The kitchen felt like a cold cavern under the thundering raindrops. The wooden structures made strained noises like half-sung melodies; the glass lamps hanging from the ceiling clinked to the same tempo. Yet, the world was asleep.

In the dark, I tried to find a match to light up some candles – before remembering this land used magic instead. Let’s give it a try, what could go wrong.

Cold, damp – it was hard to connect to the flame, but not to the need of it.

I took off my coat and held my hand up high towards a candle. For there was no warmth near me, for the cold was stabbing my skin, I called upon the spirit of a lone light. It had a Christmas-like feeling, a late-night noel. With the smell of fósforo and honey, a truculent flame parted from the tip of my fingers.

It burnt - it burnt my skin; it flew away, a turbulent blaze spiraling toward the ceiling, attempting to crumble its gentle, aged wood; clinging onto it with hunger.

My skin broke open as if it was frozen cold, and my legs kept me standing out of pure fear. Pain and panic, I grabbed the bucket of water by the stove and threw it upwards. With that, the flame was out. But so was a lamp, broken on the floor – a floor that was as soaked as I was. I asked the gods to not let anyone come check on the disaster, while I covered the tip of my fingers with a wet rag. Of course, my pleas were answered with naught but irony.

- “What was that? Is some- Von?”

The very Prince of the land, chamberstick in hand. He was wearing his nightgown, but his regular pair of outside shoes.

- “Yes, my liege, it is I.” – I let out a sigh.

- “What on- What happened? Are you okay? Is your hand…?”

- “I’m fine. I just tried to light a candle, but I’m not that good with magic.”

- “Of course you aren’t! You haven’t even had classes yet! Ah, uh- Why is everything soaked? And that smell… What’s-?”

- “The ceiling. Soaked cause I threw a bucket. Because, well, I kind of, uh, set it on fire. Lighting up the candle and all. And broke a lamp too, kind of.”

- “Jeez, what the- Ah!! You got the etrine cape wet!!! Gods, get up – Let me- You can’t go out like this- The carpet- Let me start a fire. I think this chimney has a cover-.”

- “T-Thanks- Oh. So this is a fancy cape. Didn’t think you’d know about those things.”

- “Of course I do! Appearances are important, as is taking proper care of them. Etrine is a really delicate fabric, it could get ruined-”

- “…The princess didn’t tell me anything about it.”

- “Well, she wouldn’t! According to her, buying new things is ‘helping the economy.’ Golly, Von, come here by the fire. I’ll... I’ll try to dry up the floor.”

- “No no I can do that. It’s alright. Can you light up the rest of the lamps instead?”

- “Ah, sure – Why are you here alone this late, anyways?” – Arsamira walked around the room lighting the candles with his chamberstick; the sound of his wet shoes reminded me of a dog toy.

- “I got lost coming back from the apothecary. I didn’t feel well, so I just went to the kitchen, since I was close by... I thought maybe I could grab some bread and watch the storm until the morning.”

- “Oh, come on, the castle isn’t even that big, how did you get lost? And there are guards everywhere, you could’ve just asked them!”

- “T-There were?”

- “Of course there are!”

- “… I didn’t see anyone while walking.”

- “But there were when I came here!”

- “Uh… Ah- Why are you here, though? Did you come to steal sweets?”

- “Might as well, since I found you!”

- “What.”

- “… Alright, that’s not good. But- Yeah. I escorted Renime to her room already, so coming for a little snack seemed like a good idea.”

- “I’m surprised at how strong she is, to have a chat with you even after this afternoon.”

- “Strong, needy- I’d call it needy. She’s probably aware of my feelings, but still doesn’t back down. I don’t like spoiled children.”

- “Says the one.”

- “Are you perhaps insinuating something, you irreverent hostage?”

- “To joke about it-! You are really getting on my nerves-.” – I mumbled under my breath.

- “It’s you who keeps blabbing about being kidnapped.”

- “Because it happened!”

- “Is that a tendency of yours? Being the damsel in distress?”

- “What’s with you now? You really want me to punch you that badly?”

- “Look at you. Wandering around at night, alone, causing ruckus, totally defenseless; not even aware of the people around you - even hurting yourself on accident. When are you going to start to actually take care of yourself, if you are oh-so afraid of being in danger?”

- “Uh-”

- “You are aware of your position - you should, too, be aware of the dangers that come with it. After being with you on the terrace, I’m worried. I mean, if that happened with someone that wasn’t me, who knows what would happen?”

- “I’d like to think not everyone is a maniac, Arsamira.”

- “But you did almost get kidnapped.”

- “Why do you only care about that when it’s convenient for you?”

- “That’s not what we are talking about, Von.”

I pushed the mop towards his face.

- “You’re right, but I don’t want you to be the one saying it. I know the likes of you, I don’t want to hear anything from that foul mouth.”

- “Pretty pretentious of you.” – He stood his ground and took the wet mop by the broomstick. The floor was almost dry by now, so he put it away.

- “If your heart was as pure as your eyes, maybe I’d listen to you.”

- “My intentions are pure - even if my methods are not your cup of tea.”

- “A golden prince with a silver tongue. I’m not of your people, I cannot trust you.”

- “Is that what you think?”

- “I’d hate to say it twice.”

- “My, and I thought I was the infatuated one.” - Arsamira sat down at the kneading table, on which there was a little package with sweets and buns. - “Let’s discuss it over tea then, shall we?”

- “Just-... sit there. I’ve got things to do.”

Lie.

But what better way to get rid of bitterness than by baking sweets.

While a kettle boiled, I looked around for the ingredients. A fruit that tasted like apples, equivalents of flour and sugar - the closest to home it could be. I started making the dough, taking advantage of the cold weather. Pie crust is hard to knead, so I used to let out my frustrations on it whenever I was annoyed.

- “So it was true that you know how to cook.”

- “Want me to mop your face again, Your Majesty?”

- “Sorry, sorry. I just wouldn’t expect housework from someone so delicate.”

- “My world might be too plebeian for you then, prince.”

- “It’s a good thing, I assure you. I may be a great duelist, but when it comes to these trivial things, I would be useless without my servants.”

- “Of course. Be thankful I accepted the Queen’s proposition - you would have died in a heartbeat if you had been exiled.”

- “… Yes. Thank you. I truly would be lost if you weren’t as kind as you are.”

It took me by surprise, the sincerity of his words.

- “Eh… Uh… Have you ever had apple-… uh...parcena? Yes, parcena pie before?”

- “Not at all. Didn’t know parcena could be cooked, to start.”

- “You don’t have them boiled?”

- ““Not that I...- you are right! That’s like, old man food though.”

- “It’s good, it’s just that you are too young to appreciate it.” – I laughed.

After a rainy eternity of a few minutes, I was putting the pie in the oven.

- “Can you serve some tea too?”

- “Uh-. Fine. I doubt I’ll get tired of proper tea anyways.”

- “’Proper tea?’”

- “Well, we normally just used little tea bags back at home, they were pretty much instant.”

- “Oh! We have those too, with little labels and all!”

- “Huh. I had no idea.” – I smiled a bit.

The tea was slightly fruity, really sweet. It felt almost ironic against the storm and the warmth of the candles, with its sunlight-filled flavor. The beautiful red - of dried berries and crushed leaves - swirled in the little glass pitcher, reflecting the yellow tint of the candle lights. I held the cup close to my face, staring at the etrine cape while it dried up in front of the stove. It had a sky full of stars embroidered on its back, building up to a flower of suns and moons – as if counting the eternal days.

- “I wonder why mom left it for you.”

- “It was hers?”

- “No, no. Io’s. It was a gift my mom gave him, but he never used it. I guess it was forgotten here when he left.”

- “Io sounds more of a mystery every time I hear of him.”

- “He was like that for us too.” – He whispered. But, all of sudden, his whole being jumped, his eyes wide open. – “That smell! Oh that smells so good-”

- “The pie must be almost ready by now.”

- “It smells so sweet…!”

- “Calm down-”

The pie was slightly burnt at the bottom, but still looked pretty good, if I say so myself. I left it to the side to cool down, hoping it would be good enough for someone of royalty. But Arsamira seemed so excited, surely it would be fine.

Even after the pure chaos I caused by setting the ceiling on fire, I wanted to give it a try once again – magic, I mean.

If magic was moving energy, maybe, just maybe, I could also take away energy.

- “Arruinar el pie sería estúpido, right? Right. Uuuh Arsamira, pass me a candle.”

- “Sure, why?”

- “Nothing, nothing. Just want to try something.”

As if to canalize the storm outside, as if to move yourself with the winds. And then, to take it all away.

All is yours - the breeze, the land, the sky, the seas, and every being that roams their corners.

It felt like inhaling. My fingers were burning once again, the pain from the previous wounds making my arm go numb. I’m not the smartest person, surely. I didn’t think it would hurt so much. It felt like needles - entering through my pores, traveling through my veins, stabbing my heart-

I took a deep breath, holding my pained arm. Arsamira rushed to hold me as I fell back. He eased me down to the floor, my legs giving out underneath me.

- “What the- What? What in the King’s name do you think you’re- You’re- You absorbed the flame?”

- “Well I- I have to practice some magic on my own too.”

- “I don’t even think that’s a thing people are allowed to do.”

- “Oh.”

- “I had no idea you had a wand with you- Why did they even give you one-...”

- “I don’t have a wand though?”

He stared at me with severe eyes, and started picking through my pockets. Of course, all I had there was my wallet.

- “…Okay uh – uh- so. I don’t know much about magic, yes. I don’t. But I’m pretty sure you can’t- ah- do magic without at least a little branch.”

- “Oh- Oh well. That’s… not sounding good for me.”

- “If you don’t want to... ah... stand out, yeah. That’s pretty bad.”

- ”I better not do that again then.”

- “Isn’t this like the-... Well- You even set the ceiling on fire, didn’t you? ...What am I going to do with you...?”

I looked up to his face as I was sitting on the floor, supported by him. That was a pretty strong jawline, when you looked at it from down under.

- “Well, let’s have some pie, alright? I’d like some critique.”

- “I’m still surprised at how easily you can brush off your problems.”

- “It’s a skill acquired through years of nihilism.”

- “…I’m not even going to ask what that is. Serve me some pie then.” - He said, letting go of me.

- “Surely, Your Majesty.” – Up I go.

I started cutting the still-warm pie. My arm was still in pain, but I preferred to ignore it. There was no actual damage, and I could move it just fine; there was just the throbbing in my fingers - and a strange feeling, as if my pores were so open that I could feel the breeze go through them. It was the third time I had used magic that day – a particularly long day, at that. Even though the rapid pumping of my heart probably wouldn’t let me sleep that night, my mind awake and aware of the previous day – I still felt my eyes droop here and there.

I placed the pie in front of Arsamira and served myself a slice. It would have been great to have ice cream, too.

- “Hmm. It’s good, kind of.” – I laughed. - “Could have been better - it’s my first time using a wood-fired oven.”

I looked at Arsamira, who was eating in silence – but fast. He stopped for a sip of tea.

- “It’s good! I like it!”- He smiled, staring at me. – “It’s, uuh, more crumbly than I expected!”

- “No more feedback? I mean, it did get burnt.”

- “Ah, yeah. That’s annoying, a tad bit. But I wasn’t expecting anything professional, so this is pretty much on the high-end of my expectations!”

- “… Uhm, thank you.”

He smiled and kept eating. I drank my tea, looking at the ceiling. Well, not at the ceiling - I didn’t want to look at the ashy circle my mistakes left. I was actually looking at the skylight windows near the plants, where I could see the storm lashing against the glass, thunder in the distance, havoc aplenty. It was relaxing watching the flames flicker as the breeze flowed above us. I raised my pained arm towards it, stretching my fingers, clenching my fist - all in an attempt to bring life back to it.

Arsamira finished his slice and immediately went for another. I had just emptied my tea, and instead of eating the other half of my own slice, I divided the rest of the pie so that I was able to take it to my room for Kio – hoping the little basket I borrowed from under the table was not going to be needed in the morning.

The prince’s gentle tone caught my attention once again.

- “Are you not going to eat with me?”

- “Well, it’s time I go back - or try to, de hecho.”

- “It’s bad manners to just stand up and leave.” - He pouted.

- “It’s bad manners to sneak into the kitchen for sweets at midnight too, but I’m not snitching.”

- “Fiiiine. But at least let me take you to your room, or you’ll just get lost again.”

- “… Just this time.”

- “Right, right. Just this time.”

I sat back down and slowly finished my slice of pie. It didn’t exactly taste like home. It felt wrong – it felt foreign. I looked at Arsamira once again.

- “Have I bothered you too much?” – I asked, my eyes falling down once again. ‘Goddamnit - it keeps happening.’

- “No, why?”

- “I just wonder. I had so many privileges gifted to me just for being from somewhere else, I wonder if that gave you trouble… around the people and all.”

- “Amongst the militia you are on our side, you are the one I brought here to tip the scales. Amongst the common folk, you are the one I brought to protect them if the Court was to go to war despite our pleas. I don’t see the problem with that.”

- “… But what if they notice that I’m the one that’s keeping the war going?”

- “…?”

- “The Court was about to surrender by a majority, it would not be hard to press the Queen to approve of it.”

- “It’s not easy to corner the Queen, Von. Her will is absolute, no matter what the Court thinks.”

- “But even then-”

- “But even then, you are not the one keeping the war going. You are one of many forces, but it’s inevitable. It will happen, it has to.”

- “…Why do you want to keep the war going, Arsamira?”

- “Because it is inevitable. It’s all or nothing. They will attack us at any moment, and we will march to war. I’m not about to give my country away-... wrapped up in a pretty box.”

- “…That’s it?”

- “I’m trying to do what’s best for my people, and that’s protecting their home.”

- “But isn’t going to war just... sending them to die?”

- “It won’t be. That’s why you are here.”

- “That sounds like a bad decision.”

- “You agreed to do this, Von. You can’t back out now.”

I glared at him.

- “Sorry. No pressure.” - He looked away. - ”I know you are doing your best – It’s just... Well. This is stressful. If you told me, four years ago, that we were going to war- I would’ve laughed. But here it is, in front of me…. I mean... I’m not even ruling yet. We can’t afford to lose; we can’t afford to live with such shame.”

- “…It’s a lot to deal with… I-… I also don’t want this kingdom to disappear.”

- “With you by my side, it won’t. It can’t. Stay by my side, Von. We can do this together.”

- “I… I will try. I don’t know what I’m doing, but whatever it is, I’ll try my best.”

- “Thanks. And… thanks for the pie, too. Shall we get going?”

- “Ah, yes, yes. Let’s go. Was the tea okay, too?”

- “Decent enough.”

- “Hmm. I’ll ask Loe for tips.”

- “Oh! Then I’d be glad to be your judge.”

- “… Ah, sure. That would be nice.” - He smiled at me as we started to walk towards the room.

The dark seemed to vanish around him, as if his smile alone was enough to light up the halls.

Lightning gleamed and thunder struck - I held his sleeve, a trembling mess. He didn’t seem to mind; he just softly patted my back.

And finally, in front of my room, he turned to me.

- “I believe in you, okay?”

- “… I know.” – I tried to smile a bit.

- “Sleep well.”

- “You too.”

He nodded and walked away after one last pat on my shoulder. The sharp light of the prince faded before my eyes. I spent a moment in the dark listening to the storm. The halls changed shape in the corners of my eyes, as my breathing slowly became steady – heartbeat harmonizing with the crackling of the storm. As lightning illuminated from behind - my body tensing up, I slightly opened the door. It was my room - it was still there. What was there to doubt? In the dark, well- a lot.

I spent a few more moments thinking.

- “I’m walking on thin fucking ice aren’t I.”

It will be fine.

I walked inside, the candid warmth of refuge welcoming me with open arms.

I found Kio sleeping there, sitting next to my bed, and the sansa sleeping on his head. The sight alone was so gentle, my tired body relaxed to the point all I wanted to do was sleep. I dragged my feet towards my bed, leaving the basket next to Kio.

It was finally the end of the day. It had felt so long, I was so exhausted, that when I was greeted by the silky bed sheets and the warmth of darkness - and a dreamless void of ethereal consciousness – I gently held to it, as it cradled me away from reality, curled in my fluffy etrine cape.