I cast my magic to counter the flickering lights that caught Henry. A bright light engulfed the whole garden and I covered my eyes to avoid getting blinded.

“Y-your h-high-ness… please…”

When my eyes opened, Henry stood in front of me, he held his sword over his head and with a trembling grip, he swung down. I dodged but the sword tip sliced my shoulder.

“Henry wha—!”

This time, he thrust his sword straight to my sternum. I saw his face contort into anger and anguish while his trembling but fast movements caught me off guard. The sword reached me again and left another shallow wound on my body.

I was speechless, but he continued his attack without breaking his momentum. I tried to parry, but after each parry, his sword would pull back and relentlessly attack any opening.

For Henry to— Wait what happened earlier? A spell, hypnosis?

“appello lu—“

Again and again, he tried to cut me down. Though trembling, each movement has the intent to kill and soon, his contorted face lost all expression. His eyes dulled and his cuts sharpened, giving me less time to dodge.

I needed to counter the spell but I couldn’t cast. What if miscalculate? What if it backfires? I tried several times but I was always cut short, I couldn’t focus! I could’t think straight!

“Your highness!”

From the wreckage, Liam emerged with a bleeding head. The rest of the assassins didn’t give him time to reach me and attacked him. His eyes widened when he saw his friend attack me, the lord they swore their loyalty to. Every step he took towards us, another enemy would attack and stop him.

“Tsk! Damn you Henry! What are you doing you piece of shit?!”

Wounds filled my body and I was losing a lot of blood. I almost couldn’t hear Liam’s curses towards Henry. I was panting and dodging but it seemed like my every move would only give me nothing but wounds.

The commotion inside slowly died down but Henry continued to cut me down. Enemies attacked me and I answered with kind, but each attack left me vulnerable for Henry. If I caught his attacks with my sword, it would then leave me vulnerable against the other.

“sit fluxus aquae!”

Liam casted his magic and a semi-sphere water barrier covered me before Henry’s attack.

“Hah… Henry…!”

I called his name, but his relentless attacks on the barrier didn’t stop.

I can definitely stop him, I know I can but… if I make a mistake… I might kill him.

As doubt filled my head, one after another, the barrier flickered at every hit, chipping it away little by little. I held my deepest wound and my sword on the other. Why am I hesitating? It’s different now, I should be able to disable him.

I saw Liam approached and tried to protect me. He cut down the enemies one by one, but my mind was a mess, I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t do anything but tremble and stare at them blankly.

That’s... I’m afraid… I might end up killing him… no…

A memory flashed and my breathing started getting deeper. I saw a young Henry with a sword in him, bleeding, lying and staining the green grass. I felt lightheaded and my heart beating faster. My fingertips tingled, my hands and feet felt numb, my chest felt sore, my wounds stung and I felt faint. My audible gasps for air echoed in my head and my eyes were dimming as I saw Liam’s barrier thin out at every slash. Soon, Henry will break it.

No! I can’t! I can’t…

My clothes were both drenched in blood and sweat. Nausea threatened to turn my insides and my throat choked with air. I bit my lip and held my sword tightly with the remaining strength I had left.

The barrier broke like shards of glass and every piece poured down like rain. Henry swung downwards and with my final attempt to parry, a small piece of metal clashed with his sword. He tumbled backwards due to the strong force delivered by the metal, leaving it in shattered pieces.

“Sourpuss?”

There, she entered. Her light blue dress swayed as she walked on the dimly lit garden. Her prim purple hair had locks swaying out of place and in her hand was a shard of glass. She walked nonchalantly on the carnage that painted the lush garden with blood.

Behind her was Liam, propping himself up with his sword with bleeding wounds. He tried to cast another spell but he fainted before he could do so.

The only mage that was left stood behind Henry and with no mana to spare, he sat panting frantically. Violet just titled her head and threw the glass shard straight to the mage’s bare throat. The mage choked on his own blood and as it gushed from his throat and splattered his blood until his breath was no more. He’s dead, did the spell break?

Ignoring the mage, Henry stood with a dull expression and held his sword once again to attack. Violet sent him flying with a kick to his side and looked on, still confused.

“What’re you doing?”

Her voice demanded an answer, she looked down on Henry who was on the floor. After he stood up, enemy reinforcement appeared and another handful of men— eyes filled with anger looked at Violet.

Those men, some of them came from the other side. What happened?

She gripped her fists tightly. Even as she was standing in front of me, I could feel her anger. The more she looked at Henry the more I felt her anger boil over.

“Your highness!”

The Marquis came with a couple of his guards, while our attention was diverted to him, Henry swung his sword. I tried to stand with my trembling legs but in front of me, his sword stopped and blood dripped on the ground.

“Violet!”

My voice trembled, all I could do was call her name. I couldn’t do anything. I felt a heart-wrenching pain from my chest as every drop of blood touched the ground. I tried to call her name again but a sword fell and clattered.