The Scarlet Phoenix and the Prince of Winter

Chapter Seven

'Or if she's like you.'

Well, I know that he means it in a different way but I could not just stop myself from assuming that he was definitely talking about me. Plus, he just revealed a piece of vital information to me, and that's what I am getting so excited about.

"Rainha... Are you alright? You spaced out," said the Crown Prince to me which sent me back to earth.

"Oh. I just thought about something."

"But are you okay? You looked very flustered."

I wanted to say to him that I am not okay, that I think my whole body is palpitating from what he just confessed to me, but I can't because I don't want all of this to shatter into pieces. So I just shook my head while trying to hide my red cheeks in the dark.

"I guess you're flustered by what just happened. Maybe you did not want that guy who you called Calyx to see you with another man?" the Crown Prince suggested.

"It's not like that," I defended myself from his teases. "I'm telling the truth," I added when I saw him frown at me. "It's not because I don't want him to see me with another man like the way you think, but it's because now that Calyx thinks that I have a boyfriend he would tell it to my family. And I don't know what's worse. Aunt Milca will be ecstatic, but she will definitely ask me to introduce my so-called 'boyfriend' to her, which you know, is impossible. While my brother will probably get angry with me because he likes Calyx for me, so he'll come home just to scold me for that. But I don't care, I guess I'll have to endure everything from him as he's going to get married anyway."

Prince Kao was shaking his head as he listened to me, so I was nervous about what he was going to say. "You worry too much," he said to me with a smile, his breath swishing upward like mist coming out from his mouth because of the cold. "Just don't tell your Aunt about it. And if she learns about your 'boyfriend' from that guy then just tell him about my fake identity."

"That won't work. My Aunt is something, you know. She will not believe me unless she'll see the guy I'm parading as my boyfriend. She's too excited to get rid of me, you know."

"But why? Are you two not on good terms?"

"I don't know if that is the right term," I said in a defeated voice. I swear every time I have to explain to someone how complicated my relationship is with my aunt, it drains my energy. "She's not evil, but she's not good either. Let us just say that she resented being my only relative left and that she had to work twice as hard just to support us when me and my brother got orphaned."

"Oh. I guess she hated the sudden burden?"

"Yeah... She used to be a kind soul before. But as she was left with her dead younger brother's kids I guess it took a toll on her. She had to work three jobs just to support us, you know. That is why I don't hate her even though my friends do. I still feel guilty for her. She was just twenty when me and my brother fell into her responsibility."

"That's sad."

"Yeah. When I was young I kept on hearing from other people how they pity my Aunt for having to work for us, so I promised to myself that when I get old enough I will find a job and help her. I did find a job when I was eight. And since then I had never become jobless."

"And your brother went on to work as a Royal Guard?"

"Yes. He wanted me to stop from working. That was his goal in entering the military, but still even with him there his wage was not enough to cover us. Our Aunt had a lot of loans that doubled over time and we had to pay for them."

"It was like a never-ending loop. We work, we pay, and then we work again. Such is the pitiful condition of people like us, Your Highness. So one day when you finally become the King, I hope you'll look at people like us. Forgive me for saying this but your father is not that good with helping his people but I believe that you are different from him."

"Thank you, Rainha. And again, I'm sorry for the neglect that you received from my father. I hope you forgive him."

I shook my head. "Don't worry, I never blamed him anyway because if I believe that it is not our fault that we lived that way then what happened to my family is also not your father's fault."

"But you and your brother should have received help from the King. Everyone who had lost parents like you and your brother should have received assistance. It is only right to aid people of Aure who need it the most, right?"

"Well yeah, I guess so. But still, it was our fate so I also think that it's wrong to demand from other people help when everyone just feels the same cold, you know?"

"I'm sorry about that---"

"Now you are the one who keeps on saying sorry..."

He laughed again at that. "Our whole conversation sounds like it is just a thread of excuses to say sorry."

"But that's what makes you admirable. At least f you become the King one day, I hope you'll be better than your father, Your Highness. I don't want anyone to be in my shoes anymore. It's very exhausting to work for years."

He nodded. "You are incredible, Rainha. I am glad that it was you that I chose to talk to and not your brother."

I had to bite my upper lip again just so I would not squeal or shout with joy. The Crown Prince just complimented me! This was enough to make me faint! So I guess I have to compliment myself too for holding on strong in vulnerable times like this.

"It must have been hard for you," the Crown Prince added. "Don't worry, after this I'll pay you enough Coalstones so that you may rest if you like."

"That's not really necessary," I told him even though I liked what he just said. I was impressed that he thinks that my brother and I deserved to have received assistance, which proves that he is a lot more compassionate than his father could ever be. It only magnified my hidden love for him, but I have to be firm when it comes to my principles. I promised myself that I will never lean on a man to save me from my this place that I am stuck in even if it means that I have to work as a Court Servant for the rest of my life.

"Well, I have to pay you in some way," he said to me clearly. "I was planning on paying you anyway. And after I heard your story I will make sure that you're going to be well-compensated for this."

"But that would make people around us wonder---"

"You don't have to think about what they are going to say," he said. "If the Coalstones comes from me then they should not question its purpose anyway."

"Let us talk about that later," I told him when I saw that we had finally arrived at the stairs that would lead to our neighborhood. "We are finally here."

"Okay."

We took the steps and came out of the underground street into an empty snow-covered suburb. A covered path was lined with houses on each side, which stretched as far as we could see.

The Crown Prince stopped walking when he realized where we were.

"Are you alright?" I asked him. "If you don't feel safe, you can wait here, and then I'll just go to our house and fetch my Aunt for you---"

"No, no," he immediately objected. "I can go with you. I was just... surprised... This is the first time that---"

"That you are in a place like this?" I said, finishing his sentence for him to which he shyly nodded. "Don't worry, people won't hurt you here. We might be a poor neighborhood but we are not bad people you know."

"I did not mean that, Rainha..."

"I know. So come one, don't worry I'll protect you." I even winked at him to show him that I am that confident that nothing would happen to him while he is here on my territory. He obliged, but I could feel that he became warier of his surroundings after entering this place.

We walked on the pavement in silence while watching the dark silhouettes of houses along the way. The Crown Prince looked genuinely interested in them for some reason. There was even a point when he gasped when he saw one of the houses which were covered entirely in thick snow.

"That's a very thick sheet of ice," he told me as we pass by it. "It must be very cold for the family that lives in there."

I nodded. "A widowed woman lives in there together with her four children. They have no means of removing the ice which has accumulated to that state for years."

"That's very sad," said the Crown Prince and I could feel that he was again feeling guilty for everything that he sees in here. "I wish I could be the King as soon as possible so that I could do something about things like these."

"That's very nice to hear," I told him sincerely. To be honest, I have been feeling bad for the family that lives in that frozen house. Since snowfall and the frost in this country do not stop, ice had started to form as hard as rocks in our houses, which contributes to further cold. A house that has thick sheets of ice covering it is the same as being outside a normal home, which meant that whoever lives in these types of houses have little to no means of repairing it. Ice-shaving is such an expensive thing, so most of us here cannot really afford it. All we can do is endure the cold by wearing thicker clothes.

"Are we far from your house yet?" he then asked.

"Not that far," I answered and pointed to a curve on the path that snaked into an open space. "Our house is located there," I said pointing at the hill behind the last row of houses.

"The one that's above the hill?"

"Yes."

"I noticed that you are far from your neighbors," he told me as we reached the last house on the row in our left, which meant that all we have to do is walk towards the hill that's also covered in snow.

"My mother was a tailor," I told him again. "She used to work on a very noisy sewing machine which the neighbors complained about that's why we relocated to that house when my parents were just a newlywed couple."

"I see. And your Aunt?"

"She was living in the Central District with her friends as she worked in a cafe before my father died. She only started living with us when she learned of her brother's death."

It was so weird talking about my family and my past with the Crown Prince. This was like something I would have dreamed of for nights. This was one of my fantasies, me and the Crown Prince having small talks while looking at each other dreamily. It feels like two separate worlds have joined all of a sudden and I am not prepared for it.

"Here we are," I said when we reached the front door of our house. Prince Kao was looking at our house with intense curiosity that almost kills me. I don't know why but when someone important to you finally is here seeing a part of you that he or she has not yet seen makes me nervous and scared of what they might think of me.

Just like now, the Crown Prince was looking at the details of our house. I don't know what is exactly interesting in our small wooden house that made him quiet, and it gives me the suspense that I did not felt before.

"Your house is simple but beautiful."

I almost choked when I heard him say that. "Our house is just a commoner's house, Your Highness."

"Which makes it very special."

"I won't disagree with you anymore with that," I told him with a smile and pushed the door open. It was not locked, which meant that someone was already in the house.

The smell of flour and bread attacked our nostrils as we enter the house. It was dim inside, probably because my Aunt is already sleeping. "Just sit there," I said to Prince Kao, pointing to him the dusty chairs in our sitting room. "I'll go and check my Aunt at her room."

"Okay."

I went in the direction of our rooms. Our house is a bungalow, so all of our rooms are situated side by side with each other. Of course, my brother's room is locked because we only ever open it when we have to clean it from time to time since he's not staying here anymore, while my room is the one in between. I went to the left-most room. The door was slightly open. "Aunt Milca?" I called but no one answered.

Assuming that he was already asleep, I went inside but to my surprise, no one was there on her bed. Panic then started to sweep all over me. Where was my Aunt?

"Aunt Milca? Where are you?" I called again, but louder this time. I went to the bathroom but it was also empty. And so is the kitchen. Then I checked my room and even Garreth's room, but no one was there.

I went back to the sitting room, deeply puzzled. Prince Kao stood up and meet me. "Where is she? I heard you calling for her."

"She's not here," I told him. "She's not here inside the house. I already checked everywhere."

"What? But where did she go? Did she perhaps had an overtime work?"

"I don't know. It has never happened before, that is why I'm this worried. She should be home by now."

"You mentioned that she works in a bakery, right? Maybe she's still there?" the Crown Prince suggested but I know that it was not the case. "Bakeries have a lot of Coalstones for baking bread. Maybe she chose to stay there for the night?"

"I don't think so," I said as I just found something that might lead us to my Aunt. I went to the dining table where I saw a cup of cold coffee was sitting on top of the table next to two slices of toast. "I was right. She was already here. That's why the door was already open even if no one is here right now."

The Crown Prince now could understand what I was talking about. "Are you thinking that something bad happened to your Aunt?"

I nodded because I saw another clue to what might have happened here before we arrived. There was a drop of blood on the floor just beside the table where the untouched cup of coffee was placed.