The Scarlet Phoenix and the Prince of Winter

Chapter Five

Prince Kao getting this close to me is something that was only possible inside my daydreams, but because of the mysterious connection between our mothers, this had become real life. I will not get tired of telling myself that I can't believe that this is actually happening because I know that I will never move on from this.

He smelled so nice. That was the first thing that I noticed when he hugged me. Plus, I also had to bite my tongue to stop myself from squealing. I knew I was crazy, but who wouldn't? This was like one of my wildest dreams coming true!

"Are you alright?" he asked me as he released me from the friendly hug that he gave me. Of course, I am not dumb to assume that the hug was more than was I don't know what to say to him other than apologize that I just cried after reading her mother's response.

"I'm okay... I was just... you know... That caught me off guard."

"I understand. I cried for days the very first time that I read that letter... I was fifteen when I found that letter in a secured box she left for me..." he said with a tepid smile and that surprised me a lot. Normally, a guy would not admit that he cries or that he is emotional but Prince Kao just admitted to me that he did cry and it just made him more appealing to my eyes. To me, there is nothing more endearing when a man shows his vulnerable side to you. Not only because it means that he trusts you but also because it takes a lot of courage to open such kind of topic. I don't share everybody else's opinion that men who cry are weak. In fact, it's very admirable of them to show that they are human too.

"Your mother...' I said to him quietly when I was sure that my face was now completely dry. "W-Was this the last time that she wrote a letter?"

Prince Kao nodded. His eyes became solemn at my question. "She passed away two days after she wrote this letter."

"What happened to her?" I asked again. "If is it okay with you to ask?"

"Her body gave up. As simple as that."

"Gave up? Gave up from what?"

"I don't exactly know what happened. Even my father did not know what exactly happened to my mother that led her to her death. When I asked him about it, he told me that my mother did a very stupid thing in order to save me from an illness. But when I ask her what did my mother do he would say that he could not understand it too. She just came home to the palace one night with blood all over her. That's what everyone told me when I was old enough to ask about it," Prince Kao said. "All I know is that she was bedridden for days before she died."

"But in this letter though, your mother talked about a 'sacrifice' that involves my mother," I told him. "Could it be that my mother knew what happened to your mother?"

"It looks like it," Prince Kao replied. "Before I discovered that letter all I knew was that my mother died from an unknown illness or accident. But since I found out about this letter I began to question what really happened to my mother. It appears that your mother was somehow involved in her untimely death, but I could not just blame your mother when my own mother doesn't even blame her too."

"W-Well, that's what I think too... Maybe my mother knew what happened to her. That would be the most logical explanation, won't it?"

"Yes. My mother was talking about a cure, didn't she? A cure for your illness? Maybe that cure she was talking bout is the reason that your mother died, and my own mother was the one who introduced it to her?"

"Anything could have happened between the two of them," Prince Kao told me in a serious tone. "Their exchange in this letter did not tell us clearly what exactly happened and what they did. All we have are crumbles of information about something that we don't know. But this is why I searched for you. Ever since I found out who was this woman that my mother was writing letters with, I started formulating new theories in my mind. And I think my theory is correct."

"About what? About my mother's real identity?"

"Yes. That she was part of The Luria, or as they are more commonly known, the Snow Gypsies. My theory is that your mother was involved in some kind of ritual-making and it may have something to do with my mother's death."

My heart thumped at what he just said. "Prince Kao... I mean, Travor, you are not having your revenge on me, right? Even if my mother was indeed guilty---"

But instead of confirming my hunch, the Crown Prince just laughed at what I said. He laughed so heartily that I started laughing too. It was a nice feeling. "Don't be silly. I would never blame you for your mother's sin if she was ever guilty. And just like I said, I can't blame her if my own mother did not blame her."

"That sounds reassuring," I replied honestly. I almost had a heart attack from imagining that this was all happening because the Crown Prince wanted me dead as his revenge.

"I hope you are not scared of me, Rainha. Wait... you are not scared of me aren't you?"

I could die by the way he was looking at me right now, but I choose not to because this might just be the start of something between us. Yes, I was this desperate but I don't care. "I'm not scared of you, Y-Your Highness---"

"Travor, Rainha. My name is Travor."

"Yes, Travor. I am not scared of you. It's just that 'til now I find all of these events miraculous. I'm not even sure if this is real or what."

Again, he laughed loudly. The sound of his laugh is so manly that it disconcerts my whole being. "I assure you that this is real life, Rainha. To be honest with you, my first choice was your brother, Garreth. I almost went to the border where he is stationed right now just to talk to him about your mother but then I decided to search for you instead. I don't want to intrude too much with your older brother, as he is working for our country. Luckily Madame Morris knew everything about you."

"Right," I said slowly, digesting the fact that I was not the first on his mind when the Crown Prince decided to talk to my one of my mother's children. But of course, it was believable because my brother has a higher position than me. It would have been better for the Crown Prince if he was to talk to someone with higher authority.

"So you don't think that my mother actually harmed your mother, but you think that whatever my mother did has something to do with the way your mother died?"

"Precisely. That's why we have to go to your Aunt. I have to ask her a lot of questions about your mother personally."

"Well, she never told me any single thing about my mother. Aunt Milca hated her. But you'd might get lucky squeezing information from her since you are the Crown---"

"Well yeah, let us bank on that."

I nodded. "Now I know why you will go to these lengths just to know more about my mother. She indeed sounded so suspicious if you look at it from an outsider's point of view. Nobody knows where she came from. The Ruthless Blizzards have been raging on for years in these lands, it's impossible that she came from a distant land."

"The Snow Gypsies have been wandering the areas around the kingdom before they totally disappeared. They were known to be travelers, and if I am right that your mother is one of them then she might have come from their home, and that's what I need to know."

"Why? Is it still about your mother? Or are you really convinced that the Snow Gypsies can revive the Scarlet Phoenix and save us from the eternal winter that has been raging on this country?"

"Both, Rainha. But let's see what is waiting for us."

I just nodded because I could not say another word at that. The Crown Prince was already convinced that the Scarlet Phoenix could be revived and I need to respect that. As for me, I am not really a believer in such tales. There is a reason why religion is extinct in this kingdom. We were now so deep in this hole that the winter had put us into that even praying to the Gods has lost its value for us.

Finally, we reached the dark and silent city of Aurville. It was already past twelve so the shops and everything else was now closed. The carriage that we were in stopped inside a tunnel that was the entrance to the underground station. This is where people go when they need to have a ride. The carriage coach was staring at us when we left the vehicle, probably because Prince Kao had covered himself (particularly his handsome face) with a hood made from animal hide. He really did his research well, because he did not look anything royal at all with his outfit.

But it was still cold here, so it was good that the Crown Prince has Coalstones with him, which was placed inside a transparent portable container called a Coal Pad that he put in one of his jumper's pockets to keep him warm. He did the same thing for me and I find it very romantic. He put a Coal Pad in the front pocket of my court lady unform and it just changed everything.

Suddenly it is warm and it sparked happiness in me. I almost hugged him if not for the last remaining brain cell in me that stopped me from doing it. "Thank you, Travor. This feels nice."

He nodded and told me to lead the way back to our house. I told him that it was still a long walk from here at the station, and since it was already past midnight we don't have a choice but to walk. If we came here in the morning we could have rented Icycles, a two-wheeled vehicle that is pedaled manually and works well in icy and rocky paths.

"I think I prefer this way," he told me as we started walking into the underground passage that connects all the streets and districts of the city. It was dark in here but this was safer than above the ground. "I might get attention from the people if we come here during the daytime."

"Well, yeah that's probably true," I told him. "All the girls will lose their minds if they saw you casually walking here. And I tell you even though you disguised yourself so well now, some people will still be able to recognize you."

"Really? Why?"

I stared at him when he said that. Damn, he still looks good in half-dimmed light. "Are you playing on me or do you really not know the answer to that?"

He chuckled. "Believe me, I have no idea what you are talking about."

It was my time to laugh at him. I just find him so adorable that he is still trying to deny to me that he does not know why people, especially girls, will flock to him the first time they saw him here. "Everybody loves you, you know... In case you still don't know. People idolize you. And girls dream of marrying you. You are the Crown Prince. It is natural for us to think of you that way."

"Is that so?"

"Of course. And I think that if your people don't react to you like that, then there might be something terribly wrong about you."

He nodded. "You have a point." Then he stopped from walking and stared t me again as if he will start piercing my soul. "But did I hear you right? You also find me handsome?"

My mouth went into an O at what he just said. "W-What? I never said that!" I was shaking internally because I would have not thought that he would ask me something like this!

"Really?" He looked unconvinced. Or I don't know, maybe he's just teasing me. "I thought I just heard you say that you want to marry me too."

"What? I never said that!"

He laughed again and I never knew that the Crown Prince has a very cheerful and radiant personality. "You just said that girls dream of marrying me. Then you added that it is only natural for you to think that way."

Oh, now I get it. I used the pronoun 'us' so he thought that I included myself to the girls that I said were dreaming of marrying him someday. Which I do, of course, but I would never admit it to him like that! It was a slip of the tongue moment for me!

"I didn't mean it that way," I said to him while my whole face was red from blushing. "You know that I was just trying to explain to you how people would react when they see you here casually walking the underground streets."

He nodded with a big smile on his handsome face and I could not already bear it. "I am just kidding, Rainha. I am sorry if I upset you---"

"Oh no, no, no!" I told him immediately. "It's okay. I'm just not used to you, that's all. I would never think that the Crown Prince knows how to joke---"

"You know you have been calling me that when I'm Travor right now..."

"I'm so sorry!"

He laughed again because I looked so stupid right now. I deserved it, I know but deep inside I just want to kill myself. Why did I even think that I would survive his presence when I agreed on accompanying him back to my home? I should have known that I will blow things up for me and that my reputation will be ruined.

"If I counted all the time you said sorry maybe it would have been over a hundred already, Rainha. You are so funny."

"I'm sorry," I said involuntarily again and that just made him laugh more. I joined him for the sake of the fun, but a part of me was furious that he finds me very funny as I was not sure that it was a good thing. But Prince Kao was having the time of his life now though, laughing at my stupidity so I guess I'll give him a pass. Nobody is perfect anyways.

"Rainha? Is that you?" said a man's voice in front of us and I immediately recognized the voice.

"Calyx?' I said in a hushed tone, because of all people it was him that I did not want to cross paths with while I was with the Crown Prince.