Iron Princess

One } Two Pawns, One Game

[ Krystal ]

"Look. There they are."

I looked down the muddy hill to the field below, the fog coasting along it like a veil. In the distance the sounds of blades and axes clashing could be heard from the training ground, the noise comforting to me in this stressful hour. Next to me my best friend and member of my personal guard, Amber, was chewing her nail as she glared down at the figures riding through the fog, their eyes darting around with obvious curiosity and unease. And they had every right to feel uneasy. This wasn't their country and they were outsiders here, though they wouldn't be for much longer.

Because today was my wedding day to one of them.

"Which one is he?" I asked her, eying all the shapes.

"Why? You want to put an arrow through his knee?" She chuckled. "He's that one there... Far right, surrounded by his personal guard. They call themselves BTS if you can believe it."

I snorted. "What does that stand for? Boys That Suck?"

Amber flashed me a grin over her chewed thumbnail. "Probably unofficially. Officially? Who the fuck knows. I don't think even they do, the stuck up freaks."

I had to agree. Those people making their way up to the track to the castle were stuck up. They weren't like us - they were nothing like us with their pristine clothing, smooth skin and airs they put on. I'd heard of the politics and rules of their lands, the way their women were nothing but pretty ornaments to marry and walk around pregnant. I bet their women weren't trained to kill. I bet their women weren't more accustomed to fighting than dancing around fancy ball rooms. My new husband was going to hate me.

Looking away from them in disgust I walked back to my War Horse and mounted him, quickly spurring him into a gallop back to the palace. Dismounting at the stables I thrust the bridle to the stable boy and had just stepped through the hall leading to the kitchen when my sister, Jessica, rounded the corner, brows pulled down into a frown.

"Why aren't you dressed?" She demanded sharply, before leaning forward to sniff me. "You smell like horse and sweat!"

"I've been out riding." I shrugged.

"Get upstairs and bathed - quickly! They'll be here soon!" I walked around her. "And use the servants stairs!" She shouted after me.

Rolling my eyes I changed direction to use the servant stairs, not really that annoyed since I preferred them anyway. Stepping into my bedroom I found my maid, Mina, pacing uncomfortably, her body sagging in relief when she spotted me. Mina was a servent due to being born with a disformity that left one of her legs longer than the other. In her parents eyes she had been deemed weak, not worthy enough to take the mantle as a warrior and so she had been raised to be a servent girl, employed by my Father to serve me. Ignoring the sight of her my eyes scanned the room and there, hung up was my wedding dress, the ugly reminder of why I had to use the servants stairs at all. My hands balled into fists.

"There you are! I had your bath drawn an hour ago so the water is going to be cold, but I didn't change it because I didn't know when you'd be back and-"

"Mina, get out." I snapped. "I'll bathe myself."

She curtsied and quickly limped out of the room, leaving me alone. Stripping off my leathers I stepped into the cold water and scrubbed myself clean, my eyes forever roaming to where my dress hung. I glared at it as I stepped out of the frigid cold water and dried myself, finally calling Mina in when I knew I couldn't delay any longer. She didn't waste any time. Sitting at the vanity table I allowed Mina to pin my hair into an elaborate updo with several diamond studded pins, tiny diamond clips woven through the strands so my hair glittered and shimmered. Next my face was painted with cosmetics to make my cheeks glow rosy, my eyes shimmer with silver shadow and rouge my lips.