In a village within the Winter Kingdom, a small community struggled to survive. Royal guards arrogantly imposed their authority over the starving villagers, whose tattered clothes and emaciated bodies bore witness to their daily struggle against hunger. The guards confiscated the meager supplies the villagers managed to produce, pushing them further toward the brink.
"Please, don't take everything!" pleaded an elderly woman, her trembling hands outstretched in supplication. "You already took almost everything last week! We have nothing left!"
"Don't think only of yourselves!" retorted one of the guards, shoving the woman brutally. "The other citizens of the kingdom need to eat too!"
"We're working day and night, but the food isn't even enough for us!" protested a young villager, clutching a sack of grain. "How can we share what we barely have?"
"You think we should divide the little food there is equally?" scoffed the guard with a cruel smile. "Food is for those who are important to the kingdom. Some need to be sacrificed, and in this case, it's you. Disposable workers like you should just… disappear."
Leticia and Aleph were passing by the road near the village when they saw the commotion. They observed from a distance, but upon realizing the injustice unfolding, Leticia couldn't restrain herself. She intervened upon hearing the guard's cruel words.
"Take back what you said!" Leticia exclaimed, stepping between the guards and the villagers. "All citizens of this kingdom are important!"
"And who are you to interfere?!" snarled the guard, taking a menacing step towards Leticia.
He raised his hand to strike her, but Aleph, with a piercing gaze and a swift movement, firmly grasped the guard's wrist. Frozen by the fear emanating from Aleph's gray eyes, the guard instinctively recoiled. He reached for his sword, about to draw it, but Aleph anticipated him, displaying the royal insignia of the Winter Kingdom. Recognizing the symbol of authority, the guard instantly changed his demeanor, adopting a servile and fawning tone.
"What are such important people doing in this humble village?" he asked with false subservience.
A frail and hungry elderly woman approached Leticia, tears streaming down her wrinkled face.
"Please, miss, help us!" she implored. "They are taking our food! We will starve to death!"
The village chief, exhausted from the constant struggle against the guards' oppression, approached and explained the situation to Leticia and Aleph. The guard tried to interrupt, but Leticia silenced him with a look. Patiently, she listened to both sides of the story. Then, with authority, she ordered the guards to withdraw without taking the supplies and to deliver a letter to King Hayden. In the letter, Leticia described the village's plight and suggested an alternative to remedy the situation.
The citizens were excited, feeling as if something would finally change, and soon the village chief questioned them.
"I heard from the guards that the Kingdom made an economic agreement with the Autumn Kingdom. Is that true?"
"It's true," Leticia confirmed.
"I hope it works," the chief said with a sigh. "We need this agreement. The food we produce isn't enough to feed the entire kingdom."
The villagers began to murmur amongst themselves, confirming the rumor of the economic agreement. For Leticia, the conversation was a harsh reality check. She had no idea of the severity of the kingdom's situation and could see by the villagers' suffering faces that there was still hope in their eyes. This made her realize that she couldn't be the cause of discord between the two kingdoms, as the population depended on this agreement to prosper again and feed themselves adequately.
Leticia remembered King Hayden's words: if the marriage didn't happen, the Autumn Kingdom would cut off the supply of provisions and the economic agreement would be dissolved. The responsibility weighed heavily on her shoulders.
Despite their dire circumstances, the villagers welcomed Leticia and Aleph with warm hospitality. They prepared a simple but plentiful dinner, roasted over a crackling bonfire. Some young people danced to the sound of flutes, their faces illuminated by the joy of the celebration. The scene touched Leticia's heart. The happiness of these people, united by music and dance, gave new meaning to her mission.
The village chief's wife, a robust and smiling woman, approached Leticia.
"Join the dance, miss!" she invited enthusiastically.
Leticia hesitated, feeling it inappropriate for her position, but the invitation was irresistible. The woman, noticing her hesitation, nudged Aleph with her elbow, a mischievous smile on her lips.
"What are you waiting for, young man? Ask the lady to dance!"
Aleph stood up and, with an elegant bow, offered his hand to Leticia. She blushed slightly but accepted the invitation, encouraged by the smiles and applause of the villagers.
The village chief, watching the clumsy but charming dance, commented to his wife, amused:
"It seems our guests don't know the steps to our dance very well."
"It doesn't matter," his wife replied with an affectionate smile. "The important thing is that they're having fun. And they make a handsome couple, don't you think?"
"Not as handsome as us two," retorted the chief, winking at his wife. And, with a gallant gesture, he extended his hand, inviting her to dance.
The dance was a local tradition, with steps and movements unfamiliar to Leticia. Aleph didn't seem familiar with the choreography either, but the contagious joy of the music and the festive atmosphere guided them. They twirled and spun, their hands briefly meeting in synchronized movements, their laughter mingling with the melody of the flutes. In that moment, surrounded by the simplicity and genuine happiness of the villagers, Leticia felt a profound sense of belonging and a renewed determination to fulfill her duty. Her eyes shone with an inner light, radiating a contagious joy that captivated everyone around her. Aleph, as he led her in the dance, felt something different, a deep and inexplicable emotion. It was as if Leticia, in that moment of pure happiness and surrender, emanated a luminous aura, a magical glow that made her even more enchanting.
The next morning, a deafening roar tore Leticia from a peaceful sleep. Startled, she sat up in bed, her heart pounding in her chest. Seconds later, Aleph burst into her room, his face etched with urgency.
"Princess, we need to get out of here!" he exclaimed, his voice tense.