Countess Winter

Long long ago, there existed a land of winter.

It's people were hardy, but warm to each other and their families.

They were simple people with simple needs. They respected their lords and gods, conversely, their lords looked after them well, their gods never turned their ear away.

Now, the only lord that vast Winterland has is Countess Sasha Winterchild.

'So, You must absolutely succeed in seducing that girl. '

' Just be your sweet and valiant self, the girl will love you to pieces. '

' We were told she was a girl who loved songs, dances and dresses. '

' And beautiful, so it's not a losing deal either, if she falls in love and weds you. '

Those are the words of his aunt, Dahlia Drakon.

For the purpose of demonstrating the might of her army, his aunt lent him a dragon.

He flew all the way here, from 'first step' port to here.

Windcastle stood up to its name, wings hugging a straight rising cliff, the castle set amidst the wings bent backwards, like an eagle ready to take off.

The wings formed curtain wall around castle, protecting it from winds, and gaps in between feathers a perfect to be used as murder holes.

The castle is made entirely of marble, white and yellow. The marble tiles on both inside and outside matched in such a way they looked like the underside and upper side of feathers.

It's windows were the same, taller than a twelve feet, barely three feet wide, made of colored glass, casting thousand rainbows inside and outside.

It's long and lean turret's touched the bottom of clouds with their brass flagpoles, while the base was still enclosed in fog. The castle looks as if it is floating amidst clouds.

It truly stands up to it's name of most beautiful castle in the continent.

A contingent of guards were waiting in a yard full of loose snow. Yet, he could tell from the formation, they were not waiting for him, but coincidentally there to greet him among their other chores.

He burned with anger at the blatant disrespect.

He wanted to make the snow in the yard fly all over their faces, and disturb the little scene they set up for him as a power play. No matter which angle one looked at this scene, it's a power play.

Only, the dragon did not listen to him at all and landed in the free space set for it with nary a snow flake disturbed.

The princess was standing in front of a white tree with red leaves, which still looked lush in the dead of winter.

The princess was exactly as beautiful as she was described to be, at least from the back.

Her red hair gleamed like fire, her snow white arms are bare, like the cold does not affect her.

The snow flakes that landed in her hair and gown gleamed like diamonds. Her sapphire gown is subtly worked with sapphires and silver thread, subtly gleaming, and making it look all the more charming.

He opened his mouth to call her, but the guard dressed in fur like a barbarian warned them with a loud shushing sound.

"The princess's prayer is not finished. Wait!" The other guard beside him warned them.

"Not a princess, merely a lady." The woman beside him grumbled.

Princess Sera Summers is from the desert. She was very annoyed with this cold.

And to see the girl in front of her dressed so prettily, while she herself is wrapped in thousand layers like a fat woman irked her.

However, she understood politics better than the Dragon prince.

It's better to wait silently.

After a wait of ten minutes, which felt like hours to the waiting party as winter winds rustled by them, the princess lowered her hands.

The next moment, the coldest and fastest wind they have ever felt whistled by them, lifting up the snow in a spray and creating a veil of white, as if paying tribute to the winter princess.

As the veil of snow fell down, western sun shone directly on the princess, it's as if she is lit up in a divine halo. The snowflakes frozen into ice shards due to cold glints like diamonds as they swirled in the breeze behind her.

The entire scene couldn't be more surreal.

For a moment, everyone in Dragon prince's party were struck dumb at the beauty of the princess.

Sure enough, they heard she is beautiful, but the words could not do justice to her beauty.

There is a loneliness and gentle strength to her visage, as if time could pass on for eons, she would still be here, looking just as beautiful and divine.

"You are in the presence of the wardeness of Winterland, reigning princess of winter land Sasha Winterchild." The booming voice of the guard on the right announced.

"Speak your business, Stranger." The warrior woman on the right banged her spear butt for extra effect.

Sasha's eyes twinkled at the performance of her guards.

Sera is the first one to recover.

"Greetings Lady Sasha. I am Princess Sera summer. My companion here is the conqueror of the east, Dragon prince Arthur Drakon."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Princess Sera, Prince Arthur Drakon." Sasha greeted me.

"Likewise, Lady Sasha!" Prince Arthur moved forward to kiss her hand.

"Your highness Sasha. " The man beside her corrected the address once more.

Princess Sasha extended her hand, solving the diplomatic crisis.

Yet, Sera was quick to notice the princess did not raise her hand till the guard beside her finished correcting Arthur.

This is by no means a girl whose head is in clouds, and who dreamed of a prince to whisk her away.

For the first time, Sera wondered if the curse of Winterland was true.

The curse said as long as a winter child lived, the land of Winterland could not be conquered.

None but a winter child could hold the Winterland, even if it's conquered.

They were the oldest monarchy in the world, east, west, north or south.

It's the unconquered land. Sure, it's not very much desired, all the same, when it was desired, even with overwhelming numbers, no enemy army conquered it till date.

Even the Hawthorn family which ruled Summerland née hundred kingdoms only made peace with them.

The first emperor of Summerland was a friend of Edward Winterchild, late king of Winterland. Together, Hawthorn and Winterchild families overthrew the last Drakon invasion.

Rykkor Drakon, who led the invasion, was a thousand times the man Arthur was from all accounts.

Arthur Drakon is far too arrogant to deal with this wise princess, Sera opined.

They miscalculated the situation to a folly.

If Arthur prances around like he usually does, he will more than lose.

Yet, Sera has no way of stopping prince Arthur.

Perhaps the best she could do is remain neutral if a conflict occurs and keep their desert kingdom out of it.

" Lady Sasha Winterchild. I hereby announce the intent of Fire queen Dahlia to subjugate the land of winter, and give you an opportunity to surrender bloodlessly. " Arthur said formally.

' That's right. Just stop it there, for god's sake ' Sera prayed internally.

Alas! Her prayers were in vain.

"Personally, I would prefer you reject it. I would love to conquer a beautiful and stubborn lady like you." Arthur said in a sultry tone.

'Please gods! Let them see I am not related to this man in any manner. ' Sera changed her prayer.

If Sasha was angered, she did not show it on her face.

She just stood there, doing nothing.

Her guards stood besides her, equally expressionless.

Arthur, who expected Sasha to either become angry enough to slap him, or one of the guards to put a weapon to his throat stood there awkwardly, losing his momentum .

Thankfully, his upbringing kicked in, and he grew more and more solemn as the time passed.

Just as he couldn't bear the silence and was about to speak, Sasha Winterchild answered.

"I refuse." The simple words, spoken in her cold voice, in utter total contrast from the gentle tone of earlier, were like a splash of cold water on their faces.

A shiver ran up and down all their spines.

There is something magical in that voice. It made goosebumps rise on their skin, fear cloud their hearts.

it's as if these words are not coming from a mere girl, but a being made of cold and swords, all it's sharp tips aimed straight at their hearts. There's a ruthless and inhumane being hid behind those words. This pretty shell is but a ruse of this ruthless creature.

"Ah, my lady! You do see my dragon, don't you? It's not even a minute's work to burn your entire castle to mud." Arthur spoke coldly.

Thankfully, this time, he left any pretense of being a fool behind.

'As expected, those raunchy words are just to unsettle me.' Sasha thought, though there's no inkling of her thoughts on her face.

"Your dragon, is it? "

Sasha Winterchild said lazily, with the grace of a winter wolf that symbolizes their house peeking through.

She walked straight to the dragon, with slow and elegant steps, as if she was meeting a friend she invited to a tea party.

"May I touch you? "

Sasha asked the dragon, which was lying down lazily, and watching the goings on with a half closed eye.

She waited for the dragon to decide.

After what felt like a thousand heart stopping hours, the dragon opened its mouth, with fire bubbling in the back of it's throat.