Lyra's POV

I can't seem to find the strength to move. As the world rushes past in a flurry of panic, I stay where I am, staring at Sage in a near catatonic state of mind. I had been caught so off guard that I wouldn't have been able to protect myself. Without Kaladin, I would have died in a pool of my own blood, right here on this marble floor.

Kaladin crouches on the ground in front of me, his weapon at the ready. "Lyra?" He glances around him before leaning in closer to whisper, "Damn it, girl. What the hell happened to you? You idiot, I've never seen you so oblivious to anything before! Are you ill? Did you wake daft this morning?" His tone holds something angry beneath it, but not threatening. He seems frustrated.

There are people rushing to and fro, trying to find out what is going on, their voices hushed but still filled with alarm as they converse.

"Has the King and Queen been notified?"

"Tell them at once!"

"Is the Princess hurt? She looks ill."

"Where are the rest of her men?"

All that I see is their feet as they pause to look at me, their abnormally strong Princess sitting helplessly on the ground as a Guard speaks to her in a soft way. Little do they know the words truly being spoken.

Sage growls softly at Kaladin's words, almost as if she understands the offensive meaning they hold. I reach out to pat her head and she quiets at my side.

Kaladin sighs in frustration at my silence. "Well, at least God finds you favorable enough to have placed that animal here at this time. She stopped the would-be-assassin from attacking you head on. He threw the sword towards you when she attacked him, and that is when I intervened."

I didn't take Kaladin for the religious type.

I don't say anything as Sage slides down to her belly at my side, resting her enormous head in my lap. The wet substance on her nose smears red onto my breeches, and I realize that she has the Duke's blood on her face. Odd as it is, I feel no fear towards her despite what I now know. Call me a fool, but I feel strongly that she would never turn against me now that we have a bond. I continue to stroke her head mutely while I try to sort the jumbling thoughts that crowd around my brain.

One, Sage is a Chimera, a fabled creature that I thought only existed in children stories.

Two, Danák Staph tried to murder me in a public place.

Three, the King will hang the Staph's and their sons, so I have to find out why Danák attempted to kill me before hand. I give him three days if he is lucky.

Four, Kaladin saved my life.

A set of running footsteps catches my attention, making me glance up to look down the hallway. Tears involuntarily brim in my eyes when I see my brother shoving past everyone in his way, looking frantically from side to side. When his eyes travel further up the hallway to see me leaning against a wall his expression softens and people move out of his way as he begins to barrel towards me.

Kaladin puts a hand out to stay Lance's proximity, but I shove the barrier away and leap into my brother's arms as soon as he is close enough to touch, startling Sage out of my lap. His embrace is like a trigger to my haze, immediately dissipating it from my mind and giving the world clarity.

"Are you alright? What happened?" He starts, out of breath. "I heard the shouts and the mention that you had been attacked- I wasn't close enough to protect you. Are you hurt?" He rambles as we cling to each other, me because I feel like I will drown if I let go, and him because he was afraid he almost lost me. And he did.

I shake my head and turn half way to look at Kaladin, hoping that I don't look to be as much of a mess as I feel. His typically hard, closed off expression softens just slightly at my face, but when he looks up to meet Lance's gaze, it is gone.

"I would have died if he hadn't been there." I say quietly.

"I am your Guardsmen, am I not? It is my duty to protect you with my life." Kaladin says stiffly, clenching his bloody hand into a fist and straightening his spine, pushing to his feet. He had torn some of his uniform to staunch the flow of crimson from his wound, but the spatters on the ground are still there.

Lance meets his gaze solemnly, nodding with gratitude. "Either way, thank you, Luke. Will you aid me in escorting Lyra to her chambers? She should not be here in the open. The rest of her Guard is on their way from the mess hall, we can meet up with them on the way."

Kaladin eyes Lance a moment, the grip on his weapon never lessening. "Indeed. Let us get moving, then. There is far too much activity in this hall for two to guard her."

Lance and I pull each other to our feet, and Sage steps to my side, looking up with her normal brown eyes. I can't help but remember what their reflection looked like a few moments ago, and I swallow hard. My father must be behind this. Disguising a Chimera as a dog and giving it to your daughter as a present? A reckless act, to say the least, but even he loves his only child enough to have been certain she wouldn't attack me.

I cling to Lance's forearm while Kaladin walks closely enough on my other side to brush my shoulder with his arm. I clench my jaw as I remember what I saw in the looking glass, watching Sage as she trots just ahead of our quick pace, head and ears swiveling from side to side as she patrols.

"Lance."

"What is is?"

Our voices are low, but I am aware that Kaladin is still well within earshot. I lower my voice to a whisper. "Sage isn't a dog."

Catching on, Lance lowers his an octave, as well, moving his head closer to mine. "What? You haven't spoken with your father yet, have you?"

The further down the hall way that we get, the less activity there is, but Sage's alertness doesn't lessen. I am sure that the rush of the fight minutes ago is still pumping through her veins. "No. It's her reflection."

"Her reflection?" He repeats, sounding confused.

"Is that why you were motionless whilst a sword was arching down upon your neck? I'm not deaf yet, you are aware," Kaladin puts in, leaning over slightly as if to get in on the conversation. "The reflection of a dog is what entranced you? I thought you better off than that."

"Watch your tone," Lance growls. "She is the Princess of Nordic and you will speak to her appropriately here. I care not how fond of you she may be, I do not fancy you at all. I am grateful to you for saving her life and I always will be, but I still do not trust you."

"I save the life of your Princess, yet you still do not put your trust in me? I am hurt. What acts must I perform to gain your favor, Lansing? Serve you food and wipe your nose? Empty your chamber pot for you?" Kaladin snorts, the sarcasm evident in his voice. His tone gains seriousness as he continues on. "I am here for Lyra, not for you or your approval. Understand that."

"There has just been an attempt on my life. Perhaps we can save the bickering for a later time?" I say, verbally separating the two from a potential argument.

I hear Lance sigh, but he doesn't say anything more out loud.

This man, he grates on my patience, Lyra.

I know he does, but I trust him and so should you. He may be a smart arse at times, but he truly is good. I say. If he stopped a sword from killing me with his bare hand, certainly he is deserving of my trust.

He did save you, and I will be forever indebted to him for it. What would I have done if the would-be-assassin was successful? I cannot imagine it.

His words remind me of Danák and the way he screamed. His nervousness before the attack and the words he called out don't make sense to me. If he wanted to kill me simply because, he wouldn't have begged us to kill him, rather than take him as prisoner. King Alphonse couldn't have an influence strong enough to reach here, where the Staph family has lived for generations. Surely they aren't loyal to him. So, why?

"My parents sent me..." I recall him saying. Could he have been speaking truthfully about that? He seemed uncomfortable, perhaps he was forced to come here and murder me. If his parents were behind this, why would they send their eldest son to do their dirty work, instead of hiring a mercenary? I haven't heard of any news concerning the usual two or three mercenaries that look for work on the Nordic streets. Of course if they were caught my father would hang them, but that doesn't keep all of them away. There are plenty of wealthy people here with grudges and mercenaries are hard to frighten, you will need to threaten more than their lives to keep them away.

What if Kaladin ran them off somehow? I do not know how well known he is or what he is notorious for, but if Kal is powerful enough to scare other mercenaries away, that would explain the deficit of hired arms in the village.

I cast a glance at him as we round a corner to a long flight of stairs that leads to the second level and we mount the steps, taking them in stride. I am just as impatient to get back to my chambers as the men on either side of me are to better protect me.

"If I might be so bold as to suggest, my lady," Kaladin speaks about half way up the steps, all four of us watchful as we go. "Perhaps it would be wise to have several men posted inside of your dwellings, as well." He is back to formalities now, apparently remembering his position here in the castle.

"I agree. I will stay with you tonight, as well." Lance adds.

"Well, with all of these men in my chambers all of the maids will begin to speak ill of me," I joke lightly, but neither of the men laugh or even smile. "Alright, yes, I agree. I assume that I will be visited by one or both of my parents tonight as well, and the rest of the Guard is bound to show up any moment now."

Even as I speak Sage releases a warning growl and moments later I hear the heavy, rushed foot steps of several different people. Once I see over the steps I see the tense faces of the rest of my Guard, save for Claudius and Camiseal, who are busy in the dungeons watching Danák until my father gives further orders. The men come jogging to meet us at the top of the stairwell, some disheveled from their previous rest. I hope they got enough of it: the night looks to be very long for them yet.

As they come, Sage retreats close to me, standing in front of my body with her back pressing against my legs. She no longer growls, but I feel that she is still on alert and most likely will continue to be for the rest of the day and throughout the night.

Lance glances at her warily, unsure if he wishes her to be so close to either of us. I place a hand on his upper arm to still his unease.

She is well, I do not fear her and neither should you. Without her, I would have been dead before Kaladin had gotten to me.

I can feel his taught muscles relax slightly at my words, though his body remains on as high alert as everyone else's.

"My lady! Are you well?" Jasla pants, his usually ashen complexion looking even more ghost-like beneath his freckles. He has a hand at his belt and he swallows, bowing low even in his haste. The others follow suit.

"You have blood on your face, ma'am!" Darion says, voice too loud in his excited state. He brushes his wheat tainted curls from his eyes so that I can see the look of panic in his light eyes. "I should have been there to protect you, it is my fault that you are hurt!"

"Luke, you're bleeding. What happened? Is the Princess safe?" Merlin seems to be the calmer of the group, attempting to keep the rest of the men from trampling me to death with their relief.

The flurry of questions comes from three men at once, and I hush them with a hand as they fall into their protective stances around me: Two in front of us, to on either side, and the remaining at the end. Lance and Kaladin stay where they are at my side, and Sage stays underfoot.

When my eyes drift to Sebastian, I am surprised to see alleviation come across his features once his eyes rest upon my uninjured state.

"I am not injured," I say, bringing my hand to my cheek where I had forgotten about the blood that splashed onto my skin from Kaladin's wound. It must have dried by now, because my hand doesn't come away stained red. "Luke stopped the sword before it could get to me. Don't blame yourself, Darion- don't any of you blame yourselves. None of you had any hand in this." I say to ease the guilt I know that at least half of them must feel. I do not blame any of them for Danák's actions, though I am interested to see what exactly his motivation was.

"Two of you will stand watch at the outer doors of my chambers, while two more are posted at the inner doors. Those remaining are to reside within my chambers for the night, one at each entrance." I do not expect any visitors to come in through my window tonight, for now at least, now that Kaladin, Syl and Adolin are residing within the castle. Jed is too far away for me to worry about trying to climb the walls to my window, and I am expecting my father to post at least a dozen men below my chambers on the ground, and most likely some on the roof top, as well. I believe that I will be well guarded tonight, though I cannot say that I have no fear of another attack, especially when I do not know who is targeting me.

We make the rest of the journey to my chambers without any threat and my men take the places that I give them at my doors. I place Jasla with Sebastian at the outer doors so that the senior guardsmen can keep a close eye on the King's dog. Mashkiel and Merlin are to stay at the inner doors, and Kaladin, Lance, Nikiel and Darion follow me into the room itself while we wait for my father.

On our way here the hallways seemed relativity calm, but I stopped few maids that I recognized on their way past to request that they send my personal women to my chambers after me. Now that the excitement of the attack has worn off a bit, I am able to pay some attention to my rumbling stomach and it has become a sort of nuisance.

Once the maids arrive with a bark from Sage and the alert from Merlin, I send two of them out to the library.

"The library, ma'am?" One of the women ask, unsure if she heard me correctly. Apparently she thinks it strange for someone who just had an attempt on their life to request books to keep her occupied.

"Yes," I reply from where I am slowly pacing the floor. "Bring me every book you can find on fairy tale creatures and children's stories. Make haste with your return."

The two maids know better than to question me after today's events, and exchange a questioning glance before bowing. "Yes, my lady." They say in unison before going out with only the click of their shoes.

I turn to the remaining three women who have entered the room. "Will you send four trays of food up? One of them is for the hound." Lance and Kaladin haven't eating their noon meal yet, and I know that they must be as hungry as I am.

A pretty brunette in her mid-thirties curtsies, head down respectfully before exiting in a manner similar to the first two. "Yes, of course ma'am."

"And will you ladies draw a bowl of warm water, bring some scotch, two clean cloths and a bandage? Thank you."

"Of course, my lady." A plump woman replies, lifting her skirts to follow the third maids example and curtsying before leaving to gather the needed supplies.

"Right away, miss." The remaining woman says, scuttling off to a different part of my chambers to fetch the bowl of water and some cloth.

The men in the room watch in silence as I give orders, their eyes watching every movement of everyone around them.  

While we are waiting for the maids to return, I crouch by the fireplace to start building it up, pleased when I see that the ashes have been cleaned out of the hearth and logs already set strategically, ready to light.  I strike the flint that I had taken down from the mantel, watching the sparks leap onto the wood and begin to crackle as it leeches over the kindling. Smoke puffs in disorderly plumes and rise out of my sight, the comforting scent of fire burning the back of my throat.

Sage sits at my side, craning her neck to look up as someone approaches from behind. She doesn't growl, leading me to guess that the person is Lance. I feel his presence behind me, but he doesn't say anything and neither do I. My eyes stay glued to the growing flames as my mind is consumed by an impossible number of thoughts that all seem to vi for my attention at once.

I push Lasreal's ever present annoyance and need to the back, trying to ignore his restlessness despite the ache that grows in my heart. I have turned him away so many times that it almost becoming painful for me to be kept from his urgency. There is not much that I can do for him now, especially with a second attempt on my life hanging over my head like a leaden cloud threatening to open up on me. I could always ask a skilled groom to take Lasreal out, but with how wound up he is, I doubt that anyone other than his Rider could handle him now.  Even so, I cannot very well leave my Vann Hest to go ludicrous from a lack of exercise, it is already paining me enough and it would be inhumane of me to do so. I make a mental note to have a servant request for someone brave enough take Lasreal for a ride later on. Perhaps Nevani will do it, he is the ballsiest stable boy that we have, even at the age of fifteen.

At the thought of Nevani's name and my previous adventures with the same title, an idea strikes me. If I dressed as a man again and went to Lasreal with a hood covering my face, then I could exercise him myself without having to worry about anyone else of their safety. That way even if another potential assassin was to view me riding, they would not be able to tell that it was the Princess, even if they recognize Lasreal. It would be the ideal plan, if only sneaking around the heightened Guards was as perfect. I'll think more on that later.

Another matter that plagues me is the assassination attempt. I wish so badly that I could go to the dungeons to ask him the reason why myself, but I know better than to assume that the King will allow me to be anywhere but here, locked away in my chambers. Sooner or later I will find the lack of excitement eating away at me, enough so to make me reckless and put myself into the way of possible danger by breaking out again. The King is aware of my habits, though, and will likely command my Guards to restrain me if I attempt to break for the small amount of freedom I could give myself.

A maid comes through with a basin of warm water, unintentionally splashing a bit on me in her haste and breaking me from my thoughts with a surprised gasp.

"Pardon, miss, I did not expect you to be sitting in the middle of the floor..." The young woman breathes, as if afraid that I may snap at her for her mistake. When I look at her, I see that she is a petite woman with dark hair that cannot be older than twenty. Her dark brown eyes are wide and it looks like she is holding her breath, waiting for a punishment. I half wonder if she had been a maid for my Father or perhaps some other short tempered man.

I push to my feet, wiping a hand over the spot of water on my breeches. "All is well, it will dry. Come now, set that over there."  I direct, gesturing to the table that sits to the left of the fireplace. She does as instructed and I turn to Kaladin, beckoning with a finger. "Luke, come here."

Kaladin and Darion are posted by the inside of my door, and Kal had already been looking at me as if trying to read my mind, stepping forward at his name, back straight. "My lady?"

"Sit here," I command, going to the table with the bowl of water on it and pointing to the chair nearest the fire. "And take that cloth from your hand."

Kaladin stands uncertainly, a hand on the back of the seat. "My Princess, you do not have to-"

"I said sit, Wolfstan," I repeat, voice lowered. Once he takes a seat and sets his wounded hand on the table top, I soften my tone. "You stopped a sword with your bare hand to save my life. The least that I can do is tend to your injuries," Before sitting down I turn to the young woman who has moved to stand beside the wall, her hands folded neatly in front of her apron.  "Will you go down to the stable and ask for Navani? Tell him to take my beast from his stall and to move him the large pen to run him about. Be certain to stress that he take caution."

I see Kaladin raise a dark brow from the corner of my eye, no doubt remembering the alias that I used when  disguised as a boy. I get the feeling that he will bring it up later if given the chance, but he stays quiet for now.

The maid curtsies, black curls bouncing. "Right away, ma'am." She says before hurrying out of the room. As she exits, another maid enters with a basket full of supplies that I asked her to fetch. She has wide set blue eyes beneath a strong brow and blonde locks that she has pulled back into a plait.

"My lady," She says, gentle voice out of breath from her return. "The King and Queen are on their way to see you."

I sigh as I go through the contents of the basket. "Ah, I've been expecting them," I set a glass container of rich colored alcohol on the table, pulling out a few clean rags and the bandaging cloth. "Thank you."

The maid bows her head, hands folded neatly. "Is there anything else, my lady?"

"Not at present. You are dismissed." I hear her walk away as I lean forward, taking Kaladin's hand and untying the knotted fabric. I discard the crimson soaked cloth and reach for a clean rag, dipping it into the water and quickly wiping it across my cheek, scrubbing at it to get the crusted blood off of my skin.

I cannot have my parents, especially my mother, seeing me with blood on my face, she would worry that I had been injured.

"Put your hand in the water and clean the blood off." I instruct Kaladin while looking around the room for Sage, finding her a few feet away, laying by the fire.

"Komme," I say, and the dog perks up and comes to my side. "Sette seg." Sage sits, looking to me expectantly and sits by my side. I take the cloth I had used for my face and wipe it across her muzzle, continuing to do so until I am certain that most of Danák's blood is off of her fur.

Kaladin watches while I work, his hand submerged in the bowl of water as he uses his free appendage to rub the gore from his palm, staining the water a pale red. "She is learning quickly." He comments, no doubt remembering what I said about her in the hallway. Sage is not a dog.

I dispose of the wet, bloody cloth, pausing to stroke Sage's fur before returning to Kaladin. "She is." I take the bottle of scotch and pop the lid free. I look at him as I take his hand from the water, holding a clean cloth under it to avoid dripping on my table. "This will sting."

Kaladin looks like he might laugh, and I almost forgot that he is a mercenary... or was one, at least. Pain is no foreign thing to him, I am sure. "I believe that I will be able to handle it-" Mid sentence I splash some of the amber colored whiskey onto his hand, making him jump. "Ow." He breathes.

"I warned you," I tip some of the liquor back into my mouth, swallowing a gulp of the burning liquid followed shortly by a grimace. "This tastes horrible," I comment, staring at the whiskey a moment longer before shrugging and taking another sip. "And it burns. I do not think that I like it."

Lance appears beside me, pulling out the chair beside mine and taking the bottle from my hand at the same time. "You should not be drinking it, it isn't lady-like," He chides, tipping it back and taking a hearty swallow before setting it down. "Ah," He says, shaking his head a little. "That is good."

Lance?

What is it child?

I reach for Kaladin's outstretched hand and carefully dab the wound dry with a clean cloth, pleased to see that it is mostly finished oozing crimson. I wish you to leave me for a time tonight.

Leave you? Why? What if something were to happen when I am away?

Nothing will happen, I am well looked after here. I want you to find out why Danák attempted my murder before my father kills him. I feel as though he is not truly guilty, but I cannot prove it myself. I will not have a man's blood on my hands if none has to be spilled.

Lance scrubs a hand over his tired face, leaning forward on the table. "You are impossible." He breathes, but Kaladin glances at his words curiously. It would seem strange for someone to answer when no one was outwardly speaking to him. I will try to find out what I can.

I begin to wrap Kaladin's hand with the bandage, pulling it tight to draw his attention away from Lance. He winces and shifts his weight in the chair, but doesn't make a sound otherwise, shooting me  glare. Thank you.

"Your meals are here, my lady." Darion says, peeking over his shoulder to look out of the crack in my door.

"Send them in," I say, tying a tight knot in the bandage around Kal's hand. "Lance, you and Lucan haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"Not since the morning." Lance replies, sitting up and stretching his arms over his head.

"My lady, you didn't have to-"

I stand from my seat and roll my shoulder, where a dull ache had begin to set in over the scar of my old wound. This has happened frequently since it's begun to heal, leading me to believe that the arrow must have torn muscle that hasn't repaired quite correctly. I reach an arm to massage it absently, turning to Lance. "Will you aid me a moment? Follow me into the wash room and bring that with you." I instruct, pointing to the bowl of soiled water.

Lance furrows his brow a bit in question but does and he is told, lifting the bowl.

"I will accompany you," Kaladin says, standing with us and stretching the bandages on his hand. "The Princess is not to be out of the sight of at least one of her men at all times."

I cringe, my back to him. "Alright, come on then. Sage." At her name, the dog trots to my side and follows me across the massive bedchambers, tail held high as she goes ahead to scout the next room for threats.

Once we are well inside of the wash room, I walk over to a vanity and scoop a hand held looking glass from it. "Lance," I beckon, voice a whisper.

He is by the single window in the room, tilting the water out of it while Kaladin holds the window ajar for him. They both turn to me, and Kaladin is sure to lock the glass back in place once Lance is finished disposing of the waste.

As if I had called him as well, Kaladin wanders over to me, standing next to Lance in curiosity.

"Do you wish to see why I was so distracted before?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course. If something was interesting enough to capture your attention while someone was in the process of murdering you, I would love to see. Please, show us, Nevani." Kal says, looking amused.

I scowl at him and call Sage over. "Shut it. Just look," I say, tilting the mirror so that Sage's reflection is cast upon it's glassy surface. When I look up, both of them are staring, captivated. "Did I not tell you?"

"What in the hell is that?" Kaladin asks, his voice quiet in disbelief.

"I believe she is a Chimera," I answer. "Isn't she terrifying?"

"You think the King did this?" He continues, glancing from Lance to me and back to the looking glass again.

"Now entering King Aizen and Queen Alandra." Comes Darion's voice from the adjoining room.

"Lyra? Where are you? Are you alright?" My mother's pitch drifts to me, making me glance up.

"The washroom. Please, do come in." I say dryly.

When my mother and father enter after hesitating a moment, they stand watching Lance, Kaladin, Sage and I.

I smile sweetly at the king, tilting the mirror so that both of my parents are able to see Sage's reflection, taking a smug enjoyment in my mother's reaction. My father on the other hand, doesn't seem nearly as surprised.

"Would you care to explain this, father?"

                                                                                             ~

A/N

Here you are, my nuggets, hope you enjoyed! Expect less filler and more excitement... I was going to use my typical expression "More meat and less potatoes," But honestly, I like potatoes, so I won't bash them like that. More potatoes. Always more potatoes. POH-TAY-TOES, boil em' mash 'em stick 'em in a stew... Ah, Samwise. I hope my fellow nerds got that reference, I will be very happy :)

So I was tagged last week in something called thirteen questions... so I guess I'll answer them here.

1.) What are your favorite things to collect?

A: Books, but I also seem to collect a fair amount of dog hair... but that isn't something that I enjoy, so much as I have come to terms with. I love my dogs enough to embrace their shedding!

2.) If you could travel back in time and speak to one person, who would it be?

A: Jesus!

3.) Would you rather have supernatural or elemental powers?

A: Supernatural, because there is more possibilities with that than with elemental.

4.) What is your favorite book?

A: Either The Scorpio Races or the Shiver series.

5.) If you could be a character from any movie, who would you be?

A: Katy McLaughlin from Flicka (The first movie)

6.) Do you like anime? If so, what is your favorite show?

A: I love anime! My favorite shows are either Free! Iwatobi Swim Club, Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, or Naruto.

7.) If you had one wish that could grant you the impossible, what would you wish for?

A: To know how to change the future.

8.) What is your favorite kind of gem?

A: Sapphires.

9.) If you could slap someone then reverse time so they didn't know that you did it, who would you hit?

A: My brother, because it would be entertaining and he would forgive me for it.

10.) What would you do if animals started to talk to you?

A: Probably be shocked at first, and then probably laugh about it.

11.) What would be your kind of theme for a party?

A: Lord of the rings!

12.) Would you rather have long legs or long arms?

A: Strange question, but I suppose long legs because it wouldn't be quite as strange.

13.) Why did the chicken cross the road?

A: Uh, to get to the other side?

Thank you guys for sitting through that if you did, I felt obligated to answer those. I'm supposed to tag four other users and ask them thirteen other questions, but I don't want to do that because I'm lazy!

Anyway, I love you guys and thank you for being my fabulous nuggets!

Stay beautiful,

God bless you nuggets!

-A.