Of Monsters and Flowers [Sihtric Kjartansson]

Act I: Chapter Eleven

The pain of defeat gnawed at Dahlia like a vicious sickness, it slithered underneath her skin and so uncomfortably through her veins. She sat atop a horse as the sky cradled the sun, it's rays pouring out and enlightening the lands in hues of aurous amber. The very air around her was tense echoing that of which she herself felt, frustration to an endless measure- no matter how hard she had fought to prevent this, she had ultimately failed. Her auburn hair delicately floated in the wind it rushed through each separate strand Dahlia could feel the breeze but it did naught to comfort her. Even after having threatened her own life did her brother, still, throw her aside for his own selfish gain and wed her off to a cruel looking Dane by the name of Sigefrid.

Her lungs took in a deep breath, inhaling heartily as her eyes stayed firmly bound ahead. Dahlia paid no mind to her husband- in fact she had decided she would not even address him as that, she did not accept this union and never will.

She could not have expected anything else but this- there would have never been another path, he had made his mind and he had steadfastly kept to it. Dahlia had found herself discarded, the night when she was told of this- the stars suddenly dimming as if they had identically felt the same dread as her, she had disallowed it how foolish of her to think Kjartan had come to ask her permission? No, he had come in all his high mannered glory to demand she obey, do not cause a scene and tell him you will serve- you don't have to mean it, just do it. Dahlia had slapped him that night, across his cheek- the palm of her hand stinging from the intensity of her rage, Kjartan's cheek was red as the shadow of her hand planted itself upon his harsh skin.

Dahlia did not cry- for the likes of her brother, she would never allow herself to instead she felt an immense surge of anger, how could he?

Her stare unclasped itself from where it had been fixed ahead and Dahlia turned her head to the side her gaze falling upon Lynette- she sat atop another horse before a rather large man as he rode on the horse. The brunette haired girl had curled into herself hoping that if she did so she would not have to feel that man's skin brushing against hers.

It was not selfish of her to bring Lynette with her- Dahlia had seen the way the men at Dunholm would purposefully taunt her, even as she did nothing but kept immersed in her own doings did they yet find amusement in tormenting her. At least Lynette was free from that in hopes now she would just simply be ignored, no-one among these men knew who she was and Dahlia had the mind to keep it that way, passing Lynette off as being her personal maid.

"We need to stop for a moment." Dahlia said as she turned to look at Sigefrid.

He scoffed, "And why is that?"

"The reason does not concern you, now if you must." Dahlia glared.

Sigefrid clenched his jaw, stopped the horse the men behind him did the same, he narrowed his stare before he turned to her once more and arched his brows, "The reason?" He firmly pressed.

"It is one that concerns a woman and has no business with that of men." She replied as she raised her dress and jumped of the horse she then hastily made her way towards the horse Lynette sat upon.

"Get down." Dahlia ordered.

Lynette blinked but did as told and stepped off the horse, Dahlia reached up assisting her off safely. Her light azure eyes roamed their surroundings and she found that they were in the middle of a forest, the light from the sun peeked through creating small rings upon the green grass, the trees somehow seemed much taller in the forest almost amounting to the height of the sky as the branches soared higher and higher.

Dahlia grabbed Lynette's hand in a gentle embrace as she led her towards the sound of rushing water, a river.

Sigefrid signalled towards a man with a nod of his head, follow after them- keep watch.