It was a welcome feeling to be back in the hands of her maids and servants as they got her dressed for departure off of the train. The only thing that ruined it was the heavy dress she had to wear over the soft skirts and bodice she had picked out. It was a golden orange, just like the autumn colors of dusk, but Yuki was practically suffocating in it.
Not to mention it was too long for her. "There's no time to hem it-- we'll just carry it behind you, Highness." This was spoken by Hisa, the head maid and Yuki's right hand woman since she was a young baby. Hisa had also attended to Yuri as he grew up from a baby to the age of eight, when Yuki was born; she was glad she didn't have to fight for her to join them on this journey.
It probably helped that there were no other younger siblings to take up Hisa's time.
"Can't I just not wear it? And wear something shorter?"
Beads of sweat were already gathering on Yuki's neck and back. It was unbearably warm in the compartment she was being dressed in. dressed and decorated with the cooler colors of Isklan to complement the orange, yellows, and reds of Notos. Autumn into winter, Hisa was calling it as she showed Yuki the ideas after teatime. A transition into a new life.
But this kind of hot was not Notos hot. It was the stifling warmth of too many bodies in a small space, amplified by her heavy outerwear. By the time she was able to stumble out into the cooler train corridor, where Yuri was patiently waiting to quickly work his magic on her hair, she was panting for breath. "Your hair's soaked," he mused, smoothing his fingers gently through it. Yuki would hear the frown in his voice. "Let's just wrap it for now. That way your ears stay warm, too."
So that was how Yuki walked off of the train, her arm tucked into Mirai's and gently guided to the lit up walkway that was freshly shoveled clean of snow. Yuki paused at the very bottom, staring not at the new people she was to help one day govern, but to the sparkles of the piled up snow and the skiffs left on the carefully placed stone pathway.
"First time seeing snow, Princess?" Mirai asked, moving his hand to put it atop hers. It was a picturesque moment that had happy cheers and words ripple among the crowd. Yuki's hand was small, but resized upon it was the ring of Isklan royalty, matching and glittering with Mirai's own. They were close and intimate before the people, and Yuki knew she had to shake herself out of it to keep up the show. After all, no one needed to know she actually really didn't want to be here, or at least not married yet.
Well, maybe not ever.
"Yes," Yuki said, turning her head carefully so as to not untuck the wrap that secured her hair. "I thought it would be colder, if it could snow."
Mirai laughed, and his people echoed him. She could guess what it was they were all saying -- things about her warmer colored skin and clothes, her age, how innocent and childish she was. It was already tiring, and she risked a glance back at Yuri, two steps behind her. How had he dealt with this? She would have to ask his guidance.
"It is because Lady Hisa prepared you so well." Unfortunately, the servants were all shuffled off of the train at another exit, tasked with bringing in all of the trunks and the luggage and unpacking it to make the Notos entourage feel at home immediately. "It's a bit of a walk to the carriage, but I made it that way -- I want you to enjoy the scenery."
It was difficult to see much scenery, though Yuki didn't complain. Once she was on the frigid stone ground, Isklan servants rushed in between her and Yuri to lift up the long skirt of her dress. After all, Yuri couldn't be expected to do that, it would have been a grand slight to call for a Prince of any sort to do a servant's job.
Being as it was dark and the pathway lit up by the lamp posts and those with torches to greet them, Yuki had to try and squint to make out any of the scenery. In the darkness she could see the spattering of stars in the cold winter sky, broken between by the towering peaks of what could have been mountains or perhaps trees.
The people were dressed warmly and leaned in over each other to catch a glimpse of her and her brother, murmuring among themselves. At least no one seemed distraught, Yuki noticed. She offered everyone who caught her gaze her best winning smile, happy when a few returned it or seemed charmed. Once in a while, she found herself leaning on Mirai as he spoke with faces familiar to him in passing, as she did not want to interrupt his walk by slipping and falling gracelessly onto her face.
Just as it seemed they were going to have a flawless, albeit slow, trek to the simple carriages that awaited them, the slip happened. It wasn't Yuki who slipped, but Yuri -- again. However it happened, Yuki didn't know, only heard his strained yelp that had her spin around to look over her shoulder just as he hit the ground and a loud CRACK went up through the cold air. Silence fell immediately as several of the crowd rushed forward in an attempt to help Yuri up, sliding on the cold ground themselves.
That was something Yuki found odd -- wouldn't they be used to the cold and icy ground? Then again… they probably were never out this late in general. Of course ice was more dangerous at night. Still… those thoughts were quickly shaken away as Yuki clutched hard at Mirai and looked up at him. "You can heal him again, right…?"
Mirai watched Yuri with a blank gaze, before turning back to the carriage and shrugging.
"Perhaps… or maybe he'll heal himself, this time."