The Princess Knight

No One Came

In the Capital

The air was thick with smoke and terror. Screams and cries of dying men. Knights fought fiercely to defend the gates,

At the forefront stood King Maeric, sword in hand, his crown long fallen into the mud. Around him, his loyal knights formed a loyal circle, fighting with the last of their strength to shield their king.

Only a handful of invaders remained at the gate__most had already stormed into the castle's heart. The king made one strike, but his blade slipped from his grasp, and a then came a savage kick sending him onto the blood-soaked ground. The enemy raised his weapon, ready to end it.

Then, blade burst clean through the man's chest, splattering warm blood on the king's face. The dying soldier collapsed forward, and Maeric shoved the corpse aside, breath ragged.

Standing over him was Brother Kaius, Who extended a bloodied hand.

"Your Majesty," he called.

The king held his hand and pulled himself upright. "You've my thanks, Brother."

Kaius looked down at his hands__stained with the blood, then back at the king, he asked. "Are you unharmed?"

"Aye," The King replied, picking up his sword from the ground, as he gave Kaius shoulder a firm pat of reassurance before they moved forward together, the gate now littered with blood and fallen men.

They had barely gone ten paces when Father Martin approached, Guarded by two knights.

"Have you taken the princess to safety?" King Maeric asked.

The priest and the catechist exchanged a confused glance.

Their silence said enough as the king's expression hardened. "Then she's still within the castle" He muttered

He turned sharply to the surrounding knights, voice booming through the smoke-filled air, he said

"Find the princess! Now!" He barked order as few knights bowed and scattered as they disappeared into the chaos.

"We must find her, no matter what," the king muttered under his breath, forcing himself to remain calm as they pressed onward through the smoke-filled courtyard.

Then....

A sickening crack echoed behind them.

Another.

And another.

They froze mid-step as they heard the sound of bones snapping and joints twisting filled the air.

Father Martins and the catechist exchanged a knowing glance, dread in their eyes,They already knew what had risen behind them.

Slowly, King Maeric turned. His breath caught.

The corpses of the fallen enemies, men they had slain moments ago, were now standing. Their eyes were pitch black, hollow voids. Their teeth, sharp as a shark's. Their ears stretched long like that of elves.

"Close the gates!" Father Martins shouted.

The knights obeyed, heaving the great iron doors shut as the undead rushed toward them. The gates slammed closed just as the first of the risen slammed against it, clawing and screeching.

King Maeric's sword trembled slightly in his grip. He turned to the priests.

"Demons... " he whispered with a deep exhale. "Tell me I'm wrong."

Father Martins shook his head grimly.

"Luth, a corpse-possessing demon," he said. "They wear the flesh of the dead and twist it to their will. They are hard to kill, almost impossible by mortal blades."

The king's expression darkened. He looked around at the few knights left, each panting, bloodied, and terrified. In that moment, he saw his kingdom flicker before his eyes__its glory, its fall, and his failure to foresee this.

He had expected war.

But not this.

Not demons.

"I know what you're thinking," Father Martin said quietly, stepping beside him. His tone was steady, his eyes fearless. "Back in the war room, we had our suspicions this attack was not of mortal hands, and we sent word to the Cathedral." He said

" The Paladins are already on their way."

Hope flickered across Maeric's face for the first time in what felt like hours.

"Then we must hold the line," he said firmly. He caught a passing young knight by the arm, his voice fierce and urgent.

"Tell the others to fall back__form defensive lines at the inner gate. Retreat!"

The knight nodded and sprinted off, shouting through the smoke

"Retreat! Retreat! By order of the King!"

The remaining soldiers began to withdraw, the clatter of their armour echoing through the distant, unholy growls beyond the gate.

---

Back in the Cave

"OPEN YOUR EYES!" The creature screamed in my ear, so close that pain pierced my ears.

My head rang, but luckily my hand finally found the large stone I'd been reaching for.

"OPEN__"

Smack!

I swung the stone hard, strikingit hard with all my strength. It released me at once, stumbling back, it's sound so sharp it made my head ache again, Judging from the splatter of thick slime across my hand, I must have hit its eye__perfectly.

While it screamed in agony, I dared to open one eye, just enough to glimpse my chance of escape. Before fleeing, I caught a clearer look at the thing.

It wasn't as tall as I'd imagined__its arms were long and powerful, but its body hunched and uneven. Its skin was dark brown, slick with slime, rough as bark and gleaming in the dim light. I had never seen such a creature in my life. Perhaps this was the moment I was meant to start believing everything I'd been taught.

I didn't wait for even a second, I ran.

The narrow cave walls blurred as I sprinted forward, heart pounding. I didn't know where the exit was, only that I needed to be far, far away.

But the pounding footsteps behind me told me hope was short-lived.

Then something yanked me backward__its long, cold hand clamped around my leg, dragging me to the ground. I hit the stone floor hard, the breath knocked from my chest.

"Ahh!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as it dragged me across the ground. I didn't even know I could scream that loud. All my life, I'd never faced a real threat__not like this. I had grown up behind castle walls, where the worst thing that could happen was tripping over my gown or burning my tongue on hot tea.

I wasn't the fragile type either. I could ride a horse, fence a little, and even sneak into the training yard when no one was watching. But this__being hauled through the dirt by a creature from my nightmares, this was something else entirely.

The rough stone tore at my back as it dragged me, my hands clawing uselessly at the ground. Every scrape stung like fire, and still, I couldn't stop struggling. My breath came in ragged bursts, the air sharp and hot in my chest.

It pulled me all the way back to where it first caught me. My body trembled as I squeezed my eyes shut, whispering desperate prayers under my breath__anything that might help. My father, Father Martin, even Brother Kaius, Anyone.

But no one came.