The night was deep but it wasn't the usual. The crimson flames joined in the night.
It should be silence that filled the castle but there were screams and sounds of clashing of swords echoing in every corner.
"Your highness, please, we must hurry." The nanny's trembling voice barely made it to Alice's ears.
"But what about father?" she still managed to ask, pulling her night dress with her free hand and looking back to the soldiers that died one by one as they walked farther.
"We will meet him in no time if you hurry." Her voice answered with panic. Alice hurried her footsteps despite waking up in the middle of a good night sleep. She glanced at the soldiers below the stairs. Some of them still fighting, some already breathless on the floor. She couldn't help but shed a tear. After all, they were men that trained her and even treated her as a friend.
"We're almost there. Come on." Her nanny pulling her hands said. Alice quickly wiped her tears that just escaped. She wasn't allowed to cry in front of his father.
"Alice!" a familiar voice ran to her and hugged her. "Thank God you're alive." Her teacher's usual rose scent relaxed Alice.
"Teacher, are we meeting father at the usual place?" she asked in the room lighted with only two torches. She saw her teacher's disheveled aging air and the worry in her eyes. "Yes, he will come and get you soon."
Alice sat on one of the cold chairs in the dark room. She looked around; there were a few maids and some children she once saw in the kitchen, helping out their parents. They were crying and it made Alice envy them. At least, they were allowed to cry anytime.
'Rebellion' her teacher had said. Alice knew of this. Her father had once told her to be prepared because one day, anyone come and take the throne for himself. That was why she wasn't allowed to show her weakness. The scene of Airen soldiers fighting on opposite sides pained her. Weren't they supposed to fight for each other? Weren't they supposed to side with their country?
She wanted to ask her teacher but she was busy talking seriously with some men and women in the room.
"Alicia!" the door was pushed open and there came in a man in full armor, breath heavy, blood stained his fair face, and blood dripped from his sword. He rushed to Alice but halted. He sighed and held Alice's shoulders.
"I thought I'd never see you again."
Alice stared at the unfamiliar stare of his father. His eyes were always cold and his brows furrowing. His words was always 'good', 'needs improvement', or 'disappointing'. She stared and tears escaped her eyes. Her father. Her father who was always so distant and cold looked like he was about to cry.
"I told you not to shed tears, Alice." His words were sharp but there was warmth in his tone. "Never show your weakness. I told you that many times already." Alice wiped her tears fast and nodded at him.
Satisfied, the king stood. "Anytime now, Garen's reinforcements will be here." His men and her teachers started gathering around him. "We already talked about these. Nothing will change from the plan that we've prepared for so long."
Luis turned to his daughter who was listening seriously. "Alicia," he took out a dagger. Its size's half the size of Alice's hand. Its sheath was hard leather. "I taught you how to survive, Alice. If you die here without accomplishing anything good, forget that you ever had a father." He let Alice take in his words before turning away again.
Alice pulled the dagger. It was perfect in her hands. The handle was purple but what was the most dazzling about it was the perfect emerald gem engraved in it. She had held different kinds of weapons before. She would touch their blades and felt joy in feeling the warm rush of excitement during their practices. But when she held the blades of this particular dagger, all she felt was the coldness of it. She knew what weapons are made of. She was taught of it. Her teacher's words echoed in her mind.
"Their blades are meant to be on flesh."
**
Alice's body danced in the midst of five men with a dagger on her hand. She was just 16 yet they showed no mercy in trying to kill her. She was wounded, of course, but not painful enough to stop her from fighting. Her father was not that far from her, swinging his sword that killed thousands of men for 30 years. Just a few more steps and they could run away from here.
"Your highness, we must go." Her teacher interrupted her fight. In a split second, the five men were already down on the ground. She looked back at her father who won against a group of men. He also looked at her. He smiled, she would have smiled back if not for an arrow that fell and sank on his heart.
"No!!!!!!" Alice scream filled the forest. She saw a crimson fluid coming out of his father's mouth. Despite it, he stood and continued digging his blade in his enemies' bodies.
"GO!!!!!!!!!!" his father shouted, turning away from Alice before he dug his sword on the ground.
"No! We have to help him!" She struggled but his father's men were already dragging her away. "Teacher, please! He'll die! He'll die if we don't help him! Please! Father!" she cried.
Alice kicked the men and even wounded one of them. When her teacher saw it, she glared at her and ordered them to put her down.
"Listen, Alicia." She glowered at her, "He is a king, a warrior, but before that, he is a father. What father would want his daughter to risk her life to save him?" she sounded cold… and sad, " If you go back now, he'll never forgive you."
Alice wept and let herself be pulled in a ship. A ship that would take her away from the life she lived in, away from her father's corpse. From the country she loved and the fiancé that betrayed her.
A ship that would sail her away from the place where her nightmare happened.