The prince within my princess

Prologue

The war horns echoed through the valley. I felt my blood rushing through my veins. I took a deep breath. We can do it. We will stop their advance and we will survive this fight! Or so I kept telling myself...

- FOR THE KINGDOM! I shouted and all the men on the wall shouted with me.

For the princess!

Suddenly a shadow covered the sun. I raised my head to see a million arrows flying through the air, whistling, patiently anticipating their chance to taste blood.

- SHIELDS!

The command sounded all over the wall and large pieces of wood were raised over our heads to protect us from the incoming arrows. We waited through a deafening silence for what felt like an eon, before suddenly a flurry of cracking and bland thumping noises started Raining over our heads. These were no ordinary shields. Made to be raised from up to ten people they were made from heavy wood and covered with wet lather to make them fireproof, no arrow could make it through! I heard a loud crack and witnessed in shock as an arrowhead poked its head through the wood only inches away from my eyes. I started hearing screams of pain all around me. Panic erupted.

In a moment the valley was filled with screams and shouting.

- HOLD YOUR POSITIONS! I shouted.

A few more arrowheads started poking through but our shield was holding. Other teams were not as lucky. I turned to see men lying on the floor right next to me with arrows on their shoulders, necks, and torsos, bleeding out on the cold grey stone. I heard screams of fear, mixed with noises of gargling liquid, as the wounded struggled aimlessly to breathe through the blood rushing in their lungs. The arrows stopped.

- Shields down!

I commanded and we lowered the wooden plank. Then one lonely arrow flew, separated from his flock, late to his destination. I only managed to get a glimpse of it before the sharp burn as it found its target.

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- Oh, dear lord! Ash! What happened to you?

The princess came running to my bedside. She had luscious blond hair and eyes blue like sapphire. Her kind face filled with worry broke my heart.

- I am alright princess. Just an arrow to the knee, nothing too troublesome.

- Does it hurt?

- No, I hardly feel it now.

That was a lie.

- Oh, my sweet prince. I told you, you should not be fighting in that silly, silly war.

- Wars are meant to be fought, my dear Blair. If we do not then the enemy would just march into our land and burn it all.

She shook her head.

- That is no job for no husband of mine! I forbid you from ever commanding again!

- Blair you cannot be serious. What is a man, if he has no name forged in battle? What kind of king would I become?

- Mine! My king, of my kingdom! Not the king of some mass grave where corpses unable to rest run rampant!

I could not help but smile through my pain. I caressed her cheek.

- Your care moves me, my dear Blair.

- You have promised your life to me, Ash! Nobody else! Nobody has the right to take it other than me.

The physician came next to me interrupting us.

- Apologies my prince, I just need to inspect the healing of your wound.

- Of course, by all means.

- I hear that you made the kingdom proud my lord. Men every day tell me about your cunningness and how your command brought our enemies to their knees.

- The praises are only fitting to the men who dipped their swords in the blood of our enemies. I was nothing but a bystander.

- Commanding is an important job my lord and besides, better to command a fight from the sidelines, than dead in the fight.

I did not respond. the truth was I felt shame. A stray arrow had wronged me from my glory. Sure, the battle was won and I had played my part in it, but I did not even get the chance to face a single enemy.

- The wound is healing nicely my prince, thankfully the joint seems to be intact so I do not expect any long-term troubles to come of it other than a nice reminder of your win.

We thanked him and he turned to leave my room.

I had been living in the castle for more than half my life. I had been promised to the princess from a very young age and our parents thought living under the same roof would help us connect. They were right. I have been in love with the princess for as long as I can remember. Our wedding would not be too far off now. The day our love would truly be fulfilled. A vague promise than one made to me.

- Is there anything I can do my love? Blair asked.

- Just keep me company if you may?

She nodded and we spent the evening accompanying each other.

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- I never asked for this, my biggest dream as a kid was to be a simple hunter in the woods. I never dreamed of greatness.

- That's what makes you perfect.

The man smiled. He was old but still lively and healthy. He had beautiful blue eyes just like his daughters and long blond hair as well. He was tall and strong like a bull.

- I don't know if I share that belief.

I mumbled.

- The world Ash is filled with people that would kill to be able to marry my daughter. She is going to be the future queen and everyone wants to be on that throne. Everyone but you. I didn't know it when I agreed with your parents to bring our kingdoms together, but you care for my daughter and you love her, and even though that on its own, is more than anyone can ask for, you are also an honest man, smart, with a good name for yourself. I can sleep easy with you next to my daughter. I can trust that you will do the best by her and that you won't only be taking the throne for yourself.

He was making sense. I was glad to be wed to the woman I loved for so long, but the idea of being a ruler was not appealing to me.

- Now, the king continued, we must talk about something very important.

He nodded at Blair. She slowly moved her hair out of the way to reveal a chain made of silver. She removed the chain to show a necklace made from the same metal and a type of white and purple stone that I had never seen before.

- This, the king said, that neckless, for reasons I will not get into at this moment, holds my daughter's ability to feel love. It was made by a witch who lives in the far south. When she made it, she said she would need to change the spell before she was to be wed and before she was to have her firstborn. And so, with your wedding coming up, the princess needs to visit the witch. I will not be able to accompany her there and so I need you, to be with her.

I turned to Blair.

- Is that true my love?

- I am afraid so.

- How is it that you never mentioned none of this?

- I was afraid.

- Afraid of what?

- Afraid that you would think of me as broken or even worse, that the neckless was the only reason I loved you.

- My dear Blair...even if you did not feel the way I do for you, I would still love you till the end of my days, cause my love for you is like nothing I have ever felt.

Her smile brightened.

- Thank you, my love.