Hey guys, new update here. Hope you are enjoying the holidays so far.

Anyway, here is a new chapter.

Enjoy the read.

Eleven

Winter knew she was dreaming.

She was walking through a garden at least, that is what she believed as she notices the tall edges that were filled with the blue flowers. She recognizes them as the same ones she had placed upon Weiss's that fateful night at the ball. The path she was walking on was filled with snow which was gently falling from the sky above her and yet, she didn't feel at least cold. She was wearing the same dress she wore before going to bed and as the wind rippled the outfit upon her body, she didn't feel at all cold. Winter turned her gaze behind her and in background was the shadow of a castle but she knew it wasn't her home. The castle behind her was much grander and beautiful than White Castle could ever hope to be, thought, the only similarity she could see with the castle she knew were the white marble wall that seems to be part of the surrounding.

Winter then turned her gaze in front of her again, noticing that her feet were still walking forward and they seems to be leading her somewhere. She walked by herself through the garden until she came up to a large opening. It was a large balcony and there was the emblem of the Schnee family standing above the waterfall of frozen water. Winter approached it, staring at the large emblem in front of her. This place was connected to her family, to the Schnee and yet, she had never seen anything like it before.

Just where was she?

She walked past the frozen fountain, she found a man seating there his back faced toward her. The man was dressed in armor, a coat similar to the ones she had seen in paintings of their ancestors. His hair was as white as her own, and it was just as long falling down toward his back. Winter gently approached the man and as if he had heard her, he turned revealing a much younger face than she was expecting. He looked to be around her age. His eyes were as blue as sapphire, and then a strange smile worked it's way upon his lips.

"I have been wondering when you will come," he said.

Winter was confused.

"I don't remember ever meeting you before."

The man had a small chuckle.

"Aye, I don't believe we ever will meet Winter," he said.

Winter blinked in surprise that he knew her name.

"Who are you?"

"I am called Asrys," the man told, "Asrys Schnee."

Asrys.

It wasn't a name that Winter ever believed she had heard before in her lifetime. She had studied about her ancestors and yet, she had never come across a name like this before. It made her wonder exactly just who was this man. It wasn't something that she had expected to see considering that she was dreaming but…somehow, looking at this man…it didn't give her the feeling that she was dreaming.

"It is no dream," the man, Asrys told her, "What is happening here to you is the same that has happened to me as it had happened in our bloodline long before the Schnee went South after the Gate had closed. It would seem that the gift in our bloodline has awakened again."

Winter was completely confused at what the man was saying. Those few sentences he had spoken had awakened a myriad of questions from within the young woman as he stared at her, and she didn't understand anything of what was happening. Asrys's gaze was piercing almost like he could see right through her but there was this gentleness to it, and it reminded her of her father in a way.

"There is much you don't know," he said with a soft sigh, "So much that you don't know…I don't understand why things like that would be forgotten but I do not have the time for any of it. As it was done in our family for centuries, you, Winter Schnee will become the Guardian after me."

"I don't understand what you are talking about," Winter said, "What did you mean by Guardian?"

Asrys looked at her.

"The Goddess Mercy," he said, "Seek it out and all will be revealed."

Winter looked at him, confused.

The Goddess Mercy was the name given to the church that was built within Castle. She visit sometimes when she needed to be in prayer but she couldn't understand why she needed to go there. She approached the man as Asrys looked at her with this gentle look in his eyes.

"She is going to need you," Asrys told her, "The Schnee that went North. She is going to need your help to seat on the Throne."

Winter knew of whom he was talking of.

"But Weiss…is bastard," she said, "She don't have any power…"

"That is a Southern way," Asrys told her, "The Kingdom of our Ancestors carries no such notions. As long as she has the blood of the royal family in her veins, she has much right to seat on a Throne than your brother…Heed my words Winter Schnee, Child of Ice and Snow and of my blood go the Goddess Mercy, and speak the words that bound our family together…in the ancient language of our ancestor…All shall be revealed to you."

It was then Winter had awoken, lying on her side on her bed. The young woman suddenly seated up glancing around herself almost as if she could still see the beautiful garden and the snow that was around her but alas, all she saw was the familiar room she had since she was a girl. Letting out a deep sigh, Winter pulled the cover from her body, and she was surprised that she still remember the dream so vividly. She can remember Asrys's face but somehow, she felt that it would be the last time they would ever meet. Maybe that's why she felt that heaviness in her heart this morn, the heaviness she felt was similar to the ones she had when Weiss had left Atlas behind…it was the same heaviness she felt when she had lost her father…

Winter wasted no time to take a bath and get dressed. She didn't understand much of what was happening but the man had told her that Weiss will need her and she could tell that he wasn't lying. Weiss was all the way up to the Gate and doing her duty as a member of the Hunt as she had always dreamed. Winter couldn't realize how Weiss would be in need of her, but if there is one thing that she understood is that she loved her sister, bastard child or no, she loved her and she would do what she can to be able to help.

The Goddess Mercy was already opened when she had approached toward the small building that was built within the castle ground. Priests were already lighting the candles and they bowed at her entrance before returning to their duties. Winter glanced around the room, taking in the architecture of the small building. The Snowflake of the Schnee were build within the wall as the white and blue banners hung from the ceiling, and right in front of them was the statue of the Goddess who was shown to be in prayer. Winter approached it and curtied in front of the Goddess as she was shown when she was nothing but a girl before coming to kneel in front of it.

Then she spoke of the words, not in the common tongue but in the Similirian she knew.

"Blood and magic shall bind us to our fate,"

Then a strange feeling overcame Winter's entire body as a soft gasp escaped from her lips. The candles that were in the room all suddenly went out as if a great breath of wind had gone through the room itself purging the room into semi darkness. Then the girl's eyes went from crystal blue to a milky white before she collapsed unto the ground.

One of the priest in the room had noticed her collapsing and had quickly ran to her side.

"Your Grace," he called and he stopped short noticing the white eyes she ported. It looked unnatural and yet, there was a strange feeling that settled upon the room as he kneeled beside her and touching her skin.

She felt warm…almost too warm to be normal and it made him think that the girl had a fever but she seemed fine when she had entered the room just moments ago. He turned his gaze toward the distance of the room before glancing back toward the young princess beside him.

"Get a Healer now," he called out, "Princess Winter is ill."

Whitley was in his room when the news of what happened to Winter reached his ears. The young man had wasted no time to work his way toward the Healing chambers wanting to see his sister. He went straight toward the healing chambers throwing open the door of the room before his eyes found Winter's form upon one of the bed. The Head Healer, Lady Trish was already working upon the young woman and there was a priest there as well.

As he approached, the Priest gave him a bow but Whitley barely notices as his eyes were upon the young woman in the bed. Winter had both of her eyes closed and was breathing deeply as if she was asleep. At first glance, they seems to be nothing wrong with her but as the woman was examining her, there was a curious expression upon her features.

"Lady Trish," Whitley asked, not able to keep his worry out of his voice, "What happened to my sister?"

"Your grace," the priest spoke out drawing his attention, "My name is Lionel, and I was there at the Sept when your sister collapsed. She seemed to be fine when had walked in and went for her prayers but she collapsed unto the ground not too long after that…then, her eyes went as white as snow…and there was this strange energy in the air….I don't know how to explain it better."

Whitley frowned.

"Her eyes went white?" he repeated.

"Aye," Lionel said, "like they rolled in the back of her head…"

Whitley glanced at Winter who was slumbering in her bed, but both of her eyes were closed.

"What do you believe Lady Trish?" he asked.

"There is nothing wrong with her physically," Lady Trish spoke out, "I have done every examination I could to see if she was ill but her body is as healthy as a young lady should be. I believe that something happened to her while she was praying…maybe the Goddess herself has touched her…"

Whitley stared at the woman in front of him. While he was not a religious person but…

"Surely you jest?" he asked.

The elderly woman looked at him.

"I have lived a long life your grace," she said, "I have seen many things that people would dismiss as legends and myths. Do not be so quick to dismiss the work of the Gods. Your family has always been close to the Gods your grace, Children of Winter was the name I believe they've called your ancestors."

Whitley know that name all too well. It was a nickname that his family had carried for generations now, thought he couldn't really understand why they had called them that. It's not like he was born anywhere close to North or even in the Winter. But his attention was turned toward his sister and he approached her. Winter always had a heart too big for her own good. He knew how much she loved the bastard child their father had brought, and it made him wonder what could be happening now. Their father died many weeks ago, and now Winter has collapsed from an unknown happening.

He approached his sister and gently touched her forehead. Her skin was warm, warmer than he had first expected it to be. It was like there was a fire burning beneath her skin.

"Her skin is warm," he said, "Warmer than expected."

"I noticed," Lady Trish told him, "But it doesn't appear to be harmful your Grace. If it was sickness, she would be sweating bucket but there isn't a single drop upon her skin."

She was right, Whitley noticed as he looked down at his sister. Winter looked to be completely fine as normal as if she was sleeping.

"When will she wake?"

"Difficult to say your Grace," Lady Trish spoke out, "If it was a normal fever or illness, I would be able to give you something but, since there is nothing physically wrong with her…I can't say."

Whitley let out a small sigh at the voice.

"Then I want to know the moment she has awoken," he said giving the old woman a stern glance, "I don't care where I am or what I am doing. As soon as she as awoken, send word to me immediately."

Lady Trish gave a light bow, "Of course your grace."

He looked down toward his sister for a few more moments before turning around and walking out of the room. This situation was not good at all for him. Just the previous night, Winter had been with him as they enjoyed the festivities that her mother had pulled and even then, she was always more caring and more loving than he was. It was strange, he thought, he never expected to want to see Winter on her feet and miss her knowing that she was lying on a bed dead to the world and there was no knowledge of when she will wake up.

He let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. He was worried about his sister but he still has his duty to do as King of the entire Kingdom. At least, he hoped that Winter would pull through from whatever had happened to her. He had lost his father, and Whitley found that he wasn't ready to lose anyone else.

The young King mulled over what Lady Trish had said. He had learnt the history of his family when he was young thought he knew that his history didn't go back thousands of years just mostly the major events of what his family had done over the many centuries as they've been leading Remnant. A light frown appeared upon his features before he made his way toward the library that held the history of the Schnee.

It was a large room, filled with many books and parchments from hundred of years. Whitley passed the many rows of book before he came to a stop in front of the book that held the history of his people and the Schnee line. As one of the oldest family that lived in the entire Kingdom, the Schnee held a lot of power and influence and if legends are to be believed, the Pale King was the one that led them here and founded Atlas into what it is today…

Pulling out numerous books, Whitley set himself to read about his family, at least any strangest that had happened within it. What happened to his sister was something that wasn't normal, and if something like that was to happen in the past, they probably would have written about it somewhere or at least made recording of it. But despite his long hours of reading, they was nothing written about it. All he learned was that his family had many dealing with a number of houses and had written about some of the Rebellion of the Vale and the White Fang War in the North which he remembered killed his uncle and it was probably around then that Weiss was born…

"Your Grace?"

The young man looked up at the call, finding himself staring down at the master of Books. An old man dressed in a brown robe. He looked up toward him with a surprise across his features almost as if he wasn't expecting to see him seating there in the corner.

"Master Flint," he greeted, "Tell me do you have books about my family? I have been reading some of these for many hours and yet, they have yet to tell me much about what I wish to know."

Master Flint approached him.

"And what does you need to know your Grace?" the man asked curious.

"It was said that there was a time my family had magic in our blood," Whitley spoke out, "And none of those books have even mentioned it. If something like that was part of our family, you would think that they would think to preserve such knowledge."

Master Flint let out a soft hum, "Ah you must be talking about Aura then."

Whitley glanced at the man confused, "Aura?"

The older man nodded, "it's an old mystic energy. While it is called magic by the people of the South, up in the north they call them Aura. To see what people can do with Aura, it's no surprise that many would call it magic your Grace. You wouldn't find much about your family in those books your Grace, one of your great-great-grandfather had them all destroyed because he believed that sorcery of the north has nothing to do with people of the south."

Whitley let out a small sigh.

"Well, I've done this research for nothing then," he said shaking his head.

Master Flint let out a soft hum, "If you're still interested in Aura, I might be able to write to my family about it and have them sent it here. Considering you are the King of Remnant, I don't believe they'll refuse."

Whitley nodded, "Then send a raven to them then, I will need as much knowledge about magic or Aura as you call it."

"I will your Grace," Master Flint, "If I may be so bold to ask, but why exactly are you researching such subject?"

Whitley stayed silent for a few moments, thinking back to what he had heard about what happened to Winter and Lady Trish strange warning to him. Truly, he didn't know why he was searching for a sign, and maybe he was just trying to find something that could help his sister…

"A little knowledge on the matter never fails to help," he said before leaving the Master behind.

So ends this one guy. Something strange is happening to Winter it seems...

Hope you have enjoyed the read.

Jacques0 out.

R&R