<div style="margin-left: 20px"><div style="margin-left: 20px"><div style="margin-left: 20px"><div style="margin-left: 20px"><i>When she was a kid, she used to think waiting was just something <u>other</u> girls did when they grew up.</i><br/>
<br/>
The cold had somehow already seeped in past the thick layers of yarn covering most of her face, breath crystallizing in a sheet of ice that made the fabric in front of her mouth appear white instead of the lilac color it was meant to be.<br/>
<br/>
<i>Her mother used to tell her she would never have to wait for anyone to come take her away. She was the firstborn in the family, the only child after years of trying, and a heir needed so badly in these hard times could marry and settle with whoever they wanted-- only she didn’t want anyone. She didn’t have to wait for a marriage proposal or deal to pop up, she would find her own. Only weak, foolish, poor girls had to wait, and Nerys? She was not weak.</i><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
Her fingers tightened on the horse’s reins clumsily through their thick leather gloves as she lifted a hand to tuck away some rebel flyaway hairs back into her hood.<br/>
<br/>
<i>The stories she was told were inspiring, if harsh. “Boys will make moon eyes at you and try to sway you with lavish gifts, but not once should you stop for them. People like that,” her mother would say, “are worthless; they have nothing to offer you but a ball and chain, and that’s just going to drag you down to their level, and your country along with you.” Nerys used to look at her mother with wide eyes and solemnly promise that she would never let anything stop her from reaching the top.</i><br/>
<br/>
Yet, as cold grey eyes surveyed an even colder landscape, they reflected the shadows of the land in a bitter, unresolved manner. Perhaps to onlookers she appeared to be fairly well off; the generous amount of fur covering her cape, the warm fabrics of her dress, the soft leather of her sturdy riding boots- it all spoke of well-being in a world where heat was as much of a need as water or food. Yet, as Nerys observed the lack of guards around her and an utterly lonely feeling began to creep up from her stomach, she couldn’t help but think that this was still far, far away from the top. No matter what anyone had said. No matter what her name was, or what the silver diadem in her bag was supposed to represent.<br/>
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<i>Her father used to lower his head to ruffle her hair as he told her what a good life lay ahead of her. How she would be the closing gap between Drynn and their neighbors, the bridge between two cultures that would take back control and bring more peace to the kingdom. It was a gradual change on his part, that of simply looking down on her instead. She had suffered a lot-- begged, even, anything to avoid ceasing to be the beloved wonder child she’d expected to become. She’d given up every part of herself to accommodate them, became the shadow of the woman they wanted, a warm smile by the door as she attended her younger brother’s training, and a quiet (sharp) tongue, held still so that it would only cut herself.</i><br/>
<br/>
Her eyes flutter, eyelashes heavy with snow flurries that tumble across her cheeks when she shakes her head. This was her chance, now. Her only chance to prove that she was still the Drynn’s true leader, Drynn’s true hope. Her brother was probably in his chamber at this time, with the heat from a hearty dinner warming his belly, while she was the one that had taken the first steps out in the cold for the sake of her kingdom. She was the one that had set out with only a stranger in tow to undergo a mission that was, by all means, impossible.<br/>
<br/>
She didn’t want to think too much on that. She didn’t want to think about the last conversation she’d had with her brother, which had ended with her throwing her sword at him and him leaving the room with some choice words that still resonated in her head. She hadn’t needed more than a few moments to process his words and make up her own mind..<br/>
<br/>
<i>His promise was no promise. It was just as valid as the promise she’d made to her mother all those years ago. This mission, this quest that she was on was the ball and chain she’d hoped to avoid.</i><br/>
<br/>
Nerys slowed her horse, pulling back on the reins and threw a long look at the knight riding behind her. She’d forced her horse to speed up and overtake his so that she wouldn’t have to keep looking at his back, but not knowing what he was doing was becoming somewhat frustrating as well. The man looked tired, almost bored, and he hadn’t said a single word since they’d left. She could barely see his hair beneath the wrappings, but the paleness of his face was rivaled only by that of the snow around him. Despite having put herself in a situation that made it difficult for him to speak to her, she couldn’t help being annoyed by the fact that he hadn’t even bothered.<br/>
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‘<i>You may be a hero, but you are no gentleman</i>,’ she reflected, turning her horse around, halting both of their progress along the road. She stared him down for a few seconds, waiting. It was only a few seconds, but they drew out so that the snowflakes appeared to take an eternity to reach the ground between them, and her lips pursed.<br/>
<br/>
<b>“I don’t want to ride out with a possible snowstorm,” </b>she pulled down her scarf from her face, cringing as the cold air hit her lips. <b>“ We need an inn to stay the night.”</b><br/>
<br/>
Waiting. It was a feeling that she hated, a dependence on others that was so simple and common that it got beneath her skin each time. Nerys’ gaze on him remained stubborn, if only because she figured he wouldn’t be able to see her shivering from the cold beneath her robes.<br/>
<br/>
<b>“We’re not that far out from the city yet, there’s bound to be some here. You ought to know. You’ve been out there.” </b>A demanding, expectant tone that her mother would’ve been proud of.<br/>
<br/>
She would’ve been much less proud of her turning around to proceed without getting a solid response from him, but, Nerys figured, the Queen wasn’t here to see it.<br/>
<br/>
For once.​</div></div></div></div>