"You want me to send you to one of the most dangerous cities in Shezul… because of a dream?" Lonek asked, raising his eyebrow in suspicion.
He sat on his throne in kingly clothes. A pale blue cloak, dark blue pants, and a white shirt that reflected in the rising sun… The rising sun caught and glittered on the jewels of Lonek's intricate crown.
"Not just a dream," Zentik said. "A prophetic dream."
"How do you know it's prophetic?"
"Tang told me."
"Oh. Explain it to me again."
After explaining it for what felt like the hundredth time, Zentik crossed his arms.
"Can I go?"
"I'll think about it."
"Lonek!"
Lonek laughed, but his face quickly returned to the icy look of all Shezen royals.
"You'll be undercover, wearing clothes that match Ekitabae Tari and its… unique atmosphere. Guards - also undercover - will follow. You won't even know where they are."
Zentik nodded.
"Okay. Thanks!"
Zentik turned to walk away.
"Wait!"
Zentik faced his brother again. Lonek stepped down from the throne platform and put a hand on Zentik's shoulder.
"Zadu is an interesting person. You might not like what they tell you."
"Can't be worse than how much I dislike these dreams."
Then, Lonek did something he would never do if company was over.
He hugged Zentik.
"Stay safe," he whispered into Zentik's hair.
"I will."
Lonek stepped back, straightened his back, and walked to sit on his throne.
"None of you will mention this," he said to the guards who stood at the edges of the room. He turned to the guard slightly back and to the right of his throne. They were named Noka. "If I hear a maid mention this, you're fired."
"And the maid?" Noka asked, smirking.
"Well, I don't dislike the maids. They clean up the messes you make."
Noka nodded and let their face fall back to ice.
"Thanks again, Lonek!" Zentik said.
"Go on. I plan on napping before anyone I dislike bothers me."
Zentik left the room.
----
Two days later, Zentik was in common clothes. A gray tunic and black pants. He wore his brown cape for warmth.
"Are you ready to leave?" Noka asked after taking the saddle off the horse that Zentik would ride to Ekitabae Tari. Using a saddle would be an obvious sign that Zentik was royalty.
Zentik nodded and went to mount the horse.
"Wait!"
Zentik turned and saw Tang running to him. She held a small box in her hands.
"This will be more filling than the rations you have," she said, handing the brown box to Zentik.
Zentik opened it. Inside was a small, round loaf of bread. Shezen was known for its bread that would fill one's stomach quickly and last a whole day. Only a few bites were like a whole meal.
"Thank you, Tang."
Zentik would have hugged her, but he didn't want to start gossip. The nobles were already freaking out over Lonek and Princess Kiran's very awkward dance.
Tang curtsied, then stepped back to let Noka lead the horse over to Zentik.
As Zentik and Noka rode away, Tang waved them farewell. Zentik waved, then followed Noka's horse's gallop.
——-
"Where are the other guards?" Zentik asked Noka when they reached the tundra that made up most of Shezul.
"If I told you, I'd be killed," Noka said.
"…I can't tell if you're being serious or not."
Noka gave Zentik a sarcastic look.
"So you're joking?"
"Obviously."
"Okay. Good."
——
Zentik didn't remember journeys being as boring as this one was. Maybe it was because he was traveling across an empty tundra, or because it was just him, Noka, and a bunch of guards that stayed out of sight (even when there was nothing to hide behind). Whatever the reason, there was one result: Zentik was bored.
"How long until Ekitabae Tari?"
"You sound like a child."
"And?"
Noka rolled their eyes and stopped moving. Zentik paused by them.
"See that cloud of smoke? That all comes from pipes. Guess where the pipes are?"
"…Ekitabae Tari?"
"Yes. Only a few hours left."
"Hours?!"
"It'll feel longer. We have a storm coming in."
"Is there any shelter nearby?"
"There's plenty of cabins around, but to wait out the storm… We could be stuck for up to a week."
Zentik paused to think.
"We'll try to go through the storm, but if it gets too bad, we'll find a cabin."
Noka nodded and started forward.
——
Noka, Royal Guard of Shezen
——
The cloud was worrying. It was too large for Noka's liking. They had a feeling that they and Zentik would need to find shelter.
Zentik didn't know the barren lands around Ekitabae Tari like Noka did. After all, this was Noka's childhood home.
Without making it obvious, they led Zentik towards the cabin they grew up in. The warm light of the fireplace made them homesick.
They wondered if their parents were still alive, or if their younger sister Debubae was the owner now.
——
The storm rolled in.
Zentik was already soaked with snow, and Noka was lucky to see a foot in front of themself.
They needed to find shelter — quick.
"Noka… Noka, I can't feel anything. Except cold."
Noka turned around just in time to see Zentik pass out from the cold. They reached out to catch him, but another guard was quicker. Appearing from the storm and picking up the Prince, she held him on her horse.
"We can't be out here much longer," Stara said, wrapping her own cloak around Zentik. "We'll all freeze."
The storm slowed for a second, revealing nine guards besides Noka and Stara.
"I'll carry the Prince on my horse," Noka shouted above the storm. "I know a cabin where we will be safe."
Stara gently moved Zentik to sit in front of Noka on their horse. Noka wrapped an arm around him and started to gallop towards the eye of the storm.
They felt the wind blowing west. Their cabin was north.
Zentik's horse rode near Noka's, and it was the first to gallop towards a light in the distance.
Noka followed.
In the eye of the storm was a cabin. Home.
"Don't worry, Prince. Shelter is near."
Noka knew Zentik couldn't hear them, but they believed their words more if they spoke them.
Noka dismounted their horse and held Zentik like a sleeping baby as they approached the house. As if someone were watching, the door opened to reveal Noka' sister.
"Debubae!" Noka called. Their sister faltered, then recognized them. She ran forward and saw Zentik in Noka's arms. She looked around and motioned for everyone to follow her inside.
Once everyone was safely in the cabin, Debubae added extra logs to the fire. She hung her shawl to dry above the fireplace and began handing blankets out to everyone.
"Place the boy on the couch," she finally said. "You two, move the couch closer. Noka, get more blankets. You, put this cloth in that pot over the fireplace. You three, get the horses to the back stall."
As everyone went to follow her orders, Debubae grabbed a pair of thick gloves and put them on Zentik's frozen hands.
"When he wakes up, he'll ask us to cool him off," she said. "Even if he threatens you, don't follow those orders. You'll kill him if you do."
Debubae used a stick to take the cloth out of the pot. She threw it against the ground, then picked it up. She placed it on Zentik's forehead.
The three guards who put away the horses - Bell, Kaink, and Efot - walked in. They all looked freezing.
"Sit by the fire. Noka, hand me those blankets. Everyone, grab a chair and come as close as you can."
Noka had never seen the guards follow anyone's orders as quickly as they followed Debubae's. She had a soft face and was barely taller than Zentik, but her voice was sharp, and her presence commanded respect. If she weren't so kind-hearted, she could be a guard.
Debubae handed out the blankets, then shoved Noka into a chair. She wrapped them tightly in a blanket.
"Okay… Explain."
——
The rest of the guards had fallen asleep in various places across the cabin floor. Debubae was seated by Zentik, switching out warm towels on his forehead every time one fell to any heat less than boiling. Noka was in the same chair, hoping Zentik would survive.
The air was laced with awkwardness. Noka hadn't left their family on good terms, after all.
They had argued with their father, saying that he had no say in Noka's future. They had stormed to their room, then snuck out in the dead of night. The only thing they left behind was a nota saying that they were fulfilling their destiny.
At the time, Noka was Zentik's age. Eighteen years old, and ready to take on the world. Eight years later, Noka was one of the highest-ranked guards in the Shezen military. They still hadn't made amends with their family.
"It's not too late," Debubae said, as if reading their mind. "Ama's dead, but you can still apologize to Oma."
Noka's heart hurt at the news. Their mother was dead, and they didn't even go to the funeral.
"Wh-Where is Oma?"
Debubae stood and walked up the cabin stairs. Noka followed her to a tightly closed room. She opened the door, revealing Noka's father in the chair he always sat in. Noka didn't even notice it was gone.
"Oma, Noka's home," Debubae said.
Noka's father looked away from the window and met Noka's eyes.
"Oh, sweet keke."
Noka felt tears as the childhood nickname was spoken. They ran to their father's open arms, crying.
"We missed you so much, Noka," he said.
"I missed you all, too."
Noka stepped back and studied their father's face. There was a sickness written in his face, but the twinkle in his eyes was all the same.
"How has guarding been?"
"I'm one of the Head Guards. I'm here to escort Prince Zentik to Ekitabae Tari."
"Why there?"
"He's been having dreams. He needs to speak to Zadu."
"Be careful there. It's dangerous in those big cities. Of course, you're a Head Guard! You should be fine. And you have all those people with you to help."
Noka nodded.
"I'm going back down," Debubae said. "I have a Prince to keep alive."
Debubae left Noka and their father alone.
"There's pain in your eyes. What is it?"
"I just… I didn't think you'd be so happy to see me."
"Oh, Noka, I've been waiting to see you since the day you left. I forgave you long ago." Noka's father leaned forward, grabbing their hand. "It's Debubae that still holds resent in her heart. Sit with her. Don't let her thoughts consume her while she works."
Noka nodded and went to leave.
"Remember, Noka." Noka paused in the doorway to listen. "Your mother was just like you - getting in trouble where she shouldn't. Debubae will see that. And… just like your mother and I, she'll be proud."
Noka smiled - tears reaching their eyes again - and went downstairs.
"How is the Prince?" they asked Debubae, who was wrapping Zentik's hands in soft cotton bandages.
"He'll live. But you shouldn't head out for another few days -- there's another blizzard heading in. It should be enough to let the Prince heal."
"Heal?"
Debubae lifted Zentik's left hand.
"Royals have magic. When exposed to extremes of their magic, they start to become whatever their magic is. I believe he has small amounts of ice magic in him, because his hands were turning to ice."
"Will he be okay?" Noka asked as they sat at the end of the couch that Zentik laid on.
"His fingers were ice, so he'll probably never bend them enough to write or grab ever again. When you travel to Exitabae Tari, you'll have to have him on your horse."
Noka nodded.
"We could have prevented this so easily," they said, running their hand through their fluffy hair.
"Yes."
"If I had only gone to a weather watcher, or even sent a letter up here… He wouldn't have been hurt like this."
"If you had ever sent a letter, our mother wouldn't have died," Debubae said, frozen venom in her voice.
"What?"
Debubae had tears in her eyes, and she was gripping a wet towel tightly in her hands.
"Our parents aren't old, Noka. We're so used to the cold, we barely get ill from it. And nobody comes out here enough to spread disease - any disease would be frozen to death. Ama is dead because you left so suddenly in the night, her heart failed. And do you want to know what her last words were?"
Debubae was now standing, the towel completely wrung out of any water it once had. Noka was glad that looks couldn't kill. As Debubae continued, she stepped forward.
"Her last words were: 'We should have loved them more.' She thought that you left because you thought we didn't love you. And your selfish dream killed Ama."
At her last sentence, Debubae threw the towel in Noka's lap.
"And what did you do while you were gone? You never sent letters. You never asked how we were doing. You never-" Debubae sighed, crossing her arms and closing her eyes. When she reopened them, her dark blue eyes were filled with tears. "You never came to visit. Did you even know that, two years ago, the boy a mile west proposed to me? Did you even know that he backed out hours before the wedding, leaving me alone in an empty house? Twenty years old and already lost a husband. Did you even care to know?"
"Debubae, I- I was busy."
"That's no excuse! You can't just abandon your family for eight years and come back expecting everyone to treat you like you never left! I know Oma forgives you. I know that Ama would if she were still alive. But I can't love you the way our parents do; I can't forgive you the way our parents did."
Both siblings were in tears. Noka placed the towel to the side and stood.
"All I know to say is… I'm sorry. I know I should've waited to leave; I should've sent letters; I should've visited. I just thought that you would never support me being a guard, so I did the only thing I could think to do."
Debubae wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Don't say you're sorry but not change anything. Prove that you wish you did better by doing better."
Noka nodded.
"Now, go to bed. Your room's the same way it's been since you were twelve."