Rishe stood at parade rest atop the deck of a war galley. The sailors went about their duties tending to the mast, rigging, and other matters around her. The ship rocked in the waves, with a gentle spray hitting the back of Rishe's neck.

The princess stood in trousers and a quilted gambeson, all while wearing a short haired brown wig, the same she used years earlier to infiltrate Royal Knight training. Rishe was at parade rest with Count Leo's other household knights and some local soldiers. None had their armor on, as they were still enroute, but the count walked in front of them wearing the same thing as his men.

Leo was a little older than Arnold with shoulder length green hair and sharp brown eyes that kept a close watch on his men. "Our mission is simple, rid ourselves of some bloodthirsty pirates and rescue a group of foreign ambassadors. Prince Arnold himself has called upon is. It is hour honor and privilege to serve beside his majesty! Hail the house of Galkhein!" Leo declared.

"Hail!" Rishe cried with the others.

She struggled to contain her excitement and glanced at the leading galley which flew the Imperial banner. Unlike last time, Rishe thought this through. All she had to do was hide herself in Count Leo's company while Suzaka hid among the Count's second squad on the third ship. Arnold would remain with his own retinue, never knowing that they had-

"I admire your enthusiasm, Count Leo," a familiar voice sent shivers down Rishe's spine and almost made her yelp.

Count Leo and the knights blinked when Arnold revealed himself, a terrifying smile across his handsome face.

"Prince Arnold? I thought you were on the other ship," Leo said.

"I decided to travel and fight with you, Count Leo. My knights see me so often, I wanted to give your men a chance to fight beside their prince," Arnold looked among the knights who stiffened, but none more than Rishe who tried to inch herself beside a larger man. Just then, Arnold moved on and Rishe perked up.

"He didn't notice me!"

A minute later, she found herself pinned against the wall of a small chamber in the ship's lower level. He noticed me. Rishe lamented and realized this was the exact same position they stood in five years earlier. Was it even worth trying to deny it again. Arnold's blue eyes bore into a trembling Rishe who tried to look away even as he held her by the shoulders.

"Uhh, your majesty, I don't know what I have done to offend you," she stuttered in a horrible attempt at a deeper voice. Arnold did not speak, he just kept staring back, making Rishe's entire body quiver. After a few moments, he shifted his hand to her cheeks, which turned pink.

"My prince, this is most unusual, I don't feel comfortable and you have a wife-"

"That's right, I do. One I specifically told not to come along."

"Eep! I mean, I'm sure she listened. Princess Rishe seems like a good princess-"

"I don't know about that, she tends to be too enthusiastic for her own good sometimes, but that's alright, I still love her," Arnold face broke into a smile, and Rishe started to melt when he kissed her.

"Ahhh! Your majesty, I, I-"

Rather than entertain her any longer, Arnold grabbed Rishe's wig and ripped it off, allowing her long pink hair to flow free. She gulped and said in utter desperation.

"You caught me, I have long pink hair, I don't like the others knowing about-"

"Rishe, enough!" Arnold held her by the cheeks again.

"Ahh, I'm sorry," she sobbed. Arnold did not let her go and shook his head.

"Suzaka is here too, isn't he."

Rishe knew this was not a question, and just nodded, her entire face scarlet.

"What am I going to do with you?" Arnold said, pinching her cheeks.

"Let me fight with you!" She said, perking up a little.

Rishe shrunk before him as Arnold loomed over her again. The princess nervously poked her fingers together. "Just this one last time, please!"

Arnold took her by the chin and brought Rishe to eye level.

"If I get hurt, then you can carry me around everywhere I go from now on!" Rishe declared and Arnold's smile crept back onto his face.

"I won't be letting you out of my sight during all this."

"That's fine!" Rishe beamed and leaned up to kiss him.

Count Leo and his knights gave bewildered expressions when Rishe returned with Arnold. The Count opened his mouth, but Arnold silenced him with a head shake. Together, the prince and princess stared at the island from the ship's bow. It had much less forest than the one from yesterday, with a fortress of rock in the center and numerous shipwrecks amid the water around it. Rishe knew the pirates had to have lookouts for approaching ships and probably spotted them already.

She surveyed the beach and a couple of wrecked vessels there, considering what kind of defenses the pirates might have in store for them. Perhaps they would spring ambushes from the hulks. There were not any easily accessible cliffs along the beach edges for archers.

"You think they'll try to stop us on the beach then?" Arnold asked, an amused smile on his face.

"I, uh," Rishe hesitated. "Well, what do you think?"

"If I were those pirates, I would make my stand amid those rocks," Arnold gestured to the extensive stone workings weaved throughout the island interior. Rishe gave a sheepish look for not thinking of that.

"I suppose that makes sense. How should we go about assaulting it?"

"Patience, and thoroughness. Like laying siege to a fortress, we cannot recklessly throw ourselves straight into the teeth of their defenses. Instead, we must probe for a weakness."

Rishe considered what Arnold said, it made sense, but how much longer did those hostages have? This question lingered in Rishe's mind as she and Arnold adorned their suits of armor alongside Count Leo and the rest of his men. Arnold kept his cape over himself even in blue knight armor, while Leo and his men wore green steel.

Rishe donned the same armor variant as Leo's men and joined Arnold in a longboat. Once it hit the water, several men began paddling, pushing them through the rough wake past a few half sunken vessels. Her heart raced a little from the lack of activity across the beach and rocks. What if Arnold was wrong and pirates waited in the wrecks to ambush them.

Suzaka stood at the front of another longboard, adorned in samurai armor with a yari in one hand and a sheathed katana on his belt.

"Ready for battle are we?" Arnold said and Suzaka nearly fell overboard.

"Prince Arnold! I, uh?" he stuttered before noticing Rishe undisguised.

"We'll work this out later," Arnold said to Rishe as much as Suzaka and the princess turned pink again. That was not important now. She had to focus on rescuing the hostages and not getting hurt, otherwise Arnold would get to carry her around for the rest of her life. For the briefest moment, Rishe considered letting herself sustain a minor injury but then shook the thought away. Each knight and soldier donned their helmets upon landing, with Rishe and Arnold doing the same.

Both lowered their visors and surveyed the area for any signs of hidden enemies or lookouts. Rishe thought back to her time as a knight in her sixth life, and the various ambushes she endured. Arnold did not seem to discount the possibility as he directed their men to inspect each ship but found no signs of life.

Rishe let out a sigh of relief, but rather than looking back at the fortress of stone, she took in the beach around them. Despite the wrecks, its white sand and the gentle waves moving in were just like those near the coastal town. A sharp pain twinged in Rishe's stomach upon remembering that this was supposed to be her honeymoon, one Arnold went though a lot of trouble planning.

Yet here she was, putting herself in danger again despite him pleading for her not to. Rishe started to wonder why she felt the need to do this herself. Was she really afraid for Arnold's sake?

"Rishe, we're here," Arnold said and brought her back to reality.

Their host now stood before the great fortress rocks, which curved inward, concealing the rest of the passage. Arnold looked it over for a few moments thoughtfully, then turned to Count Leo and Rishe.

"I'm going to take my royal knights in first," he held a hand up when Rishe opened her mouth to protest. "I want the rest of you to wait here in case they try to surround us. Post crossbows on the ridges."

"Yes, my prince," Leo said and inclined his head.

Suzaka did the same, drawing a large yumi bow while Rishe begrudgingly took up her own crossbow. The next minute or so dragged on for an eternity with the princess's heart pounding. Arnold and his men disappeared into the passage.

It took less than another minute before a dozen or so brutish men, like those who attacked Suzaka when he fled appeared on the rocks. Each carrying a javelin, bow, or crossbow.

"Shoot!" Leo barked with Rishe.

Suzaka shot off his arrow first and hit the furthest pirate straight in the eye until it came out the back of his head. Before the other ambushers realized what happened, Rishe took careful aim and hit another dead center in his throat. Both men toppled over while a hail of deadly crossbow bolts tore the rest apart, penetrating what little armor they had.

"Second squad, hold!" Leo commanded.

Half the knights and men at arms restrained themselves, and Rishe commended the Count's discipline. Not only had the firs volley sufficed, but soon they spotted more pirates taking position further up.

"Move!" At Leo's direction, his second squad charged forward and unleashed their volley with moments to spare. It proved as effective as the first, killing or driving away more pirates.

They continued in, repeating the process until just as Arnold predicted, pirates raced out from hidden caves in the passage, intent on outflanking him.

"No you don't!" Rishe drew both her swords and dashed ahead with Suzaka.

Two pirates lunged at them with great axes, which let out a whooshing sound when they fell short, flying inches from their heads. Rishe jumped backward, but Suzaka slashed with his yari, slicing down until he severed the first raider's right hand. The other raced to his companion's aid, but Rishe spun in and thrust one sword high, while the other came low. Her left blade stabbed a few inches into the raider's cheek, forcing him to thrust the shaft of his axe into Rishe, pushing the princess back.

However, as he did so Rishe slashed her right blade across his throat. The raider collapsed in a heap, but Rishe got back, ready to face the next one. Yet, it proved unnecessary. Count Leo caved a pirate's head in with his polearm, and all around them, Rishe watched his knights make short work of the raiders. Any luck blows simply glanced off their green armor while the knights' polearms tore through the pirates' lackluster protection.

Within minutes the raider squad lay dead. Despite their victory, Rishe's heart still pounded and she jerked ahead, the sounds of battle still closer.

"Arnold!" she bellowed and passed groups of dead pirates littered throughout the pass.

"Princess, hold on!" Suzaka cried as she and Count Leo chased after her.

Further and further, Rishe penetrated the stone fortress until, at last, she gasped. Arnold and his men had penetrated the inner sanctum, a massive cavern with stalactite hanging over piles of treasure, from gold, silk, jewels, perfumes, and other treasures. There, the last of the pirates fought a bitter last stand against Arnold's exhausted knights.

Despite not losing any men, Rishe saw that the various melees left Arnold's knights panting and battered, with many barely able to keep their weapons up. However, the princess's eyes darted around the chamber until she saw Arnold himself, battling six pirates at once.

Suzaka let out a sharp cry after spotting ten men in kimonos kneeling, their hands bound. The Kagai ambassadors shouted at him, and he charged across the cave, decapitating two pirates along the way.

"Help the prince!" Leo roared.

He raced in alongside his men, backing up the exhausted royal knights who backed away, allowing their fresh allies to take over. Rishe, however, went straight for Arnold, who killed four pirates by the time she arrived.

"Arnold!" Rishe thrust one sword into the back of a raider's neck and weaved around the second that tried to come at her. Rishe pivoted and sliced the back of his leg, tearing through pant fabric and nerves. The raider lost control and toppled over, allowing Rishe to jab his mouth.

"Are you ok-" Rishe started but Arnold grabbed her by the shoulder, and shoved Rishe away.

She yelped but got an answer for Arnold's action even before she could ask. The pirate chief charged through the cave carrying two axes. His enormous body was the size of two men and a set of crooked teeth stuck out as he snarled.

Arnold did not flinch and met the chieftain's axes with his sword. A horrible clang tore at Rishe's ears and she almost tore her helmet off to cover them. Arnold and the chieftain became locked in a fierce struggle, both trying to overpower the other.

For the first time, Rishe saw sweat trickling down her beloved husband's brow and visible strain tore into his handsome face. Fighting through all those other raiders must have taken its foll on him. Rishe tried to reach him, but another raider blocked her path and licked his lips upon realizing she was a woman.

"I'll have you then, lovely," he cackled and thrust a spear at her. Rishe parried the tip but grimaced as the raider kept jabbing and pressing forward, keeping her at a distance. Her only relief was that Arnold seemed to get the upper hand in his duel and now pushed the pirate chieftain back with a kick that sent blood flying out of the monstrous man's mouth alongside saliva.

Rishe grunted when the spear tip graced her arm, scraping against the armor plates over it. The raider tried to swing his shaft around to bash her head, but the princess brought her right sword in, and sliced his neck. The man howled, jerking backward, and trying to slow the bleeding with one hand.

Shouting, Rishe lunged forward and stabbed at his exposed head beneath the helmet. The raider clutched his spear, but in doing so, more blood oozed out and he wobbled until Rishe scored a decisive blow, stabbing into his mouth.

At last, Rishe braced herself against the cave wall and whipped her sweat-soaked helmet off as she gasped for breath. Not a moment later, the chieftain's body hit the ground a few feet away with a thud, then his head several feet beyond him.

"We've done it!" Leo cried and the knights cheered with him.

Suzaka was in tears as he freed his companions, who embraced him.

As this happened, Count Leo's men started collecting the pirate's plunder. Seeing that Arnold was safe, Rishe began appraising the contents, which now belonged to them. Doubtlessly, some of it had to be Suzaka's, but considering they saved him and his men, he was in no position to protest.

The princess beamed at the exotic goods, some of which she had not seen since her first life. She found a number of stones and materials that gave her alchemist past life a flutter of glee. However, nothing could prepare her for what lay inside the next chest she opened. Rishe's eyes sparkled when an eagle-sized bird with glistening ruby red feathers yawned and stretched its wings. The feathers seemed to kindle as the bird ruffled them before fixing its bright eyes on her.

"It's, it's so beautiful!" Rishe cried and somehow, the bird almost seemed to smile at her with his beak before flying up and nuzzling her from the princess's shoulder.

"Rishe," Arnold said and stood over her, a warm smile on his face. "You know what kind of bird that is, right?"

Rishe was at a loss, seven lives she lived and yet not once had she seen a bird like this one. Suzaka came over and nodded.

"Hai, it must have hatched. We brought that as a gift for you as part of a peace offering. It is a phoenix, a legendary bird, exceptionally rare. It is said that upon death, they burst into flames and are reborn from the ashes."

"When they die, they're reborn!" Rishe gasped and stroked at phoenix's warm feathers. A wide smile broke across Rishe's face. "He's perfect!"