The Princess who became King (ONC 2020）

Chapter 4

Princess Katrina took a deep breath. She was standing in front of her door for the third time this week. Willing herself to open it. To take one step out. To move on.

Despite the odd and out-of-place speech from her mother, she was still having trouble leaving her room.  Every morning she made herself look presentable and went to leave the room, only to find herself stuck. She just couldn't make herself reach out to the doorknob, to turn it and push it open. She tried a few days before, even reaching as far as touching the handle. Then her had handmaid rushed in, startling her.

"What are you doing? You're a damn princess!" she muttered to herself, as she stared at that stupid, damn door. She bit her lip, eyeing the doorknob. She closed her eyes, took another breath, and opened the door.

Things seemed a little easier from there. She paused outside the door, confused for a moment and wondering what she should do next. She noticed one of her guards was looking at her curiously.

"Can I help you?" she bit, a little irritated.

"Uh sorry Your Highness, it's just nice to see you out." he flashed a gentle smile at her. She responded in kind before picking a direction to walk in. The first location she picked, was the ladies' room. She had been peeing in a bucket since she found herself bedridden, and she was in desperate need of a proper bath.

There was a flurry of excitement when she walked into the bathing room. The maids there hadn't been expecting her, so they quickly got to work to prepare a nice hot bath for her. As she lay in the steaming hot bath, she realized, if this was all she did today, it would be well worth it.

Feeling rejuvenated, Katrina decided to explore a little more. She didn't have any duties or classes to take care of any time soon, thanks to the queen, so she decided a walk outside might be nice. Inside the castle grounds of course.

She was hit with a gentle spring breeze, floral and grassy scents all around. She took a moment to look around her and enjoy the view. A broad array of colourful flowers lay before her, surrounded by well-trimmed, bright green grass. She closed her eyes, remembering the gold-hearted gardeners that put so much effort into this garden. She hoped they were doing well.

Katrina continued her walk, finding that the fresh air seemed to be invigorating her senses, making her feel alive again. She smiled. After a few more minutes, she was distracted by the sound of clashing and banging. Her brow furrowed, and she went to see what the commotion was.

She watched the scene in front of her with keen interest. The knights of the castle appeared to be sparring. The two men in the middle were surrounded by a large group of both knights and well-respected citizens. She gazed at the men in the middle. She didn't know much about sword-fighting, but this was an incredible display of talent. Her untrained eyes could barely keep up with the clashing of swords and the quick movements. The men appeared to be dancing on their toes. Back and forth. One of the men had blood dripping down his arm. Katrina imagined with adrenaline coursing through his veins, he likely couldn't even feel it. Both men were grunting and straining, they must've been at this brutal dance for a while. Finally, the two swords met in the middle. Both men struggled to gain some sort of advantage, to no avail.

Cheers erupted from the crowd. Katrina found she was pleased with herself, having recognized that they were indeed talented swordsmen. She realized at this time of day, almost every day, she was either at etiquette lessons or taking part in one royal duty or another. She had never witnessed sparring between the knights before.

Suddenly the attention of the crowd shifted. People began to realize The Princess had arrived. As usual, she smiled politely and exchanged pleasantries, but then she turned her own attention to the men that had been sparring. The crowd quieted as she approached them in the middle.