The Crown cannot Help You

Chapter 43: The Sword

"I don't wish to hurt any of you," Audelia said as she felt her bow being torn off her back and thrown across the floor as though it was worthless. "But I've got somewhere I need to be, so if you refuse to let me go, I'll have to fight back."

Her words received no positive response, as instead, she felt her dagger being ripped from her thigh and thrown to the same place her bow had been.

"Well, I'm sorry about this."

Audelia snatched her arm out of one of the guard's hands and then reeled her elbow back into that guard's face. He stumbled back, allowing her to gain some space so she could flip another guard over her back.

She then kicked her leg around, catching another person in the jaw and knocking them out cold.

The final guard had pulled out a knife by the time she'd balanced herself again. The guard slashed at her throat, but she ducked in time to avoid the injury.

The guard slashed again, moving with a killer-like efficiency, but Audelia jumped back and then slammed her fist into the side of the guard's face.

The guard's eyes rolled back, and they fell backwards like a stiff board to the floor.

Audelia snapped her head over to Flynn to watch as he sent a guard flying with a kick to their chest.

As though he sensed her watching, he turned his head to meet her eyes. Flynn gave her a sneaky wink before grabbing another guard by their shirt and throwing them to the ground.

A smirk crept onto Audelia's face as she took his wink as a challenge. A game.

She charged forwards before dropping down and using the wooden floor to slide across. She glided under the legs of one guard, and the guard dropped behind her as she kicked his legs out from under him.

Audelia then flipped up to her feet and continued moving forwards towards the next guard. As she reached them, she flipped them over her back, hearing a chuckle from behind her as she did.

"Almost caught me," Flynn said with a small smile. He then moved to stand next to her.

Audelia gave him a wink back, just as slow and teasing as Flynn's had been. "You should try to keep up then."

"Oh, you shouldn't have said that!" Flynn responded as his smile widened.

They then both turned their heads towards the guards sprinting towards them.

"Let's fetch you your crown, princess." He shouted before breaking into a run.

Audelia didn't waste any time before running after him. She was quick to dodge the first punch thrown and quick to avoid the blade of a dagger.

Audelia then kicked the chest of one, sending them flying into the guards behind. They fell like dominoes, something Audelia would have laughed at if she didn't have to snap right back into action.

She swung at the next guard before elbowing another sneaking up behind her.

She then had time to save Flynn from the fate of a knife in the back as she stuck out her foot and tripped up the dishonourable guard. The guard tripped into the back of Flynn, forcing him to whip his head around.

Audelia watched as Flynn's face morphed from a look of fury to a look of confusion as he looked down at the guard on the floor.

"You're welcome." Audelia sang as she leapt off a guard's thigh to climb onto another guard's neck and wrangle them to the ground.

She then rolled off the guard and back onto her feet. But because she'd turned her attention to Flynn momentarily, she'd allowed two guards to catch her by surprise.