Edward:
We continued walking through the dead woods. The sound of our group moving echoed off the grey trees. The men looked on edge as they caught sight of countless beasts prowling beyond the college. If my knight commander was scared, he didn't let it show. His eyes still rolled around his head like a wheel as he examined our surroundings. Brad was biting his lip and fingering his sword. The man was ready and waiting for a fight.
On the other hand, I had too much on my mind to worry about an ambush. It was time to think of a way to whoo this princess. I figured a bribe of some sort. I could offer her a way out of the forest. Well, that's if she is willing to leave. It looked as if she had already made a home here.
The way the Leafy talked about her Master meant she was most likely a guardian and by the looks of things here. The princess should have multiple guardian beasts. Guardians are beasts that submit to a master in both body and soul. The ritual wasn't unknown to humans. In fact, many nobles have guardian beasts, my father included. It was, however, a hard task to get one beast to submit to you, let alone multiple.
I couldn't ask her to leave with so many beasts under her command. (I mean don't need her to leave for good. I just need her for a couple of months.) I thought before shaking the thoughts from my mind. I was starting to sound like my brothers or the other nobles. They use people until they get what they want. I would have to find another way that benefits both parties.
"Ahh!" I let out a not-so-manly yelp as I ran right into Ryan's back. The wide-built man had suddenly stopped. I looked around, noticing that the rest of the group had also halted. The looks on some of the men's faces caused me to feel uneasy. Even Tristan, the usually Stoic squire, was looking panicked. Her eyes bulged and darted around, taking in the surrounding. (What's going on!") I thought as I moved past Ryan. The man had been blocking my view with his large body.
"By the Gods!" I exclaimed as my eyes took in the scene. We were now in a massive clear that was mostly man-made, well I should say beast made. Gorillas were moving downed trees. Wolves prowled the outskirts of the clearing. A few deers and boars roamed the inside of the clearing without a care in the world. Even as the predators mingled about them. Tigers and a few panthers also wandered the land, but none cared that they had prey so close to them.
That wasn't even the most surprising part of it. Leafy, the half-human half-monkey girl, strode through the clearing. She was headed straight for a giant of a beast. A massive snake the same color as the trees lay curled up in the middle of the area. The serpent was as wide as three houses curled up. Its light grey scales made the giant stand out even more. Just looking at the snake made my heart want to stop. Sweat began to form on my back, and my knees got weak. This beast was on the same level as Both Ryan and Brad.
We all stood shocked as we stared at the beast. I could see some of my men shaking. I couldn't blame them. Numerous beasts surrounded us, and we were now looking at one of the strongest beasts in this forest. If they decided to attack, we would be in danger. I knew Ryan would stop at nothing to keep me safe, but it would come at a huge sacrifice. Many, if not all, my men would die trying to buy me time to escape.
"Ryan, this might seem crazy, but what are your odds of facing such a beast?" I asked my protector. I could see the man's eye twitch at my question, but other than that, he stayed calm. After only a second of thought, he began to open his mouth but was cut off by Brad.
"The snake is not the only thing we must worry about." Brad declared, looking to his left. Out of the trees came a blue and green tiger with the horns of a reindeer. The creature was big, about the size of a small house. It narrowed its eyes at us and slowly moved forward. My heart sank into my chest, and my back was sweaty. The power radiating from the tiger sent a shiver down my spine. The beast was at the same level as the snake. (What the hell is this place.) I thought as my hand went to my rapier. I wasn't delusional. I knew I could do any harm to the oversized cat, but I wouldn't just let it kill me.
"Warr!" A voice echoed in my head. The tiger stopped in his tracks a few feet from us. I turned to see the snake who raised his head, looking directly at us. The tiger known as "Warr" huffed and began to walk away.
"I apologize for the cat'ss rudeness. We don't get too many visitorss, especially humans." The serpent said. I was still stunned, looking up at the giant. He stared down with his one good yellow eye. I imagined the snake swallowing me whole without any effort. I was so deep in thought that I didn't realize everyone was waiting for me to speak. Ryan touched my shoulder, causing me to return to reality.
"Nn.. no need to apologize. I... I understand how strange it may seem. But believe me when I say we mean no harm. I am Prince Edward Marian, third prince or Mira. Who am I speaking with? I asked, glad I could get my stuttering in check.
"Ahaha, haha! Sso polite. I am Titan. My Queen has left me in charge. Now! Prince, what business do you have in my Master's land?" Titan said, a little malice in his voice. Ryan and Brad both twitched at the serpent's words. ( Don't you dare cower! You are the Prince of a nation. Get your shit together.) I gave myself one of my famous pep talks. I was used to saying these things when meeting my father, the nation's king. I couldn't let my men see my fear. I could tell many of them were on the brink of losing their mind.
"I'm here to visit the Queen of the Beast Glades. I have a proposal for her." I said with confidence I didn't know I had. I bit my lip so I didn't shake. The viper tilted his head to the side at my question. His eyes narrowed for a second, but the snake didn't move. He stared at me for a long minute. It was more like he was looking through me. After waiting for what felt like hours, A smile crept on the serpent's face.
"Unfortuentaly my Queen is going through her eveolution. Meaning she won't be back for a while. You've most likely traveled a long way. I welcome you to stay, but be warned, if you do anything suspisous then none of you will leave this forest alive." Titan declared as a bit of his blood lust leaked out. A chill ran down my spine, and I saw Brad grip the hilt of his weapon tighter. Ryan was still calm, but I noticed a few beads of sweat roll down his forehead.
"We will be on our best behavior. You have my word as a royal. I hope you'll take care of us while were here." I forced myself to speak, trying to be as polite as possible. I could breathe again a second later as Titan withdrew his killer intent. After that, we were led to a clear spot for us to make camp. Tristan ordered the men to start setting up the tents, and although still in shock, they went to work.
I took a seat on the ground as the soldiers moved around me. Ryan stood beside me. His dark brown eyes scanned the area. Brad, however, just plopped down near me, letting out a long breath. His long silver hair was tied in a ragged bun. He was still wearing the fur armor I first saw him with. I had offered him a change of clothes, but he had refused my offer. His deep blue eyes faced gazed at the sun before landing on me. Even with his disheveled appearance, there was no mistaking his noble features.
"So, what's your next move, little Prince?." Brad asked. I saw the other members of my party eye me. They tried to hide their curiosity, but I could see clearly as day. I stood up from my spot and ordered the men to stop and listen.
"I plan to wait for the Queen to get back, but I understand if there are those that disagree. Know that those that want to leave may do so after signing an oath of secrecy." I said as I waited to see their response. One man stood up and looked around at the others before meeting my eyes. He had thick curly black hair. His tan skin peaked out from gaps in his leather armor. I remembered his name was Rodrigo. He had been our chef for this entire journey, although it wasn't comparable to my chefs in the palace. The food Rodrigo cooked was surprisingly tasteful.
"Your Majesty. Most of us come from common stock. We would have just been conscripted into the army even as squires." The man said, looking at the others. Some nodded their heads while others looked away. Rodrigo was right. The number of common people becoming knights didn't even reach a hundred. A squire must serve a noble to become a full fledge knight. Only a few nobles choose commoners as knights. If I hadn't picked them up, the lot would have become regular soldiers. Effectively killing their dream of becoming a knight.
"In the past few months, we have traveled all over the kingdom and seen sights most wouldn't have seen in their lifetime. We got to show our skills, and now in this forest, we get the chance to be apart of something quite interesting. Scary, but interesting." Rodrigo said nervously before dropping to one knee.
"If not for his Majesty's kindness, none of us would have had the chance to experience this. So I don't care if you choose me for one of your knights, but it would be an honor to serve you," Rodrigo exclaimed. For a moment, I just stood there stunned. While I was there, shocked, the men all began to kneel before me, one after another. Ryan fell to his knees as well and looked up at me.
"These men have worked their entire life to be recognized as knights. They know full well that more than half of them won't make it. Your Majesty has given them a chance to show their worth. As a knight myself, I am grateful for your grace." Ryan declared before bowing his head again. I felt happy for all their sincerity, but I was also a little guilty. I only picked them because they had no allegiance to any other nobles. I could trust a group of commoners to be loyal to me. ( I will have to reward their sincerity when we get back.) I thought as I told them all to stand.
Since they all wanted to stay, we would need to set up some ground rules. So we spent the majority of the night setting up a plan. We had two months of food rations left, so food wouldn't be an issue. We could also hunt for food if we had to. Provided we get permission first. I also need to gather more information about this Queen. The snake said its Master was evolving, meaning The Queen was only a layer five. This strengthen the argument that someone big was supporting the women. It was the only explanation for why so many powerful beasts would follow a little girl. (The Queen of the Beast Glade. I wonder what she looks like?)