The Princess Knight

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters that you recognize in this story. Everything belongs to JK Rowling. All I own is the plot.

Summary: The youngest and only female General of the Royal Army, Jade remembered nothing about her real name or who she was. All she knew was that she lived only to protect him, the Prince of Slytherin. As the looming threat of evil threatens to descend upon the Four Kingdoms, however, Jade not only has to sort out her growing feelings for the Prince, but she also finds herself edging closer and closer to discovering the mystery behind her long forgotten past.

Warnings: Alternate Universe (Draco will be older than Harry in this story). Violence. Mentions of human trafficking and slave trading. Also a lot more mature themes later on.

Pairings: Draco/femHarry, others to be decided.

Notes: Alright, alright. I know that I still have HPMOM left unfinished, and I know that a lot of you are still also waiting for me to continue Phoenix Tears but I'm having such a lack of inspiration right now that I decided to try my luck with another story. Hopefully, it'll help me find my muse again. I'll update HPMOM soon, I promise – I'm actually hoping to update HPMOM before I post the second chapter of this story. In the meantime, I just really needed to get this damn plot bunny out of my system. :D

Chapter 1 – The Fall of Gryffindor

"Lily! Take Harriet and run! I'll hold him off until then!"

King James' voice roughened with emotion as he forced himself to pull his gaze away from his Queen and his five-year-old daughter. Behind him, Queen Lily's green eyes widened and her vision blurred with tears as she watched her husband pull his sword out of its scabbard.

"No!" She choked out as her hand tightened around her daughter and she crossed the room back to her husband, trying to pull him along. "I won't leave you, James! I can't, I won't—"

"You have to, Lily!" James whispered back as he glanced over his shoulder again, staring at his wife's broken expression. "I won't let Voldemort take my kingdom! I won't let him take Harry!" His gaze fell to the crying five-year-old who was clutching very tightly onto Lily's hand.

"We'll fight him together. Please. Let me help you, my King." Lily choked out, a single tear rolling down her pale cheek. "I won't leave you here alone! Let me fight beside you—"

"Your Majesty."

At the sound of the new voice that had spoken, both the King and Queen tensed and turned around slowly. The doors to the throne room opened, and King James' most trusted General – the head of his Royal Army – Sirius Black, entered the room. One look at the pained expression on his best friend's face and the tears in Lily's eyes was enough to make Sirius wince.

After kneeling down to show his respect, he kept his head bent low and spoke.

"If I may be allowed to speak—"

"Get on your feet, Sirius. We have been best friends for thirty years now." King James interrupted him with a weary sigh. "We're being attacked. Now is not the time for formality—"

"If you would allow me, your Majesty, we have to get the Princess out of the castle." Sirius' voice shook as he lifted his gaze and met James' eyes. "Lord Voldemort and his forces are already nearing our gates. I fear that it's only a matter of time before they break through our defenses. We need to escape and take refuge in the Slytherin Kingdom before the Dark Lord—"

"Then so be it, Sirius." Lily's voice softened into a defeated whisper as she knelt down slowly, gathering the five-year-old Princess into her arms. "You will take Harriet and escape."

"What?!" Sirius' face paled and he stared at Lily with wide gray eyes. "N—no, I can't! I won't leave, you'll be defenseless! I'll stay – my Queen, you should escape with the Princess—"

"There's no time to argue with me, Sirius." Lily interrupted him as she walked toward him, carrying a crying Harriet in her arms. When she tried to disentangle her daughter's grip around her neck, however, Harriet screamed and she buried her face into her mother's neck.

"N—no, Mother! Please!" She sobbed. "I don't want to go! I want to stay with you!"

"Hush, beloved." Lily's hands were shaking and she was barely able to hold herself together as she gently pulled her daughter's tiny arms away from her neck and handed her to Sirius. "All will be okay, I promise. Your Uncle Sirius will bring you somewhere safe. Somewhere far away from here where no one will be able to hurt you." Her voice broke as she leaned down, dropping a kiss onto Harry's mane of ink blank hair. "Mommy loves you so much, my darling."

"Lily." James' eyes were bright with tears as he watched his wife holding his daughter firmly to her chest for what could be, perhaps, the last time.

"Please. Go with them, my Queen."

"I shan't leave you, James." Lily bit her lip, forcing herself to ignore the heartbroken wails and screams of her daughter as she straightened again and walked back over to James. "Voldemort will be coming with an army of Dark Magic. You need me here to fight beside you."

"Sirius." James' voice was choked as he turned to his best friend, watching as the other man gathered Princess Harriet up in his arms. "Take my daughter and run as far away from here as you can. Hide her somewhere they'll never find her. Can you do this for me, my old friend?"

"It would be my honor, my King." Sirius answered, but by then, his eyes were beginning to grow dim.

James gave him a shaky smile, but Sirius recognized the fear reflected on his face.

"Father! Mother!" Princess Harriet screamed as Sirius lifted her into his arms and began heading towards the back door of the room.

"I don't want to go! I want to stay here with you!"

"Be brave, my darling little girl." Lily called back, tears streaming down her face as she watched Sirius exiting the room. Just as he reached the doors and he slid his hood back over his face, ready to run off into the castle's escape tunnels, Harriet took one last look at her parents.

King James and Queen Lily were both staring achingly at her, their eyes dark with pain and fear. When Harriet reached out for them again, they managed to give her a tearful smile.

"There! Over there, by that gate! It's the General! He's getting away with the Princess!"

Sirius grunted with pain as he forced his horse to gallop faster, riding as fast as he possibly could towards the border that separated Gryffindor from the Slytherin Kingdom. He stiffened when he heard an eerily familiar cackle behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, his eyes grew wide at the sight of none other than the Dark Lord himself, Lord Voldemort, chasing after him. His bright red eyes gleamed maniacally, like two rubies in the darkness of the night, and more out of instinct than anything else, Sirius' grip tightened around Harriet in front of him.

"You can't run from me!" Voldemort hissed at him from behind, and Sirius had to jerk his horse sharply to the side to avoid the spell that was hurled his way. "That child is mine!"

Merlin, help me. I'd sooner die than let him take the Princess. He thought desperately to himself as he pulled his gaze to the front again, searching desperately for a means to get away.

His eyes landed on the forest nearby, the one just on the outskirts that would take them to the border of Slytherin and Ravenclaw, and he forced his horse to gallop faster with its reigns.

"Come on, come on!" He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the neighing of the Dark Lord's horse close behind him. "Just a bit further. He wouldn't dare follow us over the border."

"Where are we going, Uncle Sirius?" Harriet asked quietly, blinking up at him.

"We're going to Slytherin." Sirius answered carefully as he swerved his horse around an obstacle on the round. "My brother, Regulus, is an officer of their Military. We'll be safe there."

"But…Mother and Father." Harriet's green eyes widened again and began to grow glassy with her tears. "We can't leave them! We have to save them, we have to take them with us!"

"There's no time, Princess!" Sirius' grip tightened around the reigns again when he saw the way the Princess was beginning to radiate a small amount of uncontrolled magic. "Your parents want you to be safe. If we go back now, they'll catch us and they will kill you, Princess!"

"But—" Harriet would have said more but in that instant, the path in front them lit up, blocked entirely by a thick wall of fire. Paling, Sirius was forced to pull his horse to a stop, but as soon as he turned around, he was knocked down to the ground by another wave of blue flames.

The Princess! Wincing, Sirius twisted to his side and shoved Harriet out of the way as they fell down onto the rocky ground. When he heard her cry of pain, however, Sirius glanced up immediately, his face paling when he saw the Dark Lord approaching Harriet's fallen form.

"Run!" He screamed, and he tried to stand up to go to her but then he cried out in pain and fell back to the ground, clutching as his injured ankle.

"Harry, just leave me and run away!"

The Princess had gone completely still as she lay there, crumpled on the ground. She began trembling; her green eyes wide and glassy as she stared at Sirius from a few feet away.

"Harry!" Sirius croaked, trying to force himself back up despite the throbbing pain in his ankle. In the process, he ended up twisting the swollen limb even more and he winced in pain.

"Princess, please run away from him!"

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, little Princess."

Sirius' protests were cut off by the Dark Lord's oddly soft and sickeningly sweet voice as he finally stopped near Harriet and alighted from his horse. As he made his over towards her, he noticed the terrified expression on Sirius' face and the way he was desperately trying to reach for his discarded sword on the ground, and his smile widened. With bright, gleaming red eyes, the Dark Lord stopped just as he reached Harriet's huddled form and he sneered down at her.

"Would you like to see your parents again?" He hissed, his narrowed gaze taking in her torn robes and smudged cheeks.

Harriet hiccupped and nodded, tears streaming down her face.

"Don't touch her!" Sirius growled and he tried to rise up to his feet again but Voldemort ignored him, his attention focused solely on the little girl in front of him.

"Get away from her, you monster!"

Harriet was pale as she knelt there, terrified, with the Dark Lord looming over her.

"Very well." Voldemort drawled, and with a wide smile, he raised his hand over Harriet's forehead, his fingers emitting a blinding, eerie red glow.

"You shall see them again very soon, Princess."

"HARRY!"

Sirius screamed again, reaching desperately for his sword on the ground.

"PRINCESS, GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

There was a bright beam of red light and a loudly blaring, screeching noise. The entire clearing around them suddenly exploded and Sirius was thrown back against the rocky ground. The last thing he was able to make out through the cloud of dust around him was that the Dark Lord was gone, and where Harriet once knelt, there was only her cloak, stained with her blood.

The loud thudding of heavy footsteps walking along the ground near his head slowly brought Sirius back to his awareness. He opened his eyes, groaning in pain as he looked up at the dark night sky. He stayed in that position for a long time, his features creased into a grimace of pain and deep anguish as he tried to come to terms with everything that had just happened.

The Princess is dead, and I wasn't able to protect her. I failed my King and Queen. In his moment of grief, as the tears of guilt and self-loathing began to wet his eyes, a shadow suddenly cast itself upon him. Sirius lifted his gaze, blinking up at the sneering man staring down at him.

As soon as he recognized who it was, his eyes widened in horrified anger.

"It's you." He spat out, tasting his own blood in his mouth.

"It's me." Peter Pettigrew, another one of King James' trusted Generals, smiled down at him, callously nudging Sirius' injured ankle with his foot. "Oh, you don't look so good, Padfoot."

"You've lost, you know." Sirius winced when Peter managed to strike a particularly painful wound near his knee and he hissed, gritting his teeth. "You betrayed us by siding with the Dark Lord, but he's gone and it was all for nothing. He destroyed himself with his own dark magic. James will punish you for your treachery. You'd best run now before I kill you myself!"

"Oh, I don't think so." Peter drawled haughtily as he stepped back from him, crossing his arms over his chest. "The King and Queen are dead. I personally made sure of that." His smirk widened when he saw the stunned look on Sirius's bloodied face. "And now, so is the Princess."

Sirius shook with utmost fury, and he spat the blood in his mouth onto the ground.

"The Dark Lord—"

"—is gone?" Peter smirked, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "I saw it with my own eyes too. His spell backfired on him, killing both him and the Princess. Though, I can't say I'm sorry for his death, really. In fact, it just makes things all the more easier for me now that he's gone too. After all, I only sided with him because I needed him to assassinate the Royal Family." He smiled.

At his words, Sirius' eyes grew dim with realization and he finally understood exactly what took place inside the palace that night – Peter had been plotting against James all along.

"It was you." Sirius whispered, staring up at Peter in horror.

"You tipped the Death Eater army off on the underground tunnels leading to the castle. You helped with the ambush attack."

"Bloody brilliant, Sirius." Peter's grin widened at his words and he shrugged, flicking his gaze idly around the area again. He walked over to where the Princess' bloodied cloak was and gathered the material up into his arms, studying the garment carefully. "The Death Eater Army is quite a resourceful bunch you know. Very different from the ever 'valiant' and 'noble' army of Gryffindor. Admit it, our men could never have thought of such an ingenious plan like this one."

"You bastard." Sirius whispered under his breath, digging his nails into his palms.

"And what do you know? Now, that the Dark Lord is dead, I have control of both armies. It's almost like killing two birds with one stone, isn't it?" Peter stroked his chin in thought for a few seconds before he chuckled and turned around, eyeing Sirius' bleeding form on the ground.

"The Kingdom of Gryffindor is now mine." His face twisted into a maniacal smile.

"Y–you…You won't get away with this!" Sirius winced again as more blood began pooling in his mouth and he coughed hoarsely, trying to breathe.

"I swear, I'll tell everyone–"

"Is that so, Padfoot?" Peter's expression suddenly shuttered at his words and his eyes gleamed as he turned around and began stalking back over to where Sirius lay on the ground.

"You remember how they once told us that only the Royal Families could use magic?"

Peter paused as he raised his hands into the air. When Sirius saw the distinct shape of the Dark Mark burned onto Peter's forearm, his eyes widened in horror. "Now, I see that the Dark Lord was right. Anyone who understands true power can wield true magic." Peter hissed.

"No." Sirius whispered, watching as the tips of Peter's fingers began to glow with the same red light as the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. "You sold your soul to the devil for that power. But that isn't true magic. It will corrupt you. It will consume you like it did Voldemort–"

"Tell me something, my old friend." Peter cut him off harshly, ignoring Sirius' words altogether as he raised his hand higher into the air, holding his palm directly above Sirius' form.

"How do you intend to tell anybody the truth about me…When you can no longer talk?"

The last thing Sirius remembered was another flash of bright red light and a burning sensation enveloping his entire body. He screamed, twitching violently against the cold ground.

And then everything blacked out.

Severus Snape sighed wearily to himself as he glanced across the royal carriage at the 15-year-old Crown Prince of Slytherin. With his platinum blonde hair and gray eyes, Prince Draco was a near replica of his father, King Lucius II, but their similarity ended with their appearance.

Where the King was steadfast and particular about his responsibilities as leader to his people, the Prince was unashamedly spoiled, irresponsible and clearly could not care less about his duties as the future King of the Slytherin Kingdom. His mother, Queen Narcissa, had always been rather complacent with her son's behavior, insisting that he'd grow out of his childish ways and eventually take on his role as leader when he was ready, but Severus wasn't so convinced.

He had served as one of the most trusted Generals of the Slytherin Royal Army for ten years, and he had seen how selfish and incredibly self-absorbed the young Prince had become. He cared little about learning how to manage the Kingdom, and even less about interacting with the villagers or the common folk who served them. In fact, the only thing that Prince Draco ever showed any genuine interest in was practicing the Art of Magic – which, as everyone knew, was a sacred privilege of those descended by blood from the Royal Families of the Four Kingdoms.

The Prince was incredibly gifted with magic; no doubt, even Severus had to admit that. Even now, as Severus watched the bored young Prince playing lazily with his crown by levitating it effortlessly around in the air, he had to marvel at the ease with which Draco used his magic. In fact, amongst all the children of the three Royal Families of Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin (Severus couldn't quite count in Gryffindor just yet. The Gryffindor Princess was only five-years-old and had not yet been taught the Art of Magic), he was certain Draco was the most talented.

Now if only the poncy brat wasn't so bloody conceited, I could almost convince myself he'd make a great King. Severus thought wryly to himself as he brought his gaze to the blonde Prince again, watching as Draco yawned and continued to levitate his crown around in the air.

As though sensing the General's gaze on him, Prince Draco lifted his gray eyes from studying his nails and glared impassively at Severus from where he sat across the small carriage.

"Are we, in any conceivable way, near Ravenclaw yet?" Prince Draco asked icily, leveling the older man with an impatient expression. "I feel like I've been sitting in this carriage for hours now, and it can't be good for my posture. What if I grow up with a bad back?" He complained with a 'tsch' sound before sighing and tucking his chin onto his palm. "Where is Father? Wasn't it his grandidea for us to pay another visit to Ravenclaw? Personally, I don't understand why."

Severus gritted his teeth as he forced his annoyance down at the Prince's words and averted his gaze back to watch the scenery outside from the carriage windows. "We're nearing the border of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, your Highness. It should only be a few more hours." At the impatient scowl he received from the Prince, he sighed and offered him an indulgent smile.

"Perhaps, to pass the time, we could do as your Mother instructed and brush up on your knowledge of the Four Kingdoms?" When he saw that Prince Draco was just about to open his mouth to protest, he added hastily. "It would be good to refresh your cultural knowledge, my Prince. After all, you will be visiting the other Kingdoms quite often once you are named King."

"Fine." Prince Draco muttered, leaning back against his seat with a disinterested scowl. "I should have known Mother would instruct you to give me another one of her stupid lessons."

"The Queen is renowned for her excellent maintenance of diplomatic relationships with the other Kingdoms." Severus remarked wryly, amused at the Prince's disgruntled expression.

At his words, Prince Draco just shrugged and muffled a yawn behind his hand.

"I suppose so. Carry on then, Severus."

"Very well, Your Highness." Severus sighed at the Prince's behavior but nodded and glanced out the window again as he began. "We pride ourselves as being the most affluent and economically prosperous among the Four Kingdoms. We place the highest regard on our Ambition and Resourcefulness. In that same way, the Kingdom of Gryffindor prides itself on–"

"Valor and Bravery." Prince Draco supplied correctly for him, looking decidedly bored with the whole discussion. "Yes, yes. I know all about how Gryffindor prides itself with having the best warriors. I disagree. Now can we move on then?" He drawled loudly, studying his nails.

"The Kingdom of Ravenclaw–" Severus continued with another sigh. "–prides itself on the values of Wisdom and Insight. And so, their Kingdom is home to the world's best libraries–"

"–and the smartest scholars of our nation." Prince Draco finished for him, rolling his eyes. "Again, I disagree. I'm getting a tad bored, Severus. Shall we move on to Hufflepuff now?"

Severus eyed the young Prince, his features creased into a wary frown. "The people of the Hufflepuff Kingdom value Loyalty and Perseverance above all else. They hone a lot of very skilled craftsmen. Queen Narcissa also speaks of their Kingdom's very beautiful architecture."

"Whether or not that's true." Prince Draco arched a disdainful eyebrow. "The Hufflepuff Kingdom also continues to borrow gold and resources from us, which they have yet to pay back. What good will beautiful architecture do for their people – or strong warriors or smart scholars, for that matter – when these Kingdoms do not possess the same amount of riches as we do?" He mocked. "Tell me, Severus. Why do we bother learning about the other Kingdoms when they are, clearly, less advanced than we are? Shouldn't they all be learning from us?" He sneered.

"Clearly, you fail to see the true intent your Mother wishes to impart on you with these lessons, my Prince." Severus' expression dimmed at that and he shook his head at the Prince's words. "Perhaps, in time, you will realize how understanding the diverse cultural differences and similarities between the Four Kingdoms is the only way for you to truly become a great leader."

The Prince scoffed loudly at him, scowling once more as he glared out the carriage windows in silence.

"Spare me your lectures, Severus. I get enough of them from my Father."

Shaking his head, Severus was just about to respond to the Prince's retort when a loud chorus of shouts and cheering from outside their carriage suddenly drew his attention. Tensing, Severus narrowed his eyes and brought one hand near the hilt of his sword. When he peered out the window and saw nothing outside, he glared at Prince Draco from the corner of his eye.

"I'll go check it out. Stay in the carriage, Your Highness." He warned cautiously before he glanced out the window again and gestured for the driver to park their carriage a few yards away from a pub that stood by the side of the road. When he stood up, however, and the Prince made to follow him, Severus' dark eyes hardened and he shot a glare at the young Prince again.

"I said…Stay in the carriage, Draco." He growled, causing the blonde Prince to pause in mid-movement and blink up at him with an infuriated expression on his young face.

"I'll go into the pub and ask the locals about what's happening. We need to make sure the road is safe before we continue." Severus told him. When it looked as though the Prince was going to argue with him, he got up from his seat and exited the carriage without another word.

Once outside, Severus addressed the Royal Guards that accompanied their carriage.

"All of you." He ordered, bring their attention to him. "Watch the Prince. Make sure he doesn't exit the carriage. I'm going inside the pub to investigate what's going on."

The guards saluted him and nodded before circling around the Prince's carriage.

Mollified about his charge's safety for now, Severus brought his hand to the hilt of his sword again as he turned and began heading towards the pub's entrance. He wasn't quite sure if the pub belonged to Gryffindor or Slytherin, as it hovered just on the border between the two Kingdoms, but as soon as he pushed through its heavy doors and stepped inside, one look at the red and gold decorations and rowdy, heavily-built men inside confirmed that it was Gryffindor.

What in the name of Merlin is going on in here? Severus thought with a horrified wince as he was greeted with the sight of a large crowd of looters and thieves bustling around a large pile of red and gold jewelry and clothing. After staring at the rowdy scene for a few more seconds, Severus realized that the jewelry and clothing that the thieves were fighting over were embossed with the Seal of the Gryffindor Royal Family, and all the blood drained from his face.

No, it can't be. Without even pausing to think, Severus stalked over to the group of thieves nearest the doors of the pub and grabbed one by his collar, hoisting him up into the air. When the thief snarled and tried to wrestle himself away, Severus held him up even higher.

"Scoundrel!" Severus hissed, pressing the sharp edge of his blade against the thief's pudgy neck.

"Tell me why you have the belongings of the Royal Family!" He growled furiously.

"S–stop!" The thief blurted out as he struggled desperately against Severus' grip, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at the blade pointed at his neck. "We ain't done nothin'! It was them Death Eaters who did it! They're the ones who murdered them King and Queen! They were already dead when we stormed into the castle to loot their stuff anyway!" He blurted out.

"What did you say?!" The grip Severus had around the thief's neck suddenly loosened and his eyes widened with dread. He stared in horror at the large man kneeling in front of him.

The Royal Family is…Dead? It can't be true. Clenching his hands, Severus swallowed the lump in his throat and brought his haunted gaze back to the thief by his feet.

The thief stared up at him with a bewildered expression, and Severus almost flinched away when he saw the yellowing teeth that poke out from the man's mouth as he answered.

"Royal Family's been murdered, milord. Whole kingdom's in anarchy."

I can't believe Severus expects me to sit around in here like a child and do nothing! Prince Draco gritted his teeth in annoyance as he peered out from the carriage window again, staring glumly at the outside of the pub. Grumbling, he rested his chin on his palm and watched the scene outside the carriage, growing even more and more restless with each passing second.

After mentally debating with himself for a few more minutes, the Prince finally let out an exasperated sigh and sat up in his seat. He shot a cautious look at the Royal Guards circled all around him, trying to think of what he could possibly do to distract their attention from him.

An ingenious idea struck him and the Prince smirked.

I know just the thing. He thought.

Still smirking, he peeked out from behind the carriage windows again, using the green-colored curtains to block himself from view. When he was certain that none of the guards were looking, he raised his index finger and pointed it at a grassy area far away from their carriage.

His fingertip lit up with a radiant, white light for a few seconds, before the magic shot out from his finger and onto the clearing, taking the form of a tall figure similar to his own height. Finally, once his magic cleared, there – in the precise spot Draco had been pointing at – stood a perfectly identical illusion of himself, and the guards immediately jumped to attention.

"It's the Prince!" One of the guards nearest the illusion suddenly called out, his voice tinged with panic. "Don't let him run off, it's dangerous out here! Go after him!" He screeched.

Heh. Draco rolled his eyes as he pointed at the illusion again, easily making the magical clone of himself whirl around and begin running away from the guards chasing after him. That was almost too easy. I swear, all these guards are so incompetent. I should have them all fired.

Without so much as sparing another glance in their direction, he waited patiently until all of the guards were chasing after the magical illusion before he stood up and calmly exited the carriage, stepping outside. As soon as his neatly polished leather shoes scraped along the rocky ground, Prince Draco made a face and inspected his surroundings with a grimace of distaste.

Where in Merlin's name are we anyway? This pub is filthy; it looks like it's meant for peasants. Reluctantly, he began walking towards the back of the pub, eyeing the rundown area. I'm don't understand why Mother and Father like to visit the towns and villagers all the time; everything is so…quaint out here. Sighing, Prince Draco was just deciding on whether or not to explore further or to slink back towards his carriage when a loud scuffle from behind the pub suddenly called his attention and he froze up, his gaze darting towards the source of the sound.

"Hurry and decide already, will yeh?! We can't be seen out here like this!"

"King James is dead anyway, ain't no one around to bust you anymore for sellin a slave!"

What did that man say? The Prince's eyes widened, his face paling in realization. King James is…dead? But that means…the Death Eaters must have attacked the Gryffindor Kingdom!

As he neared the source of the scuffling and the hushed voices, Prince Draco's eyes narrowed and he slowed his footsteps. Crouching low on his knees, he peered over a large stack of barrels and watched in outrage as a group of scruffy looking old men – he guessed from their clothes and from the small girl who was gagged and tied up behind them that they were probably slave traders – continued to negotiate with a small band of heavily armed thieves.

As they conversed, Draco crouched lower and tried to listen in on their conversation.

"Speak for yerself!" One of the slave-traders, a tall, lanky man with a hideous spider tattoo on his left arm, pointed out. He shot one of the thieves a glare and shook his head. "This blasted Kingdom's still full of 'em righteous bastards, it's better safe than sorry, I always say!" When he noticed how the thieves continued to inspect the little girl behind them, he added.

"Well, go ahead and decide already! Are yeh takin' the girl or not?!" He demanded.

"I'm thinkin', I'm thinkin!" The man in front of the group of thieves – Draco could only assume he was their leader – grumbled irritably. Walking up to the bound girl on the floor, he knelt down low beside her and reached out, grabbing her roughly by the chin and forcing her head up so that he could inspect her face. When the little girl whimpered in pain at this, a terrified sob escaping her muffled mouth, Prince Draco stiffened and he began gritting his teeth.

They're about to sell that poor little girl off…I have to do something! He thought.

"Heh. Looks like she rolled around in the mud." The thief leader commented, studying the girl's dirt-grimed features. "Where'd yeh pick this runt up anyway? And 'ow much for 'er?"

"Tsch! We didn't get the time to clean 'er!" The lanky slave-trader retorted, spitting on the ground before wiping his mouth and gesturing to the small girl again. "We picked her up not more 'an couple hours ago. She was wanderin' lost round the forest, poor little rat." He smirked and walked over to where the girl knelt on the ground, nudging her side painfully by his foot.

"She don't know her name too. Says she hasn't a clue who the hell she is. I reckon she might be another one of 'em runaways from some orphanage or somethin'. Anyway—" The lanky slave-trader paused, stroking his chin. "—I'd say for her, a 'undred and fifty sickles even."

"Make it a hundred. And yeh've got yerself a deal." The thief leader answered as he stood back up, reaching into his pocket to pull out a pouch of silver coins. Tossing it to the slave trader, he turned to address the others behind him. "She's too young to be of any real use now but give it a few years and that pretty face might be able to make us a lot of money." He scoffed.

Merlin, this can't be real. There can't be actual people like this. Prince Draco stiffened at the scene unfolding in front of him, his nails digging painfully into his palms. Are they really about to sell this little girl to this group of thieves? Who knows what they'd do to her?! He raged.

"Go on and tie the girl to one of our 'orses already! Let's get the 'ell out of 'ere!"

As the Prince watched the slave traders disperse and one of the thieves began to lean down to scoop the young girl into his arms, something inside Draco snapped.

Without even pausing to think about the consequences of his actions, he raised his hands up towards the group of thieves and summoned a burst of magical energy from his core.

There was a flash of blinding white light that radiated from the tips of his fingers before the energy exploded, violently hurling back all of the thieves and slave traders away from the little girl. As they groaned in pain and lay there, barely conscious on the ground, Prince Draco shot back up to his feet and began running as fast as he could towards the little girl. It had taken quite a lot of energy to expel as much magic as he did, and he already felt significantly weaker.

He winced in pain, trying to ignore his exhaustion.

I need to practice my magic a bit more. My body's still not used to using up that much energy. He thought worriedly to himself.

Despite all that, Draco stopped as he reached the little girl's form on the ground and knelt down, hastily untying the ropes that bound her ankles and wrists together. Afterwards, as he reached up and removed the gag from the girl's mouth, she blinked and stared back up at him, allowing the Prince to see her tear-brightened eyes for the very first time. They were an interesting shade of green – a rich, vibrant jade color– and he found himself entranced by them.

It took Draco a few seconds before he was able to find his voice to speak.

"Can you stand?" He asked her gently.

A soft sob escaped the young girl but she nodded weakly, and so he took her hand and helped her back up to her feet. As she pulled herself up, Draco couldn't help but notice the strange, lightning bolt scar on her forehead and the smudges of blood and dirt along her cheeks.

Her robes were stained and torn all over the place, making the embroidery on them completely unrecognizable. When Draco glanced down, he also noticed that the girl wore no shoes, and that both her feet and her legs were scraped with deep gashes and purple bruises.

Frowning, he reached into the pocket of his robes, pulling out a clean white handkerchief. Just as he was using it to wipe the blood from the girl's cheeks, one of the slave traders behind them somehow managed to regain his consciousness. He growled loudly as he stood back up to his feet, his eyes narrowing into slits when he realized who he was staring at.

"Well, well, well." His beady eyes fell slowly upon Prince Draco and when he saw that the Prince was staring nervously at him, he reached down, lifting his large dagger up into the air. "If it isn't the Prince of Slytherin." He mocked, and his smile grew when he saw Draco's panicked grimace. "I can only imagine the money we could get for killing you." The man cackled loudly.

"S—stay back!" Draco swallowed audibly as he began backing away from the man, gripping the little girl's wrist tightly behind him. "—touch me, and I will have you beheaded! My father will have your entire village burned down!" The way his voice broke contrasted sharply with the threat in his words. When Draco noticed that more and more of the thieves and slave traders he had stunned were beginning to wake up around him, he broke out into a cold sweat.

For Merlin's sake! Where are all my blasted guards?! Draco thought in growing panic.

His magic was useless to him at that point – he used up the last of his magical energy when he had expounded the radius of his stunning spell – so he couldn't fight back. In his current state, if he tried to perform any other form of magic now, he would probably pass out.

"Prince of Slytherin, huh?" Another slave trader, a burly man with yellowing teeth, blurted out with a wide, sinister grin. "I think I'd much prefer to kill you than to claim a ransom."

Severus, where are you?! Draco's eyes widened as the slave traders began to close in around him from both sides. Behind him, he felt the girl's hands tighten painfully around his.

Just as Prince Draco was inwardly debating with himself on whether or not they should try to make a run for it, one of the slave traders in front suddenly shot out and jumped at him, grabbing the Prince by the front of his collar and hoisting him up from the ground as though he were a weightless sack of feathers. At this, Draco lost his grip on the young girl instantly and he winced in pain as the man's large hands tightened around his throat, cutting off his air supply.

"N—no, stop!" Draco choked out, struggling wildly as the large man lifted him up higher until his feet dangled a few inches from the ground. "N—no, please! S—Severus, help me—"

"It's useless to call for help, Your Highness." The man mocked loudly. His companions cackled at the helpless look of desperation on the Prince's face. "No one's around to hear you."

"No, stop! I—I can't…breathe!" Behind him, Prince Draco thought he heard the little girl beginning to cry again, sobbing and screaming for the man to stop. Left with no other choice, Draco glanced over his shoulder and stared back down at the girl with wide, pleading gray eyes.

"P—please!" He coughed, though as he choked for air, he wasn't even sure anymore if any of the words coming out of his mouth were coherent. "Fight back! Help me!" He cried out.

At the Prince's words, the girl trembled as she brought her gaze up and stared at the scene in front of her with wide, terrified green eyes. She stood there, completely rooted to the spot with a haunted look on her face, but when Draco began to choke again, her fists clenched.

"Please." Draco's voice was weak and he was already beginning to lose consciousness. He stared at her, looking deep into the bright jade orbs of her eyes. "Don't… be afraid of them. You have to fight back…Please. Fight back." He whispered weakly, his voice slowly fading away.

He was just on the verge of running out of air – he knew he was – but then, in the split second that Draco was certain he was going to die right then and there, he drew his eyes up again and he saw the maniacal gleam of anger that flashed in the little girl's bright green eyes.

The strange look on her face had lasted for a moment, only for a very brief moment, but the next thing Draco knew, the girl was reaching for one of the discarded daggers on the ground.

She let out a sharp, bloodcurdling scream that pierced the silence of the night.

And then, everything else seemed to happen so fast after that.

It was a massacre.

Prince Draco could not believe his eyes as he stared at the fallen bodies of all the dead slave traders in front of him, every single one bleeding profusely from the deep knife wound that the little girl had inflicted onto their torsos. None of the men had expected it – she had lunged at them so fast and tackled them from behind, raising the dagger in her hands and plunging it deep into them without so much as batting a single eyelash. Her attack had come so suddenly, that even Prince Draco was shocked, and he stared numbly at her for a long moment.

She was kneeling down on the ground again, her jet-black hair a tangled mess and her cheeks grimed with dried-up tears and blood but strangely, she wasn't crying anymore. Instead, she stared at the blood-soaked dagger in her hand, a dazed, stunned expression on her face.

She killed those men all by herself to save me…To protect me. Prince Draco thought quietly to himself as he watched her, studying the turmoil of emotions written all over her face.

"You saved my life." Draco whispered to her gently, finally breaking the heavy silence. "Thank you."

He took a cautious step toward her shivering form on the ground and knelt down carefully beside her. When she lifted her gaze to meet his, however, the action seemed to have taken the last of her energy because her eyes rolled up and she fainted in his arms, unconscious.

Nothing could have prepared Severus for the gruesome sight that greeted him when he found the Prince behind the pub that evening. Draco's face was grim as he knelt down beside a small girl on the ground, a horde of bloodied, lifeless bodies circled all around them. When he noticed Severus rushing toward him, however, the Prince looked up and met his panicked eyes.

"Your Highness!" Severus blurted out, staring in shock at the bodies around them.

"Are you alright?! Are you hurt?! What, in Merlin's good name, happened here—"

Draco raised his hand and interrupted the older man with a calm shake of his head.

"I'm fine, Severus."

"M—my Prince." Severus was still staring at the scene around them, his voice sounding choked with horror. "What happened?! Did you—" His face paled. "—did you kill these men?"

Draco didn't answer him at first as he merely lowered his gaze down to the girl in his arms again, reaching out and using his thumb to wipe the bloodstains from her pale cheeks. It took him a few minutes before he looked up at Severus again, answering him in a soft whisper.

"I didn't…She did." The Prince stared at the little girl cradled in his arms, tucking a lock of her black hair back behind her ear. "I've never seen anybody move that fast. She…saved me."

"M—Merlin." Severus stammered as he followed the Prince's soft gaze and stared at the harmless-looking young girl in horrified disbelief. "She killed all these men…by herself? How did she—Your Highness! Wait!" He cut himself off when he noticed that Draco was still carrying the girl in his arms as he began walking back towards their carriage.

"What exactly are you doing?!"

Draco paused in mid-stride and glanced impatiently at Severus over his shoulder. When the older man just gaped at him in confusion, Draco gave him a shrug and continued walking.

"I'm cancelling our visit to Ravenclaw." The Prince began slowly, pausing again just as they reached the royal carriage and waiting impatiently until one of the confused guards near the entrance struggled to open the doors. Still at a loss for words, Severus could do nothing else but follow him into the carriage, his eyes staring in shock at the strange girl in the Prince's arms.

"My Prince, do you even know this child?" He demanded. "Where did she come from?"

To his frustration, Prince Draco ignored his question and went on as though he hadn't heard him. "I think, in light of the attack on Gryffindor Kingdom, you'd agree with me that it's not safe for us to be travelling so freely like this anymore. We'll head back home immediately."

Severus hesitated, still staring suspiciously at the unconscious young girl.

"And the girl—?"

Draco glared sharply at him, his gray eyes resolute with the finality of his decision.

"We're taking her back with us to the palace."

"I see." Severus' eyes widened and he stared at Draco again, clearly stunned.

"You wish to bring the young girl back to the palace as one of our servants then, Your Highness?" He asked.

Draco stiffened and he shook his head, looking appalled at Severus' suggestion.

"I don't want her to be a mere servant, Severus. I want her to be part of my Royal Court." He explained.

"I see." Severus repeated, his features creasing into a frown. "She is but a mere child, Your Highness. From the looks of it, I'm guessing she's only five – maybe six – years old."

"I know." Draco lifted his gaze and stared back at him, giving him a pointed look. "You shall raise her until she's old enough to join my Court then, Severus." Draco insisted stubbornly, "When she's old enough, I want her to accompany me at all times. She is not to leave my side."

"My Prince." Severus continued to frown at him, a conflicted look on his face. "Like I said, she's just a little girl. If what you wish is for her to serve as one of your Ladies-in-Waiting, then I cannot raise her. She will have to be educated and trained in the ways of the woman—"

"No!" The Prince suddenly cut him off, silencing him with a sharp look. "That wasn't what I meant at all, Severus. I did not mean for her to serve as one of my Ladies-in-Waiting."

"I don't understand." Severus blinked at him, confused. "If you don't intend her to serve as one of your Ladies-in-waiting but she is to accompany you at all times, then that means—"

"It does." Draco confirmed his suspicions with a single incline of his head. "I want you to raise her and train her to join the Royal Army. Impart on her your skills." He paused to tighten his grip around the girl when their carriage swerved around a sharp turn in the road. When Severus paled at his words and stared at him as though he had grown an extra head, he added.

"I want her to be to me as you are to my Father."

Severus continued to gape at him.

"You want me to train her…so she can join the Royal Army?" He echoed.

"I want you to train her to become one of my Generals." Draco corrected him with a small, smug smile. "Show her the ways of the sword so that she may protect me with her life."

"Th—this is…absurd, my Prince!" Severus blurted out, shaking his head and glaring incredulously at the unconscious girl. "Gryffindor is already in a state of anarchy! Who knows – what if the Death Eaters also try to attack the other Kingdoms?! I have to fortify our defenses and train our soldiers! I do not have the time to raise a five-year-old child!" He fumed out loud.

At his words, the Prince's eyes narrowed and he glared at him from across the carriage.

"Are you raising your voice to me, Severus?" He challenged, his gray eyes glinting as he brought his full attention to Severus and leveled the older man with a sneer. "Do you defy me?!"

"Of course not, Your Highness." Severus stiffened at his reaction, and reluctantly, he lowered his head in acquiescence until he was scowling at his feet. "That wasn't my intention."

"Then you will hold your tongue and do as I say!"

The last of the Prince's words ended in a sharp hiss as he sneered at Severus one last time before he tore his eyes away. Just as their carriage was rounding its way back towards Slytherin Kingdom, the small girl in Prince Draco's arms suddenly stirred, drawing the Prince's attention once more. He lowered his gaze and stared softly at the girl's bright jade green eyes.

She was blinking dazedly up at him, a look of muddled confusion and uncertainty clouding her features. When she bit her lip and averted her eyes in shame, Prince Draco reached down carefully, using his thumb to wipe away the remaining smudges of tears on her cheeks.

"What is your name, little one?" He asked gently, tilting her chin up so that she met his gaze again. For a few seconds, she couldn't seem to find her voice, but when the Prince nodded patiently for her to speak, the girl looked down again and answered him in a broken whisper.

"I'm sorry." She choked out, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "I don't remember."

"You're shivering."

Prince Draco's gaze flicked over her small frame once more, and when he noticed that she was shivering horribly, he reached up and began uncoiling his own green scarf from around his neck. Then, once the Prince had finished tying the dark green scarf around the girl's neck, he ignored Severus' bewildered stare and gave the little girl's jet-black hair an affectionate ruffle.

"I shall give you a new name then." He mused out loud to himself.

At his words, the little girl lifted her wide-eyed gaze from the beautiful scarf he had tied around her neck and stared up at him again, her expression softening into a small, tearful smile.

Prince Draco smiled back down at her and caressed her cheek.

"I shall call you…Jade."

Notes: Well….what do you think? What do you think?! Do you think I should give this AU story a shot and continue?! Personally, I think it has a lot of potential, and I already have a lot of ideas in mind but I'd like to get feedback from all of you first! :D Oh and FYI, this story was semi-inspired by my current obsession with the anime, Shingeki no Kyojin. After I watched the anime, I was suddenly inspired to write a really kick-ass female main character. In fact, to you other SNK fans out there, I'm sure you must have noticed by now how I patterned Harriet in this story loosely after my favorite character in SNK– Mikasa Ackerman! I absolutely love her to death! :3

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Violent reactions? Please let me know what you think! Cheers and hope to see you next update! :D