People think fooling others pose a challenge, yet it requires less than you might think. In reality, all you need to achieve is to pretend, lie, and manipulate. Then again, one could say that fame, prestige, renown, and connection could make the whole process much easier. It is an undeniable truth, but the same effect can be reached without it. And… in most cases, victory tastes better when facing difficulties.

The world we are living in is not inherently fair. The higher one sits in the hierarchy, the more severe the consequences of being fooled could be. But, considering a perfect person would never be born, it is inevitable to face such a situation.

Oh, what a fool Ashe had been. She should have known better as a queen, but unfortunately, it had not been the case. Still, the woman wanted to believe peace between her and Senjuani people could persist. The Ice Queen knew it would not be easy to pull off, but she wanted her grand idea to come true. Therefore, Ashe was ready for sacrifices, for this brutal and completely unnecessary war needed to end. And… like she had predicted, the negotiations were anything but effortless. In fact, these talks had spanned months, and the queen could not find better words to describe them than chaotic and draining. But regardless of the woman's feelings, her endeavour was finally rewarded with a peace treaty. It would not have been an understatement to say that, at that very moment, Ashe was the proudest woman worldwide. There was something unspeakable about her seeing her efforts finally paying off. It was indescribable.

After the announcement had been made, it was finally time for the queen to focus all her strength on rebuilding her nation. She was not thinking about defending or conquering for the first time in a long time. To say that it was refreshing would be a massive understatement. To rebuild a nation… would be a challenge the woman had never faced, far more complex than anything she had ever planned. Still, the white-haired queen believed that her grand plan was achievable. Oh… how naïve she had been, how stupid.

There was no strong feeling between Ashe and her barbaric husband. Their marriage was but another scheme to strengthen her nation. Love? The white-haired woman had little need of such a naïve and fragile emotional attachment. All she needed was her husband's warriors, but him she did not need. Still, it was an agreement, and her body was a part of it. The wedding was nothing but a grand farce, but it needed to take place. So, once the time was up, she did her best to look like a woman in love. Even though the queen was dead deep inside, she looked beautiful, with her cheerful smile fooling the gathered. But… with the marriage, she had swayed from her true path. The young woman had never planned on marrying anyone. Nonetheless, it was her personal sacrifice to secure the future of her only true love – her people.

Even when the priest gave them the Gods' blessing, allowing them to make love as a king and queen for the first time, Ashe acted. When Tryndamer tried to make her fall for him, the queen simply demanded, quickening up the pace. She had better things to do than lying under the bulky barbarian violating her body. Even though she was a virgin, she did not ask for gentleness, and none was shown. Despite pain ravaging the woman's body, she wanted this farce to be over as soon as possible. It did not matter that the love-making session turned into rape.

Don't get me wrong, the white-haired queen screamed at the top of her lungs that night and every night after that. But it was not out of pleasure. No, the screams were caused by the unbearable pain her barbaric husband inflicted.

Nonetheless, this whole passage of events started a new chapter in Ashe's life. Of course, as with everything, there were some good and bad sides to that, but overall, it stabilised the nation, which was the ultimate goal. Still, one of her new roles turned out to be more troubling than anticipated. As there was no love involved in her marriage, it became painfully apparent that acting like a happy, madly-in-love wife would be challenging, to say the least. Moreover, it required the white-haired woman to always wear a mask, making her rather unauthentic. But… if it allowed her people to prosper, it was a cost, a sacrifice she was willing to pay.

Though, forced marriage had some weird side effects. It awoke something buried deep inside Ashe. A feeling she would have never associated with herself. A longing for a future like any other woman. It became apparent to her that one day she would want to be loved and live happily ever after. But, it would be futile to seek it in Tryndamer. No, she was certain that fate had something prepared for her.

…

Believing in Sejuani's words was one of the not-so-few mistakes that Ashe had made. It was foolish of her to put any trust in the raiders' boss's words. She should have known better that the treaty would not last all that long. In fact, it did not even last a year.

Whilst Ashe's people celebrated a holiday, Sejuani attacked. It was a dirty move, but what else one could expect from this savage raider. Still, there was something far more concerning than the broken treaty. Alongside the raiders, a Noxian army invaded Freljord. The official narrative was straightforward yet sickening. Noxus joined the war to support a claim from the so-called "true queen of Freljord" to reclaim her currently occupied throne. To enforce this solidarity, one of many Noxian legions ventured forth to assist in the reclamation.

Then, there was a blur of events seemingly lasting a blink of an eye. In the span of mere few days, most of Ashe's nation was conquered by the invaders. The next few brought even more pain. As the army led by her barbaric husband marched to oppose the invasion, they got involved in a series of skirmishes. Noxian knew the king would never miss a chance to show his martial prowess. And they utilised this fact as a stepstone of his downfall. Hence, the invaders assigned small striking groups to harass the marching column, forcing it to break the line occasionally, making these mostly inexperienced warriors chase them. Of course, this was but another point of their plan. As these fools separated from the column, they were swiftly cut down. The initial success assured the commanders of their martial and tactical superiority, fueling their boldness and greed.

Because of that, the raids were being carried out numerous times per each passing day. And… the effect was clearly seen as the marching pace steadily decreased. Then, once their numbers dwindled, an open battle was forced. With his forces weakened, Tryndamer stood no chance of winning it, but he fought nonetheless. Unfortunately, that decision was yet another mistake of this single-minded barbarian. It resulted in complete army decimation and the king's public execution.

The crushing defeat left Ashe with not much to work with. All the young queen was left with several villages and capital. As the central city entirely blocked the path to these settlements, she needed to make the city not fall to survive. With the army gone, there was little the white-haired woman could do. A pang of guilt and regret resided in the queen. After all, it was her insisting on leaving only a handful of soldiers in the capital city. And now… she was to pay the price for her short-sight and foolishness.

If Ashe was to seek any positives of the current situation, it would be challenging. But… there was one thing she would no longer need to worry about. The only bright side of that utter mess she could think about was that she would never have to spend a night at the side of the brute called her husband. Yet… compared to all that happened, it was a bleak comfort. Nevertheless, the snowy-white-haired woman was thankful for that change.

Sleep was a mind's fuel, and currently, the queen needed it more than most likely ever. But unfortunately, she seemed unable to obtain it. Her effort to find a way to the realm of dreams was fruitless, no matter how hard she tried. When she closed her eyes, the images of untold horrors would flood her mind. Of course, she could try to fight them, trying to exhaust her mind and body up to the point of blackout. But… it was not a sustainable solution for an extended period. Hence, the idea was discarded nearly immediately.

This night was no different. After rumbling over her king-sized bed for God knows how long, Ashe finally gave up. The queen stood up with a low roan, grabbing a thick fur coat before exiting her quarters. The silenced ruling over the hold was an appreciated change. It was worth noting that since the barbarian king was gone, she did not sleep in their shared room. No, she wanted that unfortunate chapter of her life to finally conclude. Like an already-read book, put it onto the bookshelf and forget about it.

Once she was out, she was met by the chilling-cold wind howling through the night. Nevertheless, the woman needed to calm her mind. Maybe strolling throughout the city would help her with achieving that. It was not as dark as one might have expected, even though it was well past midnight. The ever-present snow reflected the moonlight, making it manageable to continue the stroll without any additional light source. Without hesitation, Ashe headed toward the city's tall stone walls. If regarded for a moment, it was a rather short-sighted concept for the fortifications to be sole stone construction within the capital's boundaries.

An unpleasant shiver ran down the woman's spine. She had a feeling as if someone was watching her from the shadows, lurking between them. The first time she got that impression, she discarded it immediately. The queen scoffed quietly as it was a ridiculous idea. As far as she knew, no one would willingly venture outside during Freljord's cold winter nights. Even these few guards stationed in the capital mostly stayed inside the towers. They would only leave the safety of these shelters to make a short patrol over the fortifications. The warmth of fireplaces was a crucial factor in surviving these harsh conditions.

Then, when the white-haired woman climbed toward the wall's top, she felt it again. Muffling a curse under her breath, she pressed on. It was way colder than she had initially anticipated. Another foolish idea of hers, nothing more, nothing less. Nonetheless, the woman tightened her grip on her fur coat, forcing herself to continue. Each breath she took made her throat ache a little whilst each exhale was turned into a white cloudly vapour that flew into the heavens.

Shortly after, she finally made it all the way top. It might sound weird, but it was the queen's special place when she needed her mind calmed. Somehow, the white-haired ruler found it comforting to stand on top of the walls with her eyes focused on the horizon. Although she must admit, she enjoyed the peaceful view spanning before her eyes.

"Enjoying the night, my queen?" the unexpected question was asked seemingly out of nowhere.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" the surprised and more than slightly terrified queen demanded.

"Is it what you wish?" a disembodied woman's voice asked. "Fine, then," she added a fleeting moment later. "Look behind, my queen," a short request was provided.

Even though Ashe was terrified, she did not hesitate to turn around as she was asked to. But, to the white-haired woman's utmost surprise, a cloaked woman rested against the cold surface of the stone fortification. She could have sworn that there was no one there a moment ago. Yet, perhaps it was but her mind playing games with her. The woman – based on her voice – was younger than her, but the aura surrounding her was undeniably terrifying.

The newcomer wore a long, thick coat of the snow colour. The woman's face was hidden by an ashen mask. Even though the queen could not see any weapons, it did not mean some were not held somewhere beneath the stranger's warm clothing.

"Who are you?" Ashe repeated her demand, trying to control her voice to sound confident. "What are you doing here?" she asked yet another question whilst taking a single step back.

"Are you afraid of me?" the masked woman asked nonchalantly, her voice entirely deprived of emotions. "Do tell me: where are you going to run?" she questioned.

"I am Frejlord's queen," the white-haired woman replied somewhat confidently. "I am not going to run away!" she stated, but her actions told a completely different story as she took another step back.

"Oh, I see," the stranger hummed. "I am not going to kill you. It is not why I am here," she added nearly instantaneously.

"I beg your pardon," the queen scoffed. "What else would bring you here?" she demanded the answers.

"It is a really long story," the masked woman responded, keeping her emotionless tone. "If you want me to tell it, we should go inside. A couple minutes more in that bizarre outfit of yours and catching a cold will be the least of your problems," she added, closing the gap between her and Ashe.

"I am not going to move anywhere till you finally answer my questions!" the white-haired ruler snarled, raising her voice slightly.

"It does seem you are stubborn as a donkey," the stranger commented. "But… fine. I will answer these questions, my queen," she added, sighing and shaking her head.

"Who are you?!" Ashe repeated the question for the third time.

"My name is Akali. You should remember me from the `Institue of War` or `League` as it is called," the cloaked woman responded quietly.

"Pfff… prove it," the young ruler scoffed in disbelief.

"Prove it how?" the masked woman inquired stoically.

"Is it not obvious? Discard your mask and cloak. Show me your face!" the queen demanded.

"As you wish, my queen," the hooded woman replied respectfully, complying with the demand.

Regardless of the stranger's compliance, the white-haired queen took two additional steps back. Despite her confident tone, she was ready to run if the situation demanded it. The masked woman visibly stopped briefly before pushing her coat's hood back, revealing the long put-down hair of the night colour. Then, the ashen mask was pulled down, allowing the queen to look at the stranger's face for the first time. She had facial features akin to nobility, defined and sharp. Yet, even though the raven-haired woman was undeniably young, no innocence could be found on her face. Her rich-brown eyes were fixed on Freljord's queen, but these orbs seemed as cold as ice. If eyes were a mirror of the soul, the stranger's soul would be empty, deprived of any flicker of life. It was Akali, even if slightly older than the white-haired woman recalled. The ninja's beautiful full lips were tightened into a solid line, only enhancing the utmost terrifying visage of an emotionless killer.

"It is really you, eh?" the ruler gasped. "Akali, what are you doing here?" she questioned, still quite reserved.

"As I said… it is a rather long story," the raven-haired woman whispered back. "If you want to hear it, I strongly recommend moving somewhere inside," she continued with her deprived-of-emotions tone.

"Should I imprison or greet you?" the queen asked with hearable uncertainty.

"It is your choice, my queen," the Ionian responded immediately, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Eh," Ashe sighed, allowing her frustration to manifest briefly. "Fine, let's come inside, then. Follow me," Freljord's ruler ordered a moment later.

"After you."

There were so many questions the white-haired woman wanted to ask, but Akali was right, no matter how upsetting it was for the queen. Given her quite an inadequate outfit, the infamous North winter night's cold started affecting her, bypassing her clothing seemingly entirely. If she did not warm herself soon, she would inevitably get sick. And… sickness would only add to the mounting problems she needed to face. Hence, she led the assassin to her throne room without turning her head a single time.

As expected, the temperature inside was significantly higher, allowing the queen to slowly relax. She did not stop till the throne was at her hand's reach. Hesitating briefly, the white-haired woman decided to sit down before addressing the Ionian who had unexpectedly ventured into her kingdom.

"As we are finally inside, it is high time for you to answer my questions," Ashe started confidently. "So? What is the reason behind your rather unexpected arrival?" she repeated her past question.

"Eh, fine," Akali sighed heavily, slowly unbuttoning her coat. "I am no longer part of Kinkou Order," she stated after a brief pause. "Before my mother officially announced my exile, she had given me one last order. I am to protect you with everything I can offer, even if it means my life," the ninja explained vaguely.

"What… wait… what?!" the already-confused queen questioned. "Your own mother exiled you?"

"Does it surprise you that much?" the raven-haired assassin inquired. "Do not bother answering that, my queen. You know little to nothing of me; hence the question is valid. So, as bad as it sounds, my mother has never taken care of me," she continued her tell, shrugging. "It was only a matter of time as our disagreement spanned many fields from personal to professional life. She always wanted me out. So, it was hardly unexpected," she added emotionlessly.

"Why should I keep you?" the white-haired monarch questioned, even though she could name a few reasons herself, at the very least. "What use will I have of you?"

"My queen," Akali started formally, taking a deep bow. "We have met on the battlefield before. So, my martial capabilities are known to you, even though partially. The question is not: what use will you have of me? It is: what do you want me to accomplish for you?" the ninja stated confidently. "I am a trained and experienced soldier who can kill soundlessly, leaving no traces behind. If you want me, I can be a saboteur, sabotaging the enemy's lines. I can make people stir up, resulting in uprisings. Or, I can slice a person's throat who threatens you," she paused momentarily, gathering her thoughts. "Currently, I have no home; I am homeless. So, if you want me, I will serve you till my dying breath. If you do not, I will simply end my life as I do not see myself wandering aimlessly. If I am a failure, there is nothing for me but the darkness of death," she stated.

"Eh," Ashe gasped, shocked and terrified by Akali's response. "Straight to the point, I see," she hummed, trying to mark her uneasiness. "I could use the service of such an experienced and obviously talented assassin as you," she admitted aloud. "I take; you know how things stand in my kingdom right now?" the queen asked.

"But, of course, my queen," the Ionian quietly whispered. "In that aspect, I possess some intel that might be of value to you. And… I believe I may be able to turn around the tables of this war," she exclaimed, allowing what seemed to be overconfidence to sound.

"Hm?" the white-haired woman hummed, intrigued. "What do you mean?" she wanted to know more.

"A mixed forces of Noxians and Sejuani's raiders are two days of forced march away from the capital," the assassin said quietly. "As your enemies got overly confident after dismantling Tryndamer's army, this detachment is not as large as one might have anticipated. Even though this force's task is to deal with the last reasonable stand, they do not expect you to resist. As far as I know, the army consists of 500 raiders and 1000 legionnaires. Considering all of this, I think you have a chance of defending the city," she stated.

"That is still 1500 soldiers to deal with," the monarch commented without enthusiasm. "Considering that I am left with at most 300, it is a daring ask for us to survive this," she scoffed. "Even if I asked my people to fight for me, they would be inevitably overcome by the professional soldiers."

"You are right, at least partially, my queen," the dark-haired woman responded, utterly unbothered by the ruler's outburst. "It is true that in an open battle, the professional army would crush the remnants of your forces. However, sieges are defenders' favourable in most cases. Moreover, considering the size of the walls surrounding the city, there is a considerably high chance of us winning. Though unfortunately, we will need to recruit the citizens. But I would not use them to fight openly, instead as skirmishers. Let them shoot with bows, throw javelins, or even axes. Those 300 regular soldiers are more than enough to withstand the onslaught at the main gate and the closest walls with the skirmishers' assistance. Whoever built the city knew what he was doing. The enemy forces can not march past us and deal with these few remaining villages supplying the capital. Moreover, they can only attack from one predictable side, making defending it much easier. And… considering what I told you before, I would expect them to choose the more straightforward tactic. However… that being said, there is an alternative. If we eliminate it, victory is a certainty," she explained.

"What alternative are you referring to?" the queen wanted to know. "The frontal assault will be a costly endeavour, but given their number, they might choose it regardless. The only other thing I can think about is to maintain the siege, but they do not have enough resources to pull it off."

"That is correct reasoning, my queen," Akali commented quietly. "But… as I said, there is an alternative. One of the city's previous rulers ordered to build underground tunnels for evacuation's sake," she added after a brief pause. "They were supposed to act as the last way out of the city. But the plans assumed a naval invasion, not from the mainland. I have already checked those passages, and sadly, most of them are still in a pretty usable state. Unfortunately, it creates a problem as if I found them quickly, it would not take much time for the Noxians to do the same," she continued emotionlessly.

"Then, what would you suggest regarding this `minor` detail?" Freljord's ruler inquired.

"Oh… we can deal with it in many ways," Akali assured the white-haired woman. "If you want, I can go through them all, providing examples and details, my queen," the black-haired woman offered.

"Please, do so," Ashe momentarily decided. "If what you have mentioned is true, I will need every possible advantage I can get. And… tomorrow morning, you will show me these passages," she demanded.

"As you wish, my queen," the rogue ninja simply replied, taking another bow.

"But as for now, I want to know everything," Ashe stated.

"Then… it is going to be a long night," the queen sighed deep inside her mind.

Author's notes section:

[2023-05-28]: Hey, here is a preview of the story's next chapter. Please, bear in mind that it is, as mentioned, a preview. Some parts of it might not be included in the final release. I will try to finish this chapter as soon as possible. I would like to clean up some of the tasks in my schedule, and right now, there are many chapters queued there.

[2023-05-29]: Hey, I have a minor update for you.

[2023-05-31]: Hey, I have managed to finish the rewriting process.

Like in any similar project, I will try to rewrite the already existing chapters, aiming to improve the readiness, quality, and form, but I will try not to change the story. This particural one has been initially a part of `The story of one lost soul` project.

Don't forget to comment. I really appreciate your feedback.

Note that the dialogues written in italic are thoughts.

As always, I would like to thank you for everything. See you soon :)

Changelog:
[2023-05-28]: A preview has been released.
[2023-05-29]: Added a few additional segments. It seems that the final version will be slightly longer than the original chapter. Not sure whether I like it or not.
[2023-05-31]: The chapter is concluded and its final revision is released.

Info: I have included more stories in the schedule as I'm not 100% certain what I want to write next. Please, keep in mind that I might add or remove positions from the list. I might rewrite some of the older stories or extract some of the longer stories from `The story of one lost soul`.

Schedule:
- Will you look past my mistakes? (finish the WIP)
- The family tree (finish the WIP)
- Exiled you say? (new chapter)
- The shadows can be deceiving (new chapter)
- Hidden in the mountain's shadow (new chapter)
- The war call (new chapter)
- Life is full of surprises (new chapter)
- The rise of the Blood Moons' servants (new chapter)
- Black Diamond (new chapter)
- When the clock is ticking (Warhammer 40k new story)
- Sometimes it's just better not to know (new chapter)
- The broken heart (new chapter)
- Lifetime of war (new chapter)
- My home is where my heart lies (rewrite chapter 4)
- The heart not so cold (rewrite chapter 2)

Bonuses' section:
A new story taking place in the Warhammer 40k universe.
Story of one lost soul: The war call: rewrite.
An entirely new story (possibly Akali x [Irelia, Syndra, Katarina]).
A new short story (Vi x Cait).
An entirely original story (possibly even two stories, one taking place in medieval times, the other in the far future)
Bleach story. (Byakuya x Yoruichi / ?)
Naruto story. (Neji x Hinata / Neji x TenTen / Nagato x Konan)
Fairy Tail story. (most likely Erza x Mira)
Maybe some Star Wars?

References:
- Lordi - It snows in Hell

*bonuses will be worked on when I don't feel like writing the chapters pointed out in the schedule :D

End of the author's notes section.