Sonya narrowly avoided slamming into a tree. She couldn't run or think straight in the dark. It kinda hard when you're running from a gigantic soldier who looks like he is going to tear your heart out! Fortunately, he wasn't doing so well either. He couldn't slip past trees, or do anything with ease. But that made his anger grow, making him shout threats at her. And at night, it was like being chased in a nightmare.

"When I get my hands on you, no one will be able to tell that you were a princess!" Giant bellowed. Sonya's legs felt like jelly, but to keep intact, she had to run. Already she hated the word.

The slope they were running on turned steep, and soon, Sonya had to run into trees to keep herself from sliding. She pushed off one just as Giant slammed into it, nearly grabbing her hair in the process. She heard a dry crack, and the tree fell, along with Giant.

"I'll get--" Was all Giant got out before the slope took him down hill. Sonya was about to join him, but threw her arms around a tree. Below, the tree had caught on the trunks of others. But the same couldn't be said for Giant. She couldn't see that far, well, she couldn't see at all. The only thing she knew was to get away from her pursuers.

   She stumbled back, and struggled to get uphill. Sonya didn't know what passed after that. All she knew was that she had to get somewhere safe.

   That's what her father said she'd be. Safe. The very word stung her. All her life she was surrounded by guardians, servants, friends, and her father. Safe. In one moment, her guardians were slaughtered, servants humiliated and then slain, her friends murdered, and her father's head was mounted on a pike. Sonya felt a wave of emotions cover her. She sunk to her knees, grasping the earth, the only thing that was constant.

   There were no stars out, just a milky darkness. Sonya took shakes breath, and stood up.

   "Ouch!" She hissed as she hit a branch. Whimpering, but knowing she had to move, she took another step, then another. Her shoes had worn through, not making a difference if they were on or off. Her clothing didn't shield her from the cold, or the wind that chilled her to the bone.

   Regardless of her physical pain, her emotions drowned it out. She had to live, for her father. Sonya still remembered when the dark soldiers infiltrated the castle...

Sir Roden, her guardian, raised his head at the sound of the alarms. "My princess, danger approaches." He always wore silver armor, the color of his hair. The last time she saw it, it was plastered with blood.

"What happened?" Sonya rose from her reading position, her brown hair neatly up. She wore a light pink dress, and no cosmetics. They were in the castle garden, and the sun shone through the pearly white clouds. It would have been perfect, but life sent a storm in disguise.

   "Someone must be attacking." As if on queue, a blood curdling scream pierced the air. "We must move princess." Sonya grabbed her book, she didn't know how long she would be cooped in the secret tunnels. Whenever there was an emergency, she was whisked into the tunnels. Most of the time it was nothing, this was the same. Or should have been. Sir Roden gently guided Sonya to the edge of the garden. As they turned the corner, a group of maids nearly ran into them.

"Sir Roden!" They gasped, putting ma hand to their bosoms. Most of them were in tears, the rest were about to be.

"What happened?" Sir Roden demanded, standing in front of Sonya.

Most of them began crying, but one older servant said, "An attack came from the inside." She took a shuddering breath. "They had the citadel before we knew the attack began."

Sir Roden growled, "Treason!"

"What do we do!" A girl about Sonya's age cried out.

Sir Roden looked to the castle. "Let's hope they didn't get the back gate." He turned and began to lead Sonya away from the castle.

A group of guards rushed behind the maids. "You there! Sto-- Sir Roden!" They halted their charge. One of them whispered to their leader.

"Er, is the princess safe?" A guard asked. "I mean, she's with you?"

The maids looked like mice in a trap. Sir Roden frowned. "Yes, now find the intruders, quickly."

"Sir!" The leader muttered something to the soldier, who left with half the group. Seven remained. "We have decided to aid the princess."

"Of course." Sir Roden nodded. "Make certain we are not followed." He pulled Sonya around a sharp corner, blocking the guards from their sight.

The older servant grabbed Sonya's arm. "Come with me quickly." Before Sonya could respond, she was pulled into the bushes. A hand covered her mouth. Sir Roden turned the next corner when the guards turned the first corner. Sonya tried to call out to her guardian, but hesitated as the guards drew their weapons and ran after Sir Roden.

Sonya's eyes widened, this wasn't happening. She heard the clashing of swords, and her guardian holler. "You'll never kill the line of King Terran!"

Sonya was wrenched from her hiding spot and into a sprint. The servant pulled her through bushes, not bothering to use the path. Their destination was clear. The back gate.

The clashing of swords grew distant, and Sonya's rapid footfall was all she could hear. They crawled under a large hedge, which Sonya visibly noticed, ripped her dress. Her modesty was compromised, but then, everything was compromised.

"Here my princess." The servant pulled her toward a tucked away gate, covered in vines. She unlocked it.

Voices in the distance shouted, "Make to the gate! She can't escape!"

"Sir Roden." Sonya whimpered. He wasn't...but she knew he was.

The servant grabbed Sonya's hands. "Make for the forest. Run!" Tears filled her eyes. "Run my princess."

"What about you?" Sonya nearly squeaked. Her dress was covered in dirt, and savagely torn. Even her hair was in a savage state.

"I will make sure you have safe passage from here. Now go!" The servant pushed Sonya threw the gate, and slammed it shut. Sonya heard a the gate lock. When she turned around the servant looked back at her.

"She's over here!" A guard called out.

"Long live the line of Terran." The servant rasped, then threw the key at Sonya. She caught it.

"She's-- you wretch!" A guard shouted at her beheld the scene before him. A group of guards were behind him.

"Run princ--" Was all the servant got out before a guard stabbed her through the heart.

Sonya screamed. The guards seemed to remember their task, and tried to open the gate.

"No key!" One shouted. Sonya turned on her heel, and ran.

"We'll get you!" Came an angry shout behind her. "We killed your father, we'll kill you too!" A dagger whizzed by her, thudding into the ground. Sonya gasped. Not at the dagger, not at the pain in her feet, but in the ice that pierced her heart. My father is dead. She looked at the castle one last time. The guards worked at the gate. Their dark purple tunics flashed against the stone wall, and greenery of the garden behind them. Purple. Her uncle's guards.

Sonya fought back tears. How could her uncle...kill...her father. He wanted to kill her too. She had to find somewhere safe. As though her wish came true, a log cabin became visible. The sun hadn't come up yet, and it was fairly dark, but Sonya could see a cabin. Sighing with relief, Sonya walked, more like limped, to the cabin door.

It wasn't locked, so she opened the door a crack. The interior was black. She opened the door further, and pinched her nose. It smelled terrible. The light from the door revealed a dirty cabin.

A noise behind her made her jump. She stumbled inside and slammed the door. A howl hooted and flew off of a nearby branch, as if sensing the change of night to day. Sonya laughed, that was the most friendly thing she's heard for a few weeks.

Perhaps not thinking the clearest, Sonya opened the door closest to her. Seeing that there was a bed, she slumped into it. She coughed a little at the dust, but then slowly fell asleep.

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WeirdWonder