Chapter Text
The wind blew cold forming fresh iclces on the edges of Clarisse’s eyelashes. Her nose burned, and her fingers ached. She stretched them out as far as she could manage. Knights weren’t exactly given “roomy” outfits for battle. The metal suit clanked and chattered as she made her way up the steps of the palace.
Today was the coronation day for princess Selina Beauregard. Soon she would toss aside her title of princess for an even bigger title as queen. The locals were a buzz, running amuck, giggling between each other and to themselves.
A new queen was to be crowned. A new era to be started. Maybe the locals felt change was in the air, maybe they were hopeful that this queen would be different. Clarisse didn’t share the townspeople’s sentiments.
Not that she was against change, or hope for that matter, but because she simply didn’t care who was queen. There were orders and she had them. There was a task and she would check them off her list. The only goal wrapped up in her mind was becoming the sole leader of her own army.
Currently she was what you’d call a “carpet knight”. Although she had seen battle and plenty of it for the past three or so years she had been tasked to serve and protect the royal family. A pleasure given to her after an attempt was taken on the kings life, then the queens and then two of their only male sons. Attempt is too loose of a word, because only twice were these attempts actually failed missions.
The third and final time the assassins did infact slay the two youngest sons while they slept peacefully in their beds. After what everyone said was a tragedy for the country Clarisse was snatched from the battle field and placed under royal protection duty.
At first she’d been meant to serve the king, however after the sudden sickness and death of the queen only months after the brutal murder of her two sons the king locked his self away and demanded protection be given to his last and only child — his daughter Selina Beauregard. She was who would take the thrown next. She was set to be queen now that there were no brothers blocking her way.
Clarisse and Selina couldn’t have been more different. One was built for battle, tough and strong the other well — she never had much of a reason to fight. Her life was easy, but what seemed easy on the outside to others could ware heavy on one’s self.
“Uh” Clarisse clears her throat “princess it’s time to leave”
She stood right between the door frame staring into Selina’s open room. The walls were painted a soft shade of pink, the bed lined with soft silky linen neatly made, a large vanity sat in the corner Selina cuddled into the chair leaning over slightly trying to put on her make up just right.
She turned her head to look at Clarisse then grinned like she’d just seen the most amazing thing of her lifetime.
“You know you can come in right?” She chuckled.
“Yes princess, I know”
“Selina not princess! I hate when you do that!” Selina huffed and turned back to her mirror.
Catiously she stepped inside the room. She didn’t like blurring the lines between work and outside life, but that was hard when around someone like Selina. The princess was sweet and kind to all she met. She was attentive snd caring. It was no wonder the towns people were bursting with hope for the future under her soft leadership.
“Princess id rather keep the formality’s. This is my job after all” Clarissa tried not to sound too stern.
Before she could react Selina had jumped from where she sat in front of the mirror and stood right in front of her.
“It’s only a job if you don’t love what you do” she said reaching out and grabbing clarisse’s hand.
Instinctively Clarisse pulled back.
Being a knight was half about battle, and half about removing your feelings to protect others. But Selina mad Clarisse feel things— too many things.
“Are you ready to go the corona—“
A loud explosion stopped Clarisse mid sentence.
“What was that?!” Selina shrieked clinging to Clarisse, the cold metal of her knight’s armor smooth against her cheek.
Clarisse stepped back slightly her eyes searching the room, then the empty half , then the window. There she saw it, the fire. Burning bright. She didn’t understand at first but quickly she pieced it together.
Today was coronation day, a day where the town would all gather to crown the new queen. Even the guards and knights not assigned to royal guard duty would be in attendance. Other royals from other country’s might even attend as a sign of goodwill and together-ship, and of course the new queen herself would be in attendance this was after all her coronation ceremony.
This was an assassination attempt not just on the town its self but on Selina. They’d pulled out all the stops to take her down.
Crackle. boom.
The side left corner of the room bursted into flames. Selina shrieked again.
Quickly the fire began to spread.
“Go! Now!” Clarisse pushed Selina toward the door and out into the hallway. Portions of it had already caught fire. Molotov bottles crashed through the high windows and set anything it could ablaze. Canon fire and shouting could be heard in the near distance.
Selina covered her ears from the blasts as they ran down the long hallway. Deep red carpet crunching under their feet.
For a second Clarisse thought of how even now Selina glowed. In the mist of danger she was beautiful.
“Wait here, I’ll go first” Clarisse stopped her from running into the opening that led to the big two front doors of the palace before stepping out into the opening, taking out her sword and proceeding forward.
“Give us the princess and you will remain unharmed!” A voice called out.
She couldn’t place from where so she swiveled in her heels point her sword at every corner of the overly spacious room.
“THY DOESNT HAVE ANY AUTHORITY HERE!” Clarisse hissed.
Silence then the voice spoke again.
“Give us the princess and you will remain unharmed!”
Suddenly Clarisse’s skin burned , but not from the fire or the heat coming off of the flames around her but from pure rage.
“MY QUEEN WILL GO NO WHERE WITH THE LIKES OF YOU!” She yelled ready for battle.
Silence filled the room just as cold as the wind that blew through the broken windows adding fuel to the flames that burned around them.
Just when Clarisse thought it might be safe to take Selina and make a run for it he stepped from behind his hiding place, a sinister grin plastered across his face.
“Luke” Clarisse snarled clenching hard onto the base of her sword.
“Don’t act like you aren’t happy to see me!” He laughed not bothering to tighten his body for a fight.
Instead he leaned on his sword leisurely, as if he was just having a casual chat with an old friend. They were in fact old friends — ‘old’ being the key word. Now they were nothing but enemy’s and this ‘chat’ was anything but casual.
“I have no friends who would betray their brothern!” Clarisse said still not loosening her grip on her weapon.
Luke and Clarisse had joined the order together. Fought along side each other and witnessed the lost of many friends as a unit, until one day Luke decided he would leave his post. In the middle of one of the biggest battles they have ever faced Luke ran, he ran to save himself and didn’t even come back to help the wounded or bury the dead. She could understand being afraid, she could understand leaving but she couldn’t understand never coming back. Instead Luke took up his own army of bandits, rascals, and any criminal that would fight or kill for small amounts of money or a warm meal and a roof over their heads.
Clarisse glanced at Selina who was pressing herself against the wall trying to become smaller than she was. Her long hair almost shined from the light coming off the flames. Again, in that moment Clarisse found her self thinking about how beautiful she was in the middle of chaos.
“Well since you aren’t happy to see me…” Luke swung his sword around in a circle before point it in Clarisse’s direction. “I guess we will just have to fight for the princess then, huh?”
Then just as quickly as he spoke, he charged full speed at Clarisse.