The day was beautiful., some to say the most. The sky, full of fluffy, angry, grey clouds, the sun begging to show itself.
the half ruined trees blow in the in the wind, small, chipped brown leaves falling down on to the muddy soil as the sound of birds, and marching footsteps of red jacket soldiers fill the air.
"Captain! BEN!" Lieutenant Henry snaps, wiping the sweat from his forehead carelessly on his sleeve, "Oi! Captain! Are you deaf!?"
The blond headed soldier startles awake, with a swift kick of the crate he had fallen asleep on.
"What?" Ben grumbles, rubbing his eyes.
"What do you mean 'what?', Major Swift wants you."
Ben sighs, not wanting to get up, giving the restless night he had being on duty as the others slept. "Alright, alright, don't get your knickers in a twist, mate." Ben stands, stretching out his joints and groaning at they crack.
Staying loyal to his Major, he strides over.
"Ah! Ben!" Major swift exclaims, shoving his papers to the side on his small, chipped wooden desk.
"You wanted me, sir?"
"Yes, I did." The major nods, twirling his impressive moustache whilst puffing on a pipe. He'd always play with the facial hair, whenever he was nervous about something, or mad, which imminently caused Ben to snap out of his laziness tired state and straight to full alert.
"Sir Walter Beck will be here, in 5 minutes, with guest."
"Wally?" Ben raises his perfectly shaped brow in question. He'd not seen the old knight in years, "What-"
Before he could finish, Major swift cuts him off, picking back up the sheets of paper and straightening them out. Odd Ben thought, mess on his desk never bothers him…
"He'll be arriving with Princess Evelyn."
"Pr-Princess Evelyn?" He asks, blinking twice at his Major.
"That's what I said" Swift sighs, giving up on the papers and brings his attention to the Captain. "Now, she'll be staying here for 2/3 days. I'm holding you responsible for looking out for her, understood? Walter Beck will probably have a few words with you.", with a wave of Swifts almost shaking hand, Ben gives him a nod and heads back to the camp fire, where he was sitting before he was rudely awakened.
Thoughts on the princess swarm his mind, the memory of when he first saw her, when they first spoke pop into his mind, and of course, his last encounter with his good friend, Sir Walter Beck.
With a smirk, he replays the memory…
-5 years ago-
"Psst," Gould whispers, nudging Ben in his ribs, as they both straighten out their red, royal army jackets. "What?" Ben snaps, rather frustrated at the splattered hobbes blood on his trousers.
"Walter's over there with that old wench."
They both strain their eyes through Albion market, squeezing past the frantic people as they wait for the speech of their new King, Logan.
Finally, the pair reach the Cock in the Crown tavern doors.
"Ah! Look what the cat dragged in!" Walter bellows through the noise.
"Long time no see, old man" Ben smirks, shaking the his old friends' hand.
"And you, boy. Glad to see you're still alive."
"And you, what are you, 78 now?"
Walter lets out a gruffly laugh, taking a swig of ale from the tankard in his hand. " Age doesn't matter, boy, I'll still take you down within a second,"
"I don't doubt that for a second, Wally" Ben smirks, knowing the old man is a great old warrior, the best he'd ever seen to be correct, and of course, a brave man also.
"Where's Swift then, the poor man still stuck at the-"
"Walter!" A female voice interrupts, almost knocking Ben and Gould over as she runs over to stand aside the old knight. "Walter…" She sighs, again in a more worried tone.
"What is it?" Walter murmurs, looking down at the young girl before him.
"He said I only have 10 minutes to look around this place but it took me almost 10 just pushing past these horrible people! I got knocked over, 5 times! I haven't even saw the-"
"Don't fluster yourself, they're bound to be in a pace."
Ben takes a step back to look at the young girl. Lovely, curly dark chocolate brown hair, shoulder length. The way her cheekbones pop out, and blush a faint red colour. And the sun caught the emerald green sparkle in her eyes.
Absolute expensive clothing, the light blue skirt, knee high length, the off-white flowery blouse, and the dark purple corset laying on top told him that.
But this young girl, was beautiful, most defiantly better looking then the females he's met, and that's been quite a lot of them to say the least.
"But, I have to go back now, well after he's finished. Why won't he let me-"
"Hush" Walter says in a softer tone, patting her head.
The curly headed girl mutters something, and crosses her arms, in a huff-like manner.
Ben smirks, going to speak up, until Walter gives him a warning glare, meaning not to try anything 'Ben like'.
With a shrug, Ben keeps his mouth shut, until the girl turns to face the two soldiers.
"Oh… Hello… I'm terribly sorry for interrupting you all…" She smiles, showing off her perfect dazzling teeth.
"Ben, Gould, meet the Princess of Albion, Evelyn. Evelyn, meet Gould, and Ben, members of the Royal army." Walter grumbles, still giving Ben a look.
"Afternoon, Princess!" Gould exclaims, bowing politely.
"Please, call me Evelyn," She replies, giving him a smile before looking up at Ben.
"Pleasure to meet you" The blond soldier smirks, taking her hand and kissing it, gently, still slightly gob smacked that this girl is the princess.
Evelyn lets out a giggle, her cheeks going a deeper shade of red.
"And you," she adds, looking down to hide the fact she's blushing at the soldiers bold move.
"Princess." A rough, and stern tone startles her as she looks up to see one of her brothers guards. Her face pales. "You must come back with me. The kings orders."
Ben, Gould, and Walter frowns at the guard dressed in purple, extends his gloved hand for the princess.
Though, they were frowning at his attitude towards her, and her slight change of colour.
"B-b-but I've only just-"
"Now." The guard snaps. Evelyn jumps, flinching slightly as he extends his hand out further.
"Logan said-"
"The king said if you do not oblige, force will be necessary."
"Calm down, boy." Walter speaks up.
"It's ok, Walter. May I say goodbye first? Because I was ju-"
"No." The guard interrupts. "come with me."
"Walter, please come back before nightfall" She begs quietly, fear filling her eyes.
The old knight looks down at her in utter sympathy, "Of course,"
"It-it was nice meeting you both" She adds at the soldiers, as the guard tugs on her hand, dragging her away. The princess looks over her shoulders, flashing Ben a rather sad smile, bare seconds later, she disappears into the crowd.
Ben knits his brows… Poor girl, looked scared out of her mind for some reason. His eyes stay focoused on where she left, obviously still in shock, never seeing someone as beautiful.
"Close your mouth boy" Walter murmurs, pulling Ben into the now.
The speechless blond soldier whips his head back around to see his old friend, with his arms folded over his large beer belly in disapproval.
"Why'd she look so scared, Wally?" Ben asks, already feeling sympathy for the young princess.
"She has a reason to be, trust me boy." Walter sighs, sadly, shaking his head.
Before any of them could utter another word, the kings voice echoes through the air, getting everybody's attention and causing the chatter through the market to come at a halt.
"My people of Albion!" Logan calls out, standing on the balcony of the Blacksmiths workshop, looking down on everybody, "It gives me great pleasure, to now be your ruler. But of course, it has come as no shock to you all, that our last King has perished."
Whispers from the crowd start, still dwelling on the perish of the last hero king.
"I have come here today, to make one simple promise to you all, to my people" The king adds, resting his hands on his purple attire, "I will uphold my father Sparrows job, and do my very best to please you all, to be just as great as a ruler as my father. To carry on, keeping Albion a safe haven for you all! You have my word, I shall not let my father, nor you all down!"
The crowd goes wild, cheering for their new King.
"How 'bout a drink Wally? For good times sake?" Ben yells over the noise.
"Alright, boy, lets go!"
"Great job he did there" Ben mutters to himself, throwing a log into the fire. The man, whom promised to take care of his city, had 'royalty fucked it up', in so many way. The promises he made, broken, his fathers work, gone.
The city what was once such a lively place, a happy place, and of course, a safe place is now filled with people roaming the streets in fear of their kind, children working at the age of 5/6, homeless families on the streets.
Ben had trusted this man, and took his word, his father died in vain, leaving his cold hearted son to do his work.
Bastard. Ben sighs, getting to his feet after hearing the large gates open with a clang.
"Walter! What in the blaze happened to you?!" Swift asks, amused as the old friends shake hands.
"Hobbes, little blighters they are," Walter laughs, loudly wiping the blood from his thick sword with a handkerchief before sliding it back in the belt attached to his trousers.
Just as the soldier was to ask where the Princess is, she strides into the gates, with a fury black and white collie happily tagging along behind her.
Ben looks at her, back at Swift, and of course, back at her, taking a double take.
Whoa… His eyes widen just slightly, seeing how much she's changed.
This was once a young, scared teenager, whom of course way the prettiest girl Ben had ever seen.
But now… This woman was the most flawless woman he'd ever laid eyes on.
Her messy, long hair bounced furiously as she walked. The clothes she wore, a rather tight grey blouse, showing of her stomach, on top, a men's black mercenary jacket, and a pair of blue short shorts, with no tights, showing off her legs. Not exactly what you'd expect a princess to wear, but she wore it well.
She was once so thin, now curvy, just the way Ben liked his women.
And of course, the clothes, and her perfect face were dirty, but it didn't matter, it didn't effect the pure beauty she had.
Ben manages to compose himself, clearing his throat, he'd realized he was standing, staring whilst the 3 were talking. Thankfully, none of them notices.
"You remember-"
"Ha-ha!" Swift chuckles, puffing on his pipe, "Jolly good to see you again, all grown up I see?"
The princess nods, almost shyly to see the Major again for an odd reason.
"Now, we came to proposition you"
"You came all this way to 'proposition' us?" Ben blurts out, in a jokingly tone, "And I thought you were here to save us from the legions of the damned!"
Evelyn sniggers, looking up at the soldiers blue, sea-like eyes through her long black lashes.
"Ben Finn!" Sir Walter laughs, giving the cocky soldier a hard pat on the back, almost jolting him forward "Good to see you again boy!" The old knight adds, before turning his attention back to swift, "So, I take it the legends about this place are true, then?"
"I'll say! Swift sighs, turning to walk to the grave sight, where one poor soldier was digging up a fresh on, muttering to himself, "You've never seen so many hollowmen in one place. We've been stationed here for weeks, trying to eradicate them. Mainly, it's us getting eradicated." He points over at the jiggered, chipped tomb stone, "We lost some good men last night, including lieutenant Simmons here, good man he was. And the buggers will be back tonight!"
"Logan just loves to send you on the best assignments, doesn't he?" Walter sighs in slight frustration.
"Indeed he does. Now, Princess…-"
"Call her Eveyln, and treat her like any other pair of hands" Walter interrupts.
"Please do" The princess speaks up, for the first time, her tone, soft and barely audible.
"Fair enough!" Swift smiles, not letting go of his pipe, "Captain Finn here will show you around, and show you the ropes of the mortar. We could use an extra body up there."
With that, the old knight Walter, and his good friend Major swift trotted off, discussing their past encounters with a lady named daisy.
Ben clears his throat, catching the memorizing green eyes from the princess.
Just as he opens his mouth to ask, if she'd remembered meeting him, she beats him to the punch…
