"... haaahhh…" A sigh escaped my traveling companion's mouth yet again, hot breath steaming in the cold air. How many times did that make, I wonder? I'd lost count around thirty.

"I'm beginning to believe that you're displeased, Sir Obain." I said, glancing at my companion from the corner of my eye. Together we walked side by side, and while I nobly fought the urge to grunt at the aching pain in my right knee that flared with every step, he made no such attempt to hide his vexation.

"Not at all, my Lord." He said, though the tone of his voice betrayed his feelings. His brows furrowed deeper as he readjusted his hold on his bags. Well, our bags, as I could not manage to carry mine. "I was in fact thinking about how greatly I appreciated the opportunity to walk the twenty or so miles remaining between us and our destination, rather than sit comfortably in a carriage."

I clicked my tongue, righteous indignation flaring inside of me. "That driver was insufferable, and you know it." I argued my innocence in the matter. "I would not stand another minute in his presence."

Obain didn't even have the gentlemanly repose to look at me as he voiced his displeasure. "Yes, you wouldn't stand another minute in his presence. So now we walk outside of it, instead."

I found that I couldn't refute his words, and sourly turned my gaze back to the front. And so we once again lapsed into silence, the bite of winter air against the tips of our ears and inside of our lungs causing our mood to only sink further. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps I could have bided my tongue, and not given that cretin the verbal lashing he deserved.

But I didn't, and so we walked. Me hobbling along the road, resting as much weight as I could get away with onto my cane with each step, and Obain shuffling beside me to match my pace. The sky was dark, cold sunlight blocked by even colder clouds that threatened to break into snowfall at any moment. But for now, we managed to bottle our frustration and walk along this long, winding road towards the great city in the distance.

That was, until the first few flakes of snow began to alight upon our figures, which caused another long suffering sigh to escape from Obain.

"....haaaaaaahhhhhhhhh…"

Anger coursed through me, the cold and the pain in my knee fueling it as dry brush fueled a blazing forest fire. I stomped ahead of him, increasing my pace so that I would not be within earshot of his insufferable sighs. However, as if determined to spite me, he too increased his pace, which only caused my anger to grow, which caused me to quicken my pace once again, which caused him to also do so.

This repeating cycle of anger and spite on our ends continued until I was practically skipping on one leg, with him lightly jogging beside me. His sighs now increased in frequency, and he deliberately made them louder so that I would hear them.

Finally having enough of it, I came to a dead stop and wheeled around, lifting my cane and pointing it accusingly at him. "Listen here you caddish lizard, I will abide by your passive aggression no longer!" I snarled, and he too came to a stop just at the end of my cane's reach. "If you have grievances, speak to them!"

Infuriatingly, while I was roughly panting from my quickened pace from before, he did not even have the common decency to look out of breath. Instead, he roughly dropped our luggage to the roadside, and my heart lurched into my throat as I heard the terrible sound of leather scraping upon gravel.

"YOU GRACELESS MONGRELL! THAT WAS KARAVISH LEATHER YOU JUST TOSSED TO THE GROUND!" I cried, and then watched in abject horror as he slowly, deliberately, raised his foot and placed it upon my luggage case.

"My Lord, it sounds as though you believe your luggage case to be valuable." He said, his voice terribly quiet. I could not bear to make my gaze meet his, instead staring straight at where his boot made contact with the leather.

"You wouldn't dare." I whispered, barely wrenching my gaze away to look up at his face. I was met with sadistic apathy, the faintest smirk visible on his hatefully handsome features, and realized that I was quite wrong in that regard.

"Oh, wouldn't I?" He whispered back, and increased the pressure on his foot. "Karavish leather, you said? What do you think would happen to it if I were to grind it like…" His foot began to push, and I raised my hands in surrender.

"FINE! I'm sorry, alright!" I shouted, and the foot paused.

"Sorry for…?" He urged, and I gnashed my teeth, resisting the rising temptation of swatting him with my cane.

"I'm sorry I could not hold my temper, and got us kicked off of the carriage." I growled, slamming the butt of my cane into the ground.

He seemed to consider my apology for a few moments, nodding absently, before gesturing with a hand. "And?"

I gripped my cane tighter, my knuckles turning white as the heat of my anger turned cold and sharp. I glared at him. This rat bastard truly believed himself to be in the position of power here? Little did he know, that in my hold was his greatest weakness.

"And…" I began, before a hateful smile grew on my face. "I'm sorry that in that outfit of yours, you look like a knave apprentice."

His eyes widened, before narrowing dangerously.

"You really want to do this?" He said, his tone low and hard.

"Let's dance, rations boy." I spat, calling him the one nickname he hated most, the line that should never be crossed, and he rushed at me with a wild cry.

I felt the wind get knocked out of me as he spear tackled me, my cane rattling away as we tumbled to the ground. I fought valiantly, getting a foot into his stomach and kicking upwards while my hands grabbed onto his arms, and we rolled a few times. But his decade of knight's training lent him a strength not easily repelled and soon he had me in a headlock that I had no hope of escaping from.

"APOLOGIZE!" He demanded, and I glared up at his face defiantly.

"...no…" I choked out, and he hooked his heels into my legs, cinching his hold tighter.

"APOLOGIZE!" He snarled, as the oxygen was choked away from me.

I remained defiant until my last breath, and soon, everything… began… to grow…

A flash of a vision filtered into my mind. A carriage stopping a little ways down the road from where we were now, and a figure beckoning us in.

"Let… me go… carriage… coming…" I rasped out, and he loosened his grip enough for me to breathe as he cocked his head to listen. I sucked in air greedily, and as one we scrabbled to our feet. We looked at each other's disheveled clothing, and the heat of embarrassment quickly washed over us both.

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We quickly made ourselves presentable, dusting ourselves off. I retied my long hair into its ponytail as he strode over to our luggage, bending down to scoop up our cases and my cane in one smooth motion. He tossed it to me and I caught it, hobbling to the side of the road to wait for the rumbling carriage I could now hear just around the bend.

Soon it made its appearance, and I admit that I was impressed by its presentation. It was lacquered with a glossy black finish, a fine dusting of the snow that was still falling coating its top. Golden engravings that denoted a prominent standing decorated its doors, and four impressive horses drew it forward.

Obain quickly waved a free arm in the air, hailing the driver as I studied the markings on the carriage. I pursed my lips, my eyes narrowing the slightest amount. They looked familiar, but as I pulled forth the knowledge of notable families in this Empire to my mind, I couldn't quite place which House the crest belonged to.

"Hello there friend! We're in need of aid! We've come a long way, and…" Obain called out, though the words died as the driver glanced at the two of us, but didn't slow the carriage. He turned his eyes back to the front and continued rumbling down the path, snorting derisively.

"That pompous little-" Obain began to curse, but I raised a hand, silencing him.

"Just wait." I said quietly, and sure enough, we watched as it slowed to a halt about twenty yards away. I saw the driver turn around to a window of the carriage, conversing lowly with its passenger, before he sighed and clambered down. His footsteps crunched against the mixture of gravel and snow as he approached the side of the carriage, resting his hand on the gilded handle of the door.

"The Lady invites you to join her." He said, his tone even and dull as he opened the door to the carriage. From the angle we were at, I could just barely see a pale hand stretch out of a window and beckon for us.

From the corner of my eye I could see Obain look at me subtly, but I paid him no mind and began walking forward. My cane rhythmically tapped against the ground with my steps, until I arrived at the carriage and clambered on, Obain trailing just behind me.

The inside of the carriage was elegantly decored, plush pillowy seats and a warmly toned interior practically begging its guests to relax inside of it. But the most beautiful thing about the carriage was by far its sole passenger.

A complexion fairer than the gently drifting snow outside; intelligent pale blue eyes that studied me with curiosity; raven black hair tied into a loose bun, with loose strands that delicately framed her face and urged its beholder to tuck them behind her ear. She was, without even needing a moment's consideration, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

My breath caught for just a moment, my heart stopping its beat as if it forgot how to function. I finally remembered myself as I heard a heavy thunk just outside of the carriage, our luggage being loaded into its hold.

I smiled and bowed in courtesy, lowering my eyes the polite amount as I took a portion of the seat opposite of hers. "Well met, my Lady. I hope not to sound too dramatic, but you have saved us a terribly long walk. Thank you for your kindness." I said, raising my gaze to meet hers. The corners of her lips tugged upwards in amusement, and my own smile grew to match hers.

Obain, our luggage now out of his hands, finally joined me in the carriage. He glanced at the woman for a moment and turned away, then paused and did a double take. He stayed like that for an awkward moment, before I cleared my throat and tapped his calf with my cane.

He coughed slightly, taking the seat next to mine. "Thank you for taking us in, my Lady." He said, his voice filled with the dignity of a knight. The door closed, and blessed warmth immediately began to fill the carriage.

"Please, your thanks aren't necessary." She said quietly, her voice like that of birdsong in the spring. It was heart-catchingly soft, and the slight accent it held made it ever mesmerizing to listen to. "What kind of person would I be to let two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves walk in weather like this?"

With a slight jerk, the carriage began rumbling forward once again. I took a moment to study her dress, noting the dark colors and the way its layers formed insulation. Practical, yet elegant. And indeed, just as her accent suggested, not native to the Yinong Empire we were currently in.

As if she noticed me studying her, she shifted in her seat, tilting her head slightly. Obain had his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his gaze trained outside of the window. Now that we weren't in our own company, he had fallen into his role as my guard, keeping watch.

"Forgive me for asking, but your accent and style of dress…" I began in an attempt to start conversation. "Are you from Eurida, by any chance?"

Slight surprise flitted across her features, and she nodded. "Yes." She admitted, the curiosity in her eyes growing. "Not many recognize our fashion. Have you been?"

I nodded, lightly brushing my thumb across the silver handle of my cane. "I have indeed, though I'm afraid I didn't have the amount of time to explore it that I would have liked." I hummed. Then, I smiled lightly. "However, I did at least manage to visit some of your famed museums in Ventra."

At this, sorrow crossed her features for the briefest moment, and I mentally kicked myself. That's right. Ventra, the capital city of Eurida…

Had been captured by the Yinong Empire only a year ago.

As if sensing my shame, the woman waved a hand as her smile returned. "Well, if you'll allow me to show a bit of national pride, I think Ventra has some of the most beautifully constructed architecture in the world." She said, sighing wistfully.

"Agreed." I said, laughing. "I would never fault someone for holding pride in such a beautiful nation. Ah, forgive me, I haven't even introduced myself. I am Inan, and this is Sir Obain."

Obain glanced at her for a moment, bowing his head politely, before he resumed staring out of the window.

"A pleasure to meet the two of you. Indeed, I could tell that you were a knight from the moment you stepped into the carriage." She laughed easily, and I grinned as I saw Obain's posture straighten just the slightest amount. "I am Princess Rasa. Though upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves may forgo calling me princess."

She winked playfully at that, and I felt my heart skip.

It was just as all poets said…

Beauty could undo a man completely.

"The snow's starting to fall more heavily…" Obain muttered, and I found myself nodding. As one, the three of us watched the snowfall outside in peace, the only sound being our own breathing and the rumble of the carriage.

"Such a beautiful sight…" I sighed wistfully, and Rasa turned to look at me, her eyes twinkling.

"Do you perhaps like snow, Sir Inan?" She asked, and I nodded easily, about to respond when Obain grumbled from the side.

"Like a drunkard likes alcohol." He muttered, and I felt my smile twitch as I resisted the urge to strike his shin with my cane. "OW!"

Oh… it looks like I wasn't successful in my restraint.

Obain glared at me, rubbing his shin while I clicked my tongue. "Please refrain from such crude comparisons when in a Lady's presence." I chided, which caused Rasa to giggle, her hand covering her mouth daintily to hide her smile.

"This might be the first time I've seen a knight and his charge so close." She hummed, and I shook my head.

"I do in fact like the snow." I answered her previous question, lightly tapping my cane against the ground. "There's a poem written by Carl Yebough that I quite like regarding it."

Rasa's expression grew solemn, her gaze turning to look outside. "And lo, how the heavens seek to blanket their children in its embrace. A comforting swath of white, to cradle them in its unbroken purity. And lo, how the heavens weep for their children, for even though they send their purest form of adoration down unto them, the distance between the two remains unchanged."

I looked at her in surprise, caught by the melancholy in her voice that spoke those words. She glanced at me, her smile returning.

"Surprised that I knew it?" She asked, and I shook my head gently.

"No. Only surprised that someone could recite it so beautifully." I murmured, and she blinked. For a few moments the silence in the carriage remained unbroken, as I stared at her and she at me.

"I-"

There was a sharp bump, sending all of the carriage's occupants upwards before we bumped back onto the seats. As we continued forward, relief flowed through us to know that no damage had been done to the vehicle.

"So you've studied poetry, then?" I asked to ease back into a conversation, and Rasa looked at me for a few moments before nodding, the motion as delicate as a flower bowing under a raindrop.

"Yes. A few of my favorites happen to be…"

And just like that, the conversation between us flowed as naturally as it did before. She was graceful, charming, intelligent, and funny. One topic led to another, stories and laughter spilling forth like a stream between two rocks.

So then why, as the hours passed…

Did it feel like she had grown as distant, as intangible, as the slowly drifting snow just outside of the window?