𝐈𝐈.

                                    

                                          
Chapter II.
Set in Stone

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
There were days in Ravka when the sun would shine so brightly, coating the Grand Palace and its gardens in sunbeams making it look like a golden egg. The winds would be still and the temperature would be warm. Those were the days when all the nobles preferred to stay inside and eat candied fruits. Indulge themselves with shredded ice, covered in sugared syrup.
In those days, Irina would venture from the palace and go out to the nearby towns. Most of the time, she would bring bread and food for the farmers who worked all day in the fields. None of them seemed to mind her presence much, not when she brought them such gifts and helped out with the simple chores. They all assumed that she was the daughter of the merchant residing in Ryevost.
No one batted an eyelash when she would don plain clothes and go out riding. They all probably thought that the princess had lost her mind in the heat. 
Her father was too sick to go against anything she did and Oleg probably prays for her demise every single day, which meant there was no one to truly stop her. 
Although one always tried. 
"Princess Irina, I do not think it is safe to go out now. There are more and more attacks being reported every single day." Dimitri called out from her sitting room as she readied herself in her private chambers. 
Irina let out an amused huff of breath, tying her hair back with a line of cloth. "Oh Dima, when have I ever been swayed by your fears before?"
He released a loud sigh. "Not in all of the years I have known you, Your Highness."
Dimitri, or as she liked to call him, Dima was her guard. She never went anywhere without him, per her father's orders. If he cannot provide her with a caretaker, the least he could do was provide her with a guard who could defend both her and himself. 
Dima had been the shadow always following her around. When she was too distracted to fend off unwanted attention, Dima was the one doing it for her. In a sense, he was the brother she wished she had. 
"And yet you still try." She said, entering the sitting room with a fresh face.
Dima looked up at her from his perch on one of her chairs. "And yet I still try. I do not know why I even bother."
"Come. The day is bright and we still have lots to do." Irina beckoned, pulling him up to a standing position before dragging him out of the door. 
They walked out the door, princess and her guard, with a clear mission in mind. 
"Have you ever thought that maybe this isn't the right example to set for Prince Igor?" Dima asked as they walked past the servants and their judgemental stares.
It was as if they liked the other demanding nobles more. Pity.
She laughed. "Who would set a better example? Me or Oleg?"