The transition from the icy wilderness to the Northern Stronghold was no less than moving from one grave into another.
The North was a jagged fortress of stone and iron, where the very air felt sharp enough to draw blood, where people's faces had hardened from the harshness.
Here, survival wasn't a hope, it was a brutal, daily negotiation.
No status, no authority, nothing but power mattered here. The strongest border of the whole Emberspear.
Commander of the Northern Army, Leonidas Diaz, known as the Beast of the North, stood like a statue at the entrance, his body large, a heavy fur cloak resting on his shoulder.
His armor was scarred by a hundred skirmishes, and his green eyes held the weary discipline of a man who had forgotten the meaning of rest.
He had a scar on his cheek that made him menacing.
Beside him stood Captain Araleth, known as the Leopard of the North. Her eyes were sharp and playful, filled with a mischief that even the brutal winter couldn't fade.
Her lips were curled in a smirk, humming a melody usually sung for fallen soldiers.
"You are late, King Alaric," Commander Leonidas complained. He didn't even bow, he merely inclined his head as a sign of respect.
The King laughed, waving his hand to shrug him off.
"And you are as stiff as a frozen corpse, Leonidas! Warm up a little. We've brought enough wine to thaw even your black heart." He walked past him and entered as he turned to the Knights behind him.
"Commander Kaldric," Commander called, giving My Lord a nod of acknowledgement.
"The storm was... unpredictable," Lord Kaldric replied bitterly.
I watched them, fascinated.
While Commander Leonidas spoke with a piercing coldness, Captain Araleth was leaning against a weapon rack, her eyes dancing with a playful, wicked light.
"Oh, Leo, don't be so grumpy." Araleth cooed, reaching out to adjust a strap on his massive shoulder plate, flashing a tempting smile.
"They survived the blizzard. That's worth a cup of ale, surely? Why don't you tell me how you married this fairy, Kaldric?"
"Ignore this curious leopard, Kaldric," Commander grunted, looking fed by her, "She is too restless for her own good."
Lord Kaldric stepped forward, rolling his eyes, looking equally exasperated by her.
"Have you sworn to exasperate every man you meet, Araleth?"
"Absolutely, Kaldric," she chirped, winking at him.
"Unless you don't want to be my next target, do not interfere. I'm quite busy at the moment."
I reacted instinctively and stepped before Lord Kaldric as if to hide him from her eyes but my petite form barely blocked him.
Lord Kaldric folded his arms at his chest, narrowing his eyes but I kept my head bowed but standing between him and Araleth.
She turned her attention back to Leonidas, completely ignoring us and leaning in until her breath blended, raising her brows.
"You hear, my commander? I am using another man's name. How about you personally teach me a lesson to call your name only? In your bedchambers?"
My face flushed from shame when she only invited him so openly, so seductively.
"Enough, woman. Stop embarrassing me. At least now, leave me." Leonidas growled, his face shifting with hesitation.
He turned to leave.
Araleth laughed, a bright, melodic sound, "Not even in your nightmares, my love!"
I blinked, my mind struggling to categorize them.
By far what I had seen, men and women were either masters and servants or distant shadows of duty. I hadn't heard such pure loud laughter or openly display of temptation, yet.
"Are you guys... married?" I asked softly, the question slipping out before I could stop it.
Commander Leonidas's head snapped toward me, a look of profound disgust crossing his face.
"Married? To this nuisance? I would sooner wed a mountain goat. It would be least annoying."
Araleth let out another delighted, musical laugh. She smirked, tracing her index finger on his shoulder.
"He says that every Tuesday," she winked at me. "But, don't worry, it won't be long before he proposes to me."
"In your dreams, woman." He hissed, leaning down to her level.
Before the stoic Commander could react, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a lingering, sweet kiss directly onto his scarred cheek.
The Beast of the North turned a shade of deep crimson. Though he didn't roar nor scold her.
He let out a strangled gasp, turned on his heel, and marched away with a speed that suggested he was fleeing for his life.
"Wait for me, Leo! You forgot your helmet!" Araleth called out, grinning and following his trails, leaving the march and hospitality to their subordinate.
"That woman is surely hell. I wonder how he endures her." My Lord shook his head, entirely unimpressed and walked inside.
I watched them from the back of the group, my heart aching with a sudden, sharp envy.
I saw the way Leonidas looked at her, not with hatred, but with a frustrated, overwhelming affection he couldn't hide.
She was touching him constantly and he was not resisting.
I saw the way Araleth moved with a confidence that came from knowing she was loved, even by a beast, even by denial.
'Could I ever be like that?' I wondered.
'Could I ever tease the Obsidian Pillar until he was flushed with life? Could we ever be more than what we are now?'
I looked at Lord Kaldric. He was watching the horizon, his profile back to its usual frozen stoicism. The memory of the kiss on my shoulder was already a forgotten memory, a 'mistake' in his language.
The thought died as quickly as it had been born. I tightened my furs around my neck.
'No,' I told myself, looking down at my boots.
'I cannot. I am a beggar who was bought, and he is a man who loves his King more than his own heart. I must not dream of fairytales.'
We were given private quarters in the fortress. We changed as I reached for my heavy traveling hat at the same time he did.
Our fingers brushed, a spark traveled in me which I killed. I knew I won't gain anything but latching on to false hopes.
I had convinced my heart now.
My breath hitched, my eyes lifting to meet his silver gaze.
He took the hat from my hand, his movements stiff, and placed it firmly on my head, securing the strap beneath my chin with the usual precision.
His knuckles grazed my jaw, I didn't react, didn't dare to blush but I saw his throat muscles work as he swallowed. His hand lingering longer than usual.
"The draft in these halls is... persistent," he muttered, "Keep your head covered."
"Thank you, My Lord," I whispered, pulling away instantly.
He opened his mouth as if to say more, to ask if I was still cold, or perhaps to explain the kiss from the day before, but nothing came.
"Do you want to ask something?"
"I…" He simply adjusted his belt, gave a sharp, formal nod, and stepped back, "Never mind."
I called out, "You can tell me, My Lord."
His back was still to me, he didn't dare to shift and let out his words tentatively.
"I would appreciate it if you wear that… pink gown tomorrow. That one that makes you look like a fairy." Before I could speak further, he was out of the room.
I blinked, confused by his demand but how foolish I am. How could I not obey? I settled on the pink gown on top of the trunk.
I left the room shortly after, needing to escape the magnetic pull of his presence. As I turned into the main corridor, I heard a familiar, playful laugh echoing off the vaulted ceiling.
"Can't you control yourself in front of others, Araleth?" He scolded her.
She teased him, "Why should I be ashamed to touch what is mine?"
"Firstly. I am not yours. Secondly, I have an image to uphold."
"Why don't you focus on the image you have in my heart, my darling?"
Araleth was there, leaning so close to Leonidas that her chest was nearly pressed against his. She was twirling a lock of her dark hair, her eyes overflowing with glee.
"Just admit it, Leo," she trailed off, caressing his face.
"You like it when I touch you, you love how you cannot resist me, even if you want to~"
"I missed the silence of the blizzard, woman. Which you have currently shattered."
He didn't look at Araleth as he turned on his heel, "I have a perimeter to check. Do not follow me, Captain."
"I'll be there in five minutes with your tea!" she shouted after his retreating back, blowing a flamboyant kiss at his stiff shoulders.
She watched him disappear around the corner before turning to me, her grin widening.
"Men, especially these heartless commanders. Nothing but duty is above." Araleth sighed, though she looked entirely pleased with herself.
She looped her arm through mine, her grip firm and startlingly warm.
"True." I absentmindedly said, instantly regretting it.
She nodded, "Kaldric is much worse than Leo. He swore to never wed, let alone to love. He said his heart and soul belongs to the Crown."
"Yes, I heard, Captain."
"Doesn't it bother you? Don't you want him to be a husband behind the doors at least?" She asked, genuinely curious.
I forced a smile, detailing my sorrow, "I cannot choose my fate, can I?"
"Hmmm." She sighed loudly, "Anyway, let's have dinner. You must be starving. Come, Ardelle."
I sat beside Lord Kaldric at the high table, the silver embroidery of my dress feeling heavy now, my mind was constantly on the pink gown he mentioned.
I looked at the stew and began to eat it quietly. Lord Kaldric shifted back and called a squire who later came with a basket of apples.
"Here you go, Commander."
"Hmm." He took the basket and placed it right in front of me, "There you go." His voice was cold but the gesture made them all stare in disbelief.
"Oh, my, for your bride, Kaldric?" Araleth teased, eyes fixed on the apple but Lord Kaldric kept a stoic expression.
"Hmm. My bride is fond of them."
I was eating the apples, used to this gesture now, my eyes big, staring at the man beside me.
"So," Araleth leaned across the table, her chin resting on her hand as she stared at me with a dark curiosity that sent a shiver down my spine.
"Commander Kaldric is known throughout the realm as a man of stone. Tell me, little bird, does that stone ever melt behind closed doors?"
I nearly choked on my bite, "I—My Lady, I don't know what you mean."
"Oh, you know exactly what I mean," Araleth purred, her eyes moving around us.
"Is he as methodical in the bedchamber as he is on the battlefield? Does he give orders, or does he finally learn to take them?"
"Araleth!" Leonidas's voice was a low growl, "Enough. You are overstepping."
I felt the heat climbing up my neck, my gaze darting to Kaldric. He was staring straight ahead, his jaw tight. He didn't defend me, he simply existed in his own silent fortress.
"I am only asking what we all want to know," Araleth laughed, reaching over to pat Leonidas's hand.
"Don't be so protective, Leo. It's a feast! We should celebrate the... passions of our guests."
"Leave them be, woman. Their personal matters are not your entertainment. Have you no shame?"
Araleth let out a long, dramatic whine, slumping back in her chair. "Oh, Leo! You're no fun at all. You're just as dry as a desert bone. I was only trying to see if our pillar has a heart or just a very well-polished stone."
"Enough."
Araleth didn't look chastised. She leaned in and blew a playful kiss toward Leonidas's scarred ear. "Anything you say, Darling~" She stood up with a feline grace, winking at me.
"I'm going to see the wine stores. Try not to be so boring, Kaldric. Your bride looks like she's waiting for a funeral, not a honeymoon."
She sauntered off, and after a moment of visible internal struggle, Leonidas stood and followed her, muttering about 'undisciplined captains.'
"My Lord-"
"Ignore her. She is always like this. It's best to not reply." He said hurriedly, holding my wrist and taking a bite of the apple from my hand without a warning.
My cheek flushed, staring at him as he continued his meal normally. I stared at the place he bit for a few seconds before I continued eating from here.
Did he…. Smirk behind the vine glass?
Eventually the high table was cleared but I had to stay. Araleth also returned with her commander and sat down.
"So, where did we leave– Oh? Are you still here? I thought it was a meeting."
"She stays in my sight." My Lord said.
"Okay."
"The bandits we encountered in the woods and the blizzard were not mere scavengers," Lord Kaldric stated.
"Thanks to Ardelle, she informed me about their motives, and about the ambush, and we were able to subdue it."
"Did I do a good thing, My Lord?" I instinctively asked and regretted it for pitching between an important discussion.
"Yes, Ardelle. You did a good job." he nodded.
Placing his hand over my head, a sign of genuine praise that made me smile, burning my cheek with inexplicable delight.
Sir Aldwin started, "After some torture they finally opened their mouths. They were scouts. Funded scouts. The gold we found on their corpses bears traces of Southern Provinces."
Lord Kaldric's eyes sharpened, "Then the coup is not a threat. It is an active campaign. They moved against us in the storm because they didn't want us to reach the fortress"
"Exactly. They are gathering here. White Haven was a test." the King said, assertiveness dripping from him.
"The mountain pass was an attempt. But the real strike... it will happen within these walls. They believe the North is where I am most vulnerable, surrounded by snow and isolated from the main army."
"They are making a mistake." Leonidas let out a short laugh.
"With my most refined men, nothing could graze my skin." His Majesty nodded in agreement, glancing at Lord Kaldric, raising his glass to praise him as well.
He looked proud but it merely clenched my heart, I had witnessed- No, 'I' was the price of that.. praise.
"The rumors are going well." Araleth added.
"What rumors?"
"The Beast of the North is weakened by a woman. Araleth's habits and shenanigans made the enemy believe I have grown… weak." Leonidas smirked, giving her shoulder a proud pat.
She smirked, "Aren't I the best when it comes to deception?" Huh?
Was it an act to fool the enemy? Weren't they actually in love?
"But they will try their best to ensure My Liege never returns. We have to be alert all the time and find the traitor before it reaches the capital." Lord Kaldric added, his sternness sharpened at this point.
"Vex not. I have called reinforcements. We will not let our men die nor be overwhelmed by their numbers."
"Let them come then,"
I sat quietly in the shadow of their talk, watching the way they discussed life and death like chess and most of it went entirely over my head.
I realized it had been a trap. And in that trap, Lord Kaldric had chosen his King over me, a choice he would likely have to make again and again, before this war was over.
The Earl, the bandits, the crown... it was all coming to a head here, in the freezing dark.