The soldier’s eyes widened. “Princess Estina!” he whispered.

A glint of happiness appeared in the corner of his eye. His chest started to expand and he opened his mouth. He was going to shout her name and it would all be over.

Princess Estina didn’t pause. She had to do something. She wasn’t even completely on the bridge yet, let alone at the first barricade. Without a second thought, she pulled the dagger out of her pocket and swung it around in one swift motion, aiming directly for the soldier’s neck. It sank deeply. His eyes widened in a different kind of shock this time and a gasp jolted from his lips. Princess Estina removed it straight away and brought the knife down again close enough to the same spot. Blood spurted onto her face, and the soldier bellowed.

A woman, a civilian standing close to Princess Estina, screamed as the blood splattered over her face as well. People scattered. Panicked and confused shouts reached her ears. Children started to cry.

The soldier’s hold on her arm released and he sunk to the ground. The other soldiers at the edge of the bridge started towards them. Princess Estina turned and leapt into a sprint towards the first barricade, hoping that Marlina had enough sense to follow.

In the mass panic, the crowd surged towards the first barricade on the bridge, full of people trying to get off and away from the chaos. Those at the front, most likely wouldn’t even have any idea as to what had happened behind them. All they would have heard was people screaming.

Princess Estina raced forward and started to push past the men and women. If she could get deep enough into the crowd and keep her head down, maybe the soldiers at the first barricade would dismiss her as an everyday civilian. She continued forth, and in her eagerness, stepped on the edge of her skirt and nearly tripped over again.

She swore out loud. It was a major hindrance. No wonder she never wore them. Judging the distance and the press of the people, she tore the coat off her body and let it fall to the ground. She ignored the cold air that immediately pierced her skin. The adrenalin in her veins would get her through. She pulled at her skirt as well, letting it fall to her feet. Stepping out of it, she kicked it aside and ignored the men and women who were casting her confused glances.

She looked over her shoulder to see Marlina’s fierce expression and hoped it mirrored her own determination to succeed.

“Keep moving!” Marlina ordered.

Princess Estina didn’t need to be told. She powered forward and continued pushing and shoving people aside. The first barricade was only five meters away now.

More shouts of concern filled her ears from behind. She couldn’t help herself and looked over her shoulder again to see Prince Yernal’s soldiers searching through the crowd, looking for her. They yanked at people’s coats, catching glimpses of their faces before jostling them away. Turning her attention to in front of her, she spied people still getting through the barricade.

She was only two meters away. Just a little bit further.

Older men and women and children were being pushed through to get out of the way. Younger women with a different hair colour were being shoved through as well but only after the two soldiers analysed their faces, and Princess Estina suspected they were checking their eye colour.

Suddenly, the people disappeared and the only thing that was stopping her from crossing through the first barricade was the two soldiers in front of her. With no other choice, Princess Estina faced them square on. She had no idea where Ladet and Areen were. This was going to be her battle. She just hoped that Marlina’s sturdy frame didn’t belie her ability to put up a fight.

A glean of shock registered on the first soldier’s face when he laid his eyes on her. His reaction was immediate though. He pulled his sword and held it out in front of him. Princess Estina pulled out her dagger. The soldier’s eyes flickered down to it and he chuckled.

“Come on, Princess,” he sneered. “We’re not allowed to kill you, but we sure can hurt you. Show us what you’ve got.”

“I’ll take the first one,” she said to Marlina, over her shoulder. “You take the second.”

“Yes, Princess,” she replied.

On some other level, Princess Estina acknowledge that Marlina had used her title. There was no point in lying now, she guessed. Not when they were this close.

Princess Estina took a deep breath and hoped that everything Menelt had taught her would come forth and put her in good stead. She screamed angrily at the top of her lungs hoping to startle the soldier before her. Not waiting any further, she leapt into a sprint and darted towards him. Being smaller, all she had to do was survive and block his first swing and get into his space. Then he would be at a disadvantage.

He was good foot taller than her and broad shouldered, his swing if it made contact would destroy her. Princess Estina feigned a dodge to the left as his sword went up behind his shoulder, and then, a quick sway back and forth. Confusion appeared on his face and then, with impatience he started to bring the sword down in a wide sweep. Princess Estina jumped forward into his space before he could bring it down. She spun, crouching down so she could turn under his arm and stand behind him.

“Hey!” the soldier cried out.

Without taking a breath, Princess Estina jumped onto the soldiers back and wrapped her left arm around his neck. She screamed again in his ear, hoping to appear as a wild and frenzied woman when in reality, she knew exactly what she was doing. Menelt and Weldlan had practised this move with her, along with many others, always teaching her how to use her size to her advantage.

The soldier tried to swing her off, but she held on with all her might wrapping her legs around his waist. He swayed, cursing. His hand came up to her arm and tried to pull her off. Princess Estina swung her right hand down that was still holding the dagger. It landed in the soldier’s left eye. He screamed and fell to his knees, his sword clanging onto the cobbled stone of the bridge. She pulled the dagger out again and swung it down with even more force and the blade pierced the man’s head, three inches deep this time.

Leaping off his back, his body fell face first onto the ground. Princess Estina turned, trying to gain her bearings to see if any other foe were coming down on her. To her surprise, she saw a young woman jump off the bridge to get away from the onslaught.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Marlina struggling with her opponent, and then spied the line of soldiers racing towards her as the civilians tried to disperse. More individuals jumped over the side of the bridge. She reached over for the fallen soldier’s sword and took it in her own hand. She cursed. It was much heavier than the one that Menelt had given her. She wouldn’t be able to use it efficiently. She was best when she was swift and light on her feet. Her small muscles would struggle to put this one to good use.

None the less, she turned to Marlina’s aid. The woman had helped her flee. She would not leave her stranded. With one leap, she pounced to stand behind the soldier she was fighting and whipped the sword over the back of his knees where the crease in his armour would be weaker. He let out a howl and blood started to soak through his clothes.

“Thanks,” Marlina cried, running towards her. “I’m not as fast as you. I don’t know how long I would have been able to keep dodging and blocking his swings.”

Princess Estina’s only answer was a quick nod of her head. She turned and ran through the gap of the first barricade only to smack straight into the chest of another soldier who must have been on the righthand side of the barricade and had now rushed over to stop her. His large, dirty calloused hand came up to her face and pushed her back.

Princess Estina swore. The soldier was at least six feet tall and built like a wall. He didn’t even have a protective helmet on. He leered showing uneven yellow teeth.

“Come here, pretty,” he laughed.

Fear jolted through Princess Estina’s veins. He swung his large sword down easily and quickly as if it was as light as a wooden training sword.

Princess Estina automatically took a wide stance, bent her knees and raised her heavy sword horizontally in front of her to block its strike. His sword clanged down with so much force she staggered backwards otherwise her own sword would strike her in the head. Pain jolted down both of her arms, the power of his strike jarring the muscles in her arms. The heavy sword slid in her fingers and without gloves, it clanged to the ground. At least she had blocked one of his blows before she died.

From the corner of her eye, she spied a thick shield lying against the back of the barricade. The soldier lunged forward coming in for another strike, his sword already back for another swing. There was not enough time to attempt to weave under his swing this time. She was too off balance. Instead, she dove to her right and took the shield within her hands. With all the speed she could muster, she swung it over to cover her body just as the sword came swinging down again over her head.

A loud crack of wood reached her ears and the shield smashed into her face. Pain jolted through her forehead and blood poured from her nose. The shield shifted side to side, and then to her horror, the it split into two. Shocked, she could only gaze at the two pieces in either of her hands. The sound of the soldier’s cackles filled the air and he paused to stand over her. He grabbed himself between his thighs.

“Maybe I’ll even have time to enjoy myself. This isn’t going to take long at all!”

Anger pulsed through her veins. She dropped one of the pieces of the shield and twisted the other so its now pointy end was aimed for the space in between where his armour creased at the thigh and his crutch. She pushed up from where she was sitting on the ground and surged forward with all her strength. It struck hard, so hard her own chest thumped into the rim of the wooden shield, knocking the air from her lungs.

It didn’t have any effect on the giant soldier before her. He merely grunted and stumbled backwards. The most she had done was give him a bruise. She didn’t even have enough time to recover. He reached down and took her by the scruff of her hair and clothes, lifting her off her feet.

She screamed wildly and tried to claw at his face with one hand and tried to swing her dagger with the other, blood streaming over her face and clothes. His long arms easily held her out of range and he laughed loudly.

“I’m going to enjoy you.” He started to turn, his free hand lowering to his trousers. He pushed her face first into the barricade and pain jolted through her shoulder as it took the brunt of the force. She wriggled and screamed, trying to break free. From the corner of her eye, she saw Marlina fall backwards and land awkwardly. She must have come to her aide but both of them were helpless against this monster.

He leaned his body heavily up against hers and rubbed his lower body roughly over her hips and buttocks. His weight disappeared and she heard the buckle of his belt. Frantic, wild, primal fear surged through her veins. Would he truly rape her in the open on the middle of the bridge in front of everyone to see. She kicked backwards, but the distance was too short and they landed softly without inflicting any pain.

All of a sudden, he twisted around, his right hand still gripping her hair and clothes. Her body went with his movement flying through the air. She twisted around and saw the arrow that was now protruding from the back of his head as he turned it back and forth in confusion. Another thudded into his cheek, followed by another into his neck. The hold on her hair and clothes released and Princess Estina tumbled to the ground. She landed in a heap on the stone.

Stunned, she watched the man crumple. His hands grasped frantically at his neck as he tried to pull the arrows free.

Where had the arrows come from? She turned her head. On the back of the second barricade, on Lord Clep’s side, Ladet was standing with a bow and arrow in his hands. It had been his arrows that had helped her. She stared at him in shock that he had dared to make that shot from that distance. If he had been off just a fraction the arrow would have hit and killed her instead. The alternative was far worse though. Over the distance, she gazed at Ladet. No wonder he was touted as the late Emperor’s best bowman.

Ladet took aim again, and Princess Estina heard a sickening thud behind her. Her pause had allowed more soldiers to pour through the gaps in the barricade. More of his arrows flew and another two soldiers fell. An instant later, the closest soldier would have slit her throat.

Princess Estina cursed. Marlina and herself had not been quick enough. She twisted around and onto her hands and knees. Two more soldiers went down thanks to Ladet’s arrows.

Prince Yernal’s soldiers started to spill through the gap on both sides of the first barricade. Frantic, she gazed back at Ladet. This was it. She couldn’t fight them all and Ladet couldn’t shoot them all. It seemed however, that Ladet had other plans.

Over the distance, Ladet motioned with his hands, and she understood. On Lord Clep’s side of the bridge, along the defensive wall of his Manor House, she spied the arrow loops. A flicker of movement through their tiny slits was all the information she needed.

Crawling along, still on her hands and knees, she grabbed the two pieces of the shield that had saved her life only moments before.

“Marlina!” she screamed, lifting the two pieces and ramming them together over her head.

Marlina turned to run, but was too late as a soldier rammed his sword through her back. It protruded out the front of her body, shock plastered all over her face. She fell to the ground as a rain of arrows fell from the sky. Princess Estina crouched under the shield, pulled her legs in and closed her eyes. Screams of death and pain echoed around her. She didn’t move but cried out as another round of arrows showered down.

If there was hell, this was it. She was under attack and couldn’t do anything about it. All she could do was hide under a broken shield. The only peace she could obtain was the sound of Prince Yernal’s soldiers succumbing to an early death around her.

The arrows stopped and she sensed no movement around her. Opening her eyes, she focused on the last barricade. It seemed miles away, but she could see men running towards her. Men who were from Lord Clep’s side of the bridge, the yellow sashes on their arms swaying as they ran. By their side, mountain men also sprinted towards her.

Princess Estina flung the two pieces of the shield away. More soldiers dared to start coming through either side of the barricade again. Spying a smaller sword, a short distance away, she scrambled to her feet and dived towards it.

Lord Clep’s soldiers arrived and she turned to stand with them, the lighter sword in her hand. She stood ready, blood now congealing on her face. There was no time to wipe it away. She readied herself. Now was the time to fight. Now she would fight with an army behind her.