Before we start, I have a bit of an announcement. I have had a lot of messages on both Instagram (starrynights513) and on here to update sooner but I want to keep my postdate of Fridays (it keeps me honest and gives me time to work ahead just in case I get sick or too busy during the chapter week). So, I have decided to have a "lottery" for the chapters in this series. Each week, 2-3 winners (depending on the demand) will be chosen at random to receive the next week's chapter. If you want to be entered, just PM me or DM on Instagram letting me know. If you are a winner, I will need an email or some way to send it to you. I will not share or use your email for anything. I just ask you don't post or share the chapter anywhere else. I thought that a lottery would let me keep the Friday postings and allow for some people to get "early access" without providing some kind of barrier (like a paywall which I don't feel comfortable doing because I am not a professional by any means, like I write fanfiction lol). So, if you are interested, just send me a PM or DM.
On with the story…
The snow continued to fall as white clouds covered the weak sunlight that illuminated the sky. Banners of blue and green led the way for the royal companies of Prince Helia of Hademort and Princess Krystal of Linphea. The journey had been silent as Krystal had caught up to Helia, Flora walking by her side as she sat atop a beautiful white mare. The only sound that could be heard was the crunching of snow beneath feet and hooves, the clanging of metal armor with every step, and the loud exhale of horses as they made their way through the foothills of the mountains back to the palace.
Flora walked between Krystal and Helia, the tension between the two royals palpable as they rode in silence. Flora knew that her place in a situation like this was to remain quiet and only speak when she was addressed. However, she could sense the discomfort of both Krystal and Prince Helia.
She looked up at Krystal and saw that her already pale skin became almost as white as the snow and her cheeks were bright pink as she shivered on top of the horse. Despite being covered in wool and being given gloves, the princess was still visibly cold. Even though Flora was freezing, she knew that her princess came first and that she would handle whatever came her way in stride, even if it was the blistering cold temperatures of Hademort.
Slipping the lace through the knot, Flora undid the tie of her cloak and removed it from her shoulders. She grabbed the green cloak in her hand and held it up to Krystal.
"Your Highness," Flora said as she held out her cloak. Krystal looked down at Flora and shook her head.
"Flora, you must be freezing."
"Not at all, princess." Flora gave Krystal a smile to hide her lie, "If your parents heard that I allowed you to fall ill not even two hours into your arrival, I don't think that they would be too happy with me. Please, take the cloak, Your Highness."
Krystal studied Flora's face for any trace of hesitation or uncertainty, but when she saw none, she took the cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. The warmth from the cloak and Flora's residual body heat that lingered on the green fabric relaxed Krystal as she melted into the warmth.
Flora stilled her body, thinking warm thoughts as she willed her body not to tremble under the stings of the wind that chapped her skin. She would not let Krystal know that she was cold, this was about the princess, not her. She served Linphea, not the other way around and she would be damned if the princess suffered because of her.
"You should have told someone you were cold, princess," Helia remarked as he kept his eyes focused in front of him. His voice was as cold as the wind.
Flora looked up at Krystal who looked down at her hands as they held the reins, embarrassed at Helia's observation.
"We would have gotten you a cloak." Helia huffed as he gripped his reins tighter.
"She did not want to bother anyone, Your Highness." Flora replied for the embarrassed princess.
Helia glanced down at Flora, her tan skin tinged pink along her back, chest, and shoulders. Her face didn't show it, but her body told him everything he needed to know. He could tell that she was freezing.
"But now you are without a cloak." Helia said.
"But my princess is now warm, Your Highness." Flora replied, doing her best not to let her voice tremble. "Better for me to fall ill than her. I am not cold, your Highness."
Helia smirked and let out a soft scoff. What a liar. Was everyone in Linphea like this? That a handmaiden would so readily suffer for her princess and wear a smile on her face while she did it? Sure, the servants of Hademort served the nobles without question, but never a smile on their faces.
"An ill servant is one that doesn't work and is therefore useless." Helia reached up to his chest and undid the metal clasp that held his fur-lined cloak over his shoulders. Slipping it from his broad body, he passed it down to Flora, draping it over her shoulders.
"Your Highness..." Flora looked up at Helia, her green eyes wide in shock that a prince would give her his cloak. He must be cold.
"Your body betrays you," Helia returned to an upright position, both hands on the reins, "you were cold."
Flora looked up at the prince, her green eyes momentarily connecting with his.
"Thank you, Your Highness. But I don't want to im-"
"Do not thank me," Helia broke eye contact with the young woman and readjusted his gaze forward, "I am used to the cold and this is not the worst that Hademort has to offer. Plus, as I said, an ill servant is a useless servant."
Flora gave a soft nod as she wrapped the cloak tighter around her shoulders, the feel of the fur lining smooth and warm against her skin. She had never worn fur, Linpheans did not wear or consume anything that would result in an animal's death and there had been no need for such an article of clothing.
Flora watched as Helia lightly tapped the side of his horse with his foot, the pace quickening and Helia riding more towards the front of the group. Flora saw as he began talking to a man on horseback at the front of the pack, assuming that this man was the head of the guard.
Krystal looked down at Flora, watching as she held the cloak tight over her shoulders. She watched as Flora snuggled into the warmth of the cloak and followed her eyes to the back of Helia. Krystal's mouth formed a straight line as she tried to assess what was going on.
"I say," Krystal said, bringing Flora's attention back to the young princess, "if I didn't know any better, Prince Helia may be fonder of you than me."
"Nonsense, Your Highness!" Flora exclaimed, "I am sure that he would have given you his cloak if I had not given you mine first. It is not that he likes you less than me, it is that I love you more than he does, Your Highness. Besides, why would a prince have any type of feeling towards someone like me? As he said, an ill servant is a useless one. I serve you, Your Highness and he wants me to serve you to the best of my ability."
Krystal's face relaxed as she looked down at Flora, a smile forming on her lips, "I suppose so, but I have never known you to be sick. It would be quite a sight to see. Your nose red and puffy, dark circles under your eyes, hair a mess."
"I have been sick before," Flora shot Krystal a cheeky smile, "you just haven't seen it, Your Highness."
Krystal laughed, "I feel cheated! I now pray that I see the day that you fall ill."
"What a terrible thing to pray for, Your Highness!" Flora giggled.
"Very well," Krystal calmed her laughter, but the smile still remained, "then I shall pray for something more pleasant."
"Like what, Your Highness?" Flora asked with a smile.
"Hmm..." Krystal lifted a hand to tap the bottom of her chin, "a song."
"A song?"
"Yes, Flora, a song. Sing me a song." Krystal commanded.
"Your Highness, you know that I am a poor excuse for a singer." Flora blushed and subconsciously pulled the cloak tighter to her body, hoping that the cloak would magically hide her away from Krystal.
"Then it shall be a humorous experience," Krystal smirked.
Flora looked around and saw the rest of the traveling company paying her and the princess no mind. Maybe if she sang quietly then nobody else would hear her. She wasn't a terrible singer. She could carry a tune but any person from Melody would put her to shame. Taking a deep breath, Flora opened her mouth and began to sing a song that her mother would sing to her and her sister when she was younger.
Her voice was soft as she sang out timidly. However, she thought the sound was loud enough for Krystal to be able to hear.
"Flora, I can barely hear you. Sing louder." Krystal huffed as she looked down at Flora.
"Princess..."
"Nuh-uh," Krystal shook her head, "I want you to sing, and you have one of the best voices in the company that came from Linphea. Unless one of the guards from Hademort or the prince himself has a better voice. But I doubt they know any of the songs I like. So, sing, my friend."
Flora took another deep breath and started the song over again, louder, and for more people to hear.
Helia rode ahead, once again shocked by what had come over him moments ago. That woman, that handmaiden, that nobody had caused him to remove his cloak and give it to her. Why would he even do such a thing?
But how could he just sit there and watch her freeze? Her skin had turned a painful pink as the snow and wind hit her body. She held her face still but he could tell behind the calm visage that she must have been miserable. She had given Krystal her cloak and had insisted on walking alongside her and freezing.
But why would he care if she froze? She was just a handmaiden. If she were to fall ill and never recover, it is not like that she would be of any consequence to anyone, though Helia did admit that perhaps Krystal would have been upset. It was clear that Flora cared for Krystal, more than a handmaiden who usually cares for the person they serve.
"How much longer until we reach the palace?" Helia asked the captain of the guard, Duncan.
"We should be back within the hour, Your Highness. That is if we do not have to stop for the princess."
Helia turned his head back to look back towards the princess to search for any signs of fatigue. His eyes instead met her handmaiden and saw that she had clutched his cloak tight to her body, her face softening and her body relaxing under the warmth of the furs. Her lips were parted and her bright pink cheeks became a soft blush that matched the color of her gown. Helia finally looked to Krystal who was staring right at him, her green eyes boring into him and her face formed into a stony expression.
Turning back to face forward, Helia responded to Duncan, "We will press on until arrival."
As they rode on, Helia could hear the faint murmurs of the princess and her handmaiden behind him. Krystal had been questioning Flora on why he had given her his cloak, a question that he would like an answer to as well. He heard Flora dismiss any outlandish claim by Krystal that he had harbored any type of feeling for her. He didn't. She was cold, he didn't want to haul a body back to the castle. Free meat would attract wild animals from the mountains onto the road and into the villages of the kingdom.
The protests soon turned into laughs as the princess once again said something that made Flora laugh. Her laughter like honey pouring into his ear, he had never heard anything so sweet. He did his best to ignore it and soon the laughter turned back into mumbles that he could barely hear.
"Are you alright, Your Highness?" Duncan asked.
Helia turned to look at the young captain, his hair cut short and pushed back from his eyes. His eyes were a light brown but verged on gold as he looked at Helia with mild concern. Judging by Duncan's usual demeanor, this concern was not for Helia's wellbeing, but to make sure that he did not falter and appear weak. His father had made sure to instill the same ideals into his guards that he had instilled in Helia, maybe even more so. Duncan did not rise to captain at such a young age because he was a man who cared about anything other than himself and impressing King Azrael. Helia was certain that his father had wished that Duncan had been his son.
"Just fine. Ready to be off this horse." Helia replied, his voice like ice.
"Worth it, I presume though, Your Highness." Duncan looked back over his shoulder at the princess who was speaking with her handmaiden. "Princess Krystal is quite beautiful. She is young and seems demure enough to be the perfect queen and wife."
"I suppose," Helia replied, not wanting to continue the conversation about Krystal any further because when he thought of Krystal, his mind went to Flora. And his mind did not need to go there.
"And her friend is also quite-"
"I think that is quite enough," Helia groaned as he rubbed a hand over his face, "I am cold, tired, and I would enjoy it if we dropped this conversation, and you kept your lewd thoughts to yourself."
Duncan positioned his eyes straight ahead of him, "Very well, Your Highness. I am going to ride up ahead if that is alright with you."
"Please."
Duncan gave Helia a salute before trotting his horse to the front of the line, meeting up with the bannermen and some other lower-ranked officials of the Hademort Royal Guard. Finally, Helia could be alone and the soft sounds of murmuring between the princess and Flora had ceased.
Helia enjoyed every moment of silence that he could get. His father always yelling at him, Saladin telling him that he is better than what his father wants him to be, his advisors relentless with their suggestions on how to handle the commoners of Hademort, and now he would be inundated with talks of his marriage with Princess Krystal of Linphea. He would have to sit through the talks on the ceremony and learn all about the history behind the marriages in Hademort. As the crown prince, he would not even get to enjoy his wedding night alone as watchers would be in his bed chamber to make sure that the marriage was consummated. He would never be alone, never be afforded the silence he craved.
However, that silence was soon disturbed when a low and almost haunting voice filled his ears. Had it been the wind that moved through the trees? The changing pitch left Helia with the conclusion that someone had been singing, the voice coming from behind him. Whoever it was, their voice was unlike anything he had ever heard. Had it been the best singing voice he had the pleasure of hearing? No. But it still drew him in nonetheless, like an ominous siren leading him to the rocky shore like in the stories that Saladin would tell him as a child.
The voice swelled louder and Helia had allowed curiosity to get the better of him. He turned around and wanted to shove his sword into his ears when he saw the source of the voice.
Flora walked beside Krystal singing a tune that he did not know, probably some Linphean tune. Her lips moved as smoothly as her voice. Krystal sat on top of her horse, her eyes closed as she listened to Flora sing. Helia stopped his horse, the rest of the company marching ahead until he met back up with Krystal and Flora.
Upon seeing him, a blush spread across Flora's face and this time Helia knew that this blush had not been caused by the cold. She stopped singing much to a mix of relief and disappointment on Helia's end.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Flora meekly said as she bowed her head as she continued to walk beside Krystal, "I did not mean to disturb you."
"Flora why did you-" Krystal stopped upon opening her eyes and seeing Helia, "oh, Prince Helia. You came back to join us."
"I think of it as something had stopped me." Helia did his best not to look down at Flora.
"There isn't any trouble ahead, is there?" Krystal asked, her light green eyes filled with worry.
"No, princess," Helia replied matter-of-factly, "if there had been any kind of trouble ahead, the guard would have taken care of it already. And you would have heard the screams."
Flora's head snapped in Helia's direction. He wasn't serious, was he? If he was joking, he had a morbid sense of humor and if he wasn't joking, how could he say that so nonchalantly?
"That's good to know, Prince Helia," Krystal gave him a look of relief, "I would be pleased if you were to ride alongside me."
Krystal gave him a saccharine look, one that was much more forward and confident from the look she had given him when she had stepped off the boat. Maybe she had seen how non-threatening he was. His father would not be happy about that.
"We will be back at the palace within the hour," Helia announced as he cleared his throat, not giving Krystal's last statement any response. However, he did continue to ride next to Flora and Krystal, Flora walking between the two royals.
It was silent again before Helia became the first to speak.
"What were you singing?" Helia asked, his eyes still directed in front of him.
"M...m...m...me, Your Highness?" Flora stammered as she turned her head to look at Helia.
Helia looked down at her, his face unmoving, "Yes, you. You were the one singing, right?"
"I was," Flora answered, bringing her eyes down to the snow, "just a song from Linphea, Your Highness."
"And do you sing often?" Helia questioned.
"No, Your Highness," the corner of her mouth rising up into a small and nervous grin, "Well, not for others to hear. There are other people better suited for the task."
"That might be so," Helia said, "but your voice is still tolerable nonetheless."
Flora kept her eyes on the snow as her mouth turned up into a shy smile, her cheeks turning a fiery red as she bit down on her lower lip. From what she gathered of the prince, being called 'tolerable' was a high compliment. She would not take that lightly.
"You should hear our court musician," Krystal sighed as she turned her head to Helia, "he has the most amazing voice. The best voice in all the kingdom, don't you think, Flora?"
Flora nodded, "Yes, Your Highness."
"I wish that I could have brought him along with me but I could not take Orlando away from mother and father. He would have made the trip more enjoyable. Don't you think so, Flora?"
Once again, Flora nodded her head and agreed with the princess, "Yes, Your Highness. A far superior voice than my own."
Krystal gave a firm nod.
"Does Hademort have a court musician, Prince Helia?" Krystal asked.
"No," Helia answered, "we do not. King Azrael does not enjoy music."
"Not enjoy music? I find that hard to believe, Prince Helia." Krystal scoffed.
"Well, he doesn't. He only tolerates it when he has to." Helia clenched down on his jaw.
"Maybe we should have Flora sing for him." Krystal teased but the teasing was lost on Helia.
"No!" Helia firmly stated before he caught himself and lowered his voice, "That would not be wise."
Krystal brought her attention back to the path in front of her, unsure of what to say next.
"My singing would probably get us all banished and throw Linphea into war with Hademort. Instead of 'A Face the Launched a Thousand Ships', I would be known as the voice that disturbed the king so much that he had no choice but to launch a thousand ships to Linphea in retaliation."
Flora's soft voice cut through the tension, causing Krystal to emit a demure giggle. Helia, however, looked down at the handmaiden.
"You know that story?" Helia asked Flora.
"I do, Your Highness. My father would tell me all the ancient tales of heroes from all over the world before I came to the palace. The battles, the ancient creatures, the forbidden...I'm sorry, Your Highness. I am rambling."
Flora brought her gaze back down towards her feet and her hands in front of her.
"Just like Flora," Krystal remarked, "always with her head in the clouds. I remember when she used to hide out in the garden instead of doing her chores when we were younger. Eldora, our librarian, would read aloud to the servants in the palace. Griselda would always become so cross with Flora when she began to daydream instead of focusing on her chores."
Flora walked in silence as Krystal kept divulging more and more about palace life back in Linphea. It was nice to hear the princess return to her usual, talkative self, but Flora could sense that Krystal was mainly talking to herself. She dared not to look up, feeling the cold stare of deep blue eyes on top of her head. Flora gripped the edges of the fur-lined cloak and adjusted it over her shoulders, wishing again that she could disappear under the dark fabric and fur.
Helia's gaze never left Flora's as he was still stuck on the fact that she had heard the same stories and that she had enjoyed them as he had as a child. What was it like to have someone that encouraged storytelling and imagination? What was it like to be able to sit outside on a spring day and listen to someone tell stories of far-off places and heroic adventures? He bet it was glorious, sitting under a large tree with his head filled with the scenes of his favorite stories. He had not been able to enjoy the stories that he used to read for the longest time. Ever since coming of age five years ago, he had been thrust into the world of politics, learning what his father had considered the essentials that it took to rule. None of which contained the stories and art that used to fill his time.
Before he knew it, a trumpet sounded and Helia looked ahead, Krystal's ramblings stopping. Looking out on the horizon, Helia felt a sense of relief as he saw the large visage of the palace.
He was home.