9 Chapter 7: Disguise As Swordsman

As the Princess of Alicesha claimed her gift from his late father, King Sulliman. Alice tried it afterward; and it would be better if she will make sure that the sword's blade can cut and slice anything, especially the bodies of undead.

Alice ordered that one shall disturb her because she need ample time to relax and to rest after what happened, and she told Lucy not to accept visitors and guests from other Kingdom.

"But, Princess Shaotzie wants to talk to you. Your highness!"

"Is it crucial?" Alice replied.

"I don't have any idea, but I heard Princess Shaotzie and her friend discussing an unprecedented phenomenon, your highness."

Alice's instincts must be right. Zombies are not rumors, and anytime soon they will search for human flesh.

"Unprecedented phenomenon? Like what?!" She asked, and hide everything she knew about zombies.

Lucy cleared her throat before she spoke. She's nervous, of course! It's not a joke, it's a big crisis and catastrophe for Alicesha and for all Kingdom.

"Zombie apocalypse! But, I'm not certain if it's true or a piece of fallacy news, your highness."

Alice gulped, if the news about zombies is keeping spreading then it must be true and it will be going to happen without anyone's knowledge.

She needs a reliable proof, and so Alice planned to sneak out from the palace and to disguised as a swordsman. If Cartlon and Caliek discover her plan, definitely, they would not let the Princess risk her life for her people.

"Call Princess Shaotzie, now," Alice told her, still, seating back at her royal bed.

Lucy immediately walked out of the Princess's room and call the younger Princess.

"Princess Shaotzie? The Princess wants to see you, now." She told Shaotzie, who's lying down at the bed.

"All right!" Shaotzie replied shortly.

Lucy bowed and turned her back at the Princess. "Did you tell her about what you've heard, last day?" Princess Shaotzie asked her, changing her white long robe into a royal dress.

"My sincere apology, your majesty. I don't have any intention, but, I am concern with you, and with the subsequent queen, Princess Alice." Lucy was honestly apologetic, she doesn't have any motives to make the Princess think deeply about it.

"I shall believe in you because you've been a loyal and faithful servant of Alicesha. Should I?" Princess Shaotzie asked her sarcastically and leave her, nervous and trembling.

Shaotzie, at such a young age, was trained by her mother, Queen Marie not to trust anyone easily. If you were in the tip, the more enemies will try to drag you down.

"Alice!" She exclaimed, running towards her elder sister and embrace her.

"Shaotzie," Alice said, rubbing her back gently.

"You need to stay here."

Shaotzie looked at Alice confusedly. "I need to get out from here without them knowing. And I need your help, Shaotzie! I need to see what's going on outside of the Palace."

Alice wants to protect her men from the undead. She will never forgive herself if she can't protect and save them against everything that can oppress them.

"But–" Alice stop Shaotzie with her finger on her lips.

"Stay here! And if someone knocks and look for me, tell them that I'm not accepting any guests or visitors. Tell them that I'm resting and no one shall disturb the Princess. No buts Shaotzie, and that's an order!"

Princess Alice immediately changed her outfit and disguised as a swordsman.

Shaotzie looked around and her gaze halted at the phoenix sword found at the Princess's royal bed. "Where did you found this, Alice?"

"It's father's gift, last birthday," Alice replied, wearing a black cloak with a  hood.

Alice wore a full plate iron armor, matched with spaulders and black greaves. As a protection, she wore a gauntlet of hilt, iron wrist, and a layered necklace.

"Can I try it?" Shaotzie steps closer to the Princess's bed and heave the sword from its sheath.

Alice turned her head upon hearing the sound of the sword, "Put it down, Shaotzie!" She stops from lacing her boots and walked closer to Shaotzie.

"Such a beautiful and glorious sword!" Shaotzie smiled and swiped it in the air.

"It's not a toy for you to play. Sit here!" Alice gets the sword from her and put it back into the safest place.

"Alice."

"What?"

"I'm afraid," Shaotzie said out of nowhere.

Alice looked at her lonely and innocent face. "Of what?"

"Of zombies. I don't know how to protect and to save myself from them. But, as long as you are at my side I won't be afraid nor feel any fear. Don't leave me, Alice."

Alice steps out and hugs her poor little sister, Shaotzie. "I won't, forever and ever."

Shaotzie closed her eyes and savor the moment with her sister. She was too young and innocent to face such a trembling and breathtaking phenomenon.

"I need to go now! Stay here, and guard my room and my name. I'm counting on you, Shaotzie." Alice, for the nth time, hugs Shaotzie and kisses her cheek.

"Take care, Alice! May you succeed with your mission." She waves her hand as Alice took the secret way out of the palace.

On the ground, there is a white horse waiting for Alice. "We have a mission to be accomplished, Ethos!"

Alice before leaving, wear an iron helm. Hiding her nose and mouth, at this point, no one can recognize that she is the Princess of Alicesha.

"You need to run, as fast as you can Ethos. We need to go back before the sunset. Yah!" Alice ordered Ethos to move, and since it was trained by her, Ethos followed the Princess's order.

Shaotzie watched the Princess riding away with Ethos.

She throws herself into the soft and fragrant bed of Alice. She looked up at the ceiling until Shaotzie fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

**

While the younger Princess is sleeping, Princess Alice wandered and roamed around with the places outside of the palace. She went to the "black market" and watch the busy people selling their products.

It looks still the same, the busy people, the busy roads, the youth are playing outside of their small huts with their friends.

Princess Alice prowled a little bit longer, she has still an ample time to browse her people until she saw a woman with her mid-fifties caught her attention.

Alice gets off from Ethos and tie it's rope into the post she saw, nearby.

"Perhaps, you need some help." Princess Alice spoke up to the poor, underprivileged woman.

"You're a swordsman with a beautiful and kind heart! What's your name, then?" She asked the Princess while separating the rotten apples and oranges.

Princess Alice carry the heavy boxes of apples and oranges into cartilage and replied, "I am Ali–" She paused when Alice realized that she's telling the woman her real name.

Alice shook her head to divert the woman's attention, "Aghory! My name is Aghory." Alice exclaimed.

The woman abruptly laugh and stared at Alice carefully. She was trying to observe and convince herself that he's really a swordsman. "Aghory? What a handsome name!" She answered back.

Alice smiled and finish what she's started. "Done!"

"At your age, you must stay at home, and have some rest," Alice told her, waiting for the woman's name.

"Catthia. My name is Catthia, but you're wrong. I may look old and weak but I can still work for myself."

Alice felt a sudden sympathy for Catthia, she is a vendor and she belongs to the lower class. No power, no connection, no wealth.

"But, I have a good looking and caring son. His father fetched him and went to the Kingdom of Atlantis."

"Kingdom of Atlantis?" Princess Alice asked shockingly.

For almost twenty years living in the palace, she never heard about the Kingdom of Atlantis.

"People called it, The lost kingdom of Zeus. Going back to the past, King Zeus made another map and ordered his men to build a high and strong wall all over his kingdom. Afterward, as time passes by, nature helped to hide the Atlantis from its enemy.

Hundred days after, a group of pirates heard about Atlantis. It was one of the biggest and triumphant kingdoms of all time. Their leader, Abu Shaja planned to kill the King and to rule the palace."

Catthia paused for a while and looked up at her.

"Then, what happened to the king and to the pirates?" Alice said.

"The pirates lost their way to Atlantis. The map their use is true but as I said, nature helped Atlantis. Abu Shaja and his men saw a beautiful and enchanting paradise with green tall trees, blooming flowers, birds that are tweeting, and colorful butterflies flying around.

Until today, no one can indicate where's the Kingdom of Atlantis located."

Catthia was right. But she hid the truth, her past.

Princess Alice gasped and looked at Catthia for the last time. Her eyes are so lonely and hopeless, it seems like she was in vain and pain for all her life.

"Don't tell anyone about it, Aghory," Catthia told the Princess.

Alice never thought about the lost kingdom of Atlantis. It was a piece of news for her.

"You can count on me, Catthia," Alice replied, and realized that the sun is setting now.

"I need to go!"

"All of a sudden?"

"The sun is setting up, and I don't have much time," Alice answered as she walks slowly away from Catthia.

However, Catthia recognizes the Princess by looking at her bold, fearless purple. eyes. Alice can't hide it from anyone unless they didn't yet meet the ascending queen of Alicesha.

Alice loosen up the rope from the post and she looked at Catthia, waving her hand at her.

Unfortunately, unexpectedly, there was a group of warriors riding fast with their horses. They were going to the palace.

"What's going on? Why do they look anxious and eager to see the Princess?" Princess Alice witnessed it, she even heard the two vendors gossiping at their position.

"Zombies are coming!"

"Zombies are coming!"

Out of nowhere, a voice echoed that makes the people of Alicesha panic and run back towards their family.

Princess Alice took Catthia with her and they tried to go back to the palace, safe and sound.