Morning woke me with a gray chill.

When I opened my eyes, I couldn't make out the engravings on the ceiling, for my head was throbbing. I turned in bed, the cotton sheets tangling around my legs. I hadn't been able to sleep. I had merely floundered in exhaustion, tossing and turning from side to side. My eyes drifted to the pale light seeping through the curtains. Pressing my face into the pillow, I took a deep breath. Anger was pooling inside me. Like a hangover of nausea left over from the night.

The heavy handles of the door turned. Footsteps, heavy and resolute. When I turned my head, I saw Ambrose. He wasn't wearing his nightclothes; despite the early morning hour, he arrived in black trousers and a light-colored linen shirt. His hair was more disheveled, the lines on his face harsher. He was sleep-deprived and furious. He has no right to be in a worse state than me...

Our eyes collided. In that moment, the air in the room was slashed in a single stride. Without a word, he approached the bed, but he stopped as if maintaining the distance between us with his hand. "You tried to leave again," he stated.

There was no patience in his voice. It was as if he had swallowed his own rage until morning but was now ready to vomit it out. I went on the defensive. "I did not try to run away or anything."

"Is that so?" He crossed his arms. The fabric of his shirt, rolled up to the elbows, wrinkled even further over his tensed muscles. "Should I post guards in the garden as well? Perhaps you are considering jumping."

"What a wonderful idea. Hadn't you already do though?" My pride was wounded, and his mocking tone fed my anger. "Perhaps I will; go ahead and set a dozen of your guards down there immediately. Make sure to train your dogs to catch me in mid-air so I don't get hurt if I jump!"

I noticed him clench his jaw; he had much to say, but he held it back.

"I apologize for humiliating you before the entire Palace," I continued talking. "I'll keep eating my meals in my room and never step foot outside again. Lock me in a tower if you wish. Let it be somewhere high up and dark as hell. That way, if I jump, I won't get away with just scratches, I'll die and be done with it—a fitting punishment for me, after all." I swung my legs off the edge of the bed; my blanket was draped haphazardly over me. "How glorious. You have taken possession of the Bringer of Death. While everyone fears my curse, here you are, General, trying to discipline me."

"Two weeks were enough for you to come out of your shell. Here you are, acting exactly as you truly are." He uncrossed his arms, and his hand found my chin. When I remained unresponsive, he gripped it harder. "If I wanted to discipline you, I would have claimed you far earlier."

My eyes widened in anger. He truly treated me like an animal. I can call myself that, but you cannot.

"So this is who you truly are, then." My eyes stung, and I felt a tingling in my fingertips. It was as if I saw a flash of purple in my reflection within his eyes.

"Hah?" He swallowed a hysterical laugh and furrowed his brows. "From the very beginning, I told you I was here to protect you. Yet you continuously—"

"I told you I don't trust anyone! You don't understand, General. Last night, I was only trying to come to you—I told them, but they didn't even allow it on the condition they escort me. If you don't want to make this place my prison, then what is it you want?!"

"What... did you tell them?"

Did he want to hear exactly what I had said?

"I wasn't serious when I said it— I mean, what I said to them was just to get to you..."

"Even so. What exactly did you say?"

My lips puckered in embarrassment, but I kept my brows furrowed. "That I missed the General... and that they could escort me if they wanted..."

Without removing his hand from my chin, his thumb caressed my lower lip. My tongue wanted to chase the trail he left on my lips, but I kept looking into his eyes.

"I understand. I'll have them bring you your breakfast." He turned and left. I stood up too, because our conversation wasn't finished. I still needed to tell him what Neven had said to me. As if waiting for this exact moment, servants walked in carrying trays.

"Princess, your breakf—" I stormed past them. "Princess?"

Ambrose had already vanished down the corridor. I decided to walk at least as far as the stairs to see which way he went, but I didn't need to go far; his voice was coming from the other end of the hall.

There were muffled voices, but his was so loud and sharp that I could hear it from here.

"..." 

"..."

"I chose you to protect the Princess from dangers. Not to protect her from me. My wife misses me, and you are incapable of escorting her and bringing her to my room? When my wife wishes to reach me, no one stands in her way. Should anyone forget this, they will pay the price with their life."

"My Lord, we—"

"Which one of you..? Yes, tell me, which one of you dared do this?" His tone darkened even further.

Without revealing my position, I peeked around the corner; all four guards had their heads bowed, terrified of objecting... So, if I relay what Neven said, would a scene like this unfold? Would he pay the price with his life?

If I waited any longer, it felt as though they would sever their own heads and place them in Ambrose's palm. I couldn't keep watching from my hiding spot. Every time Ambrose's voice echoed, the guards' shoulders sank lower; even the walls seemed to tremble.

I took my steps swiftly but silently. Just as I turned the corner— "Ambrose!"

For a moment, everything fell silent. The guards bowed their heads a fraction more. Ambrose paused for a second without turning around. The tension in his shoulders was still palpable.

"Please," I said in a softer voice, "That is enough."

He turned around slowly. His eyes were ablaze with fury, but that fire fractured the moment he saw me. Still, his expression didn't change.

"Princess, this matter does not concern you," he said in a harsh tone.

"On the contrary," I countered, taking steps toward him. "This matter concerns me directly. The guards were merely doing their duty. It would be unjust to treat them this way."

Ambrose took a deep breath, though his anger had yet to subside. "Their duty was not to keep you away from me."

I placed my hand on Ambrose's arm. "They are doing everything they can for my safety. Please, do not punish them. They are loyal servants."

Ambrose looked first at my hand, then into my eyes. The fury within him had evolved into an incomprehensible bewilderment, though neither of us let it show. "If such a thing happens again, not even the Princess will be able to save you."

Hoping to hide my anxiety, I smiled. "Come on, let us have breakfast together. There are things we need to discuss."

Ambrose sighed as though he didn't want to spend his morning with me, but when he suddenly scooped me into his arms, I tensed. "Are you wandering around barefoot again?"

"But I had my slippers then..."

"Now you don't even have those, you are right." He carried me in his arms all the way to the room.

The servants in the room laid out a second breakfast service and presented an array of beverages. "We'll handle the service, leave." At Ambrose's command, they exited. There were colorful bottles filled with ice. After setting me down on the sofa, he began to ask, "Would you like rose sherbet, or mint lemonade?"

Hahaha ha... Are you serving again?

"It doesn't matter for me... what about you?"

He poured both into goblets and set them in front of me. "Try them. Tell me which one is better."

For a moment, I felt like a royal food taster, but I nodded, lifted the large pearl goblets with both hands, and took a sip. It was as if he had presented two goblets as a punishment, and one was laced with poison... Was I about to choose the one that would end my life, or would I live to see the moon rise another day?.. In short, that was exactly how it felt. As for the tastes; the rose sherbet had a distinct flavor, but in a good way. It tasted both sweet and creamy, strange but the kind that makes you want to take a few more sips.

"This one..." I pointed to the goblet of rose sherbet.

He sat down beside me and pulled the mint lemonade toward himself. What he just did confused me for a moment. I mean, he left the one I liked for me, but had he accepted drinking the terrible lemonade whose taste I clearly didn't like from the other goblet I had sipped from? I felt a warmth in my cheeks. He probably liked both, so he didn't mind.

Even sitting beside me, Ambrose seemed unable to fully pull himself from his thoughts. His fingers traced the glass of the goblet, his eyes drifting to my lips one moment, then to my face the next. He looked as though he wanted to say something but didn't know where to begin. I, too, wanted to unload this heavy burden I carried, but the words were searching for the courage to spill from my lips.

I didn't just run away for nothing. I was terrified of a second wife. If you only knew the things Neven said to me...

"Ambrose..." I said slowly, keeping my voice low.

His brows furrowed slightly. "Yes?" He seemed to have been waiting for this.

I was just about to speak when, at that very moment, three sharp knocks rapped against the door.

Ambrose's gaze snapped to the door instantly. The number of people who would dare enter was limited. When the door opened, the footsteps of two knights in black cloaks struck the stone floor heavily. They bore the dynasty's crest on their chests.

"Supreme General," one said, dropping to one knee. "We come with news of the utmost urgency."

Ambrose stood up. The grogginess, the softness from a moment ago had vanished. His eyes had taken on that familiar hardness once more. "Speak."

"The Svanorth Empire... has infiltrated the Svan knights into the army of the Sylvarath province. A rebellion has erupted at the border. The people have risen against the local governor. Our elite knights were attacked. The commander was forced to retreat."

Ambrose's jaw tightened. He balled his hands into fists and took a few steps. Then he turned, speaking as if issuing a command: "Summon the commanders. We will convene in the council chamber. In half an hour."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

As the knights exited, silence fell over the room once the door closed behind them.

He turned his eyes to me. His face was now nothing but cold, stripped of all emotion, walking slowly towards my side. "You had something you wanted to say."

I shook my head slightly, but my voice failed me. Now was not the right time. "Nothing," I said. "Just... be careful." He turned his back, but my voice stopped him. "Is this... a major problem?"

"It is."

And just like that, he left.

I was drinking tea in the garden with Princess Amorette. Two hours had passed, and there had been neither sight nor sound of Ambrose. "What do you know about the Svanorth Empire, Princess?" I asked. The rose petals in my tea reminded me of the sherbet, and the sherbet reminded me of the Ambrose who had gone cold. To me, the hot tea tasted like ice.

"Those who can't taste the warm water..." She took a sip of her tea. "They would give their lives for a port in warm waters. An Empire as cold as ice. We have cold provinces in the West as well, but we also possess warm lands. They, however, are only accustomed to the cold. Endless snow and mountains of ice..."

"I see... And the Sylvarath Province is the region famous for the gardens of the eastern palaces, is it not? They are eyeing the spring gardens to reach warm waters."

"You are correct, Princess, but why does this interest you? Before His Majesty departs, you must calm and satisfy him. He must feel entirely prepared for war. Only that. The rest is not the domain of princesses."

"Will this... go as far as war, then?"

At that exact moment, the echo of metal armor rang out on the stone path of the garden. A servant bowed and whispered close to my ear, "His Majesty is about to conclude his preparations; he wishes to see you before he departs."

My heart felt as if it would burst from my chest. I stood up immediately. Amorette undoubtedly saw the panic on my face, but she said nothing.

I found Ambrose in his study. Maps were spread across the desk, and no one else remained by his side. There was only him, and the weight of his thoughts.

When I closed the door, he turned his eyes to me. This time, he wasn't emotionless, but he was rigid. "I am leaving." Short and clear.

I swallowed hard. "I want to come with you."

He furrowed his brows. "Where?.. I am not going on an excursion, Deyanira." One hand rested on the maps on the desk. An entire province lay beneath his palm.

"If that is your battlefield, then this is my battlefield. You cannot leave me alone in the war."

"No," he said instantly, harsh and absolute. "A battlefield is no place for a princess. The land you stand on is my land; no one but me can harm you here. They wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I be safer by your side?" I tried to soften him.

It didn't work. Ambrose took a few steps closer to me, his gaze hardening. "You must not have heard me. I am going to war, not to protect you."

I couldn't swallow; my eyes drifted to the maps and papers. "I promise I'll never try to run away again. Please, take me with you, Ambrose."

He sighed; he must have been tired of dealing with a brat. "It's not as if they are going to eat you here, Deyanira... You must forget what happened in the past. Those things will not happen again. Furthermore, it is cold there."

"Are you going to wage war immediately? Will there be no negotiations..?"

"I'll take the heads of their men and bring them to their Emperor with my own hands. If he wishes to negotiate, it will be done before those dripping, severed heads."

"D-Don't do that." Being able to imagine it made my hand fly to my heart. "That is a declaration of war."

"Infiltrating traitors into my land and forcing the army into a coup is also a declaration of war. What did the province think, that it would gain autonomy? Only to fall under his subjugation later??"

"Look... You are getting too angry! Princess Amorette said it was my duty to calm you down..!"

His hands abandoned the old parchments and found my waist. "Am I not angry with you, too? Princess... You cannot calm me."

My cheeks burned; his face was so close. "That is your fault, General... Y-You are mad you are constantly mad." I furrowed my brows so as not to be crushed beneath his gaze.

His nose brushed against mine. One hand rested on my back, the other on my neck; I rose onto my tiptoes as if that would help, leaning myself back against the desk behind me. As our breaths mingled, I lost track of where to put my hands. He was close enough to kiss me, but he didn't. It felt as though he were sucking my soul from my lips, making my head spin.

He tilted his chin and buried his face in my neck. After inhaling my scent, he pulled back.

"If I leave you here now, you'll just run away again... Despite the guards. You will come with me, but you are not to leave my side for a single second..." His voice had grown thick and heavy.

A win is a win...