I Hope Your World Is Kind (For I Am Cruel)

My remains wild open

"What am I, cousin?" Zasali had asked Tahlwyn, her voice filled with mirth at his concern, the day of her departure.

"An Eilszynge." Tahlwyn conceded. "But that does not make you immune, Zas. You are no warrior, no swordswoman. If they seek to cut your throat..."

"I will know of their plans before the orders even form in their minds. What am I?" Zasali's tone was indulgent, a sharpness to it that no one outside of her family would get to hear. Genuine, and arrogant. Tahlwyn smiled down at her, concerned, yet comforted, a strange paradox of emotions. "Who am I, cousin?"

"The Lady of Snakes."

The Red Keep was taut with tension, and Zasali could feel it in the air. It was delicious . Her room was difficult to sleep in, but the uneasy atmosphere of the Keep kept her eyes open. The air was different here. It was thicker not just with conflict, but it wasn't fresh, not like the mountains back home. Still, Zasali had been in worse conditions.

She was an Eilsynge, and being an Eilszynge meant going to battle on the eve of your twelfth birthday. It was dangerous to delay it, the itch that the Eilszynge's felt would never quench, always growing and growing, until blood was spilled. Through war or through border disputes, whatever the family could get their hands on without damaging their country.

Ridellon was a blessing from the Ancestors, a gift from the founder.

She had her handmaidens-two girls only a few years her younger, born and raised in Ridellon-keep to her room. The girls, Alysia Fyshe and Nera Crest, were good servants. Zasali's favorite, in fact. They were hard workers, they didn't disrupt her schedule nor her things while cleaning, and they took care of any distractions quickly and cleanly. All in all, they did their job well. Today, their job was to unpack her things, and see to it that her chambers were secure. The room itself was fine, Zasali could admit. Fit for a noble, but she was picky. At least it had a balcony, so it wasn't overly stuffy and restrictive.

The balcony watched over the inside of the castle, however,and gave her a very good glimpse into the training yards. A strange place to put a guest room, no doubt, but she was not complaining. As an Eilszynge, she had been trained since she could walk, since she could hold simple items. Trained with a sword until she was seven, and then with daggers until she was sixteen, and she had come back from the borders, done with martial combat, sated from satisfactory victory.

It had been years since she had held a sword, now. Tahlwyn had always been better with swords. She had one, of course, a simple, elegant one passed down from generations named Reckoning.

It had been Korlyth's sword, forged by her father, the great founder. This sword was second in quality only to Zasali's own fathers, who inherited the founder's sword himself. One day, Zasali's younger brother would wield Worldbreaker, and she would guide him to victory through the wars that were to come. Yet, that day would not come soon. Kainar was three, and Zasali was nine and ten. There was a lot to do. A lot to prepare for.

So Zasali waited on the balcony. Well, she didn't truly wait. It was more watching . Her hair flowing freely, unbound from braids and nets. Zasali preferred it this way, but she knew that people would not keep their hands to themselves, and most got angry when she demanded a hand in return for their discourteous behavior. To touch an Eilszynge's hair was a grave insult, to do so without being family or betrothed. The locks that fell from their heads were sacred. The custom was to be respected, or to risk maiming.

She seemed more relaxed, upon the balcony, her eyes analyzing the knights in the training yard with great interest. This was closer to what home felt like, the wind in her hair and the clash of swords reverberating in the halls.