A.N. I'm writing these sort of AUish, but so far, the only major changes I've made are that I insert an OC and that Octavius is only taken captive, not killed. Also, I've linked a few of the prompts together in a continuous story line, and each chapter will probably be two or three stories long. So, without further ado, here we go!

1. Introduction

Cressida strode down the hallway in a fit of rage, fuming silently. She was too angry to realize that she was being followed until a voice from behind startled her. "Crown Princess?"

She whriled around to see a girl a few years younger than herself, dressed in ceremonial armor. "Who are you?" Cressida demanded.

"My name is Eocryn, and I'm a shield maiden from the Southern Riding, Inglesby, to be exact. I came to Frosmarris when Bellorum returned and I never bothered to leave. Back there I'm one of the few women in the fyrd." the girl answered.

Cressida was in no mood to converse with a random shield maiden from the Southern Riding. According to common courtesy, however, if this Eocryn addressed her, she was required to respond. "I believe you called my name? Or rather, my title? Is there something I might be able to do for you?"

"Oh, no. You just looked a bit…miffed, shall I say. I was just wondering if anything was wrong." Eocryn replied.

About to dismiss Eocryn as a meddler, something stirred inside Cressida that told her to trust Eocryn. Cressida wrestled with this inner voice for a moment, telling it that Eocryn wouldn't understand, that nobody could understand. But that voice told her that she had no way of knowing that Eocryn was untrustworty, and with that argument, it won out.

2. Love

"So my mother is always like 'Cressida, you're so bossy! You need to slack off a little!' when all I'm trying is to protect Frostmarris and the Icemark!" she burst out.

Eocryn shrugged. "Is that all? Then why were you so stomping mad?"

"It's also Leonidas, curse him! I mean, most girls would love to have a suitor like him, but I'm not most girls! Honestly, he drives me crazy with all of his fawning and treating me like a child!" Cressida added.

"I was under the impression that you loved each other. Is that not true?" Eocryn asked.

Cressida sighed. "Oh, I don't know anymore. I mean, well, yes, I guess so. But I've been avoiding him like the plague lately, and sometimes I want to just ignore him when he tries to talk to me, but I can't."

"Why, is there another man in your life?" Eocryn asked.

3. Calling

Cressida stopped and looked at the other girl suspiciously. Why on earth was she spilling her innermost secrets to a shield maiden from Inglesby that she'd only just met? She was Crown Princess Cressida Aethelflaed Strong-in-the-arm Lindenshield, also known as the Striking Eagle. The other girl was simply Eocryn of Inglesby, a shiledmaiden and well below her. Cressida's duty was to prepare for ascension to the throne, to lead the armies of the Alliance into battle, and to plan and execute military actions. Eocryn's, to protect her family and serve faithfully in the same army that Cressida commanded. Who was she to become Cressida's confidante?

4. Irregular Orbit

"Crown Princess?" Cressida was jerked out of her thoughts as Eocryn continued. "If you find it uncomfortable talking to me about this, I understand perfectly. I won't be offended."

Cressida was struck speechless and could only nod, once, unable to do anything else. Eocryn bowed stiffly and walked off, leaving Cressida to stare after her dumbly. So the world doesn't revolve around me after all. she thought irrationally. So not everybody does nothing but listen to me angst all day. Well, then! I suppose I'll just go find Leonidas. He'll understand. She suddenly sat down with her back to the wall and put her head in her hands. Never mind that. Leonidas is just one of my many problems.

Notes: O.o I didn't expect that last one to turn out that way. Totally does NOT fit the prompt.

5. Response

"Why did you come back to attack the Icemark?" Cressida asked, pacing back and forth on the plush carpet of Octavius' room. "Do you Bellorums ever give up?"

A wry smile twitched the corners of his mouth. "Normally not, but honestly, I'd rather be in here in one of the best rooms talking with the most gorgeous girl in the whole country than fighting outside in the cold, covered in blood and sweat and dust." He said from the bed, where he was reclining comfortably.

"I try to interrogate you, but all you do is mock me!" Cressida threw a pillow at him, but he caught it with ease.

"That's to be expected, seeing as that I would never answer any of your questions anyhow." He replied. "What do you expect to get out of me, anyways? The Empire and the Icemark are now under the same peace treaty."

Cressida asked, "And you expect us to trust the Empire WHY? Or do you not remember how His Vampiric Majesty ceased to exist?"

Octavius shrugged. "I was not there and I did not plan any of that. That was all my father."

"And I suppose I can't blame you?" Cressida answered, eyes blazing.

She was rewarded with a cheeky "No."

6. Permanent

Cressida rolled her eyes. "Will you EVER cooperate with me?"

"I think not." Octavius grinned. "If you're going to keep me around, you're going to have to get used to this."

She sighed, dropping into a plushly upholstered chair. "And Mother won't let me stop coming to see you, either. So I suppose I'm stuck with you for a while yet, and you with me."

7. Flaw

"Oh, I wouldn't say that I'm 'stuck' with you, Cressida. After all, haven't I told you that you are the most desireable lady in all of the Icemark?" he asked.

"And how many ladies of the Icemark have you met?" she asked him icily. "Who are you

to judge?"

Octavius answered, "Well, as far as I know you, you're absolutely perfect in every way."

Cressida had to restrain herself from bursting out in teres and telling her worst enemy exactly what was wrong with her to the letter. But his careless comment had evoked a flood of emotions and angst, and she couldn't help but weep silently as Octavius watched her curiosuly.

"You know, you are the absolute last person I would have expected to succumb to emotion like that." He remarked.

Looking up and blinking furiously, she replied, "And what do you know of me? How do you know that I'm not the same as any simpering lady of the court? How do you know that I don't burst out weeping all the time? You don't know me beyond the four walls of this room!"

"Because you called them 'simpering' ladies." Octavius remarked. Then, uncharacteristically gently, he added, "And because you are Cressida Striking Eagle, and to any lesser men, you are not one to be played around with.

8. Huge Intelligence

"Oh, you think you're so smart, huh? You think you can sweet-talk me into letting you free, right?" Cressida was fuming now, all traces of the vulnerable young woman that she was just moments ago totally eradicated. "I'm not that stupid!" she continued, leaping to her feet.

Octavius sighed. "Neither am I. Or do you forget that I am the son of THE Scipio Bellorum?"

"Of course I remember that, every minute I spend with you!" she snapped back. "But THE Scipio Bellorum was defeated by a 14-year-old Thirrin Lindenshield, and killed just over a year ago by the same Thirrin! And you say that his intelligence has passed down to you?"

Incensed, he bolted straight up. "You forget what Bello – my father achieved before he was…set back here!"

Cressida rolled her eyes. "Fine then. I'll stop arguing that point. Well, anyways, how do you know that you've inherited his intelligence?"

"Because I was educated in one of the finest universities in the whole Polypontian Empire!" Octavius exploded. "Because I've conquered my own territories for the Empire without any help from my father! Because – "

Annoyed, Cressida cut him off by winging another pillow at him that knocked him flat.

Notes: That ended abruptly...