Soldier, Poet, King

Chapter 1: Alexa

A bolt of lightning strikes, the pouring rain keeps on coming down, I try not to make one wrong step and fall to the ground. They're after me, why? I haven't done anything to them except tolerate their childish behavior constantly. It's a group of kids from a village near ours. They taunt me and my friends nonstop, I just couldn't take it anymore. I stood up to them. Since they're all not mature enough to settle things with words, they decided to chase me with weapons which they carved from wood. And here I am right now, running and drenched. Great. As I try to find any way to escape and pause, I see they've already caught up to me. They corner me against some walls and raise their weapons.

I think to myself; wow, the one time I stand up for myself and my friends, I'm about to get abused? Oh well, I guess I had an okay life. Everything goes in slow motion for a bit, I see their arms about to swing down on me while I wince and- I'm... not hurt?

I slowly opened my eyes to see that someone's there holding their arms out and yelling "You can't do this! Stop it!"

What? I'm confused greatly. Who would want to save me? I'm just Alexa Bennet, daughter of nobody special nor royalty. The brave girl looks back at me with a stern face, with only a glance at the side of her face I could tell it was Evangeline, the empress's daughter. Another bolt of lightning strikes.

"Or what? It's not like a weak little princess is going to hurt us." says the leader of the group.

"I'll report this to my mother, the Empress!" she responded, "Then your families and you will all pay the consequences."

I could see that she wasn't afraid of them, but the group certainly was afraid of her.

They all glanced at each other then left but the leader stays behind.

"You were lucky this time, punk." he snarks. I roll my eyes.

We wait until they all leave and then she helps me up. "Are you okay? Sorry that happened, did they hurt you at all?"

"No, no I'm fine. Thank you for helping me. My names Alexa by the way." I said.

"Well Alexa, be more careful next time! It's not worth wasting your time on them. I've seen what they've done to you and your other friends and I just had to do something. And I'm sure you already know my name but please, call me Eva." She grins and I grin back.

Then, I nod and tell her that I'd promise to pay her back one day and for her to not forget about it. I wave goodbye and as the lightning goes away slowly, I walk home as the moonlight peeks through the clouds.

It's been a while since I made that promise to Eva. It's actually been 6 years, I'm 18 and have trained to be a knight for the past few years to finally repay her back. Today's the day.