Frost, alongside Sonia and Elisa, made their way to the checkpoint. The Guards standing by the gate greeted both women and eyed Frost curiously. Elisa gave him a reassuring smile as the guards saluted. They passed the gate, which was far less glamorous and defensive than the one Frost entered the capital from. As they entered the city's outer zone, they were greeted by busy soldiers and merchants, as well as a multitude of stables and warehouses. They walked past the strolling carts and wagons, greeting the occasional soldiers.
"The areas by the gates are all like that." Elisa eagerly explained.
"Makes sense; this way things are better organized." Frost nodded along
"Well..."
"Even if it might seem well organized, sometimes this layout causes more problems." Sonia added "Oftentimes the merchants' stock is spread out, sometimes even in different holding warehouses"
"Oh... yeah, I can see how that would cause issues." Frost responded, with Elisa nodding along
They kept moving deeper into the city, as warehouses became smaller and more food-related. Alongside smaller warehouses, a multitude of overnight inns also appeared.
"There are many more inns in areas neighboring other gates, since this one is on the side of the castle, so mostly visitors stay here," Sonia exclaimed, noticing Frost looking at the buildings.
"Wouldn't the visitors be of a more noble variety? Wouldn't they want to stay in a more elegant place?" Frost asked curiously, as he watched some of the inns looking simple and old.
"The inns on the northern side are already more high-end than those on the southern side, but if they still want something really luxurious..." Elisa started before Sonia could explain, earning her a cold look from her colleague as she spun around to show Frost the elegant, luxurious-looking buildings past the line of inns.
"... They can stay there, in the high-district hotels," she added with a smile, as Frost's eyes sparkled and Sonia sighed.
The buildings themselves stood taller than the inns, divided by a small stream of water, surrounded by greenery. As they stood on a small bridge between the two sides, Frost compared the inns' more wooden design, with exposed brick, to the more concrete, covered, and decorated hotels.
"As she already stated, this part is the high district, composed mostly of high-end hotels, shops, and restaurants, with a few private residences of nobles, knights, and powerful merchants." Sonia started explaining, pointing at Elisa and the buildings. As she explained, a man, clearly not noble, passed by them, gaining the attention of Frost, as he grew a confused expression.
"Well, as you can see, Northallen does not have an oppressive caste culture like other nations do, so the people here do not divide themself so harshly, especially since the high district also contains a lot of governmental buildings, offices, and guild buildings on the outskirts, as well as the royal knights order main base," Sonia continued, with Elisa nodding in the back.
Having received a sufficient explanation, Frost continued, following the two women further along. They passed by extravagant merchants, elegant nobles, gruff adventurers, soot-covered blacksmiths, and simple-looking commoners, all of whom greeted them with respect.
"Hello, my noble ladies, would you like a scone?" They were suddenly interrupted by an older gentleman standing by a food stand. He wore a standard chest apron, covered in flour, and a small chef's hat, with his gray hairs peeking from underneath it. Although his most defining feature was his bluish-gray eyes, they were empty, lacking any shine.
"Oh, Mr. Halveno, your treats are always tasty!" Elisa said, quickly snatching scones and handing them to Sonia and Frost.
"Haha, you flatter me, young lady." he responded, but his empty gaze finally made Frost realize he was blind.
"As you can see, Mr. Halveno is blind, but he is still the greatest chef in Northallen." Sonia whispered to him
"A blind chef?" Frost questioned louder than he wanted.
"Indeed, I am a blind chef, Lord Frost, but I assure you my skills are honed beyond sight"
"Oh, I meant no offense; I was merely surprised." Frost responded to the chef's words.
"Then I urge you, Lord Frost, to visit my establishment to enjoy a meal"
"Gladly chef, I will even try to invite my wife, the Empress."
"Oh, having both Her Majesty and Lord Frost dine at my restaurant would be my utmost honor"
As the two men talked, an elegant aura covered them, which did not go unnoticed by the two women observing them in silence. Once they came to an agreement, Frost departed with his guards.
"Hmmm, so Lord Frost can be really regal if he wants to, huh?" Elisa pondered with a mischievous smile. In response, Frost swiped a crumb away, left by the scone, from her collar. That, in turn, gave her shivers and made her jump back like a cat, flustered.
"Lord Frost! Y-you should never do that again! It's unbecoming of a Lord like you!" she shouted out, wildly gesturing with her hands, earning a hearty laugh from Sonia.
"You're such a pure maiden, freaking out over something like this." Sonia said laughing
"You think this is nothing! But isn't it a far too romantic move for Lord Frost to perform on someone he is not married to?" Elisa replied passionately
"I think you read too many romance novels; it's perfectly normal for a superior to take care of their subordinates' appearance" Sonia countered, patting Elisa's head. "Besides, the true romantic gesture is brushing away a piece of food from the cheek of your beloved and eating it playfully" she added seriously, earning an impressed nod from the younger woman.
With their playful banter, they made their way toward the central square, passing the church where Frost had recently gotten married without his input, which made him look at the building with a conflicted expression. Once they reached the busy square, Frost noticed just how many people were there. Despite the more humble brick and wood buildings, many elegant nobles mingled with simple-looking citizens. Once they came closer to the crowd, many eager people, of various ages and professions, came closer, wanting to greet two famous knights and their new lord. Sonia and Elisa eagerly interacted with people, playing with children and politely refusing the gifts from the elderly. At first, Frost watched, stunned, as some children, young ladies, and young knights observed him curiously. Before long, he decided to join in.
"Oh, Lord Frost, finally joining the fray." Sonia joked
"I was just surprised by your enthusiasm." he responded, earning a snicker from Elisa, who in turn got smacked by Sonia as the two started walking away from the group, as people carefully surrounded Frost.
"Mister? Are you the one who married Her Majesty?" a young child asked
"Son, you are supposed to say Lord to Lord Frost" his mother corrected him
"Ah, don't worry; you shouldn't expect a young child to understand rules like that" Frost reassured them, which relieved the crowd
"Such a kind and understanding Lord." an older man said
"Much better than the previous ones." a butcher added, laughing
"And so graceful." a noble lady said
"Quite handsome too." a young man added
"Her Majesty is lucky." a young maiden added innocently
"He looks quite sturdy too." a knight added
"He should eat more." an older lady interjected
"Maybe we could enlist to serve him." a young boy said to his group of friends
The kind words made Frost feel awkward, until another child tugged on his leg.
"Mister, can you play with us some?" a young girl asked, her youthful boldness terrifying others due to their fear of disrespecting royalty. Yet Frost, in a display of humility, picked the girl up.
"I can spare a few minutes to play with you." he said with a smile, as the setting sun shone through the buildings, lighting his silhouette and giving him a more magnificent aura. That emboldened people even more, as they started pushing towards him, while Frost laughed calmly and looked at the people with a kind gaze.
"My Lord, in that case, would you like to read my new thesis?" a scholar asked
"No, please try my fresh pie first." a housewife interjected
"If we go now, I could forge something for you, my Lord." a blacksmith added
"Would you like to try some of the newest fashion trends, my Lord?" a tailor asked
"My Lord, if you so please, try this new potion I brew!" a tired alchemist shouted
Amidst all that, Frost, still utterly baffled and surprised, stood, trying to respond to everyone.
'Are all really that eager to meet me? I never would have imagined that people living here would be so kind to me and to each other' he thought
While Frost dealt with many people wanting to greet him, talk to him, or give him gifts, Elisa observed in awe how much kindness and understanding he showed them. Sonia, who just finished talking to some knights, noticed that and decided to mess with her.
"Oho, careful there; if you keep staring so hard at him, people might think you harbor illicit thoughts towards your Lord." she said playfully
"Big Sis! How could you say something like that!" Elisa reacted, flustered. "Besides, you know why I'm observing this much..."
"Yeah... but he really is impressive, winning the hearts of people so effortlessly..." Sonia responded, also looking towards him.
As time passed, the sun hid beyond the horizon, and people dispersed from the square. Not long after, a carriage arrived that took them to the castle. As they passed the streets, lit up by streetlights, Frost observed as the nightlife started to emerge. In particular, he took note of a shadier street where suspicious people entered a hidden basement.
Before he knew it, they arrived at the castle. The imposing walls looked far more intimidating at night.
Once they entered the castle, Sonia received a message from a maid.
"It seems that Her Majesty already chose your personal guards, Lord Frost, so we wont be seeing each other as often as we do like this," Sonia said dryly
"Oh, that's a shame, I really enjoyed my time with you two..." Frost responded sadly
"It's a real shame...." Elisa added sadly and quietly
"Oho?" Sonia looked at her with a mischievous smile, which flustered her again
"I mean, uh... I really enjoyed guarding Lord Frost, since now I don't even know our next assignment..." Elisa stuttered before Sonia put her arm over her, reassuring her.
"Well then, I hope to see you again at some point" Frost said.
"Likewise, Lord Frost." they both responded before Frost was led away to his room by the maids.
With Frost gone, the two women went to report to the Empress. Once they were granted an audience, they solemnly entered the chamber.
"Glory to radiant ice and snow, Her Majesty, the Empress of Northallen" they both said together while kneeling. A hand wave from the Empress allowed them to stand up.
"Report now: what are your impressions of Lord Frost?" Selene, the guard, demanded
Sonia and Elisa looked at each other before starting to recount their observations of Frost. Soon they reached their conclusions.
"Lord Frost is an admirable man, humble yet curious; despite his mysterious status, he is capable of showing high elegance and a regal aura. He approaches the people with familiar kindness; I must say he is much better than previous husbands of yours, Your Majesty." Sonia summarized, earning a nod of approval from the Empress and Selene.
"And you, holder of arcane eyes, what did you see in him?" Arianne asked Elisa, who in turn gulped nervously as her eyes glowed purple before going back to their normal color.
"If I may be so bold, but my insight of arcane eyes revealed to me that Lord Frost is someone very suited for you, Your Majesty," she said nervously
"Explain"
"W-well, when I look at Your Majesty, the arcane sight shows me a visage of a harsh, ice-covered landscape, with a raging snowstorm, yet one that does not feel cold at all, and where the sharp ice feels soft... Compared to that... dare I say.... Lord Frost's arcane visage is very similar, yet different, almost supplementary to Her Majesty's, an empty field of snow crackling under every step, as the snow shines in the soft sun that feels warm yet cold at the same time." Elisa explained.
"I see... You are dismissed," Arianned said to them, and as they left with a bow, she was left to ponder by herself.
The next morning, two near-identical-looking young men, with red hair with white streaks, approached Frost's doors.