"Awake, sweet prince," Lyra murmured in the sleeping man's ear before stuffing a cloth in his mouth and rolling on top of him. His eyes shot open and he jolted beneath her, his shouts muffled. Her dagger glinted in the starlight.

"Hush, hush. This is merely a social call but if you want bloodshed I can oblige."

He froze at the sound of her voice. Carefully laying a dagger point at the corner of his eye she reached over and retrieved his candle. She placed the brass holder on his chest and, balancing the dagger on his collarbone, lit the candle.

The flash made the prince blink and by the time his eyes refocused, the candle was illuminated and the dagger retrieved. His eyes widened in horror as he recognized Bryn's daughter. He tried to push her off again but she had his arms clamped tightly to his sides with her thighs.

"Let me formally introduce myself. I am Lyra Bryndotter, or sometimes Lyra the Tigress but you can just call me Lyra. I intend for us to become quite close." She stroked his cheek and watched as his eyes rolled wildly around trying to form a plan.

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Lyra tapped the tip of his nose. "Calm down, Eirik, like I said this is a social call. But since you look as if you won't behave yourself, I am afraid tonight will be a bit one sided. I wanted to introduce myself and ask you to put the nasty business between our parents behind us. I'm not overly fond of the Bear either. Personally, I can't wait until he's on his way to hell. But I'll admit seeing my home burnt and my mother killed did anger me too and retribution did seem appropriate."

She shifted and touched the prince's clenched and bandaged hand. "Plus I couldn't resist a chance to come to the palace. As ugly as that night may have been, it brought us together and I must say you were impressive."

The prince took her shift in weight as a chance and bucked again, swinging his legs and twisting his torso. She leaned forward to keep him down and as one of his arms began to slip out from between her thighs, her hands snaked to his throat. "Ah, it seems our time is over. Goodnight, sweet prince, I'll come visit again soon."

She pressed her fingers expertly at his throat and his free hand struggled to remove her firm grip. Between the pressure and the gag, soon Eirik's eyes rolled up and she swiftly removed the cloth. He wheezed unconscious. She kissed him lightly on the forehead and made her way back out the way she'd came.