Avanna stalked through the woods with her golden-yellow cloak pulled over her head.

She was on watch duty for the area around the castle, making sure no intruders got in.

But the only sounds she heard at the moment were the sounds of the steam and the chirps of birds.

She was careful not to make any noise while walking and not to step on any dried leaves. Her job wouldn't be any good if people could hear her waiting.

That's when she heard it.

It was the sound of heavy footsteps in the grass.

The young knight quietly drew out her sword and hid behind the wide trunk of an ancient oak tree, peeking out a bit to see the stranger.

The moment she saw their silhouette she thrust her sword out and pinned them against a tree.

"Who are you and what are you doing out here?" she spat.

The person appeared to be a man and looked shocked at first before falling into a blank expression.

"Surely you would've been able to identify your own prince, wouldn't you village girl?"

"I'm not a village girl, one," she growled, not moving. "Second, why the hell should I believe that you are Queen IA's son?! Eh?!"

He blinked at her a couple of times before shrugging and sighing.

"I guess you're right, I have nothing to prove it. So just go ahead and kill me so you can be arrested and taken away to jail where you will rot and die," he sighed.

She shot him a venomous look before sliding her sword back into its sheath.

"What is your name?" she demanded.

"It's Yohio," he said casually. "You know, your prince?"

He looked straight into her eyes and asked her, "What's yours?"

"It's Avanna," she told him flatly. "And I am not a village girl. I am a knight for the kingdom."

She showed him the knight's crest that was branded on her sword's sheath to prove that she was a knight.

"The only thing that speaks knight about you is that blade of yours," he commented, nodding toward her sword.

"Why you..." she muttered, wanting to stab him in the stomach and give him a slow and painful death.

But she resisted.

"Anyways, I have to leave now," he said, turning around and holding his arm up.

He turned his head and looked at her blankly.

"May I see you tomorrow?" he asked.

Avanna didn't reply and marched away, deep into the woods.

What an infuriating boy!

The next day, Yohio sat next to the tree where the met the previous day.

Avanna didn't walk up to him though. Rather, she hid behind a tree and the darkness, and peaked out.

'Why is he still waiting there?!' she wondered in her head. 'Its been an hour already!'

She shifted a bit to make her position more comfortable when her foot hit a rock and she fell and tumbled down the grassy hill, into the stream.

Yohio jerked upwards in suprise and looked down onto the soaked knight before laughing.

"I highly doubt any knight is truly that clumsy!" he laughed.

"Why you-!" she yelled, standing up and doing a round-about kick.

The two ended up sitting side by side under a tree. One soaking wet, and the other with a large purple-gray bruise on their face.

"You're very violent for a girl," Yohio muttered, rubbing the bruise on his cheek.

"Well then don't make fun of me next time..." Avanna grumbled, fiddling with her hood.

They sat in silence together for a few minutes, only listening to the running sounds of the stream and the quiet chirps of birds.

"You know," Yohio sighed, placing his arms behind his head and leaning back against the tree. "There are never days like this inside the castle. It's always about meetings, and meetings, and meetings.."

He then closed his eyes and said, "I like it much better out here.. I wonder if it would always be this way if I were not a prince?"

"I still doubt you are a prince," Avanna stated, staring straight ahead at the stream. "You hardly act like one.."

A soft snoring came from her side and she looked down onto Yohio, who was napping the day away.

"Jesus..." she mumbled.

"My lord!" Yohio's mother gasped, her pinkish-blond hair flying everywhere. "What happened to your face?!"

Queen IA frantically touched Yohio's face but Yohio quickly brushed off her hand.

"I'm fine mother," Yohio smiled casually. "I just fell while walking in the woods today."

There was no way he could tell his mother that the girl kicked him, who knows what could happen to her?

"No this isn't okay!" his mother groaned.

"Mother, relax," Yohio smiled. "Everything's going to be fine."

At that moment, a young woman ran into the room. Yohio recognized her as his mother's lady-in-waiting, Lady Yukari.

"Your Majesty!" Lady Yukari said, running up to the Queen. "You have a meeting with King Tonio soon!"

Yohio's mother looked at Lady Yukari, then back a Yohio, then at Yukari again.

"Alright," the Queen sighed. "Be good Yohio."

His mother left the room, leaving Yohio all alone.

Yohio still continued to visit Avanna every day in the woods. Although Avanna has not quite adjusted to his daily visits just yet...

One day, Avanna was hiding behind the wide trunk of the oak she had his behind before, keeping a close eye on Yohio.

That's when a dark gray wolf came prowling up to him, its yellow eyes ferocious.

It bared its sharp, yellow fangs at him as he fumbled up.

"Nice doggy..." Yohio said, slowly back off as the wolf stared at him, eyes wild. "Nice doggy..."

The wolf was about to pounced when a large stone hit it.

The wolf turned around, looking to see who had hit it.

"Looking for me big guy?" Avanna smirked, tossing a flat stone around in her hand.

The wolf growled and pounced towards her, and she thrust her sword outwards.

The blade sliced right through the beast's ear.

The wolf, taken back by suprise, fell into the stream along with the cut-off ear.

The ear was picked up and taken away by the currents, while the wolf stood up, shook himself dry, growled, and walked away into the shadows.

Yohio just stood there with his mouth hanging open for ten minutes.

"Wha- Wha-... Why didn't you kill him?!" Yohio stammered.

"It did not need to be killed," Avanna answered calmly, rinsing her metal blade off in the stream. "It had already learned its lesson."

Yohio stared at her like she was insane. Then he laughed and sighed.

"You truly are something Village Girl," he smiled.

"I have already told you once, and I have already told you a million times," Avanna said, sliding her sword back into its sheath. "I am not a 'Village Girl'."

And even though she had said that in a serious tone, she was slightly smiling.

What Will Happen Next?

Will This Peace Be Aroubd Forever?

Tune in...

NEXT TIME!

/slapped

Hey guys! Snowy here, with my newest story, "Journey to the West".

Hope you guys enjoyed it, and stay tuned for more! Oh, and don't forget to leave a reveiw!

Alright, I'm out!

-Snowy