A Chance Encounter
#1 of The Princess and The Knight
In her younger days Saline was the young sorceress tiger of Schrade, she handled the issues of the kingdom quiet well for a girl of eighteen years of age and was just when it came to punishing the guilty. The princess was enjoying a typical stroll through the streets of the city as the guards escorted her around the market, aside from being a powerful sorceress she was an excellent cook and often joined her servants in the kitchen but to some of the nobles that wasn't proper behavior for royalty.
Saline was schedueled for a visit to one of the barons in Schrade for a lunch date, since she was available many of the nobles tried to set her up with their sons but none of them ever came close to winning her over. On her way to the barons mansion the caravan took a path through the woods which was dangerous since it was bandit territory and there was the constant danger of being the prey for a hungry dragon.
"Your higness I suggest you go back into the carrige this is dangerous country."
"I can look after myself cap-AH!!"
An arrow suddenly landed right in front of her feet and all around bandits came swarming in, wolves, dogs and all other kind of speceis who were outlaws or soldiers gone rogue, due to their sheer numbers the caravan was instantly surrounded, even Saline didn't have enough magic to take them all out as a wolf stepped out of the crowd carrying two large daggers.
"You want to pass through here you'll need to pay the toll."
"How dare you! you are in the presence of her majesty Princess Saline of Schrade!"
The wolf looked at the young tigress with envy in his eyes as a smirk appeared on his face before he placed the daggers behind him.
"Princess huh? then what's say we give you the "Royal Treatment" before we let you pass?"
"You miserable mutt!!"
Before the captain could strike several of the other bandits suddenly cried out in pain as blood splattered onto the earth, as the wolf looked up he could see a male tiger wearing a worn out cloak and carrying a shortsword, the crowd began to back up as he walked over the thugs he had just killed, staring at the others with a focused gaze.
"Who the hell are you?!?"
"You won't live long enough to remember my name..."
"KILL HIM!!!"
They charged in waving their weapons wildly, surrounding him on all sides but in one swift move a whole circle of them lied dead in a pool of their own blood before the mysterious swordsman dashed by them with a blur of orange, slashing them to bits as the wolf was the last one to die, once the chaos had settled the guards readied themselves as the swordsman got closer but Saline felt safe and ordered them to stand down.
"Thank you for your help, I'll make sure you a greatly rewarded when we reach the baron."
"No need."
The tiger brought out a dagger and cut a gold sack from one of the dead bandits and weighed it carefully before putting it under his cloak.
"Waste not what not."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Bronn, be glad I was passing by. Now I suggest we all get moving with all this blood in the air some predators are sure to drop by."
Agreeing with Bronn the princess continued the rest of the journey by carrige and thankfully Bronn was heading in the same direction as them and agreed to acompany them until they had reached their destination. As they neared the mansion the princess could not help but stare at the tiger who just saved her life, clearly the guards could tell their was something about him she liked as she smiled at him.
"So where are you from?"
"The southern region, I grew up a blacksmiths son, once I became of age my father made me this sword before he died."
"He must've been a great man."
"He was...once I made enough I closed down the forge to find my own way and...this is it."
The conversation ended as they arrived at the mansion before sunset, while the guards went to inform the baron of the princess arrival she offered him to stay at Castle Schrade as her guest and seeing as how Bronn hadn't bathed in days he accepted her invitation.
The End