WINTER'S SWEET EMBRACE

Making it back to the inn, the ground-floor tavern was still lively, lit by warm mana-lamps and filled with the low hum of chatter, though the initial tension from his earlier blunder had long since faded.

He approached the front counter, catching the innkeeper’s attention. "Hey, man. By any chance... is there any free room left for tonight? Even a tiny one? My companions upstairs will pay for it."

"Afraid not, kid. We’re fully booked out for the night."

"Really? Not even a tiny storage area? A small corner in the attic? A broom closet?"

"Full to the brim. Sorry, son."

"Haaa... Worth a shot, I guess."

Climbing up the stairs to the second floor, he stopped outside the door of Maelle’s room and knocked lightly twice.

Knock, knock

A second later, the lock clicked, and the door opened just a crack.

Gwen’s sharp green eyes peered out from the darkness of the room. Seeing it was Vincent, her expression softened slightly, and she opened the door wide enough for them to speak properly.

"Is Maelle awake?"

"No. Is something the matter? I believe she already warned you about not being able to dismiss you."

"Yeah... The thing is.They’re out of any extra rooms. Apparently, the whole inn is booked solid. I just need a spot to sleep for the night. Mind if I crash in here?"

Gwen paused, eyeing the hallway behind him before looking back into the quiet room. "There is no other place for you to sleep except the floor. Is that fine with you?"

"Yep. No problem." Vincent smiled, stepping inside as she closed the door behind him, locking it tight.

Once inside the dimly lit room, Vincent took a quick look around and stopped, looking at Gwen with a funny, raised eyebrow.

By the looks of it, the room originally had two single beds, but they had clearly been pushed together into one luxurious king-sized bed in the center of the room – where Maelle was currently buried under a pile of heavy blankets, sleeping soundly.

Gwen ignored his amused look, maintaining a neutral expression.

She reached into a side closet, pulled out a spare pillow and blanket, and gave them to him.

Then, she pulled a straight-backed wooden chair over to the side of Maelle’s bed and sat down, posting up like an unyielding bodyguard in the dark.

"Gwen... Don’t tell me that’s how you’re gonna sleep."

"It is."

"... That’s pretty metal."

"What?"

"Nothing." Vincent chuckled under his breath, shaking his head as he set his bedding down on the rug near the far wall.

He kicked off his boots and wrapped himself in the blanket, getting as comfortable as possible.

The room was silent for a long while, save for the faint, steady breathing of the sleeping princess.

"Gwen?"

"Yes?"

"I was just wondering... about your relationship with her? You treat her like she’s your whole world. Is that normal for a personal attendant of a princess?"

Gwen was silent for a moment, her green eyes reflecting the faint moonlight filtering through the curtains as she thought about his question.

"... Royal politics are cutthroat, Vincent. Cruel, deceitful, and unforgiving. I have been by Her Highness’s side since childhood – I was raised to be her shield. I watched her grow up in a snake pit."

She looked down at the sleeping princess beside her as her voice softened into a tinge of vulnerability. "She has not had an easy life. And her so-called ’family’... they certainly did not make it any easier."

She then looked over at Vincent resting on the floor. "What about you? Why are you so relaxed? You were ripped away from your home and bound as a Familiar to a ’disgraced princess’. Things will become exceptionally dangerous for you from here on out. Yet you act as if you do not have a care in the world."

"Well... I had enough time to feel sorry for myself. I got over it... partly, anyway. In the stages of grief, I guess I’m pretty much at acceptance now. No point in stressing over what I can’t change."

"You are surprisingly resilient. Her Highness acts tough on the outside because of how she was raised, and because of the immense pressure she carries to fulfill her dream. She cannot afford to show weakness."

"Her dream? What is it?"

Gwen shook her head slightly. "It is best you hear it directly from her when the time is right. And you? What was your dream?"

Vincent’s smile faded slightly, replaced by a somber look.

"My dream... It was to go to a really-hard-to-get-in university – you can think of it as an academy – back home alongside my childhood friend... but... not anymore."

"Oh? What happened?"

"Fate had other plans, I guess. I was really slow on the uptake. I didn’t realise what was right in front of me until it was too late... Haaa... I wonder what Hannah’s doing. It’s been... so... long since last... saw... her... zzzz..."

His voice trailed off into a tired whisper.

As the weight of memory pressed down on him, Vincent’s eyes slowly fluttered shut, and within minutes, he drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

......

"WHAT THE–?!"

The next morning, Vincent found his arms firmly bound behind his back with rope, and when he looked down, he froze in shock.

He was sitting inside a bathtub. Completely naked.

"What the fuck?!"

With a tiny shimmer of blue light in his eyes, he flexed his forearms and effortlessly snapped the ropes.

He then scrambled out of the tub, grabbed a large cotton towel nearby and quickly wrapped it around his waist while leaving the bathroom.

The bedroom outside was empty. Maelle and Gwen were nowhere to be found.

Hastily putting his clothes back on – which were somehow leading him toward the chair Gwen sat in – he headed down to the ground-floor tavern.

Scanning the area, he thankfully spotted them both sitting at a sunlit corner table, eating a quiet breakfast.

He stomped over and slid violently into an empty chair across from them. "Okay... why in the world did I just wake up tied up naked in a bathtub?!"

Gwen’s face instantly flushed a furious shade of red. She clutched her black suit jacket tightly over her chest as she rapidly scooted her chair closer to Maelle, refusing to look him in the eye.

Maelle set her silver fork down with a heavy sigh and adjusted the hood over her head. "You seriously need to fix your sleeping habits, Vincent."

"Wait... did I–?"

"Don’t!" Gwen cut in sharply. "Don’t say another word! Please..."

".... I’m sorry–"

"I said don’t say anything!"

"Copy that."

Deciding it was best for his physical safety to move on, Maelle gracefully wiped her mouth with a napkin, ignoring her attendant’s clear humiliation.

"Putting your nightly antics aside... what were you up to while exploring the city yesterday?"

"Oh? Wanna hear about my adventure’s? Then listen well. So, I walked around the streets, taking in the sights. This place looks amazing, by the way. But the highlight was meeting this dwarven shopkeeper and his daughter which I helped out.

"I accidentally broke one of his important swords that only an archmage could activate while browsing. He forgave me pretty easily and was more so fascinated that I broke his sword rather than being angry about it.

"He was so fascinated, in fact, that to make up for helping his daughter, he gave me this trinket on that shows how to find this secret Underground Black Market–"

CLAP!

Before the words could fully leave his mouth, Gwen shot across the table and slammed her hand over Vincent’s mouth.

The entire tavern instantly went dead silent – a reminiscent sight to the day before. However, instead of shock this time, dozens of patrons turned their heads and had their eyes wide with suspicion.

"Aha..Hahaha!" Gwen laughed nervously as she held Vincent’s mouth shut. "I know what you’re thinking. Trust me, I thought it too, but... He... he didn’t say what you think he said! He said... the Back Park Street! Yes! A lovely, legitimate park! He loves parks, you see."

A lone young man at a nearby table narrowed his eyes, leaning forward. "No... I’m pretty sure I heard him say ’Black Market’."

Gwen’s playful facade vanished and her expression hardened into a terrifying, icy glare as she slowly let go of Vincent.

"No, he did not. First of all, my friend here is new to the United Haven’s Imperial City and knows nothing of such unlawful places. Secondly... it is extraordinarily rude to eavesdrop on another’s table."

A few local patrons sitting near the bar – Stark and Blake in particular – quickly spoke up to defend him.

"She’s right, mate! The kid’s brand new here! He almost proposed to the innkeeper yesterday! He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!"

The suspicious mercenary looked between Gwen’s serious posture and the chuckling patrons.

"I see... sorry for intruding." He left a few coins on his table, picked up his bag, and promptly walked out of the inn.

Having finished eating, Maelle stood up from the table as well. "We should leave too. We’ll discuss your... piece of information later, Vincent."

After paying for their meal, they collected themselves and walked out into the sunlit streets. Unbeknownst to them, from the dark shadows of an alleyway across from the inn, the suspicious young watched the three of them leave. His eyes locked onto Vincent with intense interest.

"Now that we have processed your registration, we move to the next stage of our plan," Maelle announced. "We are returning to the Imperial Academy to find Lucianne... and kidnap her."

"Lucianne? Is that her name... Wait. Kidnap? Maelle, won’t just reporting her crimes to your principal be enough? Or even the authorities?"

"No," She replied flatly, not slowing her pace.

"Here in the Imperial Capital, I do not hold significant political power. Or rather... It is more accurate to say that Lucianne’s family holds vastly superior political influence than mine despite me being of royalty. I am sure you have come to recognise the treatment I have been receiving from the moment you were summoned until now."

"Yeah... but I still don’t get why they treat you like an outcast. Is it because of the slavery thing? When I was travelling with Roxa and Talia, I learned that Ebonspire, unlike the other continents, permits slavery."

Maelle’s step faltered for a moment. Her hands clenched into tight fists beneath her cloak, and she clicked her tongue.

"While that is a large part of their hypocritical prejudice... it is not the main reason."

"What’s the main reason?"

"... I do not wish to speak of it right now. We have a task to perform."

Vincent looked over at Gwen for help, but the black-haired attendant simply gave him a subtle shake of her head, gesturing silently for him to drop the topic for her princess’s sake.

Nodding back, Vincent swallowed his questions. For now.

They soon arrived at a rental horse stable. Gwen stepped forward, pulling out 3 silver coins to rent three riding horses for the journey to the Academy.

As the groom brought the saddled steeds out, Vincent raised his hand. "Hey, just a reminder... I have zero idea how to ride a horse. So we only need two."

He began stepping toward Maelle, intending to sit behind her on her mount, but Gwen instantly darted forward, grabbing him firmly by the arm and yanking him back.

"Hold it. You must ride with me."

"Why?"

"In case you have forgotten. Her Highness is a royal princess of Ebonspire. She has a pristine public image to maintain. A male riding intimately behind her on the same horse would cause a political scandal."

"She has a hood on."

"It doesn’t matter."

If you say so." Vincent shrugged as Gwen got on her horse.

He awkwardly hauled himself up onto the leather saddle behind her and wrapped his arms securely around her waist to keep his balance.

"...Eep!"

Gwen let out a cute squeak as her entire body went rigid. She whipped her head around, glaring at him with wild embarrassment – clearly reliving whatever embarrassing things his unconscious body had done to her in bed the night before.

"Are you ok? I’m just holding you for balance."

Ahead of them, Maelle reached up and unclasped her cloak, and tossed it inside the provided saddlebag.

Her long snow-white hair spilled out, cascading down her back and catching the sunlight beautifully as it blew in the wind.

"If you guys are finished with whatever act you’re playing, then let’s leave. Hya!"

Snap!

Her horse took off in a swift gallop down the wide stone highway, with Gwen snapping her own reins to follow close behind.

As they thundered down the road, Vincent glanced subtly back over his shoulder. High on a hill behind them, the same suspicious person from the tavern was mounted on a dark horse, quietly following their trail from a distance.

Not knowing what his deal is and not knowing his intentions or if this is a coincidence, he decided to keep the knowledge to himself for now.

.......

After a few minutes of riding, the grand gates of the Imperial Academy rose up before them.

It was a magnificent, sprawling campus that looked more like a majestic kingdom than a school.

Vast open green fields, colossal towers, ginormous buildings, and wide-open training arenas stretched as far as the eye could see. Thousands of uniformed students from every race meandered along its paths, accompanied by an incredible variety of Familiars ranging from armored bears to hovering elemental spirits.

Pulling their horses to a stop just inside the front gate, Gwen checked a pocket watch.

"We still have fifteen minutes before the first morning lecture begins, Your Highness."

Maelle didn’t answer. Her eyes scanned the central plaza, searching the crowds with cold, lethal precision.

Suddenly, her gaze locked onto a group standing near a large marble fountain.

It was a clique of noble students – Lucianne’s core group of followers – laughing and gossiping amongst themselves.

She slid off her horse with deadly grace and gestured. "Follow me."

Vincent and Gwen dismounted quickly, walking right behind the princess as she marched directly toward the group.

As the noble students turned and saw Maelle approaching, their arrogant laughter died. In its place, horror, shock, and pale disbelief washed over their faces as if they were looking at a ghost.

Stopping just a few paces away, her voice dropped into an icy, dangerous chill.

"Where is Lucianne?"