Traveling alone, Aleph and Leticia discovered, with each passing day, shared affinities and tastes. Their friendship deepened, and a new feeling, unlike anything they had ever experienced, began to blossom in Leticia's heart.
"Why does he protect me so devotedly, yet refuse to officially be my knight? I would like to show my gratitude for everything he has done for me, but what would be the right way? He comes from another kingdom, the customs must be different..." she thought, confused.
They arrived at a unique village, with architecture and vegetation unlike anything Leticia had ever seen. Approaching a welcoming inn, Aleph addressed her, his voice low and serious:
"We can't draw attention to ourselves," he said. "We need to conceal your identity. To avoid suspicion, it would be best to pretend to be a traveling couple."
Leticia nodded, understanding the need for caution. Aleph, visibly embarrassed but masking his discomfort, continued:
"Ideally, for safety, we should share the same room. But I imagine you would be uncomfortable with that, Princess."
"It's fine with me," Leticia replied, more embarrassed than she let on. "After all... you are my knight. It would be the ideal measure in this situation."
Despite her apparent calmness, Leticia felt a blush rise to her cheeks. It would be the first time she shared a room with a man.
"Focus, Leticia. Act naturally," she commanded herself. "I can't show shyness," she mentally scolded herself, seeking refuge in childhood memories of sharing a room with Laurenn and listening to her mother's stories and lullabies.
At the inn's reception, Aleph requested a room with two single beds.
"I don't want to disturb my fiancée's sleep," he explained to the receptionist, who admired them with a smile. "I tend to move around a lot during the night."
The receptionist was charmed by Aleph's thoughtfulness. Leticia, in turn, breathed a sigh of relief.
Upon entering the room, Leticia noticed the peculiar decor, an intriguing mix of familiar elements from the Winter Kingdom with exotic and unknown touches. Ready for bed, she noticed Aleph sitting in the armchair next to her bed.
"Aren't you going to sleep in the bed, Sir Aleph?" she asked, concerned. "It must be uncomfortable to spend the night sitting."
"I need to stay vigilant," he simply replied.
Aleph's answer caused Leticia slight discomfort. The idea of being watched while she slept embarrassed her. She tried to stay awake, but fatigue won, and she fell asleep.
Aleph watched Leticia sleep peacefully. Her long black hair was loose, spread across the pillow, and he imagined how soft it must feel to the touch.
"I would like to touch it," he thought, as his gaze drifted to her delicate lips, which seemed to invite a kiss. "I want to feel them."
But then, as if awakened from a dream, he recoiled. "What am I thinking? Why did such thoughts cross my mind?"
And, without realizing it, exhaustion overtook him, and Aleph ended up falling asleep.
Leticia awoke to find Aleph asleep in the armchair. Carefully, she covered him with a blanket. She went down to the reception, where the receptionist greeted her with a smile.
"Where are you two coming from?" the receptionist asked curiously.
Leticia mentioned the name of the last town they had been in.
"You've been traveling for a while then!" the receptionist commented.
"Just a day since the last town," Leticia replied.
"Impossible! From there to here, it takes at least ten days of travel," the receptionist replied incredulously.
"I must be mistaken about the name of the town..." Leticia murmured, confused. "But, I'm sure that was the name of the town... The towns should be further apart. How did we get here so fast?" she thought.
The question echoed in her thoughts, a disturbing mystery.
...
Meanwhile, in the Winter Kingdom, Laurenn presented an administrative report, full of innovative proposals for the next council meeting. Inspired by Aleph's advice, he had decided to become more actively involved in the kingdom's politics. Hayden, however, barely glanced at the document. With a brusque gesture, he slammed his hand on the stack of papers.
"More useless reports?!" he exploded furiously. "You're incompetent! You're not even good for this!"
He hurled the papers at Laurenn, the sheets scattering across the floor. Laurenn, humiliated, lowered his head. He had dedicated so much to that project... Hayden stood up and, with contempt, stepped on the scattered papers.
"Get out of my sight!" he ordered, his voice icy. "Before your stupidity becomes contagious!"
Laurenn withdrew, consumed by frustration and sadness. It was the third time his work had been rejected. He longed to put into practice the knowledge he had acquired from Master Yoshi, but Hayden prevented him at every turn. His reputation as a useless prince, carefully cultivated by the king himself, isolated him politically, leaving him without allies and without a voice. Hayden, clinging to power, knew that a confident and competent Laurenn represented a threat to his reign. Therefore, he kept him under his thumb, crushing his self-esteem and destroying his hopes. With each humiliation, Laurenn became weaker, more insecure, and further from the leader he could be.