The Dragon Traitor/Frida's backstory (Complete)

Griselda

TW: talk of abuse.

Hope you enjoy this. (Grimmel is a jerk.)

Frida woke up with a throbbing headache and a growling stomach. She had had a nice long sleep but she really needed to eat something and ask Agnes for some remedy for her head.

She got out of bed, put ok her metal leg, which was at the side of her bed, and walked over to a chest in her room. It had clothes in it and she changed into a pair of padded pants and a loose tunic. She tied her bindings tight around her chest before putting on the tunic and then she walked out of the room.

Frida checked to see if the coast was clear before she walked out of the room. Why were there no guards at her door? Grimmel would never let her have this much privacy.

She walked and followed the smell of food which she had picked up on a few minutes earlier and soon found herself in a dining hall. She didn't dare to go in but she saw Agnes there. She was happily chatting away with, who had to be, the cook. He was a big man and kind of resembled a bear with all his facial hair.

"Frida," she said cheerily and waved her over to her.

Frida carefully walked over to her, wary of the big man.

"Frida, this is Augustus, the cook on the ship. He has made you something that will help you get better after so long without food in you. Afterward, you need to go see Drago," she said.

Frida gulped at the mention of the man. She had heard awful rumors of his torture methods. Luckily she had already gotten one of them. But she was scared that he might be harder on her than Grimmel. Grimmel was awful, beat her half-dead sometimes, but he needed her. But this man could decide he had no use for her and kill her on the spot.

"Sit down," Agnes said and helped Frida sit on a chair. A plate was put in front of her with meat and vegetables. It was a lot. Frida hadn't seen so much food in... Frida didn't remember the last time she had seen so much food on one plate.

"Is, all of this for... Me?" She asked in disbelief.

"Of source. You need the strength," Agnes said as she ran her hand carefully through Frida's hair.

Frida began to carefully and slowly eat the food off the plate. It was delicious and the feeling of warm food in her belly after so long felt amazing.

When she was done, she picked up her plate and went to find somewhere to rinse it.

"I can take that, you need to see Drago," the cook said in a surprisingly deep voice.

Frida nodded and walked with Agnes onto an open space. Griselda was there with her sword in hand, but she wasn't wearing any armor, just a blue tunic and black pants with brown boots. Her hair was neatly braided in a braid that reached her back.

"There you are. Took your time. I will be testing you in combat, we won't be using real swords so don't worry," she said and set her sword aside and picked up two wooden ones.

Frida expected to be punished for coming late but she got none. Maybe her punishment was reserved for Drago.

She sparred with Griselda for what felt like hours. She blocked the woman's attacks and tried to attack a few times as well, but it was difficult. Griselda was very good.

Frida was currently holding Griselda back, their swords pushing together. Frida tried to find an opening but clearly got too distracted and moments later she got kicked in the stomach and sent to the floor wheezing.

She saw Griselda come up to her out of the corner of her eye and expected a blow from the wooden sword at any second. But instead of hitting Frida with the sword, Griselda held out her hand. Frida had seen it before and rolled down her sleeve and placed her arm in Griselda's hand.