prologue.

                                    

                                          

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          




"MAMA!" A LITTLE AUBURN haired girl called out, little legs flying through the gardens of flowers, a nanny servant struggling to keep up with the girl. 
"Princess! Please, slow down!" The nanny laughed, trailing close behind the little girl to make sure that she would not hurt herself. At only six, she was quite a handful, anyone could see that.
"Oh, Fionnuala!" The woman she was sprinting towards called out, craning her neck to look at her daughter. "My dear heart, how I have missed you!" She set her book down on the edge of the stone fountain that she sat on, moving to crouch down on the cobblestone path, arms spread out for her daughter to crash into. 
Upon seeing her mother, the girl slowed her pace, cautious of not hurting her or the little sibling that she may have soon. "Mama! Where have you been?" Fionnuala's arms wrapped around her neck, head buried in the crook of her mother's neck. 
A huff of a laugh left the elder. "Orkney, my darling." Cautiously, she picked up Fionnuala, looking to the nanny.
"You may leave us, Lady Mildrith," She nodded, and to that the nanny offered both Queen and Princess a curtsy before leaving the gardens.
"You know my name, do you not, Fionnuala?" She asked, turning her head to her daughter, a hand moving to smooth down auburn locks. 
"Gyda of Orkney," Fionnuala responded with a huff, shaking her head. Just because she was visiting her home islands does not mean that she had any less objections to her mother being gone for more than an hour. Two weeks seemed to be the equivalent of the real hell for her. "I am of Orkney, and occasionally I should like to visit my father and sisters! Would you not like to do the same if you were away from your father and the sister or brother you may have?" 
The little girl nodded. "Yes. I do hope it is a sister, though. A brother would be boring."
That earned a hearty laugh from Gyda. "Come, my little love. Shall we go see your father now?" Turning, Gyda ran a hand through her daughter's hair, skirt hems dragging along in the grass, entirely forgetting the book she was reading.
»»————-　♔　————-««
"Father?" Fionnuala called out, arm around the bottom of a girl that was perched firmly on her hip, the other holding up her skirts. "Father!" She called, pace quickening to catch up with the older man who was practically ignoring her. Her hand gripped onto his arm, causing him to turn.
"Father, where is mother?" She asked, glancing between the little girl on her hip and her father. 
He was more a myth than he was a man. His green eyes furrowed into a strong line, jerking his arm away from his eldest. "You know well, Fionnuala." 
She did. Fionnuala did know well. She heard the accusations on hushed lips of servants. From the girl who helped her dress in the morning, from kitchen maids, from the stable boys. 
"She was a witch whore! Slept with many a Aeldormen, she deserves whatever charge the king gives her."
"Beheading is a mercy. She may meet God and plead for His forgiveness now."
They spoke as if the princess could not hear them. 
"Do not ask again." Constantin said, looking down at his daughter with a gaze harsh enough that he could've been mistaken for a Dane raider. 
Green eyes cast down to the stone floor. Blinking back tears, Fionnuala looked back up to her father. "Yes, Father."
Without a word, Fionnuala adjusted her young sister on her hip, turning to leave from the sight of her father. 
»»————-　♔　————-««
Clouds hung over the sky like a heavy blanket, a steady drizzle falling from them. Auburn hair started to stick to the sides of Fionnuala's face. She stood beside a guard, a personal one that was assigned to her. 
She looked at a scaffolding where she watching Queen Gyda of Orkney be guided up. The princess was lost in the crowd, at least from what she had thought. 
"Lady Gyda of Orkney, do you have final words?" A man asked, dressed in too fine of clothes for such an occasion. 
As Gyda's cloak was removed from her body, Fionnuala could barely hear her words. The only sentence she heard was—
"I heartily desire you all to pray for me and our Lord King, for there is no kinder, gentler Lord that we could ask for."
Then she handed a small coin purse to the executioner. Fionnuala stayed transfixed on the scene, unable to tear her eyes away, no matter how much she wanted to. A firm hand on her arm made her look up, but that did not last long. 
Gyda's flame kisses hair was tied back, and a blind fold tied around her eyes by one of her ladies. Gently, she was guided down to sit upon her knees. 
The rain started to get heavy. Fionnuala couldn't hear over the crashing of rain onto whatever it so happened to come across. 
Fionnuala saw it then. The flash of steel. Gyda turned, quick to look as she might have heard something.
Then it hit her neck.
Fionnuala turned to the guard who stood beside her. "Oh, Tahmas," She sobbed, unable to hold back the tears pouring from her eyes. The metal of his armor offered no warmth. Perhaps nothing could replace the warmth that her mother's embrace had once given her. 
"Come, princess," His voice was gruff, but soft. 
The Princess's body was stiff, almost planted in place, but soon she was guiding back to the castle. Her sobs were the only thing she could hear. 
The rest of her world had gone silent.