~ Signs ~

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Duchess Rowena asked. "Is anything the matter?"

Winter's usual bright eyes were framed by dark bags. The child, who was normally attentive and eager to learn, was having a hard time staying awake during class.

Winter nodded, bobbing her head up and down slowly. "I do apologize for my rather incompetent behaviour. I seem to be feeling quite sick today."

Winter knew she was lying. Truthfully, she had returned from the Black Market with Henrik rather late last night. She hardly got any sleep before Esme came to help her prepare for her morning lessons.

"Oh my," Duchess Rowena said, frowning at the half-asleep child. "If that's the case, then Her Highness should retire early today. We can continue our lesson next time."

Winter frowned. "I really wanted to see you though."

The Duchess chuckled, covering her mouth with a gloved hand. "Your Highness, how about I formally invite you to have tea sometime?"

"Ah, yes please do!"

"I shall also invite a few nobles ladies whom I am closely acquainted with. It would be a suitable way for you to build connections in the social world."

The Duchess frowned, thinking about the possibility of Winter being used by people like Marchioness Laurente. If she could select a handful of loyal and good people for Winter, then she could feel at peace.

She recalled how her husband, the Duke, mentioned that Marquis Laurente's family has been involved in some shady business lately. There were rumours circulating about the Marquis gambling off his territory's finances at casinos. A few rumours even suggest he had been frequenting the Black Market lately.

"Duchess?" Winter asked, tilting her head at the woman. "Is there perhaps something bothering you?"

The Duchess shook her head. "Your Highness, you must be careful with whom you choose to associate with. You are still a little young to understand this, but the last thing you need is to be caught in a power struggle."

Winter knew what Rowena was speaking about all too well. Politics. Succession. Aristocracy. They were all major factors in "The Cursed Winter".

"Are you perhaps speaking about the line of succession amongst my brothers? The King has yet to appoint a Crown Prince, but since Alexion had his coronation first, it is assumed he will takeover."

Duchess Rowena paled. "Your Highness, you mustn't speak so openly about these matters!"

"Please don't misunderstand me," Winter said, smiling reassuringly. "I am only bring such matters up because I trust you. Furthermore, I have yet to receive a politics teacher, so I have quite a few questions."

The Duchess sighed, glancing around anxiously.

"I suppose if it is only a few questions. Please do go ahead."

"Do you think it's possible for someone to want to overthrow my father?"

"Well," The Duchess said, thinking about how to word her explanation. "If a member of the Royal family forcibly takes the throne from the rightful King, then they will usurp the throne. There is also the possibility for a faction of rebels to be created."

Winter knew this well. Aiden forcibly took the throne by killing off all the other successors and the rightful monarch who currently ruled. The novel focused on this aspect, but never went into an aristocracy and monarchy power struggle.

"By rebels, you mean aristocrats who wish to purge the rights amongst monarchy to inherit power through birth. Right?"

The Duchess nodded. "Aristocracy is a form of government where several powerful individuals or families rule. Monarchy, however, is the right to rule by inheriting the throne through birth."

"Are there currently any families who do not support my family?"

The Duchess paused. "In the Silvermondian Empire there are simply aristocrat families who support the King and families who are neutral. Rebels are normally... eliminated, as soon as possible."

"I see," Winter said with a smile. "As expected, you always help me. Thank you, Duchess Rowena."

Winter thought about the Duchess' words. What if the Laurentes targeted Aiden because they didn't support the King? Using Aiden as a means to achieve power was a plausible reason for Catrina to pursue him romantically.

Since rebels would be easily targeted and eliminated, the Laurentes hid their intention by using Aiden as a shield.

Winter said her goodbyes to the Duchess before Esme and Ezekiel came to escort her back to her room.

"Did your lesson go well, Princess?" Esme asked her with a sweet tone. "The Duchess seemed happy with your progress."

Winter nodded.

"Ah, that's good!" Esme said, clapping her hands together. "The King requested for you and your brothers to have dinner together. Isn't that nice?"

Ever since her banquet, her entire family has been excessively busy with the investigation. Winter smiled, thinking about how long it's been since she saw their faces.

"It has been a while," She said with a slight giggle. "It would be nice to catch up with them."

"Then Her Highness should rest before the dinner," Esme nagged. "Your complexion has become sullen. How odd. I checked on you last night and you seemed to be sound asleep under your sheets."

Winter swallowed nervously. "Ah, that-"

They neared her bedroom door.

"Actually," She said, making an effort to change the subject. "Esme, could you prepare tea for Ezekiel and I?"

Esme sighed. "I shall prepare tea to aid with your fatigue. Then, please excuse me."

Esme bowed before scurrying off to prepare the tea. Winter sighed, opening her bedroom door and gesturing for Ezekiel to enter with her.

She walked over to her dresser, searching for where she had left the black candle in a rush this morning. Since Esme had yanked her out of bed to prepare for her morning lesson, she didn't get a chance to properly hide it.

Winter froze upon seeing the candle. Someone had crushed it completely, leaving nothing but broken chunks of black wax and a candle wick. Next to the broken gift was a small piece of paper.

[The candle has burnt out. Someone follows your movements closely. Proceed with caution.]

"Ezekiel," She called, crushing the remnants of the candle in her palm. "Who do you think broke my candle?"

"I'm not sure," He said, examining the crushed pieces. "Esme and I waited outside the drawing room during your lessons. Prince Aiden left before you this morning for training, so no one else should've been in here."

Winter knew that nobody else from the Palace had been in her room. She was the last one to leave and no maids, except Esme, had permission to enter and exit her quarters freely.

Her stomach flipped as she crumpled the small paper inside her clenched fist. Something was wrong. Was this a sign from Henrik?

Winter fell to her knees and began to breathe heavily. She clawed at her chest which ached with an immeasurable pain. If Henrik did this, then the message was clear as day.

Niana and Rubika were dead.

Calm down, she thought to herself between breaths. Maybe she was overthinking it?

"Winter," Ezekiel called out hesitantly. "W-What should I do? Should I call for someone?"

Winter shook her head. "I, I'm fine. I'm just tired."

Why would Henrik break the candle and state it was burnt out? Winter bit her lip and tried to stand, but her chest ached with anxiety. She fell back to her knees, hitting the cold floor harshly once again. Were they really dead?

"I'm going to call for help," Ezekiel said, grabbing her arm and pulling her up from the floor. "Your complexion looks terrible."

"Please don't," She said between heavy breaths, desperately trying to shake the feeling of dread within her. "I'm fine, just help me to my bed."

If what she thought was the truth, then the signs were clear as day. Somebody had been tailing them that night.

As Winter slid into the warm sheets of her bed, the feelings scarring her heart began to claw away at her every being. The novel was progressing faster than she thought it would. Was this because her presence altered the story?

"Ezekiel," She said with quivering lips. "I need you to get my brothers. My father, the King, and all the Princes. I need you to get them all. Etrix too."

Ezekiel flinched. What was happening?

"Will you be okay all by yourself?" He asked her hesitantly, pulling her blankets to her chin. "If I leave you and something happens-"

"Esme will be back soon. Please, I need you to go. Tell them it's an emergency."

Ezekiel nodded and left as she told him to.

Winter shivered underneath her blankets. Her entire body was being swallowed and devoured by the familiar sensation of cold needles. If she didn't control her emotions soon, her entire room would turn into an ice cube.

Two innocent people had died because of her antics. If this was the truth, then she would never forgive herself.

Perhaps at one moment in time she would've regarded them as nonexistent. She wouldn't have even considered them as people, since her entire world existed within sheets of paper. But the look in Rubika's eyes as she sent them off was far too humanlike.

Those eyes and that expression- they belonged to a real person. A real person who was killed because she had sought her out.

If someone had followed her from the Palace, then the Laurentes' manipulation and influence had already infiltrated the Kingdom. She had to do something before it could escalate.

The doors to her room burst open.

"Winter!"