The Game of Time and Crown

Nine

Amaya grabbed my hand and pulled me to run. We turn and turn and we never stopped running until we reached another wall the stood so high I felt dizzy from looking up.

And the wooded gate looked like a giant went straight through it.

"No," Amaya cried.

"We have no time to cry, you're the one who knows where the princess is. We have to go!" I encourage her.

He nodded and we ran as fast as we could. Amaya took a shortcut and within seconds, we are already inside the castle.

It's unlike any medieval palaces i have ever saw. It's not extravagant and shining with gold but instead, there were very old columnar that stood several feet tall and there were huge trees inside.

There are three flags in the entrance with the dark cyan one being in the middle and the other dark beige one on both sides.

Right, I'm not in Greece or Rome, I am in Persia.

That means they don't do heavily printed gold and maroons. Crowns and big ballgowns. They are a imperial in the middle of the dessert.

Everything is rugged.

I remembered how Darius, the one i just saw earlier looked like. Unlike the Prince outside the Village's gate, he doesn't have anything that screams royal to me. He almost looks like he's just a worker.

We ran upstairs and managed to get into one of the rooms. Amaya whistled in a weird manner and waited.

"Amaya."

We both looked at our backs and there a lady emerged.

Her long hair is braided but it still reaches until her knees. She wore a long sleeve beige dress that is up to her ankles with embroided lines and flowers in it.

She's holding a dagger that is almost as long as my arms and is shaking uncontrollably.

"You're safe," Amaya assured her.

I almost believed her except for when i heard stomps of feet nearby and shouting from outside the door.

"We have to go. Amaya? Any ways?" I asked her.

They both looked at me weirdly but because of the situation, they weren't able to ask me.

Amaya led us inside a room where there is a bulkhead door but is made out of woods. She opened it slowly and she gets in first and then Princess Laleh and lastly, me.

I silently closed the doors and we make our way down the stairs until we reach a series of tunnel ways. Amaya continued to walk, very careful on making any noise since the tunnels are underneath and any sound will echoed back to the door since we are still very closed to it.

I felt Amaya's phase begins to hurry so in instincts call, i pulled my sword out and took a pause to look around and check.

When i was sure that no one has followed us, i continued to walk. We did that for about a half hour and i can feel the sweat under the armor that I am wearing and i can feel the oxygen already getting thinner each time but luckily, we managed to get in the end of the tunnel where there was another exit.

"I'll go first,' Amaya said.

She carefully opened the door and peeked her head through it and looked around. When se already ensured us that no one is anywhere near the exit, she motioned Princess Laleh to move.

As we make our way to exit the tunnel there were numerous horses that we can use to get away.

I almost sigh in relief when i remembered that i use to ride one when i was little since my father owned a ton of them during his younger years.

It has been a long time ever since the day i last rode a horse but i doubt that even this body

doesn't know how to ride one.

As we mounted the horses, we lined up, making the Princess in our center and began to move.

The place was dark and it was almost sunrise. It was so hard to focus on the road when i can hear the screams, the collapsing of the walls and other chaotic things that are happening.

A lot of the part of the castle is already being burned down and it causes the temperature to rise up.

I was just in a hotel earlier. I would very much obliged to be in jail for touching the Prince.

"I hope nothing bad happened to him," i whispered.

Our horses ran faster as we approach a small gate but before we can reach it, an arrow flew right into my face and i barley managed to dodge it.

My mouth fell open and i almost fell on my horse.

A group of knights wearing dark red vests underneath their armors, surrounded us.

"Laide!" Amaya called.

"Make a run for it!" she signaled me.

I nodded and looked at the Princess who is about my age and nods at her. Even though she looked terrified, she got the message and began to maneuver her horse in the gate.

I draw my sword to cover up for her but then Amaya stood in front of me.

"I can't let anything bad happen to you. The two of you make a run and i will cover."

"No way! If there is someone that needs to be safe here, it's definitely not me!" I yelled at her.

"You don't understand! Just trust me! Princess Laleh knows where the Palace of the Northern Rangers are," she began to explain.

"They will let her in because she is the Princess. Tell them your mother's name and they will know who you are."

I know my mother's name but not this Laide's mother!

"I'm not leaving without you!" I shook my head.

We both unmounted our horse and i draw my sword and prepared.

As i guard the Princess who is still on a horse, Amaya easily managed to kill all of them. She was exhausted and was about to mount her horse when suddenly, there were almost seventeen men who came together with the man who looked like Darius.

We are outnumbered and we have been easily surrounded. He didn't hesitate to point his two daggers at both of us.

"I don't want any bloodshed, Princess of Deya. I just want your flag," he coldly said.

"No!" Amaya and I both yelled.

"Promise me you will spare them, and everyone else who is still alive," she spoke.

We both looked at her unbelievably.

"Princess," Amaya uttered.

The man withdraws his daggers and step closer to where we are. He held his arms that has some dried blood in it and a few bruises.

Laleh unmounted and from her cape, she revealed a dark cyan flag and gave it to him.

The moment his hands touched the flag, all of tge remaining knights seized us.I looked at him with my sharpest glare and he looked at me like he was amused.

We were accompanied by the men to head outside of the palace where there is a carriage.

"I know you're aware of what you just did," Amaya opened the conversation when we have already settled inside the carriage.

"I don't want anymore people to die. If i became queen, i could still reclaim the land," she answered and then turned her back on us.

Queen?

I'm not that dumb to not be able to piece anything based on what they said.

The defeated land if ruled by a woman is conquered, she needs to marry the king or maybe the prince.I suddenly became weary of the thought that she will marry one of the prince and i don't even know why.

I just want to go back now. Why am i even hear?

"Maybe this is just a dream," i unconsciously said.

"Well, I hope it is," Amaya replied.

The sun rises and it's rays woke me up. I was sweating buckets. As I look outside and saw a vast dessert, I was even so afraid to look at what I am wearing.

"This is not a dream." I cried.

"Maybe it's not as bad as you thought."

I looked outside of the windows of the carriage only to see the rugged prince riding his own horse.

"I don't even know what to say to you anymore. I should've pulled your life support," I shouted at him.

"What?" he irritably asked.

"Don't go holding grudges on me. Your palace was a home of thousands of witches, they are illegal," he reasoned.

His sly smirk never seems to falter and I almost jumped out of the carriage just to punch him in the face.

"Oh I hope Prince Darius isn't anything like you," i swear.

"But I am Prince Darius. I am everything like me."

"Brother."

We both looked at the man who came in beside him.

It was the other one, preferably a little bit older than him. I immediately recognized his familiar armor.

The other Prince.

"That was a smart move."

He nodded and smiled. He was about to go when he saw me. He smirked and then looked at Darius. My forehead creased in confusion but I am in no position to even ask and I don't want to.

We stopped in the middle of the forest to eat. We weren't allowed to go out but a knight delivers some food for us.

I am pretty sure if Laleh was not with us, we would not even be here.

As we eat, i peeked my head through the window of the carriage and realized that it was almost dawn already. Everybody is eating and resting .I was about to continue eating when i noticed Darius.

He was in a cross sitting position on the ground with his back lying in a big rock behind him with the other knights. It wasn't even hard to find the other Prince because he was sitting in front of a round table with a lot of food.

"I don't even know if they're really brothers." I laughed.

Nigh time falls and everyone was asleep. I really needed to pee so i tried opening the carriage's door. When it clicked, I silently went down and looked around on where I can relieve myself.

"Looking for someone?"

"Sh*t!" I shouted.

I automatically tried to punch the man but he managed to dodge it easily.

"I have to pee!" I blurted.

He seems shocked about it and raised his two hands in the air while chuckling.

He pulled out a dagger and i made an alarmed noise, stepping back away from him.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

He tilted his head and then shook his head when he realized that i was afraid.

"I'm giving this to you, there are snakes hidden above the trees nd i don't want anyone to come screaming while their pants are pulled down," he sarcastically said.

I raised my eyebrows but didn't waste another second to grab the dagger.

I could make a run for it now!

But then i was terrified of what he just said. And i can't leave Amaya alone.

"How sure are you I'm not gonna run?"

"You can. But you'll never survive. You have no food and water. I'll be happy to see you on the tables of an alehouse dancing just for a drop of water," he smirked and then walked away.

My eyes shrink in annoyance and I hurriedly walked away in a big tree with almost no branches. I also specifically chose the one that is near the carriage. As I squat, I tried to be very vigilant of my surroundings while also holding tightly into the dagger. When i was done, i never took any chances and hurriedly put my pants back on and walked back only to find Darius sleeping.

I took a very careful step towards him and bent my knees to return his dagger beside him.

"Ahh!"

I was startled when he suddenly opened his eyes that i almost had a heart attack.

But he didn't said anything and then drifted off to sleep again.

I went back to the carriage to go get some sleep and hope again that for tomorrow, I'll never be even here anymore.