At the foot of the northern mountain, where the hunting competition was taking place, there was a lively and noisy atmosphere. Lords and ladies of the north, dressed in warm but elegant clothes, chatted with each other, enjoying snacks and wine. The sky above them was calm and blue, and it was a perfect day for such an event. The atmosphere was light and relaxed.
As expected, the ordinary spectators remained in the camp, a spacious tent set up on a hill overlooking the snow-covered plains. Among those present was also the princess of the northern castle, Remesis Rania Ashelot. Her hair, the colour of the night sky, was styled, and she was dressed in a soft white cloak made of fox fur. In other words, it was an outfit appropriate for the dress code of such an event.
Next to Remesis were other ladies and lords who were not participating in the hunt, as well as servants. The guests chatted, sipping wine and watching the proceedings from afar.
Among all these people, Remesis felt like a fish out of water. In fact, she had not originally intended to come here, but she simply had no other choice.
Hunting in the north, as in the south, was a traditional pastime of the aristocracy, in which most of the nobility participated. From late autumn onwards, aristocrats who hunted game often travelled between regions, and in the northern region, the Orenburg Forest was considered one of the best places for hunting.
However, most of the forest belonged to the Lord of the North and was located on his territory, so access to it was restricted. Fortunately, the current mistress of the North decided to revive the traditions upheld by the previous lord and gave her consent to hold a hunting competition.
The news spread quickly, and aristocrats eager for a hunt flocked there in anticipation. Finally, when the official date was announced, a large number of noblemen accompanied the princess to the forest that morning.
Remesis, as the wife of Lord Sever and princess of the fortress, could not ignore this event even if she wanted to. Therefore, she eventually had to attend this social event, which she rarely attended.
Nevertheless, while the other guests chatted animatedly around her, Remesis clearly felt out of place among them. The girl nervously fiddled with her clothes, waiting for the event to finally end so she could return to the castle. Only there, locked in her room, could she feel at ease.
The princess of the north, like the other participants in the hunt, had gone to the nearby forest and had been gone for several hours. This place had been chosen specifically for hunting because it was home to a rare species of wolves covered in white fur, known as "snow wolves".
Thus, Remesis simply waited for her wife to finally return so that she could go home. But even though she had been trying to keep to herself all this time, as befitted a princess of the northern castle, she still could not avoid unwanted attention. At that moment, someone suddenly asked her:
— Are you all right, princess?
— Oh, y-yes...
— I can't tell you how surprised I was to hear that you were going to attend this competition. It was a rare chance for all of us to see you, as you don't usually attend social events.
Remesis held back a sigh. Yes, even this time she had ended up here against her will. However, not wanting to appear disorganised in front of the northern nobles, Remesis managed to come up with an excuse:
— That's true. I rarely attend such events. Thank you for your concern, — Remesis replied, smiling gratefully, even if it was only a pretence.
The lady, who was the daughter of the northern Earl of Heldon, frowned, frowning and smiling at the same time, and continued to try to put Remesis in an awkward position:
— I suppose it's because of your poor health? I've heard many rumours about it. And now, I think I understand what the matter is.
— Excuse me?
— You are quite thin as it is, but I haven't seen you eat anything since you arrived. Don't you like the food here?
Her grey eyes sparkled as if she were genuinely concerned.
Remesis thought it was not entirely ethical to make such remarks, considering that they had only just met. It was sad to think that just because she ate little, people were already pointing fingers at her. Although it was not Remesis's fault. She really had no appetite, and it was all because she was very nervous being here.
— It's not like that. I just don't have an appetite.
Lady Haldon snorted when she heard her reply.
— Well, I don't know how they feel about it in the South, but in the North, you have to be healthy to survive the climate. To avoid causing trouble, we have to take care of ourselves.
The hidden meaning of her words was all too obvious. In other words, this lady meant that the princess of the North, who was in poor health, was a clear hindrance to those around her.
Nevertheless, Remesis forced a smile, and not a single sincere thought was reflected on her face.
— Thank you for your concern. I will certainly take your advice into consideration in the future.
Lady Haldon sighed bitterly and shook her head. She looked annoyed.
"How could the Lord of the North have been so unlucky with his wife? This woman is completely useless..." Although the northern aristocrat muttered this under her breath, Remesis clearly heard her words. Perhaps the woman did it on purpose.
In any case, it was obvious. It must have been fun to insult the wife of a northern lord who couldn't even fight back. Asil would never have defended her, and Remesis knew it. As for doing it herself, Remesis was afraid to, as she didn't want to get involved in conflicts and worsen her already poor relationships with those around her.
Thus, the lady of the northern castle fell silent and said nothing more. Continuing to listen to the lively chatter of the other guests around her, she did not notice how much time had passed, because it dragged on very slowly. Perhaps another hour or half an hour passed. And then...
When the hunters finally returned, the sun was already touching the mountain tops. Many of them had traces of blood on their cloaks, and behind them, servants dragged their prey. Lord North, who had led the hunt, was, as expected, at the head of the procession. Her proud profile was carved as if from stone, with a hard jaw and cold eyes, at least that was how Remesis was used to seeing them when they were turned towards her.
Now the woman was chatting casually with the horsemen riding beside her. A broad smile lit up her face as the princess of the North joked and laughed, and at that moment she bore no resemblance to the person about whom so many terrifying rumours had been spread. When Asil returned to the camp, she did not even notice Remesis sitting with the other guests.
Nevertheless, Remesis only sighed with relief. All that remained was to wait for the announcement of the results, and after that she would finally be able to return to the castle.
As expected, when the results of the hunt were announced, the princess was declared the winner. She was the one who shot the largest wolf in the forest, the leader of the pack of northern wolves. Remesis saw the carcass of the beast, a huge wolf with snow-white fur and burning red eyes, now empty and motionless. The main trophy of the hunt was displayed for all to see in front of the guests.
The crowd cheered joyfully, the guests clapped their hands and raised their glasses in a toast to the northern lord, whom all the locals considered the true ruler of the north. Asil accepted the congratulations with a broad smile on her face and, after her return, drained several glasses of red wine at once.
But just as the wild cheering died down a little, something unexpected happened.
As the guests finished celebrating and began to gather their belongings to end the event and return home, the northern lord casually glanced at the guests... Then she suddenly raised her crossbow and took aim.
Without saying a word, Asil suddenly pointed the crossbow directly at Remesis, who was standing among the guests. Remesis was truly stunned by this.
When Lord Severa unexpectedly did something like this, the faces of those around her turned pale with fear.
"What... what is the lord going to do...?"
While the people around her whispered excitedly, Asil seemed completely indifferent, as if the whole world consisted only of the prey in front of her.
Despite the absurdity of the situation, one thing was clear — this was dangerous.
A cold-blooded woman with a weapon.
And her spouse standing in her sights.
It was a situation on the brink of disaster, but no one dared to move or make a sound.
The next moment, an arrow whistled through the air and flew just a millimetre from Remesis's face, leaving a thin but deep wound on her cheek, from which blood gushed out.
Everyone froze in confusion and horror. The noble guests cried out, and the servants rushed to the wounded girl. But at that moment, Remesis's stunned gaze was focused solely on the woman who had previously ignored her and now committed such a shocking act.
The Princess of the North, seemingly unaware of her shock, smiled slightly and put away her crossbow.
— I'm sorry, dear, — said Asil, with a slightly playful tone. — I thought I saw a beast behind you that was about to attack you. But it turned out to be just an old tree. It seems my eyesight is failing me.
Judging by the woman's tone, one could assume that it was a joke. Several people picked up on it and laughed nervously. However, Remesis did not feel like laughing at all. She ran her hand across her cheek and looked at the blood that was now on her fingers. Remesis looked at her wife, as if hoping to find some excuse for her actions in her face.
But Asil stood with the same expression on her face, a slight smile and a cold, searching gaze. Her face was motionless. But inside, Remesis was trembling.
When, after this incident, the princess turned away and paid no more attention to her, Remesis struggled to hold back the bitterness that rose in her throat. She swallowed, her eyes filled with pain and fear.
"Why... What did I do to make you hate me so much?!" It was a cry from the depths of her soul, which she had to silently bury in her heart once again.
Behind her, an arrow stuck in an old tree, deeply embedded in the trunk.
***
"Hmm..." As soon as Remesis woke up, she felt a throbbing headache.
Even though her eyes were closed, she could feel the warm sun shining on her face. Finally, Remesis opened her eyes and looked around. As expected, she had woken up in her room.
Remesis, coming to her senses, reflexively raised her upper body and sat up. Then she groaned softly, clutching her head with her hands. It seemed she had had a terrible dream about her past life. Remesis remembered it vaguely, but that didn't stop her from starting when she suddenly noticed a figure in the room.
— Wife, are you awake?
When their eyes met, the silver-haired woman smiled brightly.
Remesis sat up. She stared at the smiling woman, somewhat puzzled.
— Oh, yes.
— That's good. You slept so long, I'm glad you were able to rest well.
Asil was sitting next to her on the bed, and it was sudden.
Remesis didn't know what to say in such a situation. It was strange. Not long ago, she had been able to chat with her casually, but now, for some reason, an invisible tension was squeezing her chest. Perhaps it was all because of the dream she couldn't remember?
— Wife.
— Y-yes?
— You don't look very well.
Yes, she didn't feel very well. To be precise, her stomach was filled with nervousness right now.
— You're not sick, are you?
— No! I'm fine.
Asil sighed.
— You're not going to work without a break again, are you?
It was the same tone she always used when she was worried about her. Worried... It was such a strange word to use about her.
— There's been a little less work lately, so everything's fine, — Remesis muttered. — No, I mean, you shouldn't have to ask about it...
Asil watched Remesis calmly, listening to her mumbling, and then giggled. She wondered why Remesis was so tense, but in the end, it was over something insignificant.
— Well, if that's the case, then I can rest easy, — the princess replied contentedly.
Remesis hesitated for a moment. Then she asked in a hushed voice:
— But, Your Highness, what are you doing in my room?
— Oh, you mean this? I just wanted to say goodbye to you before I leave.
— Leave? — Remesis asked.
— Yes... — Asil sighed resignedly. — Unfortunately, I have to leave you for a while. That's why I came to tell you in person.
— Oh, I see.
As soon as Remesis said this rather indifferently, Asil looked offended.
— Wife, aren't you even going to ask where I'm going? — she asked, puffing out her cheeks.
— Why should I know? — Remesis, who had already partially regained her composure, replied in an unruffled tone.
— Oh, wife, you are as heartless as ever!
Asil suddenly clung to her. It was as if she had been waiting for this all along. The woman, who never missed an opportunity to hug Remesis around the waist at every opportunity, was truly shameless.
But despite this, Remesis still couldn't get rid of her. As always, she was buried in the princess's embrace, who was desperately clinging to her.
— I'll be back soon, so wait for me, okay? — Asil muttered, lowering her head and burying her face in her shoulder.
Remesis sighed, feeling the other's breath on her neck. In the end, she didn't answer.
— Wife.
— Yes?
— You promised. You said that even if a lot changes in the future, you'll stay with me.
Remesis frowned. Had she really said that? She doubted it, because she couldn't remember anything. It was probably just another meaningless piece of nonsense that had slipped out of the princess's mouth, who didn't watch what she said.
— Your Highness... — Just as Remesis was about to stop her, the princess suddenly pressed herself even closer to her. In the end, Remesis had no chance.
— I hope you keep your promise.
Asil said this quietly. When their eyes met, Remesis involuntarily turned her head in confusion. She couldn't understand what the princess was really thinking.
— ....
— No, you have to do it, — Asil said quietly, — This time I won't let you leave me.