Prologue.

August 13th, 1637, twenty-two years earlier.

The sky was dark, concealing the sun with rich, grey, marble-coloured clouds. Rays of sunshine in perfect spheres hid behind the dusted clouds.

Screams of women, men, and children reverberated throughout the streets of Camelot. Swords clashed, and smoke rose from Camelot. Ashes of a new era rose from Camelot. Blood coated the streets, while twenty years of war proved and reached its final peak. The stench of death became repulsive, almost stomach-churning. Horses whinnied, throwing off soldiers and abandoning them. Swords loudly collided, thunderously, swords struck soldiers through the chest.

Massive rocks passed through the city of Camelot, destroying anything in its path.

A small scream came from Axel's lungs. Her mother held her hand over Axel's lips, silencing her from the enemy detecting their whereabouts. Dust sprinkled throughout the air, calmly cradling itself to the ground. With a protective embrace, she held her daughter close to her chest. Small and shallow tears glided down Axel's cheeks. Axel's heart refused to calm down. Her icy eyes peeked through the strand of light that peered through the small cupboard, where the two hid.

Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the home. The floors creaked the closer they approached the small, cluttered kitchen. The men were dressed head to toe with black coloured armour, almost silver. The men slowly, with caution searched through the home. One hand hovering over their swords that hung from their beltline. There were countless possibilities where this could go, but the odds were even if they would leave quietly. Maybe the enemy would spare them, but that was very unlikely. The enemy's hand reached closer to the handle of the cupboard after they heard the scream. Axel's mother widened her eyes and froze, preparing herself for whether this was it for both.

Axel's mother raked her fingers through Axel's blonde hair, as her breath shuttered with fear. At that moment time slowed down, Axel leapt out from the cupboard, without her mother's consent, and made a run for it. Taking her chances out onto the streets. The outburst of her actions surprised the men, one lunged and tried to grab her hair. Axel ducked while the tears streamed from her eyes. The tears fogged her vision and made it difficult to see.

The little girl stood there, frozen in fear when she observed the bloodshed that happened in the streets. Her hands started to shake and her heart was threatening to explode. But that very second, someone popped it, as if it was a balloon. A dark, armoured, soldier made eye contact with the child. With hesitant steps, she slowly started to part paths with the Blackguards.

She couldn't believe, nor process whether she would escape her fate. With quick thinking, her instincts kicked in, with vulnerable actions. She sought shelter under a merchant cart, she covered her ears when a massive rock, lit with oil and fire, hit a nearby home. Axel shielded her ears from the sound of destruction and decay. That day she knew her soul wouldn't rest if she survived.

Axel layed on the cobblestone, shuttering in fear. She felt a bile form within her throat. She was devastated about how Humans could easily tear someone's life away. She was convinced that the enemy would find her, for how loud her heart was beating.

Axel watched the stances of each soldier. She widened her eyes and froze when she watched a man take on four Blackguard soldiers. Swords clashed and sparked. The valiant knight parried their attacks and gave them a challenge. Suddenly something round, and heavy bounced onto the cobblestone.

It gently rolled close to the cart's wheel. For that, she knew that this was no ordinary knight, he was the King of Camelot and all of England.

Uther Pendragon.

He bravely strode into battle without a single thought, sacrificing everything to save his people.

Uther was a King that valued only his people. He vowed to use a protective force against the ones who threatened the land with a thirst for blood.

He held onto that force, even when his enemy swayed him with a devilish tongue.

Despised and hated the enemy was. A vibrant, blue glow came from the sword he swung over his shoulder. Electricity rippled through the air hovering over the frame of his sword, cutting the armour in two.

Axel watched as Uther's sword was knocked out of his hand, and his back collided with the ground. She gasped when the enemy took advantage of a man that was on the ground. The soldier slowly crawled with a puncture wound through his leg. The enemy finished off the man, sentencing him to his death. Uther rolled and grabbed the dead body, using it as a shield. Axel watched as the sweat dripped from the silver, mixed with black, hair. His midnight blue cape rippled through the air. His sword slid over to the staircase nearby the merchant cart.

Axel couldn't watch her King die. That would be blood on her hands and something that she would take to her grave alone.

Axel's limbs shook like jello. She crawled out from the cart and grabbed the heavy sword. She dragged it, with a quick pace, over to Uther, avoiding other Blackguards in the process.

"KING UTHER!" the five-year-old screamed, holding out his sword, by the tip of the blade. His icy, blue eyes locked with hers. That moment, gravity, space, and time, stopped. Uther pulled the sword and made a small cut on her palms. Electricity flowed around him, his eyes glowed blue, and the battle slowed down.

A clean slice split the man in two. Axel held up her bloody palms, close to her face, horrified at the sight of her own blood.

Something inside her stomach rose up to her chest, she did the right thing. Like her mother taught her always to follow. She saved the King. That was something no one could strip away from her.

She saved him from shaking hands with death himself. Uther slowly turned around to the Axel. Axel froze and immediately knelt down showing respect for the King.

"There isn't time for kneeling, my child. We need to get you back to your mother. Where is she?" Uther's raspy voice excused the formal bows.

A tear slowly slid from her swollen eyes and down her cheek. Her arm extended as she pointed to her destroyed home. Uther's heart swelled seeing the home was caved in. And now she is orphaned.

Her home was gone, along with her mother. But she was only five, she couldn't understand that her actions led to these consequences.

Uther looked around with caution, the street was empty, no Blackguards, not a sign of life either.

Loud and swift patters game from a distance.

Uther's men swiftly circled the King and Axel, reporting that the battle was far from over. Disappointment masked Uther's face, he wiped a bloody hand over his face, taking in the information received.

Crimson stained the King's face, his jaw locked and his gaze pointed past the shield of horses. A man with a red cape, and black armour, slowly strode down the street. He held two duel swords and wore a helmet that leaked dry copper. The man was concealed within his armour, his eyes glowed a vibrant orange. A pit formed in the King's stomach, he swallowed thickly. He picked up Axel and gave her over to a guard, ordering him to take her to safety. At that moment Uther knew this was the end of the war. The man looked almost paranormal to the Human eye. The guard held onto her tightly, along with the reins.

Axel watched slowly, as the King started to vanish into a cloak of shadows. For that, this was the final duel...

Or was it?