The Princess of Eshiawar
Chapter 1 - Coronation
Princess Ester looked over herself in the mirror. She admired her rosy pink cheeks and lipstick; the fine silver necklaze she wore around her neck and the elegant dress most girls would dream of. She touched he blue and white feathered hat on her head, her trembling lips threatening to turn into a smile.
A knock on the door, startled her.
"Uhmm... who is it?"
"It is I, Your Highness." The answer came.
"Urgh Reindart, please refrain from calling me that!" she said as she abandoned her reflection to open the door. "I am not the queen yet."
"A strange thing to say on your coronation day.," Reindart said, "which is about to start. I'm here to accompany you."
"Can't... Can't you give me a few more minutes?"
Reindart shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Princess."
She chewed on her lip.
"Princess, do not worry." He said. "The process is quite quickly and enjoyable."
"I'm not worried about that, Reindart." she said. "I'm worried about what comes after. Am I really ready to be queen? Who is to say I would even be a good one?"
"I can understand your fear. Your father was like that too on his coronation day but he still became a great king." Reindart said.
"But I am not like father," she said with a trembling voice. "What do I do when I come across a problem I can't solve?"
"Then you ask one of you ask for advice and remember, I am here." Reindart said. "I made a vow to your father that I would help and guide you and that is what I shall do."
She smiled and nodded. "Then I will be in your care."
Reindart smiled. "Uhm... you do know that that thing on your head is not allowed to sit there during the coronation." He pointed at her feathered hat.
A white mist blasted from the hat and hit Reindart in the face, casuing him to stumble back coughing.
"Swablu!" Ester scowled. "Behave!"
The hat unfurled its feathers, which turned out to be its wings and revealed the rest of its round body with beak and eyes in the front. Swablu jumped off her head for her shoulder.
They walked out through the long hallways of the palace. On the way, they came across a man in a red suit with a gold sash across his shoulder.
"Princess," he said taking a bow.
"Uncle Vizard," Ester greeted the man with a curtsey.
"Lord Vizard," Reindart bowed respectably.
"You look astonishing, Princess Ester." Vizard said. "You will truly take everyone's breath away."
"Thank you, Uncle. Will you attend the event?"
"I would not miss it for the world." Vizard kissed her cheek before moving on.
Ester smiled at him before Reindart accompanied her on.
Vizard made his way across the halls until he stopped at a room, shrouded in darkness. In the room was the silluette of a cloaked women with a staff crowned with a shiny gem.
"I take it the plan has been put in place?" The woman stepped into the light, revealing her pale face and the dark lines around her eyes. She wore a flowing green cloak.
"Yes, prepare yourself witch."
The Witch curtsied informally, "As you wish my lord and future king."
/
As Ester and Reindart, two soldiers armed with spears barred their path.
"You two, out of the way!" Reindart commands.
The men point their spears at them.
Reindart clenches his fist in anger as Ester looks between him and the soldiers in fear.
"Princess, get behind me." Reindart steps forward. However, more soldiers come up from behind them. "Do you know what is the punishment for this? Abandon this plan now and thye princess will forgive you!"
The soldiers did not look willing to abandon their actions, instead they looked more determined.
"Wh-What do we do Reindart?" Ester said, her voice laced in fear.
Reindart glanced behind them, counting the six or so men and then returned his sight to the initial two in front.
"Run," he said quietly.
"What?" she whispered.
"Run forward, NOW!" Reindart charged forward. He grabbed their thrusting spears and in a quick motion, used their momentum to send them tumbling behind him and the running princess.
Some of the pursuing soldiers fell over their comrades but they quickly got up to give chase.
"Keep going! Keep going!" Reindart shoved the princess forward while she tripped and stumbled over her long gown.
More soldiers appeared in front of them.
"Oh good!" Ester said. "Help us, they are trying to...!" Ester was silenced by a spear, thrown by one of the soldiers, that sailed dangerously close to her head.
Reindart grabs her hand and shoves her into an adjacent room before slamming the door shut as both groups of soldiers converged on their position. Reindart pushed a closet in front of the door. Reindart looked around and spotted the window.
"We need to leave," he said opening the window.
"Out there?" Ester shook her head. "No!"
"We have no choice, Princess!"
"We'll die!"
"We'll die if we stay!"
"No, I can talk to them. I can..."
"You cannot talk to these men!" Reindart snapped as he roughly shook her shoulders. "They have committed to their task. To stay would be folly. Now come!"
Reindart forcefully pulled her forward. He forced her out the window.
"Now, slowly climb down."
"Can you not go first?"
"I have to keep guard." Reindart looked at the door, which the soldiers were slowly breaking down.
Ester climbed down from ledge to ledge. When she was far down enough, Reindart began climbing down. Ester slipped and screamed as she fell down. Swablu dived down and grabbed her, slowing down her descent to the ground.
Reindart climbed down and jumped down beside her before helping her up.
"I blame you, Reindart!" Ester shouted. "If we didn't jump I wouldn't have fallen!"
"We need to continue forward!" Reindart said, pulling her forward. "Hoover! Strider!"
"How... How are we going to survive when the whole army is against me?"
"It is not the whole army, it is just people loyal to Vizhard," he said. "Hoover! Strider!"
"Uncle? He would... never... do that," she said in between short breathe.
"Think about it Ester. With you gone, he has the most to gain."
Swablu, who was flying above them, cawed a warning. They stopped as a group of soldiers stepped in front of them.
Ester clutched her chest as she tried to regain her breath. She collapsed onto her knees. "It's over."
The soldiers began stalking closer to them. However, they were thrown about when a Rapidash crashed into them.
Ester looked out at the magnificent yellow horse with a fiery mame and tail. "Wait, is that...?"
"My Rapidash, Hoover." Reindart smiled proudly. Rapidash came next to them, allowing Reindart to carress him. "Hoover, where is Strider?"
Another Rapidash showed up. This one was attached to a cart.
"Strider! The stable boys have not released you from that, huh?" Reindart greeted the newly arrived Rapidash. "It is a stroke of luck. Princess..." Reindart offered her his hand and pulled her to her feet.
He guided her onto the cart.
"You cannot stay here for now, for we do not know who you can trust."
"What-What should I do?" Ester said as she sat on the cart, joined by Swablu who sat on her head.
"Go to my brother, Hugan So. Tell him I sent you. Tell him that he needs to honour his oath and serve the crown by serving you."
"Running away, niece?" Vizhard appeared.
"Uncle, there-there are people trying to kill me!" Ester said.
"You mean my people," as Vizhard said this, a few soldiers walked up behind him, brandishing their spear.
"Uncle... Why?" Ester cried.
"Because a child can never rule this kingdom," he said.
Ester cried.
"Ester, remember what I said." Reindart said. "Strider, go!"
Strider took off with Ester looking back at Reindart as he stayed back.
"You think I will let her escape?" Vizhard said.
"You will be too busy dealing with Hoover and I to do anything else."
Hoover stepped forward.
"Hoover, Flare Blits!" Hoover ran forward as a fiery aura surrounded the Rapidash.
As his soldiers flinched and slowly withdrew, Vizard stood in place, staring the charging horse down. There was a collision and a smoke screen followed the explosion of fire. Signed soldiers fell out of the smoke, unconscious.
The smoke cleared to reveal a shining collection of boulders made of steel, ringed protectively around Vizard. As the silvery glow faded from the boulders, leaving behind grey coloured boulders, the giant head of a Steelix rose to glare at Reindart.