King Hayden had summoned Leticia for an administrative meeting to discuss the details of her marriage to Prince Ryuuji. All the royal counselors and Prince Laurenn were present. The counselors, with grave expressions, painted a grim picture of the kingdom's financial situation, emphasizing the strategic importance of the marriage agreement with the Autumn Kingdom.
Hayden, leaning on his elbows with his hands clasped, stared at the table with a worried expression.
"We cannot afford to refuse this proposal," he declared, his voice heavy. "We cannot have them as enemies... We wouldn't have the strength to face them."
Laurenn, despite his profound disagreement, decided to support the decision. After all, he knew Prince Ryuuji from their days in royal training. If Ryuuji treated Leticia with respect and kindness, the marriage, though unwanted, could be tolerable. Furthermore, the presence of a trusted knight would ensure his sister's safety in the Autumn Kingdom.
When King Hayden began suggesting names of knights to accompany Leticia, she interrupted him firmly.
"Your Majesty, if possible, I would like to choose my own knight."
Laurenn's immediate support reinforced Leticia's request. The princess knew she needed to find someone outside the sphere of influence of the king and his counselors, a warrior truly loyal to her.
Apprehension tightened Leticia's chest. Marrying a complete stranger in a distant kingdom was a frightening prospect. But she understood the importance of her mission. The future of the Winter Kingdom depended on this marriage.
Leticia wrestled with a question of protocol: would it be appropriate to send a gift to Prince Ryuuji in return for the dress? With no knowledge of the Autumn Kingdom's customs, she decided to consult the vast archives in the castle's library. The search, however, proved fruitless, leading her to the commercial center in search of inspiration.
Her attention was captured by an exotic fruit stall, a rarity in the Winter Kingdom. As she approached and pointed to a particularly eye-catching fruit, she noticed another hand reaching for the same one. It was Aleph. With a gentle gesture, he yielded the fruit to Leticia. They exchanged greetings, an amused smile lighting up both their faces.
The stall owner, a loquacious lady, interrupted their brief reunion.
"Have you heard the big news?" she asked, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Aleph and Leticia showed little receptiveness to the gossip, but the lady, indifferent, continued:
"The princess is going to marry a prince from another kingdom!" she exclaimed. "They say she's an extremely beautiful girl, but she lives secluded in the castle. They say no one can see her, because they would fall hopelessly in love! You, being a knight, have you seen her?" she asked, turning to Aleph.
Leticia was amused by the compliment, suppressing a smile.
"I am not a castle knight," Aleph replied. "But if no one sees her, perhaps her beauty is just a rumor."
"What a shame!" the lady lamented. "I so wanted to give her a gift, to thank her for making this effort to help the kingdom."
Leticia, touched by the lady's words, held her hands affectionately.
"Even if you cannot deliver the gift personally," she said with a gentle smile, "I am sure your feelings will reach the princess."
The lady smiled, comforted by Leticia's words. Aleph, however, observed the scene with a thoughtful expression. There was something in the way Leticia spoke, as if answering for the princess, that intrigued him.
Suddenly, Aleph's expression turned to one of alarm. With a firm pull, he dragged Leticia close to him. Confused, she only understood what had happened a fraction of a second later. A pile of crates, precariously positioned beside her, crashed to the ground exactly where she had been standing seconds before. The impact was strong enough to have caused a serious, or even fatal, injury.
Aleph, his senses on high alert, scanned the area for any sign of the person responsible for the "accident," but found nothing.
"Are you all right?" he asked, his voice tense with concern.
A tremor ran through Leticia's body. Until then, the incidents had seemed almost... accidental. But the falling crates were different, deliberate. What if Aleph hadn't reacted in time? What if the fruit stall lady had been in her place? Anguish washed over her.
Noticing her distress, Aleph gently led her to a nearby bench, away from the hustle and bustle of the market. They sat in silence for a few moments, Leticia still processing what had almost happened.
"I am so grateful for your help," she finally said, her voice still trembling. "If it weren't for your quick reaction... I..."
"I did no more than my duty as a knight," Aleph replied in a calm tone, trying to soothe her.
...
In a dark, damp alley, the atmosphere thick with tension, a hooded figure reprimanded their subordinate with restrained fury.
"Incompetent!" the figure hissed, their voice hoarse and threatening. "You can't even knock over a few crates! At this rate, someone else will end up taking the reward for her head."
"But, boss, I couldn't have predicted that meddling knight would show up!" the subordinate justified, his voice trembling with fear.
"I don't care about your excuses!" the hooded figure growled. "The next time you fail, it'll be your head that's the prize. Understand?"
...
Aleph noticed that Leticia had calmed down and prepared to leave. She, however, stopped him with a question. He sat back down beside her.
"May I ask you a personal question, Knight Aleph?"
"Feel free, Miss Ticy."
"If you are from the Autumn Kingdom, why did you come to the Winter Kingdom?"
"I came to find someone," Aleph replied, dodging a direct answer.
"Prince Laurenn?" Leticia insisted.
Aleph pondered for a moment. It's better to say it's him, to avoid more questions. It wouldn't exactly be a lie, after all, meeting Laurenn again was also part of his plans.
"Yes. He invited me to train here, and I accepted. I've always been interested in the history of the Winter Kingdom," he added.
"If you like history, I can lend you some books from my private collection," Leticia offered with enthusiasm. "And there are many others in the castle's royal library. Our kingdom is famous for preserving its past."
"You seem to truly love your kingdom," Aleph observed, admiring the passion in her eyes.
"I get passionate about the things I love," Leticia admitted, blushing slightly. "But, if you're going to work at the castle, you'll have access to the royal library anyway."
Aleph smiled, captivated by Leticia's genuine excitement. She looked away, momentarily shy. He said his goodbyes and left, leaving Leticia lost in thought.
"He would be an excellent knight... He reacted so quickly to the incident..." she thought. "But if he came at Laurenn's invitation, he might already be in his service. I need to investigate."