Warnings: Injury, hint of suicide (plus attempt), loss of family
Gender: Female
Age: 15 to 17 (It's Roy, that's why)

Remember when I said I had more typical Roy in the works? Here's one
And check those warnings! This isn't as bad as I make it sound to be, but the hints are still there.

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~Reader POV~

I wasn't sure what all happened, but I kept running. Barefoot with my torn clothes, I wondered if I was the only one to escape my village with their life.
It had all been quiet, a calm evening, and then bandits came and raided the place. I had tried to fight and find my family, but it was too late; when I found them, they were all gone.

I remember weeping for them uncontrollably. I was unable to save them. And when I saw the bandit who had done the crime, I charged at them with my (F/W). But when I did, two others had come from the burning ashes, and readied their attacks. Realizing I was out matched, I had no choice but to flee.

Now I was racing in near darkness, tears in my eyes. I dashed though the forest lit only by the moonlight. I kept going and going, fallowing the river that ran though my village down stream. So many emotions flooded me right now. Greif, anger, rage, sorrow...

I soon had to stop and catch my breath. I placed my hand on a tree nearby as I panted for air. I glanced to the river, clear blue with the moons light shimmering off it. Kneeling down, I cupped some water into my mouth to refresh my body before continuing. I was still catching my breath, sitting at the water edge.

"How could this happen? Why us? Why Me?! What did I ever do?"

I preyed to the gods wondering why this had to happen to me. Everyone I loved, now gone. My tears came back, and I did all I could to try and stop them, but it was futile. The tears dripped into the river to be washed away. I was alone in the world now that everyone in my family was dead.

*whoosh*
*splurk*

"AGH!" I had felt an arrow pierce my shoulder, lurching me forward slightly into the cold water. I managed to get myself up, on all floors and look behind me. Bandits from the village had caught up. "This one should sell for a nice price!" The bandit with the bow said aloud, face hidden by their cowl.

Suddenly, I felt a numbness in my shoulder, from where the arrow was, and it began to spread, causing a wave of tiredness over me. I grunted and had heavy breaths, and was feeling my body slow down. "Hah! Don't try and fight it, Pal. You can't run with that in your system." Said another bandit holding an axe.

"With 'that' in my system? Was that a poisoned arrow?! Arg, I gotta... keep going!"

I took to my feet and darted down stream once more. "Hey, get them!" Another bandit yelled

"Ease. They can't make it far before they'll collapse. Now watch and learn..." The bandit with a bow knocked an arrow back. They let loose and I felt another shooting pain in my mid back. I stumbled a little, falling over, but didn't let it get to me. I got right back up and kept running. I heard the other bandits footsteps racing behind me.

But I felt a surge of dizziness overcome me, and I stumbled to the side, grazing the side of a trees bark, scratching me. What did they say about the arrow? It had some kind of poison? My legs were growing weaker and weaker as I went on though the forest. It was hard for me to see, as despite the moonlight being able to guide me before, my vision was going blurry. Combine that with the low light of the night forest, and I was nearly running blind.

I heard a crashing sound of water echoing. Soon, a small opening came into my view and I skidded to a stop. The river had turned to a waterfall, a massive drop, possibly about 50 feet. I was dizzy just looking down at the drop, and the poison was certainly not helping that feeling.

"You aren't seriously thinking of jumping, are you?" Smirked a voice behind me. I turned to see the two bandits chasing me before had caught up. "Listen, we have the antidote." The bandit with the bow pulled a small vial from around their neck. "Come with us, and we will give it to you."

But I wasn't about to let these bandits catch me, not after my hard work of getting away. I took a step back, nearly loosing my balance from the dizziness before I looked back down from the great height. The bandits took a step closer. I was panicking, I would need to choose something, yet both were horrid options with dire consequences.

Jumping would almost certainly be fatal. But going with the bandits would mean I'd be sold off as some slave... or worse...

Then I remembered my family, They were no longer with me anymore. They had been slaughtered, and I had no one left. As morbid as it sounded, I was alone in the world, and saw no point in continuing on being alone. Another hit of exhaustion came over me. I decided there was no reason to go on like this, and jumped, hoping to join them in the afterlife.

The bandits tried to reach for me, totally caught off guard by my choice to take the leap. I felt air whooshing past my ears, and running though my hair. I saw as the water would come closer and closer. My final few seconds in life, spent with air in my face and the thoughts that I would be with my loved ones soon.

I thought I heard their voices calling to me, and telling me the pain would be over. I smiled a little, knowing they were by my side. Soon, I felt a rush of cold water overtake my body, and harsh cuts of rocks which had been at the bottom of the waterfall I had failed to notice.

Yet I did not die from the impact

Instead, I was being washed downstream by a rushing current. I tried to surface for air, but I kept being pulled down. Wait, I lived?! No get to the surface! You can--

*wack*

I felt myself slam, head first into a bolder in the water. Now the dizziness was too much, and darkness was surrounding me. I saw streams of blood coming from my nose only to be washed away into nothingness. I could barely move, I felt stunned. The poison that was making my mind wave and the dizziness from the hard hit to my head, it was futile. This was to be my end. I didn't try to fight it anymore, I wanted it to be over. My last thoughts rang in my mind before the darkness took me.

"I... love you... all..."

~Le wild time skip appeared!~
~Roy POV~

Bright new dawn, and I had been sent to get some water for the morning chores by the army I lead. While everyone assumed I shouldn't do it since I am the prince, I explained I should have to help in anyway I can. I came to the river edge and dropped the buckets in, gathering water. Once full, I put them behind me before filling up my personal water-skin. But right before I was going to head back to camp with the buckets, I saw something from the corner of my eye. Turning, I was shocked at the sight.

I saw someone with (H/C) hair, wearing shredded clothes, having washed a shore on the bank of the river. They were on their stomach, upper body had been in more shallow waters with mouth and nose just above the level, and most of their lower body still trying to be taken by the river currents. Their nose seemed to leak a little blood that dripped into the water.

I didn't see them at first, and they weren't here last night. I went over to them, and knelt down. I placed a hand on their back. "E-Excuse me?" I tried to lightly shake them. "A-Are you alive?"

I noticed they still drew breath, so they were alive obviously. I looked to their back and saw some tears in the back of their shirt, showing open wounds, one of which had half an arrow lodged in. They must have come from upstream, but what happened?

"Lord Roy." A voice behind me called. I glanced and saw it was Marcus, one of my most trusted men. "Oh? Who is this?"

"I'm not sure. I just found them here. Their still alive." I turned back to them, still shaking their body. "Hey! Please wake up!"

~Reader POV~

It was black, feeling cold and wet. I could barely remember everything from last night, my final memories being of right before I hit a rock. I was breathing but felt myself on something harsh and course like sand or silt.

"E-Ex..use m...?" I heard a teenager sounding voice ask, it echoed. Then I felt someone's hand on my back, slightly shaking me. "A-Ar... y.u... ali...?"

I tried to respond, but felt I could not answer them. I couldn't even open my eyes, and even hearing them was hard, parts of what they were saying I couldn't comprehend. It was difficult for me to keep focus, as my mind kept drifting off. Eventually, I heard someone else talking, who sounded much older. Then another person had come over as well. I felt whoever this was dragging me out of the water, and flip my body over. I tried to listen to their conversation, and this time for a brief moment, the voices were more clear.

"We can't leave them here."

"They were already attacked it seemed."

"But who knows if their friend or foe?"

I tried yet again to talk, but nothing came out. My mouth did not even move. And then, I felt my upper body being shifted to sit me up. Then two people put my arms around their necks. "Just hold tight, we'll get you help." Said the older sounding voice.

That's when I felt myself moving. My mind was so dizzy I felt myself going in and out of consciousness repeatedly. Who found me? Was it those bandits? Well whatever they are, I'm left to their mercy. I tried to say thank you, but I'm sure it only came out as mutters, and let those become my last thoughts.

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Nothingness. I began to feel my body, sore, riddled with pain, and taste of iron in my mouth. I couldn't tell where I was, but someone had my arm lifted up, feeling as they were wrapping something around it.

"Any idea when they may wake?"

"Not sure. They seemed to have been shot by a few arrows and some have had some severe recent trauma. The wound on the back of their head is pretty bad. I've already used my healing staff on it."

"Well Lord Roy did say that they washed up on the shore. Good chance they may have come from that village we passed by yesterday."

"Who's talking? What are those voices? They don't sound like bandits... and their... binding my injuries?"

I felt the person place my arm down across the chest. "That's all I can do for now. Their patched up, let's just let them rest." They placed a wet rag over my forehead as well.

I heard footsteps walking away. "No! Wait! I need to-- Argh! My head is... urg..." I felt a migraine like pain come over me. I wanted to talk, to communicate that I was alive, but my body can't fight it. Who is this 'Lord Roy' they mentioned? Did they save me? Everything began to become fuzzy, and I couldn't keep aware anymore.

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"...ey..."

I heard someone, a voice calling to me. It echoed in my head and gave me a splitting headache when they talked.

"...Hey..."

It was dark and I felt cold, but also hot for some reason. Sharp, throbbing pain was in my back, head and arms, and I could feel something around them.

"Are you awake?"

Who's talking? They sound like a young teenager, around my age. I wanted to get up, but it was hard to open my eyes. Unable to do so, I instead gave a weak grunt, trying to signal I was at least alive.

"Oh! Are you waking?" The voice asked, becoming more clear. I felt someone put their hand on my unwrapped arm. My breaths shivered, and felt raspy. "Can you open your eyes?"

I tried to, but they felt like they weighed as much as a horse. My mind was still drifting, and it was hard for me to focus. I wanted to give them a sign, a sign I could hear them but could not move well.

But I kept trying, and I managed the slightest slits to let blinding light in. There was someone to my right, they were looking at me given the way the shadow was in my face, but I could not make out details. Finally, I managed to regain my sight. It took a good moment for the blurriness to clear and my eyes to adjust to the light, but soon, a few blinks and my surroundings became clear.

I was inside a tent, like the one soldiers were used to in war. On my right was a boy, with red hair, and seemingly wearing some fancy blue armor, that gave an air of nobility. He also had a blue headband on and blue, fingerless gloves. He was looking at me in awe with his blue eyes, like he was surprised I was opening them.

I remembered this was not where I ended up. My last memories was after me jumping off the waterfall to escape those bandits, and being washed down the river. Did... did this boy save me?
"Ugh... w-where... am I?" I managed to sputter out.

"You in the care of the Lycain Army. We made camp here." The boy explained. "You can call me Roy. Who... are you?"

"Me...? I'm... my name is (Y/N)." I coughed a little.

"(Y/N)... (Y/N)... I... like that name." Roy responded, after repeating my name multiple times. He sheepishly looked away and scratched the back of his head. "Uhuh Um I mean... are you... feeling ok. I-I-I mean like, I know y-your probably hurt and... such. But--"

I gave a small chuckle, but grunted as it hurt my chest. "I'm fine... I think. In pain, but I am fine."

Roy seemed relieved at my response. "O-Oh... that's good. I was worried when I first found you. You weren't responding at all, and with the injuries you had I feared the worst. But thankfully, you were still breathing."

I quizzically looked at him. "Where did you find me? And how long was I out for?"

"You were on the bank of the river near by. Looked like you had washed up." He explained. "Mostly wounds in your back but also a cut on the back of your head and a few other bumps and bruises. As for time, we found you at dawn and it's around 2pm, so a good few hours. If I may ask, What happened to you to end up in such a condition?"

"I had... I had been attacked by bandits." I glanced away. "They came and raided my village, and... k-killed everyone... I knew..."

I felt tears well in my eyes. I tried to stop crying, but it was futile to, they came flowing anyway. My hands over my face, and I wept. "Everyone I knew... probably d-dead... my village was razed." It all was coming back to me, what I witnessed. I couldn't help but weep for those I knew and loved. I didn't want to cry in front of this boy, but I couldn't stop it.

Then I felt an arm around on my back. I looked and saw Roy had come to sit next to me, and gave me a sorrowful look, and tried to comfort me. I turned to him, and explained.
"I had been chased by bandits... they talked about wanting to sell me. I got shot by poisoned arrows that made it hard for me to get away. Ultimately, I came to a waterfall, and had to jump to escape. After that... I don't fully remember everything, until waking here."

"That... that sounds horrid." Roy frowned. "I think we may have passed your village. We saw the ruins of one that looked like it had just been ransacked. We didn't find any survivors sadly."

I just looked away from Roy, until the sudden grief overcame me, and I looked away, trying to hide my sadness. "I can't thank you enough for helping me. But now... I'm all alone. If I may be honest with you, I jumped from that waterfall in hopes of... reuniting with everyone I lost."

I had closed my eyes, and felt someone giving me an embrace. Roy was hugging me, and I returned it. I felt him running his fingers though my hair, and I started to cry into his shoulder. "It's alright. We'll make those bandits pay. You have my word." He whispered. "You can stay with us for the time being, if only so that you are not alone."

"T-thank you so much, lord Roy."

"Please, just call me Roy..." He insisted. I didn't want to let go, and I don't think he did either. He just kept running his fingers though my hair, and I just nuzzled into his shoulders. "I'll stay by your side, so you'll never be alone again."