After cutting all my hair I found myself wearing a fresh new sleeping gown.

Scarlette had quickly gotten over my crazy actions and now I was watching her as she cleaned my room. She'd set my next to the window so that I wouldn't suffer from all the dust flying up.

She'd been muttering to herself the entire time. I'd heard things like, 'lazy' and 'what were they thinking', as she buzzed around.

I guess she'd been taken aback by the state of my quarters, but I'd been dealing with this level of neglect since I'd been moved to my own palace when I was six.

"Scarlette," I called.

She paused in wiping down one of the dressers to look back at me. "Yes, Princess?"

"I think we should clean a bit deeper, don't you?"

Frowning, she turned to fully face me batting a string of red hair from her sweat covered forehead. "Princess, what do you mean?"

I smiled, "Help me get dressed, I think we'll need to first visit the Knight training circle."

"Knight?"

I nodded, coming to my feet. "Yes, I've reached 18 but I'm supposed to have a knight assigned when I'm 16."

Unlike my sister who'd had man of varying abilities clamoring to be her knight when she turned fifteen. I'd been ignored and since I'd never wanted to bother anyone, no one had ever insisted that I get one. But if I wanted to change myself, and this life I wasn't willing to exist passively.

~~

"Princess, is the weather okay?"

"It's perfect."

Scarlette and I walked along the garden path, as the sun beamed down. It was high noon, so many people who'd usually be found outside had returned inside. It was surprisingly peaceful, despite the summer heat.

Passing the large stone statures depicting different heroes from years gone by I wondered what they would think of those who now swore their cruel killing innocent people was to serve them and their legacy.

I chuckled.

Hearing men yelling I realized we'd reached the area where the imperial knights typically trained. I looked at the imperial knight insignia that graced the entry arch way. When I was young I'd come here to spy on the hero knight who'd been lauded as one of the strongest of the new age. My heart was racing at the idea of getting just a passing glimpse of him.

Now...

"Let's go in," I boldly crossed the threshold, and my sight was greeted by the discipline man in practice uniforms of worn brown britches and white shorts, with leather wrist guards and chest straps.

They stood in six rows as they watched their captain who looked to be lecturing them. A silver haired man standing next to him noticed us and quickly approached.

His squinted in annoyance. "Princess, I'm sorry but these grounds are off limits. If there is a knight you're wishing to meet, please—."

"Insolent, this is her Majesty Seventh Princess Zorya Rhiannon Agryos. There is no where that royalty cannot go." Scarlette angrily retorted cutting him off. She stepped in front of me her brown eyes flashing.

Taken aback, the young knight bowed. "I'm sorry, princess. I didn't recognize you."

"Ah, so it's my fault for being unknown," I muttered loud enough for him to hear.

He stiffened. "No, I, I mean I was unaware that there had been schedule appointment today for a royals visit."

"What's going on over here, Richards?"

A gruff man with rough features, and a warriors gait approached followed by a few others. His eyes narrowed on me and Scarlette, I could see his eyes flicker with confusion before he seemed to come to some conclusion. Stopping by Richards side, he offered a slight bow with his fist against his chest. "Welcome, Princess Zorya. We weren't aware you were coming by; we would have presented with a better view."

I pretended to not notice Richards quickly make his escape into the crowd of men behind Commander Hertz, after Hertz was well decorated knight who'd served my father well.

"Interesting, I've been waiting to get a better view of knights since I was sixteen and yet~ here I am at eighteen, still with out one to view."

Hertz tensed as he straightened meeting my playful gaze directly. "Princess does not need to chew words with this commander. If there is something you need, just tell me. I'll do my best to provide it."

Smiling, I traced his face and tapped a finger against my chin thoughtfully. "Is that so? Then I'm here to get a knight. It's long overdue and with my debut ball coming soon it's only proper I have one."

He pursed his lips glancing at those knights who were nervously shifting form foot to foot beside him. "Usually, we'd receive a request from the main palace and then we'd send the best qualified to be selected from."

"And usually, once a prince or princess reaches the age of sixteen the commander of the imperial guards would fill out a request and send it to said princess or prince for them to begin the process," I lifted my hands and wiggled my fingers. "Look, no request."

His face flushed. "Princess—."

I took a step forward, closing the space between us. "I'm going to make this easy for you Commander Hertz. You can either continue this conversation here, and I force you to your knees in front of your men and remind you between the two of us who is royalty. Or you line them up and let me pick the one's I want. Which one will it be?"

Retreating back, I gathered my hands behind my back and watched to see what he would do.

The temperature immediately dropped, and I could see him struggling with himself before he turned and snapped. "Line up! The princess has come to pick her knight."

The knights and those in training all turned shocked looks to me and Hertz.

"Are you not lining up?!"

Hertz second shout got them moving, and they quickly lined up all of them looking reluctant to follow his orders. Strolling to stand in front of them he turned to face. His expression was grim, and I was sure he'd been reporting me directly after this.

Good, if he thought this was how low I would go he was in for a surprise.

Walking over to the center of the training hall, I placed a comforting hand on Hertz shoulder. "See, how easy that was," I whispered.

Letting my hand slide off, I walked and stood in front of the knights. Some had fresh faces with open gazes, some looked sly, and others looked completely uninterested.

I smirked. "I want all those who've killed before to step forward."

Immediately the atmosphere changed as they brought all their gazes to me. My smile widened, "Come on, don't tell me none of you have drawn blood before?"

I looked over them. "As seventh princess, I order those who have killed to step forward or I'll cut your throats myself."

I punctuated this by drawing my thumb across my own throat.

Their expression paled and out of twenty, nine stepped forward.

"Those who've killed humans step forward."

As I expected from the nine, three stepped forward. Staring at the three men, one appeared to be a trainee with black hair and tan skinned, wearing a blank expression. The other two appeared to already have been knighted. One was brawny and tall, with scars bisecting the left side of his face and the other was lean with thin eyes his expression tight around the lips in obvious annoyance.

I clapped my hands together, "Perfect, these are the three I want."

Hertz frowned beside me, he motioned to the black-haired young man. "Baros, isn't a knight yet."

"Then, I'll fixe that now," Reaching I grabbed his sword taking him by surprise.

I walked over to the trainee and placed it on his shoulder. "In the name of Seventh Princess Zorya Agryos, and the Imperial empire I knight you Sir Baros."

Withdrawing it I ignored the shocked expressions of everyone around me and tossed Hertz back his sword. Turning on my heel, I thew over my shoulder, "Come, my knights."

"Princess, you-you can't."

I ignored hertz, and left with Scarlette and surprisingly the three other knights who'd I chosen. Once we'd hit the park I paused and half-turned, looking at the two who'd yet to give me their names. "You are?"

The brawny placed a fist on his chest and lowered his head, "Sir Dalton."

Smirking, the lean one followed his example and lazily gave me a similar salute, "Sir Cirilo, at your service princess."

"Cirilo, Dalton and Baros," I repeated their names looking at each of them. And while they didn't seem a hundred percent on board with me I didn't see any cunning or cloudy greed in their eyes.

Offering my pleased smile, I said, "I don't care if you decide to leave my ranks for a better opportunity, I honestly expect to keep you in my palace for more than a day. But, I do hope that you will leave and cut ties with me cleanly rather than force me to plot your demise for betrayal."

Scarlett, along with he three men expression darkened at my words.

"The palace is a ruthless place, and I've come to grips with that. So, if you treat my cleanly and with respect I can promise to do the same to you."

With that, I continued my way to my palace.

Reaching it a large arch way, that revealed a pathway to her isolated palace. A few servants were lazing around out front and in the back. Stopping before it I decided that this would be their first test.

"I want you three to slaughter every singly servant inside for les majeste."

"Princess?"

I looked at the three men behind me.

Dalton expression had turned ugly. "What did you say Princess?"

I pointed at the people loitering, "Kill them. All of them."

Dalton pressed his lips together turning his expression harsh.

Baros pulled his sword and dagger and stepped forward. "Yes, you're majesty."

Without another word he took off.

Cirilo expression while ugly, bowed and pulled his two swords from his back and silently followed.

Only Dalton still stood before me his expression complicated.

The first scream filled the air causing me to grin and Scarlette to stagger back in horror.

"Well, Sir Dalton. Times a ticking. What are you going to do?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Note: Let me know what you think. 

A picture of what I envisioned her hair to look like after the cut, may be a little shorter.