The Suns Heir: A War of Two Kings

Isolde: Coming of Age.

The pale light of morning had crept through the princess's window, causing Isolde to awaken. As she did, she felt an ache, a pain within her. Her innards were twisting and turning in an agony she had never felt before. There was a stickiness between her legs, an unpleasantness on her thighs. She felt as if she had spilt honey on herself.

Isolde threw off her furs and was mortified by what she saw. Redness. A pool of it on her bed, she lifted her shift and found her legs to be the same. So, she screamed, a scream like none that had ever left her mouth. It was bloodcurdling and brought her maids rushing in along with the guardsman that stood watch outside her chambers. The guardsman did not linger long, not when he saw what was amiss. He simply stepped aside and left the ladies to do their duties.

"I'm bleeding." Isolde proclaimed with worry lacing her voice. The two maids giggled as they helped her off her bed. One began to tend to the mess, whilst the other guided the princess to a water basin. "It is natural, my princess. You are a woman now." Cyra smiled up at her as she scrubbing the redness away.

Isolde still wore a look of confusion. No one had explained the pain, the feeling. They had simply called it bleeding. She imagined it to be a trifle of a thing, nothing so messy. It was as if a swordsman had snuck into her chambers in the night, and cut her. There was so much blood. "I did not think it would be like that." Tears were still creeping down her face as she spoke. The ordeal had shaken her, and the pain was still bothering her. "When does it stop?" she asked Cyra. "It is different for every woman. A few days each month, princess." Cyra replied as she finished washing Isolde down. By the time she had finished the water was a reddish-pink. "A bath would be better." The other maid added as she continued to strip the bed. Though neither of them had been met with a response. The princess had grown even paler. She looked as if she was a corpse.

A few days, she was screaming to herself inside. To feel such pain every month. She could not bear it. "The healer, he can stop it." She stated with confidence to her maids. Both of whom looked to one another. "He can ease the pain, but he cannot prevent it." Unella took her hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled and her eyes gleamed. "Is it not worth it, to marry Rainer?" both Unella's and Cyra's giggles filled the room.

A smile drew itself across Isolde's features. With that one name, the pain had been subsided and she had been filled with giddiness. She joined in their laughter.

It was finally time she thought to herself. She had been promised to Rainer since she was a girl, but as of this day, she was a woman. She had bled.

"I shall bathe and then go to my father. I will finally wed my beloved." Isolde was bouncing inside. She wanted to go outside and scream with happiness. She would see him again, he would come to the capital and they would be married before all the lords and ladies of the court. Then she would return to Sunwharf, where he would one day rule and she would rule beside him. Isolde found herself wondering how he had changed, was he still as handsome as she remembered. He was like a prince from her storybooks. Dashing, strong, brave and chivalrous. She remembered how kind he had been to her when she visited Sunwharf as a girl. How he had held her hand, and shown her the palace grounds. She remembered watching him fight in a tourney and how mighty he looked in his armour, and how he had gifted her with a sunflower. Her mother had told her it was a sign of his affections that he loved her, and would love her like the princes in her tales loved the princess. It was going to be perfect... She just knew it.

It wasn't long before servants had come and gone, filling her tub with scalding hot water and flower petals.

The warm water soothed the pain in her belly, and Cyra and Unella tended to her body. Washing her hair, all she need do is relax, but she could not. The thought of her wedding was a constant on her mind. It was all she could think of. Rainer, Sunwharf, their wedding. She wondered if he would be as excited when he heard she had bled. Her mother had assured her that Rainer was infatuated, she said could tell from the look in his eyes, but that had been so long ago. What if he did not remember her?