The second word in the challenge is ambidextrous!

I have never been a good shot and my shoe hit him in the face instead. He looked shock and turned to face me.

"If it isn't the niece," he started.

"My Lord," a woman's voice interrupted him and Morgana (though I didn't know her name at that time) made her entrance.
In black from head to toe with a bow on her shoulders and a sword on her hip she advanced forward licking her lips in a hungry manner, "let me take care of the girls."

"Ahh, Morgana, I forgot. You have a score to settle with Archus.
Go ahead and return soon with their heads," he turned back to Father.

I watched Morgana move towards me, paralysed with fear that her eyes instilled in me.

Feeling someone nudge me, I broke out of shock to find Janet standing beside me. "What are you doing, your highness? Run for your life."

Janet had cleared the enemy guards by lightning-speed use of her revolver. Strange how I had never known she knew how to shoot let alone the fact that she owned it.

"Fine," I replied when all my mind could think of saying was Where should I run to? They'll catch me anyway.

She gave a tight lipped smile and pointed to a young man who was, unlike the rest of the people, running towards us.
"That is Colonel Darcy. He'll take your highness and Princess Liorna to a safer place. Follow what he says."

I wanted to hug her goodbye but all I could do was nod.

Darcy, a man of twenty-five years or so with long black hair tied in a ponytail that escaped in little tufts of stray hair surrounding his perfect face, beckoned Liorna and me with a smile. Without even glancing at each other we ran. Let me tell you to run shoeless is not an easy task, especially when the path is rocky and you are a Princess.

Liorna gasped suddenly as a flaming arrow just narrowly missed her. I looked behind and the sight that met my eyes was not a consoling one. The fresh, beautiful park-place had turned into a small battleground. I could not exactly differentiate people but our side was losing.

The military green of Gastor was fast overtaking the red and blues of our Joint Kingdoms.
Still running blindly I risked another glance to see the person who was showering us with flaming arrows in quick succession. I saw her. Morgana, standing with a maniacal smile on her face, oblivious to the fight around her was concerned with us and only us. Correction. She was mainly concerned with us but each second that was a refuge to us from her fearful arrows was actually the detour she took on her sideline killing spree.

Each time she killed a passing soldier her smile grew wider. Realising a slight increase in her hungry expression with the background music of Darcy's urgent commands to move, I scanned the area along her line of vision. I felt blood rushing to my ears. Morgana was aiming directly at Janet, who was rushing towards me with her back to her predator.

Suddenly I was running backwards shouting and screaming, "No, Janet. Don't come here. Turn back. She'll kill you. Save yourself." Behind me I heard Darcy call me names that nobody would have dared to call a princess but right now nothing mattered. Janet should move out of the way even if it meant that U had to push her away.

I still wonder to this day why she didn't turn away, deflect, run or at least try to protect herself. I was centimetres away when the arrow pierced her side. With a cry she fell to the ground.

"Nooo," I screamed. I ran to her as another arrow whizzed pass me, this time slightly grazing my shoulder. A strange sort of warmth spread from the shoulder to my hands. I heard Janet mutter something, try to get up and have a shot at Morgana with her deadly revolver. My eyes were blurred with tears but I saw Morgana stumble and fall.

"P-princess, take th-this," Janet rasped placing a silver chain with a small dagger-locket on it. "It was your m-mother's. S-save the kingdom. Th-that is wh-what she would have d-done."

I looked at Janet, the only person who had ever seemed to care a little about me. Her eyes were closed and I couldn't feel her breathing but her light blue eyes opened slowly. "Princess, write your s-story. You have got the writing spark in you and no that's not th-the only spark. Don't f-forget the world is what you think of it."

And just like that I felt her hand become limp in mine. The last few minutes are hard to recollect. All I remember is Liorna saying something consoling and Darcy pulling us away to a helicopter which took us away from the horrible battleground.

I didn't let the tears fall. I let the hate spread through me. At that moment I knew the true meaning of hate and I embraced it. I never realised the dagger cutting through the palm of my hand until Liorna wordlessly removed it from my hand and handed a dainty handkerchief instead.

We finally stopped. Getting down from the helicopter, I had to trip unattractively.
During the short time that had elapsed, I had composed my Princess-face.
I wasn't going to whine about things when everybody was having trouble.
Besides, I have never been the one to truly show my feelings.
Nobody would have guessed how horrid I felt inside, that each step I took was the effort to stop the tears from overflowing.

We entered a badly hidden, rather depressing looking building where Liorna and I sat on the posh looking sofas that seemed to drown you in whatever upholstery they were made of. I think the headquarters of PPP are located pn island but that's just me guessing. They didn't actually tell us much in fact we hardly talked. You would thought that like most stories Liorna and I would have talked, shared princessy memories and become the best of friends. But that't not exactly what you do after you've witnessed what we did. You just sit quietly and think about what is going to happen to you. You think about the condition of your father, your people, your kingdom. You try to reassure yourself. You try to avoid that horrible pain in your throat and that stinging in your eyes.

And all this time Darcy sat on one of the sofas, filling what seemed like a million paged form and humming happy tunes. I stopped staring at the heavily carpeted floor and turned to look at him when he changed tune. Now it was something that sounded like a marching tune. It irritated me, this happy humming and I was going to ask him to stop when I gasped. He was filling two forms simultaneously using both his hands.

He must have heard me gasp because he stopped to smile at me, "Yes, I am ambidextrous. Quite a handy talent when one belongs to PPP."

I smiled back unconsciously and then winced as I split my dry lips. When Darcy had completed the paperwork using his handy talent Liorna and I were taken to different rooms. In mine a woman whose name badge said 'Banks', so I assume that's her name, made a face when I entered but, I suppose suddenly remembering who I was, she put on a fake smile. Somehow that sudden flash of humanity made me feel better.

She made me take a bath and then she gave me a 'makeover' that would 'totally change your look, your highness-honey'. Then she did something that made me feel horribly awful inside.

"Your highness-honey,"she said chewing her mint flavoured gum noisily, "you can't wear that necklace. It'll give you away. It has to be got rid of."

Swallowing, hoping my voice didn't tremble, I said in my practiced voice of authority, "I am afraid that is not possible. It's a family heirloom. It cannot be gotten rid of."

We had a mini staring match which I won. After all I am used to getting my way. I am a Princess and sometimes you have to use your power.

"Fine," she said in a tone that suggested that it was not fine at all. I glanced at the mirror before following her put and was I surprised? My golden hair was tied in two long pigtails and I was wearing a 't-shirt'and 'jeans' and a pair of shoes Banks called 'sneakers'. I looked so unlike the normal me that if I had not know it was myself in the mirror I would have thought it was just some random girl. With a wave at the mirror-me I followed Banks to a heli-pad where Darcy and Liorna (I nearly didn't recognise her at first).

A small jet plane stood there which we were made to board quickly. After what seemed like a good enough period of rest I asked Darcy, "Colonel, where exactly are you taking us?"

He grinned, turning back in his seat, "To Holmes Penn in Britain." Seeing my blank expression, he continued, "Its a little-known town in the suburbs, if you see what I mean."

Liorna asked, "We are being taken to a hotel or? "

"No, not exactly some protective hotel. You are being taken to Sir Voltaire Hiwatari's mansion. He has been a massive support to the PPP as well as your kingdoms from years. When he heard about what happened he agreed to provide you two with a safe place to stay until..."

"Until?" as both the princesses echoed the fearful word, I knew something was wrong. What exactly had happened? What about Father? Was he...?

Darcy never got the chance to answer as the plane began to lower just then. Sir Hiwatari's mansion was at a five hour long drive from the airport even when the car was speeding up on the lonely roads that night.

Hi! Do review and tell me what you think of this story. It means a lot to me to hear your opinions and thoughts. By the way, Kai makes an entry in the next chapter :) Sorry for any errors, mistakes, typos.