Girls of Shadows

Chapter 11- The Shadow Princess

But it was easy giving up my life as a Royal, always watched by people with the most foul intentions, always looking over my shoulder for the shadows threatening to take anything they wish. It was easy turning my back on my parents, who had forced me to find my own morality, because neither of them had any left to give. It was easy to love myself over them. It was easy to run, to hide, to show a truly honourable side to anyone who wanted to see it.

Almost too easy. As if no one was looking for the missing Princess with a kindness in her heart. As if a benevolent girl looked so completely different from the merciless one they wished to find. But true evil does not show itself so carelessly, a lesson learned quickly in Auzryns court.

Suddenly, a loud brawl erupted from Trappers Pub, two grappling men stumbling out the door and down the cobblestone steps right in front of my feet. I dodged easily, my hands instinctively emerging from my cloak to come up in front of my body, nails ready to strike. But as the burly men shoved each other over to the wall of the pub, my mind came back to itself, realizing no beastly talons would be defending me here. Not anymore.

Shoving my hands back into the warmth of the thick wool, I let my hand hover over the small knife I had acquired from a sleepy traveller in the library, reminding myself of the maneuver I had practiced multiple times in my tiny room. This was my only weapon now, the only thing that would protect me in the Empire, if I valued my life enough to remember that.

"Break it up!" A shouting trio of Mantivan Warriors ran past me, clad in matching green and armed to the teeth in all sorts of weapons I recognized all too well, reminding me of my fathers own army. As they subdued the rowdy patrons, using inhuman force on disadvantaged human drunkards, I tore my eyes away and continued walking, trying to coerce my heart to calm itself.

A tugging on my waist brought me to a halt, goosebumps travelling up my neck as I looked back over my shoulder towards the guards. They were easily thirty feet away and much too far to have reached me. No one else had even bothered to stop at the distraction, the thinning crowd of locals determined to make their way home before dark.

I didnt even get two more steps before my legs stopped on their own, freezing in place on the gravel path. My entire body went still, making me suddenly aware of every breath, every brush of freshly-dyed wind-blown hair brushing my neck, the cold blade of my dagger seeping through the pocket of my cloak and the thin cotton of my shirt.

The footsteps approaching me from the direction of the pub.

"Excuse me, maam."

The voice echoed in my ears, like a bell alerting me to pay attention. It sounded like a low and soft melody of a tune that I wanted to hear again and again.

I turned fast, probably much too fast to be normal, to see the owner of the voice. It was one of the Warriors, tall and long and lean, with broad shoulders stretching his long-sleeved shirt and two curved swords strapped to his back as if they weighed nothing. His gorgeous face was sharp and rugged, with slight dark stubble framing his square jaw, full lips holding a hint of a smile, narrow green eyes focused entirely on me.

Holy Gods.

Something deep and twisted in my brain had me reaching for my dagger, ready to draw and defend myself against against whatever unworldly feelings had me so defensive against this man. But drawing a blade against a warrior would surely lead to some unwelcome questions, and likely an immediate arrest, so I decided against touching the pocket that held my weapon.

I ended up giving a snarky reply instead. "Is there something I can do for you... soldier?"

Somehow, either my tone or my response elicited a smile from those pouty lips. Completely unfair that those lips could do such a thing.