The Last Flame

Chapter 1

One day, the one guy who had defied the Chef before didn't show up at all. The Chef was agitated by his disappearance and made his anger clearly known to everyone in the kitchen. Lets just say that the dinner service was a little slower than normal because we suddenly became short staffed. I only go out into the dining room to collect the dishes once everyone was finished, but the Chef didn't want my help on the line.

The royals did seem to be taking a rather long time with their dinner though. So eventually the Chef shoved me out of the kitchen and yelled at me to go get their dishes before slamming the door in my face. I stood at the door for a moment debating on whether or not I should just leave the palace like the other guy did. But I thought about what had happened today and changed my mind.

I walked up the stairs to where the door to the dining hall was. I quietly peeked out into the dining room but I didn't see anybody. I opened the door a little wider and peeked around. Still couldn't see anybody. Well that's strange. I swear that they were still up hear a couple minutes ago. I opened the door the rest of the way and walked over to the table so that I could clean it up. I put the bin on the table and began to put the dishes into the bin.

I was so busy cleaning up that I didn't hear the people approach me from behind until they started talking. I turned around and was met by two female knights who didn't look the least bit friendly. They were staring down at me like I was a choice piece of meat and they were trying to decide who was going to take me.

"Ooh, such a cute little boy," said the one on the left. "What are you doing in a place like this all alone?"

The girl on the right snickered and then spoke to me as well, but her voice gave away her intentions. "Why don't you come with us and have a little bit of fun?"

I gulped and backed away from the knights. I knew what they meant by that and I really don't want to become a servant to a woman that I didn't like. I really wasn't ready for that kind of a commitment yet. As I turned around to run, something grabbed my shirt from behind. I squeaked as I was yanked back towards the two women.

"What's the matter boy? Don't you want to be claimed by a woman?" I think that it was the one on the right that had said that. I tried to wriggle out of her grip as her fangs came closer to my neck. I was absolutely terrified because no one else was around and I knew that no one was going to coming looking for me either.

"What are you two doing?" asked a third female voice. This voice sounded void of emotion and cold. Both of the female knights tensed and the one who wasn't holding me began to shake.

"Your Highness, what are you doing down here? I thought that you had retired to your quarters for the night?" this came from the knight who was holding me. Her voice shook as she spoke and even her hands began to shake.

"I did until I heard some ruckus coming from the dining hall, so I thought that I should...investigate," replied the voice who I now assumed was the princess.

"We were just taking care of a troublesome miscreant, nothing for you to be concerned about your Highness," said the one who was holding me. Liar. I managed to turn my head just enough to meet the princesses eyes before the knight pushed me to the floor and kicked me hard in the stomach. I coughed and clutched my stomach as tears stung my eyes. "Don't you dare look at the princess like that, you piece of dirt!"

"That's not very nice," the princess said, her voice cut through the air like shards of ice.

"But your Highness he's..." said the knight on the right but the princess had started her advance on them. I could feel it in the vibrations in the floor. I opened my eyes and looked up straight at the princess's bare feet. Or I guess foot since her other leg didn't have a foot attached to the bottom if it. Battle wound perhaps?