"Come, sit by the fire and warm up."
Arissa drapes a blanket over your trembling form and guides you further into the lodge-like castle, towards a fire that a few other children were lingering near. You were yet another child left parentless by the rippling chaos from her actions brought into Arissa's care, though her regret was nil. She knew it was cruel of her to think little of what happened to you, but it didn't come out of a place of malice. You would be well looked after here
Your hair was a mess, and Arissa cards her fingers through it in an attempt to straighten out the knots and tangles. There were smudges of dirt on your face, ones that she frowns at as she gently ushers you onto a sofa. Some of her men had found you wandering an abandoned village alone, and she wondered just what had happened to you, though that was a question for another time. Clearly, you were cold, tired, and hungry, all of which required immediate attention.
Arissa bent down on one knee in front of you to match your height, her expression stern but not unfriendly. "What is your name, child?"
