Chapter Text
Ilaria was one of the three princesses of Redania who by the strong suggestion of Dijkstra, her fathers royal advisor and informant, was currently staying in Cintra. He had told her father that an alliance with Emperor Emhyr would be very beneficial and of all the royal children to send on this mission he felt that she was the one most likely to succeed in the task. Ilaria was beginning to worry since she had been in Cintra for nearly a month and Emhyr hadn’t even seemed to notice she was in the castle since he hadn’t spoken one word to her. Thankfully Cahir, one of Emhyrs knights, had been there to welcome her and he always made sure she was comfortable and had food. The first few weeks she spent mindlessly wandering the castle simply enjoying her freedom from having to constantly look after her younger brother, Radovid. But it didn't take her long to grow bored and begin to wander around outside of the castle. Not that much happened most days; it felt more like a fort with the army mostly just preparing for the next battle. Ilaria spent most days just watching the army train from afar while reading a book that she had taken from the massive library in the palace. When he wasn't busy Cahir tried to keep her company, which she was thankful for but he didn’t often have free time. After one particularly lonely week she pondered writing home and begging them to let her return, seeing as Emhyr still hadn't said one word to her and it didn't seem that would change any time soon. Her mind was changed the day she heard a scream from the practice grounds. She had been sitting on the ground immersed in a book when she heard it. Quickly Ilaria jumped up off the ground and ran towards the noise.
"What's happened?" She shouted as she saw Cahir.
"Man's been injured. Not much you can do. It isn't too serious though. I'm sure he will be fine in a few days." Cahir replied, standing in front of her trying to keep her from getting any closer.
"May I take a look anyways? I've helped our healer at home so I have some basic knowledge. Maybe I can help him heal sooner." Ilaria pleaded.
Cahir looked her up and down pondering if what she said was true. But knowing that they didn't currently have any form of a healer he knew whatever she could do was probably better than nothing. He nodded and stepped aside. Ilaria moved past Cahir and found her way towards where the man sat on the ground. She noticed there was a bloody blade on the grass not far from where he sat. A few men looked a bit nervous and others were still training like nothing happened. Gently she approached the man observing him looking for the wound. The only place she noticed blood on him was on his sleeve and figured the wound must be on his arm.
"Are you able to remove your shirt so I can look at your injury better?" Ilaria inquired, as she kneeled down in front of him.
The man stared up at the strange girl before nodding and carefully removing his shirt, clearly wincing in pain. Ilaria examined his arm gently, touching it and squeezing it to see the extent of the damage. Cahir hovered over her watching her with a curious look on his face.
"The wound is thankfully not too deep. Does anyone have a cloth or something I can bind it with? I simply just need to stop the bleeding.".
"Would this work?" A man inquired as he stepped up and handed her a long strip of cloth that looked as if it was ripped off of a shirt.
"Yes, that should work, thank you." Ilaria smiled up at the man taking the cloth from him.
She went to work covering the wound making sure the cloth was tight enough to stop the bleeding but not be uncomfortable. Once she was satisfied she stood up, "Okay please keep the wound covered at least for today and I'd recommend also taking it easy for today.".
The soldier nodded and looked up at Cahir as if seeking his approval.
"Go and rest but find a way to make yourself useful at least even if it means cleaning something." Cahir sighed.
"Thank you sir. Also thank you Ma'am." The soldier responded meekly walking off.
Ilaria smiled at the soldier before walking away herself in the opposite direction. She got just outside of the training grounds when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around she was surprised to see Cahir.
"Thank you for what you did back there. Though I was wondering if we needed you to heal a soldier again if you would be willing to help. Fringilla was our last healer and…..well….she's dead. We haven't had anyone to care for the men since. I know it would be appreciated." Cahir inquired.
" I would love to. Would be better than sitting around all day doing nothing." Ilaria replied with a smile.
After that day Ilaria spent her days near the training ground in case someone got injured. It had now been two months of her being in Cintra and she still didn't think Emhyr had noticed her presence there. But she was glad she was no longer just aimlessly wandering around anymore so she didn't really mind. But one morning while her and Cahir were enjoying breakfast a soldier barged in.
"Ma'am… sir. A soldier has been seriously injured. He needs urgent care." He gasped, clearly out of breath from running.
"Oh no! I'll be right out." Ilaria exclaimed, jumping up.
Quickly she ran upstairs to gather an abandoned medical kit that Cahir had found for her. As she ran back down the stairs she swore she saw Emhyr in the corner of her eye but she knew she didn't have time to stop and figured he probably hadn't noticed her anyways. Cahir had waited for her by the doors and together they both rushed out to the training grounds where they could hear screams of agony.
******
Emhyr had stepped outside of his room when he saw a girl with long blonde hair rush past him and down the stairs. Curious as to who this mysterious girl was and where she was going, he decided to follow her down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs he saw Cahir waiting for her and watched as they both rushed out the door. Whoever this girl was, Cahir seemed to know her which made him even more curious since he never mentioned her anytime they had talked. As he stepped out the door he heard a wail of someone in pain and assumed that's where they were heading. As Emhyr followed the screams to the training ground he saw the girl on the ground with her long blonde hair pulled back from her face. She was so focused on what she was doing to the man's leg that she didn't seem to notice anyone around her. Cahir immediately noticed Emhyr and came over to him.
"Your highness. What brings you here?".
"Who is this girl Cahir?" Emhyr inquired, staring at her intently.
"Sir?" Cahir looked at Emhyr incredulously.
"Who is she? Why is she here?" Emhyr repeated, as the soldier let out a scream as she took her needle and thread to his wound causing blood to spurt from it.
"She is Princess Ilaria from Redania. They were seeking to make an alliance I believe." Cahir responded.
He looked over at Emhyr who hadn't taken his eyes off of her wondering what he was thinking about. After several minutes Ilaria finished what she was doing and stood up using a nearby rag to wipe the blood from her hands.
"Right, I need some men to carry him inside and take him to my room. I want to keep an eye on him tonight to make sure these wounds heal properly." Ilaria stated, putting her hands on her hips looking at the men sternly.
"There is no need for that. There's plenty of rooms in the castle. I know just the room to take him." Emhyr interjected.
Ilaria jumped slightly at the strange voice and turned around facing Emhyr.
"Where may that be? I would like to keep a close eye on him." Ilaria retorted.
Emhyr lifted an eyebrow before he signaled to his men to help pick the man off the ground and carry him inside the castle. Ilaria stared in shock as she watched the men pick the soldier up without question and follow Emhyr back towards the castle. She looked over at Cahir bewildered. He nodded in sympathy before tilting his head signaling they needed to follow. Sighing she quickly made her way out the door and after Emhyr as she wondered what it was he was up to. Once in the castle he had the men drop the injured soldier in a room that was eerily right next to Ilarias leaving her curious as to how he knew she was staying there since he never acknowledged her presence.
"Will this do?" He inquired, turning to face her.
"Of course. Thank you." She curtsied before walking past him into the room.
Cahir looked over at Emhyr trying to judge his reaction. But was surprised when he just turned and went about his day gesturing for him to follow.
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It was late that night when Emhyr woke up hearing noises he wasn't used to especially this time of night. Wondering if it was Ilaria, he decided to get up and check it out. He slowly made his way down stairs following the strange noises into the kitchen. Once in the kitchen he saw Ilaria standing there in a white nightgown in front of the stove with her back to him. He noticed her long wavy hair came down to her mid back. He could hear her humming a song and realized he had heard that same humming before many times in the past few months. Emhyr felt foolish that he hadn't noticed her sooner. But he had been so busy that most days he didn't even leave the war room or the library to have even noticed someone else in the castle.
"May I ask what you are doing?" He finally asked, causing her to jump.
"Oh! The soldier woke up and was hungry. Figured I would make him a broth." She responded.
"How is he doing?" Emhyr inquired.
"Seems to be fine. He hasn't gotten a fever yet, which is good. There are no signs of bleeding or well further bleeding. When I move his leg it moves just fine thankfully. So I think he will recover." Ilaria rambled.
"Excellent. I do thank you for all your hard work. Though why are you doing all this for my men?" Emhyr commented.
"Because they needed help and I was able to do it." Ilaria explained.
"But you are a princess. Seems like it would be below you." He remarked.
Ilaria turned off the broth and faced him. She felt like he was testing her. But for what reason she wasn't really sure.
"Growing up I was always told that a princesses duty was to help those in need. No matter their status. That includes these soldiers. So no, I don't feel it is below me." Ilaria retorted.
Emhyr cocked his eyebrow at her as she turned and walked away from him broth in hand. He stood in the kitchen for a bit pondering the interaction. There was something about this woman that had him curious and he wasn't sure what it was or why. Slowly he made his way back upstairs and to where she was. He stood in the doorway watching her gently feeding the soldier small spoonfuls of the broth. He could hear her asking the soldiers lots of questions about his pain and other various things about his injury. After a bit she turned her head and saw Emhyr standing there watching her. She tried not to blush as she finished feeding the soldier. Once he was fed and she was content that he was asleep she got up and approached Emhyr.
"It is late, you need sleep." Emhyr stated.
"I'm fine but I do appreciate the concern. I want to make sure he is okay." Ilaria remarked.
She all of a sudden herself staring up into his dark blue eyes. They looked so soft and caring in this light. He wasn't that much taller than her but she still had to look up to admire his eyes. Ilaria wasn't sure if she had taken another step towards him or if he had taken one towards her but she became very aware of just how close to him she was. Blushing, she quickly took a step back and fixed her eyes on the ground.
"He is my soldier. I will take good care of him while you rest." Emhyr promised.
"I know you would. But I have done nothing here for weeks. Please let me do this." Ilaria pleaded, looking back up into Emhyr's eyes.
Sighing he looked into her bright blue eyes and saw her desperation. Finally he nodded in defeat but he gently grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it before turning to leave. He stopped in the doorway and turned towards her and whispered, "I'm glad my men are in such capable hands.".
She blushed as he turned and walked out the door. Cahir had made him out to be such a strict ruler who would not have offered to stay awake with an injured soldier. Which left Ilaria to wonder why he did this night. She was also left alone to her thoughts of what a handsome man he truly was and how she hadn't been prepared for him to be so attractive.
It took the soldier about a week to fully heal. Ilaria took the stitches she made out under Emhyr and Cahir's watchful eyes. Once out she made the soldier get up and walk around.
"Oh thank you ma'am! I never thought I'd walk again!" He exclaimed, doing a little dance once steady on his feet.
"It was nothing, I'm glad you healed though!" Ilaria laughed as he hugged her.
Emhyr and Cahir, obviously satisfied with her work, stepped into another room to discuss something.
"Come let's get you back to the training ground and put you to the real test." Ilaria giggled.
They made their way down the steps. Just before they got to the grand entrance the doors opened and Ilaria saw one of her fathers servants.
"Oh my what a pleasure to see you! What brings you here?" Ilaria inquired, approaching them.
"Ma'am…..I do wish I was here with better news. But….well….you best read this first." They replied by handing her a letter.
Ilaria felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up into the soldier's concerned eyes. Gently she nodded letting him know he could make his way back to the training grounds and that she would be fine. Once he was gone she opened the letter.
Daughter,
My love, I wish I was writing this letter with better news for you. But I regret to inform you that your mother has been brutally murdered. The servant will have details about the funeral. Do not fear I will avenge your mother. I hope all is well. I do miss you.
Love,
Father
Ilaria looked up at the servant with a horrified look on her face, tears filling her eyes. The servant nodded to confirm that the letter was telling the truth.
"....when….?" Ilaria stammered.
"Ma'am it was a tough road. The funeral was a week ago. I am so sorry I am late. Your brother….." The servant began to say.
"It's okay. Thank you." Ilaria replied, fighting back her tears she gestured for the servant to go, having heard enough.
The servant quickly curtsied and exited the castle. As soon as they were out of sight Ilaria collapsed to the ground sobbing. After some time she heard some footsteps approaching her.
"What happened, are you okay?" Emhyr's calm voice inquired.
Ilaria shook her head, unable to really answer him. Amidst her tears she saw him kneel down in front of her. Gently his hand caressed her chin urging her to look up at him. Slowly she lifted her head and looked up at him. Through her tears she could see his face was full of concern.
"...my mother…..she died." Ilaria sobbed.
"I am so sorry for your loss." Emhyr consoled her, "you should go home to be with your family.".
"But I was told that I'm late for the funeral. My idiot brother sent the worst servant to tell me the news." Ilaria whimpered, tears still streaming down her face.
Emhyr gently wiped the tears from her face. Seeing the letter in her hand he gently extended his hand. Gently she set it in his hand for him to read. He took a moment to read and process it.
"She was murdered, your family needs you. I implore you to go home and to be with them." Emhyr sighed, standing up.
"I shouldn't leave you….Dijkstra….." Ilaria stuttered, standing up as well.
"He will understand. Besides, it doesn't need to be permanent for you to leave me. Cahir is leaving on a mission he can take you home. So long as his mission goes well and nothing goes wrong he can bring you back if you wish." Emhyr responded.
"What if I'm not there when he comes back from the mission?" Ilaria questioned, looking at Emhyr trying to see his reaction.
The corners of his lips curled slightly, "Don't worry I'll make sure he finds you no matter where you are. But please if you are to leave with him you need to pack dear because he will leave before nightfall.".