❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ Four ❆ ❆ ❆ ❆

Warden Flora

“Dammit, which way?” Snow ran until she found prints in the snow from what she assumed was the demogation bat. Snow found herself leaning closer and closer to the ground to keep track of the quickly filling prints.

The white tundra under Regalia’s domain quickly darkened by the minute as the sun merged with the horizon. The night brought with it a wintery storm. Snow could only see a few feet ahead as the raging snowstorm worsened.

The footprints all of a sudden stopped. Snow looked up and saw a lake right in front of her. The tracks went to the water, which was strange considering that the lake was not frozen. Snow squinted her eyes and stared into the far distance. The beast was walking on water, along with the figure next to it.

“HEY! HEY!!” Snow shouted out over the windy storm.

The two shapes grew smaller as they continued on into the distance.

“COME BACK!!!” Snow shouted as loud as she could.

The figures disappeared across the lake. Snow looked at the water, put one foot into the lake, and got ready to swim.

Screech!

Snow stopped and looked at the sky; the bat was swooping toward her. Snow waved before realizing two things; no one was flying on the bat, and the bat looked very hostile. It was swooping down to attack her.

The bat crashed onto the ground just in front of her and flicked its wings wide open, knocking Snow to the ground.

SCREECH!

The demogation bat screeched into the air, revealing its huge fangs.

“No, get away!” Snow held her hands up. She could only imagine the force of its bite from when it dented Mr. Windrams armguard.

That bat lunged at her.

Watery tendrils shot out of the river, coiling around the bat before violently yanking the creature to the ground. The tendrils froze into icy chains, locking the creature to the bank of the lake. A chilling mist rolled over the lake’s water as a woman appeared on the water. The strange woman was stepping over the water. No, at a closer look, the water was freezing at her feet.

“What do we have here?” The woman wore a dress-like armor that was a soothing mix of blue and green, along with black stockings. Her hair was black on one side and white on the other. She was alluringly gorgeous and did not look like a warrior in the slightest. The most noticeable thing besides her bi-color hair was a wiggling blue flower on the black side of her hair; the flower was clearly alive, and it had roots that wrapped around pieces of her body and even fed into one of her eyes.

This power, the frostblooded eyes. It was a real warden. Her strength wasn’t exaggerated; she controlled the very water and subdued that giant bat in less than a second. Snow could feel the power radiating off the frost chains. There was no mistaking it; this woman was Warden Flora.

“Who is this pretty little thing?” Warden Flora repeated.

“Thank you for saving me. Are you really warden Flora?” Snow questioned while still on the ground.

The warden swayed up to Snow and gave off a recognizable look before quickly turning around.

“Sorry, but I can’t say, sweetheart.” Flora shrugged, “You should head back if you don’t want to get killed by whitestalkers.” Flora hovered her hand over the ground as a leash made of water wiggled out from the earth and fed into her palm, connecting to the chain holding the bat.

“I just wanted to ask you a few questions.”

“Sorry, sweetheart, I must be leaving.” Flora strutted towards the water.

Snow squeezed her fist and jumped up.

“I am Princess Snow, daughter of Queen Deamonia, and I demand you to stop!” Snow ordered.

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Flora continued her flaunting walk, completely ignoring the demand.

Snow ran up and grabbed flora’s arm just before the lake. Suddenly, Snow’s hand burned as golden lines flashed on her arm. A golden runic symbol with a dozen astrological shapes revealed itself on flora’s arm. The symbol made a snapping noise before Snow quickly let go.

“What is this-” Snow was confused.

Snow glanced up at Flora’s face. Flora’s eyes were glaring at her with pure malice.

Snow fell back to the ground.

“P…please, I just wanted to ask.”

Flora was clearly someone not to be taken lightly. The warden hunched over Snow..

“Look how you came out, little Snow.” Flora gave a big smile, and her monstrous aura disappeared. Flora offered Snow a hand. “Sorry if I startled you, sweety. I’m not having the best of days right now. However, I do appreciate the assistance.”

“You know me? And, what just happened, what were those gold lines, and that symbol on you?”

“Why, of course, I know you. I was the one who pulled you from your mother. And I’m afraid I don’t know what lines you are talking about.” Flora smiled. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Flora, warden of the southern marshlands.” Flora put her hand over her heart and bowed with elegance. Her behavior had flipped to the complete opposite.

“Is that where you’re headed now?”

“Yes.”

“Well, Warden Flora, I wanted to ask; I needed advice activating my frostblood.” Snow finally asked her a question, ignoring the obvious magical question.

Finally, the blizzard had stopped, and the weather was calming.

“Why are you asking me? Your mother would be most qualified to help you.”

“She said it’s an obstacle I need to overcome myself.”

Flora thought to herself for a moment.

“Well, yeah, that sounds like a correct assessment,” Flora shrugged.

“Please, I need some advice. I refuse to be married off! Snow stomped her foot on the ground.

Flora squinted her eyes. the vines that spread across pieces of her body wiggled a bit. “She’s going to marry you off if you don’t activate your power, damn talk about incentive, Dea.”

“Well, the deal was if I don’t win the nobles skirmish, I would be, and everyone in the nobles skirmish is frost born for the most part, so I need to activate my power.”

Flora laughed.

“So, just beat them without the blood then,” Flora said nonchalantly.

“What? But my technique is horrible, and my skills are bad. There’s no way I can compete with that power!”

“I think you’re worrying too much about yourself. Just worry about your opponent.”

Flora adjusted her hair, returning the strands to their elegant shape, similar to how Lussuria cared for her hair.

“But it’s not that easy-”

“I never said it was.”

“SNOW!” Randal called out for her in the distance. He was on horseback.

“Ok, listen here,” Flora whispered in her ear.

There may be a lead for you underneath your mother’s prized possession.

“Prized Possession?” Snow looked to flora, who only spared her a wink.

“It's not that hard to figure out. Now your boyfriend is looking for you, don’t be rude.” She teased.

“Boyfriend?! It’s not like that between us!” Snow shouted.

“Oh really? Then why is your face red, dear?” Flora laughed before running off, grabbing the demogation bat’s icy leash and jumping into the lake, the water shaped around her feet forming small water waves that carried her across the river.

Randal and Snow were on horseback on the way back to the castle.

“So, your mom will arrange your marriage to the mountaineer king if you don’t bring out your frostblood?”

“Yeah…” Snow practically whispered in shame as the horse trotted through the streets.

“I see… So, thats why you were so bent on getting Flora’s help.”

“Randal, I... I don’t know if I can sneak out further.”

“I understand, Snow.” Randal’s voice was that of understanding, but his hunched posture said otherwise. “At tha’ end of the day, you are royalty. We can’t be friends, no. We shouldn’t be friends. You have an entire Kingdom to run.”

“I just want to run away from it all. I’m getting tired of trying again and again and getting nowhere. It feels so pointless.” Snow hugged his sides tightly, not letting go. “I should have seen you more this year. I should not have wasted my time.”

The horse stopped. The castle was in view.

“Snow,” Randal said.

“Yes?”

“For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve been a troublemaker. A troublemaker who has outsmarted anyone that gets in the way.” Randal took a look back, giving her an eye. “You can do it. I believe in you. Plus, knowing you. You wouldn’t even show up to the wedding.”

Snow was left in silence. Randal rode up towards the left side of the castle entrance, where a blind spot also contained a waterway to the west garden.

“We are here, your highness.” Randal hopped off the horse and then offered her a hand.

Snow looked down at him; he had a confident grin. That stupid grin Randal would make right before they would do something stupid but it somehow always worked out. Snow’s frown was deterred.

“A little late, I may have to find a new driver.”

“Hey! I got here fast!” Randal instinctively retorted, breaking the theatrical display.

“Ha!” Snow jumped off the horse at Randal. Randal clumsily tried to catch her before they both crashed into the waterway.