The count of Armas seemed impressed. He raised his eyebrows.

"Through the swamps? You led the Lady through the swamps? Surely you jest?"

"With all due respect, milord," I bowed down a bit, slightly annoyed by the old man's ignorance. "The La Rose house has ruled the Roseland for centuries, and countless people have traveled in and out of the land. We do have a very well maintained plank-walk network in the swamp area."

"Hmm. That does make sense. Pardon me, young lad. For a moment, I imagined Her Ladyship wading through the swamps waist-deep in mud."

Anna made a flurry of hand gestures. 'I wouldn't have minded,' she was saying. For a second, the memory of her childhood flashed by in my head.

We were squatting on sacks filled with whatever, around a fire that was boiling some stew in a large pot. I had plenty of peppered jerky in my travel bag, and the men cheered when I tossed few strips into the pot. Anna sat next to me with a thick wool blanket draped on her. She stretched her hands out to warm them as the evening came closer; it was still quite chilly even after the rain had stopped.

The Comte shifted his gaze onto the noble girl. I had just answered his question, 'How in the name of God did you get here all the way from the Roseland?' I quite understood why our travel route was a topic of interest. You see, to the rest of the kingdom, the Roseland was a remote island that people often forgot it even existed. The eastern border of the kingdom was already far away from the royal capital as the capital city itself was somewhat to the north-west of the territory. The Roseland, however, upped its remoteness by jutting out of the eastern border like a sore lump and was effectively the easternmost frontier land.

To its east was the inhospitable desert, which had its own monsters and beasts and hostile nomads.

To the north was the inaccessible stiff mountain range infested with harpies and stone giants. During the springs, the snow and glacier from the peaks would melt and scream down the slope carrying rocks the sizes of big houses.

To the south of the Roseland was the wild forest that practically fenced the southeastern border of the kingdom. People did live off of the forest but rarely dared to venture in too deep as the residents of the woods weren't very welcoming to uninvited guests.

And finally, to the west, towards the rest of the kingdom, was the swampland, a vast pit of mud and murky water with unfathomable depth. The La Rose family, for centuries, put in great efforts to expand and maintain the plank-walk network, for it kept the Roseland from being truly cut off from the rest of the kingdom. The lands neighboring the swamps appreciated and often helped Roseland's effort because they, too, benefited from the network. Thus the plank-walk was deemed sacred to the people of the region. Anyone caught vandalizing even a small segment of it was executed in public. On such occasions, the angry crowd cursed and spat on the unforgivable.

Comte d'Armas, evidently, had not been aware such a travel path between the Roseland and the kingdom existed. I excused him, for his territory was on the other side of the vast kingdom.

"So the Lady crossed the swamps to offer her support to Montclam's Seigneur?" The Comte noted.

'We heard Montclam was under growing pressure to submit himself to Prince Charles' faction,' said Anna through me.

"He was, indeed. That is why I came, too."

'But where is he?' Anna and I asked. We heard he was being threatened with violence and came to offer our help, but found Comte d'Armas and his men instead of the Seigneur in question.

"The Seigneur of Montclam is," the Comte smiled, "not a man of arms." He gestured for us to look around the Fort. "You would have noticed there are only men at arms in this Fort. My men and affiliates."

We looked around. It was true. Montclam's banner was missing in a Fort located in Montclam. We turned to face the Comte with puzzled expressions on our faces.

"I have advised the gentle lord to take his subjects and evacuate the land." Comte d'Armas explained. "He and the people of Montclam are on their way to somewhere safe."

"Milord, are you and your men then buying time for the Seigneur and his people?" I asked in awe of his noble cause. The old man nodded humbly.

'But why does the Comte do such for Montclam's lord?' Anna asked.

"Ah, My Lady does not know. He is a distant cousin of the Comtesse d'Armas."

According to him, it was his wife who had written a letter to her cousin, the Seigneur of Montclam, and urged him to pledge his allegiance to the Royal Prince Louis. Montclam did so and went even further by actively recruiting his affiliates and acquaintances to Prince Louis' cause. So when the Comte and the Comtesse of Armas heard Montclam was being threatened, they felt immensely guilty.

"So it is indeed our fault that the good Seigneur is in trouble." The Comte said in a sad tone. "I have come as fast as I could, but alas," he looked around the Fort counting his men. "I've come with too few men."

Anna lunged herself and knelt in front of the sad-faced old man. She motioned for me to join her.

'My Lord, Marco the Comte of Armas, is the Comte's endeavor here in Montclam in support of the Royal Prince Louis, THE rightful heir to the throne?'

Quickly translating, I threw myself and knelt beside Anna. It was apparent what she was doing. The old man seemed to be taken aback.

"Pardon me, Lady Anna. This is so sudden." He took a few deep breaths to assess the situation. He, too, seemed to understand what Anna is about to offer.

"I would not be dishonest in saying that my fight here at this Fort is to stand against the senseless violence Baron Hugo would unleash unto the people of Montclam. The battle here is not for the rightful heir to the throne." He paused for a moment and added. "But in general, in the grander scheme of matters, through my actions, I do intend to see the day Prince Louis sits in the royal throne."

Kneeling, Anna lowered her head, which made it very difficult for me to see her hands. I strained my neck to see what she was saying.

'Then My Lord, you have the support of La Rose and the Roseland.'

Anna stood up with her eyes, glistening like a bead of colorful oil, locked onto Comte's. She perked her ears as if she heard something that we could not hear.

'I shall prove my usefulness right away.'

A sudden loud sound of a bugle from the field shattered the otherwise quiet late afternoon. The men on the high platform were shouting something, and Victor the Vicomte rushed to us.

"It's Baron Hugo. He is back with his men."

There was the bugle again, followed by an enraged voice.

"La Rose!"

###

"Come out, La Rose!"

We climbed up the platform to have a better view and saw a knight pacing around on his horse about twenty yards from the Fort's gate. It was the knight in the shiny black armor, Baron Hugo, the leader of the army besieging Fort Montclam. His horse shook its head and flared the large nostrils as it sensed its master's rage. His subordinates were close by, ready with tower shields. I recognized Sieurs Henry and Guido among the men. The rest of the army was standing by some fifty yards back.

The Baron stopped and snarled at the sight of Anna's little head popping up above the wooden spike fence. His eyes were of pure hatred.

"You!"

"My good Baron," Comte d'Armas greeted his adversary.

The Baron shifted his eyes to his enemy.

"My Lord, my battle with Your Lordship for today has already passed, for we are mourning. I intend to leave Fort Montclam in peace. For now."

"Then what urgent business brings the Baron back at my gate?"

"Her, My Lord! I demand the head of that foul defect of a wench!"

The Baron resumed pacing around, steaming in anger.

"Manners, Baron Hugo! The Lady in question is the heiress to the Roseland!"

"The Lady," The Baron snapped, "killed my cousin, my lord Comte d'Armas!" The man was so mad he was trembling. "Not only did she defile the sacred battleground with her unclean presence, but she also barged into noble men's battle and launched the foulest sneak attack on my cousin!"

The Comte sighed and turned to face us.

"Well, my Lady, you did indeed do all that. Guilty as charged."

Anna shrugged and readied her bow. The Comte and I immediately sprang into action, and, after a brief struggle, I managed to snatch the bow out of her hands. Anna pouted, but there was no way we would let her add more fuel to the fire that we were already in.

Breathing heavily from the sudden action, the Comte cleared his throat and got back to the Baron.

"I am offended by you mentioning the honor and foul play, Baron Hugo! I have seen what you did to the people of Montclam!"

The Baron scoffed.

"They were just lowly peasants getting in my way!"

The old nobleman gritted his teeth. His hands were balled into fists.

"Those peasants are the people of the land!"

"Who have committed the highest of the highest treason!" The Baron raised his voice. "Standing against His Royal Highness Prince Charles shall be punished!"

"The treacherous Baron errs. Montclam has not committed such treason, for His Royal Highness Prince Louis is the rightful heir to the kingdom."

The men inside the Fort cheered loudly at Comte's remark.

"My Lord, you jest." I could see the smirk on the Baron's face. "God has chosen Prince Charles as the next king. Have you not heard the Archbishop's declaration?"

I gasped and quickly glanced at Anna. Her face remained neutral, but her eyes were mad. Like Comte's, her hands, too, had balled up into tiny fists. Anna had many flip switches, and one of them was people putting their mortal words in divine mouths. I, too, knew God well. Dude would never interfere with royal successions of the mortals. The Archbishop was lying.

"But my good Lord," The Baron continued. "That matter is why Your Lordship and I battle, which, for today, has ended while we mourn the loss of my cousin. For now, however, I demand the mute head! Surely The Comte of Armas is well versed in the Codes of Hommes? By the most barbaric manner she killed my late cousin, I am rightfully granted a chance to restore his honor!"

The Comte grimaced and rubbed his forehead. The Vicomte came by his side.

"My Lord, the Codes apply to noble hommes only." Victor turned to face us. "The Lady has no obligation to comply-"

"My good lords, what exactly is being demanded of my Lady?" I asked the two noblemen. They exchanged glances, and Victor answered with a wry face.

"The Baron is challenging Her Ladyship for a duel."

To everyone's surprise, Anna giggled.

###

The men wore grim faces. The Comte and the Vicomte were desperate, sweating profusely, trying to persuade Anna from going out there.

"Young lady, please reconsider," Victor was pleading, "for a duel is that of men."

But Anna was stubborn. She sat up straight on Lilly and trotted forward, and the men of Fort Montclam reluctantly made way for her.

I walked by her side, carrying her longsword in my arms and her bow on my back. The blade was in a dark leather scabbard, and I was secretly hoping to see the stunned faces of the men when she eventually unsheathed the sword. Anna had another sword on her, a short blade nicely snuggled in its leather sheath hung by to the side of her waist. I myself had a little handaxe at my belt, but to be honest, I didn't even know how to properly use it for killing people.

We came to a stop at the gate, which remained shut. Comte d'Armas came around and stood in front of us.

"Alas, The young Lady is stubborn."

"An excellent observation, milord."

He sighed and looked straight at Anna's little face."Lady Anna of the Roseland, I pray to God you return unharmed."

Anna sincerely nodded and made a series of hand motions. The Comte faced me expectantly.

"Her Ladyship intends to emerge victorious, and erm... she will trample the camp?"

Anna nodded. Yes, I did indeed understand her correctly. But... what the hell? Now, that was going too far in the confidence department. I knew for the fact she was a good shot with her bows, for her and I had been to many hunting trips. As far as her swordman- swordwomanship was concerned, though, I had no idea how she would fare. Sure, I had seen her swinging and jabbing and stabbing at dummies, but now it was for real. Against an opponent who had the actual experience in killing fellow humans.

I was irritated by a burst of mocking laughter by the Comte's men but kept my face straight. The old man glared at his people, and they quickly shut their mouths and shuffled away. As far as they were concerned, this foolish mute girl was as good as already dead.

The gate opened, and Lilly trotted forward. As soon as I set my first step outside, I was greeted with the sight of the muddy field littered with dead men. All my optimism and hope drained right away. It dawned on me; the only thing that kept the two hundred or so enemy from charging at us two was the Baron's adherence to chivalry and the Codes of Noble Hommes. Basically, my life depended on the integrity of Baron Hugo as an honorable man, who, as I recalled, had no problem with killing an entire village of peasants.

"Shit..."

I couldn't take any further steps. Anna noticed it and stopped Lilly. She turned around and tried her best to give me an assuring smile, which failed. She then gestured.

'Have faith.'

I looked into her eyes, the fascinating swirl of dark fluid-like iris reflecting ever-changing colors. Have faith, she said. From the moment I was reincarnated in this world, that was all I had to do. Have faith that Anna was real. Know who she really was. Shaking bad, I forced myself to step forward. After that, I regained full control of my feet, although my legs were still stiff, and I trembled like a scared rat.

We came to a stop about ten feet before the Baron and his entourage. They had silently watched us approaching, but the eyes were filled with mockery and disgust. The Baron greeted reluctantly.

"Baron Hugo of the Barony of Bourg. I demand justice and honor done in the name of my late cousin."

I cleared my throat and announced.

"Lady Anna of La Rose, the heiress to the Roseland Barony. Her Ladyship accepts the Baron's challenge."

He eyed me pitifully.

"I pity you of your misery, bound to serve a defect."

"Milord, I pity you in return, for the impending humiliation at the hands of Her Ladyship."

I lost it there and snarled at him. What a despicable man. The Baron's face distorted in rage, but he, remarkably, regained his composure.

"I do not wish to dirty my blade with the blood of these disgusting creatures." He looked around at his men. His eyes stopped at the eager snake-face. "Sieur Guido, I appoint you my champion. Cleanse these impurities of the sacred battleground."

With that, the Baron and his men retreated, leaving Sieur Guido alone. His squire approached, carrying a two-handed mace. It was about four feet long, and its spiked head was round and large, almost as large as Anna's head. That shit looked heavy, but Sieur Guido took it off from his squire with just one hand and swung it around, making 'woosh!' 'woosh!' sounds as the mace cut through the air. I gulped and looked at the longsword that I was clutching at my chest. Suddenly it felt so fragile. This sword was almost as tall as Anna herself, so she had the longer reach, but that would mean nothing when that fat spiked chunk of death-metal came crashing down on her thin arms.

Handing over the longsword to Anna, my eyes met those of Guido's squire. That smug son of a bitch smirked, seeing my trembling hands. I ran my eyes up and down the dude. Nope. No way I can take this guy. Thank god-, or whatever, that it was a duel between Anna and Guido, not me. But then again it got me worried. Anna trotted forward with the longsword, which was yet to be released from its sheath. She held her weapon raised straight up before her. I proceeded to retreat in back steps, and the sight of this tiny girl going up against Guido was extremely discomforting. A single hit by that mace and Anna would be minced meat. 'Why the hell doesn't she wear a helmet?' was all I could think about.

Sieur Henry galloped to the scene from the Baron's entourage. He inserted himself between Guido and Anna.

"Good Sieur, My Lady, allow me to be the witness of this duel."

"As you please, Sieur Henry." Guido nodded and put his helmet on. Anna, too, gave the nod of approval.

"Squires! On me!" Henry motioned for me and Guido's squire to come to stand by his side. I hurried over to him. Guido's man took his time, carrying an arsenal of swords and axes and a large shield. He laid them down on the ground as if setting up a shop.

"Would the squire ready the rest of her ladyship's arsenal?" Henry faced me from his horse.

"Those are all she has, Sieur." I pointed at the longsword Anna was holding. Her shortsword hung by her waist. Anna had placed the bow in the quiver that hung on the back of the saddle. "Besides, I am not a squire."

"What are you then, young lad?"

"I am just a... servant, good Sieur."

Guido's squire chuckled and shook his head. I began to hate the dude for real.

"All right, then. Let us give them some space."

Sieur Henry's horse slowly backed off good twenty paces. Guido's man and I joined him on each side.

Anna remained motionless, but Guido started to circle around her at some ten yards radius. I could tell his horse was getting excited, ready to pounce at any moment its master commanded.

Yet, Anna was not even looking at her opponent. She stared straight ahead, with the yet-to-be unsheathed longsword raised a foot from between her eyes. She was eyeing the Baron in the distance and the siege camp behind him.

Guido reversed the direction he was circling. He swung his mace a couple of times as if irritated.

"Hya!" With a sudden loud yell, he galloped towards Anna from her behind, with the mace raised high ready to come crashing down on the small bare head. He was fast. So incredibly fast. I gasped in panic.

And then it happened. I couldn't even tell how, but she did it. It was nothing spectacular nor fancy. Nor did it happen fast; in fact, she did the whole thing in one slow fluid motion. She first tapped on the scabbard upward and it flew off. The blade was unsheathed, revealing the sparkling diamond-like body. I thought I heard Sieur Henry gasping. Anna didn't even duck. Her mare, Lilly, simply took a gentle sidestep with her hind feet and rotated. Sieur Guido suddenly found himself running diagonally into Anna's blade that elegantly sliced through his horse's neck and then his waist in one smooth, effortless sideway swing.

It wasn't over. Anna released one hand from the longsword's hilt while allowing the other to lead the sword through the remainder of the swinging motion. The now free hand swiftly brought up the shortsword from her waist and proceeded to severe Guido's helmeted head clean off as if all that metal armor meant nothing. The head sprang up in the air, and as it fell tumbling, Anna's shortsword swung around and pierced it from above and nailed it on the dead horse's vacant neck stump.

Absolute silence fell on the battlefield as the dead horse, now with a newly acquired head, trotted a dozen more steps forward before finally falling to its side. Guido's headless torso and the torso-less legs fell to the ground and twitched and flailed in the mud.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Fort Montclam suddenly erupted in loud cheers.

"Roseland!" The men were shouting, but the cheers turned to puzzled murmurs as Baron Hugo called for his men.

"Chevaliers! Kill her!"

Three horse-mounted knights formed up in a line getting ready to charge.

"My Lord! What are you doing?!" Sieur Henry shouted.

"Hugo!" I heard Comte d'Armas shouting, too. "Men, get on your horses!"

There were the sounds of the Comte's men getting ready to charge out of the Fort, but I feared they would be too late. The Chevaliers were already galloping towards Anna at full speed.

"Halt! No, please, halt!" Sieur Henry was shouting, but the horsemen kept coming.

Chevaliers, the title given to noble hommes of arms who were deemed by the peers as fit to be accepted into the knighthood. Not quite Sieurs for they were yet to be touched by the sword of His Majesty. But that did not make them any lesser of knight warriors. After all, the Sieurs accepted them as fellow knights. And now there were three of them peer approved fighters charging at Anna.

Fort Montclam's gate opened, and Comte's knights rode out, followed by foot soldiers. They surely would not reach the scene in time.

"Anna, run!" I screamed.

Instead, Anna trotted forward nonchalantly. The three horsemen were swinging down their swords on her, but then the same thing as before happened again.

There was no attempt at evading nor parrying. There was no clash of blades. No fancy maneuvers nor tricks. Anna and Lilly, as if one, took several slow steps forward. Every single part of her body and her sword were in the right place at the right time, moving in the right direction at the right speed. What resulted was Anna effortlessly sailing through space between three horses and three angry knights and their three swords, like how water sipped through a crack in a seemingly impenetrable rock. In her fluid waltzing motion, she deliberately swung her sword in one long curved line, and the chevaliers fell, headless. It was not a quick swing. It was not a mighty swing. The blade simply traveled in an elaborate path such that no matter what the chevaliers might have tried, their deaths were inevitable.

Now the longsword was back in its original position, raised straight pointing up, a foot in front of her. Anna did not stop. She trotted forward, and Lilly soon started to gallop. Towards Baron Hugo and the siege camp. There and then I remembered what Anna had said before. True to her silent words, she was going to thrash the camp. Lilly ran faster and faster, and the Baron's men were now panicking.

Anna let out a bloodcurdling battle cry and charged with her sword now pointing straight forward. The Baron and his group of knights were the first to flee. The foot soldiers turned around and ran back towards their camp in a chaotic stampede, trampling over themselves.

"Follow the Roseland! Ride! Ride!" Comte d'Armas was shouting. He sped past me on his horseback, with his sword raised high. The rest of the defenders of Fort Montclam ran past me, and as they were passing, I could not resist but to invoke the long-forgotten divinity.

"May Firis, the goddess, grant us victory!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as loudly as I could. I even raised and waved my handaxe in the air in the glorious excitement. The Comte's men passing by cheered and screamed as they charged.

I was sure Anna heard me. She raised her sparkling sword and waved it delightfully. Lilly jumped over the spiked woods fencing the camp, and there was carnage. The army that had besieged the Fort up until this early afternoon was now in a full panic mode, fleeing for their lives. Anna cut through everything in her path; tents, carts, pots, spears, horses, and men.

It was a glorious sight; the soldiers of Armas spearheaded by Anna La Rose of the Roseland absolutely destroying the enemy. The triumphant scene reminded me of who she was. What she was. Why she was here and why I was here. I had known it for the entirety and a bit more of my current life, but it was the first time that I actually felt it with my heart.

It was a shame she had long been forgotten. It was a great shame her legacy had disappeared among the mortals. It had happened too long ago when they had realized conflicts among the mortals were born of human interests, carried out by humans, and unto fellow humans. That realization made Firis wither.

But no more. I came to reinstate her as divine. Gambling all of her remaining strength, she came back from the verge of death to rebuild her own legacy and to achieve a myth. Let it be known to all men of the kingdom and beyond; When the righteous invokes her name and seeks her divine favor, goddess Firis would descend unto the battlefield and grant thee thy victory.