I think back on my life. It all started so wonderfully. My mother was the great Hero Queen, my father, her one true love; a battle hardened man who fought side by side with her. I was born into privilege, the honored second child, and first daughter of my mother. I was, to say the least spoilt rotten.

Then, everything changed. First, my mother died when I was naught but four. Walter, her best friend and general of her army, refused to say how when I asked. My father tried to hold the thrown despite the objections from the court. In the face of rebellion, he stepped down in favor of Logan, my elder brother. Father was given the title of His Grace the King's Father.

Two years later, he too died of grief for my mother. Before he passed, he named Walter as my guardian and Jasper as my caretaker. Six years old and I was an orphan. Logan did his best to care for me, but he was often away on business of the kingdom. My only friends in the world were the puppy he gave me and Elliot. Walter and Jasper became surrogate parents to me.

As I grew older, Logan went on fewer and fewer adventures, although he did promise to take me on one, and refused to allow me outside the castle walls. When I was fourteen, he stopped his adventuring altogether and refused me my freedom. For the next five years, I remained hidden behind the walls of the castle, allowed out no further than the gardens; my only joys in Walter's training and Elliot's love for me. I watched in silent horror as Logan began to turn to tyranny. I saw the people who came in to protest his treatment of the lesser peoples, first in simple clothes that turned to rags as the years rolled by, sickness ravaging their frail bodies. In my last year under his tyranny, fewer people came to protest his rule. I can only imagine that they had either died of plague, which had returned to the city with vengeance, or were arrested by Logan's army for their protests and were now rotting in his dungeons. Logan never showed me his cruel side, refusing to allow me in the throne room when he heard the people's complaints, or into the war room. Though he did not like Walter teaching me to shoot a gun or wield a sword, he allowed me this simple pleasure, sometimes coming to watch us train. It was during this time that my relationship with Elliot blossomed from friendship into romance. He was my dearest companion and my moral compass. I think back to those times and can almost remember the feeling of his hard, young body pressed against mine, his soft lips on my neck, his scent…..

My last day at the castle was the worst day in my life. A group of peasants began a riot outside the castle gates. Walter went to try to advise Logan against taking violent action against his people. And Elliot and I went to spy on them. We saw as Walter was downed by one of Logan's elite guard as he protested Logan's order to shoot the growing crowd into submission. Elliot and I burst into the room much to Logan's displeasure. He ordered us to be taken to the throne room. There, he presented me with two choices, let the protest leaders live and kill Elliot, or allow Elliot to live and kill the protestors. My heart broke. How could I choose between my love and my people? It was an impossible choice I had to make. Elliot took my hand and told me to choose him that these people shouldn't have to die. Looking into his bright, unlined face seeing those puppy dog eyes he used to make at me when he tried to get his way always worked on me. I felt my heart shatter as I made my choice, saving my people and condemning the love of my life. I grasped at his arm as he was dragged away by the Royal Guard, my face streaming with tears. He smiled back at me; try to reassure me that it would be alright; that I made the right choice in letting the protestors go free. I turned to Logan, who stood by watching me break down as Elliot was taken from my life; I cursed him saying that I would never forgive him for what he made me do. I turned on my heel and ran to my tower room, trying to outrun the inevitable sound of a firing gun. I heard it as I went to shut the windows that Jasper had opened earlier in the day, ignoring his baffled questioning as to what I was doing.

I heard it; it rang across the gardens as it began raining. I fell upon my knees, staring out at my balcony in shock. I screamed his name as the thunder boomed and the lightning flashed across the darkened skies. I felt Jasper put an arm around me as I sobbed. The next thing that I remember is Walter coming in and telling Jasper and I that we were leaving the castle. He said that Albion needed a rebellion and a new leader. He took us to my parent's tomb were he revealed my mother's Guild Seal. Upon touching the ancient object, I was transported to a strange land where I met the Seer, Teresa. She told me about my great destiny and showed me the Road to Rule, a place where I can get more powers as I gain more followers. It is here that I unlocked my spell casting abilities; learning how to wield fire. When I returned to Jasper and Walter in the tomb, Walter tells me to cast a spell, as that is the only way for us to leave the tomb. I hesitantly cast the fire spell, feeling the warmth of the ball of flame held by my shaking hands fend off death's chill. Walter exclaimed as the floor between my parents tomb was rent in two and split down the middle, revealing a set of steep stairs leading down into a dank cave. Walter deplored the cramp, dark space and Jasper fared no better, abhorring the hoards of bats that flew down at us. Walter marveled at how quickly I was grasping magic.

Soon, we reached the end of the cave only we didn't find an exit. A circular pedestal that Jasper called a Cullis Gate was our only way out. Again, I cast my spell, with far more confidence than before, and transported us to yet another strange place. Walter said that it was my mother's Sanctuary. Here, she left me an old blade, hammer, pistol, and rifle for my use along with an instruction manual for Jasper.

My heart soared when I first held my mother's old blade and pistol. I could feel her gentle hand guiding my movements as I hacked and slashed at the Hollow Men who blocked my path to her treasure. As I reached her old music box, I could almost hear her, humming her lullaby in my ear as I feel asleep in her arms. For a moment, I thought of not bringing it back to Sabine and having his old, wrinkled hands holding one of the last things that linked me to my mother. I fought those feelings back, knowing that giving Sabine what he wanted was for the best of the kingdom. And so, I gained my first followers. Sabine and his Dwellers were valuable allies and great friends to me.

All too soon, Walter and I left for the Mourningwood Fort. It was there I meet Ben Finn. The rakishly handsome blonde haired, blue eyed army captain from the tiny town of Gunk was the first man who had made me feel whole since Elliot. He deadened the pain I still felt for Elliot at first, but soon, I feel in love with him because of him. He was funny and rash, he didn't bother with acting proper decorum befitting my rank. He was as refreshing as the air and snow in the Mistpeak Mountains. All too soon, I had to leave my new lover's camp.

It was not a long separation; we soon met up again in the sewers of Bowerstone Industrial. I was pleased to see him again but not to see him flirting with Page, the attractive, dark skinned leader of the Resistance. Jealousy burned in the pit of my stomach. After wandering around Bowerstone for a few weeks, I had soon gathered enough new followers for Page to trust me. We then were off to Millfields to rescue some of her men from Reaver, the owner of Reaver Industries, during one of his many masquerades.

Sadly, he knew of our rescue attempt and had trapped us into "entertaining" his "guests". Not thinking that we would be able to make it through all the things he had thrown at us, his guests revealed themselves to actually be balverines in disguise. After slaying his "guests", Page revealed my identity as the Princess when he offered for us to come to his bedroom for a "private party". In a rage, Page shot him, which, to our amazement, he blocked with nothing but his stupid cane. He soon grew bored with our refusals he turned and left after saying he wouldn't get in between a sibling quarrel.

We left Reaver's "humble" abode, slightly worried that he might tell Logan of my involvement with the Rebellion. But soon, we turned our attention to the task at hand: stealing one of my brother's ships and sailing to Aurora without him following us. Only Walter and Ben would accompany me, Page would serve as our distraction and Major Swift would stay to gain as much information as possible about Logan's plans and to continue to garner supporters for the cause. However, Logan managed to put a dent in our plans. Upon our exit of Reaver's mansion, a town crier announced that Logan had called for a public meeting in the castle gardens. Ben and I went to investigate and to our dismay, saw Major Swift dragged onto a small platform. Logan announced that he was a traitor and was to be executed for trying to turn loyal soldiers to the rebel cause. We watched in silent horror as Swift was shot point blank in the head, in front of the public. I half dragged Ben back to the hideout, trying to hold back my own tears of sorrow and rage, as he fought to get back and kill Logan himself.

In fear of being discovered soon, though Swift had said nothing of our location, we prepared to commandeer our ship. Ben and I fought our way through groups of Logan's elite guards to the docks; blasting a machine to cause a distraction. Walter found us shortly after we reached the docks. After taking a ship and sailing for a while, we were attacked and our ship sunk. Walter found me as I regained consciousness on a strange beach but we were unable to find him. My heart sank when Walter said he couldn't find Ben. Knowing my affection for Ben, Walter, to comfort me as much as himself, said that Ben was a good swimmer and had probably already found the natives.

We entered a cave system, hoping it would lead us to the Aurorans. We found nothing but darkness.

Soon after traveling deep into the ruins, we were attacked by darkness incarnate. It plagued Walter and I, taunting us with our deepest fears. Then, we saw the Crawler, a nasty creature with six eyes around the circumference of its head and seemingly made of rotting flesh. It harassed Walter most of all, driving him near insanity. When we were close to freedom, it struck once again, stealing Walter from me.

I desperately searched the ruins for him; traveling deeper and deeper into the maze like caverns listening with half a mind to the bile that the Crawler spewed forth. I finally found Walter in an altar type room surrounded by the darkness. The Crawler sent his "children" against me, having them attack me with both their frail, shadow bodies and in bird-like suits of armor. In a desperate attempt to stop my desire to free Walter, the Crawler summoned a Sentinel, a large stone being capable of summoning the lesser beings to fight.

After defeating the Sentinel, I rushed to Walter's side as the darkness dissipated from around him. To my horror, the darkness had left him weak and blind. I slowly lead him out of the ruins and into the blazing sun fighting off the Crawler's influence myself. As we reached the bottom of the ruins, Walter was unable to go on. I tried to get him to continue but he collapsed against me, urging me to continue. Heart breaking, I left my mentor behind and searched for our salvation.

However, the Crawler hadn't finished with me. It taunted me for my decision to leave Walter behind, with the knowledge of Walter's fear of caves and its origins, of my fear that I would fail…. Overcome with grief, I soon succumbed to the Crawler's influence and fainted.

To my great relief, I heard a familiar voice, Ben. I struggled to focus on his beautiful blue eyes. I wished to apologize for treating him coldly after seeing him flirt with Page but my concern for Walter trumped my desire. He held my hand and said that they'd find Walter that he would be fine, but I soon passed out again.

I awoke in an Auroran Temple, cared for by one of their healers, with my dog and Ben at my side. I gazed up at Ben, drinking him in. How I wished to tell him everything, that I feared that I would never see him again, that I loved him, but our reunion was interrupted by the arrival of a vaguely familiar face. The tanned woman with blue tattoos introduced herself as Kalin, the leader of the Aurorans. She allowed me to explore the city, seeing firsthand the squalor and constant fear her people lived in since the Crawler's initial attack five years before. She explained to me, after I had finished exploring and stretching my legs, that Logan had appeared her a year after the attack and encountered the Crawler himself, something he had never told me, but this explained why he had abandoned his explorations and his imprisonment of me. She said that he had promised protection to her land and people but had failed to do so. I promised her protection from the Crawler for her help against Logan.

Ben and I waited for Walter to wake up from his coma as Kalin prepared her people for war. We knelt by his bedside, his healer saying that he may not make it. Ben denied this, saying that Walter was a strong old sod, that he would make it through this. Seeing the tears welling in my eyes, he put his arm around my shoulders, squeezing me to him. Suddenly, Walter stirred, cursing at us saying that he wasn't going to die yet.

With Walter recovered, we made our return to Albion and began our siege on Bowerstone Castle. After what seemed like hours, Walter and I reached the war room. Logan was there, waiting for us, his sword partially draw. The look in his eye was agony to me; he knew that I was the one behind the rebellion, his own sister. Walter arrested him and the next day, I was crowned queen of Albion.

My first order of business as Queen was to determine my brother's fate. I could forgive him for all that he had done or do as what Ben, Kalin, and Sabine asked for, his execution. I looked at my brother, my own blood, the one constant in my childhood. I looked at him and knew, I couldn't be the hard ruler he was, I couldn't hold a grudge and execute anyone who displeased me. I stepped down from my dais and approached my brother. I could see the apprehension in his eyes. I was almost as tall as he but I still had to reach up to wrap my arms around him in and hug him.

With a year on the clock before the Crawler attacked Albion, I worked feverishly to prepare my people and country. Having become a land owner for much of Albion, my own coffers swelled with the rent and taxes my people paid me personally and not the crown. Still, raising the money need to defend against the Crawler was difficult and all too soon, it arrived. I fought desperately, trying to save as many people as possible from the darkness until I faced the Crawler itself. Walter, fighting by my side as always, charged in first though Ben and I tried to hold him back. The Crawler grabbed him, forced his jaws open, and crawled inside of my greatest friend.

Ben was blocked off from me by the Crawler's darkness, and I fought my Walter alone. Attacking him was the second worse thing I had to do in my whole life. Though I knew that that thing had taken over Walter's body, I could see Walter trying to fight it off. As it weakened, it taunted me further, as it had in the desert. Finally, I manage to kill it, but at the price of also killing Walter.

I had a statue erected in honor of him; but after saying our final goodbyes, everyone, even Ben and Logan left me. Ben came back long enough to explain to me why he was leaving.

And so here I am; utterly and completely alone. Elliot and Walter are dead; Jasper left the castle to take care of the Sanctuary and leaving me with that buffoon Hobson, and now Ben. I can't help but to think that the Crawler was right.

I walked like a zombie to my room, ignoring Hobson's annoying voice. My dog, the only one left to me now, gave me a look, as if he knew what I was feeling. I sighed and looked out at the gardens, thinking back to when this had all started so many months ago. I drew a small dagger, gazing with dead eyes at the sharp edge. I placed it against my smooth, pale arm, my dog alternately growling at my actions and whimpering in confusion; he wouldn't attack me but I was going to harm myself. I shooed him away. Again, I placed the dagger to my skin and sliced.

A/N Okay so this is my first story (though it is a one shot) please be nice and leave a comment. Flames are not welcome!