By giving them information as to when and why the palace would go to the academy, thus being more vulnerable, they would mount false bandits attack in order to either kill or subdue the one that would come.

Looking through the doc.u.ments, he learns that the actual princess, Henrietta would come the following morning, in a few hours. She would be with minimal guards and a horse rather than carriage, in order to not draw attention.

Regretfully, that would be now a very dangerous thing to do, not only would her force been overwhelmed by the amount of hired grunts to subdue her, but the protection of a carriage would also be missing, letting the abduction easier.

More troubling was the fact that the actual Familiar of the Valliere girl was also an agent of Reconquista. Looking at the few letters between him and Mott, it was evident that it was a recent event, but the reason was clear.

The inhuman treatment of the pink-haired girl had thrown the otherworld into a fit of rebellion against the n.o.ble. Judging by the idea he had written, he mostly came to the world with a slightly more advanced, socially speaking that him, but not that much.

The idea of a slaving system was foreign to him and the harsh corporal punishment had driven the shaken young to the first opportunity of possible freedom.

It was frightening to see that it didn"t take more than a day after his summoning to plot his master demise alongside the ruling power.

##################################

Their plan was simple, the tugs would capture the princess, the Familiar would take the blame, while trying to strike down his master and claim it was her idea. By being the daughter of Duc Valliere, the fact than a high ranked family would plot the demise of the royal family would be the spark that would be used to spread discord in the kingdom.

Along with their ally, they would rally the ma.s.s against the n.o.ble"s actual system.

With a missing princess, a dead daughter of the duke, and a rogue Familiar of says family, the n.o.bles would have to choose between the two camps, fracturing the power hold. Among the rising conflict, a few razed villages, under the pretense of the two confronting sides, would make sure that the commoner would rise against the cast that was killing them without worries.

-Ok, they are far from being morons.-

"They are more of a dangerous bunch."

-What are you going to do?-

"Between an unknow princess and a despicable struck up n.o.ble? I will rather save the princess. If the pint-sized pink howling monkey is still alive, good for her, I could care less if she dies."

Taking a good look at the location on the map the last time, he undresses, charming his pillow to wake him in a few hours and let him time to prepare.

##################################

As his pillow vibrates, Alex opens his eyes, a rapid look at the window told him that the sun would rise soon. Soundlessly, he enters the bathroom, and a quick shower later, he wears padded somber clothes. His habitual boots replaced by soft sole.

His throwing knives hidden in the fold of the padded pant. He could have hidden his face, but he didn"t intend to let a single of them alive to know who help the Princess.

After a light, fruit-based breakfast, Alex made his way soundlessly to the location, following the map he had. As he ran through the untouched landscape, sun rays start to peek from the horizon. Feeling them land on his skin, he pushes deeper on his feet, soon to be transformed completely, tearing through the uneven ground without leaving much that flattened gra.s.ses in his wake.

After running for an hour, he finally arrives near the scene, but the sound of clashing iron and smell of gun powder and the heavy odor of blood, tickle his nose and hear before he could see it.

In another burst he appears in the shadow of a tree, seeing a group of forty-some men recklessly attacking the group of five women. A change had been made and he knows it when he sees the carriage cribbled with arrows, still raining on it from twenty of the forty a little afar. The twenty other men where somewhat contain by the five knights.

The strife hadn"t been ongoing for long, the three corpses on the ground had barely formed pool from their blood around their unmoving form on the hardened ground road.

Without waiting, four throwing knives made their way in his hands and tails, without a sound, the four furthermost archer crumble into a heap. A lost arrow burrowed itself in the calf of one of the men fighting the knight. The sudden pain in his calf tears him an scream.

Distracted but still keeping its bearing, the knight plunge her blade in the now open guarded man torso, bringing an end at his screaming.

The sudden development froze the entire fight, only for eight other archers to fall dead on the ground. Being trained, the knights immediately seize the opportunity and reduce their opponent by a further four while a blue-white glint finally catches the attention of all.

Four of them became the next unfortunate victims of the deadly blades while a shadow falls from the canopy, slicing at the last four archer"s weapons.

the backlash of the cut wooden support, made the bowstrings act like a spring, bringing dangerously sharp wooden bits into their faces. As the men fall n the ground screaming while holing their bloodied faces, Alex swoops down on the still large group of fifteen-plus men.

##################################

Now taken into a pincer, some at the border try to make a runner, only to feel a blade sink in the back of their head, being completely open to Alex. While hardened grunts, they never face this type of attack, being generally the one that overpowers the other side, but this time the situation was dire.

All their support have been cut down, the three that tried to escape and provide a bit of time for them by dividing the five didn"t make more than two meters before being taken down, reducing their number to barely above ten. At two against one, they know they didn"t stand a chance, but they never had one since the start as the solitary a.s.sailant had brought three more down.

##################################

Agnes know that the situation was desperate, they had changed their plan a little to throws off any possible ambush, taking the carriage when it wasn"t planned to, and departing before the sun had risen.

She could pat herself in the back for the forethought as it had vital protection to the princess when the first arrows have rained down on them, forcing them to take covert being the carriage.

When they see the near fifty robbers bursting out of the bushes, they know they have caught them short, not letting them enough time position and attack from the two sides, it also confirms her fear, someone leaked the plan for today.

They were able to shoot down three before throwing their flintlock on the side, unable to recharge them when the arrows fall.

Forty-three against five wasn"t a good odd, more so when the other side had half of their force able to snipe you from the back while the other keeps you around. The carriage was st.u.r.dy but won"t take past a certain number of arrows, it only had a light coating of metal on the wooden frame to allow fast transport after all.

When they engaged the opponent, they know that the other side was rubbish, but facing four opponents each at the same time wasn"t something they could take care of rapidly, no matter their skills.

When her opponent had suddenly screamed and kneel on a knee in front of her she didn"t hesitate and run her blade through the man"s chest, only now seeing that an arrow had pierced its calf.

While she was grateful for the intervention, she couldn"t help but think why one of them would do that to their comrades. The answers weren"t long to come when eight bodies from the archers ground limblessly fall on the ground, joining the first four.

THIS Made all of them stop and look at the other group, seeing that it was nearly reduced by half, and more with the further four bodies. .h.i.tting the ground. I was at that time that the perpetrator of this show itself, falling from the top of the surrounding trees.

This cost the last four their chance when their bows snap back at them. She couldn"t believe it, in less than ten seconds their grim situation had changed into a lesser problematic one. When the six next fall, she sees that the group of forty-three was now had turned into an eight against six and counting.

She keeps the stranger in the corner of her eyes, seeing it mow down the completely frozen men in second.

"Is there any wounded?"

The definitively male voice snapped her back.

##################################

Dones with the last of them, I look at them, trying to see if any had wounds to treat but while the short strife had to stop them to land any decisive blows, they keep relatively well, only sporting the odd scratches and light cuts.

Seeing this I nod before starting to take out my blades, looting anything I can from them, other than clothes and the body itself.

I found a few iron, copper, and nearly none silver coins but I did found a doc.u.ment. It always baffles me that they would take with them incriminating doc.u.ments with them in battle, surely they know that the could hide them somewhere before returning take the back after a fight, right?

even so, it all the best for me. Turning again to the female group only knights, I ask.

"Who"s among your is leading ?"

"That would be me."

Looking at the voice direction, I see the chick that had taken down the man with the pierced calf. Sporting a very light shade of orange hair with an hime cut style fringe, chin long bang on each side of her face and slightly spiked, short hairs. Wearing a black outfit under a lightly armored chest plate and white mantle.

Looking at her, he could see that she didn"t have sheath her weapon, ready to strike him should he became a menace to her master.

"I am Agnès chevalier de Milan, captain of the squad of royal mousquetaire at the service of her majesty the princess, decline your ident.i.ty and your aim!"

On the side, I could see the other four taking fighting positions, ready to follow their captain.

"Alexander Daren Evans, I came here after slaying Count Mott for a personal affront, While looting his house, I found incriminating doc.u.ments linking him to a groupuscule called Reconquista as well as a scheme to abduct the princess Henrietta in order to create strife between the n.o.ble house of this land and allow says groupuscule to invade and overthrow the royal family."

Agnès"s face immediately hardens at this before I could see the door of the carriage behind her open, letting out who must be the princess herself.

##################################

During the fight, Henrietta has to stay inside the carriage, unwilling to distract her knights with her presence at their side, and became an easier target.

When the sound dies down she grows curious more than afraid and wanted to look out before hearing Agnè"s address to who was her and her squad savior. She froze in place when she hears him admit having killed a n.o.ble and ever looted his house! But with further words, everything was pardoned.

Learning that an attack against her was planned and willingly came at her resource was more than most would have, discovering a plot against the crown and protecting the heir was a completely different matter altogether.

Thus, she made her way out, her curiosity only growing as of her mysterious benefactor. By the sound of his voice, he was a young man but the name didn"t ring any bell from the n.o.bility.

##################################

I must admit that the sight of the princess was nothing I was thinking. Until them, all the women I had crossed paths are beautiful but she was a cla.s.s above even those at the academy. Her purple hairs are as mesmerizing that her shining blue eyes. Her purple mantle barely hiding her stunning features.

While having a good half meter lesser than me I could see that she had generous form under that fitting white dress. She bears a silver tiara embedded with blue-green gemstones complementing her gaze and a soft smile.

She was without a doubt a beautiful young lady, not the sensual look like Fleur, of the mature one of Appoline, but her radiating pure aura was drawing me to her. Unlike most, I could care less about her external features, I couldn"t help myself to be erupted by her eyes, and they calling, tingling something deep inside.

Never before a woman had awoken such a feeling but I know what it was, she was one of the few I know would be a perfect match, a great mother, and a strong member of the family.

##################################

Alex wasn"t the only one completely lost in Henrietta"s gaze, she herself was completely drowning in him, his green shade like never she had seen before. The intense light in them, betraying the immense power he wields within, but more than that, it was the hidden light behind it that was calling her.

The softness behind the fierce warrior, she knows perfectly what it was, she could easily know, recognize it. It was the love for family, the willingness to sacrifice everything, and everyone to made sure that the family would stay forever out of harm.

She had seen the exact same light in the gaze of her parents when they would look at each other to speak about the kingdom.

"He had the bearing of a king."

Never before had she seen it in others, all those n.o.ble attempting to court her, displaying barely veiled greed for the power or l.u.s.t for her body, disgusting her from all.

But they were nothing in his gaze, sure she had seen the once over he give her, but never had the gaze been insistent, but more like he was trying to seize her as a whole not more like a way to power or sat his l.u.s.t or pride by owning her.

No, she could feel the call to the same light she sees her parents share, trying, hoping to catch an echo to answer his call.

She couldn"t help but feel an unknow shiver run through her under those incandescent green orb br.i.m.m.i.n.g with restrained power.

##################################

On the side, the four where looking puzzled at their ruler" daughter frozen, lost in the eyes of the stranger, but Agnes knows otherwise. Being the personal knight of Henrietta, she was constantly at her side, she too had seen the gaze shared by the royal couple when alone.

The same gaze that the stranger was unconsciously giving to the princess. For once she didn"t know what to think about him. He had come out of nowhere, save the life of the Princess and even perhaps the crown, at least throwing off plan to overthrow it.

He was a skilled warrior, oh this she had no doubt, the ease with the one he had to get rid of their opponent, the skills with his blades, his att.i.tude, silent and deadly, opposed to those foolish young master trying to show off with fancy spell work.

He had the soul of a true warrior and the power to back it off.

Then there is his actual state, gone was the warrior, another personality taking over, the one of a man seeking his equal, a woman that would stand at his side, not in his shadow, the same gaze she had seen her king to his queen.

The worst was that the Princess was completely unaware that she was falling more and more every second in that gaze. She knows it was too late, something would happen between those two one day.

She didn"t know yet when, how and for what but they would have a tight relation near.

##################################

Clearing her throat, the two snap of their trans-inducted stare, the princess gaining a light pink dusting on her cheek while the stranger straightens before turning back to her, but she knows he was still keeping her in the corner of his gaze, way more discreet that the peek of the princess before her blush became a little heavier each time.

"While I would like to know more about your action, here is not the place."

"Quite so, allow me to clean the area before making our way back tot eh academy."

She nods at him, waiting to see what he would do. None of them expected him to gather the corpse before they were engulfed in the ground.

"You"re a mage?!"

"Everything will be answered once in the most secure place."

She somewhat looks at him warily when he made his way to the carriage, touching it with the palm of his hand before they gasp. Immediately after putting his palm on it, a ripple-like pattern at ran through it, mending any hole and absorbing in the arrows still stuck on it.

He made his way back, before offering his hand to the princess, who takes it, leaded back to the inside of the carriage, and closed the door behind her. She rapidly retakes her place in the coachman seat, joined by him.