Prince Arnold should know from that letter that I left the palace of my own free will. Meanwhile, Prince Theodore believes he's successfully captured me. Neither of them will find fault with Elsie or Kamil.
Back in the present, she felt one of the hairpins come up against something heavy. She flipped it up and heard a click.
Rishe stood, easing the door open, pausing to listen to the men talking on the other side.
"Does one noblewoman really merit this heavy guard? It's Prince Theodore's orders, but surely three of us would suffice."
Rishe steadied her breathing, taking care so that the men wouldn't notice her.
"That lady knows how to use a sword. I think Prince Theo's more concerned about us than her."
"She can't do anything through a locked door! There's five of us here, six on the second floor, and ten more posted outside, right? That's way too many people if you—agh!"
Bam!—
Rishe threw the door open and kicked the man behind the knees.
The man lost his balance, falling just as Rishe swung her sheathed dagger against his neck. With a short grunt, the man collapsed, unconscious.
"Wh-what the?! What's going on?!"
"Hey, the woman got out!"
"But that's impossible! We locked—"
"Shut up and grab her! He ordered us to be gentle, but we have no choice—we gotta tie her up!"
Rishe bent back and grabbed the hand grasping for her collar. She jabbed an elbow into the pit of the guard's stomach. He let out a croak like a dying frog, staggering back several steps.
"Urgh…"
Weak.
Rishe analyzed her own strike and took a step back to gain some ground. Her current body simply wasn't strong enough. Any martial arts she did would have to use the enemy's speed and power against them.
Emboldened by her hesitation, the men drew their swords. Quite an escalation, considering she'd kept hers sheathed.
"Let me pass." Rishe said.
"Be careful!" one of the guards warned. "This lady's tougher than she looks!"
"Don't be stupid," snapped another. "It's four against one! She can't fight us all at once."
Rishe's request was polite, but they appeared unwilling to accede to it. On the contrary, they were planning a coordinated attack. A stupid strategy in such a narrow hallway.
Rishe stood at the ready, parrying a swing from her right. That guard was being incautious, and a hit in just the right place unarmed him, his sword flying and sinking into the wood of the door. The man was overcome with shock.
Rishe used that opening to hit him with the pommel of her dagger.
"Khrgh!"
Rishe pushed him away, dodging the other three. She waited for an opening and drove herself against the man's chests, slicing down his face with her still-sheathed dagger. The area between the eyebrows was a tender spot. A strong hit there could kill a man, but Rishe didn't need to worry about that with her current musculature. The guard didn't even scream before he thumped to the ground.
"What the hell is going on?! She's just some noblewoman with a couple of moves!"
"How dare you make fools of us!"
No sooner had she dodged one man's swing than another blade came at her from the other side.
Dual wielding!
Rishe blocked the blow with her dagger, her hand going numb, but it was nothing compared to Arnold's attack. Without a moment's delay, she drew back her dagger, pivoting adroitly, putting the force from the rotation into her kick.
"Guh!"
She slammed the heel of her shoe into the man's face.
"Th-this can't be happening." The final man's voice trembled as he faced her.
Rishe paid him no heed, finally drawing her dagger from its sheath. The man squared up, still shaking with rage.
Rishe didn't point her dagger at the man. Instead, she grabbed at her dress and plunged the blade into the skirts, tearing a long slit into the side. She stood before the astonished man and smiled.
There. That should make movement easier.
"Let me make a suggestion," Rishe said. "Give up now."
The man grunted. He was one of Theodore's soldiers—he couldn't disobey.
She had no choice but to take care of him. Leaving him unconscious, she sighed.
He said that there's six on the second floor and ten more on the ground.
Rishe descended the stairs, leaving five fallen men in her wake.