The (Not So) Perfect Princess

I get someone fired

“THERE SHE IS!”

My eyelids flew open as I sat bold up right, staring down the crossbow of a soldier barreling toward me. Six more guards were sprinting a few feet behind him.

“Q!” I screamed, trying to wake them as I scrambled backward. But I found out there was no need. Everyone was already awake, eyes wide and mouths hanging open.

“Runstrom, get the princess!” one guard yelled pointing at me. “Don’t let her get away!”

“Run!” I shrieked, jumping to my feet and sprinting the other way. I’d only gotten three steps in when I felt a hand grab the back of my shirt and yank backwards, taking me with it.

“NO!” I howled, trying to kick and elbow the guard who grabbed me. My fist connected with something bony and came back bloody, so I guessed I’d popped him in the nose. Not that it did much. The soldier hefted me onto his shoulder, so I got a great view of his backside.

Scout had silently melted into the forest with two guards chasing after him, but I knew they’d never find him. He was too quick, even with his leg. A fat guard was swinging at Q for some reason, but Q merely ducked under his legs. One soldier had tried to grab Eily, but she reeled back her fist and socked him in the eye. He went down screaming. Unfortunately for her, another guard came up behind her and lunged. Eily tried swinging her bag at his face, but the soldier just grabbed it and twisted it out of her hands.

“Hey!” Eily yelled. “Give that back!” she swiped at him, but he simply sidestepped. Eily started to fall, and the guard bent, hooked his arm around her waist, and lifted er into the air. Q knocked the fat soldier’s feet out from under him and ran to help Eily.

“No!” Eily shrieked. “Q, run!” And run he did.

“What are you waiting for!?” the Capitan of the Guard howled. “Go after him!” the fat soldier and the soldier with the black eye stumbled in the direction of Q.

“PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW YOU IMBECILE!” Eily roared. She clawed at the guard’s hands, digging into them with her fingernails. It looked painful to me, but the guard wasn’t fazed.

“Feisty, this one.” He said, grinning.

I kicked the soldier who’d grabbed me—Runstrom—in the stomach, hard. He grunted. I kept on kicking.

“Don’t know why the King n’ Queen even want this brat back,” Runstrom grumbled. “Mercer, get me some rope.” Within minutes, both Eily and I were bound hand and foot thanks to a blond-headed guard called Mercer. He looked to be around sixteen or seventeen, and fairly new to this kind of job. The soldier who grabbed Eily—his name turned out to be Archie—was grinning the whole time, like this was the most enjoyable thing in the world.

“Took us a while to find you this time, princess,” Archie snickered, tapping me on the nose. “But it was fun. I imagine Runstrom here will be paid handsomely for re-capturing the princess herself.” I’d almost forgotten about the soldier’s little gambling game with me.