The start of winter was never a time for celebration for most, but for Aria, it was her favorite, for she loved the crisp, cold air and the snow that settled on the forest trees. She dashed through a clean, white blanket that covered the flat land, refusing to look back at how her footprints now ruined its pristine perfection.

“Aria!” Came a boy’s voice from behind, desperate and sounding out of breath. “Wait up!” She slowed to a stop, just before the edge of the forest, and soon the sound of crunching grew louder as her younger brother, Thom, went flying forward.

He landed softly to her right, mostly covered by the snow with only the back of his green, thick wool and leather coat sticking out.

Aria rushed forward, helping him to his feet and quickly brushing snow off of his clothes as he wiped his face, now wet and speckled with dirt from the ground beneath. His cheeks were rosy, and his cute little nose was covered in slobber as his green eyes held back tears.

“You’re alright, Thom!” Aria placed a comforting arm around her younger brother, her heart breaking to see him upset. At seven years, she wasn’t much older than his five, but she still had a duty to him as his older sister, and she took it very seriously. He is the future King, after all!

Thom nodded, his lower lip trembling. “I’m okay,” he said, his voice tiny and uncertain. He looked back towards where he had lost his footing. “Think I caught a root.”

“Happens to the best of us!”

They both leapt in surprise as the taller form of Valen appeared as if Amor himself had just dropped him out of the blue sky.

Aria narrowed her gaze. “How do you do that?” she pleaded, desperate to know. She could do all sorts of things if she could sneak by the adults… Eat as much sweets as I want, climb the oak tree near the Lightmage’s training yard…

A knowing smile lit his face as he shook his head. “It’s a secret,” he quipped, crossing his arms and looking away with mischievous brown eyes.

The crunch of steps approaching drew their gaze to the red-haired, and mature presence of Tera. “We learned it in Day School. You’ll learn it, too, when you’re our age.”

Valen rolled his eyes. “You’re no fun.”

Thom’s little nose scrunched. “If you both know it, then how come I heard you coming?”

Valen laughed with delight, his thick brows rising as he peered down at Thom. “Well, I’m just better.”

“We were warned against using such a skill away from the classroom until we reach of age, Valen. Some of us actually do as we are told, and no, you’re not better.”

“Prove it!” He looked at Tera expectantly, and Aria felt her heart squeeze in worry for him.

He was always so confident, but she knew Tera was one of the smartest students of the Light in the Castle. Her father frequently told her to watch Tera and learn. But Valen’s strong, too! He can beat anyone! So he always told her, anyway.

A corner of Tera’s mouth slowly rose into a grin. “Very well. We’ll settle this with a Lightmage’s Duel.”

With a cocky grin, Valen walked several feet away, his back turned away as he faced the forest. The rules of a Lightmage’s Duel meant that each opponent must stand apart, backs towards one another before counting to three, where they would then turn back and fire off Light as quickly as possible, continuing on until one was successful in hitting their target.

“Aria, please count for us,” Tera requested.

Aria beamed, her heart beating quick with worry for Valen but still excited to play a part. “1…” she began.

“2…”

Neither moved a muscle, and Thom watched from Aria’s side with his mouth wide in anticipation.

“3!”

It seemed a draw, both whipping around so quickly, but Valen’s right hand shot out first, a lightorb shooting towards Tera at a decent speed for one as young as he.

Tera had quickly swooped down, scooping snow into her hand letting it fly as it smacked a startled Valen in the face. She let the lightorb hit her, harmless as it bounced off of her head and continued to float aimlessly through the air.

Aria broke down in laughter as the sweet giggles of Thom joined her. Tera stood triumphant, defeated yet somehow still very much the victor.

Valen’s brows drew, and for a moment, the laughter began to die down as Aria worried he was upset.

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“Well,” he started. “That was unexpected.” His eyes narrowed as he raised his chin dramatically. “I demand… A rematch!” He quickly dove, and rolled into the snow, popping up with a snowball of his own and firing off at the fleeing Tera.

Aria grabbed Thom’s hand. “Hurry! We’re sitting ducks out here!” Together they took off into the forest, giggling and breathing quickly as the sound of Valen and Tera’s battle intensified.

“Quickly now!” Aria urged her brother as they headed deeper. Behind them, the distant shouts of Tera and Valen chasing their tail was heard, and their legs pumped harder, a feeling of elation spurring Aria forward as her breathing became too labored to laugh.

The tall, snow-covered trees soon gave way to a small clearing, where the old ruins of Apalla’s Temple could be spotted. The crumbling, large stone bricks were still partially stacked together to form walls, but the Temple’s archway with the Hollow Heart of Amor— the Holy Symbol— was split into two.

Snow lay peacefully upon the aged stone, and Aria smiled as she leapt over the other half of the Hollow Heart, half buried just under the arch.

“In here,” she whispered to Thom, who was slowing down.

Within the abandoned Temple, a few wooden beams still cross from wall to wall, the ceiling have caved in long before Aria was born. Benches sat askew, or tossed over, and the altar was barren of offerings, its Ceremonial Bowl missing.

Aria dashed behind a bench, motioning over Thom before ducking low. She pulled him close as he caught his breath, doing his best to smile through his exhaustion. She could see the excitement in his emerald eyes, and it made her grin widen. Nothing was better than seeing Thom happy.

She brought a gloved finger to her lips, and Thom nodded his understanding as the sound of footsteps outside the Temple could be heard.

Aria’s heart quickened as the steps seemed to enter, and she shook with anticipation.

“Hmm… What do you think of these prints, Tera? Bear or… Sabreclaw?”

Valen’s humorous tone made Aria stifle a laugh, and then it was Thom signaling for her to be quiet.

“Oh, definitely bear on the little ones.” A pause, and Thom giggled as Aria struggled to contain her on laughter.

“Did you hear that?” Tera asked.

More uncontrollable laughter, and suddenly Aria was excited to be caught.

“Sure did… Sounded a bit like…” Valen’s head poked over the bench. “Royalty!”

They squealed together, dashing out from their hiding spot as snow smacked her shoulder, bits hitting her neck and falling down beneath her coat. She yelled out at the stark cold on her skin, laughing more as Thom was snatched by Tera, his little legs kicking the air as he giggled.

A lightorb bounced off of her arm, and Aria quickly turned and fired one back with a speed the surprised herself and its target.

“Ceasefire!” He mockingly shielded himself.

She beamed as Thom’s mouth fell ajar, his feet rejoining the earth as Tera set him down. She wasn’t sure how she had done it so effortlessly, without even a word spoken as was common for beginners.

“Maybe there’s something to that prophecy, after all,” he muttered, but his face was void of joy and in its place a quiet, stern look that seemed more like his father’s.

“Aria will be catching up to us soon.” Tera seemed certain, crossing her arms as snow began to fall onto her dark red hair.

“This is not a place of play, Children.”

The startling voice made all feet retreat as heads turned to its owner. Etta stood cloaked head to toe, the dark green and gold etching of her dress unfamiliar and unlike that worn by maidservants. Her lips twisted above her pointed chin. “Valen, Tera, please escort Thom back to the Castle. I must have an important talk with our Princess.”

They hesitated, Valen and Tera sharing a quizzical look as Thom began to pout.

Aria stared at Etta with warming cheeks. She was angry that her fun was being ruined, and ashamed to be caught far from the appropriate grounds by her mother’s own servant. He eyes found her boots as she heard Thom protest, Valen and Tera taking him by a hand each.

Once the sound of their steps had faded, Etta moved in closer, the intense feeling of Aria’s shame increasing each moment.

“Do you realize the risks you take when you run off so far from your protection?” Her voice was sharp, far more than Aria had ever heard it.

“I had Valen and Tera!”

There was a click of her tongue, even a slight laugh. “Children just barely in training! None of you are fit for what awaits in the wild.”

Her tone was darker than Aria had ever heard, making her hair stand on end as she looked up. For a brief moment, the smile on Etta’s face was both foreign and familiar. Not the warm patience she was used to, but a flash of something… Different.

“I’m sorry, Miss Etta,” Aria finally spoke, her eyes finding her boots once more. “I should have said something.”

Etta sighed unexpectedly. “No, I’m sorry. I’m being harsh. You’re still a child, doing as a child does. It was my failure not keeping better tabs on your whereabouts.” She placed a light hand on Aria’s shoulder, surprising her. “Eyes up, Child. Here, take my hand. I’d like the show you a place I often ran to as a girl.”

Aria felt elation grip her, her cheeks stretching as light snowflakes kissed her cheeks. “Really?”

Etta’s smile was that as it always had been, one she could trust; one that promised her all the love in the world and never an ounce of harm.

“Really.”