Still, they glazed past the still moving scenery. She expected a much different painting than the one painted in front of her. In her wonder, it felt as if she was standing inside a medieval portrait. There were no scenic routes, no bumbling servants, no mail carrier, and little to no noise. But the hallway seemed illuminated by the eerie moon light that carried past the carved window sills.
She did notice something was stopping her thoughts flowing as freely as she wanted. And at that it felt her stomach too wanted shared attention, choosing to let out a growl warning.
Turning to the royalty, she looked upwards to match their gaze.
"Is there anything you both need to discuss with me?"
Byleistr paused, "I only rather discuss where you come from but you're free to come with us to eat lunch."
The roar of her stomach flared, causing her to sigh, "That works, I can discuss my home there if that's alright?"
They both started walking forward, "That's quite alright little one. Just mind the differences between your food and ours please." She was slowly lifted as delicately as a flower into Helblindi's hand.
"I'm not little," she insisted, settling on the tips of his fingers. They both chuckled at the statement, "I know that, just some teasing. We would've teased our brother, Loki, but he is currently away on royal affairs."
At that, Helblindi sighed tiredly, "Ever since he's settled here, he's always been running off to fight or assist in other wars."
That was right, even a docile place as Jotunheim had its wars, bloody, brutal.
No matter how peaceful it was, the windows revealed a solemn mood throughout the town. The creatures of the land would haller and the people would smile yet there were shambles of buildings scattered around the town.
She knew this picture, lived in it her entire life. After the war of the rings, peace had been established. The dwarves talked amongst elves, men had started to open their borders along with the kingdoms of the elves. But no matter how much light had remained and flourished, people forgot the need of darkness providing balance.
Soon men grew distasteful and resentful of the battles, elves and dwarves could not find their similarities and soon like the dagger, that peace was lost. Only remaining in the hands of the stories and jabs at each other.
Silently peering through her hair, she saw the ruby eyes yet again. Moreover, their expressions.
Byleistr by far held the position of seniority. She noticed from their first interaction that he held a defensive position. Always behind his brother, holding himself high often with something in front of himself. But he always held a cold glance with everyone, even his brother.
While Helblindi had the curiosity of a child, and frankly, he seemed like one. His arms were almost always by his side making gestures as he spoke. The first time they'd met he had been the first to try to help her up. Aside from her meltdown, he rarely broke his facade of a charismatic, friendly person.
But they both held something she instantly recognized, the look of a soldier. Talen was often like Helblindi and used comedy to diffuse tension. They both held themselves high but close to each other. She did not pretend to miss the scar below his eye like Talens burns. She had noticed the calloces of Helblindi's hand built from conflict around this city. But like normal, she pretended. It was better to hide her thoughts to maintain her new position.
As they reached the end of the extensive hallway, her senses were flooded with the sweetness of sugary delights, the minty stench refreshing her nose as her stomach leaped at the sight of a banquet of foods.
They lowered her towards the icy flooring, spun with tiles of dark blues. They separated down the table and shed themselves of the fur coats matted with snow and muck. The circles of gold scattered as they fell into a small box besides their seats. In their steed, the princes placed a thin silver circlet onto the top of their heads.
She reached on her tiptoes to try and climb onto the table as another giant lifted her onto the seat. But before she could take notice, the servant leaped back into the hallway.
"If you can, it would be preferable if you wear these." She grounded herself in the chair patting down the torn clothing.
"Those are what you wear." She pointed out,
"That would be correct." As she grabbed the fur sack, she opened it to reveal a soft fur overcoat, and two small rings of gold. Determined to wear the large items she tousled the blanket over her shoulder, soothing the nerves on her arm. But the bands rolled over as she tried to lift them over her wrists, legs, anywhere she determined would fit the gold.
They both chuckled as she struggled, "Here," Helblindi then lifted the objects to her wrists finally, "They're supposed to be on your upper forearm as do traditions."
She bowed her head to thank him after, "What do they mean?" She patted herself down as she waited to begin. Instead, Byleistr glazed at her fondly saying, "I can't do justice with their stories, our parents will be joining us for dinner if that would be okay."
Of course it was the type of question where she could not refuse no matter how tired she felt. Don't be misled. She was extremely grateful for their help but her mind wondered even by the slightest noise in the distance. Most of her upscaled diners she was obligated to go to, she either pretended to be ill or had simply organized tasks earlier to fall during that time.
So with her eyes slowly falling she only murmured a "Yes course" and had focused her time clearing the clutter of ideas, thoughts, and commentary she had now caught back up to. Helblindi though had been discussing something rather bostfully, contributing to her ears hatred towards this new social form.
"Well I wasn't the first to summon magic in this family but I remember I could form ice earlier than you and Loki!" The younger chuckled,
She bright herself into the current day at her statement. There was only so much time she could stand to be alone with her thoughts, it was like having an irritating younger her constantly in her ear.
"Ice? Most people can make ice or snow here?" She questioned Byleistr though he didn't take notice of her tired appearance or perhaps didn't mind.
"Well yes, rarely can't a Jotun manevest some form of snow or ice at a young age," He continues politely cutting the meat platter at the center of the table, "We're naturally made for the cold but especially since our seidr is strongest than more realms we can make ice."
"But dear brother, I formed it earlier than even my elder brother could!" Helblindi remarked
Eira thought in kind, "The only magic we have is from the Grey Wizard and one could could the Sindar elves but none can form things like ice." Byleistr then only reserved himself to a stoic mask while Helblindi quickly stuffied an assortment of meat and wine down.
"Well," he remarked, "it's understandable that you and Hayla…got along…quite well." Shoving Helblindi seeing his mouth full of food.
"I'm not quite sure I understand." She answered, "Well technically dark elves are most likely what your…" He lolled off with the younger grinning slightly, "Accustomed! He means you're already acquainted with dark elves then."
"No actually, elves are often referenced to creatures of light." she paused, "that's why they attract creatures of darkness like spiders.." They both frowned, but at that a loud crash boomed throughout the table.
Galloping through the hallway flew royal garments streaming about. A glimmer of gold caught in the light, thump after thump.
The brothers gathered at their feet and glared at the incoming sound. Steel eyes bored into the ruddy ice, each callous gribbed at their swords. She though had begun to crouch underneath the table. Thump…thump…the wind no longer howled and the animals had stopped their calls. Perhaps it was the moment but she could hear the rise and fall of their chests. Hardy, shallow, like a lump in their throat was caught fighting against themselves.
She turned to Byleistr, in his stance he quickly turned and scavenched for something to his desire. Soft yet cold as the blittering wind it was foraged in. A metal rubbed raw against the sweet embrace of its master. Swiftly he tossed two twin daggers.
"Take these, I'm not sure what we're up against so prepare to run." Both had slowly edged their way behind both doors, while she remained to advise their attempt. And then, it happened. Blades seared as her ear rang. Foot after foot she bolted down the hallway, down the corner away from the shouts and deadly dance one had chosen to enter with her.
Left…right..glide so help me she begged. At first she hadn't truly thought anything serious had begun. Only a troubled servant, maybe their family, but not that. They had started to open the door, only to have the walls before them crumble onto their backs. She almost thought she had stayed into the lands of invaders for their brutality was fierce.
Their swords pierced through every pint of air, swishing about as they laid waste to the banquet they had interrupted. Golden locks whistled throughout the air as the storms centered near. Strong as they might be, she had fled through the door once she had seen the creeping inches of silvery swords. And now she ran, with no time to cry or falter.
Her feet grew numb again as they scraped every crumb of dirt and stone. Only left in the soft garments they had given, whilst she fled leaving them only the thing she had hated.
Running past the entrance doors, she noticed a guard slumped over a hue of maroney wine. Gliding past the scene in front of her she asked, "Where are you hurt? Are they still here?" To her dismay the guard only could lift their eyes to only bore into hers.
"The princes…" He murmured,
"Yes, yes they're fighting them but plese I-I know I can only do so much but where are you hurt?" She pleaded, hastily wrapping the bloodied area on his uniform
"The princess…" He faded, pointing away
"What? The princes are fighting," She turned slowly to see a heckle of silver. Her eyes couldn't dare say anything in that moment as she peered to see the swift dance.
She had always hated the violence of war with a passion, so why did she fall in love with the dance of a warrior.