Red Queen

The Commander's Way

People murmured. Prince Trystan stared at his sister. The King and Queen couldn't believe their eyes. Was that the Princess? Did she really do all that? However, the murmurs the people gave were not expected. With a divided line between the two genders, it was a heated discussion. On the female side it was critical for the proper role of a lady, especially one that is a Princess of a kingdom, but on the male side, mainly the household lords, they had adrenaline rushes. Since the Great War, they had not been able to witness a scene like this again. The previous rulers decades ago were not like today, they were actually involved with the war fighting alongside the soldiers witnessing bloodshed, and seeing the Princess today, she was like a tiger. A new kind of hope was given to the people because they knew sooner or later this calm was going to end. While the King and Queen were conflicted they didn't know that the households had their favor with the Princess becoming the next heir.

Everybody was shaken. The only sound made was the clanking of the daggers from the daughter of the General and the Princess. They talked in whispers and from the looks of it, it didn't seem good. Then came in another person, but the people were too frightened to notice the uniform of the Kingdom's soldiers and thought it was another bandit so they cowered. Instead of heading toward the General the solider stopped in front of the daughter of the General in a perfect straight stance. And again, they were talking in whispers. Mela handed the dagger to Renee as Renee handed her Commander a handkerchief. Mela wiped her bloodied hands as she made her way towards her father. "The rest of the bandits have been taken care of but there is something that I need to check out." Her father opened his mouth wanting to say something, but he knew the safety of the Kingdom was important than what he wanted to say. He nodded and for the first time said, "Be safe." Though he knew she might not need it. Mela didn't know what to do but she gave him a firm nod and gestured for her two soldiers to follow her. Renee didn't seem to care about the look of her parents as she followed her Commander out in a confident walk.

Right as King Alfred got his mind back together the Prince of Aslan announced their departure and left with their troop, who had only created a barrier around them and not the Kingdom's people during the fight. With that, the celebration was concluded. Everyone headed back home, while Prince Trystan was in a predicament.

Prince Ivan and Princess Ivy had the same thought, they were interested in the two girls, but as fast as they were getting out the spy that they had instructed to follow the trio came back empty handed saying they disappeared from his sight. Prince Ivan knew they weren't normal people so he didn't dwell on the spy's punishment and dejectedly decided to head back to their Kingdom, he didn't want to be bothered the next day by the King for a "friendly" meeting. But he wasn't going to give up on the two newly found interests.

Sam, Mela's left-wing leader, and Renee, the right-wing leader, followed their Commander to the location that Sam said the troop found foreign items. Upon Mela's arrival the troop guarding the items saluted to her. It was weird seeing their Commander in a dress but they remembered she wasn't just a regular soldier like them.

Just from the look of the items she knew what they were. These were trunks full of female makeup. "Commander, what could these be?" Sam asked. Mela had forgotten that her troop was dedicated to their work and hadn't been with any woman, also the only two females in the troop had no use for makeup. "These are female makeup." Renee stepped up and explained to her dense comrades who gave her an 'ohh' look. "But what are they doing here and why are there 3 trunks full of them? It's as if someone was trying to hide them, and on the same night the attack happened." Renee voiced her thoughts. Mela picked one out and sniffed it then she took out another form of the makeup and also sniffed it. Her troop watched her actions in great attention. She handed each one of them a different form of makeup and they copied her actions. At first, there was nothing unusual, but then a sudden scent alerted them. During their time in the poisonous fields their Commander did not go easy on them, how could they forget this smell. To a normal person, the makeup would smell like the usual powder but after their training, they smelt a familiar scent different from the powder, just like a plant they had trouble identifying during the training. "These are hazardous. Dispose of them. Is there any bandits left?" Sam answered to her. "Yes, I had another group begin the interrogation." Mela nodded and left to the troop's secret cottage.

This cottage was hidden deep in the woods so it was perfect to let someone scream without anybody hearing them. That is exactly what Renee heard as they got closer to the hidden cottage. "Salute!" Renee commanded and the group stopped their torture and got into perfect stance towards their Commander. Another troop member gave Mela the jest of what they had gotten so far. But the main question had yet to be answered, however, her guess of the makeup could be correct. The makeup contained a weakening agent in the powder so whoever was to use it would practically become paralysis after much use.

The screaming before had stopped, you would think that meant they were dead but in the cottage, the two captured bandits were still breathing, a bit shallow, but still alive. This wasn't the first time the troop had seen their Commander's way of interrogation and it always challenges their poker face. The two bandits were on the verge of death but neither the devil or god seem to want them, right as they felt like they were finally going to be relieved of the pain it was as if the female in front of them was purposefully preventing them from getting an inch closer to death. They had told her everything she needed but she wasn't letting them go, it was as if she was enjoying their torture and her dark dress hid any sign of her enjoyment.

Renee helped her Commander wipe the blood that was on her face and hands. If anyone knew the Commander, they would know although she was a fearsome female she was as clueless as a child who doesn't know how to take care of herself. Everybody would be in shock seeing the Princess of the Kingdom taking care of another person. "Throw them somewhere." The troop did just that and threw them off the cliff, but it didn't matter as they were already dead by their Commander.