Ugh!

The young master slowly opened his eyes when his head lightly bumped on the hard surface he was sleeping on.

"H...uh?" He groaned as he looked around.

Pier held his temples because it started hurting when he opened his eyes.

"Where... am I?" He asked as he roamed his eyes around the place. He was currently lying on a wooden surface and atop of him was a wooden... ceiling?

He half got up and sat in a more comfortable position.

"I am in a carriage?" He asked himself as he finally got a grasp of where he was currently in.

The carriage rattled once more when it hit a rock on the road.

"Oh, Frosty, you're awake?" Pier turned his head to the person who spoke.

He looked at what he thought was the front part of the carriage and a window was there for the coachman to speak with the passenger.

"Who are you?" He asked when he saw a black-cloaked head through the window.

"You're currently in a carriage that is about to cross the borders of the Taron Kingdom," the man spoke in a low voice.

Pier's eyes widened at what the man said.

"W-What? What do you mean?!" He looked through the windows that were covered with curtains from the inside.

the gray curtains swayed as Pier peeked through them.

Trees

Plants

Forest

It was a seemingly endless lush of greenery. It was an unfamiliar place that he did not know and he could not find within his memory.

"Hey, let me out this instant!" Pier demanded as he approached the hooded man. His fire magic started to manifest in his hand when the man spoke.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"If you won't let me out then I surely will force it, you're a kidnapper!"

"A what?"

"A kidnapper!"

Pier glared at the cloaked figure and the man sighed.

"I don't know what noble-like terms you are using but sit down do not make unnecessary noise," He commented but the young master did not even listen and continued to make his flame magic burn brighter.

Sigh

"Hyaa!" The carriage immediately stopped and Pier's eyes widened as he stumbled a little bit.

The hooded figure got off the coachman's spot and looked back at Pier who had a glare in his eyes.

"Look here, Frosty, you're currently being searched by the Crown Prince of the Taron Kingdom," the man said and Pier's eyes widened.

"What do you mean search?" He asked and suddenly, waves of memories started to surge in his mind.

Birthday

Garden

Concubine

"I will marry Elena and you can be my concubine!"

"This sword will be the end of you, your highness."

Pier had his mouth agape as he recalled what happened back at the pavilion located at the center of the royal garden.

'....' He was speechless with what happened.

The cloaked man observed him before nodding his head.

"That's right, Frosty, the Crown Prince asked you to be his concubine when he becomes the king, then you pointed your sword at him and said if he talks about you becoming his concubine then your ice sword would be the end of him"

He had an amused tone in his voice and it did not help the shock Pier was feeling.

"Y-You watched all of those?" Pier had a bewildered tone in his voice and the cloaked figure only nodded his head.

"If you wish to get off then I will let you. However, the prince sounded persistent on finding you because he ordered the kingdom's borders to be closed at all cost," He explained and Pier hesitated before the fire in his hands started to subside until it completely disappeared.

"Do you wish to go back?" He asked. Pier stopped for a moment.

"What you're saying...is that really true?" He asked and the cloaked man turned his head to look forward.

'I am an advocate of teaching children to never talk and believe strangers but here I am, asking if what a stranger's saying is true...'

However, he also thought about it.

If Asher was only looking for him because he's simply worried, he wouldn't have to close the borders of the kingdom.

'As if he's trying to keep me in.'

He then remembered the Crown Prince's pleads to him on his last memory.

Asher's request of the young master not going on his journey just to stay with him re-echoed in his mind.

'What happened to him?'

Pier thought as he scanned his memories to look for the reason why was the Crown Prince acting like that.

'All I did was constantly avoid him though'

Because that's what all he did. He avoided getting acquainted with the prince, avoided meeting with him, literally tried to get off the Crown Prince's radar.

He did not know how many days have passed. Has it only been a single day? two? three?

and in front of him was a man that he did not know. Well, maybe not entirely because he knew the man was familiar with the dark cloak on his head.

"How could I trust you?" He asked. Pier knew that if he went back to the Capital and in the mansion, there was a high chance that he would be locked by the Crown Prince there.

Who was on his side in the Capital anyway?

Raphael? He was the one who told the Crown Prince about the possible date Pier would go on a journey.

His family? No, that was even out of the picture.

The king? He knew the king's intention of combining the Belmiunde and the Lumiere Household into a connection of royal families. The king would also be out of the picture.

House Morata? No, the house is still a Countdom and would not even do anything against the Royal Family even though they're supporting Pier.

'Gideon...' He thought of the knight that swore allegiance to him by swearing upon his name and title.

But he also knew Gideon could not do anything. He was only a knight compared to the Crown Prince who held the highest authority after the king.

"Are you perhaps one of those people in the boundary that killed the mayor's secretary?" He asked and the hooded person turned his head again at the young master's question.

"..."

The cloaked figure did not answer.

'He is,' the young master concluded.

Pier was also conflicted. He did not know what to do.

This was his guaranteed escape but he also did not know what awaits him in the next days to come if he will come with a person he did not know and that person could be a murderer.

"Why did you take me? You could have just left me lying on the ground after I passed out." He asked the man again.

This time, the man seems to have an answer for the young master.

"I watched your scene with the Crown Prince at the garden. You said you wanted to go on a journey so I laid the first steps for you," He explained and Pier raised his eyebrows.

"In return of what?"

The man chuckled at the young master's behavior. His low and husky voice was nice to listen to.

"You're sharp."

"Of course I am."

It was clear as daylight for Pier. This man wouldn't have taken him unless he needs something from the young master.

"We need your magic."

"Pardon?"

"We need your magic" the man repeated and Pier rolled his eyes at him.

"What do you mean you need my magic? I just learned how to control my wind and fire elemental magic! You could have persuaded other mages who are on higher tiers than me!" He explained and the man nodded his head.

"That is true, we could just ask for a mage that is tier two and above but you have something they don't" He replied. Pier was intrigued by the statement.

"And what would that be?"

"Ice magic."

"Ice... magic?" Pier asked as he recalled again the scenario that happened back at the royal garden.

He turned to look at his hand. The soft skin on his hand had no traces of callouses.

Pier also remembered the small orbs that were appearing in his hands after commemorating his and the original Pier's birthday.

"That was... ice magic?"

'Oh my goodness, am I Elsa?!" He screamed in his mind.

If he could use ice magic then that means he can build an ice castle too?

'No, get your thoughts straight first!' He scolded himself as he focused.

Soon enough, wind with small white particles started to manifest in his palms until it formed into a white translucent orb. It gave off a chilly feeling when it manifested on Pier's hands.

He also felt his energy getting drained rapidly as the translucent white orb continued to exist. He soon made it disappear and he breathed a couple of times.

"You can also do magic without incantations, huh," The man asked as he also stared at the orb that was on Pier's hand.

"Can you specify what you need my ice magic for?" He asked and the man returned his head on the road.

"We'll explain when we get to our destination," He said and pulled the reigns that are attached to the horses.

The carriage that contained the young master soon started to move again.

"I better die at least seeing some stuff outside the kingdom than being trapped inside with that scumbag of a Prince's surveillance," he whispered as he pushed his hair back.

However, as Pier pushed his hair back, a single strand got pulled.

'White...?"

He asked himself.

Did he already age so much because of the stress he got from all the things that happened back at the kingdom?

"Ah, I think I'm getting old quickly because of the stress," He talked to himself as he sighed. He continued to play with the white hair between his thumb and pointer finger.

"Look at his one strand of white hair!" he sighed disappointingly.

"One strand?" The man asked while his eyes were still on the road.

"Yeah, I think I accidentally removed the white hair when I combed my fingers through my hair," Pier said as he continued to play with the white hair.

"It's not just a single strand," the man commented and Pier's eyebrows raised.

"What? there's more?!" He nervously said as he swept his fingers through his hair multiple times.

"Yeah, there's a small mirror inside the bag at the corner of the carriage. See for yourself."

Without hesitation, Pier immediately looked around the carriage and indeed, a small bag was there at the corner.

He rummaged through the bag until he saw the small mirror the cloaked man said.

"Ah, I don't want my black hair to have mixed white hai-" he stopped when he saw the reflection.

"This..." Pier murmured as he watched his image in the mirror.

He unconsciously let go of the mirror and it fell to the carriage floor making a small clanging noise.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS?!" He screamed as he scurried to grab the fallen mirror.

He looked at his reflection again.

Pale skin

Blue eyes

White hair

"Oh my god..." Pier mumbled as he stared at the new color his hair has.

"W-What happened... my hair..."

"I only know a little about such things but I think it is because of the ice magic you used." the man explained nonchalantly and Pier abruptly turned his head to him.

"What?!" He asked, surprised.

"Noooo, my black hair!" He wailed as he stared at his face.

The main only listened as Pier became hysterical at the sight of his hair turning white.

'No, compose yourself!' Pier told himself as he held both of his cheeks and focused his head.

'Let's think more rationally.' He thought as he turned to look at the mirror again.

"Hmmm..." Pier hummed as he continued to analyze his appearance.

"Ice magic... ice magic..." Pier sounded like he was chanting as he examined his hair.

He turned his head to both sides as he observed his features.

He definitely got used to seeing his appearance with black hair and it was a shocker for him to suddenly have his hair turn white.

'Come to think of it, I look good' He thought after a few minutes of inspecting and analyzing.

The white hair complemented his pale complexion and it made his blue eyes stand out more than ever.

"I look like one of those anime characters with white hair," He thoughtlessly said.

"Anime?" the man asked and Pier shook his head.

"Ah, please do not mind me. I need to get used to this new look," He muttered again.

Pier easily accepted the fact that his hair turned completely white.

Why?

Because he looked good in it.

He liked how his blue eyes stood out more.

"Domain Expansion," Pier whispered as he remembered a specific character that had the same white hair and blue eyes as him from a show he recently watched back in his life as Eliam.

He laughed at his silly actions.

'I'm going crazy' He then sat back on the wooden floor of the carriage. It was desolate of any comfortable seats and it was like he was some sort of prisoner inside.

"Hey," He called the dark hooded figure but the man did not answer.

"I've been talking comfortably with you even though you might be a murderer. But since you said you needed my ice magic, I should at least get to know your name, right?" He asked and the man slightly turned his head at the young master who was done being hysterical after finding out his hair turned completely white.

"Ciaran"

"What?" Pier asked. Did he hear that clearly?

"You can call me Ciaran," the man spoke again and Pier raised his eyebrows.

"Ciaran? That's a pretty lousy name," Pier commented and the man glared at him from the side view.

He flinched as he kept his mouth shut.

'Why am I being so talkative anyway?' He thought. He was not this talkative when he was back with the people at the kingdom.

"I'm Pier," he stated and the man only nodded his head.

"I know."

"You know?"

"Yes, you're the young master from the House of Masters in the Taron Kingdom," the man said and Pier nodded his head.

"You should be afraid if my family knew you abducted me" He commented but the man only chuckled.

"Your household might be famous for its war capabilities but what could they do when they cannot see the enemy?" He said as he pulled on the reins of the horses again and the carriage went faster.

'That's true.'

He concluded after hearing how confident the man named Ciaran was even after mentioning his family that was known to be ruthless amongst different kingdoms.

'Ah, whatever. I'll just go with this Ciaran guy for now' Pier then stared outside the window.

Trees were passing by faster and he did not know what he could do.

'We only live once, why not make the most out of it'

---

"Your Highness-" Elena tried to calm the Crown Prince but Asher was not responsive to her call.

The Prince's study was in a mess. Papers were scattered and chairs were turned upside down. There were broken vases from his table and the Crown Prince himself was a mess too.

"Pier... did he really leave me?"