Chapter 1 - part 1

I pulled the dagger from my belt and channeled the remaining strength to move the enemy sword enough to dodge the blow and throw myself on the soldier. I was quick: I used my skills to slide the weapon away from my head, but when I brought the dagger to the enemy's throat, I found myself face to face with a woman, that woman who had discovered me moments before.

The warrior had hair so light that it shone in the sunlight, but the shadow that touched it showed locks of a very pale blue, almost imperceptible. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful: her lips were full and rosy, her nose with delicate shapes, her eyes bright and blue like the sea near the coast, clear, rich in pigments. Her figure reminded me of the stories that spoke of elves and fairies, with an enchanting and almost magical appearance, delicate but fatally irresistible.

Her ocean"colored eyes, however, stared at me in anger and ended my imaginative reminiscence: "Tell me who you are, now" she screamed threateningly.

"Would you like to know? How about telling your dogs to put down their weapons, dear princess? "

The woman raised her hand to the soldiers who had joined us and ordered them to leave: my dagger was near her throat, threatening to cut her; I had an unstoppable desire to hurt her just to hear her beg. What should I do? Beautiful women like her were my worst weakness.

"How do you know who I am?" She stood with her face close to mine, lips curled into a grimace, lips that I wanted to bite. I smiled and rolled my eyes to the surrounding area to see all the soldiers present. I felt that five, maybe two, were on the way. My hearing was still trying to adjust to the outside environment after being trapped between deaf walls and the cries of prisoners.

After a careful consideration, I realized that this woman could only be the famous Zeyana Voklanden, the warrior princess of the invading empire and the only woman known to lead thousands of men: the rumors about her seemed nonsense, but at least I could make sure that those about her unparalleled beauty were all true.

If I had died on the day of my release from the prison, I could still be happy to have seen a goddess like her.

Yes, sure, as if I could be happy to die at the hands of those bastards! I was not going to let anyone stop my revenge on those monsters who had destroyed my life.

"There aren't many princesses around fighting or am I wrong? "

"Do you think you're quicker to cut my throat than an arrow thrown five meters away? "She tried to provoke me but the princess didn't know me. I was a witch, I knew perfectly all the tricks of the craft to defend myself and ensure my survival despite the obvious disadvantage of the situation. Surely if I had been at my peak, not only would I have stopped an arrow but I would have also knocked out all the soldiers nearby, but I had to deal with my evident weakness and the damages of captivity:

"Come on, I was just kidding ... I would never try to hurt a woman as beautiful and precious as the princess" I smiled removing her blade from her neck and the woman ordered her men to stay still. It was a good sign, at least I wasn't going to die instantly.

"Princess, weren't you curious to know who I was?"

Was I wrong in wanting to play a little with her? In the past my instincts had always been fully functional and I would know when to stop near dangerous situations.

"I'm rather curious. Why I shouldn't kill you" she replied taking the collar of my shirt to draw me against her forcefully. I found it sexy and couldn't keep the blush from reaching my cheeks: okay, maybe I was enjoying all that attention a little too much.

"I could be very useful to your majesty... in many ways" my voice hinted at something else, but my sensuality apparently was not appreciated by the princess who suddenly moved away from me, as if I burned, and stared at me indignantly. The soldiers around us had not heard those whispered words but were looking at us dazed.

"I couldn't find any use for you even if I took you as my slave! "

How could she look so charming even though she had a killer look on her face? I was crazy for that kind of expression on angelic faces, but full of resolve and fury in simple looks... sensual, intense, penetrating!

"Princess Zeyana, do you like that kind of thing too?! " I exulted taking a step towards her, but the woman reached out to me and grabbed me by the throat, forcing me to shut up: okay no more games, I thought. Putting my hand on her arm, I recited a quick spell. My eyes shone, they could reflect the purest gold when I used magic and often that was enough to capture my prey: the princess gritted her teeth but she was forced to stare at me without being able to move. My spell wouldn't last very long, but I could at least have some fun with her. I smiled mischievously and squeezed my hand on the woman even more, then I moved it towards her face and caressed it: "You can't free yourself, can you? "

" Damn, what is this artifice?! " I let the princess go when I felt quite satisfied with her anger. I loved driving others crazy.

Well, crazy for me and because of me.

"Stop her."

I snorted annoyedly but when the soldiers raised their swords and bows I was forced to raise my hands in surrender. Maybe I would have gotten a lift out of this situation. As the soldiers pushed me towards the street where the rest of the group was, I already began to think about how I would escape.

"Where are you from? " asked a tall, robust man, with a red beard and black eyes.

"From the forest, did you not see? " I replied teasing him and getting a shove in return. Bastard.

"Tynov, we treat prisoners well, even when they are annoying, so stop being grouchy" the princess ordered the soldier, putting him in line immediately. I frowned and thought about my village: do they treat prisoners well? But only a little boy and I had survived after Clevwood's devastation, as far as I knew... could it be that the princess didn't know about it? Or was she just lying? I decided to play my cards right and remain silent for the moment: if I had the same people in front of me who had mown the members of the village, I would have risked my life talking about Clevwood.

"We will take you to the camp and there you will be questioned ..." the cold and proud woman explained to me, without even looking at me.

"I have things to do."

"Do you prefer to be killed right now? "She grabbed her sword hilt and finally stared into my eyes: that blue was turning to ice.

"Now that I think about it, I realize I have a lot of time, let's go"

She looked at me contemptuously and shook her head to herself, before climbing onto her horse and rearranging the men to set off on the march.

Tynov, Trynov, as he was called, well... that big man from earlier picked me up and lifted me onto his horse with ease, then tied me to it following the orders from the warrior princess. I was shocked by their lack of faith in me!

On the way to the camp, I paused to look at the fields we crossed, silent and gloomy, just like the weather. The famine had already destroyed part of the harvest, but some were still trying to work and get the necessary to survive, however with the invasion it would not have been reasonable to continue to do so. Everyone risked being killed on sight, just as it happened in the villages devastated by our sovereign: I still didn't understand how it was possible that our tyrant was still alive. It would have been a great idea to assassinate him while he slept... too bad no one had succeeded yet!

Returning to my present situation, which I had probably gotten myself into like an imbecile, I realized that riding the horse did not help at all with the pains caused by the barrel cracked ribs I had endured in Clevwood's prison; I was weak, a witch in those conditions was in danger of losing her life at any moment.

I bit my lip, tearing it apart, to hold back the moans of pain eased by my residual magic and a drop of blood stained my pale skin. I was slowly losing control and I knew that soon I would lose consciousness: even if I had been drinking and eating in order to recover my strength, I was in poor physical condition.

"Trynov" I raised my voice looking for the big soldier. I turned to see him coming towards me with the horse, he had increased his pace to approach me. I was struggling on the horse's back, but I was hoping not to pass out.

"What do you want? My name is Tynov, make no mistakes anymore."

"Okay... Tynov... I just wanted to know how long I have to wait till we reach this damn camp! "

"Not too much."

"Fantastic!"

"Are you sick..? I don't want a corpse on my horse."

"Really nice of you Tynov to only care about your horse and not your fantastic prisoner. Shouldn't you have treated me with dignity?! Your princess said something like that, didn't she? "

"Woe to you"!"

"Hey! " Princess Zeyana joined us interrupting the conversation and I snorted, turning my head away. What did she want now? Couldn't I even complain to the big soldier?

"What's happening?"

"The prisoner is sick..."

The princess looked at me coldly and ordered me to speak and I did reluctantly: "Nothing much, I just have to rest a little."

"I would like to question you so try not to fall off the horse."

"Wouldn't this be the moment when you propose to take me with you, on your horse, and hold me tight to keep me from falling? " I asked, winking but ending in a grimace due to the pains in my ribs.

Princess Zeyana stared at me speechless: "Your insolence is nothing short of intolerable" she sighed angrily and went away galloping, without looking back.

"Tynov take care of her!" She yelled at the soldier with indifference.

"Tynov as a good man, follow the orders of your mistress" I laughed happily when I realized that the soldier must have a secret crush on the princess: he was always with his eyes fixed on her and the beauty of the princess would have made anyone fall in love. Or he was just a faithful dog.

"Damn" he said with a grimace of annoyance, chasing the princess and leaving me alone. What a gentleman. In the end he had not obeyed the orders of his mistress.

"Hey" an armed woman, a soldier of course, approached my horse, she was on foot but kept a good pace. She was young, maybe a few years older than me, and she was pretty, with her fiery red hair and charming dark green eyes. I had very colorful tastes, especially I loved knowing wayfarers for their adventurous stories and warriors for... well, for their physical shape and prowess.

"Did they send you to torment me in Tynov's place?" The woman seemed to care more and she took another step closer.

"I'm hurt" I said imitating a silent cry that made my weak and fragile body shake. I watched the woman look around her, from under the dark strands of my hair that covered my face, then smiled secretly as she put a shy hand to my shoulder.

"Are you really hurt that bad? "

She was so tender! I wanted to pick her up and take her away for some sensual nighttime adventure, and then say goodbye when I got tired of her. Was it unfair? Maybe it was, but people like her, naive and kind, would get stabbed in the back sooner or later; I hated the innocence of people who hadn't seen evil in her eyes. I had carefully observed her gaze, strong but inexperienced, I couldn't be wrong with her.

"Yes... they fractured my ribs... you are all the same! " I affirmed with desperation, turning my face away so that I would not see the soldier. I grinned when I heard her tone of voice: she was really concerned.

"If you're sick I can help you ... for now" the woman suggested taking the reins of the horse to stop him.

"... can I rest? It really hurts to ride, I can't resist anymore" I wiped the tears with the sleeve of my shirt and looked at her with the most innocent eyes I could show. My acting must have been excellent, as the woman smiled at me and explained that she would help me by riding with me, but she could not let me get off during the march: "You can use me as a support for the last stretch... I'm sure it can be of help with your pains. All right?"

"Yes... thank you" when she climbed up behind me, taking control of the horse, I leaned against her chest and smiled at my dazzling rider. She had brought a hand to my hips to hold me, but was holding it at a distance, perhaps thinking it would hurt me, so I took the initiative and grabbed the gloved hand to surround my waist with her arm.

In the last part of the journey I felt less pain and it was easier to rest having someone to support me; perhaps this naive soldier was not so useless. She, at least, didn't grunt like Tynov.

"I have never met someone like you..." I whispered in her ear, making her blush visibly. It was fun: right from the start she was unable to mask the fascination I exercised on her. I loved seeing in the eyes of my victims that almost childish shyness, which shortly afterwards turned into something passionate and instinctive. The men and women I had been with in the months before my captivity had given me many memories to brag about with a few drinking buddies, but after all, who would have listened to a poor girl, rude and hated because she was a witch? I couldn't even remember the feeling of having someone to talk to about anything and everything. Someone to trust... I had lost everything, They had taken everything away from me.

"Why are you fighting for Princess Zeyana?" I asked to pass the time with my new interest. The woman... what was her name? Ah! I hadn't even asked her for her name: how rude of me.

"I fight for my Country" she said hesitantly, almost as if she was afraid to reveal the real reason why she was in Fokranstad with the army.

" ... not for your princess? " I bit my lip, taking pleasure in intimidating the woman with my questions. She swayed, I could see it from her eyes and her bright red lips trembled, albeit almost imperceptibly.

"Fight for the regents and for the whole population. There is no distinction."

"I'm sorry I was intrusive."

"Don't worry, I'm glad to see you're not afraid" she said in a low voice and like a good manipulator that I was, I caught the opportunity: "you don't scare me, on the contrary..." and I put a hand on her arm which was holding me: "... I feel safe in your arms" my voice had taken a sensual note and I knew I had hit the mark when she moved behind me, stiffening. Was she excited? Was she thrilled to touch me like everyone else? I smiled to myself, but when I saw that we had arrived at the camp,

I made a face: my fun was over.