Gwen pressed two fingers together, quickly forming a circle and then brought them to her lips. She blew a sharp, piercing whistle. In an instant, Ann came thundering towards her, her hooves pounding the ground.
"What a beautiful horse." Lancaster reached out, eager to touch Ann. But Ann let out a warning neigh, causing his hand to freeze in mid-air.
"Good girl, be calm." Gwen stroked Ann's mane soothingly, then nimbly swung herself onto the horse's back. "What are you waiting for? Get on."
"Are you sure it won't throw me off?" Lancaster asked.
It was only then that he felt the pain in his right arm. Normally, he would have given Ann a good rebuke.
Even the wildest horses could be tamed one day.
"If Ann throws you and cripples you, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life." Gwen chuckled. When Lancaster finally mounted, she tugged on the reins. "You'd better hold on tight to me."
The border between Salir and Linsey was a vast expanse of pure white, covered by a recent snowstorm.
Lancaster thought to himself, "How fast could she ride on the snow?" He didn't take her warning seriously.
But he soon regretted it. He hesitantly wrapped his left arm around Gwen's waist.
This woman was a mad rider!
The soldiers on the walls of the Sistine Fortress watched in stunned silence, then began to murmur among themselves.
"Her Highness rode like a true master."
"What luck that man has! If only I could hold the Princess like that for one ride, I'd die a happy man!"
"Her Highness was trained by His Majesty King Linsey himself, so it is naturally extraordinary." Luther glanced at the noisy soldiers, and the atmosphere instantly quieted down.
His piercing eyes remained fixed on the two figures disappearing into the distance.
That man, being able to infiltrate the heavily guarded Sistine Fortress, seemed far from ordinary…
The two rode until they reached a forest. The faint cries of wild animals could be heard in the distance. Gwen led Ann towards the source of the commotion. "Meryl."
"Your Highness!" The maid named Meryl immediately dropped the red-furred fox she had just hunted and curtsied. "You're back at last!" On the snow, which was spattered with blood stains, five wild animals, including hares, foxes, and even a falcon, were laid out in an orderly row.
"Your Highness asked me to hunt in your place. But I'm not nearly as good as you." Meryl complained, feeling rather aggrieved. "I only managed to catch these. I don't know if it'll be enough to deceive Lord Eli."
Only? Lancaster stared in disbelief. Meryl, without any weapons and having no magical traces, had managed to catch these prey with nothing but her bare hands. She didn't seem like an ordinary maid… more like a highly trained warrior.
"Is this the person you've been searching for, Your Highness?"
Meryl studied Lancaster from head to toe and came to a conclusion.
Barely worthy of her Highness, she thought.
Gwen was about to return to the main path to meet up with Knight Captain Eli and leave the border when Lancaster stopped her.
"How do I know you won't trick me into the city and then kill me?"
How dare you impugn the word of Her Royal Highness!' Meryl exclaimed with a sharp rebuke."
How ungrateful this person is!
"What will it take for you to trust me?" Gwen waved her hand, signaling Meryl to step back.
"A blood pact." Lancaster said in a low voice.
"Only those with magical talent can make a blood pact." Gwen folded her arms, regarding Lancaster with interest. "As I recall, the eldest son of the Garcia family has no magical talent."
Of course, she knew about Lancaster's magical abilities in her past life. She was just playing along.
Lancaster's magical aptitude was considerably inferior. In contrast to Gwen's proficient second - level "A" grade ice magic, his thunder magic was merely a rudimentary seventh - level "F".
But by a stroke of luck, he had studied the secret arts of Emperor Norman. Unlike other mages with fixed upper limits of magical power, his could be increased through cultivation.
In her past life, before she died, Lancaster's magic had become as powerful as that of a first-level "S" grade talent mage, if not more. He was truly a chosen one.
"Everyone has their secrets." Lancaster said simply, offering no explanation.
He was clearly trying to gain an advantage by getting a blood pact with the Princess.
To gain Lancaster's trust, Gwen had no choice but to comply. "Fine."
She agreed so easily? It was too smooth, and Lancaster couldn't help but feel suspicious.
A blood pact was a binding contract. Once made, it could not be broken. The one who violated it would be severely punished and lose their magical abilities.
For the royal family, magical power was a crucial factor in the battle for succession. Prince Tyr had not been officially named heir because he lacked magical talent.
Even though King Cepheus favored his eldest son's claim, many nobles supported Prince Freud, who had "S" grade magical talent.
Why was she so determined to have him?
After a moment's hesitation, he saw Gwen remove the ruby and silver needle earring from her ear.
The three elements of a blood pact: the blood, magic power, and metal of the contracting parties.
Gwen tapped her finger lightly, and the soft snow instantly became a smooth, hard altar. She placed the earring on the "altar".
Lancaster also took off the bronze snake - shaped pendant from his neck and put it on the ruby.
At first look, the nice ruby looked like a red rose twisted with a green snake, really beautiful.
Both of them pricked their index fingers. Red blood droplets welled up from the wounds and dripped onto the ice altar, merging towards the center in perfect harmony.
Gradually, the faint blue-white ice magic in her blood intertwined with a strand of leaping dark blue thunder light.
What was going on… Gwen was taken aback.
Magic resided in the blood. The fact that Lancaster's blood could blend with hers meant their magic was highly compatible.
Such compatibility was a rare occurrence, as recorded in ancient texts.
Why was it happening between her and Lancaster?
Never mind. Better to finish this troublesome blood pact quickly. If they took too long, Eli would surely start nagging again.
"In the name of the Ten Gods, I swear." Gwen placed her right hand on her heart and spoke clearly and calmly.
"I swear that I will never harm Lancaster von Garcia. If I break this oath, I shall submit to the judgment of the Gods."
"I will be forsaken by divine grace, barred from the temples, and lost in eternal night."
"I, Gwen Ackerman, swear this oath."
As she spoke, a red light burst from the ice altar, a red and black magic array emerged, and the offerings were swallowed by the light like a blood - red maw greedily devouring them.
Is this what a blood pact looks like?
Lancaster frowned. It truly lived up to its reputation as the most sinister of contracts.
He hadn't expected her to actually make a pact with him. And she had even said "forever".
What was your true intention, Your Highness?
A smile tugged at his lips. "In the name of the Ten Gods, I swear."
The Ten Gods Religion was the state religion of Linsey. But under the influence of his mother, Lancaster wasn't a believer. This opening line was just for Gwen's sake, since the royal family were all devout followers.
Besides, the oath for a blood pact was fixed. He might as well just copy it.
"I swear that I will never harm Gwen Ackerman. If I break this oath, I shall submit to the judgment of the Gods."
What was he doing? Gwen maintained her standard smile, but doubts swirled in her mind.
A blood pact could be one-sided. Lancaster didn't have to swear for her. But she had no reason to refuse this unexpected promise.
The light faded. It seemed the blood pact was complete.
"Now, do you trust me?" Gwen glanced ruefully at the ruby earring that had been consumed by the magic array. It was a tribute, a gift from her father.
Losing one like this was truly a pity.
Lancaster nodded slightly, a tinge of disappointment in his eyes.
He hadn't expected the magic array to swallow his family heirloom necklace. Still, trading a necklace for the blood pact of the Princess of Linsey was a bargain.