Spoiler:
"Princess, You need rest" Atzel pleaded as he held Alethia in his arms, they managed to clear the forest but not before the night fell. They crossed the border back into their homeland, but he remembered that in war, Catsov would not respect boundaries.
"No, we're almost there," Alethia responded mustering extra strength from her own fierce will and determination. They sent off the horses in an opposite direction to throw off their perusers. The stars in the night sky started to break through the prison of sun's diminishing light. The golden disk was lost in the horizon and the last twilight began giving way to an ocean of luminous spots in the night sky. The wind swept by Alethia's hair sending it majestically into into the air pulling on her dress. She turned towards Atzel who began walking up the steep grassy hill.
"Will you take a Princess' hands and help her up?" she asked with her seductive low voice. "Will the Princess grace my lowly hand with her's?" Atzel responded in kind in a deep calm voice. The princess extended her arm towards him, a walk to remember. They helped each other up the hill and back down it's far side. They saw a small lingering light off in the distance perhaps a mile away, it was a camp. "That could one of ours," Atzel said, "Or it can be an enemy advance camp." He stared at her and gently squeezed her hand in his. She responded in kind and walked forward, the decision was made, they would find out themselves.
The knocking sound of hooves on the ground registered in Atzel's trained ears. He closed his eyes in a silent prayer, that the incoming horsemen were friendly. Alethia heard them too, the dark figures came from the side to their left three in total. The air became still, the smell of sweat permeated the area. Alethia withdrew her Daggar and refused to let go of Atzel's hand forcing him to take his sword with the left hand. The horses came to a stop.
"Who goes there!?" the soldier demanded to know.
"Atzel of the Royal Gaurd of the Kingdom of Aldea," Atzel responded to the inquiry. The soldier dismounted his horse and made his way towards Atzel and Alethia. Upon seeing the two close up, he quickly noticed Alethia and dropped to his knees. "Princess Alethia," he spoke, "I am thy humble servant, Lt. James of the fifth calvary. Regular forces."
Before much of anything else could be done, on of the other fifth calvary soldiers fell off his horse with an arrow impaled in his chest. Lt. James turned around facing the top of the hill where several silhouettes of calvary men were found.
"Go back to the camp! Get reinforcements now!" Atzel ordered the third calvery soldier. He pulled his princes over to the two horses. James joined the two, they heard the sound of half a dozen horses riding down the steep hill towards them after six more arrows landed nearby wipping through the air. The first shot was obviously a lucky shot.
"Princess, take the other horse towards the brushes and stay there," Atzel spoke.
"But sir," James interrupted, "shouldn't you escort her back to the camp?" Atzel nodded. "No, we run the risk of getting intercepted. One horse will go unnoticed but two will arouse the enemy," Atzel stared deep into Alethia's eyes. They communicated more than her words, it was as if he could stare deep into her soul. The dark windows called on to him like sirens luring in seamen with their heavenly songs.
Alethia did not want to let go of Atzel's hand, she stared him down. She preferred the safety of his hand to that of the brushes nearby. His lips moved, she remembered their taste, the feel of his strong body as she kissed him in the woods.
"Please," Atzel beggid, "Princess." Alethia bit her lips, her eyes could take him down, but she knew that he only wanted her saftey She released his hand allowing him to have it his way this one time. She hoped on to the horse and rode off. James, confused he was but he cared not to ask questions, sent off the free horse towards the approaching men. They both stood with their swords in hand and watched as the horse got cut down by the enemy. They charged at them driving their swords into the legs of the horses forcing their riders off.
Atzel plunged his sword into one of them men as he got off his injured beast. James parried the attacks of the second one. Three of the remaining horses rounded about to strike them down. Atzel knocked the sword of one of the three to the side and quickly grabbed onto his leg pulling him off and ending his life in one fatal blow.
James took a hit to shoulder and another to his chest, he died fighting strong. Atzel mounted the horse and went after the soldier that took down the lieutenant. He managed to knock him off the horse and trample him. He heard the scream of a wounded man coming from the brushes where he sent his Princess to hide. He rode off towards her and found her with a dagger in hand, filled with blood, but the Count's sword on her neck. A did soldier on the ground with gushing wound in his chest.
"Your princess fights well," Sheran said, "But she is no soldier, and you're outnumbered." Atzel turned around and saw a platoon of foot soldiers coming around the hill. Alethia stared at him as if to say that at least they fought back. But there was more behind that expression on her face. So much more that was to be said.
I didn't know him long, but I mourn
You work out that anger girl! 
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