The room fell silent. Rizel quietly shifted the pebbles under her feet using her staff.
"After the plague, the blame was laid on the necromancer kings, but ever since, all necromancers fell into disfavor," Shiva sadly summed up the story. "Most of them perished in that conflict, and the remaining ones were simply isolated from all state affairs. Also, thanks to the Yukitori clan, ice magic gained popularity among warriors. Although magic in Nordrune is no longer as relied upon as before."
"They quickly forgot what Risa sacrificed for the sake of peace," I thought I heard traces of anger in Thanatos' voice. "She was much better than all of them, but now many think that she was the source of the great plague. That's why I closed the world of the dead from your world. The remaining necromancers in Nordrune have to hide their powers to avoid persecution. I don't want anything to do with such people. Rizel, you are the only one I can trust among humans."
"Everything's fine. Even if no one knows what my grandmother sacrificed, I'll be enough to remember it," Rizel smiled warmly. "She was a hero, not a monster, as the legends describe her, and I will always be proud of that."
"I will remember it too," Hilda encouraged her friend. "I won't allow the summoner of death's name to be tarnished anymore. And if I can change this country, I'll tell people the true history of our land."
"That sounds good, but can the princess change traditions laid down millennia ago?" I looked at her with doubt.
"No, from the outside, everything seems relatively fine in your country. Anyone with sufficient talent and training can occupy a suitable position in society."
"Yes, it is like that, but if you dig deeper... the rules established between the classes don't exactly qualify as a decent society. We solve everything by force, but that means those who lack strength are oppressed by the warriors."
"And you want to change that?"
"Yes, I want disputes to be resolved through law, not the rule of the strong. Then all the people of Nordrune can truly live well."
It sounded good, but could the princess change traditions laid down millennia ago?
"Tell me," I glanced briefly at her back, "is this somehow related to the scars on your back?"
The girl flinched and hurried to cover herself.
"You don't have to hide; I'm interested in why you shunned other girls, and I caught a glimpse of the scars. They're not that deep, and I don't think your family would lack money to buy healing ointment to treat them."
Hilda paused before deciding how to respond to me.
"It's... punishment for disobedience. They can be healed, but I must wear them until I come to terms with my position and responsibility to the people," she spoke coldly and without emotion, as if repeating the verdict passed on her.
"Hmm, that doesn't sound like your words."
"Yes, that's what my mother said before carrying out the sentence."
I heard Asura clenching the hilt of her katana until it creaked.
"And what was the punishment for?"
"For wanting to change Nordrune when I wasn't strong enough for it."
"Well, we'll be here for a while," Rumy peeked outside. In the darkness, a snowstorm raged over the mountain peaks. "You can tell us everything, and we might come up with a way to help you."
"Well, if it's so important to you, I'll tell you, but I don't want you to tell anyone else," Hilda replied.
"Don't worry; we won't tell anyone, and they," Rumy nodded towards Thanatos and Shiva, "have been dead for centuries."
"Harumph," Shiva rolled her eyes demonstratively.
"Of course, before, I didn't really think about the justice of our laws. If you didn't share something with someone, you fought for it; if someone offended you, you challenged them to a duel; if someone tarnished your honor, again, you challenged them to a duel. And I saw nothing unusual in the fact that over half of these battles ended with the death of one of the participants. That's how I was raised, and I considered these laws perfectly normal until they personally affected me."
The girl paused for a couple of seconds and then continued her story.
"As I mentioned earlier, I didn't have any friends. There were only comrades, weapons companions, business partners, and others with whom I was connected solely by my status. But there was a girl who I might have called a friend, or at least I wished for it to be so. She was my maid, Frin. Of course, she was assigned to me to look after my clothes and keep the room tidy, but she was the only person with whom I could speak from the heart. It was nice to think of her as my friend. She was ten years older than me, and when she turned twenty-five, one of the guards took an interest in her. She wasn't exactly a stunning beauty, but she had a kind and gentle character, and the chance to marry a guard didn't come often. She and her children would have been well provided for with a high position, but still, she was unhappy."
Hilda sighed and shook her head.
"She secretly loved another young man but was afraid to confess her feelings to him. He was an apprentice in the royal forge. He was a good guy, although, of course, not as strong and wealthy as the guard. And the apprentice also showed interest in her, although his shyness made him hesitate to approach her. In the end, the guard asked for her hand, and he was awaiting her answer. She couldn't simply refuse him; it would be a disgrace to the warrior. But she also feared telling him the truth. I tried to resolve the situation, secretly from everyone. I spoke with the guard and told him about Frin's true feelings. Surprisingly, he turned out to be an understanding person and promised me that he would break off the engagement. It would have been a disgrace for the girl, but if the apprentice truly loved her, he wouldn't care about such trifles."
Hilda fell silent. It was difficult for her to recount what happened next.
"I was too late... Before the guard could annul the engagement, the apprentice came to him and asked for the same. The warrior didn't mind, but the lad requested it in front of witnesses, which was considered a direct insult. If he had let it slide, he would have dishonored himself and wouldn't be able to remain in service. According to our laws, they were supposed to fight for the girl's hand. Of course, the young blacksmith apprentice didn't stand a chance against the experienced warrior, but he couldn't back down from his words and ask for forgiveness. That's when I tried to intervene again and only made things worse. The only person who could have canceled the duel was the Great Jarl, in case he didn't want to endanger his warrior's life. It wouldn't have been such a disgrace for the warrior, and they could have settled the dispute peacefully. But my father would never have done that. I asked him to allow them to resolve the dispute, but following traditions was more important to him."
"And you couldn't do anything about it?" Asura asked.
"No, I found one way to overturn this rule, but it seemed impossible. I needed to become the ruler myself, and then I could change the law."
"But the throne could only be passed down by your father?"
"Even that wouldn't have been enough. Even the Great Jarl couldn't repeal such traditions because he needed approval from the council of thanes. To make decisions on your own, you needed to become the supreme ruler. Such cases were rare, but such rulers always transformed society by establishing new laws despite traditions."
"And, of course, to become such a ruler, you had to undergo some impossible trial?"
"Yes... I had to survive a battle against all the thanes. Only the one stronger than all the best generals in Nordrune could bear the title of the supreme ruler. You could use any weapon or means at your disposal, but enduring twenty battles in a row was still too difficult. I only managed to last six."
"And were you punished for challenging them?"
"No, I was punished for undertaking such a foolish act to change one of the key traditions of our people. I should have subdued my pride and accepted the laws as they were, and until then, these whip marks will remind me of my deed."
"Do you regret it?"
"No. I wanted to help my friend, and I only regret that I failed. The duel took place, and the blacksmith died in it. Frin married the man who killed her beloved, and now they live far away from the capital. I doubt they're happy, even though they did everything according to tradition."
"I wouldn't say you'll ever accept such laws."
"No, I won't. Mother thinks these scars remind me of my mistake, but they only give me determination. I will change the country, whatever it takes."
"And, of course, you have a plan?"
"Well, of course. If I couldn't defeat the council of thanes, then I must replace them. Nobody in Nordrune will support my reforms, so I came to the Academy. I want to find strong warriors who could replace them and support me in my endeavors. I would really like Asura to be the first; she's a strong warrior and belongs to a respected clan. If she were on my side, many thanes would reconsider whether opposing me is worth it."
The princess looked at the warrior with a curious gaze.
"Ah, forgive me, Hilda, but right now, I can only think about my family. I've been entrusted with our lands, and if I join Princess Nordrune's service, I'll put my clan at risk again," Asura replied with a sad smile.
"That's a shame, but know that you and your entire family will always be welcomed in the northern lands," Hilda turned to me, "And what about you? Don't you want to become the second most powerful person in the kingdom after me?"
"Sorry, but no, that's too small for me," I replied.
"Hah, of course," Katrina's voice sounded slightly offended, "you want to rule ALL the kings. Sure."
"It's not good to be jealous, Katrina, especially if you have nothing to offer him," Hilda lowered her head and muttered to herself, "I wouldn't mind if he wants to become the most powerful person in Nordrune."