A Princess & A Scoundrel
A/N: This is the first installment. More to come, I assure you. Slight plot twists abound, but don't worry, Ben & Kate do end up together in the end. However, I believe in becoming friends before lovers, and this is kind of a reflection of that. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you review, as it does nothing but help.
Chapter One: Mourningwood
"I will simply be glad to get a warm bath, Walter. Are you sure we're going the right way?" Kate asked, smirking at his indignant glare.
"Of course I'm sure, Kate. Have I ever led you astray?"
"Well, there was that one time with Father's robe..."
"Shut up, Kate."
She simply grinned, and went to see what Ace was barking at. It was another chest, just like the other few they'd found in their 3 months out of the castle. She was constantly surprised at the amount of things that people left just locked up, and the no one else had bothered them. Walter thought it might have something to do with her Hero abilities, but she wasn't convinced. Opening the chest, she found a pistol.
"I know that gun... it's called a Bonesmasher. Well, I don't remember the official model name, but that's what it was called among the soldiers. Not many people had them, usually the noblemen's sons who could afford them. It's a very good gun. I'd keep it on me, if I were you." Walter remarked, before looking down the path ahead of them. He grinned as he spotted what they had been looking for.
"There it is. Mourningwood Fort. I told you it would be here." He sounded relieved that he had, indeed, remembered where the military fort was.
"Yes, your amazing memory has served you well." Kate answered, rolling her eyes toward Ace. The dog had the decency to look slightly contrite after Walter glared at them both.
"Remember that I can still wollop you a good one, lass. Let's go. This place gives me goosebumps."
Kate couldn't agree more.
"Cease your movement! Be you men or Hollow men?" The guard demanded as they reached the fort. That was another oddity of the Hero abilities - Kate instantly knew the name of anyone she met. This one was called Tyrell.
"Are you daft, boy? Open up the doors." Walter said in his booming voice, showing that he hadn't lost the authority being in the army had given him. Tyrell gaped.
"Sir Walter! Is that you? Oh, I'll just, er - open the gates!" He shouted behind him. The gates swung open, revealing one of who seemed to be the leaders of the fort.
"Ah, the one and only Major Swift!" Walter greeted the tall, older soldier, who had a pipe in his hand. "I see Logan loves to put you on impossible tasks. How long have you been in the Land of the Dead?"
"Sir Walter! What a pleasure to see you again, old friend!" the Major exclaimed. "It is indeed the Land of the Dead. I'm glad you've arrived, we can use an extra pair of hands."
"Well, I've brought two pairs."
"So this is...?"
"The Princess Katharine Rose Sparrow, yes, Jack."
"Please, don't let him fool you with all the formality. It's just Kate. Pleasure to meet you, Major."
"And you as well, Kate."
"Just treat her like any other pair of hands for now."
"That I can do. She can help Finn and Jammy on the mortar. We could use all the help we can get."
"Are you just here to drink our ale and eat our food, Walter? My God, man." A blond, stocky man came up to them then. Kate was a tall girl, and she could tell that she could look this one in the eye if need be.
"Ben Finn! Glad to see you've made it through. Still an ass, I see."
"Glad to see you as well, Wally." The blond man said, grinning at the insult.
"Kate, meet Captain Benjamin Finn. He's a damn good sharpshooter, and an insufferable git." Walter said, motioning to Kate.
"Nice to meet you, Captain."
"And you as well, Princess. My, you're even lovelier in person."
"Finn..." Walter said, doing his best to intimidate the younger man.
"It's alright, Walter. I've got so much shit on me it's nice to hear a compliment." Kate said, smirking at the captain.
Ben grinned; if he was surprised to hear the swearing come from royalty, he didn't show it. "Fabulous. Well, we've got a fix for that as well. Shall I escort you to the appropriate bathing facilities, and perhaps assist you, madam?" He asked, waggling his eyebrows at her.
Ace put his paws over his eyes with what seemed to be human exasperation. Kate simply rolled her eyes at the older man. "The bath I would love, the assistance would get you hurt. Severely."
"I'm warning you, Finn, she's just as mouthy as you are. Save the pieces, aye Kate?" She mock-saluted him, grinning, before turning and following the captain.
"So, the Princess, eh? What's this about, Walter?" She heard the major asking her mentor as they walked away. Ben took the opportunity to get a good look at her. She was a tall girl, very lean and muscular, with brown hair pulled up into a bun, and grey eyes. She was wearing a practical outfit, if you could call anything a royal wore "practical" - brown trousers and a white shirt, with black boots that didn't look like they belonged with the rest of the outfit, which probably came from her brother's wardrobe. However, it looked completely natural on her. Ben could also see the slight lines of a tattoo on her chest. It made him want to find out where it went, but he had a feeling she wasn't one to be messed with right off.
"Had a good look, Captain?" Kate asked, bringing him out of his thoughts with a thump. He looked guilty for a split second before covering it with his usual nonchalant smirk.
"Just enjoying the view, Princess. So how long have you and Walter been 'missing'?"
"Please, just call me Kate. Makes things much easier. And we've been on the road about three months now. Walter insisted we visit the Dwellers in the mountains first, and we've been rallying supporters in Brightwall as well."
"Pretty impressive progress for just three months, Princess."
She shot him a look at being called 'Princess' again before continuing. "I think Walter's been working at this for a while now. I don't know; I'm not the type to pry, usually. I can't help but feel..." She looked startled, knowing she had been babbling, and quickly shut her mouth. She blushed a little in embarassment before glancing at the captain. How could she know that she could trust him?
Ben looked at her curiously. She was still a girl, a very scared girl by the looks of it. Just the way she'd almost started to ramble stated that, loud and clear. But her growing maturity had made her cut herself off, which was good for her, but not for those trying to assess the situation they were getting themselves into, like him. He decided to change the subject for now, directing her to the bathwater, and finding her some bread and ale. Not the most fortifying, but unfortunately they didn't have much, and he told her as much. She ate it with just as much gusto as if it were wild boar, showing just how much the beginnings of her travels had changed her. It was easy to forget that she was only 19, newly turned at that, if he remembered correctly.
"Happy Birthday, by the way. I know it's been a couple of weeks, but I'm sure you didn't get quite the royal party in wherever you were."
She looked at him, shocked. "How did you know when my birthday was? Walter doesn't even remember, half the time, and he's usually got Jasper reminding him." He smirked a little, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head.
"You forget that we do a salute on our sovereign's birthdays, my dear. Logan's is coming up in a couple of months. After you've done it for a while, you tend to remember."
She grinned a little at that. "Thank you, nonetheless. Hard to believe it's been 9 years since Logan took the throne, yeah?"
"I had forgotten that part, actually."
"Your memory's getting as bad as Walter's, Captain." Her mouth pulled into a smirk and the grey in her eyes looked a little clearer.
"If you insist on calling me Captain, Princess, I will continue with the title. It's Ben. No one else around here knows what a title is, anyway."
One of the nearby soldiers raised an eyebrow at that. "Since when do you pull rank anyway Finn? You don't give a rat's ass who listens to you, as long as someone does. Don't let him fool you, milady," he winked at Kate, "he's just pulling you a fast one."
"Shut your mouth, Lionel. Aren't you on cleanup?" Ben said, his eyes betraying the implied command. Lionel simply smiled and sarcastically saluted him before grabbing their mugs and walking off. Kate laughed a little, showing Ben the slight overlap in her two front teeth. Another reminder that she was human, and Ben found it endearing.
"Now that our mugs have been improperly stolen, shall I show you to Jammy and the mortar?" Ben asked, rising to his feet.
"Yes, please do. Although I'm pretty sure you told him he was on cleanup duty, am I right?" she asked, her eyes meeting his. She was surprised to see the clarity in the blue. The sheer brightness of his eyes made her avert hers quickly, another blush coming to her cheeks. "So, who's Jammy?" She asked, looking at Ace and pretending to brush something off of him.
"He's our mortarman. Called Jammy because he's the luckiest sod in the fort. You'll see once we get up there."
Jammy was certainly a sight to behold. Slightly taller than both the captain and the princess, he was covered in bandages. The newest seemed to be the one covering his left eye.
"Ah, Ben! Who's this sight for sore eyes?"
"Don't get too excited Jammy, you'll hurt yourself. This is Princess Katharine Rose Sparrow. She's your new markswoman."
"O-oh. Hello, your highness. I hope you'll forgive my appearance."
"Don't worry about it, it's just Kate. So why do they call you Jammy?"
"I'm the jammiest bloke in the Albion army, miss. 724 wounds and still standing!" He stood proudly. She laughed delightedly.
"That's amazing!"
"See? A couple hours together, and he'll hardly be revolting at all." Ben said, smiling at the interaction between the two.
"I don't think he's revolting anyway. Now, how do I use this thing?" She asked, giving the mortar a once-over.
"Right, so, Jammy here will be your loader. Don't listen to damn thing he says unless it's got something to do with operating this. Less chance of you getting maimed, which would be good for all of our health." Ben said, showing her the proper way to hold her hands.
"Yes ma'am, put your hands just like Ben has 'em. I'll load 'er up, and you can take a whack at those scarecrows over there. Who knows? You might even beat the record when we get some action tonight."
"Who's the record-holder?" Kate asked, curiously as she put her hands on the machine.
"Swiftie is at the moment, and I've got the second place. Ben here has the third. He's better with his rifle than he is the mortar, no worries." Jammy said cheerfully.
"Now, Jammy, I know you've been jealous of my escapades so far, but there's no need to bring them up in front of a lady."
"Even if the stories of your escapades are true, Mr. Finn, I'm not offended. I've heard worse, I assure you." Kate said, laughing at the incredulous look on his face.
"She's got you there, Ben." Jammy said, laughing as well. Ben simply shook his head.
"Now that we've had a good laugh at old Benny, can we get on with the mortar-teaching?" he asked, directing the younger two to the task at hand. They shared a knowing look before focusing on the mortar. At his direction, Kate lit the fuse using her Will and aimed the mortar at the first scarecrow. She braced herself, but it wasn't quite enough to keep her from falling down from the force. She looked up at Ben and grinned as Jammy congratulated her. Ben gave her his usual smirk back, and she quickly got back up, feeling a strange confidence she didn't usually have. She threw her weight into positioning the mortar, feeling a little weak from doing so as she built up a small sweat. She aimed, lit, and fired. Another direct hit. Jammy let out a whoop and told her she might even have a chance to beat the record. Ben shook his head again and looked out onto the hillside.
"Alright, now the last one." Jammy whirled around to see where he was pointing to, frowning.
"I don't remember setting that one up..." Kate's eyes widened as she realized what he meant just as Ben shouted out orders.
"Damn it! Come on, boys, we've got company. Let's show them some hospitality!"
Suddenly balls of light seemed to come from everywhere as skeletons rose from the ground. There were so many of them. Kate gulped before Jammy got her back into order.
"Come on, Kate. Let's see if you can beat that record!" She looked at him before nodding and getting back to the mortar, swinging it around to the first batch.
Ben looked over at the princess, noticing just how white she was before sighting his rifle on some straggling Hollow men trying to reach the gates. She'd pull through, he knew it. He hoped anyway, because Swiftie planned on joining the revolution, and Ben would be damned if he let the old man have all the fun. So she needed to survive. And Ben...well, Ben would help her do it, obviously. Together with other riflemen in the fort they picked off quite a few of the skeletons making their way towards the fort, when Swift let out a yell.
"They're coming for the rear gate! Hold the gate, lads!" To no avail, as the gates burst open and a horde of hollow men charged through.
Ben exchanged a look with Kate before running down the stairs. She charged up a flash of lightning before casually stepping off of the ledge, slamming her fist into the ground as she landed. The spell rippled out from her hand, shocking the skeletons but somehow leaving the soldiers alone. She simply pulled her sword from her back before leaping into the fray, not looking to see if she had downed anyone with that one hit. She found herself surrounded by hollow men in no time, holding her sword in front of her. She gasped as she felt something at her back, but before she could act, she heard Ben shouting, "Would you like some help, my dear?" She smiled.
"I might be able to use it. How handy are you with that rifle?" Ben looked affronted.
"Lady, have you never heard of me? I'm Captain Benjamin Finn, the finest sharpshooter in Albion. Or at least of the army." He gave her a roguish grin over his shoulder, before moving to attack one of the many undead around them. She laughed before doing the same. Together they took out quite a few of the skeletons, moving seamlessly together, something that surprised them both. He swung around with the rifle. Out of instinct she ducked, and he shot three of them at once. She used him as a vault, grabbing his shoulders as he reached behind to give her a boost. She leapt off of him onto the shoulders of one of the hollow men, grabbing his head between her thighs and snapping its neck as Ben shot one behind her, narrowly missing her side. Landing back on her feet, she found herself at his side once again. It continued like this for a lifetime, it seemed, until they heard Major Swift once more.
"Victory is ours! All hail the Princess!" A cry came up throughout the fort as they celebrated their victory. It was short-lived, however, as a loud crack drew their attention to the small cemetery they had constructed. Kate gasped as a hand reached out of the ground, followed by another. The newly-un-dead Lieutenant Simmons groaned as he pulled himself out of his grave.
"Lieutenant Simmons! I specifically instructed you to remain buried!" Major Swift yelled, his grip on his pistol tightening.
"Doesn't anyone follow orders anymore?" Ben asked mournfully. Kate gave him a hollow smile before drawing her sword once again. Then the hollow man let out a horrible yell, and a burst of light came forth from him, knocking everyone to the ground. Kate threw up a hand, and her Will formed a shield around her, blocking most of the impact. Unfortunately, she was the only one with this ability, so the rest of the fort was knocked out.
"Seriously? Just me? What the hell?" She shouted, readying herself as she was once again surrounded by hollow men. Kate sighed and jumped back into the fight. Why couldn't have Simmons remained dead? She was sending out fire balls and shock blasts left and right, but she could feel herself weakening. She charged up both spells, knowing they'd be her last for a while. She only hoped they'd be enough. She sent them with all of her might at Simmons, and then fell to her knees, using her sword as support.
Simmons at least had the decency to fall back a bit before straightening and walking towards her once more. She closed her eyes and forced herself to her feet, her shaking arms raising her sword in front of her. Then she heard a gunshot, and raised her head in shock. Simmons was on the ground, all life- natural or unnatural – gone from him, and Benjamin Finn stood behind with a smoking rifle, smiling that damned smile of his.
"Look like you needed a little assistance, love."
"Damn it, Finn, where were you thirty minutes ago?" she asked, tears welling up to her shame. The shock and exhaustion were hitting her hard. Ben crossed the space between them in three strides and held her as she collapsed against him, sobbing.
"There, there, love, it's all right, now worries now. See? All gone." he said, gesturing to the dead Simmons. She shook her head, wiping her tears furiously.
"I'm not a very good Hero, am I? I can't even handle this," she said, glaring at the unmoving skeletal man; Ben had a feeling that if she had a mirror the glare would be directed at herself.
"Of course you are. We just need to work on your skills a little more, though I assure you, you're quite good already." He remarked, his eyes soft and encouraging. Kate knew she had found a loyal friend already, and smiled. He returned it.
"There we go, all better. Now come on, let's wake up the old-timers from their nap, aye?"