It was a windy night. The rain was pouring down heavily on the ground. A flash of lightning struck through the dark sky, illuminating the surroundings for a few seconds.
The thunder kept rumbling continuously, and the branches of trees swayed vigorously from the strong wind.
Anna tossed and turned on her soft bed. Her night's sleep was disturbed by the inclement weather. She opened her eyelids as the roaring thunder deafened her ears.
Unlike usual, the surrounding was engulfed in total darkness. She rubbed her eyes a few times and noticed not even a glint of light was on.
"Why is it so dark? Where's the light?" Anna murmured.
Although it was late at night, the servants usually would have left a few lamps on until dawn. She quickly rose and looked around.
Sudden rushing footsteps coming from the door caught her attention.
Who could that be at this late of the night?
The door was pushed open hastily by the hands of the middle-aged nanny.
"Princess! Run! Save your —"
Thudd!!!
Before she could finish her words, a sword's blade pierced through her body. A gasp left her mouth, and blood began to wet the floor.
"Nessy!" Anna screamed.
Nessy's body fell onto the floor lifelessly.
The princess ran to her nanny, hugging the body that was no longer moving and covered in blood. Before she knew it, a group of men had already surrounded her.
Lightning struck again.
The flash of it revealed the faces of men before her. From the crowd of unknown people standing up wielding swords in their hands, she saw a familiar face; Kaizer Ronan, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Ardel.
"Kai-Kaizer? What are you doing?" Anna stuttered in surprise.
Her eyes opened wide, and after a moment, she finally realised what was happening.
"Isn't it a pleasant surprise, my dear? Well, you wouldn't have guessed this was coming, would you?" A hysterical laugh left the man's lips.
"But…. But why?" Anna was confused.
The man she saw now was not the same man she used to know. Kaizer was once the most trusted person at her side—the one who had been there since her family's demise.
"You should've died in the wrecked ship before like your family! But you're like a cat with nine lives that keeps living!"
Kaizer moved forward, gripping a dagger, ready to strike. Trembling with fear, Anna flinched her shoulders as she saw the blade shine when lighting struck.
Groups of Kaizer's soldiers had already captured the castle. The supporters of the princess had all been eliminated mercilessly. Only those who conspired with him were left.
That man was determined to take over the throne, regardless of what it took.
Kaizer roughly yanked Anna's long, auburn hair and pulled her up. The princess screamed in pain.
"It hurts! Let me go! Help! Somebody help me!" she shouted.
Kaizer didn't bother at her scream. He slapped her cheeks until blood trickled from her lips and tightened his grip.
"You're a st*pid b*tch! You don't deserve to rule. You're clueless and know nothing, yet they want to put you on the throne? " Kaizer glared with a face full of hatred.
"How could you do this to me? I thought you cared for me," Anna cried.
"Cared? Huh! I've been suppressing my hate for you for a long time! You're better dead than alive, you useless thing!" he snarled.
Anna was speechless.
All that was heard was her trembling, sobbing voice. Now, the words of her counsellors rushed through her mind. They had constantly been reminding her that Kaizer was not to be trusted.
Fearing for her life, Anna screamed for help again, calling the guards, but the men laughed at her.
"No one will come for you! They're all dead!" yelled Kaizer.
Anna was utterly shocked.
The princess's heart sank at his words. The faces of the people flashed through her mind. Her counsellors, officers, teachers, escorts, maids and nanny, all of them, were no longer in this world.
"No!" her tears trickled down. Her cheeks stung as the warm tears wet them.
The Prime Minister smirked in arrogance and opened his mouth.
"Do you know what 'Kaizer' means? It means 'the Emperor'! I should have been the ruler of Ardel, not you! Now, die b*tch!!!!" He raised his voice as he lifted the dagger in his right hand.
Thunder rolled again, and the lights poured into the room.
Anna closed her eyes tightly. Was this the end of her life? Kaizer was ready to slit her throat when suddenly, a rough voice was heard from the group of men.
"Hey, such a pretty w*nch you got there! I didn't know that the Princess of Ardel was this cute."
A man with a scar stretched on his face, from the right eye until his nose bridge opened his mouth. He was the leader of the Bargesians who conspired with Kaizer.
The man came forward with an eerie smile, glancing at her from head to toe.
"Why don't you give her to me?" he continued.
Anna's chest was pounding hard. She knew it wouldn't be any better even if Kaizer surrendered her to him.
"She's the princess! She must die!" Kaizer insisted.
His right hand held the dagger while his other hand grabbed the princess's hair.
"Her supporters are already dead. After all, I haven't tasted a beautiful woman in a while, Your Majesty."
There had yet to be a reply from Kaizer. He was contemplating the request made by the Bargesian leader, who was his biggest ally for the usurpation.
It was difficult for him to refuse such a demand from his accomplice since they had a pact that the Bargesians were entitled to loot their enemies and own all captives.
"Don't worry. I'll finish her once all of us are satisfied."
The men began to laugh at the excitement. A beautiful princess would soon become their 'feast'.
"Fine! You can have her!" Kaizer finally answered.
He withdrew his dagger and put it back in the sheath hung on his waist. Pulling Anna's hair, his left hand roughly pushed the princess's body to the Bargesian leader. She nearly fell again, but the burly man's arm quickly caught her up.
"No! No! Don't! Please!"
She struggled frantically to let herself go, but it was useless. Such a petite princess was nothing to compare with the robust figure. The Bargesian leader put the princess's body up on his shoulder, like carrying a flour sack.
"Let's go back to our barracks and have a victory ceremony! We'll have her and the other women as well!" announced the man.
"Yeahhh!!" The other men shouted happily. Anna's screams drowned in the din of the men's voices.
***
The balcony door swung by the gusts and eddies of the wind as the heavily pouring rain wet the hall floor.
The calloused finger of the knightess slowly moved. A groan escaped her mouth as she opened her eyes. Slowly, she moved her body, which was covered in blood.
Lightning struck, and she could see the others lying on the floor in the messy hall. Not a single one of them moved.
Amid the sound of heavy rain, she heard a scream for help. The voice was familiar to her.
Clara took the sword lying next to her. With shaking legs, she forced herself to get up. The scream was heard again; she was sure it was the princess's voice this time.
She moved to where the sound came with wobbly steps. Then, she saw them. Anna was being carried away at the back of the Bargesian leader.
Clara gripped her sword with a trembling hand. She wanted to rush and save the princess, but there were too many of them, and she was alone.
The injuries she suffered after facing Kaizer's uprising army made her unable to fight anymore. She needed to find a way to save the princess.
"I will save you, princess! I swear!" The last standing knightess of Ardel murmured with quivered lips.