One shot, one kill, and one maiden's heart at a time

"Ambush! Ambush!"

"Protect the Princess!" One guard roared, but a sickening thud cut him short.

"Argh!!!" An arrow pierced his eye, and he crumpled to the ground.

The clang of steel echoed as the other guards met the attackers head-on.

The princess, no longer content with being protected, threw open the carriage door. Stepping out of her comfort zone, she donned gleaming silver armor, a sword clutched in her hand.

She was flanked by her two guards, who formed a shieldwall around her.

With a whispered prayer, the princess channeled holy light. It surged forth, bathing her loyal guards in its radiance. Their wounds knitted shut, and their strength returned in an instant. A mighty war cry erupted from their lips.

"For Princess!" They fought the bandits one by one until they met their brutal end.

Panicked by the ferocity of the resistance, the bandits faltered. One by one, they eyed escape. But their leader wasn't having it. Snatching his sword, he stalked towards the princess, a cruel smirk twisting his lips. He intended to use her capture as a twisted rallying cry. The bandits, witnessing their leader's bravado, hesitantly followed suit. With renewed (though shaky) resolve, they began to overpower the princess's guards. A brutal battle raged. The leader lunged with a wicked glint in his eyes, his blade aimed for the throat of the guard who stood protectively in front of the princess.

Just as his hand grasped for her arm, a whirlwind of arrows erupted, one finding its mark deep in his throat. Blood erupted in a crimson spray, painting the princess' face. His eyes bulged in terror, the surprise attack stealing his breath. With a heavy thud, he crumpled to the cold, hard ground, his eyes forever locked in a horrified stare.

Even the princess herself blinked and stepped back in fear, almost vomiting in pallor from witnessing the two dying men in front of her in their brutal glory. It was the first time she had seen such brutal murder up close, and panic gripped her, despite her accustomedness to witnessing death. But seeing their throats stabbed and eyes shot so closely was a first for her.

Only the dying corpses were left; the rest of the bandits scattered and retreated after seeing their fallen leader.

Despite the turmoil and her pallid complexion, she was a leader, after all. She didn't want her subjects to see her ugly side, so she assumed a calm stance, wiped the blood from her face with a handkerchief, and looked at the savior figure with stars in her eyes.

So handsome!

However, her guards, despite knowing he was her savior, still stood guard at the figure and blocked him in front.

She coughed when she saw this.

"Let him pass, Sir Edwin," she commanded.

"Yes, Princess," Sir Edwin replied, bowing. He knew better than to question royal authority in public, despite his worries and suspicions about the man. With a step aside, he allowed the man to pass in front of Princess.

"Thank you for your trust, Princess of Wales," the savior figure courteously offered, bowing gentlemanly as he approached Princess Guinevere, the figure King Uther wanted to marry off to the future heir of the Camelot throne.

"It should be me who offers the thanks, Sir," Princess Guinevere hurriedly responded.

"Well, in that case, it's an honor for this humble knight to assist the Princess," the knight said, smirking hypocritically. However, Guinevere, unaware of the true nature of his smile, was fascinated by the handsome knight before her, whose smile shone brightly.

The sunlight perfectly blended into his shining smile and white teeth, causing Princess Guinevere's heart to race just at the sight of him. Her face flushed red as she stammered to ask his name.

"Your name, Sir?" she managed to utter.

"Sir Kay, that's my name, Princess," Sir Kay replied politely, not minding the princess's stammering tone.

"Ahem… How about we talk inside, Sir Kay?" Guinevere coughed and calmed herself. She knew better than to show her nervousness and affection for the knight to outsiders, even if it was her guards.

After all, she would be married off to the heir of Camelot in the future and didn't want any scandal. But she couldn't help herself; the boy in front of her was so charming and handsome. His silver hair was the dream of every girl, his gentlemanly demeanor and sunny smile perfectly fit her vision of prince charming.

That's why in the Fate world, she was willing to play the wife part with Artoria despite being a girl in men's clothing. Because Artoria had that chivalry and knightly shining armor, and the prince charming part in her. Kay, who showed all those qualities instantly, captured her heart.

She struggled not to be nervous around Sir Kay. Knowing the princess needed help, Kay covered her up with his tall body, preventing the guards from seeing her embarrassment, and said,

"Lead the way, Princess," Sir Kay said with a charming smirk as he bowed slightly. Princess returned a polite smile, a flicker of longing to touch his arm quickly suppressed. Duty reigned supreme, and she maintained a respectful distance beside him as they walked towards the carriage.

As the carriage door shut with a soft thud, Princess and Sir Kay settled themselves inside. Outside, the guards resumed their formation, their steady steps echoing as they continued their journey towards Camelot. The carriage driver, with a practiced flick of the reins, urged the horses forward, and they marched off.