Emberblood

SHE AWOKE TO bloodcurdling screams in the night. She darted out of bed to look through the barred window, and her heart dropped at the sight.

It was a massacre. There were bodies everywhere; few were lucky enough to keep most of their limbs. And the once green grass was now stained with blood.

She looked farther to the side when another scream sounded throughout the kingdom. It came from a frantic woman, who was clutching her child tightly as they kneeled in front of a man suited with dark armor. There was a symbol on his chest of a mace with a skull as the head. Her eyes widened in realization and fright.

He was an Orcus Knight.

"Please! Have mercy on us! I’ll do anything, please!" the woman begged, her cheeks glistening with tears.

The knight laughed maliciously, the sound making the child shake with fear. "You’re both worth more dead than alive."

"No!"

She watched from her window as the dark knight raised his sword and stabbed both mother and child in the chest. They dropped to the ground, holding each other till their very last breath. Hot tears trickled down her cheeks at the scene.

Her entire body froze as she suddenly locked eyes with the knight. A sinister smirk slowly grew onto his face, sending chills down her spine. Her lips quivered as she sucked in a breath.

"Knights, the princess is in the castle!" he shouted, and a group of his people followed after him as he charged at the entrance.

Panic began to boil inside of her. She quickly threw on her shoes, and rushed out of her room. Her heart almost stopped when she bumped into someone.

"Princess, you must come with me. The Queen is calling for you," her royal guard, Dain, said before hastily leading her down the hall. They stopped once two bodies by the door came into view. She stood back as Dain drew his sword and slowly peered inside of the room.

He paused for a moment, then turned to her again with a solemn look painted across his face. "It is safe for you to enter, Princess. I’ll stay here if anyone comes."

She gave him a nod before stepping inside, glancing down at the two guards on the floor. She spotted her mother on the bed and immediately sprinted over with tears springing at her eyes.

"Millicent," her mother murmured as she wrapped her arms around her, but her grip was weak.

"Mother, the Orcus Knights are here. I watched one of them kill a mother and child. He looked at me. I don’t understand why they’re⏤" she rambled, the words getting caught in her throat as she trembled.

Her mother sighed deeply and gently wiped away her daughter’s tears. "Milli, you must listen to me very carefully. We don’t have much time. I thought we would, but it was wrong of me to be so naive. You must run, Millicent. Leave Thralia, and go to Prokar."

"Prokar?" the princess questioned, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Yes. Don’t stop, and don’t trust anyone until you get there. Be clever, Milli, and be quick. Do you understand me?"

"I do, but what am I supposed to do in Prokar, Mother?"

"Find Axar the Emberblood. He is our only chance at freedom, at peace. Once you find him, the both of you must free the Drakaina. That is the only way to stop Orcus before he attacks all of the kingdoms," she explained, her voice grave.

Millicent frowned. "You aren’t coming with me?"

The queen’s face softened as she stared at her young daughter. She sat up, grimacing, and the blanket that covered her body fell to the floor. Millicent’s heart dropped when she saw the gaping wound in her mother’s stomach, and the bloody sword that lay by her side. Her eyes wandered to the floor on the other side of the bed, where the corpse of an Orcus Knight lied.

"Mother, no," Millicent choked out, holding back a sob.

"It’s okay, Milli. I’m going to be okay. Don’t worry about me," her mother smiled tenderly, squeezing her hand. "You have to go, my sweeting."

"What about Father?" she asked, and her mother lightly shook her head, sorrow in her eyes. "And Caspian?"

"Both your brother and father have fulfilled their duty in serving Thralia as Prince and King. As have I. It’s your turn now, Millicent."

"But I can’t do this without you. I’m only 18, I still need you," Millicent cried as she embraced her. She felt her heart break more every second, and all she wanted was to go back in time when she would tease her brother and practice archery with her father every day. But reality began to sink in, and she felt like she was drowning in it.

"You may think you need me, Milli, and I thought we would have more time, but you are more than prepared for this. This is your destiny."

Millicent gazed at her mother for a moment, trying to copy her strength. She let one last tear drop as she said: "I love you, Mother."

"I love you, Milli. Forever," she whispered, giving her hand another squeeze. She then handed her the sword. "Take this with you and defend yourself. No matter what happens, you must survive."

Millicent shakily took the sword that was tainted with her own mother’s blood. She swallowed harshly, trying her best to repress her emotions. "I will do as you said, I promise you."

"I know you will. Now go before it’s too late."

Millicent let go of her mother’s hand and headed for the door. When she turned back to look at her one last time, she knew she would never forget the smile on her mother’s face that night. Even then, as she was slowly dying on her bed, she still had the brightest smile in the kingdom.

Her last words to her were: "Be brave, Milli."

Those words echoed in her mind as Dain ushered her through the castle. She was in shock, but she knew she had to focus. She could not fail her mother, or her kingdom.

Dain suddenly came to a stop, glancing behind them. He craned forward, then pursed his lips. He shrugged off his leather jacket and put it over her shoulders. "I think you should go the rest of the way by yourself, Princess."

"No," she said as she paused to listen if anyone was coming their way. "Come with me to the back door. You’ll have more of a chance at leaving alive."

"Your life is more important than mine, Princess," he argued, but she pulled him with her anyway.

"Right now, you and I might just be the only people in this kingdom still breathing. So we’re both important," Millicent countered, voicing both of their thoughts. Once they finally arrived at the back door that led to the stables, she sighed in relief. "See? It’s safe for both of us to go. They’re not here yet."

Then came the voices.

They were distant, but not distant enough. And by the sound of their feet, there were at least four of them coming.

Dain opened the back door, looked outside for a moment, then moved out of the way. "You must go, Princess."

"Dain⏤"

"Please, Princess," he cut her off, taking her by surprise. "I swore an oath to protect you. Let me fulfill my duty."

She sighed, knowing he was not going to concede, and the footsteps were only drawing closer. She turned to him sharply. "If an opportunity arises to escape, take it. That’s an order."

Dain smiled, pride in his eyes, then bowed before her. "It’s been a pleasure serving you, Princess Millicent."

"Thank you, Dain, but you’re still stuck with me for many more years to come," Millicent assured him, returning the smile. His eyes widened when she enveloped him in a tight hug, and although he didn’t hold her just as strongly, he treasured the hug more than anything.

She backed away and gave him a nod before warily stepping outside. Realizing it was clear, she allowed herself to relax a bit. She glanced back, where Dain was standing there with the door ajar, watching over her protectively.

Millicent went over to the stables and chose the most reliable horse. He was an Akhal-Teke, an incredibly rare breed with a lucent golden coat and impressive athleticism. He was her father’s prized possession.

"Come on, Eligius," she murmured, caressing his head. She blinked away any future tears and quickly attached the saddle around him. She hopped onto his back, her sword in the scabbard of the saddle, and led him towards Dain.

But it was too late. The Orcus Knights were attacking him, and he was outnumbered. She was about to intervene when Dain locked eyes with her.

"Go," he mouthed.

Millicent gulped, hesitant. One of the Orcus Knights noticed her in the shadows, narrowing his eyes at her. She recognized the sinister smirk on his face, and she knew she couldn’t stay to help. She tugged on Eligius’ lead rope, and he turned. She wasn’t too far when Dain’s agonizing cry resonated throughout the fallen kingdom.

"Long live Queen Millicent!"