Harald
It had been days since they had escaped into the tunnels under Stonehill. Harald didn’t know how many. Three, four, seven. They all blended together. Time didn’t matter anymore, almost nothing mattered anymore. He tried not to think about everything that had happen, tried to push it out of his head, and focus on the others, but it was hard.
Gunfire never seemed to end. Some days they had to move three or four times. Nena told them they had to remain ahead of the Commonwealth Forces. When they moved, Harald could see combat bots in the tunnel, and knew they were being protected. Hyrum was almost never seen since they had entered the tunnels.
There were times when the sounds of gunfire ended for hours. It was during those times that most of them tried to sleep and get rest, but it was those times that Harald hated the most. It was when his mind was free to think, and all he could think was the image of his family. His mother dying, his father before the blast to the chest ended his life. He did all he could to push them away, and he tried not to cry in front of the others.
“Are you Lord Frost now?” Alfred asked quietly.
Harald looked at the small boy. He looked like them all. Dust covered and dirty. He tried not to tear up.
“Of course he is,” Joslyn said quickly. “He is our lord now.” Joslyn had confessed to Harald that she spotted her own sister in the great hall. She had a weapon in her hand, and blood on her clothes. She watched as Idunn killed old Ginnie Jackal. The Master of Laws for Stonehill Hold, and run from her to join the rest of the kids escaping into the kitchen.
Harald hadn’t known what to say to her. He didn’t know what to say to any of them. He had held her hand, as Gwen had held his.
“I am not,” Harald finally said. “The houses of Clan Frost won’t approve a child,” he continued softly. “House Hoar will likely claim the mantle of Lord Frost when they hear about the death of my…” he stopped and let the rest remain unsaid.
“Fuck House Hoar,” Hyrum said as he walked through the entrance to the small hidden room they had spent most the day in. “House Hoar is a bunch of cowards and traitors. They removed to leave Furse Space with your father, and a handful of houses that supported them. Fuck them, this is what remains of Clan Frost, we vote and confirm our lord,” the one eyed soldier said sternly.
“I’m not a Frost,” young Alfred said sadly. It was true, his father had been born in the Commonwealth. They had never been to Furse Space, but he had served Lord Frost long before he had become the System-lord of Isca.
“You are a Frost as much as any of us, and now, more than ever, we must be united together, the one eyed soldier said. He walked forward, and dropped to one knee. “I Hyrum Little Frost swear my loyalty to Lord Harald Moon Frost, from this day to my last.”
Before Harald could speak the others stepped forward and lowered to one knee and swore an oath, and he tried to stand tall and not cry.
