The Heart of The North

To Earn a Broken Princess's Trust

I wake up with a startle, and Blair stands quickly, "Are you alright?"

I stare for a moment as the events from before I slept come back to me, "Fine."

I stand and head towards the horse as he puts out the fire.

"We should be there by nightfall." He says.

I don't reply, and he lifts me to the horse before getting on himself. We ride in silence for a while before he speaks.

"I don't know how to make you believe me, but I will make sure to earn your trust." He says, and I hear the genuineness in his voice.

"That'll be hard to do if I'm a ransom. What do you really plan on doing here?" I pry.

"To offer to the king what I said last night. If he decides to trade you for ransom, we leave. If not, we'll go from there."

"Why should I believe you?" I ask.

"You shouldn't. You're right not to trust, it'll help you up here." He says truthfully.

I process what he says, believing him.

"If I find out you're betraying me, or telling me lies right now, I will disappear. Not before I have your head, are we clear?" I say coldly.

"I see why you were in line to be Queen. But yes, we're clear." I hear the smile in his voice.

"Not like I would have any power. A Queen cannot be a Queen as long as she's married or her parents die." I say.

"How does that work?" Blair asks.

"My mother died when I was young, that takes her out of the picture. I have no siblings, so I am the heir. If Fallion didn't exist, and I was not betrothed, if my father were to die I would automatically be Queen. Though, as long as I have no man the Kingdom would look down on me. So would the royal court." I explain.

"We don't care who's king or queen here. They could challenge the king, if they beat him they would be on the throne. Otherwise, it's the king or queen's children."

"That sounds so... simple." I mutter.

"Yours sounds so complicated. Did you actually want to be Queen? Before you were betrothed." He asks. The question throws me off guard, and I think.

"...no. I really didn't. I've seen my father kill over the smallest things. I've seen him make you and your people fight like pit dogs in a ring all my life. I saw him ignore MG mother while she was sick and dying and on occasion he would tell me not to visit her. I did anyway," I say coldly, "I do not want that. I want the north and south united, or at least on good terms. I want people to be happy and not starve because their king says they have to."

"So you want to.... Just not in the South?" He asks.

"Not really. The South..." I hesitate.

"Keep going. Don't worry, I won't tell." He says comfortingly.

"To speak ill of my Kingdom is wrong for an heiress. Anyway, The South has never felt like home. Not really, especially after my mother died. She took the light out of the Palace. She was the only comfort I found and the only part of my home that really felt like it." I say, stopping myself. I question why I'm telling this man about my personal life, but at the same time it feels nice to finally say it.

"We're here," He says. I look up ahead, and there lies a massive castle, covered in snow. As we get inside the walls, he lifts me off the horse, "Stay close to me, alright? Just to be safe."

I nod and follow him into the castle. Stares come from all around me, and I swear I hear a few spit "human" with so much venom that I'm worried I'll fall ill.