Delilah

Despite being afraid, Delilah also felt safe knowing she was with Mamoru, in the short amount of time they spent together she had to admit they had become close but she had to remember that he was her bodyguard and first and foremost her friend, so more often than she liked she had to keep her feelings in check.

“Your majesty,” Frederick bowed low, “I am quite disappointed not to have gotten an invitation to the Princess’s coronation rehearsal, I might have been generous enough to lend a hand, considering I had my coronation not too long ago,” he told her, smugly.

“Your presence is not welcome here,” Penelope stood tall despite being a few inches shorter than her daughter.

Delilah stood behind Mamoru, she had only seen a glimpse of Frederick before being blocked by her bodyguard, his back was towards her, hand tightly holding the hilt of his sword, the other curled in a fist on his side.

“That’s a shame,” she heard Frederick say, “I was so looking forward to seeing the Princess in person, I’ve heard her portraits do not do her justice, so I came here to see that for myself.”

Delilah saw as Mamoru’s shoulders tensed; she could feel the heat of his rage that was coursing through him. He took a tiny step back as Delilah subconsciously took one forward her hand reached up and brushed against his back, the mere touch alone made his shoulders relax a little.

“Enough!” she heard her Mother yell.

Frederick let out a laugh, “Temper, temper. I was merely saying that I would like to see if my future Queen lives up to how she is portrayed.”

“Future Queen?”

“Why yes. You see, I have become so… bewitched by her beauty that I have decided to marry her,” he smirked.

Penelope let out a bark of laughter herself, “I think not! You will not be seeing the Princess, not now not ever!”

Delilah was able to sneak a small peak and saw that his face was getting red with frustration, any redder and he might have steam coming out from his ears and nose like one of those steamboats her Father once went on, the thought itself brought a small smile on her lips, but this was hardly the time to be thinking of such things.

“Look, just let me see the Princess then I’ll leave.”

“You’re certain? You’ll leave?” Delilah finally spoke up.

Her mother looked back sending her daughter a warning glare, Mamoru once again tensed up but didn’t stop Delilah when she walked forward so she was standing between her mother and bodyguard.

She lifted her head and looked through her lashes at the man standing just a few feet away from her. His mouth was wide open as she stood there lightly touching her collarbone for a sense of comfort.

“There, now will you please leave?” she asked, keeping her voice as stern as she could hoping no one would catch the slight quiver as she was so nervous.

Frederick cleared his throat, a pink tint rising over his pale complexion, “As a matter of fact, I’ve had a change of heart. So, I think I’ll stay.”

He took a step forward making Delilah take one back, so she standing behind Mamoru’s right shoulder, again.

“Get out, Frederick! You would not want to start a war with Genevia!” Penelope warned.

“Oh no, my Queen. Perhaps you would not want to start a war with Tarynsville! Especially since your army has no one to lead them, not with the sad demise of your beloved husband and the abdication of the Prince. Do you think anyone is going to accept a woman ruling your kingdom?” he retorted.

“The kingdom is going to accept it one way or another, and besides she is the Princess, our Kingdom would not allow a stranger to rule them,” the Queen fired back.

Delilah couldn’t take it anymore and knew she needed to do something, she didn’t want to just stand there like some ‘Damsel in Distress’ while her mother went back and forth with Frederick, just then a thought struck her mind.

“Mr Himeji, I have an idea,” she whispered to Mamoru.

“What…?”

Before he could fully comprehend what, Delilah had said, she grabbed a dagger wrapped around her ankle and threw it above the chandelier which cut the rope that was holding it to the ceiling, it came crashing down narrowly missing Frederick who jumped back.

“Grab her!” Frederick yelled at his men.

“Now!” Mamoru’s voice boomed across the hall and soon his men took hold of Frederick’s as they were distracted, disarming them. Frederick’s men may have had the number but Mamoru’s had the strength and speed.

“Go now with Mr Himeji!” her Mum yelled.

Mamoru nodded and grabbed Delilah’s hand while her other hand hoisted her dress up to avoid tripping over the regal fabric, he took her through a secret door behind a tapestry Delilah had no idea about, a spiral staircase stood in front of them.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, slightly afraid.

“Somewhere safe.”

Delilah had a hard time keeping up with Mamoru because of her shoes, she stopped for a few seconds quickly kicking them off. They had just run down another flight of stairs when another secret door opened, Delilah let out an audible gasp and Mamoru pushed her behind him, but that was before they realised it was the Queen.

“Mama,” Delilah breathed out in relief.

“My love, are you okay?”

“Yes Mama, are you?”

Penelope nodded and ushered her daughter while following them, they ran downstairs before they came to a big door.

“Listen, sweetheart, I need you to go with Mr Himeji, he will keep you safe, just until things are sorted out here, okay?” she panted in both fear and because she had been running.

“No, not without you!” Delilah told her, stopping abruptly.

Her Mum sighed before taking off her necklace and placing it around Delilah’s neck, she kissed her forehead and urged her daughter to leave and gave a nod to Mamoru.

Delilah watched as Mamoru kicked the door open, before being led to the back garden, a surprised look crossed her face as she didn’t know there were secret tunnels all over the place.

Delilah rarely went to the back garden as she spent most of her time indoors but what caught her attention was the giant contraption sitting in the middle of the garden.

“What is that?” Delilah asked as the pair inched closer to it.

“A helicopter,” Mamoru replied, casually as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

The side slid open to reveal a young good-looking man, he held his hand out for Delilah to take, meanwhile from behind she felt Mamoru’s hands on her waist as he also helped her. She put her foot on the small ledge and hoisted herself up with the help of the two men, once she was inside Mamoru also climbed in.

She looked out of the window as they started flying, Delilah was sad about the fact that she would be leaving her Mother and her home, but despite everything the feeling of seeing everything from a bird’s eye view was also quite exhilarating.

A few moments went by when everything set in, Delilah couldn’t hold it any longer and burst into tears, she was worried. Worried for her Mother. Worried for everyone at the palace. Worried for her people. She didn’t know what was in store for her, all she wanted to do was to go back, back where she felt the safest.

She wished her Father were still alive he would know what to do, no one would ever dare to barge into the palace and he would’ve sent anyone to the dungeons for even looking at her wrong. She wished her brother didn’t leave and was still with her, his presence alone made her feel protected. She wished she could’ve hugged her Mother a little bit longer, taking with her the warmth that blanketed her her whole life.

She heard someone clear their throat and remembered Mamoru, she looked over at him and saw him pass her a handkerchief he looked visibly uncomfortable, “Thank you,” she whispered and managed to pass him a small smile, despite everything she knew she was safe with him.

It had been a rough day for the young girl to say the least, she knew about the rehearsal for ages but wasn’t prepared for anything, a part of her hoped her brother would magically turn up rescuing her from this position she was put in, unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

Beneath her dress she wore a tight corset which dug into her ribs, she was still finding it slightly hard to breathe, as much as she wanted to remove it, she knew she had to keep her modesty, it was impossible to do with all the layers of fabric she wore.

Her head was pounding from the stress as well as the endless pins that held her hair in place, at least it wasn’t throbbing as it had when her ladies-in-waiting were in the process of fixing her hair.

And then the cherry on top of the very bitter sundae- the grand arrival of the King of Tarynsville who demanded an audience with her. The thought of her being with him for even a minute made her shake with fear.

She looked back over at Mamoru, he ran his hands through his hair messing it up even more, what was held back with his peaked cap, was now falling over his eyes. He looked almost frustrated; sweat was dripping down his face which he wiped with his forearm.

He finally looked up and when he did, it was almost as if questions were on his mind, many questions.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Delilah asked, softly.

“It’s just… I have to ask,” he sighed before continuing, “How did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“With the dagger?”

“Oh,” a small smile set upon her lips, “So you know how I love reading?”

“I’m familiar, yes,” he nodded, giving her an obvious look and making her giggle.

“Well, in one of my stories the female character knew how to do that, so I used to set up targets in the library and practice, I wanted to be just like her. And I may not look it but I also know how to wield a sword, Mama almost lost her mind, ‘A lady should not know how to use such weapons,’” she waggled her finger and made her voice sound patronising before letting out a soft laugh, “Papa taught both me and my brother, he said…” she felt the tears burning the back of her eyes and a small lump forming in her throat, she swallowed before continuing, “he used to say that it didn’t matter if you are a Prince or a Princess everyone should know how to fight. I read about many strong women in my stories and wished I could be just like them. I may be a Princess but I’m no damsel in distress.”

As if realising what she had just said, she chuckled bitterly, “Look at the irony, over here I’m reading about strong women in my stories, yet I stood there helplessly. I’m sorry you got caught up in that,” she looked down.

Mamoru looked at her strangely, “What are you talking about, Princess? It was because of your quick thinking that we were able to get away. I was the one standing there helplessly and I’m your bodyguard, for crying out loud,” he slapped his hands on both his knees in frustration, Delilah flinched.

He rubbed his face with his hand before looking at her again, “If it weren’t for your quick thinking and resourcefulness, I don’t know what would have happened, and honestly speaking I’d rather not know, but what I do want to know is; how come you had one on you today?”

“Oh, I always have one on me, depending on the length of my skirt it’s either wrapped around my thigh or on my ankle,” she grinned, cutely.

“Let me guess, another book thing?”

Delilah nodded as Mamoru stared at her bewildered, even the man sitting in front barked out a laugh, “Princess, you never fail to amaze me.”

It always made the young Princess double over with laughter, when she caught her bodyguard off guard, which is funny because his guard should always be up.