Servitude

The Equestrian forces have finally reached my city of Dune in Saddle, Arabia! They are about nine hundred thousand strong, while we are only six thousand militia troops. The garrison of regulars, all eight thousand, got moved to join the main forces in battle.

Princess Luna leads the troops in the far north, and Princess Celestia is in the far south. Princesses Cadence and Twilight Sparkle are in the bay and to the south. Whoever this chancellor, Neighsay, they call him, leads the current army from the west against us. Among my fellow people, I also arm ourselves with what I can—traditional arms. I reach for my rapier and dagger. My father is somewhere in the south, and my brothers are in the north. My mother and sister went south as medical personnel.

My name is Nocturne....like it really matters, like the Equestrians, we have magic, just like them. However, my magic has to do something with the night, and I don't know what. My mark, which serves as a birthmark, is coupled with a storm cloud and lightning bolt.

Back to the battle at hand! Six thousand militia and a city of forty thousand civilians are a line of defense between the foe and the capital. The onslaught began!

Nocturne raised her homemade shield, consisting of mostly overlapped scrapped boards, over her head as arrows and crossbow bolts rained upon her small platoon. Those who hadn't made shields were felled and filled with projectiles. Her troops were placed at the first wall and gate out of three layers.

"Stand your ground! Whoever comes through there, you cut down! We fight for our land, families, and our emperor!"

The gates were splintered, and a large host poured through the large opening.

I saw this host cut my platoon down, I was enraged that our militia captain had put women and children as the front line! We were being slaughtered...then I heard the militia begin to advance, and those horses galloped now. The militia were traitors! Screams and pleas for mercy were heard as they began to die off. Raisingy rapier I fought with a vengeance.

I became aware that my sword was the only one still fighting. An arrow pierced my thigh, and I fell to the ground onto one knee. The warrior I faced smirked as he kicked my ribs and began to beat me with the shaft of his spear. I tried to stand and parry, but a dagger from behind stabbed into my side. I heard the jeers stop, and a command was given. "Cease at once!" I stood and saw the chancellor...Chancellor Neighsay. I tried to bow but crumbled from the pain. The bastard with the spear kicked his steel-covered boot into my abdomen.

"Rise, wretch!" I tried to comply and couldn't for multiple reasons.

"My..my lord...welcome to Dune," I said as cheerfully as I could, knowing that all loved ones in the city were probably dead.

"Captain, I said to spare civilians, not slaughter them all! For that, you and your traitorous band are to be slaughtered and burned!" I was terrified as he dismounted his steed and knelt beside me. He drew his now visible dagger, and he raised it, and I thought he was gonna kill me. Instead, he began to remove the arrow bandage on my leg and tend to my other major wound.

"I will spare you for your damned courage; many of the other lieutenants tell me fled or tried to surrender and, by orders that I had not approved, killed everyone and gave no quarter. Your royal blue hue with your black hair will make my son very pleased to have you."

I knew I was going to be a servant...and hoped my duties didn't include anything involving sex.

"I can see in your eyes your fears. My son needs a personal servant to tend to him throughout his day. The most intimate he might get is a mere hug; the such as he shows gratitude."

I tried to kneel but toppled over.

"Thank you, Lord, for this mercy... I will try to be deserving of it. When I am able, I'll serve by your side until you are called from the field to be able to return home."

I looked into his eyes, he made think of an image from a book I read about vampires. He stood and then knelt and picked me up. He spoke in a deep baritone voice, "I'll take her to the medical tent myself, but I want the best guards to protect her!" He wants to protect me? One of his enemies? I suppose that being away from home, these men might want a plaything.

I woke up the next morning, and I saw all four princesses before me, and two from that city I had heard about being established called Zephyr Heights in honor of the hero of that sea battle against pirates named Zephyr Breeze. I rose and tried to bow, only to get pushed gently onto the bed and ordered to stay down. The mark on my hand had Princess Luna mesmerized. Princess Zipp, pray to tell me hast another mark as this appeared before?"

Twilight Sparkle and Zipp- blurted out trying to show off their knowledge I guess. "The last time this sort of mark appeared was three thousand years before you took the stage as rulers. The mark had belonged to a sorceress, Nocturne Bolt, who usually performed her combat spells from an aerial vantage point like a cliff."

I was dumbfounded and confused. However, in about ten months, I was back in good health and traveling with Neighsay to meet his family and my new master. I wept because my freedom had hit the full realization that I was no longer a free girl. I was educated about my new master, his Royal Highness Prince Blueblood. I was scared that I would mess up horribly! My first day serving him was when he attended a party at a friend's manor!