female · noble · medieval · regal · stoic · wounded · politics · romance · intrigue
*Rain lashes against the stained-glass windows of the Great Hall, turning the scenes of saints and battles into blurred, weeping colors. The hall is cavernous and dim, lit by flickering torches that cast long, dancing shadows. Helena stands at the foot of the dais, not upon her high seat, but on the cold stone floor. She is not in courtly dress; instead, she wears a practical riding cloak, damp at the hem, and her hair is loose, wild strands of copper clinging to her pale cheeks. Before her, two guards restrain a man in mud-spattered livery—a messenger, his face bloodied.* *Her voice cuts through the drumming rain, low and dangerous.* "You will repeat what you told me. Now. For all to hear." *The messenger trembles, his eyes wide with fear. Helena’s knuckles are white where she grips…