#inspired by got reign lotr and heroes of might and magic

[theoriginalsfan124]

Between The Storms End And The Dragons Breath

Chapter Four

Chapter summary:  Two weeks have past and Caroline still feels foreign in Athedon. She can’t imagine herself staying here for the rest of her life. The king, her future husband, is nothing as she imagined, he hasn’t spoken a single word to her since their chat in the counsil room. She’s determined to give him a piece of her mind, as gently as possible of course. The young lady is marching towards his office, but she’s in  for a big surprise when she opens the door.

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Two weeks have passed since Caroline has stepped foot in Athedon, yet this place still felt so foreign. She couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that she will stay here for the rest of her life. Sure Asofall was a beautiful castle and Athedon was a marvelous city, still it did not match the beauty that Drogon, and its castle Blackfire, held. No foreign city could match her home. But yet she was stuck here as the bride of the king, who was nothing like she expected. Of course she expected him to be a little cold or distant, however he was more than that. He hasn’t spoken a word to her since their little chat in the council room, not even a good morning. His stare was cold as icy, his words could cut deeper than a sword, but he mostly kept to himself. The king was truly a quiet man, but Caroline knew that silent storms were the deadliest. She tried to get his attention,  like Marianne thought her: the young lady bowed lower, her dresses clung to her body better, and her smile was bright, yet he did not seem to care. Although he would spare a glance at her from time to time, after all the handmaidens explained she was a extraordinary beauty both to the Southern Lands and to Ilandol. Carolines eyes were a shade of red with a tint of gold - a gene the Callas women tended to have - since she was a little girl people have compared them to fire. Her hair thought told a different story: it was as white as snow and people said it was touched by ice. Her pearly white teeth portrayed a gorgeous smile, although it did not always reach her eyes, but many foolish men did not see it, even her own father.

  “My lady,” Nora, a handmaiden assigned to her by the king, walked into her room.

 Caroline sat up from the bed, her hair still messy and her mouth dry. It was early morning and quite beautiful one: the sun was out behind the clouds, the birds sang their morning song and chatter could be heard outside the castle. Her temporary bedchambers were directed towards Asofalls garden, a lot of ladies spent their time there knitting, sawing or just chatting around. The castle was inhabited by a few lords and ladies, almost all the lords were part of the kings council. Caroline did go to the garden, however no lady approached her or talked to her, most of them looked towards her with hate and envy. She was indeed gorgeous and marrying the king, that they were jealous of, but she was still a foreigner to them and for that reason they disliked her.

 “It’s time to get up.” The handmaiden smiles gently.

 The future queen groaned and got out from bed, gently walking towards the mirror. She sat on the chair next to it and relaxed. Nora hurried next to the lady, took a hairbrush and started combing her long white hair.

 “My lady, what hairstyle will you request today?” She formally asked.

 “Pull the front bits from my face and the rest leave it loose.”

 The servant gently and carefully brushed Caroline’s hair and did as she was told.

 “Nora, will the king accompany me to breakfast?”

 “No, my lady.”

 “Why?”

 “He has business to attend to”

She rolled her eyes; of course he had business to attend to. This was always his excuse not to dine with her. The young lady knew he wasn’t thrilled to marry her, neither was she, but he could have at least pretend to be nice. After a few minutes Nora was done with her hair. Caroline thanked her and got up from her chair to put on her dress instead of the nightgown she was still wearing.

 “My lady, do you need any help?”

 She only nodded her head. The servant girl took the dress gently in her hands, it was darker than wine, but richer than blood with a modest neckline, the upper part was accompanied with a tulle material, also on the upper part was decorated with sawed in dragons of the same color. Nora held the gorgeous dress for Caroline to step in, once she did the servant pulled it up and zipped it up. The future queen fixed her hair and was all set for the day.

 “Thank you, Nora. You may go.” She excused her.

  The Callas took a deep breath and stepped outside her room ready for another day in Asofall. She had breakfast with her cousin and her husband along with her own father. No words were spoken, she still was mad at her father for selling her off so quickly. After breakfast she took a leave to the castles library to pick out a book to read. Throughout all the time she was here, she has exactly read 10 books. How else could she spend her time with no friends and no one to talk to.

 The library was empty as always, not a lot of people read books for fun, they were always busy, always in a hurry. She brushed her fingertips on the old dusty bookshelves. Since she was a little girl, she had always loved the smell and sense of books, their old hard leather covers and the information they held. Her mother died when she was still in a crib and she had no sibling, her father was always busy. Marianne had always had different tastes than her, in boys and in activities, she loved to play with dolls and for some reason Caroline didn’t, she preferred to read. Maybe that is why books became her best friends.

 “Stormlands...” she read the name outloud.

 The leather cover was dusty, but she could still make out the amblema - a thunderbird with its wings spread. She took the book out of the shelf, it was pretty heavy. She quickly carried it to the nearby table, she gently opened the first page.

 “The Stormlands, seat of House Aijima.... wait isn’t Noel from house Aijima?”

 Now she was curious. She did not know much of Illandols noble houses and this book seems to be of one of them, even better it’s about her fiancés house. Caroline took the heavy book in her arms dusted it off a bit before leaving for the garden. It was a beautiful day and she wasn’t about to sit cooped up inside the castle. She stepped outside, her walk was fast as she was eager to begin to read the book. Caroline ignored all the stares she was getting as it was usual by now and set residence and her now regular place - one of the terraces in the back of the garden. She set her book down on the small round table and sat on the chair. Eagerly but carefully the young lady opened the book as she dived inside the letters and sentences it held. Her peace did not last for long as she was interrupted by two guards taking residence beside her resting place.

 “May I help you sirs?” She asked.

 “We are here on the kings orders, my lady.” The taller one answered.

 “And why did the king send you?”

 “To watch over you, for your safety, my lady”

 “For my safety? He did not seem to care about that at all in these past two weeks, what changed?”

 “We are doings orders, my lady.”

  She sat there for a moment. The rage bubbling up inside her. She slapped her book shut and stood up abruptly.

 “That son of a-“

 The guards looked at her waiting for her to finish her sentence.

 “That son of a beautiful lady probably.” She caught herself.

 She was determined now. She marched towards the castle and then towards his private office. She wasn’t about to let him take the freedom she had left now. Now the lady did not care about anything anymore, all she wanted is to give a piece of her mind to him, of course as gently as she could. She hurried up the steps, the two guards following behind. She knocked on the oak door leading to his office. No answer. She knocked again, but this time harder.

 “Is he bloody ignoring me?” She angrily muttered.

 She knocked again, this time even harder and more angry. And again no answer.

 “Mother Earth please give me strength not to set this son of a- this king on bloody fire” Caroline prayed to the Goddess, the southerners believed in.

 “My lady,” Nora, her handmaiden, came to the scene.

 Caroline did not answer her and continued knocking on the office door.

 “My lady,” Nora repeated again.

 The Callas kept knocking angrier every time.

 “My lady-“

 “What?!” She yelled out.

 “His highness is not in his office.”

 “You have to be kidding me...” she mentally slapped herself. “Where is he then?”

 “His bedchambers...” Nora looked down.

 “Okay... I am sorry for yelling and lashing out on you Nora.” She apologized before turning on her heels and marching towards Noels private chambers.

 The guards followed her all the way towards his bedroom.

 “Wait here.” She ordered.

 “My la-“

 “That’s an order.”

 This time she didn’t knock and busted in his room. She was ready to give him a moral, but she was met with a surprise. There was a woman with chocolate brown hair laying in the kings bed, naked. The king himself was besides the table pouring himself a glass of whiskey, the first few buttons on his white shirt opened.

 “Mother Earth give me strength...” she managed to mutter out as her mouth went dry.

The king and the unknown woman in his bed turned to look at the one who interrupted them. The kings eyes went wide for a second before he regained control. He turned to the woman.

 “Leave us Tatiana, Lady Caroline and I have something we need to discuss.”

 The woman, now known as Tatiana, picked up her clothes and hurried out of the room, not before winking and smiling to the king.

 “Explain. Now.” Caroline said though gritted teeth as the door shut closed.

 “Sit down.” He loosely gestured to the canapé.

 “If you think I’ll sit on any or the furniture you and that woman touched, you’re mistaken.”

 “Fine, stand if that’s what you want.”

 Noel took a sip from his glass and rested one of his hands on the wall.

 “That was Tatiana.”

 “So I heard.”

 “She’s my- how should I explain this....Mistress?” He calmly said.

 “I have never wanted to rip someone’s head off as much as I do now.”

 “I don’t really care to be honest. This-“ he pointed to the both of them. “-is just a counter measure to insure the South won’t rebel.”

 “So that gives you the right to be unfaithful?”

 “We’re not married yet.”

 “That’s no excuse.”

 “Tatiana and I have been together since I became king”

 “Still no excuse.”

 “ You see, unlike you, Tatiana matters to me.” He said harshly.

 “May Father Sky forgive you for such unforgiving words.”

 “I don’t believe in whatever you believe. If you did not know Illandol follows The Faith Of The One.”

 “I don’t care.”

 “Neither do I.”

 “Kul huk sintakla lonman (You truly are a man without honor)” She told him in Hulan, the language of the first men.

 “Guk tir kul huklam kilka dragok (careful with your words little dragon)” he replied in fluent Hulan.

 She was shocked at first. Not many people knew the Hulan language anymore, she learned it because it was tradition to in the Callas family, but not even many Southerners knew it, let alone a man from Illandol.

 “Car got your tongue?” He teased drowning the rest of his glass.

“Go to hell.”

 “Make me.”

 She didn’t have anything else to say. If she did not know better she would have slapped the king in the face right this moment. He had a mistress, he was unfaithful even before their marriage. Salty tears formed in her eyes, she gave him one last harsh look before sharply standing up and opening the door.

 “You can take back your guard dogs. I don’t need them.”

 She slammed the door shut and hurried to her room. This marriage was going to be worse than expected after all.

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@lunastarward