The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a sword. Amanda stood at the edge of the castle’s grand balcony, her fingers gripping the cool stone railing as she overlooked the battlefield below. The banners of both warring sides fluttered in the wind, a mixture of royal insignias and rebellious crests. The war that had been looming for weeks was no longer a distant threat—it was here.
Elias stood beside her, his expression unreadable. His usual playful smirk was absent, replaced by a seriousness that Amanda wasn’t used to seeing. It unnerved her.
“So, what’s the plan, genius prince?” she asked, breaking the silence.
He exhaled heavily, rubbing his temples. “We fight. But not without strategy.”
Amanda snorted. “Oh, fantastic. Because I’m so good at strategy.”
Elias turned to face her, his golden eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “Actually, you are. You don’t fight conventionally, and that’s what makes you unpredictable.”
She blinked. “Wait, was that a compliment?”
He smirked. “A rare one. Don’t get used to it.”
Before Amanda could roll her eyes, a soldier approached them, armor clanking with every hurried step. “Your Majesty, the enemy has begun advancing toward the gates. They outnumber us three to one.”
Elias muttered a curse under his breath. Amanda sighed. “Great. Love those odds.”
“We’ll have to hold them off until reinforcements arrive.” Elias’s gaze hardened. “Amanda, I need you to lead the defense at the northern wall.”
She gawked at him. “Me? You do realize I’m still learning how to hold a sword without almost chopping off my own foot, right?”
Elias chuckled. “Yes, I’m well aware of your unique combat skills. But you’re also the only one they’ll listen to. The soldiers believe in you.”
Amanda bit her lip. She wasn’t sure how that had happened, but over time, the people had stopped looking at her like an outsider and more like… someone they could trust.
“Fine,” she muttered. “But if I die, I’m haunting you.”
Elias grinned. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
---
The northern wall was a mess of soldiers scrambling to prepare for the attack. Amanda took a deep breath, trying to ignore the nervous energy bubbling in her stomach. She climbed onto a stack of crates to address the troops.
“Alright, listen up!” she called. “I’m not going to stand here and give some dramatic speech about honor and glory because, let’s be honest, none of us have time for that.”
A few chuckles rippled through the group. Good. At least they weren’t all paralyzed with fear.
“What I will say is that if we don’t hold this position, we’re all going to be in serious trouble. So, let’s not die, yeah?”
The soldiers laughed, and Amanda felt a little of her own anxiety melt away.
As the enemy forces stormed toward them, Amanda’s mind raced. She didn’t have brute strength, but she had creativity.
“Archers, aim for their legs! Slow them down!” she shouted. “And someone find me something explosive!”
A nearby soldier handed her a pouch of enchanted fire dust. Amanda grinned. Oh, this is going to be fun.
She dashed to the front, waiting until the enemy was close enough. Then, with all the strength she could muster, she hurled the pouch onto the ground. A fiery explosion erupted, sending a wave of chaos through the opposing troops.
“Oh, that was so satisfying,” Amanda muttered as she watched them scramble.
---
Meanwhile, Elias was leading the main forces in the courtyard, his sword flashing under the moonlight. He fought with precision, his movements a blur of deadly elegance. But even he couldn’t deny that they were being pushed back.
A soldier stumbled toward him. “Your Majesty, they’ve breached the southern gate!”
Elias clenched his jaw. They were running out of time.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out over the battlefield. “Would you look at this disaster?”
Elias turned to see Amanda sauntering toward him, looking far too pleased with herself.
“Shouldn’t you be at the northern wall?” he asked, blocking an incoming strike.
“Oh, we’re all good there. Turns out, explosions work wonders,” she said, grinning. “So, figured I’d come check on you. And wow, you’re sweating. That’s new.”
Elias groaned. “Amanda, this isn’t the time—”
“Relax, I brought reinforcements.”
At her signal, a hidden group of warriors emerged from the shadows, taking the enemy by surprise. The tides of battle began to shift.
Elias turned to Amanda, stunned. “How did you—”
She smirked. “I might have made a few friends in my spare time.”
He stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re impossible.”
“And yet, you’d be lost without me.”
Elias chuckled. “Yeah. I would.”
For a moment, they stood there, chaos raging around them, yet completely focused on each other.
Amanda felt her heart race—not from fear, but from something else entirely.
“Come on, Prince Smugface,” she said, gripping her sword. “Let’s end this.”
Elias grinned. “After you, my unpredictable hero.”
With that, they charged into battle together, side by side, where fate had always meant them to be.