Sophie rode under the cover of the night. Her hooded cloak covered her face and the symbol brandished on her forehead. She didn't have a normal horse either. It had dark smudges on it's forehead and side to cover up the branding that had marked the poor animal. She was running, of course, from her destiny.
Sophie was a princess. She was next in line for the throne and her father was close to death. She knew it would hurt him knowing that she had fled, but she didn't want to have to lead the army into battle before she was 20. She was 19 and as the leader of the country, she was meant to lead them in battle when they went to war at all. Right now they were battling a demonic empire and she was scared, well... more like terrified, about being in the front line attack against a horde of demons. She knew she would body guards, but she wasn't trained or skilled enough to even believe she could manage to defeat one in battle, let alone hundreds.
A sword was strapped to her side, hidden under the cloak. She did know how to fight, just not that well. She prayed that her father would be strong and get well, knowing that the next heir wasn't quite of age for leading. Her younger brother was only 8 and still being cared for by the governess that had been put in charge of him when their mother died. She knew the kingdom wouldn't let the little boy go to battle so she hoped her father would draw strength from the people and rise up to finish the war he had started or that he just let the men fight with no part in the battles.
She rode on into the night, unsure of where she was going, just knowing that she wasn't going back until the war was over.
