Princess of the Moonlight

__*__ Chapter II __*__

Chapter II

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Princess Alexandria's POV

Sigh. Here I was hanging by the ivy of the palace. On the ceiling. All I want is Lük back. No crime in that. I suppose Mummy and Papá hung him in the dungeons or something. By his toes. Or on the tower, hanging by the loose of his shirt. Scratch that. Those idiots probably took his shirt. Right after they robbed him of his pride. I wouldn't put it past them. I sigh heavily, hanging onto a vine for dear life, upside down.

Today I'm going to die. Alone. That bloody knight has been following me again, the man I could use to divert Mum and Papá and the knight, isn't helping my case much. I hear footsteps.. Footsteps. I blink. Within seconds Mummy and Papá are beneath me, along with the knight, the man. My hands are slipping. My heart is racing, holding my breath. So much for being invisible. I should probably take the secret passages next time. Lucky for me, there is no next time. But for now, I need to escape. The palace walls were suffocating me.

I was no princess.

This was a game.

A dream.

Someday,

I'll wake up.

I hear my owl hoot in the distance, I'm far to lazy to hear what she has to say. My food squirrel, Arietta chatters a reply, "it's obvious."

" What, Ari?" I whisper gently under my breath, in the ancient language of the animals. Most humans had long forgotten it.

Her red, brown, and black tail curls up then flicks out and points off. "There is always an escape Lexia," she chatters. I roll my eyes, but realize the urgency of the situation. I can't have Mum or Papá see me. Or I'm good as dead.

My hands were slipping more,

a few fingers and I would be..

I reflect a mirror in the moonlight, adjusting it just to the knight's eyes.

Our signal.

One,

Two,

Three...

A bang!

The cloaked man sees it instead. He winks.

Who does he think he is?

Wait... I know this man. This man. It can't be. Within all of but a few seconds he has the helpless queen, the pointless king, and the knight all knocked out bonkers.

Dang.

He's good.

Well not 'good' as in right and wrong good. But good at what he does.

But I watched.

My parents, did nothing.

What pansies.

It was pitiful to watch.

They didn't flinch.

They didn't scream.

They didn't even bother protecting themselves.

Not the knight. Not any of them. Almost as though they had expected it. This was just a set-up. Just another of their 'games'.

Bleh.

Two can play that game.

I do a flip off the ceiling, kicking his skinny bony face. Accidentally. Accidentally on purpose.

I knew a hundred ways to kill a man. I had my sword point at his neck. He was a threat. The only thing standing between me and the outside world. His skin is warm. Sweet. Soothing. He reminds me of Lük. His smell of the forest. I can't think of Lük.

I shiver.

Trying to push past.

I wasn't about to go down with out a fight.

I could feel a surge of determination pulse through my veins.

I was born for this.

But try as I might, this man was twice my size.

Twice my skill; masked in black and shadows.

Twice my experience.

And by appearance alone, twice my age.

Lovely.

I did my best, I swear it, I really really did.

But my best, was not good enough apparently. All my years I had trained without end, were without point. He was going to win, I knew it as well as he. My sword slashed at his cheek, leaving a pool of blood behind, so red against the moonlight. A deep wound. Yet his was stronger! His sword caressed the skin of my forearm, each second, digging further beneath it. My arm was now numb with pain, my head blinded with a fierce anger and rage. I wanted to scream. Oh so badly. But who.. Who would come to my rescue? Simple. That would be nobody. Today, I would die... My breath was heavy as I held my sleeve, biting my lip, trembling in pain. I crumble to the ground.

" Princess, sweet Princess Lexia... You needn't fight. This is your destiny. Never fight destiny. " His voice is almost soothing, smooth. Smooth as crystal. His face was kind. 'Don't trust him!', my emotions screamed at me. My grip tightened about the silver sword handle. My knuckles were turning white. Whiter than usual. They burned. I jabbed the sword deep into his neck, my sword tip, tasting his blood, a drop at least.

" Don't call me that! And enough about destiny! All my life I've been told who I am, and who I must be. Ever thought I might wish to make my own destiny, not have others carve it upon my skin, as they carve them into stone? Of course not." I jump back, taken by surprise. Nobody called me that name. Nickname. Nobody. Besides Lük. But most certainly not this bloody stranger. He was going down. He had it coming to him. I twirl around, about to strike him down upon with my sword, like he did the knight, or Mummy or Papá. Not that I minded any of that. I didn't ask for this life.

Of a princess.

But before I could do anything, I feel a sudden pain in my head. A throbbing pain. I cry out. No sound comes out. I scream on the inside.

Escape!

Escape!

Escape!

I can feel a man approach me from behind, throw me over his skinny shoulder. If my heart was racing before, I swear that was nothing. Now it was beating so fast. Deathly fast. I panicked. I was scared. A shot in the shoulder, a needle. A prickle of my blood. My eyes flickered shut. My heart stopped... And the moonlit room swirled into nothingness. In a game with me, and the world, I had failed. Every breath I breathed was a reminder of my failure. The last breath escaped my lungs.

" Goodnight Princess."