~ Playmate ~

King Caderyn was breathless with anger. Fury vibrated through his every being as he watched his daughter standing with yet another boy. He knew that Snowflake was a strange wolf, yet he couldn't hide his astonishment upon discovering that the wolf was actually, in fact, a druid. Druids were thought to be extinct, as very few of them existed in the Empire.

"Your Majesty," Etrix said, eyes gleaming with mischief. "I believe my introduction is a bit late. My name is Etrix."

Ezekiel clenched his fists when the elf-looking boy spoke. He was dumfounded at the sight of a frozen tree upon returning to the garden, but he was absolutely furious at the sight of a boy being cared for by Winter. Winter, who hated being touched more than anything else, was not showing a single ounce of displeasure or uncomfortableness upon touching the boy. Ezekiel wanted to cut the boy's legs off.

"How do you wish to die?" The King asked in a cold tone. Inwardly, he was seething with anger.

Snowflake had slept in the same bed as his daughter. Snowflake had received kisses from his daughter as well. The wolf had been at the receiving end of his only daughter's affection for as long as he entered the Palace, receiving displays of affection that Winter only gave Aiden. The thoughts made him cold with fury as his resentment festered within him. The druid boy would have to die a painful death.

"Stop," Winter said, eyes coated with anger. "Etrix is my friend and he saved me twice now. If you kill him, you'll have to kill me too."

The King tried to still his rage. "Winter, that boy is a druid. He disguised himself and deliberately got close to you. It's possible he's a spy, or a threatening individual with ulterior intentions. He must be executed in the most painful was possible."

"After being thoroughly questioned," Alexion added, emphasizing the word questioned.

Winter clicked her tongue. If she couldn't intervene, then Etrix would be tortured and dragged to his death. The thought twisted knots in her stomach. She swallowed the bile that rose in her throat, mind searching for a way to save her friend.

"If you do that, I'll hate you." She retorted. "I'll run away just like my mother. I promise you I'll hate you with every inch of my own being. I'll freeze everything and anybody who tries to stop me."

A flash of emotion passed beneath the King's cold expression. He hardened his jaw and let out a long sigh, clearly distraught by the idea of his daughter rebelling against his wishes.

"Your Majesty," Etrix chimed in a sickeningly melodic tone. "As Your Majesty knows, I am a druid. I can channel the energy of the sun, thus cancelling out Her Highness' magic. I promise I have no other intentions than just staying by the Princess' side. I'd also be willing to officially swear my allegiance to the Empire by joining as one of the King's mages."

"Absolutely not," Alexion intervened. "Father, this is outrageous. Not only did he infiltrate the palace, but he's a druid. We can't accept such a creature into the Empire."

Hearing Alexion speak made Winter blind with rage. Her fingertips began to tickle and cold washed over her once more, eating away at the far corners of her heart. She wouldn't let them take away one of the only people who made her feel warm in a world of never ending bitter cold.

"What about me?" She said, voice coated with venom. "You accepted me into the Empire." The words poured off her lips like poison, leaving a bitter taste on the tip of her tongue. "Between Etrix and I, my existence is far worse. I wasn't even supposed to be born. So if you won't accept a druid, then you can't accept me. If Etrix has to die, then I should die too. It's only just."

The King's eyes burned bright green in the light of the throne room. The several knights who were stationed around them, ready to grab Etrix at a moment's notice, stiffened. Alexion still didn't know how Winter found out about her birth, especially since the King declared that anyone who told her about it would lose their tongue.

Etrix's red eyes gleamed with a mischievous aura, jeering the King's every move. He knew that the tyrannical King, whose shadow was filled with the hundred thousands of lives he had taken, had one weakness. In an Empire where everything was at his feet, Princess Winter Del Silvermond stood a million miles away.

"Fine," He said, eyes pooling with dissatisfaction. "I'll allow your talking floor rug to enter the Empire as an official mage."

Winter smiled. "I also want him to be my playmate."

She knew that noble children often had playmates, but she didn't actually want Etrix to play dolls with her or braid her hair. She wanted to be allowed to openly see him the way she did before. If he entered the Empire as a mage, the King would make sure he never got a chance to see Winter again.

The King stiffened in his seat. "No."

"I barely have any friends," Winter said, softly smiling at the King. "Etrix is my friend and his magic can neutralize mine. Wouldn't putting us together be safer anyways?"

The King looked at his daughter whose smile crinkled the corner of her eyes. The way she smiled at him emptily broke his heart. It was the smile of a girl who had experienced death and came back to life. However, there was no way the King would have known the empty meaning behind it. He had no choice but to frown softly without knowing the reason why his daughter suffered so much.

Ezekiel shuffled uncomfortably at Winter's side, eyes staring daggers into the back of the elf-looking boy's head. He was feeling this way because he was her knight, right? Right, he inwardly told himself. This boy threatened his position and he wasn't happy about it. He had been working hard, training late into the knight with Sir Emris in order to live up to the King's expectations. He hated the idea of someone stronger than him standing by her side.

Alexion sighed. Both he and the King knew that they wouldn't win a war against Winter. "Father, I agree with Winter." He said, hoping to gain some favourability points back after the incident in the garden. "If she had someone with her at all times who could neutralize her magic, then it'd be far more ideal. Lysander is busy due his duties as a Royal and the Academia, and Your Majesty is busy as the King. If the druid hadn't come in time, the whole Kingdom would have been frozen over."

Winter frowned, eyes lost in a daze. She would have to write to Prince Henrik and ask him to send her another tree. She still hasn't thanked him for everything he's given her, so maybe she should send something to him as well. Of course she had no intention of marrying the Prince of a neighbouring Empire, she simply wanted to thank him for his gifts. After all, the size of her room became more bearable after he began sending her flowers.

"His Highness, Prince Aiden Del Silvermond is entering."

Aiden, who had only just finished his lessons, entered the throne room in a frolicking skip with Emris following not far behind. He rubbed his eyes before scanning the scene before him. Winter waved at him, taking in how much he's grown since they first arrived at the Palace. Aiden was far taller than her now and even started to gain a little bit of muscle. Winter frowned, examining her body. She was still far too tiny.

"Winny," He said, letting out a loud yawn. "What's happening?"

He instantly pulled Winter's hand into his own, searching the faces of those around him. His eyes passed over Etrix for a second before moving onto to someone else. After a few seconds, he turned his head back sharply and lingered on Etrix's face with wide eyes, as if he only just realized something.

"Holy shit," He said, eyes gleaming with excitement. "You're a druid!"

The King coughed. "Mind your language, Aiden."

Aiden pouted, squeezing Winter's fingers. "Brother Lysander says 'shit' all the time, why can't I?"

"Because that's a shitty term, okay?" Winter said, lifting herself up on her tippy toes to pat Aiden's head. "Shitty terms like that are really fucking bad."

"Winter!" Alexion exclaimed. Winter shot him an ice cold glance, narrowing her eyes. She was still mad at him for hurting Etrix in the garden. Alexion flinched, unsure of how to handle his younger sister's cold shoulder.

"Fucking bad?" Aiden echoed, tilting his head.

Winter nodded, stifling a chuckle.

The King cleared his throat and the relaxed atmosphere vanished in the blink of an eye. "Let's begin with the oath of allegiance."

The last thing he wanted was to let the druid linger around his daughter, but it was clear Winter's resentment towards him would only grow if he didn't respect her wishes. He thought about how many tongues he would cut after she left. He glanced at Alexion who seemed to understand his thoughts. The source who told Winter about her birth would have to die a most painful death.