To Be Saved - Hiatus

1 - The Duchy of Nakard

It was a gloomy wheather, but a typical one for the duchy of Nakard. The snow just stopped after falling all night long, it piled up to the point a grown man would sink to their torso if they walked on it. People here are used to it, so all commonly used routes have already been shoveled by noon. Just now, the citizens finished shoveling the main road into the city.

A carriage was waiting at the other side. Despite the freezing cold, the driver kept a perfect demeanor on his seat while waiting for the road to open. It was a white carriage with gold decorations. Real gold. It finally entered the city.

Everyone already knew who rode the carriage. The youngest prince of the Kingdom of Cresentya, Prince Asa. The prince who's to be engaged to the Duchess of Nakard, Hira Nakard Nordenkav.

The prince pushed the carriage's curtains when it finally started moving again. "Such a depressing weather." He said, watching the dark clouds hiding the sun he so misses. His breathing formed into small foggy clouds in front of him, and his limbs felt numb.

Everyone stared at the passing carriage, but none of these people seemed to be pleased. Asa wasn't surprised, it wasn't a secret that he's to be engaged to Duchess Nordenkav just to tie her down to the royal family.

The Nakard duchy was powerful, too powerful that even the royal family had always been very careful dealing with them. After all, if the Nordenkav family ever decided to go against the royal family, no one would have the power to stop them. It also didn't help that Hira was even more exceptional. Hira was a war hero.

When she first took the seat of duchess of Nordenkav 9 years ago after her parents untimely death, people looked down on her. What would a 16 years old be able to do? Not to mentions she was a girl. Relatives and other nobles all tried to manipulate her. But Hira was no naive child, she was a genius among geniuses.

Hira did not display a single flaw or weakness. From her parent's funeral that was perfectly arranged, to the management of the duchy and the new implemented rules and regulations. Everything was perfect.

Eventually, people just to picked on anything they could, even if it wasn't rational. For one, when the war came, they whispered about how shameful it is for the head of the Nordenkav to not participate in the war like her ancestors did. So Hira wore an armor, held her family's sword, and led the silver soldiers of the Nakard's duchy into the battlefield. And when she came back, she came with the head of the king of the enemies, and presented it to King Aelius II. After that, no one dared to speak of Hira lightly.

That is the woman Asa was engaged to, despite how they never had even one single exchange between them prior to that. Prince Asa was a rope tying Hira and the Nordenkav to the royal family, wrapped as a grace from the royal family to bestow her with the most precious child of the Astraea royal family after she won the war.

"Your highness, there's still time before we reach the Nordenkav mansion.. i'm begging you to change your mind and go back!" A servant seated opposite to Asa. His hands fumbling with the blanket on the prince trying to adjust better.

Asa sighed, bringing his hands closer to his mouth to find warmth "Versios, if I went back to the capital now, what do you think the king will do?". It was useless, the warmth of his breath only lasts a second before his fingers freeze again.

"No matter how mad the king will be, you're still his only child from Queen Abelia!" Versios exclaimed and then kept on going in an anxious voice "I mean, anything would be better than falling into the hands of the Hira! Do you hear about how she beheaded the son of count Korvendam in the middle of a ball? She even threw the head on his father's feet!".

Asa wasn't feeling good. He has been in the carriage for almost three days now, and the closer they got to the duchy of Nakard the colder the weather was. He was freezing, and he wasn't used to this level of cold "that filth had it coming. Everyone knows he tried to touch Lady Aislinn, and everyone knew the Duchess tolerate no insolent to her little sister." He gave the blanket back to Versios as the Nordenkav mansion was finally coming into view as he said "It should be fine as long as I avoid both the Duchess and Lady Aislinn as much as possible."

The carriage finally came to a halt.