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𝖱𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋

I sat in the kitchen of our home, peeling potatoes for my mother as she's prepared dinner. Max hasn't returned from town as yet, so it's just mom and I at home.

It's been 6 years since it's been just us three.

When Papa died, I don't think any of us were prepared for it.

I was 17 then, and he had promised that we would go and train when he returned home from hunting with the other warriors. But when a firm knock came to the door, and General Gor notified us of his death, it broke this happy household into pieces.

Mama didn't want to have a big burial, so it was just the three of us at the graveyard that day.

Papa was one of the Kingdom's greatest warriors. So great that he was recognized by the King himself in his early days.

When he was 27, he met my mother and fell completely in love. Something that was not the norm here in the North.

Northern men don't normally marry out of love.

"River can you hurry up with those potatoes please. You've been peeling them for a while now."

"Sorry." I put my focus back on the potatoes, continuing to peel the half peeled potato in my hand.

My mother is a very beautiful woman. Her vibrant ginger hair, was one of the things dad said he loved about her. And it made him even happier when the gene was passed down to me and my little brother.

I look similar to my mother, in size and physique, while Maxim was the splitting image of our father. Board shoulders, muscular, manly looking face. He was a good looking guy but I'll never tell him to his face.

I am only one year older than him, but he always tries to show off because he is bigger than me.

We reside in The Northern Kingdom. The coldest of the four.

Literally.

We are ruled by the "great" King Caesar, or at least that's what they tell us to say.

The Northern Kingdom

As I got older, I came to understand more what my father always told me.

Northern men are dogs.

Well...at least now some had a little more decorum than when I was younger, but there are still those who didn't care.

The number of stories I've heard of women being beaten, degraded and even raped, and I think it hurts even more, that the ones that are suppose to do right by the law and protect the people, were the ones doing most of the damage.

When the late King Levi ruled the North, we faced what Mom and Dad called the dark ages. Violence was at its highest peak when he was King.

Women were afraid to leave their homes, men did as they pleased.
It was so bad that some men didn't even want to have girl children.

When he died...I think the Kingdom rejoiced.

His son, and our current King, King Caesar, is not really any different. He hasn't placed any kind of laws in place to change things. But at least now, in a sense, we were more at ease.

"River!" My head snaps to my mom, who was standing right in front of me, arms folded.
"Why are you dozing off so much today!?"

"I'm sorry mom. My mind's just far."

"Well bring it back and peel those potatoes. We do not have all day." She says, walking back over to the stove.

The front door opens and Max walks in, closing the door behind him.

"Darlings I'm home!"

He rests the firewood down to the side, taking off his cloak and putting it in the closet. He bends down again, picking it back up and walking inside. Carrying it over to the fireplace.

"How much did Mr. Mack take this time?" She asks him.

"Only 10 sliver coins." Mom scoffs.

"I don't understand why the man won't just take the 20 coins. It's the price he makes everyone else pay." She argues. Max and I look at each other, knowing smirks on our faces.

Mr. Mack has been crushing on our mother for a while now.

Before Dad died, he handled everything. But now that he's not around anymore, we had to do more for ourselves. So mom and I were outside the house more often.

When we visited Mr. Mack's shack for the first time, he couldn't stop staring at her. And she him!

"Mom we told you he likes you." She scoffs. I shake my head in amusement, while Max chuckles.

I finally peel the last potato, getting and going over to the sink washing them off.

"Finally." She comments. I roll my eyes, handing her the bowl. She begins putting them in the silver pot that was filled with water.

"Is there anything else you need me to do?"

"No I got everything from here." She replies.

"Okay. Well I'm going out." I say, walking over to door.

"River do you have to go practice today? It's snowing outside."

"I'll be safe mom. Don't worry." I say, opening the closet door, taking out my cloak, putting it on.

She dries her hands on her apron. Coming over to me.

"River, you hangout more in that forest than you do around people." She says folding her arms over her chest.

"But you never had a problem before." I whine.

"Well you're older now young lady. You need to be around real people." I glance at Max and he looks at me shrugging.
"You never leave the house and when you do you it's because you're going to the forest."

"Also you are at the potential age for marriage now. You won't be able to continue training and shooting arrows, if a suitor asks for your hand." She tells me. I look at her in disbelief.

Marriage?

"But mom I-"

"I don't want to hear it. You're going to town with your brother today."

"People though mom." She deadpans me and I sigh defeated.

"Max will be with you. So you don't have to worry." She says kissing my cheek.

Gosh I felt like whining like a baby. I hated being around people. Far less the idiots that roamed this Kingdom.

Max comes over to us, getting his cloak from the closet, kissing mom's cheek. He opens the door, holding it for me to go out first.

I look to my mother again and she gives me a stern look, that has me walking out the door.

"Have fun!" She shouts, waving us goodbye.

I keep walking, dreading this, every step I take.

"Come on Riv. It won't be that bad." He says throwing his arm around my shoulder.

Her Cloak

His Cloak and Outfit

"Potential age to marry Max. I don't want to get married." I fold my arms, pouting.

"She never said you have to Riv, she just said to be around people more." He says, and I huff.

Then why did she bring it up then?

"I agree with her though. Your best friend is a wolf."

"So. Shadow has more respect than most of these imbeciles." I tell him, as we walked more into town. Some men looking our way, one bastard even openly checking me out and licking his lips, while his friend blew me a kiss.

I screw my face up in disgust. Max pulling me closer to him, and the men laugh.
"I got you." I nod, as we continue walking.

We arrive at The Inn. A few people looking in our direction as we enter. Some men, once again, looked me up and down and I just felt disgusted. This is why I stay home.

The Inn is considered "the hangout", the go to zone. Majority the Kingdom hung out here. The entire corner to the right of the room was basically cleared off for the younger ones.

Some girls were dancing to the music, in front of the men, causing them too hoot and holler.

"Oh my gosh Maxie!!" A blonde girl shouts out of no where, running up to us.

I look up at my brother, with look of discuss on my face.
"Maxie?"

"Don't even ask." He groans, looking frustrated himself.

I watch as the dirty blonde hair girl, run up to my brother, throwing her arms around him.

"Hi Patricia." He says taking her arms off him.

"I missed you Maxie. Did you miss me?" My face scrunches up, even more disgusted, watching as she kept swaying back and forth, trying to look cute.

I look to Max and he looks to me, giving me a look that cried help.

I shouldn't help the dewb.
But I won't leave him like this, he honestly looked helpless.

I look back to the girl, her eyes already on me.
"Who is this Maxie?" She says looking me up and down.

"Matter not who I am. I really don't appreciate you running over here and hugging his arm like that." She folds her arms across her chest. Her pale face, becoming red in anger.

"Who are you anyway? This is the first time I am seeing you here with Maxie."

"I honestly don't have to explain my whereabouts to you. But do know that Maxim is mine."

"Huh!! You never told me you had a girlfriend Maxie?"

He goes to talk but I cut him off.
"He doesn't have to answer to you either. Now if you will excuse us." I take Max's hand in mine, pulling him away from the girl.

"Thanks River. I owe you one."

"Yes you do Maxie." I tease him, laughing.

I'm never going to let this down.

"Please don't." He leads me over to a table of three. The girl and two guys already looking to us when we arrive.
"Let me introduce you to my friends."

"Maxie!!" The darker one says, making the other boy, hit his shoulder laughing. The brunette girl pushes her hair behind her ears, a small smile on her face.

"Cut it out Rider. Riv, this is the only three people I tolerate in this town." The girl's face drops at his words.

Well well well.

"Tolerate? You wound me Maxim." The Rider guy says. He dramatically falls back into the arms of the other boy, and he fans his face. I watch the two amused.

"This idiot is Rider Mitchel, he's basically the clown of the group as you can see. He's the oldest, 24 and doesn't act like it."

"I'm a little wounded my friend." He says sitting up.
"But the pleasure is mine to meet." He says bowing.

"Nice to meet you too."

"The next guy is Eric Steel, 22. He's the brains of the group."

"Got that right. Nice to meet you." He nods, and I nod back.

"And this is Cassidy Gail, she's 20."

"Practically the baby!" Rider teases her. She throws a piece of bread at him, telling him to stop.

She looks back at me, standing up.
"It's nice to meet you." She says putting her hand out for me to shake, which I accept.

"Nice to meet you too." She smiles, glancing at Max, before going back to sit down. I raise my eyebrow at the dewb and he clears his throat awkwardly.

I shake my head.
The Dewb likes her.

Rider bursts out laughing, while Eric shakes his head as well.

"It's nice to finally have another girl around." She says, as we sit down. Max, pulls a chair from a table next to us, giving it to me.

"It's nice to meet you all too. I'm River, this dewb's older sister."

"Sister!? But I thought..." She says in disbelief.

"Maxie seemed to be caught in a pickle and needed some help getting out." I reassure her and she visibly relaxes.

"We've never seen you before though." Eric states.

"Never been much of a people person." I shrug, they nod in understanding.
"So what do you guys do?"

"I work with my father at the shop. We're blacksmiths. Rider on the other hand is training to be a doctor." Eric says.

Oh Wow.

Honestly I expected it to be vice versa. Rider looked more edgy if I'm to put it plainly. All black, rough cut hairstyle. While Eric looked like those classy princes.

I guess you shouldn't be too quick to judge.

"Sword and weaponry isn't really my forte." He states.

"Just like Max. And what about you, Cassidy?" They all look at me confused. Max sighs, knowing exactly where this is going.

"Oh umm. Well...you know." She looks to Max, not really knowing what to say.

"River has a broad understanding toward things." Max says and I roll my eyes.

Put bluntly, women were raised to tend to the house, raise the children and pleasure the men. Few women, worked, and those that do were either pleasurers, nurses or servants.

"Is there anything you wish to be?" I push.
"Just because tradition says one thing doesn't mean we have to be that."

"Are you mad!"

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First chapter guys.
Hope you enjoyed it.

Muses for characters

Wonda Somet
(Her mom)

Maxim Somet

River Somet
(River doesn't have tattoos though.)

🄺𝑜̈𝑛𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛 🄵