The Princess of Cithrí - Chaol Westfall Fanfiction

Part 13

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The straw stuck to my face, the blood pulsing around my eye, seeing was minimal. I could make out the light down the hallway, the shadows of people passing but that was all, as my vision blurred and I had to lie back down again. I stroked my wrists, thankfully the guards had seen no use to putting shackles around them, I could feel every dip, every heated fluidy bubble under my skin. The heat they radiated, with the occansional feeling of a hard lump under my skin, only meant the worst. I had abscesses, all over my wrists, up my lower arms, I undoubtly had some on my feet too. I spluttered, coughing and choking, my rib cage burning.
The light inside my cell suddenly increased and then disappeared as a shadow ran over to me. I slumped down on the floor, no, no, I couldn't take anymore. They were going to kill me tomorrow anyway, the king had personally told me himself, what was the point of doing this? For the second time today as well!

"Rowan?" A hand, softer than silk than through my hair, the voice sweet like honey. I could just about make out the creamy colour of angelic skin. This couldn't be good, if my mother was visiting me, my dead mother too.
"Rowan, you have to look at me, ok?" The hands pulled up my face, I squinted desperate to see closer. That wasn't mother, mother never wore her hair like that, she didn't carry a sword. "Y/n?" The words shoved through me, cracking my ribs, ripping at my lips.
"Korgan!" She shouted, her dark hair falling in her face as she tried to pull me to my feet, the ones that had broken long ago. "You're going to be alright Rowan, we've got you now."
Between them - the height difference substantial - they hobbled me to the doorway, I can't remember the last time I wanted to walk through these.

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The plans had been drawn up, there was little left to discuss as I pulled the strap of the dress over my shoulder. Helsha, sat on the cot above my head, was busy twisting my hair round and round, with our limited resources she would have to opt for a hair style gone out of fashion decades ago. My hair would be flowing down my shoulders, the strands at the front pulled back and twisted into a flower. She had embroided this dress from a simple silver cloth. I looked like a winter wonderland queen, the crystal droplets that flowed down the dress and hung off my ears looked like icicles. She slipped one last pin into my hair - having been out and stolen them from a cart at market. "All done." She smiled proudly, this was her contribution to Rowan's rescue, to saving his life.
I gulped, now all that was left to do was wait for Korgan and the ginger - who's name I hadn't bothered to learn - to come get us. Our small little room, Korgan had given us, was cramped, my bedding still on the floor, Vanir playing with empty boxes once filled with tar in the corner, our left over food in the other corner. It was a room clearly designed for one person, a child more like, but we had fitted three in it, and tonight if all went well we would fit four.

There was a knock on the door, I snapped my neck to watch as Korgan and the ginger entered. I gulped as I noticed their pure black clothing, the swords on their hips. It felt scary knowing I would have to walk through the front doors alone whilst they ferried a small boat up the sewage channel, I would then meet them their to open the gate and we would rescue Rowan. "Ya look grand." Korgan smiled at me, something laid between his two front hands, wrapped in his apron, I glimpsed the handle of my dagger protruding out at the end. At least I would have that.
"You look like a princess." The ginger bowed, his black hood falling lower over his freckled face.
"I hope no one notices me." I said getting to my feet. It was a masquerade ball, which meant Dorian, the king, Queen Georgina and Chaol would be there, let alone all the guards. Someone was bound to recognise me, it just depended on if they spoke up about it. Korgan came forwards with the gift, he flicked aside the wrapping. I gasped, a hand trembling over my hand. It was stunning. The silver shone like a pair of owl's talons, the edges curved like a majestic ocean that roared over the blade. Its edge more pointed than a buzzards beak. I coiled my fingers around the handle. They clicked into position automatically, as if they had held this dagger their entire life. "I did a remodelling of ya dagger, it a little bigger." Korgan explained. "Metal light so it swin' as part of ya arm, swift in and out strike, takes ya poison instantly "
I ran a hand over the middle of the blade, it was decorated in swirls and shapes, like the ones that covered Korgan's skin, I couldn't even feel where they were engraved. The skills that had gone into this were unimaginable. "Its gorgeous korgan."
"It a keep ya safe." He said, then slowly moved to the door, trying to hide his pride.
"Final part!" Helsha cried running after me with my mask, she knotted the grey ribbon around my head, the mask larger than one I would normally wear, all anyone would see of me tonight would be my eyes, heavily dusted in warm make up, and my lips painted redder than blood.