In a village in the Winter Kingdom, a small community struggled to survive. Some royal guards arrogantly imposed their authority over the hungry villagers, whose tattered clothes and emaciated bodies bore witness to their daily fight against starvation. The guards confiscated the little food the villagers managed to produce, limiting their subsistence.
"Please, don't take everything!" an elderly woman pleaded, her trembling hands outstretched in supplication. "You already took almost everything last week! We have nothing left!"
"Don't1 just think of yourselves!" one of the guards retorted, shoving the woman brutally. "The other citizens of the kingdom need to eat too!"
"We're working day and night, but the food isn't even enough for2 us!" a young villager protested, clutching a sack of grain. "How can we share what we barely have?"
"You think we should divide the little food there is equally?"3 the guard mocked with a cruel smile. "The food is for those who are important to the kingdom. Some must be sacrificed, and in this case, it's you. Disposable workers like you should simply... disappear."
Leticia and Aleph were passing by the road near the village when they spotted the commotion. They observed from a distance, but upon realizing the injustice unfolding, Leticia could not contain herself. She interposed herself upon hearing the guard's cruel words.
"Take back what you said!" Leticia exclaimed, stepping between the guards and the villagers. "All citizens of this kingdom are important!"
"And who are you4 to meddle?!" the guard snarled, taking a threatening step toward Leticia.
He raised his hand to strike her, but Aleph, with a piercing gaze and a swift movement, firmly gripped the guard's wrist. The guard, paralyzed by the fear emanating from Aleph's gray eyes, instinctively recoiled. He reached for his sword, about to draw it, but Aleph anticipated him, showing the royal insignia of the Winter Kingdom. The guard, recognizing the symbol of authority, instantly changed his posture, adopting a servile and fawning tone.
"What are such important people doing in this humble village?" he asked with false subservience.5
An elderly woman, weak and hungry, approached Leticia, tears streaming down her wrinkled face.
"Please, miss, help us!" she implored. "They are taking our food! We're going to starve!"
The village chief, exhausted by the constant struggle against the guards' oppression, approached and explained the situation to Leticia and Aleph. The guard tried to interrupt6 him, but Leticia silenced him with a look. Patiently, she heard both sides of the story. Then, with authority, she ordered the guards to withdraw without taking the provisions and to deliver a letter to King Hayden. In the letter, Leticia described the village's situation and suggested an alternative to remedy it.
The citizens were excited, feeling as though something was finally going to change, and soon the village chief questioned them.
"I heard from the guards that the Kingdom made an economic agreement with the Autumn Kingdom. Is that true?"
"It's true," Leticia confirmed.
"I hope it works7 out," the chief said with a sigh. "We need this agreement. The food we produce isn't enough to feed the whole kingdom."
The villagers began to comment among themselves, saying that the rumor of the economic agreement was real. For Leticia, the conversation was a reality check. She had no idea of the gravity of the kingdom's situation, and she could see from the suffering faces of the villagers that there was still hope in their eyes. This made her realize that she could not be the cause of discord between the two kingdoms, as the population depended on this agreement to prosper again and eat properly.
Leticia remembered King Hayden's words: if the marriage did not happen, the Autumn Kingdom would cut off supplies and the economic agreement would be broken. The responsibility weighed heavily on her shoulders.
Despite the situation they were in, the villagers received Leticia and Aleph with warm hospitality. They prepared a simple but hearty dinner, roasted over a crackling bonfire. Some young people danced to the sound of flutes, their faces lit by the joy of the celebration. The scene touched Leticia's heart. The happiness of these people, united by music and dance, gave new meaning to her mission.
The village chief's wife, a robust and smiling woman, approached Leticia.
"Join the dance, miss!" she invited8 with enthusiasm.
Leticia hesitated, not finding it appropriate for the position she held, but the invitation was irresistible. The woman, noticing her hesitation, nudged Aleph with her elbow, a mischievous smile on her lips.
"What are you waiting for, young man? Ask the lady to dance!"
Aleph stood up and, with an elegant bow, offered his hand to Leticia. She blushed slightly but accepted the invitation, encouraged by the smiles and applause of the villagers.
The village chief,9 observing the clumsy but charming dance, commented to his wife, amused:
"It seems our guests don't know the steps of our dance very well."
"It hardly matters," his wife replied with an affectionate smile. "The important thing is that they're having fun. And they make a beautiful couple, don't you think?"
"Not as beautiful as us," the chief retorted, winking at his wife. And, with a gallant gesture, he extended his hand, inviting her to dance.
The dance was a local tradition, with steps and movements10 that Leticia did not know. Aleph also seemed unfamiliar with the choreography, but the contagious joy of the music and the festive atmosphere guided them. They spun and twirled, their hands meeting briefly in synchronized movements, their laughter mixing with the melody of the flutes. In that moment, surrounded by the simplicity and genuine happiness of the villagers.
Leticia felt11 a deep sense of belonging and a renewed determination to fulfill her duty. Her eyes shone with an inner light, radiating a contagious joy that captivated everyone12 around. Aleph, as he led her in the dance, felt something different, a deep and inexplicable emotion. It was as if Leticia, in that moment of pure happiness and13 abandon, emanated a luminous aura, a magical glow that made her even more enchanting.
The next morning, a deafening roar tore Leticia from a peaceful sleep. Startled, she sat up in bed, her heart pounding in her chest. Seconds later, Aleph burst into her room, his face14 marked by urgency.
"Princess, we need to get out of here!" he exclaimed, his voice tense.