Outcast

Sierra didn't have to say anything, she simply pointed at a spot close to Agnes and looked in horror. One of the maids bumped into the frightened princess.

Agnes shrieked in horror and dashed out of the room with her entourage in tow. She ran down the hallway in terror. Sierra peered her head out of the room.

"Do you still want this room, Princess Agnes?"

"No! I am not staying in a filthy rodent-infested room!" She yelled as she caught her breath.

Sierra grinned, "Fair enough."

She turned back to Princess Myra. She looked visibly shaken by what had just happened, along with the two maids she had with her. Even Ida was confused as to what had just occurred.

"There... there isn't really a rat in the room, is there?" Princess Myra asked cautiously.

Sierra looked over to Myra and winked as she said cryptically, "There was. But not anymore. Don't worry, Princess Myra, this room is rat-free now."

There was never a real rat, to begin with. She simply made it seem like there was one. Myra was touched by Sierra's kindness and for her help. Most of the others saw each other as rivals, but not her.

"Thank you so much for your help, if you want this room..." Myra was ready to offer it to her but Sierra politely declined.

"I have no need for a room of this size, Your Highness. I'll see you around," Sierra smiled as she turned to leave the room.

Myra stopped her before she could get very far, asking for her name, "I'm sorry but I haven't gotten your name yet."

Sierra was surprised that she wanted to get to know her. No one else had initiated a conversation with her before this. Not out of kindness for that matter. But she sensed that Myra was different from the rest.

"I'm Sierra. You need not address me with the honorifics, Your Highness," Sierra introduced herself as she curtsied.

"The same goes for me. You can just call me Myra. It's great to meet you, Sierra. I hope we can be friends."

Sierra was delighted. Back home, she never really had many friends. The soldiers in her father's army were more like comrades and there weren't many women in it to begin with. The only person whom she once called a friend ended up betraying her.

But she did not let those bad memories of the past dampen her spirit. After she left Myra's room, Sierra scouted out the remaining rooms. Unsurprisingly, all the other better rooms had already been taken by the eight other princesses, which meant there was only one left for Sierra.

It also happened to be in the attic. A tight staircase led up to it in the middle of the hallway. Sierra peered upwards, only to see a pitch-black corridor leading up. Ida gulped as she peered over Sierra's shoulder.

"Your Highness, perhaps..."

"This is perfect," Sierra chimed as she climbed up the stairs.

Her comment was a shock to Ida. Most other princesses would have already kicked up a fuss or demanded better accommodations. In fact, many of them peered out of their door to see what a laughing stock Sierra would be.

All of them were surprised to see that she was excited to get up there to see her new room.

"Has she lost her marbles? It's the attic for crying out loud!" one of the princesses whispered to their maid.

Sierra did not care for their comments. When she reached the end of the creaky stairs, she was greeted by an ornate door. She carefully turned the doorknob and pushed it open. She had her other hand on her sword, just in case anything jumped out to scare her.

Funny enough, the house that was bustling with noise moments ago fell dead silent. It was as if everyone was waiting in suspense for what she might discover in the attic. Just to have a bit of fun with them, she let out an ear-piercing scream.

She pretended to run down the stairs, when in fact she had not moved from the steps. Her sudden scream scared all the princesses. Those who were listening in also began to scream as they quickly hid back in their rooms.

Sierra, on the other hand, simply ran straight into her new room, with Ida closed behind and closed the door behind them. Once it was just the two of them, Sierra could not help but burst out in laughter.

"You... you scared me! Your Highness," Ida said as she gasped for air while rubbing her chest.

For Sierra, this was the most fun she's had in a long time. Back home, she always had to maintain the crafted image of a female knight, a knightess. Her father had trained her to be a deadly warrior, calm in the face of trouble.

In Drakin, there was no need for that. Though there were still some rules she had to abide by, she was relatively free to be herself. Sierra looked around the attic. The light from the only window lit up the space.

To their surprise, it was rather spacious and it had all the amenities she would need. Just like all the other rooms, this one also had an attached bathroom. It even came with a bathtub.

"Your Highness, this room is..."

"It's perfect," Sierra chimed as she laid down to rest on the bed.