CHAPTER FOUR
THE SILENT NIGHT
Winter said her last good-byes to her life on the moon and descended to the Earth one night. She sneaked into through the gardens bypassing her princess' sacred abode. While she was there, she'd attempt to discover anymore truth regarding the rebels attempting to overthrow the Kingdoms.
Disguised as a mere servant, she made her way among the knights with her most alluring ways, each time she'd cautiously engage them in a seductive conversation hoping for any clues to the rebels identities. She was cautious as to where and whom she engaged with to avoid running into the prince or his personal guard.
Winter had learned from the conversations she'd overhear from the knights and the gossip from the other ladies around the kingdom, that some of the knights didn't all agree with the ways the King and the Prince were leading the world to a new era. They didn't believe in true universal peace as the King and Prince did. They feared being unprotected through this disarmament against outside forces that would want to abolish this kind of peace. On top of which many got bored to only resolving village disputes and yearned to unleash their primitive instincts in a real battle.
Furthermore, many men and many soldiers feared their own livelihood. For the Prince and the King had let many men go from the service to gain the trust and alliance of other Kingdoms seeking pacifism as well. They were afraid any one of them would be let go too. Those other kingdoms had all looked to the Triode Kingdom as a symbol of peace and nonetheless believed that they should be the first ones to let their arms down. Many kingdoms after that followed their example and decreased the number of their warriors as well.
During her life on earth, one of those knights Winter had met in the kingdom was a young knight by the name of Odin. The kingdom had allowed him in order to train him to protect the prince's soon bride to be, as soon as he announced her. It was said he came from a faraway kingdom that was destroyed during the Peace Wars. The King found him highly skilled at a young age. He seemed like one who had seen many battles and because the prince only wanted the best for his bride, he was accepted to be trained to guard the prince's new bride.
The young man was quiet, spoke only when spoken to or when the occasion required him to. His disattachment from the other knights had aroused Winter's curiosity, even though the other ladies warned her against him. Some claimed he was hard to approach and some say he had scared them forcefully away on purpose and that later he laughed maniacally at them.
One night, as she was walking past the doors of the stables, she observed him tending to his horse. She stopped and just stood there watching him. He had dark brown hair pulled back in a ponytail that went pass his shoulder. The rest was a mane of bangs and dark blue eyes that beamed at the white stallion beauty before him. His hand gently caressed the white silky mane. She leaned her head against the doorway and rested her shoulder on it as she watched wrapping the cloak tighter around her bare neck. When it creaked, all at once his friendly expression changed from his stallion to a cold stare at her.
Winter gasped, "Oh!" She panicked, " Begging your pardon sir, I didn't mean to stare. I shall leave immediately." She had started to turn, but paused momentarily.
"WAIT!" He called out to her.
She turned to face him in the distance. He began stepping away from his stallion and walked in her direction. As he approached her, she noted how those dark blue eyes were beckoning for her attention. When he stopped before her he said not a word but glared at her. He then looked up and down her, then slowly stepped aside. As she walked forward, she heard him shutting the doors behind her.
She walked forward toward the white stallion he was tending before she interrupted him away. As she reached out to touch his face the stallion started backing away slowly.
"Wing!" She felt her spine curl instantaneously as he bellowed out huskily from behind her. The stallion stopped. She then felt Odin's hand grab her left one as he reached her arm out onto Wing's mane. It felt like cool silk. She closed her eyes and let him hold her hand there just for a moment. When she opened her eyes, she smiled up at the lovely steed, "Hello Wing. My name is Winter", she replied softly. Wing's head started bobbing up and down and neighing.
"He's accepted you." He said dropping his hand to his side. She looked to meet his gaze on her. "For now", he replied sternly. As she turned back to the stallion she dropped her hand down and her head. As she turned to face him she reached up toward her cloak and let it drop of her shoulders to the ground. She grabbed the ruffles of the sleeves of her dress and began pulling them down simultaneously. "No!" He said coldly as his hands caught hers on her dress. "You don't have to do that", he continued a bit gentler.
She looked up curiously from his armor to his cobalt eyes peering at her from behind his mane. "You are not like the others." She replied softly as she lifted the sleeves of her dress over her shoulders. He stepped around her to pick the cloak she had dropped and proceeded to place it on her shoulders
"Look who's talking. Are you not afraid I will kill you?" He asked.
"You don't seem like the kind to kill without a cause." Is all she said as she wrapped the cloak tighter around her.
"What if I have a cause to kill you?" He swiftly emerged before her again.
"So that is why you let me in. You know whom I really am don't you? They sent you to kill me." She sighed as she looked down. "I live a pitiful existence. I guess it doesn't really matter when I die."
"Actually, it matters quite a bit. But I'm not with whoever 'them' is." He replied as he lifted her chin to his glare.
"Who are you then?" she asked.
"I'm a knight sworn to protect whomever the prince will choose to be his bride and his majesty. Who else am I supposed to be?" he asked her with a questioning look.
"Forgive me. I made mistake. I shall leave now." As she turned away from his hold he grabbed her roughly by her fleeing arm.
"I did not give you permission to leave!" He shouted.
Winter turned back in shock and narrowed her eyes in confusion at Odin. What the hell does this guy want? She felt a slight panic ran through her mind. She felt that same feeling again like before though slightly mixed with apprehension, whenever she'd look at the prince. No! Not again. I will not be weak before a man!
"You can ask me to stay!" She growled equally back at him. "You do not command me to stay! No matter if the prince handpicked you himself! " Her dark green glare insultingly spouted.
"You will stay here with me." He insisted forcefully.
"Here? In the stables? Why?" She finally asked perplexed.
"I do not want to give others anymore reason to think I am anymore conspicuous than I already made myself." He said with a serious tone.
"Well, you do stand out." She looked at him somewhat amused and crossed her arms. "People wouldn't have any reason to be suspicious of you if you tried to blend in with the rest of society like the rest of us. You are silent, hard to approach your eyes always cold and distant. Your daily regimen may last all day and you never challenge any of the other men. There are quite a few that are itching to fight you one on one. You never initiate any conversations nor do you feast with any of them. To say nothing of all the lovely girls who turn pale and run the opposite direction at the sight of you. The only woman you ever make eye contact with is her majesty. You talk more with your horse than you do with normal people." She responded trying not to sound too sarcastic about the whole situation. She tried to suppress the urge to laugh, but somehow she could tell it wasn't working, because Odin just continued to look at her grin annoyingly.
"I have one duty, to protect the princess. I have no time for useless chatter. You can pretend. Can't you?" He glared his prussian blue eyes down at her.
"As you wish." She simply replied feeling that it was better to let him have this victory. Some battles you just had to loose to gain more ground, she reasoned.
"Come." He led her around Wing to a corner of haystacks were they sat down in silence.
During the night, the mysterious stranger did not speak much and they sat mostly in silence. But it was one of those comfortable silences. He asked her to come back again the next night. Through the many nights she would return to the stables to visit with Odin as he requested. Each time, he never touched her but merely sat in silence mostly and upon departure, he'd thank her.
He began speaking more and she would as well. They began by speaking mostly of the situation of the kingdom. To find more of his past, she felt she needed to reveal a bit of herself first to gain his trust so he'd reveal more of himself. She told him she really wasn't part of the kingdom and had come recently after being banished from her own for failing in her duties. He just sat quietly, then said he was a lone traveler himself. He came from a distant country, he'd say. That he was a lone warrior seeking to correct the wrongs of the past and that by learning to protect the symbol of peace was his way of redemption.
"So you know who the prince's new bride will be?" She asked him.
"I do. As well as her Kingdom." He answered as he shot her a quick glance through his brown bangs out of the corner of his eyes.
"Oh, I see." Winter softly spoke underneath her breath as she turned back to study her feet. Maybe this isn't a good idea. This guy probably knows who I am after all. Damn. Who are you stranger? Her mind raced in panic. But she pressed on determined to expose the ones threatening the Kingdom. Even if it was this handsome stranger. I won't let another man affect me. I am not involved!
