Leyland Adventures Chapter Thirteen: Part Ten

Aradressa surveyed the village with hundreds of eyes following her. Buildings wore fluffy hats of snow while icicles dangled from the roofs. Her eyes zoomed in on the snow dropping from the sky before the voice of a petite girl flew into her ears.

"Aradressa, what's it like being a princess?" She asked with her innocence taking over. Her brown eyes met with Aradressa's; she took a knee to match the height of the child. Her hands swam through her golden locks as she explained the responsibilities granted by her status.

"Well, being a princess isn't as simple as animated films makes it out to be. As a princess, you are responsible for protecting those who look up to you. You must set an appropriate example of yourself, and the same goes for a prince. Your actions can have dire effects on your reputation, which is why you must be able to make incredibly wise decisions. To make this easier to understand, the responsibilities forced upon a princess are stressful, but can be dealt with."

The girl nodded, thanking her with a warm hug. She could feel her heart melt as the little girl tightened her grip. Aradressa whispered to the girl, "Make sure you grow up strong to protect yourself and others. Just because you're a girl doesn't mean you have to be ladylike. Actually, I want you to wear this." She removed the skull-shaped necklace and handed it to the girl."

At first, she didn't want to accept the sudden gift, but Aradressa's words convinced her otherwise. "This necklace is the first step to defending yourself. Let your mother know I gave it to you."

"Ok, princess! Thank you!" She cheered, running off with the jewelry.

The warmth within her still remained even after the girl left. A marvelous deed had been done.

⊱⋅ ────── ⋆★⋆────── ⋅⊰

Aradressa walked in an armory, in search for a replacement for her previous blade. Glass cases contained swords varying in size and shape. The cashier nearly jumped from her seat to see the princess looking around her shop. Just the sight of her having difficulty selecting a weapon fueled her need to meet the princess.

"Hello, Princess Aradressa! Do you need any assistance with finding a weapon?" The cashier asked while making her way to the princess. "You can call me Victoria, by the way!" She smiled with violet eyes staring into Aradressa's.

"Well...I don't need much assistance now. I wanted to acquire a sword, but the current supply isn't quite what I require. I suppose I should've expected as much considering the differences between this village and other locations."

"Yes, our supply of weapons are extremely outdated compared to what other locations have in stock. I'm sorry for the disappointment."

"Please don't apologize, I'm sure others will find a more proficient use for these weapons. After all, the village will receive access to better equipment quite soon. Thank you for the service."

"You are very welcome, princess!" She waved goodbye as Aradressa left the store. Her cheeks brightened knowing she possesses a remarkable memory of meeting the princess.

⊱⋅ ────── ⋆★⋆────── ⋅⊰

Aradressa explored deeper into the village, discovering a charming range of small restaurants and stores. Adults and children swarmed around the area with glee. She sat down on a nearby bench, letting her eyes zoom in on the citizens. While her eyes were following the people, they became droopy. For some unexplained reason, her eyes gained weight, making it extremely difficult to keep them up. Although she attempted to fight the urge to sleep, it was inevitable. She gave into the urge, putting herself in a comfortable position where she could rest her eyes for a bit.

⊱⋅ ────── ⋆★⋆────── ⋅⊰

"Princess, princess! Please wake up." A voice shouted.

Her vision, hazed, could hardly make out the person standing before her. She rubbed her eyes, regaining her perfect vision.

"A- Alfred?" She questioned with her mind still cluttered.

"Yes, princess, it's me. The supplies have been dropped off, and I've told the guards to make their way back. Amubki wanted me to give you his eternal gratitude for the gifts you gave. Anyhow, the sky is darkening, we must return home before the monsters of this area arrive. Oh, and the guards have your washed dress, it should be in your closet when they get to the castle."

"I see, let's depart."

⊱⋅ ────── ⋆★⋆────── ⋅⊰

The luminous moonlight hiding behind the gloomy clouds mixed in gorgeously with the falling snowflakes. The howling winds caused Aradressa's hair to ride the arctic winds.

"Princess, do correct if I'm wrong, but is your Shandolyn Sword broken?" Alfred's eyes didn't move during that statement as his focus was on the path ahead.

"I did during my bout with Bengale, luckily I still had Amyris's weapon with me."

"Well in that case, your mother wanted me to give you this."

Alfred presented a board, silver blade with fair length. Aradressa could see her reflection just from looking at the stainless silver the blade was crafted from.

"This is what's known as a Bromide Sword. As you can see, it's perfect for slicing through immensely resilient creatures. Of course it'll be quite difficult to handle, but it shouldn't be much of an issue."

She held the sword in front of her, admiring the length. She ran her fingers from the tip to the handle, feeling nothing but an immediate shiver from the cold steel. "I can predict multiple possibilities where this weapon will be serviceable."

Just as she finished that sentence, a gang of Chillchad Wolves appeared from the distance. Their knifelike teeth glittered with the blood running from their mouths. Their eyes were engrossed on Aradressa's new blade, shouting out a war cry.

"Seems like an exquisite time to test that sword."

She nodded, intensely increasing her grip on the handle. The leader of the pack zoomed towards her before springing forward for a bite. The savage animal's teeth tasted pure silver as the sword repelled the attack. She swung the weapon in an arc, letting the ground deliver the brutal punishment with immense force. Detecting footsteps, she promptly turned around to view four more wolves leaping towards her. She simply used the width of the blade to her advantage, slapping all four with it. Fortunately, the snow cushioned their fall, allowing them to bounce back with ease. One went for her leg, but received a mouthful of the tip of her heel. The other three were gifted with a deadly scar from the princess, their whimpers meant absolutely nothing to her.

The four ultimately knew their place and stayed back. However, the leader would not admit, lunging himself towards her neck. Unfortunately, his attack was predicted as her hands shut around his mouth. At that moment, she launched him far into the horizon. The wolves then retreated with a painful memory of Aradressa's might.

"Well then, it seems that sword pairs well with you. Even so, we must return before your mother gets worried."

She once again nodded, recollecting herself. The two continued their journey with the stars shining down on them.