Yeah, I wouldn't do that this early, but it's something I think you should definitely do at some point. Of course she's shocked, but I think you should show the reader just how emotionally betrayed she feels, not just betrayed politically.
Edit: Okay, I'm gonna go all super wording/typo critique on ya now. I'll paste it here when I'm done.
Okay, I've bolded changes and comments and I've crossed out things I think don't need to be there. A lot of this is not technical stuff, just changes
I would make, but there is typo and grammar fixing, too.
Edits (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)
Anleia is a small kingdom based in the northern regions of the Aurloa continent. For centuries they have endured numerous conflicts with the mighty Charon Empire to the southwest and have held on by the skin of their teeth. Through the tireless efforts of king Halen, they now stand on the verge of a peace treaty with their long and bitter rivals.
Princess Josseline is a cheerful and kind lass at the flowering age of eighteen. Slightly spoiled by her loving father and unwittingly left ignorant of the rest of the world, she often spends her days studying, reading, playing, and socializing with the castle staff. She lives an average and uneventful life for a member of royalty. At her side are the dutiful guards assigned to her by her father, Halen. Her mother had died when she was young and she was raised in her early years by her aunt, Florette. When Josseline was six years old, her beloved aunt left home and wed the king of a faraway land, becoming its queen. Ever since that departure, a part of Joss' heart became closed off and she sought to befriend others as a way to reopen it. Her father was always involved in the council and other forms of politics and left little time for father-daughter bonding time.
On one otherwise eventless night, Josseline enjoyed her bath without a care in the world. She poured oils into the bath and washed off her porcelain skin as she thought about what the next day would bring. Would they have a visitor the next day? she wondered. Her father's vassals and lesser nobles often visited, but she was never allowed much of a chance to socialize with them, leaving her with only the help to talk to.
As she finished her bath she rose from the tub and dried her body off with a nearby towel. She stood naked over the tub and rang a bell to notify the servants that she had been finished. They entered and one drained the rub as the other gave Josseline her robes. She took the time to dry her hair some before donning the silver trimmed burgundy robes.
It was dark, the halls were barely lit and the only sounds Josseline could hear were the scratching of branches being blown by the wind and the hooting of the owls perched upon them. The smell of steam and the scent of the bath oils clung to her body as she quietly walked down the hall to her chambers. The moment she entered her bedroom, she sat down in front of an old oak desk and reached for a large, leather-bound tome that was placed on the corner. She opened the book and its secrets were revealed. It was a diary. Apparently one that she had owned for many years. From the size and thickness it seemed to be able to hold a lifetime of memories for her. She grabbed a quill pen and dipped it into an inkwell, then began to write in what had happened over the course of the day.
"Tsugua 26th, Year 08 Tres Era
Dear Diary.
Today I picked flowers in the garden and made a lea for Trevor. He didn't like it because the other guards laughed at him and called him girly. I thought it looked nice, personally. The flowers brought out the color of his eyes. I heard from Daddy that Count Malcolm and the other Lords will be coming here for an assembly of the council. He and his entourage should arrive late tonight and be present at breakfast tomorrow. I hope he brings Maximilian and Marcel. Little Marcel is so cute, I just want to hug him to death. During dinner I also overheard some of the servants repeating rumors that Max and I are engaged. Sadly that is not true. Haha. Max is a very handsome and charming man."
Josseline finished writing in her diary and prepared herself for bed. She pulled the covers and sheets from the top of her bed before stripping off the silk robe she was wearing. As she laid down in the bed the feeling of the warm and soft sheets against her bare skin filled her body with pleasure. Josseline turned to her side and closed her eyes as the lights dimmed and she slowly drifted off to sleep.
She was sleeping like a baby. Josseline dreamed of being in a large meadow full of blooming flowers. She was a child again, running off into the distance towards her mother, father, aunt, and grandmother. The four people she adored most in the entire world. Just as she ran into her mother's arms, Josseline was awoken (this sounds too calm for what woke her up) by a large crashing noise and the sounds of screams. She was frightened as she had never heard such awful racket before. The young princess jumped out of her bed and put on her silk robes. She grabbed a lantern and lit it before leaving her chambers.
As she exited her room the horrifying sounds only grew louder. She wandered into the assembly hall and finally learned where the noises originated. The castle was being invaded and the loyal guards were fighting valiantly against the attackers. Before she could make a sound she felt someone grab her and jerk her away and out of sight. It was Trevor, one of her guards whom she had written about in her diary. In the hallway Trevor placed his finger over his lip, telling her to stay quiet. They moved back to her chambers and he locked the door behind them.
"Milady," he said. "The castle is under attack. We must escape!"
"Attack?" she asked, perplexed. "Who would do such a thing?"
"I don't have time to explain. Get dressed and come with me. King's orders!" Trevor responded hastily.
Trevor waited with his back turned while Josseline dressed herself. For a moment he thought of looking back but he knew of the princess' temper and what she would do to him if he was caught peeking. Once she had her clothes on they quickly ran to the guard barracks. Trevor had to dispatch an enemy soldier or two before they had gotten there. (Alternatively, explain it more. Just telling me he did isn't adding anything) Inside the barracks were several bunk beds. Trevor moved to the corner and twisted the base of the lantern that was mounted there. The wall nearby opened to reveal a passageway. This was to be used by the royal family in case of invasion, and this was just such an occasion.
The passage was dark and cramped. Josseline figured the dankness and horrible smell must be what a sewer was like. The pair moved their way downward, quickly descending the twisting flights of stairs. Off in the distance they could hear the sounds of battle. Metal striking metal, the snarls of men fighting like beasts, and the cries of the fallen. What Josseline had seen and heard on this night was traumatizing.
The passageway lead them to the stables outside of the castle. Luckily, this place had not yet been discovered by the invaders. Trevor helped the princess onto the steed. It was a fully grown colt, one that looked suited to be a knight's mount. Trevor jumped behind the princess and whispered in her ear. "Hold on tight or else you'll fall off."
The horse neighed loudly as Trevor pulled the reigns. It took off, speeding off into the darkness. They made their way down a dirt road that lead away from the capital city. Their luck seemed to have run out as. Trevor spotted two mounted soldiers stationed on the roads. The enemy leader must have anticipated an escape and took measures. They were spotted and the enemies began to pursue them.
One of the enemy soldiers began to pulled alongside Trevor's horse. He was clad in armor and his helmet covered his face. The soldier drew his sword and began to strike at him. Trevor managed to defend himself as best as he could and seized the moment when the armored knight was close enough. He shoved him off of his steed. and The enemy's body bounced on the ground and he was trampled by the other knight's horse. There was no time to see if he had been killed by it.
The second soldier was dressed identical to his partner but wielded a lance. This one had the gift of range and he repeatedly jabbed at Trevor and Josseline, hoping to show one of them his point. Trevor realized if they continued like this it would not be long until they died. He did everything he could to make the horse accelerate.
Once he had the distance he needed he pulled the reigns to the side, commanding the horse to turn. The steed circled around to the enemy flank and Trevor slashed at the backside of the enemy's horse. It was a despicable move, to strike an animal, but there was no time to worry about that while their lives were in peril. The horse became frantic and threw its rider off and onto the cold, hard ground. Trevor had dealt with the immediate threat and rode off into the night.
They rode for hours. Trevor had gotten Josseline out of immediate danger, and now the next part of his assignment was about to begin. Escort the princess to safer lands. Josseline was tired. She had barely had an hour to sleep before the attack on the castle, and they had been riding on the back of the horse all night. All she wanted was to close her eyes and go to sleep. Maybe if she did she would wake up and realize this was all just a dream.
Trevor stopped at a farmstead. From the looks it had been abandoned for many years. He got off the horse and helped the princess down. Josseline stretched her legs after spending the whole night riding. She felt reminded of why she had chose not to become an equestrian. Even the horse was relived to have a break. It celebrated by eating on the tall grass around the area.
Trevor opened the door to the old farmhouse. The door was locked but he managed to force it open. Just as it appeared, the place was deserted. There was nothing inside but some old furniture, what looked like rotted food in the cupboards, and everything was covered with a thick dusty film. The walls were covered with cobwebs. (Or work this into the previous sentence.)
Josseline walked deeper into the house and was horrified to find two skeletons in the large bedroom. Trevor ran into the room, sword drawn, after hearing her cries. Unlike the princess, he was relieved to see it was nothing dangerous.
Going by how long this house has been abandoned and the fact that the owners appeared to have died in bed, Trevor deduced that these people must have died during the great plague that ravaged Anleia twenty years ago and took thousands of lives. The continent of Aurloa lacked the healing magics and medicinal potions of the northern Dora Continent. This farmstead was in the middle of nowhere, so he didn't need to wonder why nobody ever knew these people had died.
Now that they had escaped danger, and Josseline had decided that she had been patient long enough. She needed to know what had happened and why her father did not escape with them. She walked up to Trevor and looked him dead in the eyes. "Did my father escape too?" Josseline asked. Trevor diverted his eyes, not wanting to reveal what had happened. He never liked being the bearer of bad news, but this time he found he had little choice.
"When I last saw him he was alive, but he stayed behind to fight alongside the troops," he explained. "I highly doubt that he still lives."
"Why did this happen?" Josseline asked. "Who would attack the keep?" (I imagine this would be quite emotional, so maybe adding more than just "asked" would be better.)
"The enemy's armor had the crest of House Adrias," he answered. "It seems that Count Malcolm has pulled a coup."
Josseline was shocked at what she had just heard. To her knowledge, her father was loved and respected by all of his subjects. It was inconceivable that her father's most loyal friend and general would commit regicide. He had always been kind to her. She had even taken a liking to his elder son and adored his younger son like a little brother. The level of betrayal she felt now could not be put into words.
Trevor placed his hand on Josseline's shoulder to comfort her. He had an idea of what she must be going through and felt that maintaining her emotional wellbeing was just as important as protecting her physically.
"All I know is that there has been tension between the King and Count Adrias lately," he explained. "The count has strongly opposed the treaty with the Charon Empire and I would guess that he plans to usurp the throne to prevent it from happening."
"Why would he want to prevent peace?" she questioned curiously. "The wars have done nothing but hurt us."
Trevor was not sure how to respond to that. He himself did not have much to offer to the conversation other than a personal hunch. "The Count has always held a strong prejudice against the Charonians. My guess would be that he either doesn't trust that they will keep their end of the treaty or he's looking to destroy what he hates," he said. "And the fact that he was willing to murder your father shows just how serious he is."
Josseline could not bear to keep up the conversation. She was young and ignorant of the world. A princess safely kept in a castle for her whole life cannot help but not know the ugly truths of the world. Trevor had to wonder what her father was thinking by doing this. Was the king trying to protect his beloved child? Was he intending to make her future husband the ruler of the land? Or was he secretly trying to keep her all to himself? He could not tell and it was not a good time to ask, even if the princess know.
Trevor felt as if the conversation had reached its end. At the moment, there was nothing more to say. They needed to make places to sleep and prepare a meal. With the Count surely looking for them it was not safe to be seen during daylight, so they decided they would rest while the sun stood in the sky and set out when twilight came. Trevor decided to look out in the remains of the fields and see if anything edible still grew while Joss remained in the farmhouse to clean. The moment Trevor left the house he heard Josseline break. She could no longer hold back her tears and became overcome by grief.
The fields were overgrown with grass, but luckily the descendants of the crops planted decades ago still grew. Trevor used his sword to cut through the weeds and gather vegetables. He had found some carrots, onions, and potatoes, and luckily enough he spotted a hare across from him. Trevor smiled, eager to have meat for dinner. He pounced at it like a cat chasing a mouse but the hare skillfully avoided his assault. The young, red haired guardsman was not discouraged and welcomed a challenge from a worthy opponent.
Back in the house, Josseline had managed to dry her eyes and begin to work. She wiped the dust off of everything using an old feather brush she had found in the closet. After that, she pulled out a large pot and filled it with water from the basin outside. She figured Trevor would be able to find some vegetables for them to make a soup out of and prepared as best as she could. She tried to remember everything she had seen the help do back at the castle when cooking and cleaning, but sadly she wasn't very good at it.
Trevor walked in with an arm full of vegetables and a skinned hare slung over his shoulder. Josseline was impressed with him and for that moment, actually felt peaceful. In another lifetime she could have been a farmer's wife and lived in a house just like this, except a little bit cleaner. As she daydreamed, Joss fed a few of the carrots to Trevor's horse while Trevor looked for wood to burn.
Josseline cut up the vegetables and meat and added them to the pot. (What did she cut them up with? where's the pot from?) There was nothing to do but tend the soup and wait for it to finish. Trevor began to feel bored and tried to start up a conversation. "So, did they teach you how to cook back at the castle?" he asked.
Josseline was amused by his question. "No, I just watched the servants as they did it," she answered. "And I kinda suck at it." Trevor laughed at her response. He was a little surprised that a royal could loosen up so much.
After the soup was finished cooking they filled their bowls and began to eat. It tasted horrible. There were no spices to enrich the flavor, the vegetables had not been watered since the last storm, and the meat was gamey but actually the best part of it. Josseline had to struggle to not spit it out at first taste. As a princess, she had been used to gourmet dishes that the chef had made. She had never eaten anything that was not made from the finest ingredients and well seasoned. Trevor had no problem eating it. In fact, the soup tasted better than the meals the soldiers ate in the castle's mess hall. King Halen, for all his good qualities, had overlooked how the men who served him were taken care of.
"Blech, how can you eat this so easily," Josseline asked with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. "I know, I should be grateful we even have food, but this isn't something I'm used to."
"Heh, it's better than the rice and potatoes I normally eat." he said, laughing.
"Well then, if we ever get to go back to the keep, please remind me to talk to the cook."
Joss and Trevor finished their meal and rested until nightfall. But Joss was the only one really resting. Trevor sat outside, waiting for something, anything to happen as he rested his head on the water basin. Time seemed to slip by fast as the sun made its way to the western side of the sky. Trevor rose to his feet and went back into the house to wake Josseline from her slumber. He thought that she seemed so peaceful and hated that he had to wake her, but he knew what he had to do. Once she was awake they ate more of the soup and readied for departure. As they did the night before, Trevor helped the princess onto the horse and mounted himself at her back. He yanked the reigns and ordered the horse to go.
"Where will we go?" Josseline asked.
"The count will be looking for you," he said. "You're the one who can make the truth become known and dethrone him. He'll either try to kill us or capture you and make you into his figurehead."
"How would he be able to do that?" Josseline asked with her head full of questions. "If he captured me I could just tell the truth at the next council meeting."
Trevor knew better than her. The count could resort to any number of duplicitous methods to keep her in line. He could threaten to hurt innocents, force her to wed his eldest son. Or he could brainwash her. He spent the whole night explaining this to her.
