The Tavern

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It had been a few days since she had fled the palace. News about her disappearance had reached the town's people's ears a search party ordered by her father had been sent out and the people of Kou had been hastily trying to search for the missing princess. She couldn't stay...not after the news about her arranged marriage. It shocked everyone even her brothers and her mother, she was to marry the Prince of the neighboring kingdom. Apparently the kings had been talking about this for months, to bring the two kingdoms together so that they could do trade. It wasn't what she had wanted, but being the only eldest daughter she didn't have much say in the matter.

So she fled.

She didn't care where she went, she just needed to stay far away from the palace. Though that seemed to be growing more and more difficult for her, being apart of the royal family like her brothers she had inherited the fiery red hair of her father's that was so uncommon among the people.

Pulling the hood down of her cloak over her head, she tried concealing the fiery red strands as she walked through the busy city streets. Anna had made it into a neighboring town that resided inside the Kou empire's territory, it was a little smaller than the capital but still bustling with townspeople. Even her father's generals and soldiers resided in this town.

"I just hope no one sees me." Anna whispered softly. It was getting dark, and she still had nowhere to sleep. She had just arrived into town a few hours ago.

"Might as well go check into an inn...and find somewhere to eat." She whispered.

Passing some people she kept her head down, making her way to the closest inn. Anna checked in, her violet colored eyes scanning her surroundings for any sort of guards. Anna couldn't afford to have been spotted, if she was she would for sure be brought back to the palace. She had retrieved her key to the room, stepping away from the counter she walked towards where her room was located. Hearing some people speaking under their breaths about her, apparently her father was giving a reward if they were to find the missing princess and bring her back unharmed.

Reaching the room she had rented, Anna slid the key into the keyhole and turned it. The old door making a creaking sound as she pushed it open. The room was fairly small, but it would be sufficient enough until she was able to travel again. Dropping the makeshift bag full of some of her precious belongings and money onto the dusty bed. Reaching around her waist she broke away the black cloak that hung from her small frame, pulling the belt off around her waist and placed the beautifully decorated sword onto the bed. It was her father's...she was able to get her hands onto it without waking him the night she fled the castle.

Anna was pulled from her thoughts when the sound of her hungry stomach signaled that she needed to eat. Quickly pulling the hood of her black cloak over her red hair again, she walked towards the door and left. Walking down the empty hall way of the inn, Anna stepped out into the busy streets of town. It had become night fall now, the sun had completely set leaving nothing but the darkened night sky that was barely lit by the cloud covered silver moon. She watched as knights and citizens mingled with each other, the knights trying to pick up women to lay with the night before some sort of battle. Or so she had overheard. Striding down the main street of town Anna found a close tavern that seemed to be bustling with people.

"Maybe I can find out a little bit of information about what is going on here." the princess whispered.

Sliding past a few people, Anna slid into the tavern and found the first open seat she could. A stool that resided in the corner at the bar. Pulling her tiny frame into the seat, she kept her head down until hearing the husky words of the bar tender in front of her.

"What can I get for you little miss?" Anna's eyes turned up towards the man that stood in front of her on the other side of the bar. He was a tall bulky man, with dark hair and dangerous dark eyes. The man was handsome, no wonder he had chosen a profession like this. Anna was at a loss for words at the moment, she had never spoken to a man without someone speaking for her.

"Uhm, just water please...and what ever kind of food you have please." she asked softly, watching the man smile a big grin he nodded, leaving her by herself again.

Taking a look around the tavern she noticed it was filled with her father's men, though she had known they had sworn themselves to her father and god himself. They had also sworn chastity to the lord...though that didn't seem to be stopping them tonight. Her violet eyes narrowed slightly watching the lot of them drink to their heart's content pulling women from left and right to drink with them in hopes to bed them if they were to get the women drunk enough.

Pulling her hood down a little further, she tore her eyes away from the sight staring down at the table top of the bar. Clasping her hands together under the thick fall of the black cloak she wore, she tried to cover the beautifully expensive pink and red robes of her dress under the cloak. Hearing the clink of a plate and mug full of water being placed down in front of her, her head snapped up from her lap, eyes meeting with the handsome bar-tender again.

"Sorry for all the noise, ya see, apparently half of these men are going out to war tomorrow. So they are just trying to enjoy themselves. I hope you can understand." The man spoke.

Anna looked over at the lot of knight's again, apparently he was right. She could see the pain and worry on their faces...fearing that they would lose their lives on the battlefield. A small frown pulled at her lips, They all could have a happy lives if they didn't have to fear for their lives. She thought. Hearing a knight shout, her eyes narrowed again. From what she could hear over their shouting he was the worst of them all. "Viktor! Your not going to find a woman to sleep with tonight if you keep on shouting!" The handsome bar-tender shouted, a laugh passing through his lips.

Anna simply shook her head in response and started eating her hot meal, though her attention had been dragged away from her eating when she had heard the knight sitting next to her speak.

"Hey, did you hear about the reward the king will give to anyone who finds the princess?" the blonde haired knight next to her asked his companion.

"Yeah, apparently the reward is really big. But how far can she really go? If anything she's probably dead by now." The other responded. Anna's eyes narrowed coldly once again, anger showing in her innocent eyes.

"Ah, you don't know that."

"She's a princess, that girl has been babied since the day she was born. There's no way she would be able to make it out on her own."

"Well, if I were to get my hands on the pretty red haired princess~." A drunk man walked up to his fellow comrades. "I would have that woman in my bed first." He slurred. Rage filled Anna's chest.

"Like a princess would want to sleep with you Viktor. Besides, I don't think she would even take a second look at you!" the bartender chuckled leaning against the bar where Anna sat. The man named Viktor let out a huff in response to the man's words.

Placing some money down on the table, Anna couldn't take listening to these men anymore. Talking about her like she was some piece of meat that could so easily be taken advantage of. "Some holy knights you turn out to be." She muttered loud enough for the men beside her could hear.

"Hey, wait a sec! What was that you just said?" Viktor reached out grabbing Anna's wrist tightly, "Why don't you come back with me little lady I can show you what a Holy Knight can do." Viktor chuckled closing the space between the two of them. "Viktor, why don't you leave her alone?" A deeper spoke, the voice sent a chill down her spine. She tried to turn and look at the other knight but Viktor kept a tight grip on her wrist.

"Come on Viktor, let her go. She obviously doesn't know why we are here." The stranger's voice said again. But it seemed his words fell on deaf ears because that didn't stop Viktor.

"Hey, why do you have your head covered in the first place? Don't you think it's rude to hide your face?" Viktor murmured into her ear. Grabbing a fist full of the black hood, starting to tug it down off her head.


"Don't!" Anna shouted quickly turning out of his grasp, the heavy black hood of her cloak gave way to beautiful crimson hair.

At that moment, the whole tavern finally went silent...the shock of the crimson haired princess standing before them rendered all the knights in the tavern speechless.   

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⏰ Last updated: May 16, 2017 ⏰

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