The Warrior Princess

The sun hung high in the sky, casting harsh rays over the dusty arena, where the roar of the crowd echoed like thunder. The gate at the walls of the stage creaked open, and a young beautiful girl bound in shackles and her face covered in bruises was dragged to the center of the stage by two guards. She raised her head to the highest tiered seat that was occupied by the seven rulers and the third Prince of Verrel. Her eyes scanned the seats until they fell on a fat–chubby man who sat beside the prince, the Imperial Chancellor. Anger surged within her as she clenched her fist and jaw watching him drink and chat with the third Prince. Memories flooded back, sharp and painful *Flashback* • • • At the dungeon, the young girl sat against the cold wall. Her hands were bound in shackles attached to the wall, and her bruises were fresh. The dungeon was dark. The small window only allowed a little ray of sunshine. The iron door creaked as light lit up the room. A chubby man dressed in a noble red robe walked in with some guards. The fat man was none other than the Imperial Chancellor. He let out a mocking laugh. “All hail the great warrior Princess of Castonia”, he said mockingly. "Princess Ava", he called as he crouched before her. Now Ava was boiling in anger as she clenched her jaw tight. The Chancellor smiled when he saw her expression. ''Why are you here?'', she asked as she tried to control her anger. The Chancellor smiled again. ''I brought you good news from Castonia.'' On hearing this, Ava loosened her tightened jaw. 'What have you done?', she asked worriedly. 'Me? Not me but the first Prince of Verrel', he said. The King of Castonia is dead," he broke the news. "And now you will be mine," he said as he caressed her face with his hand. Just as he leaned forward to kiss her, he received a punch in the face. Somehow Ava managed to take his dagger from his waist and in a single s***h, she cut off two of his fingers. The Chancellor screamed in pain. Upon seeing this, the guards gave Ava another beating; one of the guards delivered a brutal kick to her side, sending her sprawling against the cold stone floor. Gasping for breath, she felt the sharp sting of pain radiate through her body, but her spirit remained unbroken. "Foolish girl!" the Chancellor howled, clutching his injured hand, blood seeping through his fingers. "You’ll pay for that!" Ava glared at him, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and defiance. "You think I’ll submit to you? I’d rather die than be your pawn!" The Imperial Chancellor wiped the blood from his face with a sneer. “Oh, but you will submit. You have no choice now. With your kingdom in ruins, you are the only one left. I will make sure that every royal family of Castonia is given a brutal death sentence.” He turned to leave but stopped, “Tomorrow the seven rulers of Verrel will be here and they might want to see your death”. He said as he left. • • • The memories faded, Ava snapped back to reality. Her gaze was still locked on the Advisor ( Imperial Chancellor), and she didn't notice the guards leaving her on the stage in a hurry. 'CLICK!' The iron gate behind her opened. The crowd's roars and cheers suddenly decreased as they waited patiently with anticipation. Roar!!!! A roar rang out, and from the shadows, a mighty tiger majestically walked out. Its powerful muscles rippled beneath its vibrant coat. The crowd roared in excitement. Ava slowly pivoted as her heart raced in fear. She walked back step by step as the tiger slowly advanced. With a sudden growl, the tiger lunged forward, claws extended and teeth bared, ready to kill its prey. Ava immediately rolled to the side, avoiding the tiger's sharp claws by mere inches. But the tiger was relentless; it struck again, aiming for her head. Ava successfully dodged to the side; unfortunately, this time the tiger's claws left a deep wound on her left arm. Meanwhile, the third prince watched with anticipation and interest. “The prince is interested in this fight,” one of the seven kings said. “Why don't we place a bet on who's going to win?” the king, whose name was Andrew, continued. “Alright, I will place my bet on her,” the third prince said immediately. “And why is that?” the Advisor cut in. “Quit asking, and let's place the bet.” "I'll place my bet on the tiger," the Advisor sneered, his eyes fixed on Ava with a mixture of contempt and excitement. "She's just a weak little girl, no match for the mighty beast." The third prince smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Very well, let us see who wins. If the girl wins, I get to claim the duke's prized diamond." The Advisor snorted. "And if the tiger wins, you'll give me control over your armies." The third prince nodded, his smile growing wider. "Agreed." “Your Highness, how could she win the fight without a weapon?” Adam, the third prince's commander, asked. “Your soldier is right; she can't even win with a spear, let alone now that she has no weapon,” King Andrew said. “Adam!” the third prince called. “Yes, Your Highness,” Adam said as he quickly knelt before him. “Give her your dagger,” the third prince said. “Yes, Your Highness,” Adam obediently threw his dagger onto the stage. “It seems like Your Highness didn't take this bet seriously,” King Andrew said. Meanwhile, at the heart of the arena, Ava had already been badly injured, but her eyes were still bright, filled with determination and confidence. She dodged the tiger's attack for the seventh time, but the tiger, seeing that its prey wouldn't last long, kept attacking. Ava rolled to the side, but a bright light flashed in her eyes. She looked in that direction and saw a dagger glinting in the sunlight. She quickly ran toward it. The tiger, not wanting its prey to escape, ran after her with all its might. Ava could hear the sound of the tiger's paws hitting the ground; she knew she had to get the dagger before it caught up with her. She was just a few meters away from the dagger, and she could feel the tiger's growl behind her. Just as she was about to reach for the dagger, the tiger knocked her to the floor.