NOVEL NEXT ch7 - Snow Falls on the Kingdom of Felsnow
7: Snow Falls on the Kingdom of Felsnow
Snow falls upon the Kingdom of Felsnow. It is a very special event.
“…Snow!? Winter has truly arrived…!”
“Hooray! With this, the forest’s bounty will recover!”
“Oh, Fenrir-sama, thank you…!”
The people, with tears of joy, prayed earnestly to Fenrir, who was surely atop the forest. They gazed solemnly at the grand castle in the center of the town, its blue spire roofs now covered in white from the winter’s blessing.
“The succession must have taken place… The princess of Felsnow has transformed into the noble beast.”
“She was such a beautiful princess. It’s a bit sad to think that she might have wanted to become even more beautiful, fall in love, and experience life fully, only to face this change at the time of succession…”
“Don’t say such things. It is an honorable role.”
“She has protected our lives.”
The adults fell into a brief silence, joining their hands in a moment of prayer for the princess, who had likely become the noble beast Fenrir.
When they opened their eyes, the children were joyfully playing outside. They ran and laughed in the snow, engaging in snowball fights. The adults’ faces softened with smiles.
“Hey! This year’s snow… It’s so hard to make snowballs. It’s strange!”
“What did you say?”
The adults touched the snow and were astonished by its texture.
In the throne room of the Kingdom of Felsnow, the royal family gathered with troubled expressions.
“Father, I wasn’t summoned for Fenrir-sama’s succession ceremony… And yet, winter has arrived. What on earth happened?”
The princess, with her beautiful wavy golden hair flowing down her back, pleaded with the king.
“Hmm. The Unicorn envoy said that the current Fenrir-sama no longer has the power to call winter. I was told this was indeed the case.”
Everyone present nodded in agreement with the king’s words.
“Could the power have been restored?”
“That’s impossible. How could that happen?”
“When it comes to healing, it’s usually the Unicorn’s power involved…”
“Have you forgotten that during our meeting, you spoke out of turn and angered the Unicorns by saying that their power couldn’t help and that you came here to discuss the succession? Watch your mouth!”
The Prime Minister interrupted the whispered consultations of the dignitaries, his voice echoing through the hall. A heavy silence fell over the room.
“It’s been ten days since the day the Unicorns spoke of the transfer.”
The princess quietly stood in the center of the hall, on the magic circle drawn for the transfer ritual. The circle had been inscribed with pearls infused with Fenrir’s tears.
Suddenly, the magic circle flared brightly.
“Michela!”
The First Prince rushed forward and embraced the princess.
(Brother, you mustn’t do that…! We might be transported together…!)
The princess thought, but the magic circle faded away as if it were melting with the thawing snow… As if it were no longer needed. Only a chilling cold remained.
“…Are you alright, Michela? Don’t be careless. Winter arrived unexpectedly, and the effects of this magic circle might have changed.”
“It’s you who are being careless, brother! What would have happened if we were caught up in it…! As the First Prince, you must be more aware of your responsibilities! While I may be replaceable, there is no one to take your place!”
The sharpness of their mutual reproaches cut deeply. Despite this, neither was willing to back down, and they glared at each other.
“That’s enough.”
With a sigh, the king intervened to mediate.
“I’m relieved that nothing happened to you two. My precious children.”
At the king’s words, both the prince and princess blushed and looked away. The queen chuckled softly, noting that while they had learned diplomatic manners, their hearts still seemed like those of children.
“We need to investigate this winter phenomenon.”
The king’s statement made everyone straighten up.
“We will visit Fenrir and request an explanation.”
“Understood. I will go.”
“Michela! You’re rushing again… The princess can’t possibly handle climbing a snowy mountain.”
“Don’t underestimate me. I’m better at swordsmanship than you, brother.”
“…But I have more stamina!”
“Hmph!”
The king intervened once more, trying to calm the situation.
(These two seem more animated than usual. Perhaps the tension that has been building up over the past year has finally been released. And this winter… it feels so gentle. It’s as if it’s calming their hearts.)
The north wind brushed against their cheeks, and the snow was a soft, pure white. This was a winter like none they had ever seen before.
The king, struck by a sudden thought, invited the royal family outside. They were all awestruck as they gazed at the winter landscape of the Kingdom of Felsnow from the terrace. A profound, pleasant silence filled the air.
The prince scooped up the fresh snow from the railing and exhaled in amazement. The white breath wrapped around his flushed cheeks.
“How beautiful it is… I think I’m falling in love with this winter.”
“Please refrain from such unrealistic romantic declarations, brother. You sound like a dreamer.”
“Mi… Michela!?”
Ignoring her brother’s glare, the princess calmly observed the fresh snow.
“The snow we’re used to was white-gray, heavy with moisture, and somewhat clumpy. But this snow is light and fine, falling gently between my fingers. It sparkles when it catches the light…”
As the princess lifted the snow-covered hand above her head, the wind blew, scattering the sparkle.
She then squeezed the snow tightly.
“It’s difficult to make snowballs. The consistency is entirely different.”
Michela pressed a small snowball against her brother’s cheek with a mischievous grin.
“It’s cold!”
“Oh dear, it broke right away. Since it doesn’t hurt, would you like to have a snowball fight with me? It’s been a while, brother.”
“…I’ll think about it.”
The princess, who was a snowball fight prodigy, smiled mischievously. Remembering the carefree play from their younger days, the prince chuckled wryly, acknowledging that such games were now a thing of the past due to his responsibilities.
As the prince and princess reconciled, the king stroked his lush white beard, deep in thought.
“You two should go to see Fenrir-sama.”
“Eh!?”
“I want to show our sincerity from this kingdom. It would be best if the prince and princess went. Go and express our gratitude for the arrival of winter.”
The prince and princess swallowed hard, their gazes fixed on the distant, sacred forest.
“Understood. We’ll go.”
“That was a quick decision…!”
“What about you, brother? Will you just stay here in the palace and pray?”
“Of course, I’ll go too.”
The prince, encouraged by the princess, nodded in agreement, and the king, smiling, approved the plan.
The First Prince muttered to himself as he worked through the schedule and tasks: “I’ll handle this, arrange that, and finish up…” Given that the other princes were still young, most of the diplomatic and official duties fell on him.
With this winter being unusually special, the kingdom needed to adapt to the snow, including new methods for snow removal and tools, as well as investigating the state of the forest’s bounty. There was much to be done.
(The duties should ideally be shared among several princes… I know it’s excessive to rely on him so much, but we have no other option. I hope this expedition serves as a much-needed break for Christopher. If only he were as extraordinarily efficient and quick as Mishella… but, comparing children is not fair.)
The king placed a gentle hand on his children’s shoulders and said, “Go on your way.”
“Fenrir-sama is the protector of this kingdom. I’m sure you’ll return safely from the winter forest. We’ll prepare a feast and eagerly await your return.”
“Father…”
“Father.”
The prince and princess bowed deeply and said, “We’re off then.”