Everyone was together celebrating over campfires with drinks in hand, but Iris's mind kept thinking of the battle. It wasn't a clash between two armies. It was a one-sided massacre.

Sitting alone in her tent, she held the letter her father gave her, teasing the idea of opening it, but Iris was still not ready. She put the letter back in the scabbard and exited her tent. She wore a tunic and her issue pants and boots. She took Lentus’s advice and cleaned herself before she met the prince.

Iris made her way over to Prince Baldwin's tent, ready to air her concerns about the conflict. Nearing the war tent, two guards stood outside it and when they saw her they opened the tent for her.

Confused why they let her in without an explanation she still entered the tent but immediately regretted it. Clouds of purple incense emitted from sliver tube-like devices that soaked the air with a foul smell. The walls were lined with exquisite furs and hides from around the kingdom. Prince Baldwin, the crown prince, leader of the entire Invictian army, was sprawled out on an arrangement of pillows with two women on either arm wearing only a dark violet robe behind a table full of drinks and fine foods. Two high-ranking officers sat on the sides of the table, filling themselves with alcohol and meat. Prince Baldwin's eyes glanced up at her face, examining her features, and then he scanned the rest of her body. Iris stood there uncomfortable as their gazes looked everywhere besides her eyes.

"There she is, he wasn't lying" he spoke to the room.

Iris bit her tongue. “I’m going to kill Lentus for this.”

"She's on the tall side, but hopefully, she fits your taste Commander Janar."

The Prince gestured towards the man on his left. Euphoria danced across the man's face as he held his arm out, waiting for Iris to sit on his lap. Holding back her disgust, Iris took a deep breath, remembering why she came here. She bowed her head and addressed the Prince,

"I am Iris Caldera from unit 41, niece of Captain Emiel of the 4th Division. I've come to warn you of a possible attack."

The Prince rolled his eyes at her and laughed,

"The battle is already over. It's time to celebrate and drink your worries away."

He held a glass of liquor out to Iris, gesturing for her to take it and sit down. Unable to refuse the request, she took it but stayed standing. Trying once more, she pleaded again with the Prince.

"Forgive me, your highness, but you should have seen how easy the battle was. We didn't fight against soldiers; we fought against peasants with no armor or real weapons. I believe that we didn't fight the real forces of Versia."

The playful smile disappeared from the Prince's face as Iris questioned his authority again.

"You said you were Captain whatvers, niece, right?

His smile returned, but this time the edges of his mouth rose high, and his eyes formed crescents. Sadistically he pondered out loud,

"We wouldn't want to have to bring your Uncle here and tell him you questioned my authority. His poor old heart would break."

Iris's fingernails dug deep into her palms. Breaking eye contact, she sat next to Commander Janar, who immediately settled his hand around her waist. Uncomfortable, Iris listened to the three men talk of the furs lining the walls and their plans after the battle. She waited for a moment to speak, to try and explain her thoughts, but the three gave her no chance to speak. Jernar began running his fingers down and up her back, tracing any scar he came upon. Iris took deep breaths and stopped herself from doing something she would regret but did not stop thinking about it every waking moment. Every inch of her body told her to escape, but if she did, she knew the consequences that would happen.

As the full moon finished its climb into the sky, Iris stayed trapped inside the Prince's tent. After listening to their conversations, she determined that the Prince was a fool. He told stories of hunting great beasts and besting his knights in combat, but after seeing his puggy frame and uncalloused hands, it was just lies.

She tried to catch one of the women's attention on the Prince's arms, but looking into their eyes, they were hazed and out of focus. She did manage to lock eyes with the other women, but the women quickly picked up a glass and drank its contents. Both of them just smiled and laughed, almost on command after every story one of the three men told.

She soon started to feel her mind start to ease. She, too, should enjoy the night she thought. That maybe she was overthinking the Versian army and their plans. Iris started to fall into a dazed high, her senses dulled as the furs and pelts took shape and danced on the walls. The liquid she ingested swirled inside her coating her stomach walls. Her vision was clouded by the purple incense filling the tent. She started to hear strange noises from outside the tent but could not make out what they were. Laughter or screams all sounded the same but they grew closer to the tent, but she was too focused on Commander Janar, whose hand was now squeezing her thigh.

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Iris was captivated by a story told by the Prince until a guard's body from outside was launched across the tent, knocking over the silver tubes and glasses, spraying liquid all over the occupants. Iris struggled to concentrate on the lifeless body but was able to identify an ax lodged in his chest.

Iris wiped the wine off her face and looked out the now open tent to see a battle raging outside the tent. Half dressed Invictian troops clashing with men wearing white armor. Versian knights.

She spotted a sword, leaning against the canvas outside of the tent. Iris stood up but dropped face first into the ground. Her head was fuzzy, and she couldn’t walk straight. She slowly hobbled back up to her feet and retrieved the sword. Unsheathing it, she looked back at the Prince and the Commanders. They cowered there, scared even to move.

"Protect us with your life! I order you too," The Prince shrieked at Iris.

Still not right in the head, Iris exited the tent stumbling back and forth still trying to assess the situation. The Invicitan army was in shambles. Drunk and ill-equipped soldiers ran around the encampment looking for their weapons while the Versian’s slaughtered them. Iris, too, was not wearing any armor but stood in front of the tent, determined to fulfill her duty.

One of the white armored men spotted Iris and charged. Both armed with swords traded blows. Iris struggled to keep pace with the knight, seeing two swords and two knights. He started to push Iris back, and soon they were fighting halfway inside the tent. The Prince, Commanders, and women watched in horror. The knight caught Iris off balance, landing a kick to her stomach, propelling her backward and next to the body of the dead guard. Iris clutched her stomach in pain, as liquor mixed with blood rushed out of her mouth and nose burning her throat. She gasped for air clutching her throat as the knight stood over her. He planted his right foot on her chest and held his sword at her throat, Iris struggled to free herself but to no avail.

Before he had a chance to strike a glass cup whipped through the air, connecting with the knight’s helmet, shattering and making him stumble backwards. Iris looked behind her to see the women she made eye contact with standing up. Her legs trembled in fear of what she just did.

"You bitch" the knight grunted with blood dripping from inside his visor.

The woman fell to the ground as the knight lifted his sword in anger. Finally able to catch her breath, Iris dislodged the ax in the dead guard's chest and and in one swift motion got back on on her feet and swung it into the back of the knight's neck. He fell to the floor limp, pinning the woman.

Iris helped the woman get out from beneath the knight and thanked her. Grabbing a sword, and her mind more clear she exited the tent once again.

The remaining Invictian troops managed to gather and make a last stand. Iris could not find Lyric, Eric, or her Uncle, but nothing would change even if she did. Their opponents were strong, and Iris could see that they were losing. The Prince and Commanders disappeared from their tent, and Iris could only assume that they fled. Slipping her sword into the visor of another knight, she spotted one of the enemy's soldiers, which she assumed was one of their Leaders. The armor he wore was detailed, with blue roses and thorns running from his plated greeves to his helm. His sword engraved with faint glowing runes that ran to its tip.

Looking to gain the upper hand, Iris rushed the man while he traded blows with another soldier. Her blade whistled in the air as she brought it down at the knight's neck, but he turned with superhuman speed and met her sword with his. He was still caught by surprise with the powerful blow, and it brought him to a knee. Iris brought her blade up with her right hand, and took another slash at the grounded knight.

Before she could deliver the blow, a force hit Iris in the gut that propelled her to the ground. She felt an acute pain building and glancing down, an arrow pierced her side, blood dripped down her side and stomach. Looking up, the knight was back up on his feet and had begun to swing his sword down at her head. It was fast and heavy, Iris lifted her sword up and to parry the blow but the glowing blade cut hers cleaning in half, sinking itself in her face. The steel cut straight down, splitting her left eye, only exiting her flesh when it met her jaw. Iris let go of the grip of her bladeless sword and clutched her face letting out a scream of anguish. It must have been the adrenaline because she got off her knees furious, she jumped on top of the knight, prying her fingers into his visor trying to gouge his eyes out but her body came to an abrupt halt.

The taste of iron filled her mouth as she looked down to see a sword hilt inches from her chest. It pushed deeper and deeper until she felt the cold metal of the guard press against her skin. Her hands fell to her side, letting her eyes clearly meet the knights. His amber eyes shined through his visor, Iris saw an expression she thought she would never see in her opponent, guilt.

The knight rose to his feet and with one swift movement he took the sword out of Iris's chest and left to continue fighting. She crumpled to the ground as her vision darkened. As her consciousness faded, Iris thought of her father, Amiel, Eric, and Lyric, but those were all shrouded by her anger and her revenge. “No, this can’t be it.”

She still had so much to do. So much to accomplish. Her lifeless hands filled themselves with crimson dirt as she stumbled to her feet. In the distance she saw the blue patterned armor. It was not over, she needed to kill him. To not have it end here, to fulfill her desires for revenge. Blood poured from her chest, from her eyes and ears yet her body kept moving forward/. The knight now turned towards her, the guilty expression on his face was overtaken by fear. Horrified he took a step back, seeing the person he just slain rise back up. Iris, ready to continue, smiled widely, showing off her teeth but instead blood gushed out soaking the dirt. Iris's eye rolled back as her body went limp.