Page 85 of Winter Gods & Serpents

“It appears I was right to put you in charge here Sebastian, you have done my orders a great service,” she offered bowing slightly to him.

It was the soldier she had put in charge after she killed the Lord of Kirkwall.

We followed him down the busy streets of the city, the smell of baked goods, vanilla and cinnamon had filled the frosted air.

“The family has been working here for years now, they own a tavern by the borders of the wall, Pine Inn. They have two young children,” he explained, throwing a glance towards us as he pulled her closer to him and further ahead from us. His words were muted by the surroundings, but I could see it from how she walked and how amused she looked, there was something very wrong.

The inn was small, close to the highwall, enough to make out the sentries patrolling above. Noise of cutlery clattering, and trivial conversation leaked to the outside; almost all tables were occupied, fully with Isjordians enjoying their lunch and casual drink.

I spotted the owners preparing meals and drinks behind the counter and two children aiding to the tables. Why had the princess brought us here for?

“Everyone out, except you four,” she ordered, pointed to the family.

Fear rose to their faces, they paled and pulled their children close to them. She grabbed a chair and sat in the centre facing them while the room emptied at her command. Sebastian greeted us and left. Mal, Caiden and the soldiers taking the corners around her. The only who seemed to be surprised were myself and my brother, whose feet shifted repeatedly in anxiousness at the heightened mist of tension.

I stood behind the princess surveying the surroundings, when she broke the utter silence placing her hands in the holy greeting. “With Krig’s blessings or shall I say Henah’s?” she provoked.

Adriatians, just as I had thought.

“My, my, a whole rotten nest right under our noses. I must give it to you, fooled just about everyone. Certainly, you did not have to try much to hide considering your connections. I heard Esbern was a good friend of yours,” she revealed flatly.

Was this connected to the lords helping with the crossings, had they been helped by him?

The father stepped forward, his children nestling around their mothers lap. He stopped short, her soldiers blocking her from him. “We are simple and hardworking people, whatever has happened between our kingdoms has nothing to do with us,” he spoke. “We have resided in Isjord for years, my children were born here, we have not done or meant any harm to anyone, the whole city could vouch for our words.”

The princess chuckled as if his answer had been a joke. “Does the whole city know of your origins?”

She had achieved to receive the answer she wanted to hear, the fathers face paled, he swallowed deep and took a slight step back.

“Does it matter what we are, you cannot gather us in the same batch.”

“It matters to the law and to me, for all the little that I care you might as well prove yourself to be the same rotten batch. A snake can shed skin but not habits.” Cocking her head back she surveyed him. “Do you think me a fool to not see beyond this facade that you play and have created? Come now dear, give me some credit.”

To her it did not matter if you were Adriatian, you were all the same, even I knew that much but something else was brewing here.

“The lord—”

She interrupted him with her palm. “The lord was killed a traitor, and is no longer here. So, how do we settle this? Imprisonment is definitely not in consideration, so we just have to sort out the method of death I suppose.”

The mother and children erupted in cries while soldiers surrounded them by the princess' orders.

“Please, please do not do this,” the father begged on his knees, restrained by the soldiers.

I stepped in front of her. “They have done nothing to you or anyone, does it matter what they are? They bear no one's guilt, certainly not their king's,” I spat, pointing around the room. It was impossible for me to hold any longer, having borne too much from her words and her overly exaggerated manners of punishment that more than anything came from personal roots. I understood—no, I couldn’t even begin to know her suffering, but it was not these people's bargain to suffer. If anything it was mine and those in the Adriatian court for allowing it.

“Proceed cautiously, Kilian,” Caiden warned almost bored. Silently followed suit my brother who shook his head for me to stop.

“A bit of hypocrisy I smell?” Her hand slid to her dagger, flinging it around playfully. “Neither did the Isjordians your people killed, yet here we are, me and you, across a separating wall, an accessory to your acts.” She smiled wickedly, eyes aflame, burning shards of amber ice. “Take your morals and bury them just like you do with your wrongs.”

How could someone be so wrong and yet so in right at the same time?

Satisfied from my long silence she took turns about the room. “Their heads?” Cocking her head to the side in question she answered herself, “No.” Halting as if in realization she faced them again. “Ah, since you have spread your very selves around this city, tainting and retching it with your Adriatian stench, how about I wrap your insides all over the walls of the city, your heads on some lovely spikes and the rest out of kindness, a gift for your King to have,” she mused, and my blood boiled. “Shall I do it before your younglings? They will learn a lesson that is for sure.”

This was beyond monstrous. I charged towards her, wrapping my hand around her throat, pinning her hard to the wall, dragging her other dagger from her thigh to her throat.

Caiden and the soldiers charged towards, but the princess rose her palm stopping them, a smirk playing in her face and she waved them to step away.

She simpered. “It hurts then, to hear these things be done to innocents? How much do you think it hurts to see it, what about experience it yourself?”