Night falls and the Blackguards mount their horses as the castle guards begin turning a crank linked to a heavy iron chain, causing the heavy wooden gate to rise. The guards gasp and strain against the rusted, poorly maintained mechanism, before finally managing to lock the gate in place with a sigh of relief. The Blackguards pay them no heed and merely thunder off into the night, heading towards the village resting at the foot of the castle, seeking more sacrifices to satiate the blood lust of the True Emperor.

The castle guards shake their heads in resentment at this lack of respect, but it is something they should have expected. Servants are meant to serve, not be seen. It is a lesson I had learned a long time ago. I was trained to serve. I was born to serve.

I was sold into service.

My parents are a man and a woman. That is the only thing I know of them. The castle chamberlain told me that when the moment I was able to walk, my parents sold me to the King in return for a bag of copper. The Chamberlain seemed upset about it. Apparently whomever handled the transaction overpaid for me.

What is my name? I have no name. The castle did not bother to record my identification when I had been brought to them. I was merely a servant. One out of many. Sometimes I am a stable hand as well. I did not need a name. I only needed to know how to obey. That is enough for someone like me. As a servant I am beneath the sight of my betters. Just as the castle guards, the knights and the learned men are beneath the notice of the Blackguards.

I quietly draw out the long iron nail stolen from the stables. Originally used to fix horseshoes on to the hooves of the knight's steeds, I quickly slip the nail in between the gears that control the gate. As the guards release the bolts holding the gate up, the gears begin grinding in reverse, clanking all the while. The teeth of the gears snap up the iron nail and it swiftly becomes wedged fast like a stuck toothpick. There's a metallic groan of protest as the gears chew at the nail, but it refuses to yield, causing the entire set of machinery to seize up.

With that done, I pick up my shovel and openly walk past the guards and begin cleaning up the horse droppings left scattered around the area. The guards don't bother giving me another glance and move towards the machinery, investigating the breakdown. They wrestle with the gears, muttering curses, trying to dislodge the nail to no avail. Good, everything is going according to plan. They would need to call the blacksmith when morning comes in order to dismantle the gears. That gives me the time I need to do what is necessary.

To rescue Princess Anri.

As I make my way towards the knight's stables, my mind reflects on just why I am doing this. I have been treated as a servant in my time at the castle, no better and no worse. It is an indifferent but fair arrangement. I have friends here as well, both among the other indentured servants and the freemen who opted for this life. There is enough to eat and I am not going to freeze to death in winter. All things considered, it is a better life than what I would receive if my parents had not sold me off. But I am putting it all on the line tonight.

Why? Because of Princess Anri. Unlike anyone else, she saw me. She knew that I existed. She even talked to me. A Princess, talking to me. Sharing with me a deepest secrets. Telling me why the King was so scared of her. Showing me her secret shame.

Her body.

Anri's body was marked. She was an abomination, bearing the traits of both the people's from the lost continents of the East and West. It was the reason why the King hid her away from everyone, forcing her to wear that robe and hood whenever she was allowed to leave her chambers. The King was terrified of Anri and the misfortune that she would bring on his house. For everyone knew the edicts of the True Emperor. Abominations like Anri were to be slain, no questions asked. The three continents were to be kept separate. Now and forever.

Was that why Anri decided to befriend me? A life spent as a prisoner, kept away from everyone. Was I the only reasonable chance she had to acquire a friend? Anri took notice of me only because of her own unfortunate circumstances, not because of any merit on my part. A Princess would never bother associating with a servant otherwise. But I don't care. She saw me when no one else would. Anri is the only person I can call my friend. Just as I am the only friend she has as well.

I unbolt the door of a supposedly empty stable and slink inside soundlessly. The King to his credit, made an effort to discharge his duties to Anri as her father in spite of his mortal fear of what she represented. The hood and robes were an attempt at keeping Anri's existence as secret as possible. All for naught, as the Blackguards eventually found out about her and came here to force the issue. Keeping Anri in an unused stable was the last favor her father could do for her. It allowed Anri a greater degree of comfort and privacy before her execution in comparison to the dungeon.

"Who's there?" a girl's timid voice asks somewhere in the darkness before me.

I reach outwards with my hands, creeping slowly into the stables. Soon enough, my fingers brush against the luxurious silk of Anri's robes. There's a rustling noise and the clink of shackles as Anri's body shifts and she makes a squeak in surprise. Smooth, slender fingers grab at my hands and squeeze tightly. Anri's just a weak girl at the end of the day isn't she? I must protect her smile.

"Ah, it's you." a soft happy sigh, "I'm glad. So glad the last person to visit me would be you."

No, I will protect that smile. I retrieve a bunch of keys from my pockets and begin working on freeing Anri from captivity.

"I stole the keys from the guards." I whisper, "And jammed the gate opened as well. We're getting out of here."

"Mn." Anri sniffles, "No, I'm not worth it. I'll just drag you down with me."

My heart breaks at this declaration. Does Anri think I am weak? No, a true servant is never weak. He has to be strong, to bear his master's burdens. I feel the shackles fall away from Anri's wrists and ankles. As gently as I can, I begin helping her back up to her feet, steadying Anri as she sways unevenly.

"Too late." I say while squeezing her hand, "I'm helping you escape and that's all there is to it. Now let's go."

I begin pulling Anri out of the empty stable and escort her towards the side of the castle where the poorer quality horses are kept. As a princess, Anri had been taught how to ride, but from what I have seen, she is nowhere near skilled enough to control the bad tempered destriers used by the knights. The castle did keep small ponies and hobby horses though, mainly for training and leisure. Getting there unnoticed is not an issue. I have worked in the castle long enough to memorize the patrol routines.

Soon enough, we reach the enclosure where these more humble animals are kept and I begin affixing a saddle onto a pony while Anri fidgets in a corner, tugging at the hem of her robe and restlessly playing with the fabric of the hood obscuring her face. I lead the pony out of the enclosure and at my gesture, Anri mounts it. The pony begins a relaxed canter towards the front gate, with me leading it by the reigns. Now that the gate cannot be closed, there are a group of guards milling around the machinery trying to pull the iron nail out without much success. More dangerous are the pair of guards who have stationed themselves by the open gate, preventing anyone from entering or leaving without getting past them.

Nothing outside of what I anticipated though. I take a deep breath and turn to Anri, resolving myself to see this through to the end.

"I'm going to cause a distraction." I instruct, "Then you will gallop out of here. Don't look back, understand?"

"No!" Anri objects, "I'm not leaving you behind."

I give her a stoic look, hoping to put Anri at ease, "Don't worry about me. We need to act now, before the guards notice you."

"No!" Anri refutes again, this time after some thought, "There is another way. We can escape together."

"How?" I ask honestly curious. Is Anri indulging in a vain hope?

"I overheard papa talking to one of the scholars." Anri whispers, "The curse on my body, its caused by my blood. Its why the Blackguards hate me so much."

Anri removes her hood, revealing her face and the pair of majestically curved horns growing out of her head. I had seen the frescoes representing the denizens of the East, monstrous men and women who bear the features of animals. I should be repulsed by the sight before me, the sheer wrongness of Anri's body. But no, if anything, her horns make Anri's delicate features look even more beautiful, almost imperial in aura and stature. Her long glossy auburn hair forms ringlets that fall around her shoulders, giving Anri a look of sophistication and glamour.

The world has its True Emperor, but there is only one Empress that I will ever recognize.

Anri speaks as she shuts her eyes, her brow furrowed in concentration, "My cursed blood, I hate it. I hate it because its what made father want to kill me. But when I focus, the blood reaches out, sharing my feelings, my heart with the people around me."

A bitter laugh from my friend, "Its strange isn't it? My blood is the reason for all the misfortune I experienced. Its also the reason why I am still alive today."

A sudden fear grips my heart. Could it be that Anri had been manipulating me using the curse's power from the start? Is that why I am so faithful, even to the extent of willing to lay down my life for her? Anri grabs my hand and puts the horse into a relaxed canter, leading me towards the guards gathered at the gate. I then realize that I am thinking too much. I am a servant, and a servant is only meant to obey.

First, the guards turn to look at us.

Then they drop to their knees in submission.

After that, Anri and I pass through the gate, walking step by step towards freedom. Her grip on me never weakening for even a second.

Step by step we walk.

Towards eternity.