action

“Who says that?”

“Milo of the Red Delroses.”

“Ah, that’s…” Aden felt as if his head was buried in snow for a moment. Out in a wide snowfield, there were dangerous places where one could get buried in snow, with a single wrong step. When a person stepped on a spot where the snow had piled on a crack, one got sucked into the hole, along with the snow.

Aden felt as if he was on top of such a spot, and would regret what he said next. However, he still spoke, “Milo seems to have confused his manners as he has spent a long time in the Empire and may have been surprised at seeing you.”

Why would a person so sure of himself be surprised? Ilyin thought things over and remembered her state at the time. She had been wearing only a gown, albeit a thick one. Also, the Duke had left marks on her that even surprised the maids. Ilyin had covered her eyes as Etra made sure that the marks were properly hidden. Come to think of it, Den had also been hesitant that day.

“I understand,” she replied as she nodded.

“If you’re uncomfortable, I will forbid the knights from entering your room, which is what you are accustomed to in the Empire.”

“No, it’s all right,” Ilyin sighed, and her voice was calm despite her flushed face. “I am in Biflten after all.”

She meant that she would follow the tradition here, and Aden put a hand to his forehead as she slowly passed him by. His heartbeat was faster than when he’d gone out to fight monsters in enemy territory. He felt buried in snow, as he seemed to have gotten the first step wrong.

Would it have been better to reveal himself on the first day when he’d met Ilyin? The same person who’d lowered her gaze in surprise upon hearing him called Den. Aden sighed heavily.

“Etra, I want to ask you a favor.”

“Yes?”

“Can you send me a person who can teach me the Biflten manners?”

Aden heard the conversation between the two women as they walked away and his face turned white as he became serious for a moment. He had to meet that individual first, as Ilyin would have to learn the “new” manners of the Biflten lands that applied to her. Therefore, he could have a say in what she would be taught.

***

How could she be so tired after such a short walk? Ilyin opened her weary eyes, and while the bed was soft, she saw a grey sky instead of the ceiling. Snowflakes large enough to block her sight were falling in bucket loads. She woke up but had to jump back once she realized that she was surrounded by monsters. Her heart skipped a beat as she instinctively ran, but she didn’t leave any footprints on the snow that she’d initially mistaken for a bed. She was baffled by all of this.

“They are coming this way!” someone screamed.

The red-scaled monsters she’d seen before, were hiding in the piles of snow, and some had camouflaged themselves to hide their conspicuous color, but they couldn’t see her.

“Wait until they come nearer!” another voice yelled.

She saw the familiar mobile among those who shouted with hoarse voices. Ilyin exhaled as she’d been holding her breath; she was seeing the future in a dream.

She passed the monsters and looked around and saw that the rest of the herd was hidden on a very tall rocky cliff. She thought that the monsters had been waiting to ambush the people below, but their numbers were too small. Then she looked at something that resembled a village below the cliff. While it was far away, she didn’t think that it was a human village, although it seemed like one because of the building structures. She saw the soldiers marching forward on a long slope that led to the cliff. The one leading them looked familiar, as his black hair and blue eyes were visible to her even through the snow. It was Den. “Get down!” she screamed in panic.

A moment later, the monsters next to her moved forward with streaks of bright blue light flashing about them. Ilyin almost fell off the cliff after seeing the strange phenomenon and she flopped onto the ground. The monsters were holding long sticks with strange carvings on them and the blue light was shooting out of those staffs. She wondered if it was magic.

Then, the ground shook. She looked up at the cliff in surprise and saw something unimaginable. The ground, no, the snow was moving. An avalanche had risen to ambush the knights as if it had its own will. As the snow enveloped them, Ilyin woke up.