Kori stared down at the map upon the table in the throne room where her family and Superman, Batman and Nightwing were all gathered. They had been talking about the three surprise attacks that had occurred the night before. The capital was their location and it had been one of the places hit with an unseen attack.

She felt a sudden jolt of sadness within her heart. Kori had yet to get over G'narah's death but if anything was taken from the loss, it was the fuel of anger she felt. She kept reminding herself that the young girl's death shouldn't go unnoticed. It would be something that remained prominent within her mind when she fought in the very last battle whenever it came.

"However, we were actually a minor hit. The West plains received the brunt of the surprise attacks." The King stated, gravely.

Koriand'r's eyes widened suddenly as realisation hit her, "No!" She paused and shook her head, "Father... Grandfather Galfore is the guard of that area and he has a limited number of men assisting him!"

The King stepped forward and placed a hand on Kori's shoulder, "I know, my daughter." He glanced between her and Ryand'r, "That is why I want you and your brother to go and help him with 100 men at your side."

Nightwing couldn't help but stand up straight at hearing that. His heart suddenly sped up at the thought of Kori going into a battle. He knew that she could look after herself and he had no doubt that she would successfully complete the task but knowing that he wouldn't see her or have any contact with her for the next couple of days caused him concern. However, the dark haired boy missed the suspicious glare that Batman shot his way.

Ryan and Kori nodded to their father signalling their acceptance of his request.

"You will set out in about an hour. Go and prepare yourselves with armour and as many weapons as you can carry. I want you both to return to me alive and well." Myand'r told them,

"We will not disappoint you, father." Ryan promised, bowing his head momentarily.

The two of them turned and left together. Nightwing watched Kori until she left the room, wishing that she didn't have to go. He knew that he'd be worrying about her for the whole time she was gone.

Batman narrowed his eyes at his protégé. There was something different about his behaviour. The dark knight was no idiot; he knew that Dick's change in behaviour had a connection to the Princess.

As they all departed from the throne room, Batman waited for Nightwing just outside the doors. Nightwing yawned as he wandered out of the room but halted as he noticed Batman standing before him with a stoic expression and his arms crossed over his chest.

Dick raised an eyebrow, "Everything okay?" He asked, slowly,

"I need to have a word with you about something." Bruce responded, somewhat coldly.

"Uh... Okay..." Nightwing replied, following Batman as he walked over to a small room.

Once they were inside the room, Nightwing lazily sat upon the table and crossed his legs. He held a sleepy expression but stared up at Batman, "So... What's this all about, Bruce?" He queried,

"I've noticed that you and the Princess have been getting along well..." Batman started,

Dick sat up and his expression brightened. He smiled faintly, "Yeah. She's not your typical princess... She's into fighting and weapons and-"

"Dick, you can't have feelings for Koriand'r."

He gulped, "Wh-What? I don't have feelings for her."

"C'mon, Dick. We know you better than that." Superman stated as he leaned against the door which he had opened moments beforehand.

"I don't." Dick glanced down at his feet, "Even if I did... Surely, it wouldn't be that bad..."

"Actually... It'd be pretty unfortunate." Superman told him, resting a hand on the boy's shoulder, "She's the Princess of this world, Dick. You two are in completely different situations. It would be unheard of for a Princess to date a human."

Dick glared at his shoes as he was being told that he was forbidden from having feelings for Kori, something he was already failing at.

He stared off to the side, "Look, I can handle my own feelings. I won't let it get out of control, okay? I'll deal with it." Dick sighed,

Superman and Batman exchanged glances and slowly nodded to Nightwing who got to his feet and left the room quickly. He wanted to see Kori and Ryan before they left.

Nightwing ambled through the hallways of the palace. His heart was racing at the recognition of his feelings for Kori. He knew it was against the rules so to speak but he couldn't help how he felt about her. What made things worse was the fact that Batman and Superman were the ones to call him on it.

He had trouble even believing that these feelings were real. He had only known the Princess for a few days now but every time he was with her, he felt like he was floating. It was easy for him to be himself around her; it was like she could see his flaws and his strengths and still chose not to judge him.

Dick sighed as he approached the stables. He briefly frowned. He had a feeling that his promise of keeping his feelings under control was going to be broken.

Kori hummed a soft tune as she brushed her horse's mane. She smiled. J'elema had been Kori's horse since the day she was born. The beautiful creature was white and strong and she had a soft mane that Kori placed flowers within frequently. J'elema neighed and seemed to snuggle against Kori as she ran a hand against the animal's back, soothingly.

The Princess heard the door open and close which caught her attention. She glanced up and a soft smile crept upon her face. Nightwing wandered towards her with a lopsided grin across his own face.

She had become very fond of Nightwing. He was the closest thing she had ever had to a friend. Of course, Kori had always been surrounded by her people and her family but she had never had someone close to her who was impartial to the events going on in her world. Dick was able to give his honest opinions that weren't biased. Lately, every time that he would appear before her, she would fail in keeping a smile off of her face.

Kori was aware of these feelings for Dick and she was aware of the fact that they were seemingly growing stronger as the days passed. She found it a strange notion. She had never been in love with anyone before and she wasn't admitting that she loved Dick but she knew there was something deep within her that was whispering otherwise.

She shook the thoughts of him in any way other than platonic away.

"Richard! Greetings!" She beamed,

Dick focused on her perfect green eyes, "I just came to wish you both a safe journey." He told them, attempting to stay as professional as he could.

Ryan smiled at Nightwing and placed a strong hand on his shoulder, "Remain safe here, Nightwing. We don't want anyone dying whilst we are gone." He chuckled,

Dick smirked, "I'll do my best, Prince Ryand'r."

"Please, I believe just Ryan will suffice."

Nightwing nodded to him, understanding that there was an underlying trust already built between them. He and Kori watched Ryan as he mounted his horse and sat up straight; he appeared to be the perfect soldier in the way that he held himself.

"We should get going, Kori." Ryan suggested, tightening the sword that hung at his side.

Kori gave him a quick nod before he trotted just outside of the stables to ready the troops that were tagging along with them.

The Princess gently pulled her oversized hood over her head and her eyes met with Dick's. He couldn't help but notice her clothing today as well. She wore material on her top half that mirrored the 'bikini' style that he had seen her in on the first day that he had met her. She wore a long skirt that had a large slit up the side, revealing a large portion of her bare legs with the top tucked in slightly so it appeared rolled. Her feet were adorned with sturdy boots that matched the gauntlets that fit upon her arms closely. The last piece of her clothing was a purple cloak which fit around her and caused her to look similar to that of a sorceress; a beautiful one at that. Dick remembered Kori telling him on the first day that they had arrived that the desert often brewed sandstorms and overbearing winds and the only way to withstand such conditions was to equip oneself with a reflective cloak. He took joy in the fact that she was wearing more than she usually would. It gave him a sense of relief.

Kori flashed Dick a small smile and pulled herself up onto J'elema and secured herself upon the saddle. She looked down at Dick who boldly stepped closer to her and grabbed her hand.

Dick gulped but brushed her skin with his thumb. She looked slightly shocked but if she had a problem with it, she didn't make it known. Nightwing glanced up at her with a serious expression,

"Be safe, Kori." He murmured,

Koriand'r relaxed into an adorable smile and even went so far as to squeeze Dick's hand to reassure him. Her heart fluttered as if an overexcited butterfly had taken control of the organ. She couldn't believe how sweet he was; she could practically sense his concerns for her wellbeing of going out into battle with just her brother at her side.

"I shall remain safe, Richard..." She paused and smirked, "You know as well as anyone that I am not an amateur when it comes to battling."

Dick chuckled, "That I do, Kori."

Kori reluctantly released Nightwing's hand and gripped the reins. Ryan leaned in their direction and looked Kori in the eyes, "We must go, Kori." He told her.

Ryan transferred his attention to Dick, "We will return in a few days, my friend." He explained. The Prince turned and whipped the reins against his horse,

"Yah! Let's move!" He shouted to the troops and with that, he raced out into the open.

Whilst the soldiers shuffled and began to move forwards, Kori and Dick gazed at each other, almost mentally reassuring each other over the situation at hand.

She gave him a small nod and yelled out the same noise that Ryan had moments beforehand.
Dick watched her ride away on her white horse until she was out of sight. He sighed. The young hero wasn't exactly sure what to do around the palace now that Kori was gone for a couple of days. His mood was beginning to spiral further and further downwards.

Ryan and Kori tugged on the reins around their horses to slow them down. They approached the stone castle that their grandfather had been protecting. As they rode closer to the base, Kori gasped at the sight of the once beautiful castle.

Burning flames engulfed the grounds of the castle and the tall walls had crumbled into nothing but dust. There was thick black smoke rising from the disastrous scene before the two of them. Kori pulled her cloak up so that her mouth and nose were protected from the overbearing amount of smoke that spread within the billowing wind.

Kori and Ryan stopped outside of the entrance into the derelict castle and jumped off of their horses. The Princess gently stroked her horse's neck and turned to follow her brother.

Ryan kept his hand firmly wrapped around the hilt of his sword in case he needed to unsheathe it in a quick motion. The royal siblings continued to slowly walk through the ruins of the castle, searching for any survivors. Kori held a sad expression as she glanced around at the deceased soldiers, lying motionless upon the ground.

Kori's senses perked up at the sound of rocks tumbling to the ground. It was a small sound but Kori caught it nonetheless. She immediately moved into a battle stance and untied her sword from around her waist. Kori paused and waited for the next movement.
Suddenly, a large piece of rock slammed against the ground and revealed a dishevelled older man. He coughed and spluttered for a moment before he offered the two youngsters a brief smile.

Kori sighed in relief at the man who rose from the rubble. She softly smiled and placed her sword back at her side. She rushed over to the man and allowed him to lean on her,
"Grandfather!" She breathed, handing him her bottle of water.

Galfore gulped down some of the water and used more to drench his face to relieve himself from the blistering heat.

"Do you feel better, Grandfather?" Ryan asked, releasing his grip on his sword.

The red bearded soldier nodded, "Much." He paused, "I apologize for causing such a fuss... Those soldiers from last night just appeared out of nowhere."

"It is okay, Galfore. None of the areas expected the surprise attacks. We too encountered losses." Kori sighed, looking at the ground as she thought about G'narah.

"Did you bring more men?" Galfore wondered,

Ryan nodded, "But they are currently scouting around the area."

"Be careful, young ones. I cannot guarantee that all of the soldiers of the Citadel were killed last-" Galfore was cut off as they heard footsteps approaching quickly.

The three of them turned around and narrowed their eyes at the small group of Citadel soldiers that stood before them. Galfore stood up on his own and grabbed his sword from the ground and held it out towards the soldiers.

Kori and Ryan shuffled so that they each stood by Galfore's side. They drew their weapons and prepared themselves for battle.

"I believe we can take them, young ones." Galfore stated,

Ryan shared a glance with his sister and they simultaneously grinned.

"Agreed!" Kori exclaimed.

The three members of the royal family prepared for battle. They gritted their teeth and held their weapons out in a menacing manner; they weren't going to be defeated today...