Chief Cody stands in front of the door blade in hand to defend his queen. Agni stood by alert. Footsteps were running towards the room making the soldier grip his weapon ready to attack.

“Your majesty, we must flee!” burst Arpina.

“Lady Arpina?” he questioned.

“Did you see the enemy? Where is Seraphina?”

“Oh no..I – I had you all in my mind that I-.” Arpina fumbled on her words.

“Bring her here, now!!”

“Yes, of course!”

Arpina ran off in a hurry to find the princess. Cody walks towards the door to close it from Arpina carelessness.

“Who the hell is here? Arpina is normally calm, but this is the first time I have seen her in a panic.”

“I can sense whoever it is, and this person is dangerous.”

“We will make it out of here, won’t we?”

“…..”

“Your majesty?” he looked at her concerned.

Blood trails from Seraphina leg wounds stain the carpet as the smoke reveals a young woman in silver armor. The red head origami her crossbow to pull out her sword and pulled the shield from behind her back. Seraphina looked back at her incautiously, blasting a wall of fire at the target. The attack was ineffective, the iron maiden walked through it.

“No way..” she slowly lowered her arm in peril.

“You’re not much of a threat, however, you are the princess of this kingdom. Princes and princesses are bound to create offspring and that’s something I refuse to allow.” She raised her sword in the air.

“No, don’t! Don’t do it!” she screamed with tears in her eyes.

Arpina arrived, but it was almost too late.

“SERA!!” she screamed.

The princess looked back at Arpina and was stabbed in the back by the armored warrior. Seraphina screamed gargling the blood that was surfacing her mouth. Arpina was frozen in fear. Victoria removed the sword from her body with drips of blood spewing out of the wound. Seraphina huffs were gradually fading out, she was dying. Arpina heart was drumming loudly in her chest, fear transformed into rage.

Flames engulfed Arpina body ready to evolve into her true form, a phoenix bird. Her eyes changed from blue to gold and her body soon created shades of red, orange and yellow feathers. The entire hallway shook so much the king felt the rumble on the third floor. Victoria looked up at the mythical being ready to be burned alive.

“My weapons may do some damage, but even I know when I am outmatched.”

The iron maiden fled by leaping through the ceiling to reach the third floor. Arpina growled as her neck twitched in rage screeching at the coward. She could finish her off if she wanted, but only to realize Seraphina body. She lowered her head nudging Sera with her beak to reveal her skin was cracking to turn into ashes.

“Oh no! I must stop this quickly!”

Arpina plucked a feather from her body and dropped it onto Seraphina’s. The feather gleamed seeping into her body healing her wounds. While it was putting in work, Arpina transformed back watching Sera move her hand to get up. She opened her eyes to see Arpina kneeling next to her body.

“Lady Arpina, did you-?”

“Forgive me, please forgive me.” She sobbed while holding the princess in her arms. “It’s my job to protect you and yet I stood by and watched you get killed. I’m sorry, princess. I’m sorry.”

Sera eyes watered holding Arpina in her arms. “I forgive you. I’m just glad to have a second chance.”

“Come on, the queen and Cody are waiting for us.”