The King had been outraged for weeks. He had been subjected to ridicule for all of the Kingdom to see, as none of his men had managed to find whoever were threatening the him and his rule. King Berinon slept uneasily, which further contributed to his swaying moods. He had run out of patience, which was not all too uncommon; however, this time, he feared for his life. ”Is there no one in this land capable of obeying my commands?”, he shouted across the hall as the news of yet another threat came his way. King Berinon had called his nearest guards and council to discuss the best ways to deal with the agitators. Being the King of Edored, he was not unsusceptible to petty crimes, murders and small rebellions in faraway towns. Those were easily shut down with his forces, but this agitator was not so easily caught. Whoever it was, he was swift and slippery, always a step outside of the grasp of the King’s forces. ”If I don’t have this scoundrel’s head on a plate within a week, I will make sure I will have one of yours!” The King’s words echoed across the halls of his castle long after the meeting had finished. As the people of castle returned to their doings, little did they know the two things would happen later that very day. The first thing was that their home would burn. The second thing was that their protected princess would, for the first time, leave the palace alone to pursue the agitator herself. - The Lady Elizabeth, Princess and sole heiress to the throne of Edored, felt the smell of charcoal and smoke clenching her throat. Before she even realised it, she was out of the comfort of her bedroom, her heart racing in her chest. It was not the smell of the wood pleasantly crackling in her chamber’s fireplace. No, it was the smell of hundreds of years old panels set aflame. Putting on her simple robe before rushing out of her chamber, Elizabeth ran into her maids. ”My lady, there is a fire”, one of them said, while the other looked around with panic in her eyes. ”We shall escort you to your father and your safety immediately”, her maid added, taking Elizabeth by the hand and dragging her along the hallways. Turning around a corner, Elizabeth could see the smoke filling the halls before she hurried down the stairs to meet her father in the great hall of their private apartments. Enraged, the King stood with angrily flushed cheeks, shouting at his servants to put out the fire. ”It’s the culprit again! It’s that culprit!” His screams caused the maids and servants to run around the hall, each trying to satisfy every new command he shouted. ”Father, I’m here”, Elizabeth said as she curtseyed before the King. For once, he grew silent. Examining his daughter for several moments before even uttering a sound, King Berinon’s silence spoke more words to Elizabeth than any other shouted command could have done. They had had the conversation before, so she knew exactly what he wanted. As soon as the King opened his mouth, Elizabeth knew what had to be done. ”Go”, was all the King said. Before he could say anything else, Elizabeth turned on her heel and rushed back to her chambers. Her maids, unaware of her agreement with her father, hurried after, begging her to go outside palace to protect herself. As Elizabeth ordered them to seek protection for themselves, they exchanged confused looks before following their Lady’s command. The palace was on fire, but the lady Elizabeth, Princess of Edored and vital to the survival of her family’s reign, was coolly returning to her chambers. The smell of the raging smoke hung heavy in the air—the fire still was not under control. She rushed through the hallways, clinging to the edge of the walls, following secret pathways out of the castle that few residents knew about. Although most women of her estate and age would fear going alone without protection, she felt an odd sense of excitement. Perhaps it was at the prospect of her freedom that her father so suddenly had granted her, or perhaps it was the mere thought that she might actually be useful for something now. Being the only child to a King, and a daughter at that, meant that there were many responsibilities that she failed to take. Elizabeth had already disappointed her father at birth, so when he told her of his plans to make her responsible for finding the mercenary who had troubled his kingdom, she knew this was her only chance at proving her worth. And so, when Elizabeth entered the courtyard, she was exasperated to see the mess the guards had created. The gates were closed, and the culprit lost behind them. It took minutes before the gates opened again, and the guards rode out on their horses with full speed. Seizing the opportunity, Elizabeth snuck out of the gate. Dressed simply, the princess headed into the town in an attempt to blend in like any other woman. Up until now, the armed forces of men her father had sent to look for whoever did these deeds had failed. She hoped that she, in her lonely disguise, would prove more successful.