11 Chapter 10

Skay

I remained pensive, not knowing very well if I had to explain the history of the world to which she belonged or if my duty was to stay silent and let Alice discover by herself the nightmares created by the cold, each time with more strength and impetus.

The girl looked at me with pleading eyes, eager to know the whole truth, or at least a part that would help her discover who she really was. But even I could not believe that Alice was the daughter of Queen Opal.

I debated with myself in these thoughts, but finally Alice overcame me with her gaze and I decided that since I had behaved so disrespectfully to her, at least she deserved to explain what she should know. That was my way of compensating what had happened a few minutes ago.

I motioned for her to follow me through the distinguished corridors of the palace and Alice hesitated for a moment, but decided to do as I said.

We began to walk along luminous corridors in silence, until I visualized in the distance a maid with a cart of drinks and fresh fruit, in the direction of the royal room. Then, my heart suffered a spasm and I whispered to Alice in a soft voice: "Get behind me and look down. The people who work in the palace still do not know who you are, nor even that you are here."

"And who am I?" Alice asked confused by the special treatment that had been given to her identity.

I frowned at her question and could not answer, not at that moment. I tried not to draw much attention when we passed the maid, but I could not stop her from stopping with the cart to bow respectfully.

The maid was a young girl who had suffered numerous attacks from the cold and had been rescued by a group of warm legionnaires.

At that moment, she wore her usual maid's clothes. A black and white dress that reached a few inches above the knees. In addition, she wore her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and moved energetically to pay her respects.

"Good morning, highness." she muttered in a whisper something embarrassed.

When he looked at me, her cheeks caught some color and I prayed that she would not notice more than usual in Alice, half hidden behind my back, so quiet that I could barely hear her breathing.

However, that girl was too curious to not try to look over my shoulder and discover who the mysterious girl with me was. When she saw Alice's blond hair, almost white, the maid opened her eyes wide and began to hyperventilate, as if she had seen the main character of her worst nightmares.

"A cold one!" she screamed completely out of herself, very frightened and at the same time she backed a few steps back as fast as possible.

I sighed, resigned. I would have liked not to have to resort to my magical gifts, but I knew first hand that the maid was traumatized by the cold, like most people in the realm of the warm. So I did the only thing I could do. I approached her and touched her forehead. Then the girl fell into my arms, asleep.

"What have you done to her? How...?" Alice asked approaching to watch the scene, without understanding anything.

"I've just numbed her. When she wakes up, she will think that seeing you has been just one more nightmare among the many that she must have." I explained with a relaxed face and a little annoyed to have had to resort to this type of measures.

I left the girl on the floor, her head resting on the wall and I turned to Alice, who was standing with one hand closed against her chest and her face seemed worried.

Next, we followed our path in silence and did not open my mouth again until we entered the secret passages. These were behind a wall like any other, you could only distinguish the entrance thanks to a small hole and once you had entered inside, you could not exit whereby you had entered. It was like a huge labyrinth in which many curious people had come to give their lives. However, I had studied all the entrances and exits to perfection, so there was no possibility that we were locked up.

Once inside, I heard a little cry of surprise that came from Alice. The girl looked at me, surprised and with her mouth completely opened. I could not help but laugh at the face she had put.

"What's your problem?" I asked without understanding her reaction.

"What's my problem? You are shining like a torch!" Alice screamed exasperatedly as if I was a fool who could not understand the situation.

"Oh, that." I mumbled to discover that young girl did not really know practically nothing about this world, regarding her reaction.

"THAT... yes. Is it so normal?" she asked relaxing a little, finally realizing that perhaps it was nothing unusual among the people here.

I turned a little to look at her and I could see that her body did not shine in the darkness at all, it was as dark as the night. Then, I decided to explain some basic things: "The body of all the warm starts to shine when we are in the dark. It is like a reaction that our system makes so that around us there is always light and we are never surrounded by darkness."

Alice frowned, still more confused. It was obvious that everything was too big for her, she did not know what it was to live in a constant and interminable war or what all this supposed. She did not know anything about the abilities of the enemy, nor of the warm people... Alice, whom my father swore was the true heiress to the throne, did not seem to me to be a good option for the kingdom for which I would have given everything, even my life.

I stared at her while negative thoughts assailed my mind. She seemed so physically to the cold, that it was hard to believe that there could be someone like Alice. Was she really warm in the heart or was it all a trick, a trap very well worked by Ageon, the king of the cold? And yet, I had not been able to avoid feeling hopelessly attracted to her. And I hated myself for it. But I would not fall again, I refused.

In addition, it was still to be seen that Alice was accepted by the realm of the warm ones. Most likely there would be riots and disputes by the people, she was not fitted. After all, I had been trained from my birth to reign. Everything I did was for the purpose of being better each day and worthy of being called majesty, like my father, who was respected by all.

And Alice was going to be able to steal that from me? Alice did not know anything. She did not know what her presence in the palace supposed, much less what was at stake.