Spoils of War (Decay&Maria)

[DecayingMorality]

Cardon, it was a name that once meant something spectacular to the Ranoc kingdom, it meant allies and joy and gave hope for a wonderful future. In fact it had once been the most profitable and trustworthy alliances seen in the entire history of both kingdoms. It all changed after the dissolution of the royal marriage, when the prince of Ranoc found himself without a bride, when she ran off. It had been a terrible grievance against the Ranoc kingdom and while it hadn't started the war it had been the first event which soon triggered the terrible conflict.

Tristan sighed, he had woken too many a mornings with such thoughts, that the war was partially his fault, that if he could have only held on to the princess' feelings that it could all have been avoided. Of course over time he had begun to think differently, war had hardened him in some ways, the prince's first war being a highly successful one. Cardon's military was top notch and they had fine soldiers but Ranoc had been flourishing in the recent battles as Tristan led them personally. It seemed the prince had a knack for war, his combat skills incredibly refined and it seemed his leadership ability was just as advanced. What he had seen leading his troops had given him a new outlook, that if peace were to be achieved it had to be done by force, with something so ironclad that the other nation wouldn't dare attack for fear of what would happen.

The young prince was standing outside of a large tent, the war room of the front line. He was ready for the next battle as they had just discussed the strategy and he would be leading the forward division. He was in full armor already, choosing a heavier plate set of armor with everything but a helmet as he disliked his vision being skewed. His face was calm, more than one would expect from a man new to war. Sure he had been in battles, hunted down criminals and even fought enemy patrols and scouting parties, but this was his first war and he was fitting in well. His face said it all though and as his piercing green eyes moved across the men preparing throughout the camp he knew he was ready.

The prince was an intimidating man, his brown hair cut short and kept neat, his green eyes piercing as if they didn't miss a thing, and they didn't. He stood near six foot two and while it was nearly impossible to tell with the plate armor on he was muscular, training and his natural build giving him strength to move easily even in such heavy armor. It was an appearance that served him well both in court and in combat, giving his men confidence and making women swoon, not a bad combination.

It was war though and appearance meant little once battle started, and battle was starting. The men were ready to ride and Tristan joined them, mounting his horse and riding out towards the front of the company of troops, riding towards the pass, a large open area between two mountains, the perfect location for combat as it allowed both armies to fight without risk of being flanked. It had been chosen by Tristan especially, it allowed for their troops to simply outmatch those of Cardon, not having to worry about anything but superiority, and so far it was working wonders, they would just have to see how it did that day.

 

[Angelic Light]

The guilt that Princess Maria woke up with every morning was sickening, leaving a heavy pit in her stomach. Each morning, she slide out of her bed and crept over to the window, gazing out and watching her kingdom's soldiers practice or prepare for another battle. Prepare for another battle in the great war between the Cardon and Ranoc kingdoms. Once great allies that fell apart, which happened to be partially the young Cardon princess' fault herself. It was hard for her to remember the other reasons why this war between rival nations were occurring except for her so called "selfish ways".

A few years ago, the Ranoc king and queen arranged a marriage between Maria and the Ranoc prince, Tristan. Her parents were hesitant to agree to such a big move, knowing that it would permanently connect the kingdoms together for most likely ever. The two kingdoms had a few light feuds about land and tactics of ruling their kingdoms, but the Ranoc's rulers assured them it would only make each kingdom more powerful. Maria was nervous to be married to this man. Not because she did not like the Ranoc prince, she had nothing against him but she hardly knew him. The main reason was that the pressure of making sure her marriage went well was too much for her. With her parents still hesitant about the arrangement, the Cardon princess called of the marriage a few days before the ceremony.

The Ranoc kingdom took this as a major insult. The wedding being called off was the match that started the great flame of disagreement and bitterness between the nations. Issues about land, trade, and ways of ruling had been brought up. Not too long later the war began. In the beginning, it was an evenly weighed war. In the past few battles, the Ranoc nation had taken the lead with their surprising powerful leader, Prince Tristan himself. Maria heard rumors of his great skills with his sword but also of his tactical genius.

The Cardon faith in their general had began to weaken as the death till raised with each tragic lose against the Ranocs. This general, Sir Max, was experienced in the battle field, winning many battles against invading nations. He was also the same man that trained the princess herself. As a youthful child, Maria was always fascinated with sword fighting. Being the only child of the Cardon king and queen, the nations rulers had Sir Max teach her the ways of the sword in private. With her one-on-one training with the general and a natural skill, Maria was amazing with the sword. Of course, it seemed useless. With her royal status, she had to keep her hobby secret to keep the image of a princess safe. This specific morning, Maria rose from sleep with a new mind set in her mind. She would sneak into battle to help defend her beloved nation win this bitter war. It felt right to her seeing as she truly believed it was partially her fault.

Before the sun peaked over the hills, she snuck down into the armory room in the castle where the extra armor and weapons were held. She stole the lighter armor so she would be easily able to move in. Lastly, she grabbed a helmet, the key piece to hiding her womanly features. Maria was known as one of the most beautiful women in her kingdom. She was only 5'5 and had grown into her womanly curves perfectly. With her training, she had loner body that many men desired. Her long, wavy dark brown hair accentuated her bright baby blue eyes. She tied her hair up and threw on her helmet, grabbed her silver steeled sword, and headed to the stable. She mounted her horse and lead her stead off with the rest of the Cardon army.

The princess in disguise stayed in the far back of the army, afraid of being caught. Luckily, no one noticed her. The ones that did chuckled quietly to themselves about her small size. She smirked to herself, confident she was a better with the sword the anyone in the army. As the made their way into the field, her eyes locked on her target; the Ranoc army. With a battle cry, the Cardons made the first move into battle. Maria stole her chance, weaving through her own men with agility and speed and made it up the front line. With each man she challenged, she easily defeated with a few strokes of her sword by either knocking them off their horse or injuring them. Her size meant nothing as she defeated men twice her size with ease, drawing in some attention from both nations. Combat clearly came easily to her as men from the Ranoc army either tried to challenge her and failed or avoided her.

 

[DecayingMorality]

Tristan's luck seemed to be holding out because when the battle started it was immediately in his favor, the Ranocian troops pushing the Cardonian army back. That was how it was supposed to go, he had placed the men in the correct formations to fit the situation, tight groups with plenty of ranks to keep pushing and to trap pockets of enemy soldiers within their numbers for easy kills. Tristan knew all of this because he was one of those soldiers in the front lines, choosing to lead from the very front as opposed to the middle or back of the unit. That was one of the differences between himself and the enemy general. While he fought on the front lines the opposing side had a back lines leader, a brilliant strategist and an experienced warrior but one who wasn't smart enough to lead the army from the action. The reason it made a difference was because Tristan could make movements and alter troop formations instantly, he didn't have to wait for word from a scout or risk missing something crucial.

Of course even with strategies certain things could turn the tide of battle, there was a reason people were crowned heroes, because of actions leading to a change in the flow of combat. Tristan had been that person for the Ranocian army. He was fighting with his men, raising their morale and lowering the enemies spirits with each man he cut down. He was a strong combatant as well and able to take on multiple enemy soldiers without much of a problem, a natural talent with a sword and quick reflexes. Without a strong combatant in the front lines they were letting him walk all over their front line, that was until someone new showed themselves, a mysterious rider who was slicing through his men just as fast as he was slicing through theirs.

The new soldier could turn the tides if allowed, could shatter the front lines with his skill if not stopped. Tristan quickly made his way through the troops on foot, following the new soldiers movements until he was near the man, cutting down several enemy soldiers and then rushing towards the horse. He pulled a dagger from the back of his armor and threw it into the horse's neck, dropping the animal to the ground and finishing it with a swift slice of his sword, sending the animal down to the ground and hopefully catching the rider off guard. He couldn't go for a quick kill though, moving to the enemy soldier had gotten him in to enemy ranks and while his men quickly caught up it put some pressure on, attacks coming from his sides which he had to defend and counter before he could turn his attention back to the rider.

When he finally got his chance her smirked though, the soldier was small and while that didn't mean much it did give Tristan clear advantages from the start, he would be stronger and have longer reach. "Face me if your brave enough!" He shouted, glad when he saw his men by his side from the corner of his eye, he would no longer have to worry about attacks from the side, he could focus on eliminating the enemies hope, destroying one of their champions, or at the very least taking out a skilled soldier who had laid many of his men down on the field already. Tristan raised his sword, knowing that while it was war some honor was required, and getting ready to defeat the other warrior. As if his reputation wasn't bad enough his stance was solid and his appearance intimidating, few would face him because few were brave enough to do so, he just wondered if the current fighter would stand and fight or run for their troops a little ways behind.

 

[Angelic Light]

Maria's confidence was shinning through as fought the ruthless Ranocian army. The princess' years of long, hard training with the Cardonian army general were well worth it. With each competitor that rode up to take down the unknown warrior, she easily defeated in a matter of seconds. Her quick maneuvering avoided any harmful impacts of swords by the Ranoc soldiers. She was smarter than an average soldier as she recognized the weaker points in her opponents armor before she made her move. With that information In the back of her mind, she would immediately jab at that area to wound her opponents. With this distraction tactic,
she was able to flawless go for the kill.

It was odd for her not to be disturbed by killing these men. In her training back in her castle, she was safe and did not have to be afraid. She would always apologize if she hurt the Cardonian general in her training. Out of the battle field filled with the cries of wounded men, slicing of skin, and the clanking of weapons dueling each other, it was another story. The more men she made fall to the ground , the more adrenaline rushed through her veins and powered her to push on forward. Unbeknownst to the princess, she was the unknown hero that gave a spark of inspiration to the Cardon army.

While the Ranoc army was manipulating where the Cardons moved on the battle field, Maria gave them the inspiration not to just fold over to their enemies. If anything, they pushed the Ranoc back, catching their enemy off guard. It was starting to go back to the first few battles where they were even between the two skilled armies. Maria smiled as she saw this occurring, enjoying watching the Ranocs' shocked faces as their lines were being taken down one by one. Of course Maria was being cocky enough where she thought no one could touch her. This belief was only crushed as she felt her horse below her falter to ground from a fatal impact, sending her tumbling off her stead.

Maria fell off with usual grace, rolling on her side to prevent any damage. She snapped her head up quicky to locate her sword that was only inches away from her on the blood soaked grass. She saw underneath her helmet the man who took her down. Her breath caught as she saw who it was. The strongest man of the Ranoc army. Their general. Their prince....and her ex fiancé. "This about to get interesting." She murmured to herself as her men swarmed around her, defending her and leaving her to a one-on-one battle with Tristan himself.

She gritted her teeth as he called her out as if she was afraid of him. She knew she was brave as a lioness. Excitement shot through her body instead of fear, wanting to get this chance to defeat the Price Tristan herself. She glanced up at him, seeing a thin part of his armor on his thigh. She quickly pushed herself up with agility. In the midst of her movement, she accurately swung her sword at his thigh, cutting through the thin piece of armor. She steadied herself on her feet, matching his positioning, her sword held high . Staying silent so no one around, especially Tristan, would become aware that she was in fact a woman she made the first move. Her sword hit his hard, harder than he would expect as she was not as weak as she appeared.

 

[DecayingMorality]

Tristan had a chance to win another day for Ranoc, by ending the threat that plagued his men he could get the enemy army to retreat and possibly win one of the biggest battles in the war. It wasn't everyday a champion arrived, someone who was skilled enough to actually change the tide of a battle, and if they were to fall it would be a huge blow. Of course he refused to believe such a warrior was no well known, the enemy forces seemed surprised about the man's appearance but that didn't mean they didn't know who he was. That could mean that capturing the soldier would be the better option, not only removing him from the battle but also finding out just what the Cardonian forces had planned, to see what the next step in the battle would be. It would take a deal more finesse but it was possible, especially since it seemed both armies were allowing a one-on-one duel to take place, giving Tristan and the random soldier freedom to focus on one another.

Both armies probably had the same idea, that their warrior would strike the other down and win them the day, especially in the case of the Cardonians as Tristan was more than a mere soldier. He was confident though, Tristan would not lose the fight because more than his pride depended on it, the lives of his men depended on it and he could not fail them. Yes, no mercy to his new opponent, he had to crush the man without holding back or he would be letting his fellow soldiers down. "Men, keep them off me while I take care of this!" He shouted, rallying the troops and making sure there would be absolutely no interruptions, he wanted to finish it cleanly.

With his men rallied Tristan focused once more, watching as the combatant he was to face prepared himself. It was interesting, the enemy seemed unafraid and that was a first for Tristan, usually men fled from him or at the very least looked a bit intimidated, this man did not and it got him excited for the fight. While he wasn't one to get caught up in the battle easily he was ready for this fight, it had been some time since someone had enough skill to go head to head with him and he gripped his sword tightly, waiting, watching for the other to make the first strike. When it happened he smirked, looking down at his cut armor, his thigh slightly cut but the wound be superficial at best. It was impressive that someone had seen the weakness quickly but there was a reason for that weakness, it wasn't an area he needed to protect to continue fighting, a thin layer helped with movement and still gave him moderate protection, protection against a single blow like the one his foe had just landed.

Tristan had no time to ponder though and instead was forced to block a ferocious blow, pushing back against the sword before launching several attacks of his own. Tristan had a great deal of strength behind each attack but the impressive part of his fighting ability was his speed, the blade flying through the air at incredibly speeds and smashing into his opponents sword, the prince having decided not to kill but to capture, and that meant disarming and not mortally wounding. "Your technique isn't bad but your not strong or fast enough to defeat me, you should give up." He snarled as he attacked again, swinging upwards in hopes of knocking the sword from his opponents hands, his body pumping adrenaline unlike what he had experienced before. This was the first person he had traded multiple blows with that didn't kill, the first person of true skill he had faced during the war.

 

[Angelic Light]

For people who knew little about the war going between these two powerful kingdoms, they would believe that this was just a mere quarrel amidst two great warriors. In reality, this duel would most surely decide which kingdom would leave the battle victorious. The Cardonian men needed this mysterious warrior to arise as the winner and defeat the fearsome Ranoc general. Without his leadership on the front lines, the Ranoc army would be lost. Along with that aspect, with the defeat of the young prince would extinguish the morale of the cocky Ranoc kingdom. If things went easily for Maria, she would even be able to kill the Prince in front of her bearing his sword . That would ensure a confidence boost for Cardon kingdom and ultimately cause the Ranoc army's strategies would crumble to the ground.

Maria was a realistic person, though. She knew there was no way in hell this sword duel would be anywhere close to being smooth. From the rumors she heard from wounded soldiers that she helped stitch up, it seemed as if he had almost been untouched. His skills were out of this world and the best in the every nation. His pure size, muscles, and quickness alone could win this battle against the smaller princess. Maria knew and accepted that. So why did she fight this man? She saw his one weakness and it wasn't his thin armor on his leg. His over-confident ego was the key to winning this battle, or at least putting on a good show.

Maria stayed silent as her sword clashed loudly against Tristan's. Though it did not show, she struggled to match his tremendous haste and vigor. He allowed no chance for her to make a jab towards his armor to wound him. Of course, she avoided his lunges with her quick footwork. As she looked around, her fellow Cardonians held back the ruthless Ranoc men to let this battle end in an honorable way. Silently they rooted for her to win this battle which inspired her to keep fighting though her strength was dwindling beneath Tristan's powerful strength. The thought of this battle bringing her death onto her was creeping into her mind. It was highly possible, but the stubborn woman refuses to let it happen. She never backed down from any of his strikes of his steal weapon, no matter how much her body protests.

Maria gritted her teeth as he made that arrogant comment about her skills. This vain man before her truly believed he could analyze her skills in battle with him right before her. Did he really think that was appropriate and honorable? It was like rubbing dirt into an open wound. Her blood boiled even more as her weapon flew out of her hands on onto the ground between them from a flick of his sword. She glared at him from beneath his helmet. "I was raised to never give up. Especially against a cocky bastard like you." She growled back at him, trying to disguise her voice with a deeper tome but still sounding quite feminine. In a rash movement, she swung her foot up to kick him up in the chest. The kick was hopefully powerful enough to send him on his behind or stumbling back a few steps. With this she reached down to pick up her sword, stumbling to her knees as a soldier from behind had bumped into her. She quickly crawled to her sword, holding it up high on her knees. She prayed he was still unprepared by her last attempt kick that she could get back up and fight.

 

[DecayingMorality]

Tristan had trained to be a warrior since his birth and that combined with his natural talent quickly brought him to outclass all of the trainers in his kingdom. He was easily the most talented swordsman at that point and when it came to the war he was the most dangerous person to the enemy kingdom, he was the one person who couldn't be stopped, the one who sent fear into the hearts of their soldiers. Honestly he didn't want to be fighting the war though, as much as he had been angry when the princess ran out on him he didn't wish her or her people dead. His father was old fashioned however and he would not allow the transgression to go without punishment, he had demanded the war and demanded that Tristan lead the men, show that he was capable of being a leader. His father couldn't have been prouder, he was not only showing to be a great leader but a warrior whose name would never be forgotten and both of those things would make him a great king, at least as far as his father was concerned.

Of course the princess' disappearance had left him angry, they had gotten along and despite not knowing each other well he had found himself attracted to her, and not just physically, she was an interesting woman and he had always felt there was more to her than met the eye. The only thing such thoughts got him was her leaving and him in a war. Now he released that anger on the battlefield in each of his attacks, attacks he was launching at this new enemy without hesitation. Of course it only made him more frustrated when each of his blows was ineffective, or it seemed they were ineffective as the other soldier was quite good, perhaps not big or incredibly strong but he was damn good and Tristan couldn't let up on the attack, if he did that there was a chance the enemy would be able to counter attack with his skill, he couldn't afford to make a mistake.

Of course he couldn't help but be taken aback when the other soldier spoke with such a feminine voice, a voice of either a woman or very young boy. He narrowed his eyes, not able to take full advantage of knocking her sword away. Instead he was confused by what he had heard, so much so that when the foot hit him in the chest he could do nothing to block it. It didn't impact him much though, his build and the armor blocking nearly everything, Tristan merely snarling as it snapped him back to reality. "Dammit, I will make sure you give up..." With that he moved quickly, his sword coming down and knocking the sword out of the soldiers hands the moment it was retrieved. "Now, you can either give up or I can finish you off right here... Though killing you was something I had hoped to avoid if at all possible."

At the same time that he was trying to convince the soldier to surrender his men began to push, seeing that Tristan was winning and deciding to get the Cardonians to retreat a ways and surround their champion, which would force the solider to surrender. It wasn't an easy push but the Cardonian army seemed to realize their champion was in trouble and their morale faltered and they were eventually driven far enough for the Ranocian troops to have surrounded the two combatants, leaving Tristan's opponent by himself and giving Tristan a much strong point when he once again opened his mouth. "Come now don't be stupid, stand up and leave the weapon the the ground if you want to live, don't make me kill someone of your skill for nothing." Tristan was hoping the champion would surrender, not really because he didn't want to kill a talented fighter but because he wanted a bargaining chip, one that could make things go much more smoothly in the passing days.

 

[Angelic Light]

As Maria was knocked to the ground, she had the chance to look around and check out her surroundings. To her sides, soldiers from both kingdoms fought tooth and nail. She was certain it was to live another day, to kiss their wives one more time, and to be able to raise their children to be brave like themselves. Of course she was aware that not only were they fighting for themselves but herself as they left area for her and Tristan to combat. The realization was like a kick to the gut. It only made her feel worse as she was failing them, laying on her knees with a sword in her hand in a last ditch effort. Their inspiration in their eyes trickled away as they knew she would be killed only moments later. The Cardonian unknown warrior had lost her battle, which was probably her last one. The impact that one person could do to a doomed army was so shocking to the young princess. Her heart ached as she saw them begin to retreat away from her, knowing it was the best move to save their lives. She wanted to call holler at her men to never give up, that she was just about to raise herself off her knees to continue to fight.

Ultimately that notion thought by the Princess was squashed by Tristan. Her sword went flying from her hands and onto the cold, hard ground a couple feet away from her in an unattainable reach. The anger in his piercing green eyes locked onto her as he snarled at her his two options he was giving her. The look caused her breath to be caught in throat. His eyes were something she first noticed when the opposing prince and princess first met. Of course, his physical appearance was something girls swooned over. She was a victim of his charming looks, but she knew going into the marriage arrangement that his looks were going to be the only thing that had to win her over. She barely knew him and was never given the opportunity as the two were always ushered off to prepare for the wedding. Something inside told her if they had gotten the chance to know each other that maybe they would be husband and wife today. That this was would never be taking place. And that she would not be on her knees in front of the skilled Ranoc general weapons was with his men slowly encroaching around her.

Maria clenched her fist together as he snapped at her with his two choices that were also insults. He was just being an asshole to the opponent he beat in front of him. At the same time, Maria questioned why he was even giving the privilege of life or death. Why didn't he just end her short life right here in front of his Ranoc men, only boosting their morale even more. The thought crossed her mind that he wanted her for a specific reason, not because be was a nice general. In her mind, he was miles away from being considered nice. She had seen from his words and the way he murdered her men that he was an rapacious man. The realization dawned on her; he wanted her to uncover the Cardon army's plans. She had to give it to him, he was a tactical genius. What a shame for him because Maria was oblivious of her kingdom's strategies.

She had to bite down on her tongue to not shoot back a remark to him. He had already heard her voice once and it clearly caught him off guard as he recognized it to belong to a woman. If his soldiers heard her voiced, they would take advantage of her gender. She had heard horror stories of lonely soldiers grabbing innocent women and having their way with her. It would only be worse if they discovered she was in fact the Cardon princess. Everyone would want to claim they had a piece of her as if she was an award. Swallowing her pride, she rose from her feet, kicking away her sword towards the Ranoc men, causing some of them to jump in their armor. She smirked beneath her helmet but then looked back up at Tristan. She inched close to him, only being in his hearing distance. "Fine. Take me. But leave me with my honor and do not tell your pig men that I am a women. " Though she was giving herself in to the enemy, her voice to had a commanding tone to it. "If a single one of their grubby hands touch me, especially yours, I will make this imprisonment complete hell for you. Got it?"

 

[DecayingMorality]

Tristan stood in front of the defeated champion with his sword at the ready and eager to hear the decision and he hoped it was the correct decision. Of all the things he wanted to do killing a true warrior was not one of them, not that day. Besides, he could get not only information but leverage with someone so talented, someone people surely knew of. The plan wasn't perfect sure but it was the best idea he could come up with to put the fighting on hold for a little while, allow people to rest and perhaps even see their loved ones before the battles proceeded to rip the lives of good men away. Not only that but he was slightly curious just what the man beneath the armor looked like, what the small but ferocious warrior would do in order to further resist or even try to escape. To Tristan it was more than a simple option it was about seeing something he hadn't seen before, a combatant worthy of fighting him, one who despite Tristan getting the drop on had fought hard and with great skill. If he were lucky perhaps he could even set up negotiations with the Cardonian royal family, see if they wanted their precious champion back.

Of course every little hope was soon crushed when the soldier approached him, the Prince keeping his sword at the ready up until the moment he heard that voice again. The voice of a woman and while it could have been a young boy he had began to believe that it really was a woman. Then, like it was nothing she admitted it and requested he kept his mouth shut, ensured that nobody from his camp including himself touched her. It wasn't a simple request really, to keep her gender a secret, but it wasn't like it mattered. Tristan had fixed the problem with his men, severe beatings and possibly worse for forcing a woman. He could understand the nervousness though and he took a deep breath, nodding and speaking in a low voice as well. "I will ensure nobody knows that you are a woman and I assure you that you are in good hands, that my men wouldn't dare touch a prisoner of war in such a way, not while I am around and not while I am Prince of this kingdom. Now come on, I need to move you before things get complicated, especially now that I know you are a female."

With that Tristan walked forward and grabbed the unnamed female champion by the arm, pulling her behind lines of his soldiers until they were behind with some of the less adventurous officers. Tristan had one of them dismount their horse and grabbed some rope, tying the champions hands before jumping on the horse and pulling the captured soldier on with him. "Have the men push them back a ways and then disengage, do not chase and attempt a route, just scare them off and return to the encampment, we have much to discuss, or we soon will. With Tristan's orders given the officers nodded and he rode off, ignoring the odd looks he was getting when he left the battlefield to escort a prisoner back to the camp personally. Usually he would have requested a grunt do it, possibly someone too young or inexperienced to be on the front line but with such special circumstances he found himself acting without thinking, riding with the bound prisoner back towards the came without giving it a second thought. It was preposterous really, that Cardon was so desperate that they sent women into war. Not that women couldn't wield a weapon or fight but it wasn't how things were supposed to work, it went against everything soldiers and knights stood for.

Tristan remained silent the entire ride to the encampment, going around a large natural rock wall and down a small path to a huge group of tents, some men still around guarding and doing necessary tasks. Tristan's head had been full of questions on the ride over but he couldn't find the answers. Normally he would just throw a prisoner in a guarded tent or have them chained to a post to keep them from escaping but the situation was not normal, he couldn't leave a woman by herself among soldiers. Sure he was the leader and he liked to think they respected him enough not to do anything but that was not a risk he could take. So after much deliberation he cursed under his breath and made his way to the largest tent in the encampment, his own tent. He sighed as he dismounted the horse, getting the soldier down as well, the Prince looking around to make sure nobody was suspicious about the enemy champion. Then, still without a word he ushered her inside the tent and it was not what one would expect. Inside was not luxury or splendor but minimal. There was a large table in the center with maps and papers scattered about. One corner contained a few additional weapons and another set of the armor Tristan was wearing. There was a bed but it was makeshift and small and even the food was average, what a normal soldier would eat. It was mere his lodging for the battles though and he hadn't taken any pains to make them royal or exquisite.

The true matter at hand was not his room but the person in it and Tristan, after moving towards the center of the room, narrowed his eyes and looked at the captive. "Okay I have a large amount of questions but let's start with simplicity and work our way up..." He took a deep breath and got between the soldier and the tents exit, making sure there would be no running, though doing so within an enemy camp would be stupidity. "First of all I want your name and I want you to tell me how a woman ended up fighting on the front lines..." He had yet to remove her armor and see who she was, Tristan's mind was so boggled that he hadn't even done something as simple as look upon the captives face.

 

[Angelic Light]

Oddly, a soothing wave of comfort crashed over Maria as she listened to him speak to her. His hushed tone was not angry as she expected, by thoughtful. Though a hint of disappointment appeared on is his face. Did he expect her to fight back so he could kill her in front of his men? Tristan must of known by now that the champion warrior that was standing before him was a woman when she first spoke. To Maria, it dawned on her that to him that no matter the gender of his opponent, his primary goal was to eliminate them from the war. On normal circumstances, she would agree with him on certain terms. In the rules of knightly chivalry, even speaking to a woman in a disrespecting tone who did not deserve it was wrong. Murdering a woman, even if she was the Cardon's best warrior in many years, was the ultimate wrong doing. Clearly that meant nothing to the powerful Prince of Ranoc. As quickly as her glimpse of respect for Tristan came, it went just as fast, replaced by disrespect and disappointment. He may have been generous for her option of life or death, but either way would be miserable for her. She was quite aware of the purpose of taking her back as a valuable prisoner. He hadn't even discovered yet that he had the most valuable prisoner of all time, the Princess of Cardon. For such a great leader he was chopped up to be, he seemed like a complete tool to her.

Maria's body shuddered as his hand grabbed her arm to lead her away. It was repulsive to her that a Ranoc man was touching her. To her and her women in the Cardon kingdom, the Ranocian men were by far the most undesirable men in the world. She pulled on his hold not to escape, that would be foolish of her, but to keep as much distance between the two as possible. While most prisoned warriors would hold their heads down in shame, Maria was not that easy to give fully. She held her head up high, her eyes straight forward as she walked beside him. As he brought the rope over to her, she sneered at him in a hushed tone. "I said let me leave with my honor. Are you deaf or just an idiot? I'm not letting you tie up my hands!" She began to tug away from him, but one of his grunts held up their weapon just in case she did pull away. She sighed and let him tie up her hands, completely annoyed with him. She payed no attention to Tristan mounting his new horse. Instead she watched as the Ranoc army charged towards the remaining Cardons, outnumbering them. Her enemies laughed and hollered in excitement as the Cardons finally retreated behind the hills. A sudden emptiness hit her as she realized she was all alone. A wave of fear crashes through her, but she forced it down. She was too stubborn to show the Ranocians, especially their prince, Fear.

Maria's began to squeal as Tristan lifted her with complete ease onto his stead but she hastily silenced herself, biting down on her tongue. She balanced herself on the horse, she kicked Tristan hard in the back of the leg. "A little heads up would of been nice before you hoist me like a doll." She growled out in a hush tone as they began their travel. The Ranoc prince made a point not to speak to her which irked her. It gave her time to think about her situation. She knew it would only be a short amount of time before the Prince discovered her true identity and she desperately wish to be unknown. Thousands ideas rushed through her mind, but many she had to reject due to her detriment of her hands behind her back. The only way she had even the tiniest chance of escaping was if she could untie her hands. The possibility arose when Tristan lead her into enemy grounds. The man stared as Tristan trotted by on the horse with the unknown soldier behind him, clearly having many questions to ask about her. Once again, Tristan lifted her smooth off the horse, dragging her into a large tent, obviously being his own private resting area while at war.

Maria glanced around quietly at his belongings, shocked by how simplistic the tent's containment a were. It was everything a person would expect from a typical soldier's tent, not a general or even a prince's. Before she studied his room anymore, she caught a small silver knife resting on his makeshift dining table. With hope rushing though her, she desperately walked by the table following behind him, grabbing the knife and slipping it beneath her chain mail. Her sky blue eyes watched him closely, but he had not been aware of her sly steal. What a major slip up by a guard of a prisoner. Very slowly, she began moving the knife against the rope, gradually cutting it as he moved between her and the tent's exit. As he demanded answer from her, she decided to be a smart ass to him just to really bug him. "I'm not sure of what my name is. I must of hit my head on the ground during the battle." She had a smirk in her voice as he could not see it beneath her helmet, another thing he had foolishly forgotten to do. "What is wrong with a woman fighting in battle? Or are you upset that I almost kicked your ass in front of all your men?" She knew he would become enraged with her answer, but wanted to delay him as she was only half way through cutting the rope. Also, she wanted to see how far she could push the Prince. After all, he was a noble man. Noblemen have to deal with very frustrating people, so this made her curious as to how far she could push him till he snapped.