The Wild Hunt (Part One)

Mercy

"Your highness."

I peered over my cup at the man kneeling before the door to my chambers.

"What?" I bit out, sitting my cup down on the table in front of me.

I was in the middle of enjoying a peaceful dinner. He better have urgent news or someone will be wiping his blood up off the ground.

He continued to kneel, his face cast downward. "It's General Koh. We've been informed that his squad was slaughtered in Murdock. They found two Guards dead on the beach. There was evidence of a quarrel and footsteps along with blood retreating into the jungle. It is unknown wether or not they belonged to the Princess and the General but it's strongly believed that they do. A new squad of guards are waiting for your orders to follow after them or retreat until news of their reappearance surface."

The tea inside of me boiled and I rose to my feet. The man remained at the door. He looked to be in his early twenties. Young. A scout for the royal palace guards. I had plenty of scouts.

I picked up the knife beside my plate and twirled the tip against my finger. "What do you think they should do, boy?"

The man hesitantly looked up at me as I slowly approached him.

"I-I'm sorry, your highness. Are you a-asking me what I would do?"

I stood in front of him. I heard the fear in his voice. He trembled at the threshold into my chamber. I felt my blood rise.

"What would you do if your guardsmen failed to follow through with an order?"

A drop of his perspiration hit the floor and splattered near my tip of my shoe. He was sweating with how much he feared me. I bristled with delight.

"P-punish them, your Highness?" His voice was so quiet, I hardly heard him.

I brought the edge of the knife down against his forehead. I felt the shudder that went through him. I could kill him right now and he wouldn't move to stop me. That was the control I instilled in this palace. The control I desired to spread across the continent of Miran.

"Yes." I pressed the edge into his skin and a bubble of blood rose up before spilling down the crease of his nose. It fell and splattered on the floor.

"Tell your commanding officer to execute a tenth of his guardsmen and inform the squad in Murdok to drive their swords through their hearts. I will not tolerate weak links. I want a squad positioned at the port in Kobe and one in Murdock. Anyone whose seen the princess is to be questioned then executed. Understand?"

"Yes, your highness. W-what about General Koh? And the man that was seen with Princess Serri. The scouts there were informed that he was present and issued the deaths of those two guards."

Something ignited inside of me. Who was this man and how did he get involved with my daughter? I dragged the knife down his forehead to the curve of his nose. A line of blood appeared in its wake.

"Anyone involved with the princess is to be killed on sight, no questions asked. Bring me his head when the job is finished." I'll hang it beside that boy, Yokoto's head for Serri to see.

The man nodded, blood dribbling down his lips and chin.

"As for General Koh, it would be wise to assume he has custody of the princess. His life depends on her return. Failure would result in eminent death."

"Yes, your highness."

I pulled the knife away. "Go."