As soon as Remesis felt the cold metal touch her skin, it seemed as though the entire world around her had frozen. The girl was simply paralyzed, unable to move.
Remesis didn't understand what was happening, and her heart was pounding wildly. She was afraid to turn around. But more than anything, she was afraid of what she might see if she did.
Nevertheless... a cold voice, which now sounded completely unfamiliar to Remesis, spoke without hesitation:
— Farewell, princess.
Without even turning around, Remesis seemed to sense that the person behind her had raised a sword to strike her. But the girl didn't even close her eyes or attempt to resist. This was because, at that moment, her mind was filled with absolute emptiness, devoid of any thought.
However... before the sword could take her life, the air was suddenly pierced by another sound, like a whistle through the air — swift and precise.
Hannes Wrightly's sword slipped from his hand, and the man collapsed onto the snow, unable to make a sound. Blood gushed from a deep wound as the sword had passed through his body and exited from his chest. Scarlet blood flowed across the white snow, mixing with the frost.
For the first time, Remesis let out a breath. She immediately turned around, only to see what had actually happened.
Remesis saw behind her the bloodied corpse of the knight with a grotesque wound on his chest. And the person standing over him... Remesis involuntarily gasped in surprise once more.
— ...Your Highness? — Remesis whispered, as if she couldn't believe her eyes.
The one who had delivered that swift blow in the final moment was Princess Asil of the North. Asil was breathing heavily, but not because she was tired. Rather, it was due to her emotions. She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. Her expression was serious, seeming colder than a block of ice. But when Remesis turned to look at her, it softened slightly.
— Wife, — the princess said gently.
— ......
Remesis said nothing and merely suppressed the lump in her throat.
— Wife, are you alright? — the princess asked worriedly, but Remesis again couldn't respond.
She could only stare at Hannes Wrightly's corpse, unable to utter a word. The shock that gripped her now was so profound that it felt as if mentally she was no longer present in that place.
However, there was no time for any clarifications in this situation. Remesis couldn't even ask the princess what she was doing there or how she had learned of the incident, as that thought didn't even cross her mind. Almost at the same moment, the knights who had accompanied Remesis to this place also drew their swords.
Remesis absently lifted her head and looked at this. The knights of the northern fortress, who had accompanied Remesis throughout this journey, unexpectedly pointed their swords directly at her and Asil. But before they could even attack, another group of soldiers, whom Remesis had never seen before, suddenly appeared from ambush.
These people, dressed in dark clothing, engaged the knights of the northern fortress without hesitation. In an instant, the quiet settlement was engulfed in the sounds of battle. Remesis felt the world around her constricting in a whirlpool of chaos. Her legs could barely hold her up, and she almost lost consciousness. But...
— Wife! — Asil gasped as Remesis fell into her arms.
The princess quickly caught her, supporting her firmly and confidently. Noticing how pale she was, Asil didn't dare let go and continued to hold her.
— Wife... right now, it would be best for you to close your eyes.
When Asil whispered this near her ear, she covered her wife's eyes with her palm so that she wouldn't see the horrifying bloody scene, and Remesis didn't resist. She obediently lowered her eyelids, trying to drown out the roar of the ongoing battle and the fear that had paralyzed every muscle in her body.
In the end, the battle didn't last long. Perhaps no more than ten minutes.
When everything quieted down and the last sounds of the battle ceased, Asil carefully removed her hand and softly said:
— Now you can open your eyes.
Remesis opened her eyes and looked at what was happening. The space around them now looked as if they were in hell. Everything was splattered with blood and the corpses of the knights of the northern fortress. The snow was stained a deep bloody red.
Remesis still didn't utter a word and only silently stared at it. She couldn't even react.
Asil sighed, watching her.
— Wife, let's go home, — she said gently.
— ......
— You've been through enough today, so it's best for you to rest now.
Remesis's body still wouldn't obey her, so Asil had to lift her into her arms. She carried her wife, who was still in a state of shock, and helped her onto the horse. Remesis struggled to swing her leg over the saddle, and the princess carefully seated her as if she were a fragile vase requiring gentle handling.
— I'm here, — Asil whispered, embracing her around the waist as she also sat behind her on the horse, holding Remesis tightly.
Soon, the sound of hooves echoed as Remesis and the princess, along with a troop of soldiers whom Remesis didn't know, set off. As they left the canyon, Remesis found no strength to look back one more time at the bloody scene.
It seemed that at that moment, she had no strength for anything. For some reason, it was at that moment that Remesis felt more than ever that her soul had died.