The Princess of Sa

"What are these images that kept appearing in front of me? Is this what they called life flashing before one's death?" Confusion clouded my mind when I saw images flickering before my eyes, images I had never seen before.

Within those images, I saw a tall and strong female warrior, wearing golden armor confidently charged into battle. Aside from that, I heard the haunting cries of a woman and child in the distance.

These images were not in my life, yet they were all I could see as darkness slowly consumed my vision.

As I lay there, unable to move a muscle. The blood spilled from the slaughtering was covering me. The metal smell of the blood overwhelmed my sense of smell.

I closed my eyes and tried not to think too much about the nastiness I was in. Moments went by, and my consciousness began to fade. A strange feeling of being dragged away was the last thing I could remember before I completely blacked out.

"So this is the end. My life has been completed," I told myself as I laid the middle of darkness, smiling with happiness.

There was truly nothing around me. No smell, no light, no sound. Surrounding me was nothing but a space of nothingness.

As I was asking myself how I would keep myself entertained in this void, the small murmur of voices appeared out of nowhere.

I turned left and right, up and down trying to find what or who was there, but I couldn't find anything.

The murmuring began to get louder and louder, to the point that it irritated me very much. I tried lying down, closing my eyes covering my ears, and waiting for the murmuring to end. But it won't stop. The voice only got louder and louder, until I felt like it physically vibrated my brain every time the voice spoke.

Couldn't handle it anymore, I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"STOP IT! CAN I DIE IN PEACE?!" I shouted, lifting my body, only to be met with a sharp pain that sent me back down.

"Agh!" I let out. "Wait! I can feel pain?" I questioned myself out loud.

Amid pain and confusion. I came to realize that I was still alive. It was then that my eyes picked up that I was in a tent, and saw Ly Giai and Si next to my bedside. They looked both shocked and relieved.

"Oh! You're alive!" Si cried and jumped to hug me. Ly Giai did the same. They were both crying.

"Ouch! You're hurting me!" I cried. They were hugging me too tight.

"Anyway," I gently pushed them away and looked around. "How am I still alive? Where are we? How did we get here?" I asked.

Ly Giai replied calmly, "No need to worry. We are inside the capital. in a refugee camp."

"The capital? That didn't make sense. Didn't the commander of the gate refuse to let us in?" I could still remember his deadly order.

She nodded, "Yes, but right when you were unconscious, the princess herself ordered the gates to open. She and her soldiers came out and fought the Ly. Thanks to them the enemy is pushed back and we managed to get inside. This refugee camp is currently in the yard of her palace."

"The princess fought? That is unusual," I couldn't hide my surprised face.

"And do you have a problem with that?" a voice spoke that was not us three. A woman wearing golden armor then entered the tent, followed by many guards.

My first impression was how commanding her aura was but at the same time caring and gentle. She was quite tall, taller than an average woman. On one hand, she held her helmet, letting her long, silky hair free. Her face was uniquely feminine yet full of authority at the same time. Truly a unique look.

[The princess's appearance with the help of AI] [https://imgur.com/ZuqN1q6]

"Your Highness!" Ly Giai and Si quickly bowed to her respectfully. Realizing who she was, I tried to do the same but struggled because of my injury.

She gestured us to be relaxed, "No need to be formal. You are still hurt, and you two can raise your head."

Ly Giai and Si did as she was told. 

"Why are you here, princess?" I asked.

Suddenly, a guard pointed her sword at me. "How dare you speak to her Highness so informally?!" she shouted.

I was surprised and confused but was able to keep calm, "In what way am I disrespecting the princess? I'm just asking a question." 

"Speaking without permission and honorifics to a royal is disrespectful!" the guard shouted.

I opened my mouth and eyes wide. "What kind of ridiculous rule is that?" was what I was about to say, but Ly Giai quickly covered my mouth to avoid further trouble.

"Please forgive him, your Highness! He doesn't know many rules about etiquette behaviors in front of nobles and royals," Ly Giai nervously apologized.

"What? Those rules are taught in school for kids…" the guard couldn't finish.

"San!" the princess interrupted her. She then gave the guard a cold glance that made her put back her sword and went silent.

"Sorry about that," the princess turned to us and smiled. "Well then, I should leave now seeing that you are fine." She then turned around and left with her guards.

When they finally got out Ly Giai dropped her hand from my mouth. "You are very lucky," she gently told me.

"How so?" I asked naively.

"Speaking without honorifics could lead to jail time and public shaming," she explained.

"Oh…" I slowly covered my mouth.