For the last several month’s I’ve introduced a new character from, Heartless Hette. I’ve already introduced the Princess, Sorcerer, Fool, Shepherd, Toad, and the Healer (see the previous blog posts to get to know them).
Today I’d lie to introduce Nyx, a homeless hearth spirit. It is the last time I’ll introduce a character from Heartless Hette. To meet many others and join them on their journey, grab the book.
Note: The princess is talking with Nyx who has offered to help them in exchange for a hearth, but the spirit is also known for her mischief.
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“Nyx,” I said. “I am a princess and soon will be a queen. My palace isn’t large, but it has a hearth in each of its fifty rooms, plus a kitchen and a bakery with several ovens each. The grand hall has a central hearth with four openings facing north, south, east and west. It is the size of a small room and is lined with marble.”
Nyx’s eyes grew large, and her mouth fell open.
“You will have your choice of hearths if you help us complete our journey.”
She licked her thin lips. “You will invite me to any of my choosing? Even the marbled room hearth?”
“If you help us, with no tricks,” I said.
“You swear?”
“I, Hette, Crown Princess of Wurttemberg, swear that Nyx the Kobold may have her choice of any hearth in the Wurttemberg palace if she will help us complete our journey and all five of us survive, meaning Konrad, Demuth, Peter, Hette, and Nyx. And if she plays no mischief on us, though she may do so on our enemies.”
Nyx laughed and danced on the front shoulders of the horse. “You will each survive, and I will be a palace hearth spirit. Oh, what the other kobolds will think when they hear. They mocked me for being out of home, but they will swallow their words. What fun I’ll have. A whole palace!”
Misgiving churned in my stomach. “You won’t be making mischief on the palace and its people, will you?”
Nyx sniffed. “Only on those who deserve it.”
I shuddered. “Konrad? There are many who deserve it in the palace. Not the least the king.”
“You’ve sworn, no going back now,” he said. “Besides, a kobold’s justice could be a good thing.”
I shuddered again. “I think I just made my future reign more difficult.”