The next day came and Alyssa was at Medea's door again, ready to drag her out into a world that she wanted no part in.
"You're eating breakfast with the housecarls today Medea, come on!" She said enthusiastically.
Medea's face was impassive, unreadable.
"Am I?"
Alyssa grabbed the other girl's arm, dragging her out into the hallway and slamming the door before Medea could even begin to protest.
"Oh yes, you are." She confirmed, laughing at the look of sheer outrage on Medea's shocked face.
"Wait a minute, I can't-"
"But you can, and you're about to." Alyssa giggled, pulling the introverted young sorceress over to the housecarls' table in the mess hall and sitting her down.
The buzz of conversation at the table stopped, and all eyes were suddenly on her. Worried murmurs rippled through the ranks of the housecarls.
"Is that... Is that that witch?"
"She's the queen's daughter, right?"
"What's going on?"
"Why's Alyssa with her?"
Alyssa smiled, acting like she couldn't hear the housecarls gossiping like old women.
"Hey guys!" She greeted them, and the anxious muttering stopped. "This is Medea. She'll be eating breakfast with us from now on."
Medea's eyes widened. From now on?
"Wait a second, we never agreed-"
Alyssa elbowed her in the ribs, none too lightly. Medea scowled at the girl, a silent threat in her eyes. Alyssa ignored it, continuing as if nothing had happened.
"Anyway, like I said, this is Medea. She'll be eating breakfast with us from now on, so best get to know her now before too much time passes and things get awkward-"
"Things already are awkward!" Medea hissed, so that only the girl could hear. "Why did you bring me here? These men and women are soldiers, and I'm-"
"Hey, Medea, eh? Cool name. Mine's Roderick, by the way." A housecarl interrupted her, and she turned to face him with an icy glare.
"I honestly couldn't care less what your name is-" She began, but Alyssa elbowed her viciously under the table again. Medea whipped around to face the girl, who was grinning widely. "What on earth do you think you're doing-" She was cut off abruptly by her own laughter as Alyssa poked her playfully just below her ribs, the only place that she was even remotely ticklish. "Damn it- I- Alyssa!" She gasped between laughing fits as the girl continued to tickle her mercilessly.
Medea shut her eyes, able to concentrate just enough to touch Alyssa's consciousness with her own and mutter a quick hex that she had taught herself when she was younger. Suddenly, although no one had lay a hand on her, Alyssa burst out into uncontrollable laughter. Medea, free from her tickler at last, sat back and watched the effects of her spell with an air of mild amusement. The housecarls began to laugh as they realized what the young sorceress had done to their friend- A tickling hex! Who would have thought that stern, humorless Medea Lindenshield would know such a trick? It seemed ridiculous, but yet they were seeing it's effects with their own eyes.
Finally Medea got up and started to walk away. She was half way to the double doors when a housecarl called after her.
"Wait! Aren't you going to fix her?" He asked, sounding a little worried.
Medea turned around.
"Nah. It'll wear off in an hour or two... Just leave her, it won't do her any harm. And maybe she can burn off some of the carbs from that bucket of cookies she stole from the royal kitchen this morning as well..." She said, a slight smile on her face as she pretended to look thoughtful.
And so it was decided that no one, no one, could beat Medea in a tickle fight.
No one.