Warrior princess (closed)

"Sir Archibald?" cried her father, "He is a brave knight who has fought for me for at least years hence!" Walking around his daughter slowly, his right hand raised, he told of many stories of Sir Archibald coming to the aid of the kingdom. "I once saw him slew five men at once!" he cried, perhaps embellishing a bit to heighten the drama. The mere mention of his name was enough for the King to feel she was expressing interest in the older man. Such an alliance would only strengthen the Kingdom.

"He is older, yes," the King continued, "But don't let that concern you. I was 7 years older than your mother. That didn't bother her."
 
Ashanti rolled her eyes at her father describing what the knight had done. "What about Ringgold?" she asked wanting him instead of anyone else.
 
The King was flabbergasted. "Ringgold? Ringgold!" The mention of him flew him into a tizzy. Standing up and throwing his hands into the air, he stomped around in front of her. "Why ask about him?" Ringgold may be a brave knight, who had served him for years, but he was a lesser knight than most of the others in the kingdom.

That wasn't from my own doing, it was just the way things were stacked. My father was a minor nobleman. Without that, I couldn't be a knight in the service of the king. Despite my battlefield challenges, I haven't amounted above anything of food guard for some time because the King hardly knew of my exsistance. The mention of my name caused him to think that she was falling for me.
 
"Because he was the onlyone who didn't treat me like a piece of meat." She said to him not caring about how he became a knight.
 
Pausing in his steps, the King slowly turned towards his daughter. She dared to speak against him? His eyes, normally caring and full of love, was now dashed in a intense leer. "A piece of meat? MEAT?!" stomping towards her. "You're my daughter!" he roared. "As my daughter, you will do what I say!"

I could hear his voice echoing through the chambers. My gut was telling me to step in and put a stop to this. But I had to know my place. The princess's chambers were strictly off-limits. Ignoring the rule could cause me to be exiled from the kingdom. Even worse, I could be executed from treason.

Despite the fears, I slowly walked towards the room, passing the gossiping servants.

"If your mother was here, who do you think she would say for you to take? Ringgold? BAH! He's nothing more than footman. I won't have my daughter marrying a footman!"
 
"Mother would tell you to stop being an idiot and trying to force your daughter into marriage of men who she didn't like. If you remeber my parents didn't like you much either." Ashanti said to her father.
 
The King's eyes leered at her. "Your parents were merely old-fashioned!" he barked. "I provided for you, didn't I? I gave you whatever you needed and whatever you wanted. Did you ever find yourself lacking for anything?" He droned on without letting her answer. "Your mother was much the same way. She wanted to have one child so that she could coddle them with all her might. I wanted to have more children so that these halls could be filled with laughter." He did add that he wanted to have more children so that the line of secession could be sustained should one or more of the children were lost along the way. If they had seven kids and lost five, the line would still live.

That's when his tone changed. Perhaps her words rattled him. His tone turned from admonishment to tender care as he returned to the bed and sat beside her. "No, my dear daughter. I think you are being a mere child when it comes to this. Sir Ringgold is but a minor knight in this kingdom. He doesn't have a keep of his own. No servants. Just his squire and a horse. Nothing else in the way of possession.
 
She looked at her father and said "well I am sorry that you think possessions I don't care what he is I just know that I feel a connection with him."
 
"A connection? You feel a connection!" the King continued to fume. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from his daughter. "This is not going to stand," standing up and tugging on his robe, "I'll take my leave. In the morrow, I trust that you fix your mindset and think about the future of this kingdom. There is much to think about. When you're old enough, you will be a Queen. At least start to act like it." He left the chambers without another word.

Sir Ringgold could hear the opening and closing of a large wood door with the squeak of the hinges and the clack of iron.
 
Ashanti knew that getting whta she wanted was going to be difficult but she also knew that her father would eventually let her be. She didn't paln on changing her mind in the least.
 
Pausing beside a pillar for a minute to ensure that the halls were clear, Sir Ringgold cautiously approached the princess's chamber door and tapped on the hard wood face so that it could be heard in the chamber within. His heart froze, what would happen if one of the chamber maids emerged and caught him? This would mean possible execution for attempting to spoil the princess.

His mind thought of an excuse, he heard strange noises and wanted to ensure of her safety. That would be enough to warrant the door being opened.

"Lady Ashanti, it's Sir Ringgold," leaning in to whisper into the door frame next to the lock. "I heard strange noises in here. Are you safe?" closing his eyes tight at how foolish it sounded coming out of his mouth.
 
She went to the door and answered "I am fine." She opened the door so that Sir Ringgold could see what she was alright and wouldn't worry about her. "Do you want to come in?" She asked him wanting to spend more time with him.
 
Pausing for a moment, he pressed his frame against the door. It gave way slowly to his weight, the hinges squeaked softly making his eyes wince. Open just enough for his frame to slip in, he went inside and quietly shut the door behind him.

"M' lady" he bowed slightly at the waist before looking at her furry companion. "Hello there."

Cautiously he stepped towards her, hands at his side, his sword sheathed and always within reach. "How are you fairing this fine night?" How was it fine, he thought? The feast was more for the King and his friends rather than for her or anyone else. Such fine food wasn't seen my peasants unless after a great victory or, dare he say, the Princess's wedding. "You left early and denied the people a chance to see you."
 
She looks at him and says "I am fine" She hadn't really wanted to tell him about the conversation she just had with her father.
 
The look on her face spelled that she was troubled, deeply. It wasn't my place to say. But I wanted to put myself out there and show that someone cared for her, outside of the family. Coming within a few steps of the Princess, I held out a hand to her, "I'm here to help, if you need me. A councilor is not a knight's strong suit. However, having two ears given to us by Our Lord means that it has two ways of listening to someone."
 
She smiled and thanked him for his kind words. She didn't want to tell him what had jist went on between her father and her yet.
 
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