A slender figure was curled up on the window seat in a vast library set high up one of the towers. A book was laid out across her lap but while her blue eyes were scanning the pages no words were sinking into her brain. She sighed and glanced out the window, looking down on the city. The quiet click of a library door opening caught the blonde's attention and she turned away from the sight spread out before her. A tall figure stood by the doors, causing the girl to tense for a second before she recognized the face of her childhood friend and personal guard, Alden. He gave her his familiar mischievous grin as he joined her side. "How goes your studying?" He inquired with a raised eyebrow. "It's going well." She lied and not too good either because her friend saw through it in a second. "Truly? Tell me something you learned from the current chapter you're on." He challenged. The women bit her lip as she struggled to come up with something. A few moments passed before the male sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "This isn't the first battle your father and brother have been in Blythe." He told her gently.

Blythe's brows furrowed. "But it is the first time facing these brutes." She replied. They all had heard the stories of the East but she hadn't truly understood how terrifying theses beasts were until news reached her father of the raided villages on the fridges of the kingdom. She shivered when she remembered the messengers recount of the event; how even the women and children had been slaughtered. "Yes, but theses savages are no different than any bandits we've had before." Alden countered. Blythe refrained from commenting, knowing full well Alden was just saying that to keep her from worrying. The man sighed and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "You have to be strong. If the king and your brother perish in battle then you are next in line for the throne...." He hastily cut himself off as her face paled and frantically scrambled to correct his mishap. "However, that won't happen of course. Your father is too strong a warrior and Coric is too stubborn to give up." His last comment coaxed a small smile from the women. Yes, her brother was definitely stubborn to say the least. 

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and a breathless servant came in. "My lady, your father and brother have returned! The king requests your presence in the throne room." Blythe shared a look with Alden before they were both hurrying from the room and down the stairs. She quickly hurried into the throne room where she saw her father sitting on his throne with her brother standing next to him. She opened her mouth but Coric shook his head and gestured that she was to come stand by their fathers side. She had no soon stepped into place before the doors burst open and a women was brought in. But she was like no women Blythe had ever seen. The sight of her sent shivers of fear down the princesses spine as she realized that this must be one of the savages her father went to war against. She shot her brother a shocked look and he shook his head, mouth the word later. Blythe nodded and turned her gaze back to the women only to flinch upon seeing that the women was staring back at her. 

Blythe resisted the urge to shrink back and returned the gaze with a wide-eyed stare of her own. This lasted for a few more moments before her father sent the women to a cell after coming to the realization that she did not speak their tongue and therefore he could not glen any information for the time being. Blythe glanced at her father, biting back many of the questions waiting to burst forth.