Enya returned to the dukedom with Hansel, but she didn’t say anything. Hansel stared at her, waiting for a chance to say something. Zilant came by, observing them.

“What happened?” he asked suddenly.

Hansel ran to Zilant, staring at Enya.

“There… there was an assassin, but…” Hansel paused.

Zilant’s eyes widened, staring at Hansel.

“Assassin? In broad daylight?” Zilant wondered.

“Yes… but they were targeting Enya. He’s… he hasn’t been saying a word since the assassin died,” Hansel responded.

Zilant narrowed his eyes in confusion. He turned to Enya.

“Why? Wasn’t it a good thing that the assassin died?”

Hansel’s facial expression darkened.

“The one… that killed the assassin was… His Highness… he muttered something about the Empress…”

Zilant tightened his jaw.

“Llard? Empress?” Zilant went silent.

Enya kept walking like a zombie. How? How did the man who killed my family know that I was alive? Why did he want forgiveness when he was the reason why my entire people were gone?!

Zilant sighed in frustration, stepping in front of her. She bumped her head on his chest.

“Ow!” Enya held her head. She looked up. Her eyes widened. “Commander?”

Zilant furrowed one eyebrow, leaning down a little.

“What is going on with that little brain of yours?” Zilant asked.

Enya stood straight, frowning.

“Nothing…” she avoided his eyes.

“Really? I heard that you were ambushed… Was the assassin that good?”

Enya furrowed her eyebrows and glared at him.

“Do I look incompetent to you?”

Zilant smiled, patting her head. She froze, her eyes widening as her hands raised halfway in the air.

“I guess you’re still Enya. We will be ready to head off tomorrow. So, go pack and get ready,” Zilant responded. Then he walked away, patting Hansel’s shoulder on the way.

Hansel smiled and followed Zilant.

Enya flushed, clenching her fists slowly.

“I’m not a child!” she screamed.

Zilant and Hansel chuckled as the sun fell behind the horizon. Enya returned to her residence, packing her clothes for the trip.

Salem walked up to her, frowning.

“Do you really have to go?” Salem asked.

“Yes. For my baby brother. I have to make sure they don’t do anything to him,” Enya answered.

Salem nodded firmly, tightening her jaw.

“Enya, about that assassin… that knight…”

“He knew,” Enya responded softly. Then she paused and looked at Salem solemnly. “He knew who I was… but it seems he didn’t tell anyone. I wanted him to warn others, but he had other ideas.”

Salem swallowed, staring at her with confusion.

“Why?”

“Because… Zilant’s uncle told him to… Salem,” Enya called.

“Yes, Enya?”

“Send another letter to Kahni. Check if the sunfire nectar is poisonous after getting burned,” Enya recalled.

Salem’s eyes widened.

“What? …Okay,” she responded.

Enya bit her lower lip, staring out the window. The Empress and her ugly son are up to no good. Are they trying to mimic the Phoenix’s explosion?

The thought and possibilities rattled her mind. She faced a long night, waiting for tomorrow.

“They smiled like… they were relieved to see me alive.”

She stared at the ceiling of her room, recalling Maximillian’s bloody smile and her mother’s. The similarities shook her, keeping her from closing her eyes for fear she would dream of that smile again.

As slowly as the next morning rose, Enya headed to the dukedom before the entrance opened.

“Sire Fraye,” the guard greeted.

Enya bowed.

“Morning, Sire,” she said, walking through to the driveway.

Hansel stood beside Zilant as they waited for their luggage to get inside the carriage. There were five other Snow Knights, who were standing behind Zilant with the horses. As soon as Hansel saw Enya, he beamed and raised his hand up high, waving.

“Enya!” he called out.

Enya smiled and nodded.

“Your Highness… Commander,” Enya greeted.

Zilant turned to her and nodded.

“Good, everyone’s here now. Let’s set out,” he commanded.

The knights saluted.

“Yes, Commander!” they said in unison.

Zilant walked to Enya, taking her luggage. She paused, staring at him, startled.

“I got that…” she mumbled.

The knights all watched, peeping their eyes widely.

“Put it in the carriage as well,” Zilant ordered.

Enya watched the servant take her luggage and place it in the carriage. She looked at him, leaning back.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Zilant looked down at her.

“Are you? You just faced an assassin yesterday, and here you are… going to another danger. Will you be okay?” Zilant asked.

Enya straightened her posture and cleared her throat.

“I’m fine. I handled the assassin…” she muttered as she turned away.

The knights’ jaws dropped.

“Commander is being… considerate?”

“Enya isn’t arguing as usual?”

“When did they become so close?!”

Hansel chuckled and looked at the knights.

“They were always close… It just took time,” Hansel added. He entered the carriage, sitting down.

Zilant mounted on his horse, striding beside the carriage as they exited the dukedom together.

Enya and the knights walked with their horses strapped on their hand, following close behind. Cullen, riding a horse, hurdled toward Enya and smiled.

“Since when did you become close with Commander?” Cullen asked.

Enya frowned, glaring at him.

“Close? I think we’re still the same…” she responded.

Cullen chuckled and nodded.

“Still stubborn… Well, congrats. It seems Commander has some respect for you. We’ve never seen him close with anyone else in years…”

“Why is that? Is it because he’s a brute?” she asked.

Cullen froze at the word “brute” before laughing.

“Brute? Do you think he’s a brute? He’s more than a brute. He’s a wall!”

Enya broke into a smile, almost cracking up, but then froze. Why am I laughing? She looked at Cullen, trying to keep her stern face.

“That… that was funny,” she admitted.

Cullen laughed even more.

“Hah! You’re funny! You’re so young.”

Vaince gave his first strap to a knight near him and ran up between them, hugging Enya’s neck with a big smile.

“You’re young and small. I think a lot of ladies will want you to court them, Enya,” he joked.

Enya shivered, pushing Vaince away.

“Ew…” she said, forgetting she was disguised as a male knight.

Vaince and Cullen laughed together.

“How can it be disgusting to you, Enya? Aren’t you a boy, too?” Vaince added.

Enya didn’t respond and ignored them.

Vaince patted Enya’s back, then walked over to Cullen. They started talking, and Enya quickly walked away. Hansel opened the window and looked at her.

“Are they bothering you?” Hansel asked curiously.

Enya looked up and shook her head.

“They are just weird. Once we are there, make sure to stay close to me.”

Hansel nodded.

“Yes!”

Enya watched him smiling as he sat there.

Zilant paused for a second and turned to look at them. They looked like brothers, and the sight pulled a faint smile from him.

That warmth lingered only briefly before fading as the carriage slowed. Soon, they arrived at the Tiger’s border, where Zilant stepped forward to give his identification to the guards.

“So, isn’t it the Duke of the Dragon’s Empire? What did they call you?” one knight asked, his voice dripping with subtle scorn.

Zilant looked at him sternly. Another knight stepped forward, smirking.

“The Ice Prince! Frozen in emotions and with the sleeping dragon… When will your sleeping beauty wake up?”

Enya glared at them, lifting her chin high as she observed how Zilant reacted. He only clenched his fists.

“As a prince to you, lowly knights of the Tiger’s Den, don’t you think you should be punished for speaking to me with disrespect?” Zilant said, his voice sharp.

“Tsk…” both knights frowned, but before the tension could rise further, a sharp clap rang out from behind.

All heads turned toward the road. A man sat proudly on his horse, smirking at Zilant with a golden sash across his chest.

“I didn’t expect you to speak for yourself. I was told the Ice Duke was so quiet… I finally see something different,” the man remarked.

“Isn’t it the General of the Tiger’s Den? The famous Sylvanstian,” Zilant greeted.

Sylvanstian hopped off his horse and strode toward him, patting Zilant’s shoulder.

“Why don’t you and your little knights step out of the Tiger’s Den?” he snickered.

Zilant tightened his jaw, narrowing his eyes. Enya frowned.

“Why don’t you move your kitty hands off our Commander?” she cut in sharply.

Everyone gasped and turned to look at her. Sylvanstian paused, staring at Enya, then smiled, delightfully intrigued.

“Since when did the Duke of the Dragon Empire have a girly knight?” he asked, stepping toward her.

Zilant quickly blocked him with his sheath, forcing him back.

“That’s no lady. That’s my left-hand captain. Show some respect,” Zilant demanded coldly.

Sylvanstian’s gaze shifted between Zilant and Enya, and suddenly he burst into hysterical laughter, unable to ignore how Zilant reacted.

“Wow! When did the cold Duke become so… human? Could it be…?” He leaned closer to Zilant. “You’ve found a lady that you like?”

Cullen and Vaince stepped forward, their hands gripping their sword handles.

“How dare you insult our Commander?” they shouted together.

Enya moved up, standing just behind Zilant. He turned to her.

“Enya—”

“Go play with a ball of yarn somewhere else. You already know we were sent here for a reason. If you want to talk big, why not just remove your gloves, or shall I slap you with mine?” she taunted.

Sylvanstian’s jaw tightened as he glared into her eyes. His crooked smile widened.

“How dare you speak to me like this?”

“Enya, now is not the time to start a duel…” Zilant cautioned.

“It’s also not the time to take insults from a puny creature,” Enya shot back, her serious gaze locking on him.

Zilant froze, stunned by her expression, speechless once again.

“Who do you think you are—”

“Fuck off, ‘General’…” Enya demanded.

Sylvanstian’s lips twitched as he glared. The wind blew the air between them as a leaf danced between their feet.

“You’ll regret talking to me like this…”

Enya stepped forward and stomped hard on his foot.

“I never regret anything in my life but allowing cowards like you to walk over me…”

His smug composure finally broke. Sylvanstian stepped back, retreating to his horse before hurdling away.

The air settled heavily after his departure. Zilant sighed in frustration and, without warning, pinched Enya’s cheek.

“Ah!” she shouted, pushing his hand away.

“Are you insane? Are you trying to start a war right now?! Do you know who that person is?” Zilant demanded, his voice sharp.

Enya placed her hand on her reddened cheek, rubbing the pain.

“Why do I care about them? Are you still going to let them insult us as we are here for the Phoenix Heir?” she shot back.

Zilant stared at her, taking a deep breath. He mounted his horse without a word.

He and his Snow Knight guided the carriage toward the temple, leading Hansel to the entrance. Once the carriage stopped, Hansel peered out the window, taking in the surroundings. Meanwhile, Enya stretched and yawned loudly, drawing a sharp glance from Vaince.

“No—”

“We are at the temple. The priests here are easily offended…” Vaince whispered.

Enya shrugged, looking away.

“So…” she continued, unconcerned.

Minutes ticked by. Thirty. Then, almost an hour. Hansel fidgeted, growing increasingly unsettled inside the carriage. Enya smirked as her eyes roamed over the temple walls.

“Easily offended, huh?” she said with a half-smile.

“Commander, what should we do?” Cullen asked, glancing nervously between them.

“Wait,” Zilant replied curtly.

Enya blew a raspberry.

“You guys can wait. Your Highness, do you want to step out and take a walk with me?”

Zilant turned to her.

“Enya—”

“What? Would you rather have him sit for hours because the temple doesn’t know how to respect the almighty Dragon knights?” she snapped.

Zilant looked at Hansel, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. With a sigh, he nodded.

“Okay. But remember to come back here.”

Hansel’s face lit up as he hopped down from the carriage. Enya furrowed an eyebrow at Zilant.

“That’ll depend…” she said with a sly smile.

Zilant shook his head, frowning at her. Enya grinned and fell into step behind Hansel.

“Enya is so troublesome…” Zilant whispered under his breath.

The garden stretched before them, sunlight glinting off leaves and stone paths. They walked toward an open water fountain. Hansel dashed ahead, eyes wide with awe.

“Enya! This water fountain is beautiful!” he exclaimed.

Enya nodded and quickened her pace to catch up.

The water shimmered a cool blue, like Hansel’s hair. In its reflection, the green in his eyes danced with the light of spring.

“It is…”

Hansel laughed softly, staring at the water, then grew quieter, a thoughtful expression settling over him. It feels like… home.

Enya’s gaze followed his, her mind drifting to the Phoenix Clan garden. She smiled bitterly. A place where I danced every day with my fire.

“This water… was from the Phoenix Clan,” a voice pierced their thoughts, snapping them back to the present.

Enya and Hansel turned. An elderly man stood by the doorway, staring at them. His long white beard flowed over his chest, and his eyes were nearly shut.

Enya swallowed hard, tightening her grip on her sword handle and staring at the elderly man. I didn’t even hear his footsteps or feel his aura when he entered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 🪶 🔥 Princess, Don’t Waver ❄️ 🐉 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s Note:

Two chapters today! I was feeling into writing today :3

However, this chapter still needs improvement. Here’s my raw draft, readers.

Much love and I hope you enjoy Enya’s (who is Hanara) journey