Crimson Princess and Her Fated Lover

Leaving Adalon

Leon rode back and gave the all clear to Alexander. It was now time to proceed outside of the borders of Adalon. “From this point on” Alexander said, addressing his soldiers “You will treat the Princess as a fellow soldier and address her as Wren.” Alexander smirked at Serenity and continued “Her safety is first priority, even over me. I don’t anticipate any issues, but want you all aware just in case.” The soldiers nodded their head in agreement. “You’ll need to put your helmet on here.” Alexander said nodding over at Serenity.

Serenity placed the helmet upon her head and climbed upon her horse. He had to get another dig in by making everyone address her as Wren, she thought. Couldn’t she have had a scary name like Dagger or a Valiant name like Arthur? No, another short joke. Her eyes widened for a moment when a thought popped into her head. If she was to be one of the soldiers…..then…. Her thought trailed off. “Ummm Alex, So how am I supposed to address you?

A despicable grin formed on Alexander’s face and he replied “Sire, your highness, my liege, my king and the likes are all appropriate.”

“Blah, yep I just vomited in my mouth.” Serenity groaned. The cheeky bastard was enjoying this part of the trip. Just like a typical annoying brother would. She wasn’t just some lady with status like a Duchess or Baroness! She was the crowned princess of Adalon! She never had to address someone as sire or my liege. The idea that she would have to address Alexander as such was a bitter pill to swallow, especially because she knew he was going to get some sort of sick enjoyment out of it. She glared at Alexander and let out a puff. “Don’t let it go to your head, you aren’t MY king. For the sake of playing my part, I’ll do my best to stomach through it.”

Alexander laughed and motioned everyone forward “Lets get going or this trip will take months!”.

The group arrived at a small crossroads, which was considered neutral ground, and marked the end of Adalon’s kingdom. Serenity stared out in front of her and took in the new scenery. A well used path lay before them that stretched deep into the distance. The forest still swarmed around them so it didn’t look much different, except that it was. It was new forests and trees that didn’t belong to her kingdom. A soft smile rested on her face and she felt her heart race. She shot Alexander a big smile in appreciation as they took those few steps into another kingdoms territory. She was mostly excited, but just a little bit nervous. It was all unknown and new to her. She gave one hesitant glance behind her to her precious Adalon before looking forward to face the unknown.

For a while, all that could be heard were the clopping of horses feet and a few soldiers quietly exchanging conversation. Serenity took this moment and embraced it, absorbing it all deep within. A couple of traveling villagers caught her eye and she noticed how they lowered their eyes. As the group approached them on the road they hunkered over to the side, clearly afraid. Their villagers never had this reaction with them. Why are they so afraid of them? This thought made her sad.

Alexander glanced over and saw the sad look in Serenity’s eyes. This was new for her and he knew she would be feeling uncomfortable. “There wasn’t always peaceful times here. Damien lost his way a bit in the beginning and unfortunately, he hasn’t fully repaired the trust of all of his people.” Alexander said with a frown. “He really is a good guy and has been trying to make amends. Peoples hearts don’t get swayed overnight.”

“I don’t know of a good guy who could scare his own people like that” Serenity said flatly. She felt bad about saying that, but her heart went out to the people. It was their job to protect them and help out those less fortunate. They should not be living in fear of their king.

“Sometimes, people aren’t able to handle their grief and confusion. Everyone reacts differently, especially when they are then forced into a position they were not ready for.” Alexander said in almost a whisper.

Serenity bit her lip and continued riding in silence. She lost her mother, but she never knew her to feel the hurt. Alexander and Damien both took over their kingdoms when they were still kids themselves. She still couldn’t understand it, but maybe it is a good thing that she doesn’t. Serenity looked down and thought about her own situation and fate, the weight of a fate that she wasn’t ready for. Obviously, she even had self doubts since she had never unsheathed her sword. Ugh, she thought. She became aware of the two swords on her back and let out a sigh. The idea that she had to have the blood sword with her made her agitated. On one hand, she was certain she was a good person and could never bring about calamity or a time of chaos. She always had the thought though, that what if the sword itself was evil or the power took control over her? What if she wasn’t strong enough to control the power and it consumed her? Maybe that's what they meant, that if she couldn’t control the power, that it would bring about a time of calamity. She continued to let her thoughts consume her. She wished she knew for certain what would happen. No one knew much about the vague prophecy and those who knew some, like Barthas, haven’t been seen around in years. No, we aren’t having this conversation self! This is my fun adventure, she thought to herself and snapped her head up to watch her surroundings.

Alexander pointed in the direction of a distant village. “We will stop by there briefly and grab a few supplies before stopping to make camp.”

Serenity bounced on her horse in excitement. This would be her first time seeing another kingdom’s village.