Sweat covered every inch of my skin. There was a war with in my mind as my hard muscles flexed and tensed. Muscles I had spent years building to give me the strength to do this. This one task. The fear and apprehension had been systematically beaten out of me, and yet when in came down to the task, I _hesitated. _

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The fear and shame and anger at my own incompetence were written in every line of my brow. I longed to run and give this task to someone else but I was alone. There was no one wiser or more experienced left. They all gave their lives to ensure I could do this task. __

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I stood there with the cold metal of the engravings on the knife digging into my hand. I could feel every ridge as I gripped it so hard vains were clearly defined against the fabric of my shirt. I shifted my stance slightly. My feet were wide, balanced as I leaned forward, and yet ready to spring back if I needed.

The leather boots were given to each of us when we proved worthy, along with the thick black pants and tight-fitting shirt that was currently stretched to the breaking point over my shoulders. My teeth were clenched in a grimace as I looked down at her. The reason for my predicament.

Her long curly blonde hair shown in the dying sunlight, matched in brilliance only by her impossibly blue eyes. Her pure white dress was marred where I had ruffly shoved her in this back alley. Those innocent eyes looked up at me without a trace of fear, the order she had given me still rang in my ears.

The order to kill her. Her kingdom was over-run and the only way to protect her people would be to kill the only thing that could make our enemies stronger. She was born with power, magic of old ran through her vains. A power she had used solely for the protection of the people who were in trusted to her.

I was the last of her royal guard. The strongest and an old friend of the princess. It went against everything I had ever believed to kill our princess. My princess. Because in those few moments of peace that’s who she had been. Mine and no one else’s, if only for a moment. The sight of her in such a state made me wish I could hurry her along to somewhere safe where she could rest. I wished again it hadn’t come to this, that there could be another way we just didn’t see!

I would slit my own throat without hesitation, but that was not what she had asked. I had her pinned against a ruff wall with a blade to her throat as if she was any thief caught in the kitchens. I shook my head and stepped away. Anger and frustration now replaced the fear that had been in her eyes.

“You will not kill me?” She asked, every bit a Queen. I met her eyes without shame.

“I will not kill you like a common criminal.” I answered. I stepped forward and held her in my arms as I kissed her for the last time. Tears, hers and mine mingled with the sweat that dripped from both our brows. I looked into her eyes one last time, and she smiled. A smile that lit up my whole world with the fire that was inside her, and now I was going to extinguish it.

I hesitated again, hoping for a way out, any way to avoid making those beautiful eyes go dull and cold.

“I trust you,” she whispered. _I love you, _her_ _eyes said as my knife ran home. Her white dress was covered in red as I held her. I comforted her as her last breath gasped and her lungs filled with blood. As she went lip in my arms I let out a scream of rage and grief.

The moon rose above us and I layed her body down gently. I looked at my knife, covered in royal blood. I layed it next to her and drew my sword. Enemy soldiers had come running at the sound of my anger. I rushed at them and struck with a power like lightning! None escaped my grasp as I chased down every coward who dared to attack the princess.

The sun rose on a mountain of bodies. I had single handedly routed out opressers, and yet I felt no pride. In spilling the princesses blood I was granted strength to complete a single task before the sun reappeared over the horizon. She had given me the gift of revenge before our enemies could use it to destroy us completely.

Her people were free only at a great price. This day would be both a day of grief and of rejoicing for years to come. But I would never forget the last words she spoke to me.