(A story where I have inserted myself as the main character)

I bit at my nail as I stood between two pillars that stood alongside many in the courtyard behind my castle, looking out over the expanse of a deep and far valley littered with strong, looming mountains; my kingdom. The sun was rising. It was time to depart. But my heart was not easy. My mind was otherwise occupied with things not concerning the war I was about to lead at any moment. I could hear the clicking of my advisor's heals as he came up behind me. The swoosh of his royal robes and clank of chainmail indicated that he was, in fact, dressed for battle as was I and hopefully the rest of my army and convoy that no-doubt was waiting for me at the front gates. Closing my eyes, I awaited his words for us to depart, my heart already dropping that the thought of having to shed more blood for the sake of peace.

"My Lady, we mustn't linger any longer. The enemy will grow restless and take matters into their own hands."

This was the third time Rafta had come to retrieve me but I was quick to send him away. But it seems as though his obedience only lasts so long. No matter how long I hoped to stand there and try to get my thoughts together, I was not going to get out of sending my men off to battle. Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes and solidified my resolve as I turned. I looked directly at Rafta as I took long, determined steps, patting my hand on his shoulder as I passed him.

"Then what in the world are you doing here, Rafta? We have a kingdom to protect and cannot spare a moment for you to collect your thoughts."

Rafta let out a breath and let his shoulders sag before he turned on his heel and followed me, making me smile slightly.

"Yes, My lady."

I kept my smile to myself as I walked with authority through the halls of my castle to the inner courtyard. The grandeur of the palace nearly mocked the impending battle. I nearly called for the groundsmen to come and remove the newly planted flowers and installed water feature. But the sound of an animal screeching followed by a gentle rustle of feathers made me pause at the center of the cobblestone path.

There to my right stood two saddled Obococh. They were large birds, nearly resembling chickens, that all the royal officers were granted to ride into battle. Though horses can be quite useful, the Obococh used their beaks to peck at those who caused their rider harm if their ear-piercing war cries don't stun them enough. They cannot fly but have the ability to run farther and faster than any animal in the shortest amount of time in known record. I couldn't help but get excited seeing such magnificent beasts all suited up and ready for war.

One was a pale white with burgundy spots littering its feathers and nearly black legs that matched its dark beak. The armor around her face and down her legs were a shining silver, making her look far more intimidating than I personally knew her to be. I raised Caco from a hatchling, therefore she will forever be a little chick to me despite her sharp beak and talons that I have watched on countless occasions rip open and tare to shreds the enemies that wish her or I any harm. As if her towering height of nearly eight feet tall wasn't enough of a deterrent.

Next to her was Dosco, another Obococh, at a staggering nine and a half feet tall. His jet black feathers nearly swallowed his silver armor that covered his gray legs and beak. Seeing Dosco and Caco together only meant one thing; my second in command has come to retrieve me.

Turning to Rafta, I nodded for him to go and lead his regiment seeing as how my keeper has arrived. Now alone, I tried to steady my suddenly rapidly beating heart as I neared the two war beasts. Dosco's rider sounded behind his steed as he bothered with one of the stirrups. Upon hearing me approach, I watched him saunter out from behind Dosco, placing a hand on Coco's feathery neck with a raised brow and a smirk.

"Look who has decided to finally grace us with her presence."

"I am here now, do with me what you wish."

"Careful, princess, use those words loosely and one may get the impression you actually mean it."

Sym "Arrowsbane" Erovic was both a blessing and a curse in my life. Having saved him from a horde of dangerous Grospos' while I was out patrolling the borders of my land, he was now in my debt. Or so he says. Personally, I like to think he got used to being around people and found he enjoyed leading an elite group of hunters under the banner of such a generous queen.

Making my way closer to him it was hard not to take in his awesome physique. He was a solid man, through and through. His arms were an impressive size and impressive to watch as he did even the most simplest of things as running a hand through his long dark hair that was streaked with silver despite his young age. But that was hard to determine given the roughly manicured beard that ran along his chiseled jaw and framed his humorlessly smirking lips.

I looked up at him, humor creasing the edges of his shining gold eyes as he looked down at me, his face devoid of all emotion. It was hard to tell when Arrowsbane was in a good mood or not. The scars on his face unintentionally helped with that deception. He had two on his forehead, one about three inches long that spanned over his left eye. Another of equal length moved from his forehead down to the top of his right eye, breaking his dark eyebrow in two. He was a stoic man and never made it a habit to smile, the scar on his right cheek that lead from under his right eye to nearly the corner of his mouth making it difficult to tell if he ever did smile in his past life.

Anger, contempt, and indifference were the only emotions I saw more than three-quarters of the time I am with him. But thankfully none of it was ever toward me. Though he may disagree on some things, in all the four years he has decided to be my second in command and leader of my hunters, he had always been tolerantly obedient.

He looked like he was getting ready for a midday ride and not a life-endangering battle with his loose hunting clothes and lack of suited armor. Though I myself was fitted in nothing else but a riding dress over a blouse, corset, and chaps, I knew my armor awaited me at the checkpoint two days ride from here. Crossing my arms over my chest, I gave him a leveling look as I did my best not to smile.

"Arrowsbane, I believe you are here for another reason other than to chastise my late arrival and word choice on the matter."

Arrowsbane scoffed at his hunter's title, crossing his own arms over his chest. "Perhaps it is true that the royalty is free to do as they wish but leaving your army to wait with shaking knees as you gaze over your kingdom does not sit well, even with a man so callous as myself."

I nearly blushed at his words, knowing him to be right. Dropping my arms, I approached Caco and placed a hand on her neck as she nudged my shoulder with affection. "Do not be so harsh on yourself, Arrowsbane. You are not so much as callous as you are dreadfully boring."

I went to mount Caco but my eyes widened as I felt hands around my thighs, helping push me up on my bird. Looking down, I held Arrowsbane's sneering gaze as he shook his head.

"I wish you would stop calling me that," he grumbled as he effortlessly climbed Dosco.

I raised a brow as I looked at him, real curiosity pricking my mind. "Why? That is your name is it not? I let you call me Princess when I clearly no longer hold that title."

I could have sworn I saw a smirk as he pushed Dosco forward, so I hurried Caco on to keep up with him. Arrowsbane did not look to me when he answered, his voice nearly too quiet to hear.

"If I were to call you Queen will you call me Erovic at the least."

I scrunched my nose hearing him say "Queen" as we exited the courtyard and made our way to the front gate, the talons of the Obococh slapping against the cobblestones. We paused at the gate as it slowly opened for us to pass through, the sound of the army gathering to leave growing louder. I turned to my huntsman and looked him over as he sat still and strong atop his bird. Coming to a decision I turned back to the rising gate, uttering one word.

"Braylee."

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as the trained man looked to me, his hair tossing slightly. "Pardon, Princess?"

I let myself smile, glancing at him quickly as I pressed Caco forward and down the front way of the castle to the readying men. "You heard me, Huntsman. I shall address you as Erovic if you address me by my last name as well. Braylee."

There was a pause before Erovic answered with a gruff 'hmph', his voice heavy with feigned disinterest, though I could tell he was pleased.

I let out a small laugh. "We have been friends long enough to drop titles, have we not? Besides, with what is to come, we may not have another time to speak thusly."

Erovic did not answer me but I felt a hand on my arm. Looking over I saw concern in the man's nearly yellow eyes as his brows pinched inward. Shock at seeing him express so much at once nearly made me forget what we were talking about. His physical touch nearly made me forget where I was. As he spoke I was reminded that he too was human and not a numb machine.

"You speak as if this will be the last time we will ever speak to each other. You disregarded my wish for you to have a set of guards with you at all times and now you speak with dread? What has come over the Queen who strode into her ally's throne and spit upon his name when he treated your men and servants poorly during the peace treaty? One would think you are doubting your own leadership as well as the strength of your men." Erovic moved his hand from my arm to my shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Fear is a fool's maker. Guard yourself against succumbing to the very thing that you advised me from falling into the day you saved me. Doubt and pride cannot live in a stalwart woman's heart."

I blinked as I processed what was said, the moment interrupted by Dosco moving closer, bringing his rider with him. We were now at the front of the army but hidden behind a wall of banners, our surroundings falling away as I heard such an indifferent man drop his image to comfort a Queen. Tears welled up in my eyes but I blinked them back. I dare not give him more of a reason to scold the crown. But he surprised me still. Gently and nearly as slow as if it were a dream, Erovic lifted his hand and stroked my rebellious tears, the back of his fingers soft against my cheek.

Leaning forward, Arrowsbane of the Forest hardened his golden eyes, his hair sweeping off his shoulders as his face nearly touched my own. I held my breath as he searched my face. His voice came out low, nearly a whisper but there was an edge that sounded all too familiar.

"Doubt yourself again and I will leave you to be slaughtered by the moraless Tacams without a second thought."

There he is. With that he rode off, meeting with the army general and his staff. I sat there, a ghost of a smile pulling at my lips as my tears dried. Taking a deep breath I suddenly felt better. Better about two things; the impending battle and the troubling question that plagued my mind on the edge of the pillared tarris.

~~~~~~

I blinked back the sweat that trickled down my brow as I breathed hard, looking around the battlefield and the many fallen bodies that covered it. The Tacams cheated. They attacked my checkpoint despite the wartime agreement I begrudgingly agreed to. It was their idea to do this "civilly". Alas, I now see why they were so eager to bind my word to such an odd request as waiting until the day of the full moon. Erovic had told me of his unease with the plan but I, too, disregarded my own feelings on the matter. Now we fight with fewer men than I had recruited and the Tacams were only getting stronger. They no doubt sense their success just as I can sense my defeat.

Off to the east, I could see Erovic leading his men of hunters, taking out the back advancements, his hair now pulled up in a knot that was slowly coming undone. His cries of battle and barking orders that reached my ears were the only things keeping me from throwing my sword in surrender. To have his anger and hatred directly aimed toward me frightened me far more than succumbing to the punishment of a failed battle.

But the cries of my men and the colors of our beloved Goratodo kingdom still flying gave me what little hope there was left, hardening my heart to the idea of abandoning them. I narrowed my eyes and searched the field, Caco and my sword striking down anyone that got too close as I looked for the man who started all of this.

There, off to the west by a wall of trees, the king of the Tacams looked to be growing tired. I watched as he slowly backed up closer to the treeline, his plan to flee growing more apparent though it made no sense. He was winning. What made a king leave his men at the precipice of victory?

But I didn't dwell on it. Instead, I grabbed Caco's reigns and pressed her forward to follow the pitiful King Boza. I yelled to my chief captain that he had leadership over the men before I turned forward and watched with satisfaction as Caco's talons trampled enemy men who didn't move fast enough. Her long neck arched forward and with the reinforcement of her head armor, she would pluck the heads off of those brave enough to charge her, push aside idiots with a flick of her head, or grasp them by any appendage and fling them across the fighting heads of the remaining shoulders. I tightened the grip on my sword and raised it to be level with my chest, ready to run it through King Boza.

Suddenly there was a blinding flash. The ground came up to meet me as the air was filled with the shrill cry of a wounded Obococh. I blinked as I struggled to breathe, the air thoroughly evicted from my chest. But the sound of whimpering followed by the frantic ruffling of feathers drew my attention. I looked to the side and started to cry as I watched my sweet Caco struggling to breathe, her light colored feathers covered in more crimson than before. Her green eyes connected with mine as her movements became halted and shaky. Tears slipped down my cheek as I watched helplessly as the life drained from her eyes just as quickly as the blood spilled out of her wound on her chest.

I felt a sharp pain in my side. Looking down I saw my own sword embedded in my waist, pinning me to the ground. I grabbed for it but a hand landed on the top of the hilt, making me cry out in pain. My world darkened a shadow covered me, the muddied boots of a man blocking Caco's stilled corpse from my view. A sword point pressed against my throat as I looked up at the darkened face of King Boza. With seething anger, I lifted my head and pressed my throat against his blade.

"You are the worst sort of human to ever have the disservice to exist on this planet. The scum of the earth are far better than the likes of you and your obdurate ways."

The King smirked as he knelt down, his sword still cold against my skin. "You put too much trust in people, my dear young queen. I knew it was too soon to put you on the throne. Pitty your death will be just as swift as your short-lived reign." He placed his free hand on my sword's hilt again and twisted as he lifted his own sword, ready to strike me down.

I stared him in the eyes as blood drooled down my mouth and coated my teeth. I smugly smiled as I felt my life slowly leave my arms and legs, growing cold with each breath. The anger of losing so many of my men, my trusted bird, and the chance to tell the only man I have ever trusted that I loved him more than anything on this earth fueled my will to stay alive for as long as I dared.

"Finish me off and encourage the wrath of my huntsman and his scouts. Seal your fate of a slow death if ever my subjects were to find your slithering vermin of a soul even just a breath away from my kingdom's borders. You are now a target that will never cease being hunted."

"Shut up and die!" King Boza growled.

But he suddenly froze. His hand dropped from my sword and his knees buckled, revealing Erovic standing behind him, his face in growling anger as he pressed his long sword deeper into the filthy king's back. With a satisfying thunk, King Boza fell backward, lifeless as his eyes stared with empty shock at the edge of the forest.

My once leveled breathing quickly turned sporadic as I felt myself drowning in my own blood. Erovic took my sword out of my side and dropped himself beside me, picking up my head as he cradled it in his hands on his lap. His hair tickled my face and neck as he stroked back my hair and wiped the blood from my mouth.

"Braylee. Princess," Erovic blinked hard as he held a hand to my bleeding wound, "My Queen," he whispered as his gold eyes started to shine.

I reached up with a shaky hand, my vision becoming blurry. "Shhh, Erovic, my huntsman. This was not a result of my doubts."

"Jest later and save your strength."

I laughed lightly, resulting in a horrid cough. My body ached but at the same time felt light as a feather. I could no longer feel his stubbled cheek under my fingertips. "And for what will I need such strength? I am fading. And I don't wish to fight with you."

Erovic shook his head as he moved his hands to slide under me, his strong arms picking me up as if I were no more than a basket of flowers. "Silence. I will fight with you. And I will fight with you for the rest of our days." He held me to his chest as he stood up straight. I closed my eyes against the warmth of his body as he looked down at me while he started walking quickly in a vain attempt to seek aid. "Keep your eyes open." I felt a press of a gentle kiss to my forehead.

Peeking my eyes open with what was left of my energy I held onto his eyes, his golden eyes that for the past four years has helped me be a better Queen. He knew not of his power over me but I dared not let myself leave this place without him knowing.

"I wish for you to lead my people," I took a shaky breath, my wound no longer hurting, "If I could have it my way you would have been King nearly a fortnight ago."

Erovic smiled sweetly, his face lighting up I a way that made my heart nearly burst. "If I had it my way you wouldn't be speaking as if it still weren't possible."

I tried to smile but it turned into a frown, my tears coming again as I felt my body shudder in his arms. "Sym," I whispered his real name as I clutched to his shirt, "I'm scared."

His eyes grew wide and he looked around wildly before taking off at a run. "Don't you dare leave me Anneth, don't you dare."

The last thing I remember was the warmth of Sym Erovic, my handsome huntsman, as he held me to him, his body pushing and pulling as he ran. His voice deep and threatening as he made witless promises to me in bargain for my resilience to hold on for a little longer. My eyes closed and my heart slowed. But I never grew cold. The only thing I could think was that I was glad I ended up in his arms, even if it was all for not. But the image of his smile stayed in my mind, tugging me back to reality as I now had another fight on my hands, even at death's door.