“Are you going to be fine, young lady?”, the lady with a cart asked as she noticed Alisa trembling.

“I’ll be fine”, Alisa smiled back before shooting.

“Is that all you got?”, Meriane grinned, dodging the arrow by an inch before fixing her hair up her ear. “My turn then; don’t go crying when you die”, she sprinted, maneuvering through Alisa’s shots with ease.

The poor archer could not do anything but defend herself with her bow. Her every shot was unproperly aimed and prematurely released, giving more chance for Meriane to dodge. Laughter echoing through the walls and reverberating with the wind, ridiculing her situation as the Princess of Algernon kept on putting on the pressure.

“You can do this, Alisa, she’s merely one person, you can hold her off. The others will get to your rescue soon”, she thought, hammering Meriane with her bow and forcefully pushing her back as she got too close.

“What now, dear Alisa, I can’t see any Nicolas that’s going to save you here now”, said Meriane on her knees as she glared at her.

“Who says that I need his help. I can handle you on my own”, she’s not kidding. If not only for the life she’s trying to safeguard, Alisa might have already left her post and taken a better vantage point, or at least run.

Meriane halted and laughed, “Really? But you’ve already lost to me once; what do you think a mere archer could do against me who has a sword?”

Alisa took a deep breath, clearing her mind from hesitation, before looking at the lady hiding on her side. To her surprise, the lady was looking straight at her; her eyes were full of determination as she nodded at her, sending her the message that whatever she decides is also her decision.

She nodded back before turning her gaze towards Meriane once again, “Are you done laughing?”

“Peasants don’t get to interrupt royalty when they’re having fun; don’t you have any shame?”

“Well, I thought royalties are supposed to be reserved, not barbaric”, Alisa smirked before retracting the string of her bow.

Letting it return to dust of light as she reached out her right hand in front of her. Slowly the remnants of her bow began to gather inside her fist, solidifying back into an arrow. Despite looking similar to the ones from before, it’s arrowhead was enlarged, one that was typically used for heavy bows and destroying shields.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Boring, are you thinking of fighting me with that? You should have stuck to the bow.”

“I never said that I’m only good at the bow.”

It was Alisa’s turn to do the offense; she ran straight towards her, holding the arrow tail up with its head near her wrist. Meriane took advantage of her advance and proudly swung her sword forward, but Alisa was quick to jump, evaded it and changed her direction, circling her from the back.

This only added to the rage that’s been fueling Mare’s every move. With a scream, she desperately swung her sword to the agile girl. Alisa used her opponents frustration and threw the arrow at her, taking the princess by surprise, grazing her cheek. Before she could even recover, Alisa was already behind her, giving her a kick on the back and pushing her to the muddy ground.

“THIS IS UNFAIR”, Meriane cried, once again kneeling on the ground.

“Well, I’ve never been a war hero’s daughter for nothing.”

Alisa distanced herself, manifesting another arrow. She watched Meriane in the middle of the rain, her hands trembling, as her cries began to resonate with the rain. The princess looked at her, her eyes we’re sorry if not asking for help. Before Alisa knew it, Meriane was already holding the sides of her head, fingers digging under her hair and almost into her skull.

“I— I never wanted any of this!”, she was screaming, a heart wrenching sorrow radiating from her, “Where am I? What am I doing here? Father? Mother? Where are you? Help me.”

Alisa was taken aback; she could feel her emotions and her confusion as black smoke began to ooze from her and her sword. An image of Nicolas going berserk under the tree plagued Alisa’s mind, her heart unable to bear watching another person go through the pain alone.

Bearing a heavy heart, she slowly approached her. As she inched closer and closer, walking deeper to the black smoke, Meriane’s frustration began to resonate with her—her regrets, her woes, and all the things she wished she could have done.

She reached out for her, placing her hands on her shoulder. Closing her eyes, she began dispersing her soul into the surroundings, connecting even deeper with Meriane as she tried to calm her down.

“It’s alright now, princess; you don’t have to do this anymore.”

“But I— I—”, she held her arm with her trembling hands, her eyes full of hopelessness and grief, She tightened her grip as her fears began to flood towards Alisa. All of it, until the grief turned to hate, “I— I GOT YOU NOW.”

She pulled her to the ground, dragging her through the mud, manifested her sword and tried to slash her. Alisa, who was taken by surprise, quickly called her bow and shielded herself with it.

“Did you like my acting? I practiced it just for this kind of situation; sympathy is a weakness after all”, Meriane laughed, grinning as she kept hammering her down with a delighted face.

“How, it’s impossible to lie when your soul is exposed.”

“I’ve already told you, I Don't lie."”