I placed my hand over Luka and prince shoulder. She was still waving at Athena, Kite, and Silver- the three of them cheering us on as though we were heading into battle rather than a discussion.
'although the discussion also having chances of my death' I thought.
"Good luck!" Kite's grin was annoyingly wide, and Athena's laugh followed after. Silver only lifted a hand, but it was enough.
I didn't answer as I was already revising what the prince said as I said bye and the next moment we were in palace hall.
The marble floor of the palace hall pressed make me remember the 'that' time . as we walked toward the meeting room and saw no one was there accept the sunshine that bright the room.
Luka and her brother adjusted their seats first, taking chairs placed beside me.
The prince glanced at me, his face steady but voice lowered. "Do both of you remember what we agreed to say?"
Luka nodded first, almost too quickly I could see sweat in her face as I followed with a nod
The doors opened.
And the man who entered wasn't the king I see before .
He came without his axe, without the his armor or the bandages across his eyes as I saw his eyes were closed still . His face was unguarded, his steps ordinary. He wore a plain tshirt and simple trousers.
For a man who had once looked like the executioner of nations a 'demon' , he looked disarmingly… 'human'.
The Queen walked beside him in also in an casual cloth . Luka and the prince immediately lowered their heads, their shoulders shaking when they see the queen coming .
Beside the king stood the general. He did not speak, only nodded once to the prince, as if confirming something.
"So, that day arrogant boy is the one who came here to ask for my daughter?"" The king said in a calm voice. He looked first at his children, then at me. "Let us not waste time."
His eyes studied me .I held his gaze.
"So you are Winter." He said ."Yes." My answer came sharper than intended.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then the king drew a long breath, settling into his chair. "I owe you and your companions a debt for aiding our kingdom as visitors. With your help the Forest Guardian was dealt with in minutes and the destruction was far smaller than it might have been. winter I'd heard about you that you were Emberbrook prodigy who beat all the prodigies giving you the tital 'Above all' . I want you to be one of my knight as I could feel you have reached the second stage that alone makes you stronger than some knights so how about it ?".
'he is complementing me and also trying to trap me '
"I only did what I must have done at that time and also I do not like being a knight or working under someone ," I answered evenly without hesitation .
The king studied me longer, and then leaned back. "ohh" my brow twitched.
"now for the main topic ," the king continued, voice with weight, ""Marrying to my daughter is not something I can decide on a whim. I have already promised her hand to another. In fact, today was meant to be the day she met the boy. Breaking that promise would not only shame our house but also it would ignite something among the kingdom."
"I think you understand," the King said slowly, his tone sharp but not unkind, "that in a royal family, marriage is never just love. It's power, influence—like a game of chess ."
The words struck harder than I expected. My chest tightened as silence stretched across the hall.
Beside me, Luka flinched. Her hands shook in her lap, gripping the fabric so tightly her knuckles turned white. A faint, broken whisper slipped from her lips.
"I… I'm not a political piece."
She drew in a shaky breath, her eyes glistening as she forced her voice louder, steadier. "I'm not some piece of your chess board !"
"Luka," the Queen spoke, her voice tone change from calm to high but it still feel likes she is not angry . "Your father is correct. The boy is the youngest prince of Eldora. If word reaches him that you have refused this marriage, then the bond between the two kingdoms will wither—and there are chances that the war that once raged for a century will rise again, this time because of you."
Luka shook her head, tears spilling freely now, her shoulders trembling. "So… I'm just… just something to keep both of the kingdoms happy? My life… my feelings… they don't matter at all?" She pressed her hands to her face, sobs catching in her throat. "Why… why are you doing this - mother how could you out of all accept it moth- ? "
"stop calling me mother" the queen said in a loud voice changing her vibe completely .
The king's jaw tightened. For the first time, his calm cracked. He reached out, halting his wife with a raised hand. "That is enough." the Queen fell silent, her eyes narrowing slightly.
I felt a rush of anger I hadn't expected. Luka… a friend I had actually come to care about in ashort period of time … being treated like she was nothing more than a tool. I hated it. I hate the stories like this where somehow someone has to sacrifice himself just to keep things peaceful. But now… seeing that someone infront of me makes me quite but also angry but I don't understand why am I feeling angered.
I sighed, louder than intended. "Your Majesty," I began, my voice steadier than the storm inside me. "You call this politics. But tell me—if a princess without magic, who fights only with her body, who cannot heal, who cannot wield spells ,a girl with lot of scar —if such a girl is sent to another kingdom, what would she be?"
The room stilled. I thought I won but I saw the queen smile a little as I continue -
" She would be disrespected. A symbol of weakness, not strength. An easy target for ridicule. Is that what you want for your daughter? To be a pawn mocked by other kingdoms?"
The king's eyes narrowed. "You think too much, Winter all the kingdoms acknowledged her power ."
I met his gaze head-on. "I understand it now. I know some of Leonfield's history, and that Eldora has long been their natural enemy. Are you saying there's a real chance that refusing this marriage could spark war again?" I for reasons grin and looked at king with that look .
"Listen here, young man. Don't mistake yourself for the clever one in this room. I expect you to hold your tongue and show some respect." I paused from his words .
The Queen finally rose, her calmness somehow scared me ."Careful, boy," she said softly. Too softly. "You speak as though you understand everything but let me educate you."
Her gaze made me remember that women .
"I can show you the worst memory you've buried. I can make you relive it—not once, not twice, but forever. Every breath, every scream, every ounce of despair— making you live that nightmare for eternity. I can also make it worse. Do you want me to do it, or do you want to leave and save yourself ?"
My throat went dry.
For the first time in three years, someone scared me with nothing but words. , the thought of that 'white hell' slipped back in. the world of nothingness and pure silence ,me eating my own hand .I'd thought I have buried it so deep in my thought that like it was just another day. But in that instant, just from her voice and words, it felt like I was standing there all over again.
The prince shifted uneasily knowing what I am thinking. Luka's tears had frozen midstream, her breath caught as she looked at with a look that said I am sorry . Even the general's eyes flicked toward me with something close to pity.
I could feel it in the way she looked at me—like I was fragile, like I didn't stand a chance, like she already knew she had the upper hand and also I know that she is not bluffing .
Silence drowned the hall and then— I smiled.
"How about this—me and the prince will battle each other, and the winner gets to marry Luka," I said, lowering myself into the chair.
The Queen smiled as she sat as well, almost like she had been expecting me to say it. The King, however, leaned forward, his voice steady but heavy."And how do you plan to challenge the prince without angering the kingdom?"
I returned his look with a smile. "It's simple. I am the last survivor of my clan, a clan once known for their ability. And I have an invention—something so big that every kingdom will want it."
The King's brow furrowed. "The invention Ted and my son mentioned? Are you certain such a thing could exist? A thing you called… camera?"
"Yes, my King," I answered, leaning back slightly. "But not only that. Would you like to see the picture moving?"
The hall went silent. Everyone, except the Queen, looked stunned.
"What I mean," I continued, "is that my invention not only capture a moment—it also can captures what is happening in the moment. It takes many photos in a single second, and together it looks like the image is alive, moving."
Before anyone could speak, one of the chairs slid back on its own. My head turned but there was no one but I know that someone was there, sitting.
Pain shot across my back as if something hit me . I spun, but there was no one. When my eyes returned to the throne, the Queen's calm smile hadn't shifted, but the King had a bead of sweat running down his temple.
And then I felt it. Someone staring right into my eyes.
I swung a fist on instinct, but it stopped—caught on the tip of a finger.
The boy stood on the table like it was nothing as he walked across with quiet steps, and sat down in another empty chair.
I glanced around. The prince eyes showed wariness. princess, too, was tense.
Finally, the man spoke."Hello, Winter. I am the youngest son of the Almekia family. Or, if that name means nothing to you…" His smile widened."…then I should say this: I am the Prince of Eldora—the one you're going to fight."