He didn’t know why he was feeling restless.

Ryder stood outside the front door, looking up into the sky. He took in a deep breath and let it out heavily. The army of Rocheveron and the ruckus they were causing at the Eldham border, he had been quiet about it for long, and that was what fueled their courage. He was not one to be quiet but he had other things to deal with, other things more important than going there himself to quiet things down. He believed in the capability of his soldiers there, Rocheveron would never be able to take control over Eldham no matter the number of attacks they staged.

He looked down to the horses ready in front of him, he had a little free time in his hands now, so he could spare to go to Eldham, his presence there would settle a lot of things without him having to lift up a sword. Most of what distracted him from going there had been settled now and top on that list had been Lyra. And speaking of Lyra, that dress she had worn today for breakfast… he could not get the image of her in that dress out of his head. Sure he had seen Iris wear the dress on several occasions, but it never did pull his attention quite as it did with Lyra.

He frowned when he sensed Xanth coming up to him from behind, he knew it had been his plan. The little devil.

“Ryder…”

“You purposely picked out that dress for her.” It was not a question, and he did not sound angry. Didn’t sound too pleased about it either.

“You had said to make her presentable for breakfast.” Xanth replied like he had not done anything wrong.

Ryder spun to face him, narrowing his eyes on his younger stepbrother, and then he took in a deep breath. “make her look presentable, not stir up a war.”

Xanth smiled cheekily at Ryder and leaned in closer. “But it did stir up something, didn’t it?”

“Well, of course, it did. You think anyone would be able to hold it in after seeing her in that dress?”

Xanth’s eyebrows came up in cheerful surprise and he clapped his hands together. “I was not expecting it to be that fast but, I’m glad it worked out well.”

“You’re glad?”

He gave Ryder a confused look. “Aren’t you?”

Ryder frowned and pointed a hand to the main entrance door behind them as he spoke, the pitch in his voice rising. “You just started a war in there with your little stunt!”

Xanth frowned and turned to the door, confusion totally replacing his earlier feel of satisfaction. “I don’t think I understand you…” Then he paused and looked back at Ryder then his eyes traveled down to his groin area and then quickly back up to his face with a gasp. “Don’t tell me you’re…”

“You clearly pitched Lyra against Iris by giving one of her dresses to the girl. In our absence, try to imagine what Iris would do to her.” He moved from the porch and walked down the few flights of stairs, heading to his already waiting horse. Xanth followed closely behind him.

“You were speaking of Iris?” He had thought that his efforts would cause Ryder to react, to be moved, but it seemed that had not been the case.

Ryder mounted his horse and looked down at Xanth.  “Get on the horse, Iris won’t kill her, she knows just how important she is to Astaroth, not the best hands to leave her in but next time you think twice. We have somewhere else to be at.” He edged his horse forward into a walk.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *

She watched from the balcony of Ryder’s room as both his and Xanth’s horses galloped fast, away from the castle and she smirked, turned away from the balcony, and walked back into the room. The events that had played out during breakfast had left her restless and so annoyed that she had not even finished her meal, but had left the table soon after Ryder had. Now, he was gone, and so was her new protector, Xanth. She had the insubordinate girl all to herself now and she would make her pay for the insult she had felt at breakfast. Unfortunately, she could not take her life but she had just the perfect punishment cooked up for her.

Lyra sat at the edge of the bed just staring out of the window into the open sky, she missed her home, she missed her family and she felt like her heart would break. She sighed and tried to imagine what they would be doing now, would they come for her? Were they worried about her? It had been days now but she had not heard anything like a letter or a message sent from Dragonsbane to Astaroth demanding for her princess to be returned back to her home. Were they all really that scared of Ryder? So far, the only thing fearful she had seen about him was his temper. She took in a deep long breath and let it out heavily.

The door was suddenly thrown open and Lyra was startled. She turned her attention from the window to the door immediately and felt a little surge of fear run through her when she saw Iris walk into the room and she quickly bolted up from the bed, her eyes watching the woman cautiously. She had a tight frown on her face, and nothing about her appearance or expression, or aura gave the hint of “coming in peace”. Lyra braced herself for whatever may come, she would not be intimidated by this woman.

“You’re still in my dress.” Iris spat out, taking intimidating steps closer to Lyra, making her back up to the wall.

“I was given this dress to wear, I do not have a say, and neither did I have a choice. I did not know it was yours and that it would make you furious seeing it on me.”

“Well you know now, don’t you!” She paused in her steps and folded her arms across her chest. “Take it off right now.”

Lyra crossed her hand on her body instinctively. “I cannot do that. I have nothing else to wear.”

“Do I look like I care about that? Take it off! Now!”

Lyra struggled. “I… I cannot… I can’t…”

“If you don’t take it off, I will have it ripped off you piece by piece!” She studied the girl, enjoying every look of fear in her eyes. It satisfied her somewhat but she had not come here just to scare the girl. No, that was not punishment enough. “Guards!”

Lyra looked away from Iris to the door as three guards rushed inside immediately like they had been standing outside and waiting for her to call them in. She looked from the guards to Iris in fear and suspicion and then back to the guards who stood, awaiting her next order. She looked to Iris and her hands shook, she stumbled backward but she had already hit the wall. She saw Iris smirk and she knew that what the woman had in her mind to do to her would greatly hurt her. She prayed now more than ever that Xanth walk in, or maybe even Ryder, but would he care that much for her?

“Hold her down.” Iris ordered and Lyra’s eyes widened in shock.

“No, no, no…” She shook her head in protest and tried to struggle with the men but she knew it was futile. She could not fight them off. “Let go! Let me go!”

“Hold her against the wall.” Iris ordered and pulled out a small knife from behind her, brandishing the blade as she took selected steps towards a very frightened Lyra.

“Please stop,” She pleaded. “Don’t do this.”

“Since you won’t take it off yourself,” She put the knife underneath the dress, close to the hip. “Then I’ll tear it off your body.” She pulled the knife. It ripped the dress high enough to expose one side of her hip fully and also cut her flesh. Lyra closed her eyes tightly as she cried, still pleading for Iris to stop.

But Iris didn’t stop, she kept on ripping it slowly until she had slit the dress open up to her chest where only a light piece held together to keep the dress on her body, leaving her body exposed to the hungry eyes of the guards that held her up. Lyra cried her eyes out, she didn’t struggle anymore but still kept pleading.

“Now, how about I rip the whole thing off?” She grinned and the men chuckled in excitement. She grabbed the hem of the dress and was about to pull it when someone yelled her name.

“Iris!” she spun around immediately and the guards let go of Lyra who fell to the floor, holding the dress to herself and trying to cover up her body. She wept uncontrollably.

Ulric Nyx stood in the room, his angry eyes bore into his daughter’s. “What were you doing just now?!” He questioned her, but Iris didn’t reply to him, she didn’t bother to but rather dropped the knife and walked out of the room, the guards following closely behind her.

Ulric quickly pulled the covers off the bed and stretched to wrap it around Lyra but she quickly snatched it from him and covered herself. Ulric understood that the girl wanted to be left alone, what his daughter had done to her was traumatizing and embarrassing enough. He had suspected that she would do something to retaliate after what had happened at breakfast and he had not been wrong. He took a step back away from the girl.

“It’s alright, I’ll make sure she doesn’t come back. You can rest now.”

He watched the girl shiver underneath the covers before he turned and walked out the room, closing the door behind him. He would find Iris.