Chapter 5: An Honored Guest

Winter's hands were clasped behind her back as she stood rigidly in the castle's courtyard not far from the gatehouse. It was the next morning and Lord James Ironwood, her superior and mentor, would be arriving soon. Word had already come from the city gates that he had entered Atlas.

Yang was standing next to Winter, although her posture was considerably more relaxed. The royal seamstress had put in an extraordinary effort yesterday and had produced the beginnings of a proper wardrobe for Yang. Today Yang was wearing a dress that was mostly an earthy-brown color with yellow sleeves and trim. It was a striking look that suited Yang. It was also very different from the style the Schnee royal family wore. The seamstress had no doubt appreciated the chance to flex her creativity.

Yang glanced at Winter and asked, "Nervous?"

"Not at all," Winter said.

"If you say so, but you look like you're about to pull a muscle just standing there," Yang said.

"Duly noted," Winter said dryly. "I am curious why Her Highness chose to join me. There's no need for you to greet Lord Ironwood."

"Hey. Diplomatic mission, remember?" Yang said. "Why not meet him?"

"Lord Ironwood commands no nation," Winter said. "And my order does not concern itself with politics."

Yang snorted out a laugh.

"Is there something you find amusing?" Winter asked, turning to Yang.

"What part of human life isn't about politics?" Yang asked. "Who's in charge? Who owns what? Who can do what to who? Things are so much simpler when you can solve a disagreement with a good old-fashioned fight."

Winter arched an eyebrow at Yang's statement. It was perhaps the least princessly thing she'd ever said. Winter was about to ask what Yang had meant by that when the princess pointed toward the gatehouse.

"Looks like your boss is here," Yang said.

Winter turned. Sure enough, she spotted Lord Ironwood strolling through the gatehouse. He had grown a beard since the last time Winter had seen him. She approved. It added to his already distinguished air. He was wearing a blue and red sash over his white tunic that denoted his high station. It was peeking out from a white traveling cloak that was draped around his shoulders. A sheathed sword hung from his belt. The hilt looked functional yet unremarkable. No one would think much of the weapon at a glance, but Winter knew it was anything but ordinary. Much like Winter's armor, Ironwood's sword had a magical enchantment on it, making it worth more than a literal king's ransom.

"Lord Ironwood," Winter said as he approached. She bowed respectfully. "It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Atlas."

"Dame Schnee," Ironwood said with a warm smile. He clasped Winter's hand. "It's been far too long."

"Indeed it has," Winter said.

Ironwood's gaze drifted toward Yang. He asked, "And who might your companion be?"

"Lord Ironwood, may I present Princess Yang of the Kingdom of Patch," Winter said. "Princess Yang? This is Lord James Ironwood."

"Charmed, I'm sure," Yang said.

Ironwood didn't immediately respond. He seemed to be studying Yang very closely. He said, "You have lilac eyes."

"Careful," Yang teased. "You might get lost in them."

"What a lovely thought," Ironwood said. He took Yang's hand and gently kissed it. "Patch is an island off the coast of Vale, is it not?"

"It sure is," Yang said. "Uh…have you been there?"

"I'm afraid not," Ironwood said. "Are all the island's inhabitants as beautiful as their princess?"

"My, my," Yang said. "Are you trying to flatter me?"

"I suppose I am, Your Highness," Ironwood said.

"Well keep going," Yang said.

Winter felt deeply flustered by the exchange she was witnessing. It upset her to see Yang being so familiar with someone else. It also upset her that she was upset by that. Winter wondered, given Yang's earlier attempts at seduction, if this wasn't the princess seizing an opportunity to make her jealous. If that was Yang's plan, it was a crass and callous one. It was also working.

Winter cleared her throat. She said, "My lord, we have prepared accommodations for you."

"Of course," Ironwood said. "But before that, I must speak with you, Dame Schnee. In private."

"Yes my lord," Winter said. She turned to Yang. "Princess, I'm afraid I must leave you to your own devices for the time being."

Yang looked surprised. As Winter had predicted, Yang hadn't quite gleaned that "in private" did not include her.

"Yeah. I got you," Yang said, obviously trying to play it cool. "Go have your secret dragon slayers meeting."

"Princess Yang," Ironwood said. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

"Yeah…" Yang said. She was clearly perturbed at being left out. It seemed she still hadn't learned, as many royals hadn't, that the world did not in fact revolve around her.

"This way, my lord," Winter said. "We can make use of the east drawing room."

A few minutes later, Winter and Ironwood were alone in a room high up on the east side of the keep. It was a private chamber intended only for the royal family, of which Winter still technically qualified. The walls were covered with a white plaster, and the morning sun was reflecting off of them, making the room feel bright and open. There was a sizable fireplace on one wall opposite the room's large window, and a long table sat in the center of the room, on which Winter unrolled a map of Atlas.

Ironwood unclasped his cloak and swept it off his shoulders. He placed it on the table and said, "I'm sure you're surprised to see me here."

"I must admit, I would not have expected you to hear of my present hunt so quickly," Winter said.

"Actually, I hadn't," Ironwood said. "Not until I arrived in the city."

Winter blinked in surprise. She asked, "Then what has brought you to Atlas?"

"My own hunt," Ironwood answered. "I've been tracking a dragon all the way from the Valean coast. About two weeks ago I heard that it was last seen heading in the general direction of Atlas's capital."

"That roughly coincides with when I received reports about a dragon having been spotted near here," Winter said. "We must be after the same beast."

"How convenient," Ironwood said. "What do you know so far?"

"Days ago I managed to corner the dragon in the ruins of an ancient keep," Winter said. "Unfortunately, it escaped me."

"You fought the creature? And you're still alive?" Ironwood said, sounding astounded.

"I'm sorry, my lord?" Winter said, a little taken aback.

"Apologies. That was no slight against you or your abilities," Ironwood said. "You need to understand. This is no ordinary dragon I'm hunting."

"Is that why you're concerning yourself with it directly?" Winter asked. Ironwood would normally be too busy administering the Order to partake in an actual hunt.

Ironwood smiled wanly. He said, "You might call this dragon my nemesis. I've fought it twice before. Once as a young man. Once as a less young but considerably more experienced man. Both times it managed to humiliate me. Its continued existence is a black mark on the Order's reputation. And on my own."

"I see," Winter said, although she found herself perplexed. She had no doubt that Ironwood was telling the truth. But the dragon she'd fought hadn't been particularly remarkable for one of its kind. And it certainly hadn't been dangerous enough to warrant Ironwood's personal enmity. Then again, the dragon had escaped quite handily. Maybe it had wanted Winter to believe it was weaker than it actually was? But to what end, Winter wondered.

Ironwood asked, "What have you done since the dragon's escape?"

"I have already deployed scouting parties," Winter said, pointing at marks on the map. "If the dragon is still in the area, they will narrow down where it may be hiding."

"Hmm," Ironwood said, studying the map. "We'll need to double the number of scouting parties immediately."

"My lord?" Winter asked.

"I cannot overstate how cunning and dangerous this dragon is," Ironwood said. "The longer it's left to plot and scheme, the more impossible the task becomes."

"Yes my lord," Winter said.

"I'll let you continue to take the lead in the search," Ironwood said. "No need for me to duplicate your efforts. Especially not when your competence is above reproach."

"Thank you, my lord," Winter said.

"Keep me informed of any developments," Ironwood said. "I don't intend to let this dragon best me a third time."

"Of course not," Winter said.

"Now then," Ironwood said, his tone becoming more casual. "About this Princess Yang. She's quite the curiosity, wouldn't you say?"

Winter sighed. "She is not the typical foreign dignitary. That much is certain."

"Are you and she—?" Ironwood started to ask.

"Please," Winter interrupted. "Do me the courtesy of not finishing that sentence."

"If you insist," Ironwood said with a smirk. "What brings the princess of a minor power to Atlas?"

"She is here as a diplomatic envoy," Winter said. "Although her mission did not go to plan. She was actually kidnapped by the dragon I fought. The dragon managed to escape me, as I said, but not without its prize."

"Kidnapped?" Ironwood asked, sounding skeptical.

"It is highly unusual," Winter said. "But nonetheless, she was."

"Hmmm," Ironwood said. He looked contemplative for a moment. "That is certainly an…intriguing development."

Winter wasn't sure why Ironwood seemed so interested in Yang's kidnapping. There were members of the Order who did study dragon behavior, but it wasn't something Ironwood usually concerned himself with.

"Well, something to worry about later," Ironwood said. "In the meantime I must see to my accommodations."

"I'm sure you'll find them suitable," Winter said.

"I have no doubt," Ironwood said. He gathered up his cloak from the table and turned to leave. However, before he walked out the door, he glanced over his shoulder and said, "Oh, and Winter? I'm looking forward to working with you again."

Ironwood left. Winter couldn't help but smile, at least a little. It had been a long time since Ironwood had used her given name. It was good to remember those days before she'd been knighted, when Ironwood had taken her under his wing. He was the one who had taught her the skills of a dragon slayer. He was the one who had given her life direction. And he was right; it would be good to be by his side once more.

"Well someone sure thinks he's a big shot," a familiar voice suddenly said.

Winter practically jumped out of her skin. Her hand flew to where the hilt of her sword would have been had she been wearing it. She spun around to face the direction the words had come from only to find herself facing the window.

"Princess Yang?!" Winter exclaimed, identifying the voice.

The room's window didn't have a pane; glass was far too expensive to be used so capriciously. There was only an oak grille, made of a single beam and crossbeam, that filled the void in the wall. A hand came from around the edge of the window outside and tossed a pair of finely-made yellow shoes into the room. Then a barefooted Yang appeared from around the window frame and nimbly slipped past the grille and into the room. There was barely enough space for her to fit, but she not only managed to get in, she also avoided dirtying her new dress.

"Princess…?! You…?!" Winter stammered. She ran over to the window and poked her head out. The drawing room was several stories up. Winter had been expecting to see a ladder or scaffolding of some kind. But there was nothing between her and the ground except the sheer wall of the keep.

Winter pulled her head out of the window and spun back around. She exclaimed, "How did you get up here!?"

"I climbed," Yang said matter-of-factly as she picked up her shoes.

"I…! I should hope that no one saw you doing something so…undignified!" It was all Winter could think to say.

It took a moment for Yang to respond. She appeared to be distracted admiring the craftsmanship of her new shoes. Eventually, she said, "Despite what some people think, I can be pretty sneaky when I want to be."

"I'm sure," Winter said, not really believing Yang. She buried her head in her hand, still reeling from what had just happened. But then she realized that in all the excitement she hadn't asked the most important question. "And why did you feel the need to climb up here?"

"So I could hear what you and Ironwood were talking about," Yang said, bending down to slip her shoes back on. "That dragon Ironwood's after just sounds like the most awesome dragon ever, eh?"

"You needn't concern yourself with the dragon!" Winter scolded. "And I strongly advise Her Highness to not let anyone else find out about this!"

"Hey, no worries there," Yang said.

"Oh?" Winter asked skeptically.

"I just needed to know," Yang said, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't need anyone else to know that I know."

"Well…" Winter said. "I'm relieved to hear it."

"So what's next?" Yang asked excitedly. "How are you going to track down this big bad dragon?"

"Princess," Winter said with a sigh. "I appreciate your curiosity. But I can ill afford the distraction right now."

"Why would I be distracting?" Yang asked.

"You know why," Winter said. She immediately regretted her words. She had meant to imply that Yang would be pestering her with questions, but she knew Yang would interpret what she'd said as innuendo.

"Mmm-hm," Yang said, confirming Winter's fears. "You know, you never did tell me you're not interested. In me that is."

"It is unbecoming of a knight to lie," Winter said. Why she'd chosen to word it that way, she didn't know.

Yang's face actually lit up, which surprised Winter. She hadn't thought that Yang could be so affected by her words.

"In that case…" Yang said.

"No," Winter said, although it pained her.

"Why not?" Yang asked.

Winter supposed that was a fair question. However, the more she thought about it the more she realized she didn't know precisely what Yang was asking.

"Princess, let us make things clear between us," Winter said. "What are you seeking from me? Do you wish to court me or to bed me?"

Winter would have expected to feel awkward speaking so crudely. But there was something about Yang that made the words come easy.

"Both," Yang said.

Winter was surprised by Yang's answer. She'd expected Yang's infatuation with her to be nothing more than physical longing. She said, "Oh I see. Then how do you explain your behavior with Lord Ironwood in the courtyard?"

"What behavior?" Yang asked.

"The flirting," Winter said.

"What, that?" Yang asked. "That was just me being my usual charming self."

"And so humble too," Winter said.

"Yeah!" Yang unironically agreed. "But I wouldn't worry about Ironwood. He's a bit too…self-centered for me."

"Something Her Highness knows nothing about," Winter said.

"Glad you understand," Yang said. Then a serious look crossed her face. "Wait. Did the flirting really bother you?"

"Whether it did or not shall soon become irrelevant," Winter said. "Word will eventually reach your father, and he will send an entourage to retrieve you."

"It won't be that soon," Yang said. "Plenty of time to convince you."

"Convince me of what?" Winter asked.

"That we're right for each other," Yang said. "That you belong with me."

"I hardly even know you," Winter said.

"You already know me better than most," Yang said. "And I think I know you better than most too."

"That's rather presumptuous of you," Winter said.

"Is it? I've been watching," Yang said. "There's Weiss and now there's Ironwood, but who else do you really show any warmth to? Who else do you let your little-miss-perfect act slip in front of? I've seen who you pretend to be, but who you really are is so much more beautiful."

Winter felt herself blushing. She tried to brush it off and said, "I suppose Her Highness thinks she has a silver tongue."

"I've always thought people should say 'golden tongue' instead of 'silver tongue'," Yang said. "Sounds a lot better, don't you think?"

"I suppose," Winter said. Her eyes suddenly happened to drift across the map sitting on the table. It made her realize that she had all but forgotten about the task at hand. It was as she feared; Yang was supremely distracting.

"Princess, I must return to my duty," Winter said.

"Aw. But—" Yang started to say.

"If it pleases Her Majesty…" Winter said. She tried to think of something that would placate Yang. "We will discuss the particulars of dragon hunting later."

"Alright, but I won't let you forget that promise," Yang said.

"I have no doubt," Winter said. She turned to her map and tried to force thoughts about the princess out of her head. She needed to focus on her work. If only it were so easy to forget about her royal guest.

Author's Note: Now this might surprise you, but I'm not an expert in the architecture of medieval keeps. When I was doing some research to figure out what kind of room Winter and Ironwood would use in this chapter I came across something that fit the bill perfectly. Apparently the keeps and manors of wealthy people in the Middle Ages had rooms called solars. They were not sunrooms as I initially assumed, but rooms intended only for use by the manor's owner, "solar" apparently being derived from "solo" or something like that. (Again, not an expert.) I didn't use this term because I felt it would create way too much confusion. Even my spellchecker doesn't know what it is. It's yelling at me right now for pluralizing "solar" which is clearly an adjective as far as it's concerned.

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