Page 95 of The Heartless Archer

When they arrived at the palace doors the healers waited at the gates ready to do their magic and care for the contestants. The king watched them carry Noora and Sören—the latter was yowling in pain, now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off—into the palace. Pika was still able to walk on his own and he threw Nikolai a warning glance as if he still was not satisfied by their earlier conversation.

A young healer gasped as she looked upon him. “Your Majesty, you are bleeding, are you injured?”

He shook his head. “I am fine, it is not my blood staining these clothes, though would you be so kind as to tell a maid to draw me a bath?”

The girl’s cheeks grew red but she nodded quickly. “Of course, Your Majesty, I will do it right away.” She curtsied and before Nikolai could thank her, she disappeared into the palace. He followed her quietly, his steps echoing against the stone walls. His shirt was stained beyond hope, there was no way the palace washers would get it out of the fabric. Blood caked under his nails like he was the one defeating the monster and his muscles felt so tense he was looking forward to that warm bath.

The air in the bathing chamber was already foggy as he arrived and he quickly drew away his clothes and got into the boiling water when his washers entered the room. They did their work quietly as he held out his arms and they started to scrub his skin, not saying a word. The last one who did got send to work in the barns, shoveling shit. The water around him turned redder with every scrub, his pale skin turned an angry red until the blood was gone from under his nails. His now darker hair was combed back against his head and his body was clean again. When he got out of the bathtub, they dried his body and provided him with another golden peacoat and white shirt, though he donned the coat and decided to wear the slacks, pushing the shirt into them carelessly when the door to his chamber flew open and a small creature burst inside, red hair flailing everywhere.

“You evil monster!” Small fists started to pound his stomach and guards flooded his chamber. Nikolai made sure to gesture for them to leave as well as his washers, who took the dirty bath water with them, as he grasped the girl’s shoulders so she would stop hitting him. “What am I accused of, oh great warrior?” he asked.

Lulva glared up at him, her eyes spewing fire and making her look like a little vengeful sprite.

“Noora got hurt badly and they won’t let me see her,” the girl complained, her ocean eyes slowly filling with tears. He blinked surprised. Josephine was slowly trailing into the room, Spike at her side. The wolf was yowling in grief as if it knew that Noora was injured. “I tried to hold her back but she would not listen to me,” his sister said and shrugged.

Nikolai turned back to Lulva, his hands grasping her shoulders gently. Tears were running over her reddened cheeks, concern edged into a juvenile face. “I was just about to visit her. There is no need for tears, I promise you, Noora will be fine.” He produced a cloth handkerchief and swiped at her cheeks. “Noora fought like a wolf and she won the task. She would not want you to cry.”

Lulva blinked up at him and nodded, though the tears kept running. Nikolai started to panic, he was not very delicate when it came to tears, especially not when a girl was crying. A small giggle slipped out of the redhead, which he counted as a good sign. “You look terrified.” Lulva noticed, her hand drawing up and her finger traced the lines on his forehead. “I am not very talented at consoling people.” His younger sister snorted as she glanced out the window, her hand drawing softly through Spike’s fur.

The girl nodded. “You’re right.” Nikolai looked at her offended, which made her giggle again. The tears finally dried up and he stuffed the cloth into the pockets of his trousers. “Well, come on then, let’s visit the champion.” He started to get up when suddenly two small arms wound around his neck.“Thank you,” Lulva muffled into his collar as she squeezed him with all her might. His body locked up in surprise as he squatted awkwardly while the girl didn’t seem to have any plans to let him go. He raised his arms slowly and patted her back afew times as he met the gaze of his sister who was having the time of her life, suppressing a laugh. He rolled his eyes at her and gently pushed Lulva from him, clearing his throat. “Let’s go.”

Before anyone could have other emotional outbreaks, he strode out of the room, knowing both the girls would follow him.

Chapter 39

Noora

The witches of Oy Frossen were made out of nature, their entire being reflected by the grooves in the bark of the trees, their hair the gentle breeze of the wind, their skin the healthy earth of the land. It was what they drew their power from, nature was their sole ally, though the agreement between them did not come without a price. There was never magic without a sacrifice, one could not imagine what awful things a powerful being would do if there were not dire consequences to their actions.

Contrary to the beliefs of many mortals, witches were not that different from them. They bled when they were injured, they cried when they were sad, and they believed in a God, an Elysium, and Hel. Noora always imagined Hel as a cold place, everything frozen by the calculated sins people transpired. To her surprise, Hel was rather warm and cosy. Her eyes fluttered for a moment, her vision blurry as she only made out the warm light surrounding her. It took her a few moments until her pupils could focus properly, and rather than a cold, icy landscape a whimsical room shined back at her. The yellow wallpaper was woven with intricate flower designs, a ridiculously large chandelier dangling from the ceiling, and stucco surrounded it like a witch circle. The candlelight cast a soft glow all around, a few lone plants sitting on the wooden windowsill to her left.

She slowly looked down at herself to realise she was enclosed by an enormous bed, the comforter tucked neatly under her sides and feet so she would not grow cold.

Suddenly, a blaring pain erupted from her calf as she tried to move out of the tangled sheets and a groan scraped past her lips. Moving her lips only made her aware of the split partingthem, a moment later a coppery taste slid past her tongue. If this was not Hel it came far too close to it.

Turning her head, a reflection glared past her, the sunlight diving through the windows of the west wall and dancing across the blade of a sword. The telling ruby in the pommel characterised the sword she beheaded Nidghörr with, though it was rid of the iquor that was sticking to its metal.

How many days had passed? Or was it merely hours ago that she faced the monster with a fearless face while unearthly fear poisoned her mind?

“She finally awakens,” a voice murmured and Noora turned her head towards the other side to see a person looming in front of the windows. Their face was in shadows due to the sun reflecting around their body like a halo. The person slowly stepped forward and revealed golden curls surrounded by the sun, a gentle face that was marred by dark circles under viridescent eyes, hollow cheeks, and pale skin. Nikolai’s dry lips spread into a small smile as she focused her gaze on him. Her bed suddenly got disrupted by an earthquake and she sat up in surprise groaning when a furry, white ball attacked her.

A cold, wet tongue drove over her left cheek and she tried to push Spike away, crying out in mid-motion at using her left arm. Spike moved back on the bed in concern, letting out a small wail as if he was the one who was in pain. “Attack me again and I will reconsider keeping you,” she snapped at the wolf.

“Glad to see you in such great spirits.” Nikolai interrupted her glaring contest with Spike, whose one eye had grown large and pitiful, his muzzle hanging downward. The prince moved forward to get the wolf off her bed. “Why would I not be in great spirits? I almost died because of you, that’s just a pleasure I like to repeat over and over.”

“For me?” Nikolai raised his brows, one hand stroking Spike behind its ears.“Never mind, how do you feel?”

“Like I’ve been dragged through the woods, skated over a lake with defective skates, attacked by a chained-up sea monster, and almost have been the dinner of an ancient creature that is known to reside and gnaw at a world tree, chewing the corpses of bastards.”

Nikolai blinked at her, his hands forgotten the stroking, making the wolf look up at him with a pleading eye. Spike yowled slightly as Nikolai walked closer to Noora, only now she could see the disheveled state of his clothes. One button of his shirt missed a hole, making it sit crooked, the bottom carelessly pushed into his trousers. Somehow Noora was the one who went through a deathly trial and he still looked worse than her.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

Noora shook her head, trying to readjust herself against the headboard without inflicting any more pain, though her ribs were hurting with every breath anyway. Nikolai rushed forward to help her adjust the pillows, she dismissed him.

“I can do this myself.”

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