Chapter 3. Remain here, and both will die
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A few months ago, the Kingdom of Tasar declared war on the Kingdoms of Alta, Yoner, and Izef. Their father, who had broken peace agreements at will, was followed by his son, the current King of the North, who declared war. But it was impossible to defeat the military powerhouse of Tasar.
The kingdom of Tasar threatened the three kingdoms to surrender in advance and become bloodless vassals. The reckless Alta Kingdom fought back first. But it took the Tasar army less than a month to conquer the rising Alta Kingdom.
Of course, the queen, the de facto leader of her kingdom, the Kingdom of Izef, had earlier tried to unite the three kingdoms to defeat the barbarian Tasars, and Trisha knew that was why the Tasar king had broken the peace agreement.
If there was war, it was the people who would die. Immediately, the kingdom of Yoner surrendered. Inevitably, the kingdom of Izef followed suit.
But that was not the end of the story, for even as vassal states, each kingdom was told to offer their princesses as tribute, with the promise that their kings and royalty would be preserved.
[The kingdom of Izef must offer Queen Catherine's biological daughter, Princess Flora].
The Kingdom of Tasar sent a very pointed message.
"Mother, why me? I am the second princess, why me?"
Princess Flora, who looked mature beyond her years, cried out. This was Flora, the most beautiful princess in the kingdom of Izef. Her curvaceous figure made her stand out even more.
Princess Trisha, five years her senior at seventeen, was elegant and graceful, but she lived quietly in the background, never stepping up to the plate. Far from glamorous, she was unassuming and unpretentious, and people's eyes didn't linger on her for long.
She was royalty in name only, the first princess, and that was how she lived. It had been that way ever since her elven mother died and she and her only child, a sickly younger brother two years her junior, had been raised.
She was aloof from everything and showed no emotion. Alive and moving, but like a piece of wood. That's the way Trisha lived, and it was the only way she could survive. Under her terrifying stepmother, survival was the biggest issue for Trisha and Aaron.
"I will never give you to such a savage warmonger."
The Queen hugged and comforted her dear daughter, Princess Flora. But Flora began to sob. She screamed that she had nothing to serve, that she could not go to a savage country that served only the White Wolf.
Princess Trisha, standing a short distance away from them, felt no pity for the two; she only felt sorry for her father, who had been lying there for so long, unable to get up. If he had been alive and well, Kingdom Tasar would not have dared to invade.
It was a powerful kingdom, and the queen, who had been entrusted with power in his stead, had made a mess of it.
"I can't go, Mother. Think of a way."
Trisha stood silently by the side.
The Northern King was terrifying, even if she couldn't see him, but she heard of him. A ferocious beast, with the whole world under his feet, he could not be controlled. It was impossible to scheme against such a man. If you mess with him, you could end up in a pool of blood.
The safety of the people must be a royal's top priority. So, as long as Flora goes as a princess. Still, no matter how fierce Flora was, she was only 17 years old... It was a pitiful moment.
“How dare they want me, aren't they crazy?"
"They’re crazy. Don't worry, I'll never let you go."
Trisha didn’t know why she was listening to this mother-daughter conversation. It wasn't the Northern King who was shameless and crazy, it was these two. After her father's fall, her stepmother's persecution only worsened, and Flora, who had her mother’s back, was no less cruel. Trisha's life was literally hell.
Phew... Trisha let out a small sigh. Their whining was so annoying. There was always a chill from her icy stepmother and a stinging pain from the sharp Flora. She was actually getting sick. Let's get out of here.
Silently, Princess Trisha turned away without a sound. It was pathetic that she had been summoned to this place where there was nothing to discuss.
"Stop......... Trisha. Stop."
The queen's voice echoed sharply behind her. This voice... it was the voice she used when she had a trick up her sleeve.
Trisha couldn't help but turn around and stare at them. It was a blank stare, of course, the kind of blank stare that didn’t have the slightest hint of thought in it. The kind of stare they love.
"They never saw my Flora's face, that's for sure."
Flora's face flushed with understanding. As if in a pact, they both turned their piercing gazes to Trisha at the same time.
No way... me? Trisha thought.
Their thoughts were clearly visible. Trisha would pretend to be Flora and go in her stead.
Why her? They were insane, but insane in the best sense of the word.
"If you go, I will guarantee the life of your brother, Prince Aaron."
Now her stepmother had gone so far as to threaten her by divulging what she was going to do. She implied that she and Prince Aaron would die at her hands.
She claimed that the two of them, especially Prince Aaron, were a priority to get rid of because he stood in the way of her child, Prince Edmund, becoming king. But she threatened to spare Aaron's life if Trisha would pass herself off as Princess Flora.
It was a bold threat, and it was urgent. But there was no way out for Trisha.
If she stayed here, they would both die. Even though she had an entourage, it was not enough to protect them.
It would be very easy for her stepmother, with all the power in her hands, to kill them both. So to save her brother, she had to accept her stepmother's threats. It was a terrible feeling, but she had no other choice.
And so she, the first princess, came to take Princess Flora's place. She used herbs to change her blue eyes and auburn hair to brown, just like Flora.
It was quite a journey. The temperature dropped rapidly as they neared the kingdom of Tasar. They came prepared, but the sight of the snow-covered villages froze them all. It was freezing. It was bitterly cold in the moving carriage.
The maids and servants in the same carriage were shivering, especially the younger one. The youngest maid, the only one who had served her since the beginning of the war. All the other maids who accompanied her had been replaced by her stepmother. People who would become her ears and mouth. The spies.
The nanny and the handmaidens who were close to her were not allowed to come with her. Her stepmother forbade them all to be taken hostage, believing that she could better control her if she held those who were second only to her brother as family. She deserved to be punished.
"Let me warm your hands."
Strangely, she was less cold than the others, her body still warm. Even with the carriage wheels slipping and sliding on the icy road, Princess Trisha didn't feel too badly chilled, so she just sat there.
She had never been in a place this cold before, but fortunately, her body temperature was well maintained. Thanks to her mother's elven blood.
Though she hid it from everyone, her younger brother, Aaron, had inherited many of her abilities as a 'Spring Spirit'. He would lay his hand on a tree whose flowers had faded and energize it, and it would bloom again, one by one.
It was his way of comforting her in her time of need. Aaron was caring and warm. Unfortunately, she didn't have that ability.
But now she realized that she was able to stay warm for a long time. It was a skill she hadn't realized until she came to this cold kingdom.
The maid beside her glanced at her sharply. She thought she was being selfish. Pouting, the maid curled up even more and glanced out the window.
The young maid reached out her hand, braving the cold to do her bidding. Trisha held her frozen hand still. Immediately, the maid's eyes widened. The quick-thinking maid understood Trisha’s gesture and quickly shut her mouth.
The maid's face lit up with warmth.
When they finally arrived, Castle Tasar looked like a giant monster standing tall in the snow. It was like looking up at a living, fearsome dragon. The wide-open gates were intimidating, as if the dragon's mouth was gaping open, though instead of hot flames, it emitted a freezing chill.
The Northern King was as terrifying as she had been told.
But fortunately, she made it through the ridiculous process unharmed. She hadn't expected to be able to withstand such cold, a curious ability she'd first learned about when she came here. In any case, her greatest comfort was that she hadn't been recognized as Princess Flora.
And yet.
When she was forced into the king's arms, she panicked. She was surprised and frightened. She thought her breath caught in her throat. How he had brought her to this point so quickly. The look in his eyes. He had the eyes of a hawk, seeing through everything. Trisha was worried about the future.
No matter what she did, she must not be found out. If she did, they would all die. Her, her brother. The people she loved back home.
Breathing heavily, her heart was still beating fast, unable to calm, and the thought of being held against his hard, fearsome chest only made it beat harder.
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