The Virtue

A Piece of Cake

Nova's POV 

"Does that hurt?" Torvi says while taking out a glass splinter from my palm as I flinch , but I don't say anything

We are on my crystal encrusted  bed and the peach walls looked better before, she is sitting next to me and I am laying down with my hand on her lap, all I see is the ceiling. She has placed a warm water bowl on my side table and a washcloth. she dipped my hand in the water and is now picking out the glass pieces carefully

"Is it hurting?" she asked me with great concern

"Alot is hurting," I say as I look at her big eyes but then fix my graze up to the ceiling and warm tears roll down from the side of my eyes as I place my head on the pillow

She picks out the pieces and apply a green paste on both of my hand a tie my hand with bandages which smell like paper and I let her do whatever she wants because somehow I have given up on everything - especially on happiness

"You need to change" she says, "Your dress is covered in blood" her eyes widens

"My birthday dress, you mean" I reply still looking at the ceiling

"It is unfortunate what happened" she sighs and says, "But you have to face the reality ouf our lives ; be strong" 

"Be strong?? I raise myself and sit on the bed after lying down like a dead woman for hours and I stare at her with my bloodshot, "Do you know what you and your heathens have done to my life? You ruined it!!! everything was fine, we had peace and then you!" I point at her with my bandaged hand "Ruined it, Christ will never forgive you" I say "You took away everything, everything I knew of" and I fall back to my bed in complete defeat holding the cross across my neck

"We did what had to be done, we are vikings, we are the warriors, it's all we know of" she says and keeps her hand on my shoulder as I turn my back towards her and roll over to another side with tears in my eyes

"I will get you a new dress, at-least change if you want to be mad at me or us. That blood on your dress can infect your wounds" She says while leaning with a washcloth to wipe the blood of my busted lip but I shrug

"Okay, I will not touch you but at-least talk to me, I will keep you safe" she says, "Think about it" and she leaves my chamber to find a new dress, silence creeps in and I stare at the moon outside my window, I can hear the heathens laughing downstairs and my heart aches. 

I miss my father today, If he was here he wouldn't have let this happen. As his thoughts come to my mind, Torvi returns with my white night gown.

"Change into this" she says and lays it on my bed "Please?" she says and sits by my side

My dress stinks of blood and misery, I might as well change it. Every part of my body hurts and my soul aches. I gather strength to get up from my bed and and change into my night gown, my body is covered in bruises as I undress. After I change into my night gown, Torvi comes closer to me and puts her hand on my shoulder

"Sit Princess" as she gestures towards to vanity chair, I sit down and I look at my face in the mirror, I have never looked so ghostly before. My lip is busted and my body is in bruises,  my hair is shabby but my appearance is least of my concern right now.

"Let's get you cleaned up"  Torvi says and sinks in the washcloth in the warm water and rubs it on my face and neck, I hesitate but I let her touch me because her touch is gentle on my skin, she then proceeds to brush my hair.

As I remove my jewellery from my neck and ears, and in the mirror I see the chamber door open and it's the Brutal Handsome man called Ivar, he has a piece of cake in his hand