TYRION

Chapter 6

FEAR

Isolde opened her eyes to the dawn of a new day, blinking as the sunlight from outside flooded in. A figure holding the curtain aside came into view. Tyrion. She rose from the bed and motioned towards him.
"Thank you for saving us yesterday," she expressed. Tyrion responded with a short smile as he observed her facial features more closely.

The sound of the bed creaking made the two turn their heads towards the angle the sound came from. Selena had woken up as well and walked up to them.

"We have to go now," Selena, her sister, informed, and Isolde nodded in agreement. Tyrion could almost sense the hesitation in her eyes, but it didn't last long.

"Wait till Alaric comes back, he will be back shortly. He went for a walk" Tyrion said.

"We can protect ourselves now though, you need not worry anymore" Selena tried to convince but Tyrion wasn't having it.

"I won't be at ease knowing you two are leaving unarmed. Let us take you home, please," he said, emphasizing the last word as he focused on Isolde, who gave a small nod in agreement. Alaric returned a moment later, and they prepared to depart. Tyrion mounted his white horse and offered his hand to Isolde to help her up. Meanwhile, Alaric assisted Selena onto his brown horse. Tyrion felt Isolde's hand tighten around his waist, and a faint smile appeared on his face as he urged the horse to gallop.

***

The horses came to a halt, and the women dismounted as they arrived at their chamber. A middle-aged woman in her early sixties emerged to welcome them. Her expression was a mix of sourness and happiness, relieved to have her daughters safely back home.

"Mother, we are safe. they saved us" Isolde said, referring to Tyrion and Alaric who had hopped off their horses and were approaching.

"Greetings to you wise one" Tyrion greeted the woman whose gaze had shifted from her daughters and now lingered on him, her expression becoming unreadable as she continued to look at him.

"Who are you?" She asked in a curious tone

"I'm Tyrion, a traveler from Mistwood" He replied politely.

"Who are your parents?" She asked and Tyrion went silent for a moment before he spoke up.

"They died when I was little, I never had the luxury of knowing much about them" He gave his honest reply. The rest watched as the conversation went on between the two.

"Why did you choose to help my daughters then?" She inquired, her curiosity evident.

"Why are you in our land? What's your mission?" She added. Tyrion was taken aback by the unexpected questions from the woman. Now, he seemed to be the one more interested in who she was.

"Mother, this is not the right time to question him, they should be heading back" Selena whispered to her.

"I'm sorry but we have to go now" Tyrion said. He acknowledged the women with a slight bow and walked away. Isolde and Selena watched as the two men mounted their respective horses. Tyrion gave one last look at Isolde, who was already looking at him before he rode away with his friend.

***
"Stay away from him" Lady Aurora warned Isolde

"I was never with him. They saved us and we owe them. Why would you say so?" Isolde worried. Lady Aurora let loose her gray hair and sat down on the ten-year-old wooden bed.

"That boy has a mission, one that can implicate anyone seen with him" She conveyed in a tone that reflected certainty. Selena, who had been silent all along, decided to speak up.

"I think you should worry more about the strangers that attacked our land yesterday night, these two men saved us. They should be the least of your concerns" Selena said, making sure her tone remained respectful.

"You two are so naive and very ignorant" The two ladies exchanged confused glances as they listened to their mother speak.

"I am a 65-year-old sorcerer and I know a supernatural being when I see one. That boy is no ordinary person and I don't want to see either of you with him or his accomplice again" She warned sternly.

"He's not a bad person"

"He's bad for you. He's dangerous to you, don't even consider him" Lady Aurora said with tears glistening in her eyes. Isolde felt there was more to this but then she couldn't withstand seeing her mother cry. She knew she had always wanted nothing than to keep the two safe. After their mother died, they had been Lady Aurora's responsibility. Nobody except them knew she wasn't their mother. The bond she had with them was one that a real mother would have with her daughters.

"I saw how he looked at you, and I know you know it, don't give in to him" She said to Isolde who was short of words at the moment. Selena on the other hand felt her chest squeezed tight, a weird state she finds herself in whenever she's uncomfortable.

A sudden intrusion into their chamber threatened their space. Four men, armed with pistols and other dangerous objects, quickly approached Isolde and forcibly seized her. Startled by the sudden violence, Lady Aurora pushed one of the men away to protect a frightened Isolde.

"What do you want from my daughter!" She screamed.

"She would be addressed when she gets to the palace"

Selena was pushed away as she attempted to free her sister from the hooligans' grasp. Lady Aurora had never regretted her lack of freedom to perform magic so much until that moment.

"Tell me, what has she done? please"  She begged.

She's guilty of leading a stranger into our land to kill us." Isolde could hardly believe what she had just heard. But she had no time to prove her innocence before they seized her and carried her away as if she were a thief who had stolen a king's gold.

"Mother!" She screamed as they took her away, leaving her family in fear.