Ambrose threw his sword and slumped to the ground, he leaned back on a tree trunk and ruffled his light brown hair, it was visible how exhausted he was. The sound of footsteps and someone picking up his sword made him look up. 

“Commander! Oh… it seems you are injured” The knight hesitated before speaking “I’ll go get the healer” He was about to turn around when Ambrose waved his hand stopping him

“I supposed we finally got a response from my brother? Otherwise you wouldn't have come find me” He took his shirt off and used it to stop the bleeding from his arm

The knight hesitated but slowly nodded “Prince…No, his Majesty King Nicholas asked for a report about our supplies and progress” 

“What else?” 

The knight closed his eyes and sighed “He also wanted to notify the commander about his wedding…he’s going to marry Lady Arabella” 

Ambrose stopped, and looked up at the knight “What?!” 

 

The knight jumped terrified but before he could answer Ambrose got up and walked towards a man giving orders to the rest of the knights

“Evander!” A man sheathing his sword turned around after giving talking to another knight 

“Yes commander?” He stared at Ambrose’s arm “Healer! Bring me the healer quickly!”

“No wait…is it true? Arabella is marrying Nicholas?” Ambrose heart was beating quickly and his hazel eyes look desperate 

He sighed and placed a hand in Ambrose’s shoulder “Yes…so you better let go and move on, it’s been seven months since you last saw her besides…” He sighed “Arabella is not the woman you need in your life, especially forever” 

Ambrose could feel his world collapse, the woman he loved and wanted to spend the rest of his life with was marrying his brother. He chuckled at the thought that it wasn’t enough to make him give up the throne and send him to the frontier to fight monsters with the uncertainty that he would make it back home alive one day. 

“I apologize for arriving late, there is quite a lot of wounded soldiers” the healer rubbed his hands “Now if you excuse me Commander I’ll heal you now” 

While the healer worked, Ambrose took a deep breath “Evander now that we have reinforced the frontier’s shield and taken care of the monsters nearby, when are we departing?” 

Evander glanced around “In four days, I expect we would start heading home at night since we not only have to check the shield is stable but also give time to the knights to catch their breath” He nodded “We already notified his majesty, he said he was going to welcome us with a banquet” 

Ambrose nodded, and the healer cleared his throat “Any more injuries commander?” 

Ambrose shook his head the healer turned towards Evander who also shook his head the healer nodded and left. Evander motioned Ambrose to follow him, which he did. They sat on a pair of big rocks in front of the pond that was near the camp.

“Look, with Arabella marrying Nicholas…I don’t see why you have to return, I can help you settle on a village where you can live your life the way you want” He threw a rock he picked up into the pond

Ambrose smile “That sounds really nice but…” He shook his head “You know I can’t do that, my brother has me in a tight leash”

“Well he can’t make you return if you’re dead” He smiled mischievously 

Ambrose chuckled “Yeah sure, like that’s going to work”  

“Well…You stepped down from the throne, a lot of people are trying to kill you and do you really want to see Arabella with your brother?” Evander sighed “I’ll help you so nobody knows, come on I seriously don’t want my best friend to have a miserable life” 

Ambrose stood up “I’ll think about it…I will let you know before dawn” He started walking away but a strange feeling made him turn his direction to the woods

Ambrose had been walking aimlessly for a while, he finally stopped and looked around. He found himself near a lake, there were big trees and a lot of vegetation giving it a beautiful scenery. He was about to sit down when he heard grunting, he quickly unsheathed his sword, it was too deep in the woods for someone to be around. He cautiously followed the sound until he spotted a young girl a couple of steps away, she was struggling to carry a bucket of water. 

Ambrose sheathed his sword, and when he was about to turn around to leave the girl tripped and fell. She managed to sit on her knees but she leaned forward sliding her hands across the ground, maybe it was because she looked pitiful or the strange urge to approach her that made him move towards her.

He picked up the empty bucket which made the girl flinch, and clasp her hands together pressing them in her chest, it looked like she was praying.

“Is…Is someone there? Leo…Leonora?” She remained still while Ambrose frowned at her reaction

“Here, it’s empty…do you want me to fill it?” He held the bucket in front of her

She tilted her head and started moving her hands around “So…sorry could you please put it in my hands?” She cupped her hands in front of her 

Ambrose stared at her “You can’t see?” He kneeled in front of her, her grey eyes were lifeless and unfocused 

“Leonora told me I was blind is that the same thing? Do you perhaps know her?” 

He frowned confused at the strange feeling of familiarity “Yes it is the same thing and I do not know someone named Leonora…What’s your name?” He looked around, and then he spotted am old hut a few meters away, it was almost invisible due to the vegetation 

“I don’t have one…but Leonora called me Snow…I don’t know what that is but she said it was pretty” She smiled “Do you perhaps know what it is?” 

 

He took a good look at the girl in front of him, her hair was sky blue and she had pale skin. She was very thin, and had many bruises and injuries. She was wearing a thin and short dress that had dirt and holes in it and her feet were bare. Everyone could see that she had been abandoned a long time ago. 

“Ah! Can you please give me the bucket? I need it” 

He didn’t know if the strange feeling that he had was manipulating him or it was his own will of wanting to help her that made him do it “I’ll help you” Ambrose helped her stand and approached the lake, he filled the bucket and grabbed her hand. “Do you live with Leonora in that old hut?” 

She looked sad “Eleanora is not back yet” Her sad look was replaced with a hopeful smile “But I know she will be back soon” 

“Aha” Ambrose slowly nodded knowing full well that person wasn’t returning

They reached the old hut, it looked like it would crumble at any moment. It had no doors and no windows, to his surprised it was clean. It was only one big room and a small one which was the bathroom. The girl started mumbling while walking to a corner and then she crouched, grabbed something and walked back. In her hands were berries wrapped in a big leaf, she slowly touched each of the berries and frowned

“It’s only three…I have to go pick more” She held the berries for Ambrose to take “It’s all I have for now, and the water” 

"So that's all you eat?" Ambrose squinted while looking around, it was so dark

"Yes" She lifted the berries "Grab them" 

“I’ll go get more…wait here” He placed the bucket near the wall so she wouldn’t trip 

“You’ll find rocks on the ground, follow that path to get berries” 

He nodded and left. As the girl said, there was a path of rocks on the ground, as he followed it he came across a skeleton with the head decapitate at the right side between the bushes and based on the few clothes scattered around he could tell it was the corpse of a woman

“Oh…Eleanora was eaten by wild animals” He murmured “Damn Eleanora you had it tough huh?” He chuckled