The roars intensified. Soon, the king came down from his high throne. He whip his golden robes and throw his daughter a sideway glance, silently telling her to come down and stand by his side.
Yet she stubbornly, purposely not look his way. She continued to sit at her throne, dignified to the point of being stiff. The royal guard, Cielo, slid to her back and said something. From this distance, the king can tell what words Cielo said.
He's chiding her to come down. Repeating the same words over and over until Ava can't take his repeated nonsense and glared in Cielo's direction. She stood up. Bowed to her mother once before coming down to join her father.
All eyes followed her every step. The way her robes leave fluttering traces of white as if a trail of snow is coming out of her sleeves. She herself is as pure and fair as the snow that covered their lands. Stubborn to the point of being cold. Persisting to the point of freezing skin.
"I'm ready to go, Father." That's what she said, but her eyes told the king, 'I'm ready to kill you, Father.'
The king inwardly chuckles. He loved her feistiness. Her boldness. And the arrogance and stubbornness she inherits from him.
She will make a good ruler. He told himself. If only the faeries do not require having men as leaders, the king is far better off pointing his daughter to be the next ruler.
"Then let us go." He announced. Outside the grand hall, the women and children gathered to cheer them and send them off into the mountains. When the king come out, shouts and applause greeted him.
Ava, as she was clearly standing at his side, smiled politely at the people. And all men's hearts flutter. The way her soft long lashes bat makes her light colored blue eyes shift, intensifying her radiant beauty.
The king mounted in his horse. He prepared a comfortable white sedan chair for Ava. Yet she refused.
"Why? Do you not like it? Should we get a new one?" The king asked. She shakes her head.
"No, father. It's beautiful."
"So why not ride it, then?"
"Because the purpose of our journey is to fight. Therefore, strength must be conserved. How can our men face the legendary beast at their prime strength if it's already wasted when they carry me along the journey? Besides, when immediate escape is needed, aren't horses faster?"
The king cannot refute her statement. All the people who heard her, especially the men who are assigned to carry the sedan chair, are deeply flattered. 'She cares for us' is what they thought. They beamed and immediately sent an errand boy to fetch the royal horse, the second fastest one.
When he arrived, and presented the horse to her. She caressed its mane and politely thanked the errand boy. The boy is not used to being thanked. Especially by the second highest person in their realm. So, of course, his heart almost burst out of his chest in nervousness.
It was the first time the boy saw her. In fact, it was everyone's first time they saw her. Ava does not come out of the Nightless Palace that much. When she does, it's not as publicized as this. She keeps her things and work in secret.
Exposing her to the masses is one of the king's purpose for this journey. Ava knew of his intention. She also knew of the small smile hinting at the king's lips. In the split second she turned around to ride the horse, she openly glared at the king. Before schooling her expression into a polite smile, she used to face everyone.
The king saw this and his eyebrow raised. 'You see my queen, my daughter is rebelling against me,' He thought.
And they are on their way. The path is rough. The air is chilly. Everyone is using their light armor to warm up their bodies. But Ava does not wear an armor. When one tried to offer her one, her royal guard, Cielo, stops him. Saying, "Her highness' robe has a heating mechanism. Don't worry, she's not cold."
The man backs down and mumbled, "I wish I was him. I get to be beside the princess all the time. I wonder what her perfume is. It's so refreshing. Light but tantalizing to the senses." And he deeply sighs.
When Cielo came back to serve the princess water, she questioned him. "What does he want?"
"He wants to offer you an unused armor to warm you up."
Indifferent, she said. "Huh." And she takes a sip from the jar. They take a momentary refuge near the well. They have already conquered two snowy mountains. One is rocky, and the road is rough. The other is plain but full of dead branches covered in snow.
Ava is sitting at the boulder, refusing to sit on the mat Cielo prepared.
"Hand this mat to that man over there." She said, pointing her chin to the middle-aged faery man in his thirties. Groaning for his numb feet. The soles of his feet have become undone. The cold penetrating.
"Give him a new pair of shoes, too." Ava added. Cielo replied, "I did not bring any."
"Liar." Ava glanced at the small pouch hanging on his waist. "You have three complete sets of shoes and ten pairs of undergarments tucked in that magic pouch. Who are you kidding?" She said, taking another sip.
Cielo only sigh and takes out one pair of boots. He treated his things with utmost care. Meticulous to the point of everyone calling him mysophobic, that's Cielo for you. He then offered the faery man the sitting mat, to completely warm his feet and the new pair of boots. When the man heard it from the princess, he immediately sank to his knees and shouted.
"Thank you for your grace, your highness! Your kindness knows no bounds."
Ava only waves in response. When the king saw it, he approach her.
"How kind indeed." He mused. Ava refuses to acknowledge him.
"Is my daughter still angry? We're already halfway there." She still did not look at him.
"I can't believe I get to see with my very own eyes, my daughter rebelling against me. Tell me, what are you plotting?"
"I'm thinking of shaving your head off. Since you're already ugly, without your hair, you'll be vulgarly ugly."
And he burst out laughing. After some time passed, they traveled. It actually took three days before they arrive at the said place, the Frost City.
There was no mountain on site. No animals lingering either. No trees, no signs of life. Everything around them is dull plain. They cover the ground not with snow but pure hard ice. A heavy mist is hanging above them. Making it harder for their lungs to breathe. Worried for their horses to damage their lungs, each tried to defrost the mist.
They stop the horses from galloping and slow leisure steps. The horses breathe in the warm air, each produced out from their mana.
Ava was in front when suddenly, her eye caught something, and she halted.
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