bridge in that carriage. I looked out the back window with tears in my eyes as I watched my childhood home and my eldest brother disappear before me, Arthur no older than a young man. My mother had sent for Arthur barely a few months after - Tristan and I missed him and were terrorising the palace guards as a result.

Now as I looked at the castle and realised how small it was compared to the memory I had been clutching onto for years. There was details that I had missed as a child, such as the thick walls built high to prevent catapults and climbers from clearing them, the small gaps in the red sand stone where archers waited for a worthy target. I shook my head. I had been spending too much time with Kings and Knights - I was beginning to take notice of defences and layouts of castles.

I pealed my eyes away and tried to focus on the beauties of my home.

The moss and vines grew up the walls, thick and well feed by the large moat that surrounded the kingdom. I remembered trying to climb them when I was young. I never made it past the third level window. The water broke my fall every time.

We passed through the open gates to a quiet town centre. The sun was in the late stages of setting and the town traders had retreated for the night.

My heart constricted as we drew closer to the castle. Blue flags were flying high and the chimneys were piping with smoke. The castle was alive with life.

Tear burned my eyes but I didn't acknowledge them as I rushed through the castle doors. The floor was freshly polished and I slide slightly. Dirt and mud flaked off my clothes and onto the floor but I didn't care. I raced for the thrown room. I clutched the wall and used it to turn the corner without losing momentum.

My heart stopped dead, swelling my chest and making it hard to breath.

Tristan leaned over a table, his arms had become more muscular since I'd last seen him and he looked taller. His skin was glowing as golden as crown. Blue-grey eyes meet mine and I let the tears fall.

The counsellors looked wary, some of them even going so far as to block the direct route to their King from the strong girl that stood before them - covered in mud and looking nothing of the royal family they had sworn to protect. Even a guard lining the wall took aim at me.

But my brother took one look at me, seeing familiar eyes so much like his own and didn't waste a breath.

He wrapped his arms around me, his strong arms crushing me. "I thought you were dead." He whispered, his voice muffled by my hair. "I thought you were dead."

"I'm not." My voice broke. "I'm alive."

The counsellors were wise and decided to leave the room, following my path of mud and dirt out of the room and down the hall. Mere seconds later Arthur strolled in, a wicked smile across his lips. "I told you she was a live." He teased as he pealed me from Tristan's arms and embraced me. "I taught you too well for you to die so easily."

I laughed at that, a chocked sound, but still a laugh.

My heart warmed and for a moment, I was their sister again. I was a carefree girl with my only problems being how to hide my mud stained dress from the sisters, or worse, my mother.

But the moment didn't last long. And although I might have been the same girl covered in mud, I was also the girl standing in the middle of a blood feud.

Jonathan leaned casually against the foundations of the building. Cunning and cruel eyes surveyed every interaction, every glance and gesture. His hands were still bound in a tight knot, but somehow, he still seemed to radiate power and grace.

"I followed the mud." He said casually.

Tristan seemed cautious, but confused. He had never meet the Reaper King before, had only been told of the blood feud and that he should forever hate him.

Arthur on the other hand was older when my father died. He remembered the war and who landed the killing blow. He snarled at Jonathan, the fiercest sound I had ever heard him make. Suddenly, I was very aware of my half brother, and of the solider he had become.

"Calm down," I stepped between Jonathan and my brothers, placing my hand at Arthurs chest, ready to push him back - though I doubt he'd even feel the shove. "Let's be civil about this."

"About what?" Tristan was still lost, still trying to figure out the stranger.

"You must be the boy King of Leece." Jonathan smiled, ever the charming King, but cunning dripped from his very pours. He gave my brother a mocked nod of the head. No sign of respect in the motion.

This pissed off both my brothers and only amused Jonathan. He was playing with them, I realised.

I whirled on Jonathan. "Shut up before I let them string you up." I turned back to my brothers. "Let me explain."

"You bought our enemy into our lands?" Arthur roared at me.

"Not intentionally."

"Oh it was intentional." Jonathan smirked, he slipped his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. "She even seduced me to do it." He winked.

A cold killing calm swept over the room.

You could hear a pin drop.

I turned to glare at Jonathan - the darkest glare I had ever given - and stepped aside.

I only had time to see the whites of his eyes before Arthur lunged.

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