Welcome to the intro page of the new story! This isn't chapter one, nor is it a prologue. Instead, this is a teaser, preceded by a summary of the plot's direction, so you can know if you want to follow it or not.
A very fun story this time: Medieval AU! Weiss is our Princess-protagonist, and Ruby our well-meaning wanderer. When Weiss is attacked by assassins from the same group that killed her mother, the King hosts a tournament to see who can become the Lord-Protector over the Royal family, and the first in the House of Stewards. At the same time, Hunting in the nearby woods becomes limited to those with official permits, and a certain Huntress decides to make a career shift. How will the cards unfold? Only time will tell.
This story is going to be a collaborative effort with everyone who reviews the story. Your ideas will twist and shift the story, based on how detailed you are and how much it fits the personalities that I assign to our White-Rose Pair during this season. So, I expect only the best from my readers, as I know you have to offer.
This story is also dedicated to JustClem, who is leaving us soon. She inspired me beyond words, and so I wanted to make just this one story for her, though I doubt she'll ever know/read it.
Yes, I know I have too many stories to reasonably handle them all in any kind of a time frame. Well guess what? This is how I stay sane! You're gonna get good, full stories for all of them, and it's gonna take a really long time! I Love you!
Teaser:
Weiss gazed down on the small field, encased in wooden fences. It was silly, this contest.
The various champions lined up just outside the farthest wall, each one waiting his turn to attempt the impossible task. A white-cloth dummy was stood up in the center of the square, wearing one of Weiss' older dresses. The goal was firstly to pass the current knight protecting the dummy, and inflict a killing blow on the dummy-princess. The second goal was to take the knight's place and defend the dummy from the other champions. Each person kept going back into the line with each loss, some getting better and lasting longer, while others got worse and were kicked from the line by the royal guards.
"This is impossibly drab, Father." Weiss complained to the man in the throne beside her.
The wan man simply grunted in a non-committal fashion.
Rolling her eyes, Weiss turned back to the tournament, dreading the outcome. Sir Vasilias was the current defender, and the current favorite. He'd been defending very well, but been taken to the line by two other knights. If the trend continued, it would come down to him and about five others who showed great skill and talent in both the defense and offense. However, it would spell doom for Weiss.
All six of the potential candidates would be the worst kind of people to spend each and every day with. Uncultured, tempted by each and every form of carnal desire, and no doubt completely lacking in any kind of manners. Not to mention, she really didn't want one of them to end up in her room, and heavens forbid her bed.
As though the universe was answering her prayer for mercy, a hush fell over the crowd as a new figure joined the back of the line. Unlike the steel armor of the others, this person wore a blood-red cloak that covered their body, with a matching hood over their head. Various weapons were strapped to their back, with two daggers visible on their forearms and two short swords at their hips, the hilts protruding from under the cloak. What was most interesting however, was the weapon outside the cloak.
A long staff of black wood, straight and perfectly carved into a circular shape, with a strange head on the top. It wasn't unlike a halberd or spear, but the crescent shape was unmistakable. This new challenger had a War Scythe. Weiss leaned forward, wondering what could be in store. Such a late entry showed an excellent mind, as well as patience. The weapon choice also spoke of diligence and tactics. Perhaps those who joined after the main crowd were more interesting to deal with.
Had the figure waited too long, they would have missed their spot to challenge. To short, and like the current knights, they'd be exhausted when the best came out to play. But oddly enough, no one else came. When the red-cloaked figure came to the head of the line, the number had only lessened, dropping ten challengers and gaining none.
When Vasilias nodded his readiness to begin, the cloak drifted forward, into the box. A pair of pale hands emerged, pulling out the war scythe and revealing only the black sleeves of a common shirt underneath. Jeers came up from the crowd, as well as from the other knights.
"Where's your armor, little boy?" One of them called, mockingly.
The words were cut short when the arm slammed the base of the weapon into the dirt, making an ominous thumping sound. Sir Vasilias readied his shield, but it was in vain. A single whistle of metal on air, and the red cloak was standing on the opposite side of the dummy, the blade now at the figure's side in an extended pose. My stand-in's head was on the ground.
All that showed the challenger had moved was the dust from the lunge, the severed shield, and a few rose petals, floating up into the air. One landed on Weiss' finger, changing from red to a pure white as it met her skin. The figure's head jerked up to stare at the Princess, a gleam of reflected metal coming from within the hood as the sewers moved in to repair the dummy.
"Most impressive." Mumbled Weiss' father.
Weiss herself was a bit apprehensive, as opposed to impressed. That look...
Before she could ponder much further, the bell was rung to let the next opponent in.
Instead of nodding, the figure in red simply turned the war scythe around, holding the weapon by its deadly blade. They stood beside the dummy and drew a wide circle around both of them. Then, with another thud, slammed the war scythe into the dirt at the head of the circle. Releasing their main weapon, the figure crouched and waited for the attacks to come. Weiss mentally added confidence to the list.