The night was unusually violent, the moon who grew over the night was hidden as clouds shrouded one of the ancient place in the Erdanian Empire, the Palace of Light. There you can see that the critters and smaller creatures hid from its shadows and away from the cold harsh wind that unmercifully blew towards everything. It shook the trees greatly that the leaves fall and blew away from its stems. Then it flew the wind did, towards the window of the palace chambers where our little princess was sleeping where she was in her dreams of meeting her prince charming. Then only to be disturbed by the sound of the wind that harshly clashed upon the glass windows of her chambers and killed every candlelight in the room, it opened so hard that it woke her from the dreamworld and how awful she felt between shock and dejection. Her eyes paid its attention towards it and woke she did from her bed to see what had woke her. The window was broken and glasses shattered all over the floor and she was without her slippers. The wind was blowing hard and cold seeps through her night gown. But that won't stop her from getting to her destination.
Carefully she walks amongst the shards of glass and how daring she was with every step she took. If the maid with her knew that she had done this she would be scolded by her or her own mother, the Empress. But, she doesn't care and kept his steps towards the window to see the great majestic light of the moon. Yet her wishes did not come true for it was shrouded already by the clouds. She sighed and wished to the gods above to show her the light.
Suddenly the door of her chamber was abruptly opened and two stood amongst the darkness's shadows. It was dark since the candlelight was dead. Then the moonlight shows its gaze and its ray shone on the dark. It was the knight Sir Harding with his sword drawn and the Princess's maid, Isabel.
"Oh dear lord, what are you doing your highness?!" Abruptly said Isabel as she approach the princess quickly and carefully so not to step to the sharp shards. "You could get hurt?!" She lend a hand and the princess followed her. She then prepare several warm light garments for her to wear, but the knight protested.
"Isabel, we do not have time for this!" Urgently said the knight as he looked behind as if he was looking out for something.
"Patience, knight!"
"What is going on, Isabel? Why is your sword unsheathed, serah?"
"Your highness, we are under attack. The faithless have taken the main gates and the garrison, enemies have breached the palace."
"What? And my mother?!" Ask the Princess of Erdania with full concern and thoughts upon her mother.
"She is safe for the moment, Captain Bartlett of the Royal Guards are with her, I was ordered to get you to safety, your highness."
"No, we go to my mother." Firmly said the Princess.
"But, your highness… Enemy is lurking on the halls and killing everyone in the palace. My orders…"
"Who orders you to do such a thing? I will not flee to safety while my mother is in danger." Cut the princess with firm and unshaken voice. She was determined to not abandoned her mother and the knight was dumbfounded and confused, yet Isabel.
"I knew it, I told you she won't hear ya, knight!" Said Isabel in a mocking voice.
"Your highness, it is your mother and Captain Bartlett who ordered me to do so."
She went silent, for the order of her mother is the order of the Empress herself and she had to so willing or unwillingly.
"I see, so it was mother herself." She thought to herself when time wasn't upon her and the urgency was to escape as soon as possible, she was never one to obey orders from anyone except her mother and since this was a special situation that depends not just to the safety of her own mother but of the empire's mother itself. She then came to a decision.
"Your highness!" Yelled the knight.
"All right, we'll go. The escape tunnel is in the larder, yes?" Ask the Princess, the knight nodded.
"I know you are very handy and confident in your swordsmanship. We'll go and secure the way to the escape tunnel then we go back for my mother. Is that understood?"
"Your highness, you must flee for your own safety, the Empress could handle herself and she had her guard beside her! Worry yourself first!" Said Isabel in worry.
"Your highness, I cannot do that… My orders are to…"
"Isabel! Sir Harding!" Said the Princess. "If this was your own mother, would you both do the same as i?" Silent befell their mouth, no words can counter argument her words. She had then won the battle of words.
Shout from afar and sound of ruckus echoed throughout the walls of the palace, warning them of the imminent danger that is to come.
"Time is not upon us, we move now!" So she did, led by the knight who had no choice to follow her orders and a maid who was worried more of the life of her master than herself, then finally the Princess who care more of the life of her dearest mother than that of herself.
The unlikely trio moves forward towards the kitchen where the larder resides. The more they delve in the darkest it gets. The howling wind of the night had wiped out all of the lights in the palace. Shadows of the statues and armor that stood guarding the halls of the Palace of Light were the only guardians that was left, those silent watchers never rests yet unable to do anything to prevent the living from being dead, like the bodies the trio passed by each time they went from hall to hall. It worries both of them yet no enemies were sighted. Since they probably were more focused on finding the Empress than the Princess.
Through the servant passages they went and arrived they finally did to the kitchen where the larder resides and their only path of survival.
"Sir Harding, we must find my mother. Isabel I trust you can hide here for a while?"
"Your highness, I must protest. We have to flee immediately." Said the Knight.
"For once I have to agree to this oaf, but his words are true. We must flee, your highness."
"I told you already. I cannot leave without my mother. Hide here Isabel, we'll come back as soon possible." The princess then went immediately ignoring the words of her guardians and went towards her mother.
"Of course, milady. Keep her safe, Knight!" Said Isabel and the knight nodded and followed her out.
On their way through, some enemies were sighted but afar with attention paid on killing the surrendered guardsmen and maids right on the middle of the Throne Room. Clearly they were leaving no witnesses alive, thought the Knight. But the young Princess did not understand this and her thoughts dwell on the cruelty these men had given to the innocents. As soon as the men leaves, both of them went to the slain bodies.
"The cruelty, even to innocents…." Tears fell from her eyes as she kneel and pray for these men and women dying from something so cruel. The knight offers silent prayers and worry about the Princess.
"Let's go, serah. To my mother." Yet it was all the same, not a voice of the burdened or shook with fear, but someone who were strong, far better than her peers perhaps. But, the knight was conflicted and burdened of this. Between the orders of both, he too was concerned of the Empress and hoped that he did not make the wrong decision to go to the Empress.
Few seconds pass of sneaking by their enemies and arrived they did to the Royal Chambers of the Empress. Well, several meters in front of it where it was guarded by men in white cloaks with the insignia of the Faithless behind them. On the floor bodies of armoured Royal Guardsmen lay around.
"Six of them. Damn, we cannot go pass them nor sneak by them. The chambers were built to withstand assassins or the like. "
Sir Harding then went forward and took his sword with him to the fray.
"Serah! You cannot…"
"Have faith in me, milady." He then brandished his sword and called to the enemy.
The enemy's attention were drawn towards him followed with swords unsheathed. Six of them then approach the Knight, yet steadfast and valiant were he in the face of danger. The cloaked men attacked first yet the knight easily countered him and slash his neck. The second one jumps and got himself killed also. Three of them then charged at the same time and quickly he parried them all, riposte himself and charged back at the three. Hitting them simultaneously until all of them were dead and left but only one that still stands. This one laughed at him.
"Interesting." The enemy brandished his rapier sword, aiming it towards him. "Now you die." His movement was fast and unseen, the knight barely almost deflected all since some of the attack caught and wounds him. It was a dance that had never been seen since the great civil war, the rapier skills of Lord Montbatten who were killed by the Empress herself for treason. But the dance was not perfect and the knight instinctively defend himself against many attacks until the enemy made a single wrong move.
And he did.
The knight dodged the attack as he make his rapid thrusts only to find an opening which allows him to cut off his hands. He screamed so loud that silenced came after the sword cut off the enemy's head.
The knight panted and groaned of pain and fatigue. He kneeled and took a deep breath. The Princess went to his aid only to be refused by the valiant Knight and told her to hurry open the door to the Empress.
She opened the door to the Empress's chambers and blood. Blood and bodies laid everywhere, the Captain and the guards were dead. Horrified were she, but much more terrified of her mother. Then from afar, as she grew closer, a lantern was alight with drapes in front of it where she saw three figures of shadow stood. They were fighting with clangs and sparks of steel that enlightened and echoed throughout the chambers like blinks. She grew closer determined of who were fighting. Then one fell down suddenly, but the other two still fought so intensely until she opened the drapes and one of them had their attention caught by it.
"Elizabeth!" said her mother pointing her sword upon her and suddenly... A sword came from the Empress's belly and all the way to the front.
"It is as you said, Empress. Never took your eyes off your opponent." The enemy pulled out his sword and the Empress fell. The Princess stood there and shook of the events that happened in front of her.
"I must thank you, Princess Elizabeth for helping me kill the Empress." The man in the shadows nodded and reveal himself as…
"Prime Minister Uldred?!" Said the Princess in disbelief and fear.
"Indeed, Princess Elizabeth. Your very own tutor, I knew very well that you will come for you mother eventually." He nodded.
"Uldred… Leave my daughter… Alone!" Said the Empress suddenly.
"Mother!!!" Screamed the Princess and she urge himself to went but Uldred's sword then went towards the Empress's neck.
"A..A..A, no, no, no, no… You stay there Princess, your time will come." Grinned Uldred did with malice in his face. "Well then, Empress Cassandra of Erdania, your time has come. Reckoning has come and darkness shall befell this land for the Faithless shall rule once again!" Uldred hysterically laugh with joy and evil.
The Empress looked upon her daughter, uttered words she cannot hear but seen. Yet the sword flew with haste and her words became silent. The Princess then fell to the floor, with great disbelief and horrified. Her thoughts were only filled with her mother and her assailant that slowly walks towards her. She looked away, everything went to a blur and time went as if it was slowed for her. But, Uldred was already in front of her and so did his sword.
"Time to meet your mother in the Heavens!" Uldred swing his sword only to be stopped by Sir Harding and pushed him away so hard that he fell backwards. Sir Harding too was horrified, but more of his attention was paid towards the little girl who stood by in silence. He shook and try to make her conscious but to no avail. He then decided to carry her and fight his way towards the larder.
A chase it was, like cat and mouse or hunter to the hunted. The Palace of Light was a maze to those who never dwell within its walls, but it was easy for knights such as Sir Harding and so he found a way and make it to the Royal Kitchen whilst evading his pursuers. The Princess was still shook and terrified to the point that she went into complete silence with blank stares in her eyes.
"Oh, dear lord…" Said the Knight suddenly where he found the maid's body, Isabel. Laying dead with half her clothes opened and a knife struck in his stomach, three other bodies of men were found. She defended herself valiantly the Knight thought and wished that he went to the escape tunnel instead of following her wishes. The Princess saw this and still silent were she. The knight closed Isabel's eyes and covered her. He prayed for her and went his way to the larder where the escape tunnel was.
They went inside and through the lengthy stairs and tunnel they go until led them towards the Royal Stables. In emergency situations, preparations was always be made in case the palace had fallen, in this case there were rations, clothes and equipment. With a map of safehouses for the royals to live. But this time it was different, the map was specific and the Empress's insignia which he must read and follow by the time they reached out to safety. The knight took them all and put it in the saddle bags along with everything else. He put it to the Empress's black Stallion and the duo of knight and his princess went with haste to escape.
The Princess grew conscious as they move further away from the palace. She looked back towards the now darkened Palace of Light, shadowed by the clouds and mists and after the event that she saw tonight she had swore that vengeance will come with great retribution to all those who dare murdered her mother and betray the Empire of Erdania
So went they did, to the great unknown beyond.