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╔══════╗ chapter one • 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 ✣ ╚══════╝
𝐓𝐇𝐄 deep silence of the early morning was shattered by a forceful knock on the door. The sound was enough to jolt Shera from the comforting embrace of her dreams. She woke up, blinking groggily in the darkness. The persistent knocking continued. Rubbing her tired eyes, she stifled a yawn then managed to raise her voice, "I hear you!... They can wait five more minutes!"
Outside her chamber door, her guard stiffened, the metal of his armor clinking in the silent hallway. He hesitated but responded, "Are you sure, prince—"
"Yes!" Shera cut him off mid-sentence. With that single word hanging in the air, Shera pulled the covers up to her chin and shut her eyes tightly, wanting to reclaim her sleep.
"Do you want me to relay your message to the king?"
At the mention of the word 'King', her eyes snapped open. With a heavy sigh, she rolled over, her bare feet making contact with the cold floor. Rising from her bed, she walked toward her chamber door.
As the door swung open, Ser Harwin's expression froze when he saw Shera. Then he chuckled, probably at her naughty hair. He bowed his head while a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Shera rolled her eyes, "Why must you always resort to that stupid question?"
Ser Harwin's smile widened, "Well, it works... Makes you get up without argue. It also never fails to get a reaction out of you. Keeps things interesting, doesn't it?" Shera shook her head, moving a lose strand of hair out of her face. "You're incorrigible, Harwin. Absolutely incorrigible."
Shera began to walk out of the chamber into the hallway with a brush in hand she had gotten from her side table.
"Are you not going to change, princess?"
Shera turned around to look at Harwin, "They have seen me worse, Ser Harwin. I'm sure they can handle the sight of me right now." Shera grinned, dragging the brush through her hair to get the large knots out.
Harwin followed three paces behind her, his hand resting on the halt of his sword. He chuckled to himself, "If you insist, princess."
Shera looked beyond her shoulder to glance at him as she continued walking, "Do I not look well, Ser?" She questioned sarcastically.
Harwin raised his eyebrows, thinking about his response, "Hm... Not necessarily pleasing to the eye."
Shera scoffed, "Oh?... I could I have one of your body parts for that, Harwin Strong." She smirked as she finally finished brushing through her blonde locks. "Perhaps a finger?"
Harwin let out a chuckle in response to the princess's "threat" as he adjusted his long cloak behind him.
"So... Any new knights that came to be trained by Ser Harwin 'BreakBones'?" Shera said, lifting the fabric of her nightgown up to avoid stepping on it.
