A/N: This chapter is dedicated to DragonessKunoichi . Thank you for supporting me since day 1.I always await your comments. They're so sweet and supportive.

Sixteen years passed in what seemed like a blink of an eye and the prince grew up to become Emperor Gouenji Shuuya, taking after his father. He was smart, kind and compassionate. He always did what was best for his kingdom and its people. This is why he was loved and respected by his subjects. Under his rule, the kingdom prospered more than it had ever done.

Of course, this attracted some enemies too who thought they could dethrone him and conquer his kingdom but their plans were crushed and they were vanquished by the strong army he had. Because of this, everyone knew that the Inazuma Kingdom's army was not something to be provoked unless the enemy wanted to be obliterated. 

This army worked in perfect synchronization on each front and attacked their enemy from all sides so as to not give the slightest chance for them to stand their ground. All of their strategies were well thought out and every minute detail was considered and taken care of.

Behind this iron-clad defence was a brave and strong knight who always lead the army to victory. The Emperor was very proud of her and trusted her more than anyone. Time after time she had proved her worth and her loyalty to him. It was because of her that he never needed to set foot on the battlefield although he was more than capable of destroying any enemy in one swing of his sword.

Gouenji paced around anxiously in front of his throne as the sun almost set. A cold breeze entered through the large window of the hall, moving his platinum-blond locks a little. The court was empty as the day's work had ended and everyone had already gone to their homes but he was waiting for an important news. Once again the nearby kingdom had attacked the Inazuma Kingdom thinking they could succeed this time. It had been the third day of the battle and he had received no news yet. 

As the last ray of sun was about to hide behind the horizon, he finally heard footsteps approaching his direction. As he eagerly looked towards the entrance of the hall he saw his trusted knight walk up to him followed by some other officials who had gone to the war with her. He quietly heaved a sigh of relief seeing her safe and sound.

As soon as she reached in front of him she sat down on one knee and bowed her head down as a sign of respect to him. The others did the same. She was still in her armor but had taken her helmet off.

"What news do you have?" he asked eagerly.

"The enemies had come close to our borders but we didn't let a single one of them set foot on our land and in the end, we drove them away completely. I don't think they will ever conspire against us." She answered with a stable voice, still looking down.

"Ah, that is a great news. I never doubted you for a second, Riye. Well done." He said, smiling almost unnoticeable. Just then he noticed that the part of the armor on her arm had been broken and blood was gushing out of there. "You're hurt!" He exclaimed with worry. She quickly looked at her arm and covered it with her other hand.

"Oh, it's nothing, my lord." She replied politely.

"Go and take care of it immediately." He said. It sounded more like an order than advice because he knew she would be careless with it if he did not make her pay attention to it. She had a habit of being careless about her well being, especially when she was busy with her work and it worried Gouenji, although he never showed it.

That night when Gouenji lay on his bed, he felt relaxed. He hadn't slept properly for the past two days because of the battle. He was worried about his people and his warriors. But now the crisis was averted and he was happy about it. He was thinking about all of this when his mind involuntarily went to Kira. He couldn't deny that no one else would have taken control of the army so well and lead them to victory as she did.

Ever since she became the knight, their defence had become impermeable. She was the first woman to become a knight and she had proved that she was more talented than most men who came before her. She was fierce and assertive but she never did anything recklessly. She always thought carefully before she took action and her strategies were almost impossible to beat.

The reason for her being so smart and skilled was that she started training at a very young age, even before the usual age for starting one's training. Her father was a knight of the emperor too and he wanted her to take after him and he wanted her to be the best. He made sure no one could beat her and this is why her training started earlier than usual.

Gouenji turned to his side facing the window. The night was tranquil and beautiful. A full moon adorned the sky and a cold breeze kept flowing in, moving the white, silky curtains. His eyes fell on the garden which was washed with silvery moonlight. Seeing the garden brought back memories of his childhood especially the ones he had with Kira.

"Riye, you're back!" the young prince exclaimed with happiness.

"I managed to sneak again but I don't think I have much time." She answered.

"None of that matters. What matters is that you're here. I was so bored being alone. I had no one to play with. Now come with me, I have something to show you." He said with excitement in his voice. He took her hand and ran to the other side of the garden. She had no choice but to follow.

"Where are you taking me?" She questioned. He did not respond; instead, he stopped in front of a tree.

"What are we doing here?" She asked.

"Shhhh..." He kept his index finger on his lips gesturing to keep quiet. He then pointed at a branch of the tree. "Look." He whispered.

Kira looked up in the direction he was pointing and found a beautiful bird sitting there. It had a multicolored crest on its head and its feathers were equally multicolored.

"Woah..." Kira gasped. "It's beautiful."

"I knew you'd like to see this. It had never been here before." He answered.

Kira looked at him and grinned, "I do like it. Thank you for showing me this."

A smile played on his lips as he reminisced about those good times. "I wonder if Riye remembers that." He thought. It bothered him how much she had changed over time. When they were young she used to sneak out to play with him all the time but as they grew up she did that less and less and focused more on her training. Eventually, she stopped meeting him altogether. He did not see her again until his coronation day. It was the same day she was appointed as the knight. He remembered that day clearly,

She walked up to him. He smiled at her as he was happy to see his old friend again.

"Riye? I..." he tried to say something but his voice was drowned in the commotion of the court.

She sat down on one knee in front of him and bowed her head down.

"I'm your humble servant, my lord, I will fight for you and this kingdom; from today till my last breath." She stated in a voice devoid of any emotion. She behaved like she hadn't met him before that day. It was as if she had forgotten all about their childhood friendship. He was shocked to see her like that but he decided not to say anything as he felt the time and place was not right. He thought he would talk to her later but he could never bring himself to do that because of what she had become. She never made it seem like she was the same cheerful girl who used to sneak away from her training to play. She was a completely different person now. She acted like he was no more than someone she was supposed to serve.

"What happened, Riye?" He whispered to himself as the memories came flooding in his mind. Almost three years had passed since the day he saw her changed self for the first time and she had been the same ever since. He did not know if he'll ever see her true self again but he still had not given up on her.  

A/N: Ok so that's the official first chapter. How was it? Please let me know through votes and comments. All support is much appreciated.