Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen, we're moving into Chapter 2. Entitled: Chapter 2. Creative, eh? I still don't own Slayers. Yup, I didn't make the characters(well...not all of them). I hope you all enjoy my latest installment. If you want something else to read while you're waiting for the third chapter, you can check out my other story, "A Tale Untold." It's complete, so knock yourself out. Anyway, let's get this party started.
Chapter 2
The morning was quite serene. The princess of Seyruun slowly opened her eyes. Everything seemed calm, even herself. Perhaps she had fainted last night. She slowly climbed out of her bed. She kept her arms around herself. She felt the paranoia returning, and she had to hold onto something even if it was herself. She started to open the curtains to her window, but stopped. The day didn't seem much more safe than the night. What if that man was waiting behind the window. She started to back away from the window, occaisionally looking behind and around her. Then she stopped. This was silly. If she couldn't open her own curtains then how could she make it through the day? She slowly approached the curtains. She fit her fingers in between them and grabbed one of the two sheets. Before she pulled it to the side, she readied a fireball in her other hand. She quickly yanked the curtain to the side and leapt back. It was a nice sunny view of Seyruun, and nothing more. At this, she sighed and dismissed the fireball. Amelia went and opened the other half of the curtain, but there was a loud knock at her door.
"EEEEK!!!" Amelia shrieked and resummoned the fireball and sent it flying at the door. The explosion completely demolished the door and sent three of Seyruun's guards into a wall. Their charred bodies dropped to the ground and let out a low moan.
"Oops! Sorry about that!" One of the guards lifted his head.
"Princess! We heard something in there! Are you alright?"
"Oh, yes I'm fine. I was just opening the curtains." She beamed an innocent smile.
"Princess, you are an inspiration to your people with your bravery!"
"Oh, thank you." said Amelia while trying her best to get her knees to stop knocking. The guards picked themselves up (or at least, what was left of them) and trudged off. Amelia dropped to her knees and put her hand on her chest while she caught her breath. After gathering her composure, she decided that she should at least change.
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AS soon as Amelia changed and stepped out of her door, she had a flock of guards around her. It eventually got to where she had to threaten to fireball all of them if they didn't give her just a little space. They didn't even let her eat her breakfast until someone had tasted every portion of it to make sure it wasn't poisoned. The Seyruun Council was a mess. The fact that they had almost lost their princess. The dining room was filled with various comments...
"What should we do?"
"Who would follow Prince Philonel's line?"
"Was the assassin captured?"
"Thank goodness the Princess is a talented sorceress."
Amelia gently rubbed her temples as she tried to finish her breakfast. She thought that it may have been a less cruel fate if the assassin had gotten her. A few of the council members approached her.
"Princess Amelia?"
"Yes?"
"We've decided that we cannot allow you to leave the castle until we are certain that the perpetrator has been apprehended."
"That could take weeks! What if you never find him?!"
"I'm sorry, princess, but we would feel much safer if you stayed inside. At least until your father returns."
"Daddy will take forever searching for new kingdoms..." Amelia whined.
"Actually, princess, we've already sent a messenger to your father. He left just a few minutes ago."
Suddenly, they felt a low rumbling in the distance. It was steadily growing. Amelia's cup of milk began shaking. The shaking grew until it seemed that the entire castle was shaking, and cups began to crash to the floor. Everyone began to panic, thinking that the world was coming to an end. Amelia fell out of her chair and grabbed the table for support. She finally squeaked out.
"What's going on here?!" They soon heard an answer. A huge voice bellowed in the distance.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Before anyone could react, Prince Phileonel had burst through the main gates, barged through the castle, and engulfed Amelia into an enormous bear hug. Everyone could only stare.
"Oh, Amelia! I was so fightened! As soon as I found out that someone tried to kill you, I hurried back here as fast as I could! Say something, Amelia! Tell me you're alright!" Apparently Phil didn't notice Amelia tapping him on the shoulder in order to tell him to let her breathe. "Oh, sorry about that." He let her loose.
"Phew! Daddy! How'd you get here so fast? And how did you know that someone tried to kill me? We just sent a messanger."
Phil seemed puzzled. "Messenger?"
*Scene change*
Just outside of the kingdom of Seyruun, a messanger lay on the ground as if trampled by a royal giant.
"I...hate my job..."
*Back to the castle*
Phil stood straight up and threw his finger in the air.
"Of course I knew that you were in danger, Amelia! Why, any champion of justice would know when his loved one was in danger, and nothing could keep him from reaching his destination! Haha!"
The crowded room was filled with sweatdrops and various admiration of Prince Phil's dedication to his daughter. The prince smiled widely and beamed at his daughter.
"Everything is alright, isn't it Amelia?"
"Well...I..." Amelia sobbed a little, and her eyes began to collect tears. Phil took notice of this and quickly turned to address everyone else in the room.
"Everyone go about your business! Leave us alone for a moment!" The room emptied in seconds. Satisfied, Phil turned to his daughter. "It's ok now, Amelia." Amelia burst into tears and threw herself into her father. She nuzzled against his chest and cried for a few minutes.
"Oh, daddy! It was so scary! I know I've come close to dying before, but it scared me because I didn't know where he was! This is the first time I haven't felt safe at home!" Prince Phil began to lightly pat her as she spoke.
"It's ok, Amelia. I'll protect you." Amelia pulled away from her father and wiped her face. She looked down.
"I feel so silly, like I'm being a baby. I've faced dark lords before and not cried. I'm sorry, daddy."
"Amelia! You shouldn't be ashamed of crying! Besides, it's a much different situation when someone invades your home. I think anyone would've cried if they were in your place." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. Phil always had a way to make her feel better.
"Thanks, Daddy."
Phil reared back and let out a loud laugh. The halls practically rattled apart. Finally, Phil quieted down and addressed Amelia again.
"Now then, we have to decide what we're going to do about this. Can you tell me anything about this assassin that would help us find him?"
"I don't know...it was really dark. He was kind of well built. That's about as much as I can tell you."
Phil held his chin and looked down thoughtfully. "Hmmm...well, until we know that you are safe, guards will accompany you everywhere."
"Umm...I about that...do they really have to follow me everywhere?"
Phil jumped in shock. "Of course they do, Amelia! You're my precious daughter and I'm going to see to it that you're safe no matter what!"
Amelia's face filled with dissappointment. "But it's just a bit annoying when I can't even breathe until everyone is sure that the air isn't toxic."
"I'm sorry Amelia, but I can't risk your life like that."
Amelia looked to the floor. She knew she couldn't win this argument. The kingdom would be in panic if its princess died. She would have to get used to having a pack of man-sized mosquitoes surrounding her all the time. Unless she thought of something else. Which, of course, she did.
"Hey, Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"Do I really need a lot of guards around all the time?"
"Didn't I already answer that?"
"No, I mean, couldn't we just have one guard stay with me?"
"Like a bodyguard?"
"Yeah! Someone whose job is only to watch me. I don't think it would bother me as much if only one person had to follow me around."
Phil returned his hand to his chin and began contemplating this proposal. It seemed like he kept going back and forth with his thoughts, seeing both sides of the argument but not really making any progress. Finally, after some real thought, he spoke up.
"I'm not sure about that, Amelia. I don't know if I'd feel safe if only one guard was watching you. The average castle guard isn't really that skilled, just well equipped."
"Well then....we could hire someone! We could send out messages through the kingdom and the neighboring towns and we could probably find someone really strong!"
Once again, Phil fell into his "deep" thought. It was obvious that he didn't like this idea, but he was willing to consider it thoroughly. He let out a sigh and reached a decision.
"Alright, Amelia. I'm not very comfortable with a stranger protecting you, but I'll allow it on one condition." He looked at Amelia sternly.
"What condition?"
"All of the mercenaries have to be interviewed by the entire council. They will decide who is the best choice. Ok?"
"Ok!" She jumped up and threw her arms around her father's neck. "Thank you, Daddy!"
"You're welcome, but you have to promise to stay with your guard. No matter who it may be."
"I promise."
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The word of Seyruun castle hiring a royal bodyguard spread like wildfire. The castle was filled with a line of mercenaries only one day after Prince Phileonel sent out the message. The crowd was filled with a wide variety of applicants, ranging from rugged mercenaries, to valiant knights, to bar-room brawlers, to mystical sorcerors, to desparate bums willing to put their lives on the line to make a buck. There were even a few small children that kept trying to get in line, claiming that they could protect the princess. The castle guards were having a hard enough time keeping them quiet and out of the way, but Amelia thought that it was hilarious. One of the boys noticed her laughing and approached her.
"Aren't you the princess, miss?"
"Yes, I am. What's your name?"
"Orres, miss princess."
"You can call me Amelia."
He beamed a smile at her. "Ok, Amelia! Can I be your bodyguard?"
"I don't know. Have you interviewed with the council?"
He glared at the guards and stomped his foot. "Those jerks won't let me get in line! I'm the best bodyguard out of anyone! I'm the toughest kid on my street!"
Amelia put her hands on her hips and humored him. "They won't let you interview? That's no fair."
"I know! Can you tell them to let me in?"
"Hmmm, how about this, I'll let you be my bodyguard right now."
Orres's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
Amelia smiled and chuckled a little. "Sure, but you have to keep it a secret or the guards might get angry."
"How do I keep it a secret."
"Simple, when I get in trouble, I'll call for you and you can come save me. Ok?"
"Ok miss princ- I mean, Amelia!" Orres darted off towards his friends so he could brag. Amelia laughed at his ability to keep a secret. At least he was happy. Orres ran back home to prepare for his new "job" and his friends followed after him to either marvel in admiration or challenge him. One of the guards stood bewildered at the sight as he watched the children run from the castle. He looked over towards Amelia, wondering what on earth she did. Amelia just smirked and shrugged her shoulders. She turned her attention back to the line of applicants. She began to think that perhaps it would have been better to let one of the children protect her. There were more men than women, much more. Several of the men were either a little too scary or disgusting for Amelia to feel comfortable. Apparently many of the mercenaries did not realize that it is somewhat improper to enter a castle while drunk. A chorus of belches erupted from various parts of the line. A few mercenaries were dragged out of line and thrown out of the castle. Amelia even requested that a few be disqualified, particularly the ones that kept winking or blowing kisses at her. With more people coming at a steady rate, the interviewing went on all day. Amelia had had enough, so she decided to retire to her room for the rest of the day, but not without various unwanted comments or compliments from the line as she left.
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The council interviewed for one more full day. Most of the applicants were tossed out immediately after their interview, so it only took about one hour for the council to review and make a decision. Amelia couldn't wait because she was tired of swimming in guards everywhere she went. There had been no sign of the assassin again, but paranoia was still covering the kingdom, so the presentation of Amelia's bodyguard was quite an event. Because of the large curiousity among the people, Prince Phileonel decided to have the council present the bodyguard outside of the castle, but he requested that while Amelia was outside, she should have guards around her even while her bodyguard was present. A large crowd gathered near the castle. The council stood in front of the main entrance while Phil and Amelia stood off to the side, although Amelia was hardly visible because she was surrounded by guards. The crowd shouted for the council to get on with it, but they refused to proceed. A few of them kept looking back inside the castle. Finally, one crowd member shouted something that struck a bit of anxiety in the council.
"Is this body guard even here!?"
Every council members eyes went wide. One of them jumped forward to address the crowd.
"Er..um..fear not! We assure you that we have a selection and he is in good condition! He just felt that he should make a proper entrance at his presentation!"
The crowd didn't seem to buy into this excuse, but they quieted down a bit. Finally, one of the council members whirled around and started whispering to the others. After a few words, they spread out and turned towards the crowd. One of them spoke.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are sorry that you had to wait, but wait no longer! We are ready to present the personal bodyguard of Amelia Wil Telsa Seyruun, your princess!"
Half the crowd let out cheers while the other half yelled for the council to hurry up. The speaker continued.
"After two days of interviewing and time for review of the applicants, we have finally made a selection! Although it took a long time to interview, it was not hard to make this decision. This man is a hero among heroes! He is matchless with a sword and is more than willing to give his life for our princess! We are completely confident in this man and we can assure you that you may put any fears that you have to rest! He is sure to end the assassin threat!"
"WHO IS IT!?" Practically the entire crowd shouted.
"Er..ahem! Yes, well...I will delay him no longer! It is my pleasure to present, Sir Lance Estar!"
The council parted and a young man dressed in regal attire stepped forward. His blonde hair was slicked back and his eyes sparkled. His expensive suit was dark red silk. His pantaloons were silk as well. He wore fine leather boots and a belt with a golden buckle. A cape ran from his shoulders to his ankles. He stepped forward and smiled at the crowd, trying to use his charm. The crowd cheered as he emerged. Some people yelled less appropriate cheers out of jealousy, but most people were excited to finally see the royal bodyguard. He took a bow, holding his cape with elegance. Then, he raised his hands to silence the crowd. His hands were covered by gloves that were, more than likely, silk. After every last person had quieted, he spoke.
"I appreciate your welcome. You are all too kind." At this, the crowd erupted again, and Lance raised his hands for silence again. "I have travelled many lands and faced many perils. I am certain that I can handle any threat that may befall your fair princess." He looked towards Amelia and winked. The crowd began to cheer again, but rejected mercenaries shouted angry remarks. The mercenaries began to leave while others were dragged off by their friends. Lance whirled in the direction of Phil and Amelia and walked towards Phil. Lance bowed. "I guarrantee the safety of your daughter. I will wager my life on it."
A look of doubt came over Phil before he responded. "Wager your life? Isn't that your job in the first place?"
Lance straightened up quickly. "Oh! Of course! I just...I just feel so confident that I can protect her that I don't think either of us are in danger!" Eager to get out of this situation, he approached Amelia. He took her hand and kissed it gently. The gloves were silk after all. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, my lady."
This didn't exactly make Amelia feel comfortable. "It...is a pleasure to meet you as well." She slowly withdrew her hand as she spoke. Lance stood up straight and threw back his cape.
"I vow to protect you against any threat! With my own sword I will find the assassin and put an end to him!" he announced while drawing his sword and holding it up. The crowd let out another cheer, but Amelia seemed dissappointed. She looked at the sword, it's golden hilt and polished blade. There wasn't a scratch or nick about it. Had he ever used that sword? Amelia had seen enough of this. She pushed her way through the guards and walked up to the council.
"Ummm, can you explain why you chose him?"
The council was stirred a bit by this. They stared at each other wondering why Amelia would ask this. One of them spoke.
"Why, just look at him, princess. He's a very elegant and dashing hero! The other mercenaries were either unacceptably disgusting or suspicious. What if the assassin had disguised himself as a mercenary in order to get to you? We are certain that this man is a good example and a trustworthy figure."
Amelia closed her eyes and sighed. "Maybe, but can he protect me?"
"Of course! Sir Lance has assured us of his skills as a swordsman!"
"How? Did you see him slay a huge monster or something?"
"Heavens no! He simply told us of his great adventures. He really is an amazing young man!"
Amelia slapped her own face. "He told you?"
"Yes. As we said before, we trust this man so he surely wouldn't lie to us."
"Right...right..." Frustrated Amelia left the council alone so she wouldn't have to continue this conversation a moment longer. Lance spent as much time as possible showing off to the crowd. After a little bit, people began to become uninterrested. Seeing that everyone had heard enough from lance, Phil decided to step forward and take control.
"Well then, my people. I'm glad that you have shown so much interest in my daughter's guard, but now we have matters we must attend to. Good day to you all." At that, the crowd dispersed. Everyone went about their business. The council, guards, Phil, Amelia, and Lance all returned inside the castle. Phil dismissed the guards and sent them back to their normal duties. He then went to tend to his own duties. The council did the same. Amelia wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. While she had breathing room, she was now left alone with Lance. He looked into her eyes and smiled coyly.
"Well then, Princess, where to now?"
"Ummm, maybe we should just wait in one of the living rooms."
"very well."
They entered the room. There were three sofas arranged in a square formation near the center of the room. On the open side of the square, there was a cushioned chair. In the middle of the formation there was a small round coffee table. On the wall opposite of the lone chair, there was a large window that curved out of the wall. Trying to act fast without running, Amelia made her way to the chair. Lance moved to the sofa across from Amelia. He flipped his cape back and took a seat. Amelia sighed in her head and prepared for the worst as she spoke.
"So...since we're going to have to spend a lot of time together, I think we should try to get to know each other," she said with a bit of regret.
"An excellent idea! Ah, where to start? There are so many stories I could tell you," Amelia was sure that they were all stories. As Amelia feared, Lance launched into a complete eruption of borish yapping. He talked about how he was the son of a powerful noble that lives south of Seyruun, and the various monsters, ogres, and trolls he had slain. Seeing that he wasn't even looking in her direction, Amelia thought that this was the perfect time for her to have some form of daydream. Here she was, stuck with the most arrogant applicant she could get, and he'd probably be too scared of getting dirty if he ever got in a fight. Maybe the guards would have been better. Well, hopefully the assassin would fall for Lance's fake stories like the council did and she'd be safe. There had to be some way for her to get out of this situation. After all, in a way she got herself into it. She even thought about searching for the assassin herself so she wouldn't need a guard anymore. Maybe she could just jump out in the open and let herself get killed. That seemed a bit more appealing than listening to Lance for however long he planned on talking. Maybe he'd shut up when he couldn't think of anymore lies to tell. As Amelia's thoughts trailed off even further, she didn't realize when Lance tried to get her attention.
"Miss Amelia? Are you listening?" She stared off into space, completely unaware of his question. He stood up. "Miss Amelia?" Suddenly, the window burst open, and Lance let out a grunt of pain. The crash shocked Amelia back to reality and she felt something splash against her face. She wiped her cheek and her hand was covered in blood. She felt her heart race, and she slowly looked up at Lance. He was still standing, with a dagger protruding from his chest. His body fell forward, landing on the table. Amelia screamed and dashed for the door. She ran through the halls of the castle, and it wasn't long before she found her father again. He panicked at the sight of her blood-stained face.
"Amelia! What on earth happened?!"
She grabbed her father and held him tightly. She buried her head into his chest and was breathing heavily. "Daddy! It was him! The assassin! He killed Lance! He's coming for me Daddy! I'm scared! It's like he's invisible!"
Phil dropped to his knees and held his daughter. "It's ok, Amelia. It's ok. Daddy's here." He barked at some guards to go search the area and investigate Lance's body for any kind of clue. Amelia spent much time crying into her father's chest. She didn't want to leave that spot. It took forever to get her into her room, much less for her to fall asleep. Her room was guarded as best as possible. Whether she ever slept that night, shall remain a mystery.
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The next morning came, and Amelia could hardly find the will to get out of bed. It scared her enough that someone was out to get her, but it also tormented her that someone had died in her place (even if it was by accident) and she had thought bad things about him before. She didn't stay in one place for long. She would move through the castle quickly, always looking around. She was afraid of windows now, so she avoided them. She only stayed still when she met her father for breakfast.
"Are you alright, Amelia?"
"I...I don't know...I'm still scared."
"I know. It's ok to be scared, Amelia, even for a champion of justice. But I'm afraid we're going to have to resort back to having many guards follow you around."
"Ok..." Amelia didn't feel like arguing. She only wanted to be safe. She hated the fact that she was capable of defending herself but couldn't. Her food was left on the table only to grow cold. She could only stare at it. She planned on staying near her father for as long as possible. She felt more secure around him. Her thoughts were interrupted by some distant voices. She turned her head towards the door that led out of the dining room. It was cracked enough for her to hear someone talking.
"What's that?"
"I'm not sure, Amelia."
She stood up and walked towards the door. In the main room of the castle, she could tell that the voices were coming from the castle entrance. She couldn't make out what they were saying, so she made her way towards the entrance, accompanied by plenty of guards, of course. As she got closer, she heard two guards speaking to each other.
"Do you think he could be trouble?"
"I don't know. He looks creepy enough, but he's out in the open. So he either doesn't want to hurt anyone, or he's dangerous enough to afford coming out in the open. Either way, here he comes now."
This worried Amelia. Could the assassin be coming to the castle right now? She decided to stay out of sight, but within eavesdropping distance. Her guards served as a nice camoflauge of sorts. She heard one of the guards speak up again.
"State your business, sir."
Then she heard a soft and cool voice. "I was wondering if the bodyguard position was still open."
That voice! It was so familiar! The other guard spoke up.
"I'm sorry, but the princess's bodyguard failed his job so the guards will be protecting her now."
"Wait!" shouted Amelia. She dashed out of the entrance of the castle. The two guards that spoke earlier looked back to see what the problem was, and in front of them stood a mysterious man dressed in all white, with a white cape, hood, and mask.
________________________________________________________________
Ok, that's it for Chapter 2. Sorry it took me a little while to update, but I volunteered to be a counselor at my church's children's camp, so I had to go to that and I've been kinda dead since I got back. Hopefully I'll get the other chapters out faster. Sorry if this chapter sucked, but like I said, I'm dead. Anyway, let me know what you think, stay in school, don't do drugs, yadda yadda. The time of cheetos is soon (it would be sooner if I had any cheetos at my house, but oh well). Later.
Chapter 2
The morning was quite serene. The princess of Seyruun slowly opened her eyes. Everything seemed calm, even herself. Perhaps she had fainted last night. She slowly climbed out of her bed. She kept her arms around herself. She felt the paranoia returning, and she had to hold onto something even if it was herself. She started to open the curtains to her window, but stopped. The day didn't seem much more safe than the night. What if that man was waiting behind the window. She started to back away from the window, occaisionally looking behind and around her. Then she stopped. This was silly. If she couldn't open her own curtains then how could she make it through the day? She slowly approached the curtains. She fit her fingers in between them and grabbed one of the two sheets. Before she pulled it to the side, she readied a fireball in her other hand. She quickly yanked the curtain to the side and leapt back. It was a nice sunny view of Seyruun, and nothing more. At this, she sighed and dismissed the fireball. Amelia went and opened the other half of the curtain, but there was a loud knock at her door.
"EEEEK!!!" Amelia shrieked and resummoned the fireball and sent it flying at the door. The explosion completely demolished the door and sent three of Seyruun's guards into a wall. Their charred bodies dropped to the ground and let out a low moan.
"Oops! Sorry about that!" One of the guards lifted his head.
"Princess! We heard something in there! Are you alright?"
"Oh, yes I'm fine. I was just opening the curtains." She beamed an innocent smile.
"Princess, you are an inspiration to your people with your bravery!"
"Oh, thank you." said Amelia while trying her best to get her knees to stop knocking. The guards picked themselves up (or at least, what was left of them) and trudged off. Amelia dropped to her knees and put her hand on her chest while she caught her breath. After gathering her composure, she decided that she should at least change.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AS soon as Amelia changed and stepped out of her door, she had a flock of guards around her. It eventually got to where she had to threaten to fireball all of them if they didn't give her just a little space. They didn't even let her eat her breakfast until someone had tasted every portion of it to make sure it wasn't poisoned. The Seyruun Council was a mess. The fact that they had almost lost their princess. The dining room was filled with various comments...
"What should we do?"
"Who would follow Prince Philonel's line?"
"Was the assassin captured?"
"Thank goodness the Princess is a talented sorceress."
Amelia gently rubbed her temples as she tried to finish her breakfast. She thought that it may have been a less cruel fate if the assassin had gotten her. A few of the council members approached her.
"Princess Amelia?"
"Yes?"
"We've decided that we cannot allow you to leave the castle until we are certain that the perpetrator has been apprehended."
"That could take weeks! What if you never find him?!"
"I'm sorry, princess, but we would feel much safer if you stayed inside. At least until your father returns."
"Daddy will take forever searching for new kingdoms..." Amelia whined.
"Actually, princess, we've already sent a messenger to your father. He left just a few minutes ago."
Suddenly, they felt a low rumbling in the distance. It was steadily growing. Amelia's cup of milk began shaking. The shaking grew until it seemed that the entire castle was shaking, and cups began to crash to the floor. Everyone began to panic, thinking that the world was coming to an end. Amelia fell out of her chair and grabbed the table for support. She finally squeaked out.
"What's going on here?!" They soon heard an answer. A huge voice bellowed in the distance.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Before anyone could react, Prince Phileonel had burst through the main gates, barged through the castle, and engulfed Amelia into an enormous bear hug. Everyone could only stare.
"Oh, Amelia! I was so fightened! As soon as I found out that someone tried to kill you, I hurried back here as fast as I could! Say something, Amelia! Tell me you're alright!" Apparently Phil didn't notice Amelia tapping him on the shoulder in order to tell him to let her breathe. "Oh, sorry about that." He let her loose.
"Phew! Daddy! How'd you get here so fast? And how did you know that someone tried to kill me? We just sent a messanger."
Phil seemed puzzled. "Messenger?"
*Scene change*
Just outside of the kingdom of Seyruun, a messanger lay on the ground as if trampled by a royal giant.
"I...hate my job..."
*Back to the castle*
Phil stood straight up and threw his finger in the air.
"Of course I knew that you were in danger, Amelia! Why, any champion of justice would know when his loved one was in danger, and nothing could keep him from reaching his destination! Haha!"
The crowded room was filled with sweatdrops and various admiration of Prince Phil's dedication to his daughter. The prince smiled widely and beamed at his daughter.
"Everything is alright, isn't it Amelia?"
"Well...I..." Amelia sobbed a little, and her eyes began to collect tears. Phil took notice of this and quickly turned to address everyone else in the room.
"Everyone go about your business! Leave us alone for a moment!" The room emptied in seconds. Satisfied, Phil turned to his daughter. "It's ok now, Amelia." Amelia burst into tears and threw herself into her father. She nuzzled against his chest and cried for a few minutes.
"Oh, daddy! It was so scary! I know I've come close to dying before, but it scared me because I didn't know where he was! This is the first time I haven't felt safe at home!" Prince Phil began to lightly pat her as she spoke.
"It's ok, Amelia. I'll protect you." Amelia pulled away from her father and wiped her face. She looked down.
"I feel so silly, like I'm being a baby. I've faced dark lords before and not cried. I'm sorry, daddy."
"Amelia! You shouldn't be ashamed of crying! Besides, it's a much different situation when someone invades your home. I think anyone would've cried if they were in your place." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. Phil always had a way to make her feel better.
"Thanks, Daddy."
Phil reared back and let out a loud laugh. The halls practically rattled apart. Finally, Phil quieted down and addressed Amelia again.
"Now then, we have to decide what we're going to do about this. Can you tell me anything about this assassin that would help us find him?"
"I don't know...it was really dark. He was kind of well built. That's about as much as I can tell you."
Phil held his chin and looked down thoughtfully. "Hmmm...well, until we know that you are safe, guards will accompany you everywhere."
"Umm...I about that...do they really have to follow me everywhere?"
Phil jumped in shock. "Of course they do, Amelia! You're my precious daughter and I'm going to see to it that you're safe no matter what!"
Amelia's face filled with dissappointment. "But it's just a bit annoying when I can't even breathe until everyone is sure that the air isn't toxic."
"I'm sorry Amelia, but I can't risk your life like that."
Amelia looked to the floor. She knew she couldn't win this argument. The kingdom would be in panic if its princess died. She would have to get used to having a pack of man-sized mosquitoes surrounding her all the time. Unless she thought of something else. Which, of course, she did.
"Hey, Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"Do I really need a lot of guards around all the time?"
"Didn't I already answer that?"
"No, I mean, couldn't we just have one guard stay with me?"
"Like a bodyguard?"
"Yeah! Someone whose job is only to watch me. I don't think it would bother me as much if only one person had to follow me around."
Phil returned his hand to his chin and began contemplating this proposal. It seemed like he kept going back and forth with his thoughts, seeing both sides of the argument but not really making any progress. Finally, after some real thought, he spoke up.
"I'm not sure about that, Amelia. I don't know if I'd feel safe if only one guard was watching you. The average castle guard isn't really that skilled, just well equipped."
"Well then....we could hire someone! We could send out messages through the kingdom and the neighboring towns and we could probably find someone really strong!"
Once again, Phil fell into his "deep" thought. It was obvious that he didn't like this idea, but he was willing to consider it thoroughly. He let out a sigh and reached a decision.
"Alright, Amelia. I'm not very comfortable with a stranger protecting you, but I'll allow it on one condition." He looked at Amelia sternly.
"What condition?"
"All of the mercenaries have to be interviewed by the entire council. They will decide who is the best choice. Ok?"
"Ok!" She jumped up and threw her arms around her father's neck. "Thank you, Daddy!"
"You're welcome, but you have to promise to stay with your guard. No matter who it may be."
"I promise."
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The word of Seyruun castle hiring a royal bodyguard spread like wildfire. The castle was filled with a line of mercenaries only one day after Prince Phileonel sent out the message. The crowd was filled with a wide variety of applicants, ranging from rugged mercenaries, to valiant knights, to bar-room brawlers, to mystical sorcerors, to desparate bums willing to put their lives on the line to make a buck. There were even a few small children that kept trying to get in line, claiming that they could protect the princess. The castle guards were having a hard enough time keeping them quiet and out of the way, but Amelia thought that it was hilarious. One of the boys noticed her laughing and approached her.
"Aren't you the princess, miss?"
"Yes, I am. What's your name?"
"Orres, miss princess."
"You can call me Amelia."
He beamed a smile at her. "Ok, Amelia! Can I be your bodyguard?"
"I don't know. Have you interviewed with the council?"
He glared at the guards and stomped his foot. "Those jerks won't let me get in line! I'm the best bodyguard out of anyone! I'm the toughest kid on my street!"
Amelia put her hands on her hips and humored him. "They won't let you interview? That's no fair."
"I know! Can you tell them to let me in?"
"Hmmm, how about this, I'll let you be my bodyguard right now."
Orres's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
Amelia smiled and chuckled a little. "Sure, but you have to keep it a secret or the guards might get angry."
"How do I keep it a secret."
"Simple, when I get in trouble, I'll call for you and you can come save me. Ok?"
"Ok miss princ- I mean, Amelia!" Orres darted off towards his friends so he could brag. Amelia laughed at his ability to keep a secret. At least he was happy. Orres ran back home to prepare for his new "job" and his friends followed after him to either marvel in admiration or challenge him. One of the guards stood bewildered at the sight as he watched the children run from the castle. He looked over towards Amelia, wondering what on earth she did. Amelia just smirked and shrugged her shoulders. She turned her attention back to the line of applicants. She began to think that perhaps it would have been better to let one of the children protect her. There were more men than women, much more. Several of the men were either a little too scary or disgusting for Amelia to feel comfortable. Apparently many of the mercenaries did not realize that it is somewhat improper to enter a castle while drunk. A chorus of belches erupted from various parts of the line. A few mercenaries were dragged out of line and thrown out of the castle. Amelia even requested that a few be disqualified, particularly the ones that kept winking or blowing kisses at her. With more people coming at a steady rate, the interviewing went on all day. Amelia had had enough, so she decided to retire to her room for the rest of the day, but not without various unwanted comments or compliments from the line as she left.
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The council interviewed for one more full day. Most of the applicants were tossed out immediately after their interview, so it only took about one hour for the council to review and make a decision. Amelia couldn't wait because she was tired of swimming in guards everywhere she went. There had been no sign of the assassin again, but paranoia was still covering the kingdom, so the presentation of Amelia's bodyguard was quite an event. Because of the large curiousity among the people, Prince Phileonel decided to have the council present the bodyguard outside of the castle, but he requested that while Amelia was outside, she should have guards around her even while her bodyguard was present. A large crowd gathered near the castle. The council stood in front of the main entrance while Phil and Amelia stood off to the side, although Amelia was hardly visible because she was surrounded by guards. The crowd shouted for the council to get on with it, but they refused to proceed. A few of them kept looking back inside the castle. Finally, one crowd member shouted something that struck a bit of anxiety in the council.
"Is this body guard even here!?"
Every council members eyes went wide. One of them jumped forward to address the crowd.
"Er..um..fear not! We assure you that we have a selection and he is in good condition! He just felt that he should make a proper entrance at his presentation!"
The crowd didn't seem to buy into this excuse, but they quieted down a bit. Finally, one of the council members whirled around and started whispering to the others. After a few words, they spread out and turned towards the crowd. One of them spoke.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are sorry that you had to wait, but wait no longer! We are ready to present the personal bodyguard of Amelia Wil Telsa Seyruun, your princess!"
Half the crowd let out cheers while the other half yelled for the council to hurry up. The speaker continued.
"After two days of interviewing and time for review of the applicants, we have finally made a selection! Although it took a long time to interview, it was not hard to make this decision. This man is a hero among heroes! He is matchless with a sword and is more than willing to give his life for our princess! We are completely confident in this man and we can assure you that you may put any fears that you have to rest! He is sure to end the assassin threat!"
"WHO IS IT!?" Practically the entire crowd shouted.
"Er..ahem! Yes, well...I will delay him no longer! It is my pleasure to present, Sir Lance Estar!"
The council parted and a young man dressed in regal attire stepped forward. His blonde hair was slicked back and his eyes sparkled. His expensive suit was dark red silk. His pantaloons were silk as well. He wore fine leather boots and a belt with a golden buckle. A cape ran from his shoulders to his ankles. He stepped forward and smiled at the crowd, trying to use his charm. The crowd cheered as he emerged. Some people yelled less appropriate cheers out of jealousy, but most people were excited to finally see the royal bodyguard. He took a bow, holding his cape with elegance. Then, he raised his hands to silence the crowd. His hands were covered by gloves that were, more than likely, silk. After every last person had quieted, he spoke.
"I appreciate your welcome. You are all too kind." At this, the crowd erupted again, and Lance raised his hands for silence again. "I have travelled many lands and faced many perils. I am certain that I can handle any threat that may befall your fair princess." He looked towards Amelia and winked. The crowd began to cheer again, but rejected mercenaries shouted angry remarks. The mercenaries began to leave while others were dragged off by their friends. Lance whirled in the direction of Phil and Amelia and walked towards Phil. Lance bowed. "I guarrantee the safety of your daughter. I will wager my life on it."
A look of doubt came over Phil before he responded. "Wager your life? Isn't that your job in the first place?"
Lance straightened up quickly. "Oh! Of course! I just...I just feel so confident that I can protect her that I don't think either of us are in danger!" Eager to get out of this situation, he approached Amelia. He took her hand and kissed it gently. The gloves were silk after all. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, my lady."
This didn't exactly make Amelia feel comfortable. "It...is a pleasure to meet you as well." She slowly withdrew her hand as she spoke. Lance stood up straight and threw back his cape.
"I vow to protect you against any threat! With my own sword I will find the assassin and put an end to him!" he announced while drawing his sword and holding it up. The crowd let out another cheer, but Amelia seemed dissappointed. She looked at the sword, it's golden hilt and polished blade. There wasn't a scratch or nick about it. Had he ever used that sword? Amelia had seen enough of this. She pushed her way through the guards and walked up to the council.
"Ummm, can you explain why you chose him?"
The council was stirred a bit by this. They stared at each other wondering why Amelia would ask this. One of them spoke.
"Why, just look at him, princess. He's a very elegant and dashing hero! The other mercenaries were either unacceptably disgusting or suspicious. What if the assassin had disguised himself as a mercenary in order to get to you? We are certain that this man is a good example and a trustworthy figure."
Amelia closed her eyes and sighed. "Maybe, but can he protect me?"
"Of course! Sir Lance has assured us of his skills as a swordsman!"
"How? Did you see him slay a huge monster or something?"
"Heavens no! He simply told us of his great adventures. He really is an amazing young man!"
Amelia slapped her own face. "He told you?"
"Yes. As we said before, we trust this man so he surely wouldn't lie to us."
"Right...right..." Frustrated Amelia left the council alone so she wouldn't have to continue this conversation a moment longer. Lance spent as much time as possible showing off to the crowd. After a little bit, people began to become uninterrested. Seeing that everyone had heard enough from lance, Phil decided to step forward and take control.
"Well then, my people. I'm glad that you have shown so much interest in my daughter's guard, but now we have matters we must attend to. Good day to you all." At that, the crowd dispersed. Everyone went about their business. The council, guards, Phil, Amelia, and Lance all returned inside the castle. Phil dismissed the guards and sent them back to their normal duties. He then went to tend to his own duties. The council did the same. Amelia wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. While she had breathing room, she was now left alone with Lance. He looked into her eyes and smiled coyly.
"Well then, Princess, where to now?"
"Ummm, maybe we should just wait in one of the living rooms."
"very well."
They entered the room. There were three sofas arranged in a square formation near the center of the room. On the open side of the square, there was a cushioned chair. In the middle of the formation there was a small round coffee table. On the wall opposite of the lone chair, there was a large window that curved out of the wall. Trying to act fast without running, Amelia made her way to the chair. Lance moved to the sofa across from Amelia. He flipped his cape back and took a seat. Amelia sighed in her head and prepared for the worst as she spoke.
"So...since we're going to have to spend a lot of time together, I think we should try to get to know each other," she said with a bit of regret.
"An excellent idea! Ah, where to start? There are so many stories I could tell you," Amelia was sure that they were all stories. As Amelia feared, Lance launched into a complete eruption of borish yapping. He talked about how he was the son of a powerful noble that lives south of Seyruun, and the various monsters, ogres, and trolls he had slain. Seeing that he wasn't even looking in her direction, Amelia thought that this was the perfect time for her to have some form of daydream. Here she was, stuck with the most arrogant applicant she could get, and he'd probably be too scared of getting dirty if he ever got in a fight. Maybe the guards would have been better. Well, hopefully the assassin would fall for Lance's fake stories like the council did and she'd be safe. There had to be some way for her to get out of this situation. After all, in a way she got herself into it. She even thought about searching for the assassin herself so she wouldn't need a guard anymore. Maybe she could just jump out in the open and let herself get killed. That seemed a bit more appealing than listening to Lance for however long he planned on talking. Maybe he'd shut up when he couldn't think of anymore lies to tell. As Amelia's thoughts trailed off even further, she didn't realize when Lance tried to get her attention.
"Miss Amelia? Are you listening?" She stared off into space, completely unaware of his question. He stood up. "Miss Amelia?" Suddenly, the window burst open, and Lance let out a grunt of pain. The crash shocked Amelia back to reality and she felt something splash against her face. She wiped her cheek and her hand was covered in blood. She felt her heart race, and she slowly looked up at Lance. He was still standing, with a dagger protruding from his chest. His body fell forward, landing on the table. Amelia screamed and dashed for the door. She ran through the halls of the castle, and it wasn't long before she found her father again. He panicked at the sight of her blood-stained face.
"Amelia! What on earth happened?!"
She grabbed her father and held him tightly. She buried her head into his chest and was breathing heavily. "Daddy! It was him! The assassin! He killed Lance! He's coming for me Daddy! I'm scared! It's like he's invisible!"
Phil dropped to his knees and held his daughter. "It's ok, Amelia. It's ok. Daddy's here." He barked at some guards to go search the area and investigate Lance's body for any kind of clue. Amelia spent much time crying into her father's chest. She didn't want to leave that spot. It took forever to get her into her room, much less for her to fall asleep. Her room was guarded as best as possible. Whether she ever slept that night, shall remain a mystery.
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The next morning came, and Amelia could hardly find the will to get out of bed. It scared her enough that someone was out to get her, but it also tormented her that someone had died in her place (even if it was by accident) and she had thought bad things about him before. She didn't stay in one place for long. She would move through the castle quickly, always looking around. She was afraid of windows now, so she avoided them. She only stayed still when she met her father for breakfast.
"Are you alright, Amelia?"
"I...I don't know...I'm still scared."
"I know. It's ok to be scared, Amelia, even for a champion of justice. But I'm afraid we're going to have to resort back to having many guards follow you around."
"Ok..." Amelia didn't feel like arguing. She only wanted to be safe. She hated the fact that she was capable of defending herself but couldn't. Her food was left on the table only to grow cold. She could only stare at it. She planned on staying near her father for as long as possible. She felt more secure around him. Her thoughts were interrupted by some distant voices. She turned her head towards the door that led out of the dining room. It was cracked enough for her to hear someone talking.
"What's that?"
"I'm not sure, Amelia."
She stood up and walked towards the door. In the main room of the castle, she could tell that the voices were coming from the castle entrance. She couldn't make out what they were saying, so she made her way towards the entrance, accompanied by plenty of guards, of course. As she got closer, she heard two guards speaking to each other.
"Do you think he could be trouble?"
"I don't know. He looks creepy enough, but he's out in the open. So he either doesn't want to hurt anyone, or he's dangerous enough to afford coming out in the open. Either way, here he comes now."
This worried Amelia. Could the assassin be coming to the castle right now? She decided to stay out of sight, but within eavesdropping distance. Her guards served as a nice camoflauge of sorts. She heard one of the guards speak up again.
"State your business, sir."
Then she heard a soft and cool voice. "I was wondering if the bodyguard position was still open."
That voice! It was so familiar! The other guard spoke up.
"I'm sorry, but the princess's bodyguard failed his job so the guards will be protecting her now."
"Wait!" shouted Amelia. She dashed out of the entrance of the castle. The two guards that spoke earlier looked back to see what the problem was, and in front of them stood a mysterious man dressed in all white, with a white cape, hood, and mask.
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Ok, that's it for Chapter 2. Sorry it took me a little while to update, but I volunteered to be a counselor at my church's children's camp, so I had to go to that and I've been kinda dead since I got back. Hopefully I'll get the other chapters out faster. Sorry if this chapter sucked, but like I said, I'm dead. Anyway, let me know what you think, stay in school, don't do drugs, yadda yadda. The time of cheetos is soon (it would be sooner if I had any cheetos at my house, but oh well). Later.