The sun rises over the mountains in the east. Warm sunbeams shine through the windows of the Royal Palace of Enonum.
In one of the many rooms, lies the Princess Caroline. As soon as the rays of the sun touch her fair, rosy skin, she awakens. Opening her bright-blue eyes, she quickly arises from her bed and goes towards her bathroom. She pours cold water into a basin and washes her face. After, she cleans her teeth and brushes her long light brunette hair, tying it into a tight, high bun.
Once done with her grooming, she puts on a tight and modest, black and white dress, covering her body, not revealing anything a proper lady would show. After getting dressed, Princess Caroline does some journaling and reviews her schedule for the day; she has just returned home yesterday, and wishes to get busy with her royal duties.
Her first duty of the day is to go to the royal office and review letters from foreign dignitaries and provide responses. Following that, she must greet visitors in the morning from ten to noon. Lunch is with the family and guests of the royal family, after which at one o'clock, there will be ceremonies for new knights and dames of the realm, which will last until three in the afternoon.
Without delay, Princess Caroline goes to the royal office and study to begin her work. She is the first to arrive at the office followed by her brother Prince Marius, her father King Carolus and her mother Queen Juno.
Prince Marius works hard and is rather joyful. Her father, the king, is calm and works. Queen Juno sits down next to Caroline. She is bitter and glares at her husband.
While they are working on the letters, Princess Caroline notices a letter addressed to the queen from a Doctor Bell. Just before Caroline can open it, her mother snatches the letter from her hand. Caroline looks at her mother's face; Queen Juno looks at the letter and her scowl turns to a sneer.
"What do you have there?" King Carolus asks.
"Oh, nothing." Queen Juno puts on a straight face and hides the letter.
After finishing their correspondences and lunch, the royal family begins the knighting and honor ceremony. There are several citizens being given honors. The first five recipients come and go with little controversy. However, the final two recipients really upset the queen.
They are Miss Isabella Wickham, the nanny and nurse to Marius and Caroline. Miss Wickham smiles warmly at Caroline as she receives her damehood from the king. Caroline smiles back. She and her brother love their dear nurse, who had raised them, with more love than for their bitter mother.
Isabella turns to Marius, who is standing beside Caroline, and winks and puckers her lips.
Caroline hears her mother's knuckles cracking and turns to see her mother glaring at the woman looking at Marius. King Carolus ignores the queen and announces the next and final honor recipient.
The final recipient is the notorious Contessa Adele Muzzi Di Ortensia. Caroline scuffs when the contessa struts over to receive her title. Instead of coming to the ceremony dressed like a proper lady, she is dressed like some male rogue, wearing pants and a button-down shirt of a military adventurer. Her black hair is short and tied behind in a short ponytail.
She comes bearing news of treasures she discovered in faraway lands and is received.
Queen Juno is furious. The contessa comes forward and receives not just a medal, but also a kiss on the lips from the king. This is intolerable for the queen and princess, who walk off the stage and leave the ceremony early.
Dinner, later that evening, was is short and awkward. Nobody speaks or even looks at one another. Caroline excuses herself from the table and heads to the fencing hall. Caroline enters the large hall, filled with training dummies, and proceeds to the changing room, where puts on her fencing uniform a black dress with a white jacket. It is a modest uniform fit for a proper princess.
Caroline draws her sword, and unleashes her rage upon the training dummies. As she is training, a young man, about Caroline's age, enters the fencing hall.
"Pardon me, miss." He blushes and smiles sheepishly.
"Oh." Caroline turns around, and looks at him. "Hello Timothy. What are you doing here, boy?"
"Sorry, Miss Caroline, I was just wondering if it is okay for me to clean in this room."
"Not right now, Timothy," Caroline responds. "I need some alone time."
"Yes, Your Majesty." He bows. "I'll be outside cleaning the halls, if you need anything."
Caroline turns around, and resumes attacking the training dummies.
Only a few minutes after Timothy leaves, the door opens again. Caroline turns around.
"You..." Caroline grits her teeth.
Standing in front of her, is Contessa Adele. She is wearing a black robe and accompanied by two bodyguards. On her right is a tall and muscular man with an olive-skinned complexion, to her left is a tall, strong-jawlined blonde woman.
"Hello, my dear Carrie." The contessa grins.
Princess Caroline's blood boils. "How dare you!" She huffs, "It is Princess Caroline."
"Ha." Contessa Adele scoffs. "Proud girl." She circles around Princess Caroline while her bodyguards stand by the door.
"You like to play with swords," Adele teases.
"I'll have you know," Princess Caroline raises her blade, "I was the captain of the girl's fencing team back at school."
"Hahaha," Adele laughs, and drops her robe. Caroline gasps at what she sees underneath the robes Adele is wearing pants. Not just any pants, but black leather pants that are tight around her legs; with a black leather-and-lace corset. On her feet, she wears black boots.
The Princess is flabbergasted by what she sees. "What on Earth are you wearing?!" she yells at the contessa.
The older woman smirks, and pulls out a rapier. "Why, my sweet little girl," she says in a mocking tone, "I simply came here to practice fencing."
"Well, you are not welcome here," Princess Caroline snaps at her.
"Carrie, Carrie." Adele shakes her head. "Tsk, tsk. You shouldn't be so rude and unwelcoming towards an elder."
"I am the Princess of Enonum!" Princess Caroline declares. "You are a guest from a lowly county in the south. You mustn't disrespect the royal house."
"I'll tell you what." Adele raises her blade to the breast of the princess. "Are you up for a challenge?"
"What sort of challenge?"
"A challenge that has a rather high wager." Adele grins wickedly. "Best me in a duel and I'll leave the palace never to return."
Princess Caroline perks up at this. "You will leave."
"Yes. I'll leave and never return to the soils of Enonum."
Princess Caroline is beaming with joy. However, she looks closely at Adele and her bodyguards, who stand by her and the door.
"What is the other side of the wager? What happens if you win?"
Adele grins like a hyena. "Oh. Yes. If I win..." Adele closes her eyes and her blood-red lips. "You will be..." Adele pauses. "My bitch."
"I beg your pardon." Princess Caroline's jaw drops. "I will never agree to that. A princess doesn't submit."
Adele smiles and shrugs her shoulders. "Very well then. I guess you will have to get used to seeing me around here... Carrie."
The Princess goes red in the face.
"Oh, what's the matter Carrie?" Adele makes a pouty face. "You don't like me being around the palace and calling you... Carrie?"
"I accept your challenge!!"
Adele grins and raises her blade to meet with Princess Caroline's blade.
"Engarde!" Princess Caroline shouts, and strikes first. She unleashes her wrath upon Contessa Adele. Adele blocks every single one of the Princess's attacks.
RRRIP
Caroline freezes in place. She stops to look at her right arm; her sleeve has a long tear from her shoulder to wrist.
"What?!" Caroline gasps, and looks at Adele.
The contessa just stands there. "One."
Caroline steadies herself and waits for Adele to make her move. Adele takes a few swings at her.
Caroline braces and parries the attacks. She falls back with Adele in pursuit of her. The princess effectively deflects and dodges the blade of Adele. Caroline goes on the counterattack, and gets dangerously close to hitting Adele.
Adele remains calm and shows no fear. She falls back and allows Caroline to attack while she parries each one. Caroline backs Adele against a wall. Adele's blade is raised leaving her torso completely exposed.
Princess Caroline grins fiendishly. She lunges at her exposed abdomen. Adele rolls out of the way and Caroline crushes into the wall. Her sword penetrates the wood.
RIPPP RRRIP
Adele strikes and tears open her left sleeve. Princess's Caroline's pale arms are exposed by her torn sleeves. Caroline pulls and pulls at her stuck sword; however, she is unable to remove it.
"You said you were the fencing team captain at your school," Adele mocks.
Caroline grits her teeth and shakes. She looks around the room and sees an extra blade across the room. She sees a vase beside her with flowers and soil. Caroline kneels as if she is ready to yield. Adele stands there, staring intently at her.
Caroline quickly grabs the vase and throws it at Adele.
SMASH
Adele deflects the vase and shatters it. Caroline wastes no time and dashes over at the spare sword.
"Trying to play dirty with me?" Adele pursues her.
RRRIP!
A sharp pain is felt across Caroline's backside. "AHHH!" Caroline yelps, as Adele prepares to strike at Caroline again.
Caroline reaches the other side of the room and takes hold of the blade. She deflects Adele's attack and counterattacks. Adele parries, and the contessa and princess circle each other. They hold their rapiers out and stare at each other. Caroline is dripping with sweat and her pale face is red and flushed.
Adele's face has some dirt on it, and has little sweat. Adele brushes the dirt off her cheek. She looks so fierce and beautiful.
Caroline waits for Adele to strike first. She is too tired to go on the offensive and every time she has attacked, she has been hit.
The stare-off between the two is long and intense. Sweat drips down Caroline's brow, as she waits for Adele to attack or expose a weakness she can exploit.
SWISH