The Winter Kingdom stretched beneath a blanket of icy tranquility, where imposing mountains, covered in perpetual ice and trees crystallized by snow, rose towards the sky. Lakes began to freeze under the touch of the winter solstice, heralding the season that reigned supreme in that realm. The hostile climate hindered agriculture, forcing the kingdom to resort to frequent trade, especially with its main economic ally: the Autumn Kingdom.
The King's mismanagement during the last harvest had plunged the kingdom into a deep economic crisis. To save his people from starvation and ruin, the monarch was forced to turn to the prosperous Autumn Kingdom. The aid, however, came at a price: the fulfillment of an ancient agreement that sealed Princess Leticia's fate. Having just turned eighteen – the marriageable age in that kingdom – she would be given in marriage to Prince Ryuuji of Autumn, consolidating a political alliance crucial for the Winter Kingdom's survival.
At the moment, this was the dominant topic in every conversation throughout the kingdom. The excitement was palpable, and everyone speculated about the possible improvements these changes would bring to the kingdom's future, even in a flower shop, this topic was being discussed.
"Just imagine! Princess Leticia is going to marry the Autumn Prince!" said one of them, with a dreamy sigh.
This comment caught the attention of a young customer with black hair and light blue eyes who was carefully examining some flowers. Intrigued by what she heard, she disguised her interest, pretending to concentrate on the petals of a rose. However, her attentive eyes revealed that every word spoken around her was carefully registered.
"I'd love to see the wedding!" lamented another. "But it will be in another kingdom... I wanted to see the princess in her wedding dress... they say the dresses from the Autumn Kingdom are the most dazzling!" And, carried away by fantasy, she twirled with a bouquet of roses, imitating a bridal waltz.
"I wonder if the prince is handsome? If he is, she's very lucky!" commented a third, while arranging a pile of flowers.
"Nonsense!" interjected an older employee. "It's not enough to be handsome, he has to be a gentleman! You're too young to understand these things."
The young customer smiled discreetly. Having chosen her flowers, she approached the counter, where Veronica, the owner of the flower shop, greeted her with a welcoming smile.
"Who are these for, miss?"
"For my mother. Could you put a red ribbon on them? It was her favorite color."
After paying, the young woman left the flower shop with one last discreet glance. Little did they know that she was the very person they were talking about. Even with her departure, their conversation continued.
"Mrs. Veronica, have you seen the new knight who arrived in town?" asked one of them, her eyes shining. "He's about 20 years old, breathtakingly handsome, athletic build, tall... and a charming voice!"
"Athletic? Well, he's a knight! It's to be expected," replied Veronica with an amused smile.
"And he has the most amazing light gray eyes!" added another. "But no one has seen the color of his hair yet. He wears a hat all the time."
"With this cold, it's no wonder," commented Veronica. "By the way, where did those three go?"
Meanwhile, the three younger employees, the ones the flower shop owner was looking for, were busy with something quite different: fascinated by the mysterious knight who had appeared in town, they were discreetly following him through the busy streets.
"Do you think he's bald?" whispered one of them.
"Impossible!" exclaimed another, shaking her head vehemently. "Impossible!"
"Let's find out!" declared the third, with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "We'll find a way to get that hat off!"
And, with a conspiratorial smile, the three young women devised a plan to uncover the mystery of the knight's hair. One of them pretended to trip and twist her ankle, while the other two supported her, approaching the knight with an air of distress.
"Sir Knight, our friend has hurt her ankle!" they exclaimed. "Could you help us?"
The young knight, with his impressive 6'1" height, readily complied with the request. He indicated that the young woman should sit down so he could examine her ankle. However, as he bent down, the other two seized the opportunity and, with a swift movement, snatched off his hat. Short, shimmering silver-gray hair framed his face, perfectly matching his eyes of the same color. A striking contrast to the dark hair and blue or green eyes so common in the Winter Kingdom.
"How beautiful!" exclaimed the girl who had feigned the accident, admiring the silver hair. "You should show it more often! No one around here has hair like that!"
The knight, visibly uncomfortable with the situation, replied in a polite but firm tone:
"Please, return my hat."
The soft, melodious voice only increased the young women's fascination. Leticia, observing the scene from a distance, noticed the knight's discomfort and decided to intervene.
"Mrs. Veronica is looking for you," she said in a clear voice.
The young women, embarrassed, returned the hat to the knight and ran off.
"I apologize for any trouble they may have caused," Leticia said to the knight with a slight nod. "Excuse me."
The knight returned the gesture with a respectful bow.
Leticia then proceeded to the royal cemetery, the resting place of her mother and generations of Winter Kingdom monarchs. She placed the flowers on the white marble tomb and lit a lavender incense, Queen Elyza's favorite fragrance.
"I will soon be leaving for the Autumn Kingdom, Mother," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "Know that I will always remember your teachings. The longing that overwhelms me certainly cannot be relieved, but I will do my best to move forward despite all the problems that may come my way from now on. I will become a princess you would be proud to witness if you were here by my side."
Silent tears rolled down her face as a deep longing overwhelmed her at that moment. After a final farewell, Leticia left the cemetery.
Minutes later, the silver-haired knight approached the same tomb. He placed a bouquet of white flowers next to the ones Leticia had left.
"My father asked me to bring these," he murmured reverently. "It's a shame I never had the opportunity to meet you, Your Majesty."
With a final bow, the knight withdrew.
Before dusk, Leticia returned to the castle. Upon arrival, she was informed that an administrative meeting regarding her wedding would be held the following morning.