.The Shadow Knight.

-36-

(I am not the best but I do enjoy drawing my characters, I just realized how simple her design is while drawing her lol.)

The princess was tied up, hands behind her back and thrown over my shoulder.

I choose on a whim to not warn anyone yet about my discovery and carry her out of the room I locked behind me.

I carried her body through the halls until I got to the outside, the garden.

I laid her on a bench, some fresh air shall do her some good.

I had flipped her so her wrists were facing me and I clasped my hands around the bracelet as I open a hole in my palms, the bracelet sinking through before I closed it and did the same with the other.

I wore a slight glare accompanied with a frown, the deep holes left around her wrists, scars formed and leaving a permanent mark that can't be fixed.

I could have brought her to my room and opened the window but I had a feeling that was not the best choice to take even now that I got the bracelets off and the Alernia smell was leaving.

I dropped one out of the pocket realm and examined it, sharp an-

"Ouch." I said in surprise. "Really sharp." I said my thoughts out as I looked at the cut left on my finger from just touching one of the spikes... They all have a small hole in them.

I searched my hip pouches for the antidote since it is a common problem in Solor, I was always prepared, I rubbed a drop into the wound before silently apologizing for dumping the rest down the princess' throat and making her cough accidentally.

I flip the bracelet around when I am done with that, feeling the smooth surface for some clues.

"There we go." I say, pleased as a little compartment shifts and slides out with a glass vial in it, I don't even need to take it out to know I have what I am looking for.

"How can one do this to their own child?" I asked, pitying the princess before rolling my eyes. "What a stupid question and me being the one to ask it above else." As part of my family I had no choice but to become a shadow knight and even if it is an honor I wear proudly there had been times when I was younger that I loathed this life and all because of my mom being one too.

"None of our families are the best but now you are safe from yours, like Wynna, with proof of your innocence Elise will be able to help you escape unjust consequences.... I sure have a chatty mouth today." I muttered before smiling as I put the bracelet away back into the pocket realm. "I guess this does start to feel like home after all."

I headed inside, knowing no harm would come to her, grabbing a kettle of now cold tee and pouring a mug full before heading back out.

I set it next to me as I crouched down, waiting for her to awaken.

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"Gah my head." She opened her eyes, tone of voice instantly different from what I got used too.

"Don't push yourself too much, you are awake for the first time in a long while." I said making her gasp in fear and bolt up sitting, gabbing her head and stomach at the nausea and throwing up a blue liquid, the antidote doing its job. "What?!" She asked in fear looking at the blue on the ground.

"Calm down princess, you are safe now, here." I handed her the tee. "Helps settle the stomach."

She shakily grabbed it, her own memories slowly coming back, to slow if I know anything about Alernia.

"Who are you?" So for now I'll answer her questions.

"Akito of the shadow knights of Solor, head of Kazaras' shadows and fourth wife of your elder sister empress Elise." I said, referring to myself as the fourth side for the first time, I wonder if she'll give me additional responsibilities now.

"Fourth wife...." I could almost see the thoughts racing around in her head as from what I know she has been brainwashed by Alernia for at least a decade now if not more. "Elise....Marco....Kia....--" She was slowly listing names, probably connecting her hazy memories together. "--A shadow....Wine." And she finally got to today, she gasped, covering her mouth as she instantly started sobbing, the fact her life wasn't her own until now crashing down on her.

"Elise will protect you okay? All of us will just tell us what you know about, whatever your family is trying to do, do they really search for war? Who is the executioner? Anything you can tell us will help us princess."

"I don't know." She whispered as she cried, holding her face in her hands. "I don't know I don't know." She continued to repeat as I stood, rubbing her back.

Those daring to use a child for their awful plans are scum.... No worst then that they don't even deserve to be called scum... I will show them a world of pain.