2: RUN

"Dad, why is that? I don't understand, why there are people outside in this wall? why should we separate from them?" A little girl ask as her father carrying her in one arm. They are both looking at the wall that helps them to separate from the poor people outside of the wall. The little girl was known to be princess and the daughter of the strongest fighter to their country.  

"My daughter Ashtria, soon when you grow up you will understand everything as well," his father said while patting her head. 

"But Dad, I'm big enough to hold a weapon too," the little girl said and pouted. His dad just laughed softly with her mom.

"Really? You're only a four -year -old child," her mom said too smiling to the little girl. The little girl just deeply sighs and speaks. 

"Mom, four years old is enough. I also heard that some of our knights here knew how to wield a sword when they're four years old," the little girl replied to her mom and suddenly look at his dad's big face. "Anyways, dad can I hold a real weapon too just like the knights here?" he ask her dad while smiling. His dad’s face became serious again and speaks. 

"I won't let you hold a real sword yet, wait until you're big enough, okay? Listen to daddy,” he replied and kiss the little girl’s cheeks. The little girl just nodded and pouted. 

[After 10 years] 

"Dad, Mom, where are you!?" The little girl, Ashtria shouted and sobbed realizing that both her father and mother was not in their palace. She went to the hallway and running around the palace but still she couldn't find them.

While running around, she saw two maids who's talking to each other. When they saw their princess, they both look away and walk where they can't pass her. The princess walked over to them and violently pulled the maid's arm, she knew that something was going on in their palace. She notice that the maids are trying to keep their mouth shut and looks like they are hiding something from her. 

"Where's dad!?" Ashtria shouted one of the maids in front of her. 

"P-princess, uhm–" the maid stammered and closes her eyes when Ashtria shouted at her. 

"Answer me!" The maid was just closing her eyes  when suddenly a man appeared in front of them with two huge men behind him. One was holding an axe and the other was a sword. Ashtria was confused who are they, she cannot remember that they had visitors in their palace. 

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Ashtria ask confusedly. The man just chuckled and looks at her. 

"Looks like her eldest daughter don't know what's going on," the man said and laughed very loudly making Ashtria annoyed. 

"What do you mean?" she ask again. Ashtria began to confused more after the man speaks.  

"Truly you are a brave woman like your father, though your beauty is also like your mother's," the man said while walking around where Ashtria was standing. "If you don't want to be thrown away from this palace,  you have to marry me, my lady," he added with a creepy smile.

"Who the h/ll is going to marry you? I don't know who you are? And how did you get here in my palace!? " Ashtria yelled at him.

"I didn't expect your answer to be like that," the man just smiled looking at Ashtria and suddenly became serious. She stepped back ready to escape if the two men behind the man’s back will use their weapons at her. 

"Kill her." Ashtria was surprised after the man speaks, she hurriedly ran fast, but the two men were also running faster than her. She went to her room and without locking the door, she went through the secret place where only she knew that it will be going into the woods.

She quickly ran until she got out, while running she was shaking with fear, she was also crying while murmuring her mom and dad.

"There she is!" A guard from their palace yelled, pointing to her location. Ashtria noticed a man's smiling face blocking her path; he was standing at the front door. Ashtria simply bit her lower lip, took a step back, and ran as fast as she could until she was shot in the leg with an arrow. Ashtria was gradually fainting and losing consciousness.

The arrow in her legs was poisonous. If the poison gets all over her body, it will be difficult for her to get rid of. The poison had the effect of making it difficult for a person to move for months if it was spread throughout her body.

Ashtria tried to open her eyes and stand up, but she couldn't because she was already weak, she still doesn't know where her mother and father are. She keeps sobbing and crawling away from the palace, hoping to escape death. She doesn't want to be killed like this, especially since she has no idea where her parents are.

"Got you," said the man who was chasing after her holding a dagger. Ashtria noticed that the man was about to stab her. She just closed her eyes and waited for the sharp object to stab her body, but she was perplexed when she didn't feel anything.

She slowly opened her eyes again and saw that a stranger had intervened to prevent the man from stabbing her. The stranger stabbed the man with his sword; he's dressed in a black cloak to conceal his body and a mask to conceal his face, but he's clearly a man.

Ashtria forced herself to stand in order to assist her helper. When she saw the big man behind the man who helped her, she threw a stone at his head. The big man's head bled, and he glared angrily at Ashtria.

"You're only making matters worse," her assistant said as he picked her up, grabbing her waist and holding her in his one arm as he ran very fast.

"Wait–" Ashtria stops what she was about to say and holds her helper's shoulder as her helper runs faster than before. The helper appears to be a ninja as he runs very fast, Ashtria just closes her eyes and trusts her helper to save her life.

Ashtria heard the guards yelling her name and the man who had proposed to her earlier yelling that he wanted to see her dead or alive. Ashtria continues to close her eyes, and her tears begin to dribble, causing her helper's clothes to become wet. He noticed Ashtria was crying, but he didn't bother looking at her, instead focusing on getting away until they were out of sight of the palace and were able to escape from them.