DAMNED WITH YOUR WANT || Ivar Rangerson

001.

"How has your lessons been fairing? I was told your progress has been quite promising as of late." It was late in the morning and the princess sat in front of her desk
Mindlessly sketching while a maid braided her hair the way she fancied. The question had almost caused Helæya to cease her sketching and drop her quill.

Her lessons.

The very mention of them brought a very apparent unsettling feeling in the room.

"So very promising, indeed." She replied insouciantly, her gaze focused on her reflection. She did not want to speak further on the matter but it seemed that idea had flown right over the maids head.

"Is that so? Well I heard that certain remedies can help cease those pesky headaches of yours. They are head aches yes?" The princess Helæya's lessons were something that were kept as secretive as possible, but the maids, ever the gossipers, were firm of finding out the truth behind the princess's sickness.

"Alys? I am not in the mood for pointless conversation." The princess cut her off not caring for her purile attempt of 'small talk'. Alys cleared her throat and briskly started brushing through the girls hair once again, her head lowered in embarrassment. After a moment of silence between the two, whispered words fell from the princess's lips like a recited prayer, "The serpents hiss, the shadows dance and sway, sons of blood prepare to slay. Sons of blood. . ."

The maids ears picked up a small portion of the girls words, her brows furrowed. "Pardon?"

"What on earth is that noise!" Helæya shook her head, ignoring her question, she stood from her seat peaking through her chambers window. She raised a questioning brow at the sight she was met with. "Well...isn't this peculiar? My brother beating up an old man."

"Completely unexpected. Do you think they let him live?" Alys muttered worrisomely walking up behind her and peaking over the princess'S shoulder.

"If you're an optimist, perhaps." Helæya said with small humourless laugh, her gaze never leaving the window as she spoke, "Æthelwalf has always been envious of me. But surely there are other ways to seek out fathers attentions?" She asked pulling back from the window sill and begging to wander about her chamber.

"I. . ." Lady Alys trailed off unsurely, her confused gaze following Helæya around the room. "Princess! What are you doing? I am yet to finish braiding your hair." She shouted, hurriedly making her way towards the door the princess had heaved open.

"Leaving." She answered without another word and closed the door in the distressed womans face.

Poor Alys banged on the doors helplessly calling out for the princess to cease her childish games, though her yelling was fruitless for Helæya did not have a care in the world.

"How the piggies will grunt. The old bore suffered. How the piggies will grunt. . ." Helæya muttered, her left hand softly grazing over the wall as she repeated the words over and over.

The princess hastily made her way done the corridor, smirking at the now far way yells of Lady Alys. Though her happiness was short lived when the sound of two pair of boots were echoing off the corridor walls, moving closer until Helæya was forced to cease her walking. She turned meeting eyes with two men, one tall with greying hair and a black beard — Ser Lefric, a guard Helæya had despised since she was just a girl, but truly the princess was yet to meet someone who she did not wish ill in any way. The other guard much younger, whose name Helæya did not know, had such greasy unruly brown hair the princess almost questioned if he had ever heard of a bath.

"Princess! You know not of what is out there." Ser Lefric said, coming to halt in front of her, the other guard mimicked his movements. Helæya's eyes narrowed when the two glanced at each other in a silent conversation. It was a known fact that King Ecgburts daughter was stubborn and ever challenging, and whoever didn't would most definitely gain the chance to find out.