The Princess's Loyal Knight

Chapter 1

"Kid, what are you doing there?" I asked her.

" she asked fearfully, her voice trembling. She had her back turned to me, looking around in confusion as if trying to find me. I shook my head and jumped down from the tree behind her.

"Ahhh!" she let out a small scream upon seeing me. That's when I noticed her outfit-it looked like something from ancient times. A blue gown, a crown on her head... Wait, was that real gold?

"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked again, this time standing in front of her and kneeling down. My gaze landed on her face, which was covered in fresh bruises.

Was she kidnapped?

"A-Ah?" she stammered. I sighed and facepalmed.

"What happened to you?" I asked with a poker face. She was sitting on the ground, her gown covered in mud. What a waste-it was actually quite beautiful.

"W-Wala," she muttered, but I could see the sadness and pain in her eyes.

I glanced to my right, where my target's house stood. Actually, I had just finished taking care of my job, but as I was leaving, I noticed this kid.

We were about the same height, but I could tell I was probably a year older than her.

"Kid, do you know how dangerous it is to be alone here, especially when it's almost night? You should go home-your parents are probably looking for you," I said as I stood up, ready to leave. But I froze at her next words.

"T-They don't care what happens to me," she whispered.

Even though she said it softly, I still heard her.

I looked at her for a few moments before finally speaking again.

"Do you want to come with me?" I asked.

My brow raised when she quickly stood up. Tsk. If I weren't the one who found her and someone worse had taken her in, she might not have survived the night.

I frowned when I noticed her limping as she approached me. With a sigh, I crouched down in front of her.

"Come on," I said.

She hesitated for a moment before placing her hands on my shoulders. I felt her grip tighten slightly as I lifted her onto my back.

Honestly, the only reason I invited her was because I felt bad for her. Besides, I had no siblings, no cousins, no friends-nothing. In short, I was an only child. And as an assassin, I wasn't supposed to have friends. We were trained to hide our true emotions, to become heartless, cold, and dangerous to anyone.

But not me.

I wasn't raised like a normal child. My parents-both assassins-were part of an organization. My father even created it. My mother died of lung cancer, and after she passed, my father became even stricter with me. He sent me to the countryside just to kill someone.

By the time I was twelve, I had already taken a life. My first target was a relative. Yes, I killed them. My father ordered me to, and I couldn't disobey him.

That was years ago, back when I still loved him as my father. But now? Now, I just wanted to slit his throat.

Ever since I started killing, I hadn't seen him. And honestly, I planned to run away from him. I wanted a normal life, like any other kid.

Running away was the best option. But if I ever saw him again, I wouldn't hesitate to kill him.

"We're here," I said, glancing at the girl on my back.

She was asleep. Why didn't I notice?

I entered my small house-yes, my house. It wasn't much, but as an assassin, I needed to keep my identity hidden. We always changed our personalities, making sure no one could recognize us.

"Hey, wake up," I said.

She slowly opened her eyes, looking around the room before her gaze landed on me.

"W-Where am I?" she asked, sitting up. She was still wearing that same gown from earlier, which had now dirtied my bed.

"You're at my place. Here, wear this." I tossed her some clothes. "But before that, take a bath first. You're filthy." I looked at her in disgust.

She lowered her head in embarrassment before getting out of bed.

"Where's the bathroom?" she asked.

I pointed to the door on her right. She immediately entered, and I turned away to change the beddings.

Moments later, I heard a scream from inside. I rushed to the door and flung it open, only to immediately turn my back to her.

What the f-!! Why did she scream when she's-

"What the heck, woman?! What happened?!" I snapped.

"I-I'm sorry! I don't know how this works! Why is there water coming out? A-And what's this big container for?" she bombarded me with questions.

Tsk. Damn it!

"Just sit in there, and I'll come in," I instructed.

I heard her shuffle around before she finally sat down. Once she was in place, I turned to face her. She looked like a soaked puppy in the rain.

Tsk.

I walked over, turned on the faucet, and grabbed the liquid soap, pouring it into the bath.

Bubbles started forming, and she seemed fascinated by them. While she was distracted, I grabbed a scrub and started cleaning her up-she was covered in dirt, after all.

A hundred years later-okay, maybe not that long-I finally finished.

She was actually quite pretty. Her hair wasn't too long, reaching just above her elbows. Her skin was smooth and fair, though covered in bruises. Golden-brown eyes, a pointed nose, and pinkish lips-small, slightly pouty.

"Here, put this on," I told her.

She nodded, so I left the room and went to the kitchen to cook.

I only made eggs, bacon, and hotdogs, along with a glass of milk-for her, not for me. She looked like she needed it.

Oh, right. My name is Nymeria Valencia.

But people know me as Alliah Ramirez. That's the identity I use whenever I go out.

It's also the name registered at school. In short, all my records are under that alias. If anyone tried to dig up my real identity, they wouldn't find a thing about me-or my job.

As for my real name, only two people have ever known it: my mom and dad.

I was born at home, with a private doctor present-someone from our organization. But that person is dead. Mom killed them. The nurses too.

So yeah, only my parents knew my true name. My grandparents? Already dead.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I sensed someone approaching. Before she could speak, I beat her to it-without even looking at her.

"You're done? Come, eat," I said.

"S-Thank you," she said as she sat across from me.

I stared at her for a moment before breaking the silence.

"By the way, what's your name?" I asked while placing food on her plate.

She hesitated before finally answering, "V-Viviette Frerio. And you?"

"Mhmm. Nymeria Valencia," I replied indifferently.

I didn't care if she knew my real name. I'd change it again anyway.

"Nice to meet you," I said casually.

"A-Ah... N-Nice to meet you too," she stammered.

I glanced at her. So she knew how to speak English? Then why did she make me struggle earlier?

"A-Ah, I-I'm not very fluent in 'Inglisim,'" she said, raising both hands as if surrendering.

"Inglisim?" I repeated, confused.

"That's what we call your language," she explained.

I nodded. She was confusing to talk to-like she wasn't from here.

"By the way, when are you going back home?" I asked as I sister.

"I-I don't know," she muttered.

I glanced at her before looking down at my food.

Silence filled the room. Neither of us broke it. We just Sister.

"A-Ahm... C-Can I stay here?" she asked, her voice growing weaker.

"No. I'm leaving this place and not coming back," I told her bluntly.

"Then I'll go with you! Please, I won't be a burden!" she pleaded.

I frowned. We just met, and she already looks desperate.

"I have a job-"

"To kill?" she interrupted.

I froze.

"What-how did you know?" I asked coldly, my gaze turning sharp.

"I saw what you did last night," she said seriously, meeting my eyes without fear.

For the first time, someone dared to look at me like that.

Nymeria's POV

"Don't worry, I have no intention of disposing of you. That's not my job, and I don't have a client asking me to kill you," I said. I noticed how he took a deep breath, as if the fear inside him had suddenly disappeared.

"S-So you kill for money?" he asked hesitantly. I nodded.

"Yeah, I only take lives when I have a client. I don't kill without reason," I replied. He immediately looked up, as if deep in thought.

"How much do you get paid?" he asked.

"50 million per head," I said. He didn't seem surprised, but he also looked like he didn't fully understand.

"Is that a lot?" he asked again.

"Yes, it's a huge amount," I told him.

"Is your currency gold?" he asked, which made me frown.

"In my world, the highest-valued currency is gold, while silver is of lower value," he explained as if it were completely normal.

"H-Huh? Your money is gold?" I asked, suddenly serious.

"Yes, that's our currency," he said casually. I immediately started thinking.

'Just how rich is he?'

"I'll give you gold," he said, making me look at him seriously.

"But in exchange, you have to become my personal knight," he added, making me even more serious.

'I need money. Besides, I don't have any left-I gave everything to the orphanage.'

"You'll come with me to my world," he said again.

"Your world? Are you joking?" I scoffed and let out a small laugh. What was he talking about-his world?

I fell silent when he placed something on the table.

"T-This is all I can offer you for now. P-Please accept it," he said, looking down. I picked it up and examined it carefully.

It was real gold. It was about the size of a newly minted twenty-coin and completely plain, with no markings.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 2

"I-I'll give you more if you agree. I have plenty of these in my world. A-And you have nothing to lose if you come with me. I-If you're worried this might be a trap or some kind of trick, you're strong enough to fight back," he said in a long-winded plea.

I considered his words. He was right-I had nothing to lose by trying. And if what he said about his world was true, I could start over there.

But I still didn't believe in other worlds. Maybe this guy was just crazy.

I had already finished my last target, so I could leave anytime. Tomorrow, I'd be gone, leaving all my belongings behind-I didn't want to risk bringing anything that might have a tracker.

"Fine," I said flatly before finishing my meal. Once I was done, I stood up and placed my dishes in the sink.

"Tomorrow morning, we leave," I told him without looking back before heading to my room to rest.

I woke up to a loud knocking on my door. I frowned, looked at the door, then rolled over, trying to go back to sleep. But the knocking only got worse, so I groaned and sat up.

"What the heck is wrong with you?!" I snapped, annoyed at the person disturbing my sleep.

"I-I'm sorry! You said we were leaving today, b-but it's already noon, and the food has gone cold," he stammered nervously.

"What?" I muttered, glancing at my clock-only to remember it didn't work. I always threw it around, so it was completely useless. Tsk.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Just wait for me outside-I'll get dressed," I said, rubbing my forehead. He nodded and left, and I closed the door before heading to the bathroom.

Damn, that was a good sleep. But seriously, that clock is useless. First thing in the morning, and I'm already irritated.

I quickly got ready, and after taking a shower, I went to my walk-in closet. I grabbed a white T-shirt, a black jacket, black baggy pants, and black shoes. After dressing, I picked up my white hat and black mask before stepping out.

I found him sitting on the couch, looking around the house. I ignored him and went to the kitchen, grabbing three slices of bread and stuffing them with eggs.

"Let's go," I said, walking past him. He quickly stood up and looked at me.

"Aren't you going to eat?" he asked.

I held up the sandwich. "I already got something."

"I'll just clean up-"

"No need. Let's go," I cut him off. He hesitated but followed me anyway. Yeah, I didn't bother cleaning up. I wasn't coming back here.

"Lead the way," I said, chewing my sandwich. He nodded and walked ahead, and I followed. I didn't take my car-I wasn't going to leave them any way to track me.

Fast forward

We were now standing in front of a forest. No vehicles passed through this area, and by the time we arrived, it was already late afternoon. My companion was panting from all the walking, while I was completely fine. Compared to my training, this was nothing.

"Let's go," I told him. Despite being out of breath, he still followed, clutching onto me and sweating. I remained alert, in case this guy was planning something. He could be part of an illegal group for all I knew.

We kept walking, covering a good distance until we reached two large trees that were right next to each other. Between them was a medium-sized gap, big enough for about three people to pass through at once.

"T-This is the entrance to my world," he said.

I looked at him skeptically. "Are you sure? I don't see anything here. Are you messing with me?" I said, annoyed, and turned around.

'Is this guy just wasting my time?'

I kept walking away when I suddenly heard him speaking in a language I didn't understand.

"Viviyet Frerio t'agavor Venizeo Frerioyi yev t'aguhi Severin Frerioyi dustry, yes Viviyet Frerion yem, yes hramayum yem dzez bats'el ays portaly mek ayl ashkharh, Asttso Hermiona Portalneri Asttso anunov."

I turned back just in time to see a light appearing in the gap between the two trees. It started small but grew bigger and bigger until it looked like a mirror in my eyes.

"Come on," he urged, looking serious.

I stared at it, unsure.

'Just what the hell is that?!'

I stepped closer cautiously, reaching out my hand.

When I was near enough, he suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me through. The moment I stepped inside, I felt like I was being sucked in. My stomach flipped, and all I could see was swirling silver and black, like glitter suspended in the air. The silver was especially vibrant, moving around me in a dizzying pattern.

I glanced at him-he looked completely unfazed, as if he was used to this. Meanwhile, I felt like throwing up.

"Almost there," he said.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, and my stomach settled as I took in the scene before me.

All I could say was-it was beautiful.

Even though there were only trees and flowers, the colors were unbelievably vivid, as if they were carefully nurtured.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said, smiling at me. I nodded.

"I knew you'd believe me eventually," he said proudly. I frowned at his smugness.

Can he read minds?

"Well, yesterday wasn't the first time I saw you," he said with a smile.

"I've been there many times, so I kept seeing you. That's why I immediately went with you when you invited me," he added with a laugh.

"Are you a stalker?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. He immediately pouted in response.

Argh, so childish.

"Of course not!" he huffed, still pouting.

I took a deep breath and started walking.

"Whatever. Not like I can do anything about it. Besides, there's nothing left for me to return to. I'm sure my father's men are already looking for me," I muttered, sensing him following behind.

"Why? Are you avoiding your father? Why?" he asked in quick succession.

"Family issues. Don't mind it," I replied curtly. I caught a glimpse of him nodding from my peripheral vision, so I fell silent, and he did the same.

Fast forward

We walked and walked until we arrived at a somewhat old house. It wasn't abandoned, but it was small. Behind it, there were several horses.

"What can I do for you, kids?" an older man asked while sipping his coffee.

"We need two horses," my companion said.

"That'll be ten gold coins per horse," the old man replied.

"Ah... well, I don't have any money on me," my companion admitted, scratching his head.

"Well then, no deal. I don't give away my horses for free," the old man said, taking another sip of his coffee.

"But... would this be enough?" he asked, showing a collection of necklaces and bracelets. I only noticed them now-he wasn't wearing them before.

"Hmm, let me see those," the old man said. My companion immediately handed them over.

"These are fine gemstones... Alright, this will do," he finally agreed.

We followed him to the back of the house, where he let us choose our horses. I had never ridden one before since I was only used to cars. But I figured I could quickly learn by watching how my companion did it.

"Thank you!" Viviette cheerfully said to the old man before mounting her horse and looking at me expectantly. I copied her movements, mimicking what she did.

Hmm, not bad, I thought to myself as I continued to observe and adapt.

"Oh, by the way, we still have quite a long journey ahead. We need to pass through the lands of Wirsyian and Natnerion," she informed me.

I looked at her curiously, and she seemed to immediately understand my silent question.

"Ah, Wirsyian is home to people who have the power to manipulate water. They can also communicate with aquatic creatures. Some of them even become 'Serperians,' which you would call mermaids," she explained.

I was amazed. This world is incredible... I'll get to see real mermaids? It's like something straight out of a fairy tale!

"Natnerion, on the other hand, is where people can manipulate the earth. They have a deep affinity for plants, possess healing abilities, and can communicate with animals. Just like Wirsyians, some of them can even shapeshift into animals," she continued, making me even more fascinated.

Suddenly, she stopped.

"Wait," she said, making me halt my horse as well. I looked at her, silently asking why.

"Do you see that?" she pointed ahead.

"Wow..." was all I could say as I took in the sight before me. It was breathtaking.

"Those are the different regions and kingdoms. See that place with all the rivers? That's Wirsyian. Next to it is Natnerion. And beyond that is the town of Frerio, where people can manipulate fire. They also have the ability to communicate telepathically. But be warned-they have very short tempers," she said with a chuckle.

I turned to her with an amused look.

"Wait, aren't you from Frerio? So, do you have powers too?" I asked.

She immediately raised both hands in front of me.

"Nope, I have no powers. That's why many people dislike me. The only reason I'm considered a Frerio is because I'm the daughter of the king and queen there," she explained.

I nodded in understanding.

"If you don't have powers, then what was that thing you did earlier? Wasn't that magic?" I asked, referring to what happened before.

She laughed at my question.

"No, that wasn't magic. I can only summon certain effects using ancient words, but it doesn't require energy. It's not real magic," she clarified.

I nodded again.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 3

Nymeria's POV

"And see that land opposite Wirsyian? That's Skysyio. They can manipulate wind and even make themselves disappear. Pretty cool, right? But of course, there are limits to their abilities," she pointed out.

She then pointed to a distant land.

"And that farthest kingdom, do you see it?"

"It looks like snow," I commented.

"Yep! That's Ecnÿanio. The people there can control ice. They're incredibly strong, and their ice magic doesn't easily melt-not even against Frerio fire users. But of course, Frerio warriors won't back down easily either. Still, Ecnÿanio's warriors are known to be even stronger. They're also colder-not just in powers but in personality too. If you ever go there, you'll need to cast an enchantment on yourself, or else you'll freeze into a statue. The cold there is that intense," she explained in detail.

I listened in awe, realizing how vast and magical this world truly was.

"In this place, this is called Phioneraporla. The path leading to your world is here. Oh, by the way, this world is called Flansiańa. It was named after two goddesses, God Flancerio and God Resiańa. They were the strongest and saved this world, so it was named after them," he explained at length. I simply nodded in response.

Still, I was grateful to him. At least I wouldn't have too much trouble adjusting here. I also needed to learn more about this place to handle my responsibilities properly.

"You, do you have any siblings?" I asked.

"Yup, I have four older brothers-Prince Tyke, Prince Zicco, Prince Onyx, and Prince Owen. There's also Princess Mirette. I'm not close with three of my brothers, only with Brother Owen. As for Mirette, I'm not close to her either because she's not really my sister. She's the daughter of my late uncle, Papa's younger brother. Her mother died giving birth to her, and my uncle passed away in the war, so Papa took her in and adopted her.

Ever since then, my brothers started to distance themselves from me," he explained. His voice grew weaker towards the end. I just nodded and didn't press further.

-Fast forward-

We had traveled quite a distance, and it was already getting dark. Viviette remained mostly silent, only speaking when I asked her something.

I kept my eyes ahead, where I could see the massive gates of Wirsyian. Inside, countless glowing bubbles floated in the air, seemingly serving as streetlights.

"We'll rest in Wirsyian for now. Traveling at night is dangerous since many criminals lurk around. We'll continue our journey tomorrow," she said. I nodded in agreement.

I dismounted from my horse, stretching my stiff legs. Viviette looked at me with a puzzled expression, her brows furrowed.

"I just want to walk for a bit. Sitting for too long is making my legs numb," I said. She simply nodded in understanding. I approached her horse and held onto its reins, just in case I got lost-I still wasn't familiar with this place.

If I were to describe Wirsyian, it felt like a paradise. The streets were bustling with people, resembling a lively food market. Vendors were selling all sorts of goods, and there were even game stalls.

I turned my head when I saw a group of children playing with water. Some were turning it into bubbles, while others were shaping it into different forms. It was fascinating-like watching a live fairytale movie.

"Ahh, Nymeria! Let's buy that! It's really delicious!" Viviette excitedly pointed at something. I followed her gaze and saw what she meant.

She approached the vendor. "We'll take one," she said, handing over six gold coins.

Wait-how did she have money? Didn't she say she didn't bring any?

"Here you go, young lady," the vendor said, handing over the food. I took mine and examined it-it was a large, juicy mushroom.

Viviette eagerly bit into hers, clearly enjoying it. Seeing that, I took a bite of mine as well.

It was delicious-sweet like honey and crispy on the outside. The inside was a bit bland, but when mixed with the sauce, it tasted amazing.

"It's good, right?" she said, chewing happily.

Tsk.

We ended up hopping from one stall to another, eating, drinking, and playing games.

Now, we were standing in front of an archery game stall. The grand prize was a giant teddy bear made of cotton candy. I had been watching Viviette drool over it for a while now. She was so obvious.

"Tsk." I clicked my tongue as she looked at me with puppy-dog eyes.

She noticed me giving in and immediately started clapping like an excited child.

"Yayyy!" she cheered.

People around us started watching, but I ignored them and approached the stall. Viviette handed over two gold coins and received a bow and arrows, which she then handed to me.

This wasn't just a simple archery game-there were moving wooden walls that acted as obstacles. The walls would disappear and reappear every two seconds, but their positions kept changing.

I noticed that many players were failing. It seemed they couldn't predict when the walls would disappear.

Well, for me, this was easy.

I carefully raised the bow and aimed at the target. I waited five seconds before releasing the arrow. A round of applause erupted from the crowd, but I ignored it and prepared my second shot.

This was my last chance-if I missed, I wouldn't get the prize.

I raised my bow again, aimed, and fired without hesitation.

"Good job, player! Here is your prize. I hope you like it," the vendor said.

Viviette eagerly grabbed the teddy bear and immediately started eating it. I simply nodded at the vendor before walking away.

We hadn't gone far when I noticed people staring at us-no, at me.

I subtly scanned the crowd. Some were whispering while looking in my direction, while others simply stared.

I chose to ignore them and continued walking.

I didn't know what had gotten into this girl, but here she was-sleeping in my room.

I lay on the bed with my eyes closed while Viviette slept soundly beside me. My forehead creased as she tossed and turned, taking up so much space. Meanwhile, I was stuck at the edge of the bed, nearly falling off.

"Brother..." she mumbled in her sleep.

I opened my eyes.

Well, I guess she misses her brother.

She started sniffling as if she was about to cry. I had no choice but to face her.

I had no idea how to comfort someone, but I hesitantly patted her back. I wasn't sure if I was doing it right, but she eventually calmed down and slept peacefully again.

I wasn't used to dealing with childish people since I was an only child myself. And whatever she had gone through... I had no clue.

Once I was sure she was asleep, I stopped and turned my back to her.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, she shifted again.

I sighed and glanced at her-only to freeze.

Her golden brown eyes had turned pitch black.

I clenched my fists as our gazes met. Her eyes weren't exactly cold, but there was something eerie about them. It was like looking at a horror movie character. Her small face only made her look even more like a possessed doll.

I clenched my fists again when she grabbed my hand, placing it on the pillow and using it as one.

I was about to pull away, but seeing how comfortable she was, I decided to let it be.

As I stared at the ceiling, the scene replayed in my mind.

Was her eye color really changing, or was it just a trick of the light? From my perspective, they were completely black. And for a moment, they even seemed to grow larger, as if consuming her entire eye.

I shook my head. There was no point overthinking it.

And besides...

I was supposedly her knight. So whatever I saw or heard-I should just shut my mouth.

Fast forward

I woke up to someone shaking me.

Annoyed, I opened my eyes, only to see Viviette pouting at me.

"Nymeriaaa, wake up! We have to leave!" she whined.

I sighed but got up anyway. I fixed the bed before heading to the bathroom to wash my face. When I came out, she was holding some bread.

"Here! I asked for it downstairs. Hehehe, let's go!" she said cheerfully.

I took the bread, ate it, and followed her downstairs.

Just what was she really hiding...?

We've traveled quite a distance, and I think we're getting close to the gate. As for Viviette, she's fast asleep. I didn't expect her to be this sleepy-if I hadn't noticed her dozing off while riding her horse, she might have fallen off by now.

Anyway, she's right in front of me at the moment. I have no choice but to let her sleep. A lot of people are staring at us, probably because of our current position. Well, Viviette is sitting in front of me in a bridal style position while I hold the reins of her horse.

Fast Forward

We finally reached the gate, and there are others leaving at the same time as us. They're carrying bows, swords, and hunting equipment. One of them even tried talking to me, but he stopped when he realized he wasn't going to get a response. I don't care anyway.

"Hi, miss. What are you doing here? Are you two alone-?"

The guy didn't get to finish his sentence because Viviette suddenly woke up. And just like that, she gave that expression again. She stared at the man standing to my left, and I could see through my peripheral vision that he swallowed nervously.

Viviette looked at him like a lifeless doll, not even blinking for a second. She looked so pale.

"Oh," she muttered. Her voice was cold-not too icy, but just enough to send shivers down the guy's spine.

To Be Continued....