Winter had settled over Coral Palace. Aquila noticed it in the mornings first.
The marble floors held cold longer than before. Frost gathered along distant palace windows. The servants walked faster through the corridors, clutching cloaks around themselves whenever they thought no noble was looking.
She sat before her vanity, silver eyes scanning another report from Feltogora. Rebels. Again.
Every report seemed identical. Minor victories. Failed pursuits. Rumors. Missing leaders.
Too many unanswered questions. Aquila rubbed lightly at her temple.
Useless. Two weeks.
Two entire weeks away from the Empire, and somehow everything still found its way onto her desk.
A knock sounded. Then another. Then shouting. Very loud shouting. Aquila lowered the report.
"..."
The shouting continued. She already knew who was responsible.
There was only one person in the entire palace capable of creating this much chaos in under five minutes.
"Zuleika."
The realization came with immediate exhaustion. Aquila returned her attention to drying her hair.
A few moments later— The door burst open. Aquila turned. There stood Princess Zuleika. Disheveled. Breathing heavily.
"...What the hell are you doing?"
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Aquila watched as Zuleika attempted to form a sentence. Failed. Attempted again. Failed once more.
Then came the pounding on the door. Ah. That explained everything.
Being chased again. Naturally. Because apparently royal discussions could simply be escaped by running away.
Aquila wondered if Nexus had always operated like this. Or if Zuleika alone was responsible for lowering the collective intelligence of the royal family. The frantic hand gestures began immediately.
Aquila stared. Then stared some more.
Was she attempting to communicate Threaten her? Perform interpretive dance?
Whatever it was, it looked ridiculous. Still, Aquila opened the door.
The knight's request was predictable. The answer even more so.
"No." The knight immediately folded.
Aquila wasn't surprised. Most soldiers feared offending foreign royalty more than they feared their commanders.
By the time the footsteps disappeared, Aquila already regretted getting involved.
She closed the door. Turned around. And immediately found Zuleika staring. Again. At this point, Aquila was beginning to suspect it was a habit.
"Eyes on me."
The command left her lips automatically. To her annoyance, Zuleika somehow managed to look innocent despite being caught.
How? Aquila had no idea.
The woman possessed an almost supernatural ability to escape accountability. Eventually, she removed her hand and walked toward the vanity.
"So? What did you do this time?"
The answer arrived immediately.
"I didn't do anything."
Aquila almost laughed. That sentence alone guaranteed guilt.
Then came the explanation. Succession. The throne.
Aquila stared at her reflection in the mirror. Then at Zuleika sprawled across the bed. Then back at her reflection.
People fought wars over crowns. Families destroyed themselves over inheritance. Entire kingdoms collapsed because siblings murdered one another for power.
Yet here sat a princess who treated succession discussions like an inconvenient appointment.
"I don't want responsibilities."
The response was delivered so casually that Aquila genuinely wondered if she had heard correctly.
"And your sister?"
"She doesn't want it either."
Aquila blinked.
"...Are you serious?"
Apparently she was. Not only Zuleika. All of them. Every royal sibling. No ambition. No competition. No schemes. Nothing.
For a long moment, Aquila found herself speechless. Perhaps Nexus truly was a strange kingdom.
"...Carefree."
The word escaped before she could stop it.
She wasn't sure whether it was criticism or admiration. Perhaps both. Then Zuleika moved behind her.
Aquila watched through the mirror. Curious. Far too curious. Like a child investigating a shiny object.
"What shade is your hair?" Aquila blinked.
Of all the questions she expected... That was not one of them.
"Lavender."
The reaction was immediate. Confusion.
Aquila fought the urge to smile. The woman looked genuinely betrayed. As though her hair had personally deceived her. Then the comb disappeared from the table.
Aquila slowly turned.
"...What are you doing?"
The answer came in the form of shameless pleading. Those ridiculous eyes again. Aquila narrowed her gaze.
It shouldn't work. Objectively, it shouldn't. Yet somehow— Several moments later, Zuleika was brushing her hair.
Aquila hated that she wasn't surprised. The brush moved through her hair carefully. Gentler than expected.
Aquila found herself watching through the mirror once more.
Most people treated her carefully because they feared her. Zuleika treated her carefully because she wanted to.
The distinction was small. Yet strangely noticeable.
"Ohh, you have naturally wavy hair..."
The fascination in her voice sounded genuine. Aquila answered absentmindedly.
Then came more compliments. Of course. Endless compliments. Mythical spirit. Blessed by gods. Elegant. Mysterious.
Aquila rolled her eyes.
"You make it sound like I planned it."
Yet despite herself— The corner of her lips twitched. Just slightly.
Then came another realization. The constant talking. The teasing. The ridiculous energy.
It was back. Fully. Aquila's gaze softened for a fraction of a second.
Good. That was good.
Far better than the withdrawn version she'd witnessed before. Far better than the shadows she'd occasionally seen lingering behind those crimson eyes.
Without realizing it, Aquila felt some tension leave her shoulders.
Then Zuleika spoke again.
"Aquila, do you have a type?"
Aquila nearly turned around.
What kind of question was that?
Her immediate suspicion only grew when she noticed the sparkle in Zuleika's eyes. That sparkle always meant trouble. Still, she considered the question.
A real answer. Not a diplomatic one. Not a politically useful one. A real answer.
Strangely enough... Nothing came. No face. No ideal appearance. No romantic fantasy. Only a single thought.
Someone strong enough. Someone capable. Someone she wouldn't need to carry. Someone who could carry her for once. The realization surprised even her.
More surprising still was how easily the words left her mouth.
"Powerful enough to take me away whenever I want to run away."
The room grew quieter. Aquila watched Zuleika's reflection carefully. The teasing disappeared. Something gentler replaced it.
Then, because she couldn't resist— And perhaps because she wanted to see that expression again— She added another requirement.
"I also prefer it if they're a leader of an Empire or Kingdom."
The reaction was immediate. Predictable.
Zuleika laughed. Then joked about becoming ruler.
Then— Aquila answered honestly.
"Probably."
Silence.
Aquila met her eyes in the mirror. Watched the realization hit. Watched the blush spread. Watched the complete collapse of coherent thought.
It was fascinating.
For someone who spent every day teasing others, Zuleika was remarkably defenseless whenever attention turned back onto her.
Far too easy. The thought made amusement stir inside Aquila.
A rare occurrence. She stood. Took the comb. Placed it neatly back where it belonged.
Then leaned slightly closer. Just enough.
"Why? Did you want me to say no?"
The result was immediate disaster. Aquila nearly laughed.
The poor woman looked ready to combust. And somehow that only made it harder to stop smiling.
"You're far too easy to tease."
For once, the words felt deserved. As Zuleika fumbled through denials, Aquila simply watched. Quietly amused.
And when Zuleika finally fled the room, Aquila's eyes followed her until the door clicked shut.
Silence returned. The room felt larger without her. Quieter.
Aquila stared at the closed door for several moments.
Then chuckled. A genuine chuckle. Rare enough to surprise even herself.
"What was that?"
The image replayed immediately. The embarrassment. The panic. The retreat.
Aquila leaned back in her chair. A small smile remained on her lips. Absolutely hopeless.
And yet... The thought carried no annoyance. Only warmth.
Her fingers drifted through her lavender hair as she stared at her reflection.
How strange.
Two weeks ago she would never have imagined finding someone's antics comforting. Yet now the palace seemed noticeably quieter whenever Zuleika wasn't around.
Aquila narrowed her eyes at her own reflection. That realization was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Still... Her smile remained.
"How curious."
The words were barely above a whisper. And for once, the Ice Princess found herself looking forward to tomorrow.