WINTER'S SWEET EMBRACE

The next day...

"See you later, Mama."

"Mmhm. Do your best, baby," Maribelle giggled softly, waving as she relaxed on the bed.

With a soft flash, Vincent disappeared and materialised back inside Maelle’s dormitory room.

Right as he touched the wooden floorboards, he was greeted by an all-too-familiar sight: Ava was down on her knees, clutching Maelle’s right leg while crying dramatically.

"Pleeease, Princess! *Sob* I want to see Vincent! *Sob* Pleeeeaseee!!"

"Urgh..."

The second Ava’s nose caught his divine scent, her crying stopped. She snapped her head up with eyes glowing in unhinged delight. Snapping off the floor, she launched herself forward and flung her arms around Vincent’s waist while smothering her face into his shirt.

"Ehehehe~ So gooood~ *Sniiiiffff* Ehehe~ Gwehehe~"

Vincent let out a soft sigh, an amused smile breaking across his face as he patted her head. "I was only gone for the night, Ava."

Remembering his mother’s advice – "you just have to spoil her rotten until her heart melts" – Vincent turned his head toward Maelle.

She stood by her desk, impeccably dressed in her academy uniform. Vincent offered her a genuine, gentle smile. "Morning, Maelle... have I ever told you how beautiful you look?"

Maelle froze, her fingers stiffening over her notebook. A subtle blush flushed across her and she stammered slightly while looking away. "I... what? Don’t be absurd, Vincent. I am merely wearing my standard uniform..."

Below him, Ava’s head snapped up and she pouted. "Hey! What about me?! Don’t I look beautiful too, Vincent?"

"Y-Yeah... You look great too, Ava."

"Kyaaah~! Ehehehe~!"

Vincent put her down and walked toward Maelle. He gently took her hand in his.

Maelle’s violet eyes widened in nervousness as he looked down at her with a look of affection. "Prepare yourself, Your Highness. Because I’m gonna melt that icy heart of yours."

Ava, who crept back up beside them, leaned over, giggling behind her hand. "He’s telling the truth, Princess~ He already melted mine into mush~"

Maelle snapped out of her dazed silence. She yanked her hand back and walked towards the door. "Enough of this nonsense! We have a schedule to keep!"

Vincent chuckled, crossing his arms as he looked around the room. "Where’s Gwen, by the way?"

"I-I *Ahem*... I dispatched Gwen at dawn to handle an important matter. Something that will prove vital for our future standing."

"Got it. Let’s head out then."

As the trio stepped out of the girls’ dorm and entered its main courtyard, they immediately noticed a massive crowd of students gathering around.

"Is that really him...?" a girl squealed while clutching her chest.

"He’s so handsome! So chivalrous! I haven’t seen him since the summoning ritual!"

At the center of the crowd, blocking the main pathway to the academy, stood a young man. He possessed golden hair and wore an immaculate, personally tailored black and crimson uniform. He radiated an aura of nobility of the highest caliber, complete with a polished smile that made surrounding female students swoon head over heels.

The Crown Prince of Solara, Quinton Solara.

The moment Quinton saw Maelle approaching, his charming smile vanished, replaced by a deep look of grave disappointment.

"Maelle. We need to talk."

Maelle stopped ten feet away, her expression turning into that of annoyance. "Prince Quinton. To what do I owe the displeasure?"

"... Not here."

"Just speak. I am not going with you."

"... Lucianne has been missing for three days, Maelle. Her house contacted me last night. They claim you are holding her captive."

A wave of shock echoed from the watching crowd.

"... He said what?!"

"... Lucianne Elsa?! The Lucianne Elsa?!"

"... Typical. Just what you’d expect from someone like her who summoned a human as a Familiar."

Quinton shook his head, looking at her with pitying eyes. "I know how hurt you were when our engagement was broken, Maelle. And maybe Lucianne had fanned the flames a little too much. But to let jealousy ruin your noble grace... to resort to common thuggery and illegal kidnapping? Please. End this madness at once. Release her immediately."

"Ha. Jealousy over a broken engagement? Do not flatter yourself, Prince. And do not act like a righteous saint when your precious Lucianne sent slave-bandits to ambush and murder me in cold blood three nights ago."

"What...? Lucianne would never do such a thing! Stop spewing lies and just let her go!"

Behind Maelle, Ava stepped out, resting her hands on her hips as she scoffed loudly.

"Pfft! Wow, look at the big Prince with his righteous hero complex~ Blind as a bat, aren’t you, blondie? It’s not lies. Your ’noble lady’ literally paid to have her throat slit. It’s almost cute how ignorant you are~"

Quinton flinched slightly, made deeply uncomfortable by the strange girl’s unhinged, mocking tone.

Vincent stepped proudly beside Maelle, his hands in his pockets as he looked Quinton up and down with a piercing glare. "You talk real big for a guy defending a literal assassin, blondie. Also, your little ’good boy’ act doesn’t work on me. I bet you knew about what Lulu did but chose to let her do it anyway."

Quinton’s disappointed gaze shifted to Vincent. "You... You’re the human Familiar. Maelle, you still haven’t sent this poor man home? You drag a common human into noble conflicts, placing his life at risk? Do not be so cruel."

He stepped a bit closer, lacing his voice with judgment. "Didn’t you once say you wanted to change the Ebonspire Empire for the better? Then why are you falling into its dark, disgusting culture of slavery?"

Maelle’s hands clenched into tight fists, her chest heaving as anger surged through her veins.

Before she could lash out, Vincent extended his arm to shield her.

"Shut your pie hole. You clearly don’t know a damn thing about her, or what she’s been through. Or once again, maybe you do, but chose to ignore it! Don’t speak her name like you’re above her because trust me bucko, you’re not!"

Maelle’s anger softened into quiet awe as he defended her without a second of hesitation. She stood beside him, glaring at her ex-fiancé. "Vincent is right. Stop speaking on matters you know nothing about, Prince."

Frustrated by Maelle’s refusal to back down and feeling his royal authority publicly challenged in front of hundreds of watching students, Quinton’s chivalrous facade went into full swing.

He drew his ornamental sword from its scabbard and pointed the gleaming steel at them.

"Very well! If reasoning will not reach you, then let strength decide! I issue a formal challenge, Maelle! A duel on the Training Grounds! "If I win, you will immediately release Lucianne to my custody and drop all demands against her house!"

"And when I win? What do I gain from beating you?"

You won’t. But if by some miracle you prevail, I will personally announce Lucianne’s official expulsion from the Academy before the entire student body, laying out all her alleged crimes myself."

A sweet, dangerous smile curved Maelle’s lips. "Accepted."

......

News of the Crown Prince of Solara dueling the "Disgraced Princess" spread across the Academy like a roaring wildfire.

Within ten minutes, the Training Grounds were completely packed. Hundreds of students filled the stands and field, and even several faculty members stood along to watch the unprecedented spectacle.

Maelle and Quinton took their positions on opposite ends of the vast open field.

Tilting her head up to check the morning sun, Maelle mockingly dripped her voice with dismissive sarcasm. "Let us wrap this up quickly, Prince. I would hate to be late for my first-period lecture."

Quinton adjusted his grip on his sword, offering one final, grave warning. "Maelle, we do not need to do this. There is still room for negotiation."

"... Negotiation died the moment you broke our engagement and Lucianne tried to have me slaughtered. You claim nothing is finalized? Then watch me carve out the future of the Ebonspire Empire with my own hands – without the help of the Solarian Dynasty!"

She turned her head slightly, her voice dropping into a soft, trust-filled whisper. "Vincent... it’s time."

"You got it, Maelle."

Vincent stepped cleanly in front of Maelle. Crossing his arms over his chest, he unleashed a massive amount of divine power.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

A colossal pillar of golden and blue light erupted around Vincent, tearing straight into the morning sky. The sheer, oppressive atmospheric pressure shook the very ground, cracking the dirt beneath his feet.

Quinton stumbled back two paces, shielding his eyes as terror washed over his face. "W-WHAT IS THIS MANA?!"

On the sidelines, Ava went completely wild, jumping up and down like an unhinged fangirl. "AAAAAH! GO VINCENT! SHOW THEM! SMASH HIM INTO JELLY!"

Maelle rolled her eyes with a humored smile. ’Always so dramatic, these two...’

Inside the beam, Vincent’s form shifted. Majestic, feathered wings burst from his back, fanning out in all their glory. His brown hair turned into a shimmering, ethereal blue, and his eyes glowed with pure, celestial power.

The pillar dissipated, revealing his divine form to all those present.

Quinton stared in speechless shock and gulped. "H-He’s not a human! You lied to me! You lied to the entire Academy during the summoning ceremony!"

"I never said he was human. You and the rest of the fools in this academy simply assumed he was a human because of your own arrogant prejudices."

Maelle extended her hand toward her ex-fiancé, her voice ringing out like a royal decree across the silent field.

"Now... summon your Familiar, Quinton! Allow me to show you – and everyone who ever looked down on me – exactly who I am!"

Gritting his teeth in humiliation, Quinton raised his left hand. "SOLARIS! AWAKEN!"

A massive, crimson summoning circle – thrice the size of any human’s – erupted on the dirt floor.

With a deafening screech, a colossal, majestic fiery Phoenix burst from the circle. It roared flames and scorched heat across the sky as the creature of legend flew and hovered over its master.

The crowd exploded into wild, deafening cheers for the Crown Prince.

"That’s my prince!!"

"We love you, Quinton Solara!"

"Crush them!"

"WHOA!" Vincent let out an amazed gasp as he watched the Phoenix. "Okay, gotta admit... that looks pretty awesome."

Maelle nudged his shoulder gently. "Focus, Vincent. This is our big debut. From this moment on... everything changes."

Vincent turned his glowing blue eyes to her, offering a warm, confident smirk which made her blush. "Don’t worry, Maelle. I’ll be right beside you every step of the way."

Quinton voice resonated as screamed and thrust his sword forward. "SOLARIS! INCINERATE THEM!"