15. The Princess Returns
The princess watched the dejected troops turned around. Once she was satisfied that the troops really turned back, she mounted her horse and signaled the horsemen to return to camp. What she saw shocked and horrified her.
The various groups that was united in fighting were all over the battlefield. Her father's group were nowhere to be seen. Although the battle was won, there was no sign of her father. She hurriedly rode toward the encampment. There she heard the terrible news. Her father was grieviously wounded!
Quick as lighting, she ran into her father's tent. The Great King was there, with Opa and Oma beside him. He was lying down on the cot, with bandages all over his body. The princess gave a cry and pushed people away to be with her father, her eyes shone with worry.
"Father!" the princess cried, "Are you alright? What happened?" The princess was beside herself. Opa grabbed her and calmed her down. He was having trouble controlling the princess until Oma touched the princess's hands.
"Your father is just fine, princess." Oma said. "Please calm down." The princess calmed down. Her eyes still filled with worry. Opa released her. He was overwhelmed. Oma brought the princess carefully to the king's cot.
"Ah, you're here at last." The Great King said. "Where were you?"
"I was trying to persuade the enemy not to fight." replied the princess.
"Were you successful?"
"I failed. To a man, they will join the Queen and fight us."
"That's not true, princess." The Captain has joined them. "You turned away 2000 men today."
"I wasn't talking about those troops." said the princess.
"Ah, so you did turn away 2000 soldiers." The King said. "Please tell me more."
"I will." said the Princess. "But first tell me how you came to be wounded. When I looked over the battle, you had everything under control. What happened?"
"We were routing the foot soldiers on the ground when a large group of cavalry attacked us. The men panicked and ran. There were only 2 groups who stood and fight. Ours and the Dry Marsh's men. We took the brunt of the attack because otherwise the Marsh's men would not survive. We just managed to destroy the cavalry when the rest of the enemy foot soldiers came crashing into us. We weren't well formed to handle the foot soldiers after fighting the horses. I'm afraid, we lost a lot of good men." The King looked sad.
"But you are the greatest warrior of the land!" said the princess. "How can you be wounded so?"
Opa answered, "The King was as strong as ever and can easily handle 10 times his number. But he was facing 20 times his number. It was a miracle that he fought so hard, and still lived."
The princess tearfully listened to Opa.
Opa said, "Don't worry. None of his wounds are fatal nor permanent. He will need a good long rest, but he will be fine."
Opa's word calmed the princess. Then, with tears still streaming down her cheek, the princess knelt by her father's cot and said, "Father, please forgive this daughter, for I have been disobedient." She bowed her head, downcast. "I left your side during battle when you needed me most."
"In deed, you worried me, daughter. You were just as reckless as your brothers, if not more." the King said. "But you did not abandon me during battle." the King looked at his daughter carefully. "Did you not say that you turned 2000 men away? I didn't see them. Where were they?"
"In a flanking maneuver, for a rear attack." said the Princess. Then she told her father all about her encounter with the troops and the Queen, and how she challenged them to a duel, and managed to win.
The Great King smiled. She was becoming a magnificent warrior in her own right. He felt great pangs. If only she was a boy, then the kingdom would be saved. Alas, there was only a daughter left.
Opa, too, was proud of her, but he was not happy. He judged the Princess to be too reckless. He will need to talk to her about it. Especially since the King has been wounded and will not be able to fight anytime soon.
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