— I will order a bath to be prepared and food to be brought to your room, Lady Dexsin. Do you require anything else? — Asil asked curiously.
— No, thank you.
— I see. In that case, if you need anything, you may give the necessary orders to the servants.
— Yes, Your Highness, — Liana Dehsin bowed politely and left as the servant was about to escort her to the room that had been temporarily assigned to her in Nord Castle.
Remesis remained in the courtyard for a while, watching her leave.
At the same time, she couldn't help but glance at the woman with silver hair standing next to her. Under strange circumstances, the princess's mood seemed to have improved unexpectedly, although she had clearly been in a bad mood just a moment ago.
Now, with unexpected warmth, she suddenly changed her mind and even kindly invited the young leader to stay at her castle, before Remesis had a chance to do so.
Nevertheless, Remesis never tried to understand her wife's true intentions and only watched her from afar. A slightly strange, peculiar smile played on the face of the northern princess.
Finally, Remesis just sighed heavily and turned away again.
Just then, a sharp gust of wind shook the hat that was protecting her from the cold. Her face paled with anxiety as she watched the bare branches swaying violently. In the distance, the cries of migratory birds could be heard.
It seemed that the weather in the northern region was deteriorating significantly.
***
The previous day, when Liana Dexsin officially stayed at the northern fortress as a guest, was the most peaceful. The next day, a joint meal was held in the main hall, attended by the guest and the hosts of the castle.
It was a normal display of etiquette befitting such an occasion, but nevertheless, the atmosphere was clearly not the most pleasant.
— Good morning, Lady Dexsin, — Asil greeted cheerfully.
Remesis and Asil were already in the dining room, while the young head of the order was a little late for the start of the meal.
Remesis's eyes widened when she saw the person entering the room.
Instead of answering, the woman frowned, indicating that it was not the best morning for her.
— Good morning, Your Highness, — she replied dryly.
Even after sleeping, Liana Dexsin did not look rested, and her face still looked haggard. Finally, the woman approached and pulled out a chair for herself. Although this was usually the duty of the servants, Liana did not pay any attention to it and also moved the cutlery for herself.
The Princess of the North watched her and smiled.
— Lady Dexsin, how was your night at the castle? — she asked.
— Everything was fine, — she replied briefly.
— So you were satisfied with our hospitality?
Liana smiled sarcastically.
— Of course. After you personally showed me so much attention, I cannot remain ungrateful.
— Lady Dexsin, you have no idea how glad I am to hear that.
After the morning exchange of barbs that had just taken place, Remesis glanced briefly at the young head of the order.
After that, the woman looked at her and greeted her.
— Good morning, Your Highness.
— Yes... Good morning.
Liana Dexsin smiled at her as best she could in the situation. After that, the dishes began to be served.
The luxurious meal was a far cry from the modest dishes served in this castle just a few years ago: a large, shiny steak, roast lamb, deliciously cooked fish, cheese and a rich milk soup... There was also a sour and spicy dish whose name Remesis still couldn't remember.
The desserts were also varied. Not only the usual cakes, but also cream eclairs, truffle cakes with a rich chocolate flavour, and bite-sized cookies.
Despite the fact that this was a northern region that until recently had been considered the most devastated and impoverished territory in the empire, the dishes on the table now seemed even more exquisite than those in the imperial palace.
— Lady Dexsin, I don't know what you like, so I ordered as many dishes as possible. I hope you find something to your liking.
— ...That is very kind of you, Your Highness.
In fact, Remesis herself could not understand the reason for such kindness on Asil's part. A woman who had never pampered anyone but her wife before. What had suddenly come over her? Remesis frowned, continuing to observe her strange behaviour since yesterday, but the princess's expression remained relaxed as usual.
At that moment, as if catching her gaze, the princess smiled slyly.
— Wife, why aren't you eating yet? You didn't eat properly yesterday, so you need to eat more today, — she remarked with concern.
— Mm.
— Is something bothering you?
— No, not really...
— Then please eat quickly. You must be hungry.
Finally, Remesis sighed when she suddenly felt her stomach rumble. She had indeed eaten almost nothing yesterday because she had been too busy with matters related to their return to the castle. The girl decided to put all her thoughts aside and concentrate on her food. Then she picked up a knife and fork to finally begin her long-awaited breakfast.
The silence that reigned at the beginning of the meal did not last long. Liana Dexsin was the first to speak and asked a question:
— Your Highness, how soon can we go to the scene of the incident to investigate?
Asil smiled.
— Since everything happened on our border territory, this creates some difficulties, — she said, beginning to cut various types of meat on her plate. — You see, in recent days, the weather on the border has deteriorated significantly, and there is even an ice storm. Although this is not a problem for our soldiers, it can be a serious obstacle for people arriving from the south.
— What do you mean? — Liana Dexsin frowned.
— If you really want to investigate thoroughly, you should wait for more favourable weather. According to our weather forecaster, the ice storm should subside in two days. Could you wait until then?
Hearing this from the princess, Liana involuntarily pressed her lips together. Although she had originally wanted to go there as soon as possible, the princess's words were quite reasonable. What was the point of embarking on a gruelling journey to the northern border if she wouldn't be able to explore the place properly? Besides, she didn't want to expose her people to the dangers of bad weather.
Thus, she made a considered decision.
— Two days... All right. I think I can wait that long, — Liana said slowly.
— Very well. In that case, we will set out for the border together in a couple of days, and I will accompany you personally, — she concluded with a smile.
The princess of the north, who had personally offered her help in investigating this case, looked happier than ever. Remesis still had strange feelings about the whole thing.
She glanced around furtively but couldn't see Liana Dexsin's expression because she had bowed her head.
***
After filling her stomach with a hearty breakfast, Remesis went to her office, where she worked until evening as usual. Fulfilling her duties as the mistress of the northern castle, Remesis reviewed documents related to various areas of development in the northern region.
Heitz Adelpho, her assistant, who helped the girl with her affairs, brought her stacks of new documents that had accumulated during their absence from the capital. Remesis was determined to sort through them as quickly as possible so that she could finally move on to more important tasks.
Finally, when the princess of the castle came to her senses, dusk was already gathering outside the window, and she was overcome with fatigue. Remesis sighed, regretting that time had once again flown by too quickly.
— You are free for today.
Remesis decided not to torment her assistant any longer, who had already spent the entire day with her studying documents.
— Your Highness, are you sure? — the assistant asked again.
— What's the matter? I'm just a conscientious employer. Do you really want to work overtime?
— Your Highness, mark my words, I'm leaving!
At that moment, Remesis just smiled, watching the servant hurriedly gather his things before leaving the office.
— See you tomorrow, Your Highness!
— Yeah.
Left alone in her office, Remesis leaned back in her chair and sighed deeply. Soon there was a knock at the door, and Julie entered the room. The maid came here from time to time to bring the princess hot tea or firewood for the fireplace.
— My lady, how about finishing your work for today and taking a rest? — the maid suggested, sensing her mistress's fatigue.
— Actually, I was thinking of going to the library for a little while...
— The library? At this hour? — the maid asked in surprise.
— There's a book I want to read, — the girl replied.
— well... Then I'll have the fireplace lit. The library hasn't been used since you left, and it's very cold in there, — she said, leaving immediately.
After that, Remesis wrapped herself in a warm shawl and went to the library of Nord Fortress, which was one of her favourite places in the northern castle. Thanks to the servants who had lit the lamps and the fireplace in advance, it was very cosy there.
Walking down the dimly lit corridor of the castle, the northern princess did not immediately recognise the shadow that had been following her all this time.