Standing on the steps of the immense palace, an image of the power of this young kingdom in full ascent, a beautiful and tall red-haired young woman politely salutes a Colonel returning from the northern border.

As her eyes wander down the long alley where every ten feet stands a soldier in armour in which the sun reflects, she cannot help but dive into her memories.

The first time she met this kind of man wearing these s.h.i.+ny grey armours and also the last time she saw her family.

The next morning, she should have celebrated her seventh birthday in the company of her parents and brother.

For this occasion, her mother had supposedly baked one of her pies, for which the little girl, who did not think her mother could be so good at baking, always thanked the G.o.ds for spoiling her.

Her father had decorated the house with little animals he had carved out of pine wood and as always, her 12-year-old older brother had spent the evening teasing her.

When night came, despite her reluctance to go to bed, her mother, who accustomed to face her stubborn little darling, covered her with her sheets and told her a story to calm her down.

In the darkness that had transformed the surroundings of the isolated little house into a frightening place, only the sounds of small nocturnal animals made the eyelids of the deeply asleep little girl wiggle.

Yet in the depths of that same night, the animals suddenly ceased their usual heckling.

The Foxes abandoned all attempts to enter the henhouse. As for the hedgehogs, they curled up into a ball and rolled into the little woods.

No sooner had the little creatures fled than under the thousands of horses' hooves that approached, the ground began to shake.

Added to this well-ordered horde of horses, never before seen in these remote lands, a procession of heavily armed infantrymen marched surrounded by standard-bearers.

The standards decorated with a red lion's head spitting fire, proudly brandished by men with backs straighter than a wooden stake, were already crossing the borders of a small field.

With their heavy metal boots, the men in grey armour crushed the ripe vegetables without even trying to avoid them.

Soon these thousands of men surrounded the little house in which, deeply asleep in her little bed, the little girl was dreaming of the gifts she would receive on her seventh birthday.

When the violent sound of a door wrested apart pulled the little girl out of her dreams, being able to feel the emotions of her parents, she opened her eyes wide and sat down in her bed.

Worry, fear, the desire to save her children, the emotions of her mother usualy so calm, all mixed into her to form an indescribable and unprecedented anguish.

Hate, thirst for blood, a renewed desire to fight, the scream of her father who had become Berserk terrified the little girl who rushed to her brother's room.

Pus.h.i.+ng the room's door to walls made of logs and dried earth, the little girl jumped into her older brother's arms to find out which monster was attacking them.

Through the window, and despite the dim moonlight, her yellow eyes piercing through the darkness allowed her to easily discern the countless adversaries facing her father.

They were like the three bandits few months ago. Like to this creatures, who tied her up like a leg of lamb on the back of one of their horses.

Two legs, eyes of many colors, a size smaller than her father's, these beings who had no horns on their heads threw countless spears towards her father.

Her father bloodthirsty attacked constantly but he did not defend himself. He was an ideal target for the rains of arrows that pierced his body and the swords that continually fell on him.

As she watched this unjust battle speechlessly, the little girl, whose eyes had filled with tears, began to wriggle. She wanted to join her father who, thanks to his strength and speed, had already defeated hundreds of hornless beings.

Yet, once again, she lacked the strength to free herself. Caught in her brother's arms, she watched helplessly as her father dripped with blood who, exhausted, ends up falling into his lap.

The rows of hornless creatures swung aside to give way to a gray-haired elder. All seemed to have great respect for this elder, for all bowed to the one who with his golden armor walked quietly to his father.

A few indistinct words were exchanged between the two men, then the little girl saw her father nod his head.

The grey-haired elder did not speak any more.

He pulled a large sword from its scabbard. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but when he threw it down powerfully, the conviction behind the gesture was clear to the little girl.

The sword fell on her father a second time. But finding that this brave opponent was too resistant to push his last breath with so little, the eldest perforated his body ten more times.

What happened afterwards iis confused in the mind of the red-haired young woman.

She knows that when she left the house on the morning of her seventh birthday, she saw her brother and mother lying lifeless on the ground, but she can't really remember how they were executed.

However, she remembers very well the grey-haired elder who found her hiding under her brother's bed.

This old man, General Merlin Marverick, smiled at her and tried to talk to her.

Knowing herself to be too talkative but feeling only hatred and disgust for the man who had killed her father, she placed her little hands over her mouth.

The elder didn't take offense at her behavior, but on the contrary, he seemed to be amused by it.

At that time, Nina didn't understand why he let her live.

Discreetly, he cut off her little horns and when he took her out of the house, the General declared that the little human girl was just an orphan raised by these creatures of indeterminate race.

Although the color of her hair was unusual and her yellow eyes might have aroused suspicion, not one of the soldiers allowed himself to ask the slightest question.

The General took Nina to Capital Ansope, where after various complex administrative procedures, he declared that from that day she was legally his daughter.

More inspired by the sword than by embroidery, Nina concealed her hatred and asked to enter the School of Knighthood.

Within this elite school, her opponents were few and far between.

The young n.o.bles, terrorized by the force of the beauty that every time she was waving her sword, expelled them to places far from there, became discreet and ceased all attempts to charm her.

Perhaps in order to get rid of the young girl who broke the wrists of numerous sons of n.o.bles, the school decided to give her a diploma with five years in advance.

That year she decided to register to the annual selection of the Royal Knights.

The partic.i.p.ation of such a young girl who would face men who had reached the age of majority attracted many curious people to this compet.i.tion which was often slightly neglected by the public.

When she first entered the arena, Nina still remembers the laughter that her sight provoked.

Her anger was at its peak when, after rus.h.i.+ng towards her first opponent and moving too fast for the audience to discern, she cracked his skull.

After removing her b.l.o.o.d.y sword from the skull of the lifeless man, when she licked the blade, all those present fell silent.

From this day on, Nina imposed her barbaric style and the mockery was never heard again.

By dint of proving her worth and strength, for the past two years she has occupied one of the most prominent positions in this prosperous Kingdom.

Having become the protector of the young King Rasen, she now enjoys a status that has nothing to envy to the one who took her as his daughter.

However, as prestigious as this t.i.tle be and the advantages that come with it, Nina grit her teeth every time the young King invites her to his apartments.