The Last Princess of Lorrea Ch. 01

It's been two long years since I fled the gleaming, pristine capital city of my ancestors. War had been brewing for many years but none, not even my father, the appointed ruler of our country, believed there was a risk of it's downfall. We relied too much on the kindness of our "neighbours", to honour our peace agreement that should any one border country be attacked by a country with which there is no treaty, all countries signed to said document must obey the call to arms. How naive we were.

I grew up the the eldest and youngest child of my parents, queen and king of the land of Lorrea. My father never made me feel that I was a disappointment being born a girl - for I would be the natural heir to the throne regardless of my sex - should the people choose to elect me. My mother constantly fretted that I would not attract appropriate suitors owing to the fact that I spent most of my free time climbing trees, swimming in the lakes and hunting wild boar. More often than not she'd sigh as I'd come back from a hunt mud-smeared and scratched bloody, but my father would just chuckle and return to his advisors discussing the matters of the state.

I was 22 when my world crumbled around me. I was woken in the middle of the night by my father - at once I knew something was not right. There was screaming outside the windows of the castle and an odd light danced across the horizon. I realised that I was seeing flames! The city was aflame!

"Quickly Elena! dress in your darkest clothing, take your quiver and bow and meet your mother and I in the entrance hall in one minute."

"Father... what is happening? I don't-" i stammered before he cut me off.

"Don't argue! there is no time to explain- the Kravaolian soldiers are near the gate and our guards will not be able to hold them off for much longer, please dear, I beseech you - hurry".

I had never before heard the tone of desperation in his voice and it chilled me to my core. He left my room swiftly, leaving me to dart about, assembling things that I thought may assist me in my dark hour of need.

I descended the sweeping staircase, my footsteps muffled in the royal purple carpet. The entrance hall was eerily deserted but for the three figures huddled at the door. My mother, dressed in a bottle green velvet dress, a crown on her head and a jeweled dagger sheathed at her waist. She was conversing in urgent whispers with my father, who was decked out in full military dress and with my father's royal bodyguard, Malcolm, similarly in combat uniform but not as decorated.

"It is not safe my lord, I beg of you to reconsider!" pleaded Malcolm.

"There is no alternative captain. The back exit is engulfed in smoke and debris, this is the only way out." said the king.

"But sir, it is surely a trap, can't you see this?! you will be playing right into king Xander's hands if you do this." Malcolm said, his eyes wide and pleading.

"There is no other way. You and I both know Xander wants every one of us dead. If we do this, one of us may have a chance" he said with a great sigh, his eyes on his white-faced wife. Tears were flowing silently from her eyes. However she nodded at her husband, her hand fastening around the dagger. The king lifted his eyes to his daughter, calling her forward.

"Listen my darling Elena, we are surrounded and there is no other way out but through here. The castle is slowly burning so we can not stay inside and fight from within. We must therefore flee the grounds--- Do not interrupt me I beg of you darling!" the king raised his voice as it was obvious that Elena was about to say something. "Your mother and I will go to the right, Malcolm and you will go to the left, that way, maybe we will confuse the archers or whoever is lying in wait... but we only get one chance. Do you understand me?" he asked, looking down at his only daughter.

Tears welled in my eyes and I shook my head. My father grasped my arms and knelt down and said to me "You are the princess of Lorrea, you must honour your heritage, your country and yourself, no matter what happens..." he pulled off from around his neck a thin golden chain looped through a medallion of an intricate pattern of the family coat of arms "this is proof of your nobility - show it to our countrymen for safe passage but keep it hidden from our enemies for your own safety".

I slipped the golden chain over my head and stowed the medallion and the rest of the chain below the robes of my black velvet dress. I looked up at my father and nodded silently as words failed me. My mother hugged me tightly, more tightly than I could ever recall. She broke our hug and pressed her palm on top malcolm's breast plate and said "I entrust her safety to you captain".

"My life for hers, if it comes to that, worry not your highness" said Malcolm, with a terse bow of his head.

My father looked at Malcolm and said in a shaking voice, "You know what will happen if she is captured captain..."

A beam of understanding shot between both military men. "I know, sir. I will not let it happen". Malcolm said tersely.

"We must leave now or else we shall all perish from this smoke" coughed the queen.

"Ready everyone?" The king asked, his hand on the large brass door handle. " Remember, for the honour of Lorrea!" he roared before ripping the door open, pulling the queen after him, Malcolm following quickly pulling Elena behind him.

It was a wild scene. The city was burning, people were screaming and the wind was whipping around Elena. Just a moment, she thought, such a strange wind, so high pitched on a warm summer's night... that's not wind.. it's arrows! Elena ducked lower into the shadows of the castle, following malcolm's quick movements away from the entrance and out of range of the raining arrows.

They had only gone a hundred meters before a scream pierced the night. Elena snapped to a stop, recognising her mother's cry of anguish. Elena was unable to move from panic- until she heard a roar.. her father roared to the night "FOR LORREA!" before silence fell. Heart pumping madly, Elena turned on the spot but before she could make a step towards her parents, strong arms wrapped around her waist.

"Let go of me..." Elena screeched, but was muffled when a large hand covered her mouth.

"Princess you must be quiet or you will get us both killed!" said Malcolm, as he loosened his grip on her midriff, but placing a viselike grip on her arm.

"They are hurt captain! I must go back... we must try and save them" Elena sobbed, trying to pry his grip from her arm.

"The king knew what he was doing and accepted the danger. My mission is to get you to safety princess... I gave your mother my word" said the captain, as he continued to pull the distraught princess along behind him.

The task of heading off possible danger in the dark shadows and struggling with a reluctant princess was proving too much, so the captain dropped his sword and pulled Elena close, shaking her roughly. "Your mother and father are dead... I have spent many years on the battlefield and I recognise a dying mans last roar... Their last act was to provide for your safety so I beg of you, please stop fighting me and fight with me! You are quite capable with a bow, I know this." He held onto her wrists until she stopped sobbing. She took a deep shuddering breath and nodded. He released her and picked up his sword, as she pulled an arrow from her quiver and placed it against the bow.

"Stay behind me princess, keep to the shadows. We are nearing the moat... just a little further and our countrymen will hide us from those who seek to destroy you" whispered the captain.

They approached the moat and gingerly walked across the wooden planks set across it by their invaders. Elena was almost at the other side when she felt a rough hand grip her ankle so hard she thought it would break. She shrieked in surprise and looked down and saw a fithy soldier bearing the Kravaolian symbol of a circle within a triangle, hiding beneath the planks. He raised his sword in one hand as he gripped her ankle with the other and grinned at her, showing a few missing teeth, as he raised his blood stained sword.

Elena closed her eyes and waited for the blow, but all she heard was a high pitched *CLANK*. She opened her eyes and saw that Malcolm had delivered a crushing blow to the soldier's head, slicing deep beneath his helmet. Shaking, she quickly gathered her composure, silently berating herself for not using her bow, but instead acting like a cowardly girl.

"Are you alright?" asked the captain

"Ye- ye. yes... I'm alright" Elena stammered. "lets go" She said, trying to inject bravado into her voice.

They had barely gone a few hundred meters when an arrow whizzed past Elena's head. Malcolm, in front, saw the arrow fly past too. He turned around looking for the source. He found the archer, but the soldier was already falling to the ground, Elena's arrow sticking out of his chest. He looked around and noticed two similar prone bodies. The captain was shocked at how fast she was with a bow - he knew she had skill but her speed was exceptional!

However,as talented she was with her bow, the captain decided they couldn't linger as he noticed more soldiers crossing back over the moat towards them. "Elena... run!" he shouted.

Elena noticed the swelling ranks too. She turned on the spot and set off at a fast run, the captain right beside her. They ran for 5 minutes, side by side, before Elena noticed that the captain was no longer beside her. She stopped, breathing heavily and looked around. She saw him 50 meters behind, doubled over on his hands and knees, and arrow sticking out of his back.

"Captain!" she cried running back to him. as she reached him he was able to straighten up a little, and Elena gasped, noticing that the arrow had gone right through him and was sticking out of his stomach.

"Captain, you must get up! please... you must keep moving!" she tried to pull him up, but he was like a dead weight to her.

"No.... leave me" he coughed, blood dripping down the side of his mouth. "This is a mortal wound.. there is nothing that can be done. You must flee princess, flee into the arms of our countrymen and survive for the kingdom" his said, between gasps for air.

Elena shook her head "I can't leave you here! they'll kill you captain!"

"I will fight for as long as I can, but I cannot save you if you stay with me. If you flee, my mission is not a failure, you have a chance to live. If you stay you will die here too... Remember, you made an oath to your father... honour him by living to fight another day". he said as he spat out a large amount of blood from his mouth.

Elena watched him silently for a moment, tears streaming down her face. She walked a few paces to her left and picked up his sword and gave it to the captain, he grunted in thanks and propped himself up a little taller with it. She bent down and kissed the brave man on his cheek and whispered to him "for Lorrea".

She picked up her bow and headed for the treeline. When she reached the shelter of the trees she looked back and saw the captain, sword raised and giving a hair-raising battle cry as a horde of enemy soldiers surrounded him. Elena sobbed quietly and turned away from the scene, not wishing to witness the end of such a warrior.