Evelyn move through the night, heading to the maiden barrack. The barracks smelled of steel and damp cloth. It was always like that.
Rows of beds lined the walls, weapons stacked neatly at the corners, armor laid out with care. The girls moved around in quiet rhythm, some adjusting their gear, others braiding hair or sharpening blades out of habit, even when there was no immediate war to fight.
But today felt different. The air carried something tight. Something unsettled. They were preparing for a wedding. Yet no one smiled.
The door creaked open, and Evelyn stepped in. A few heads turned. Then more. The room slowly stilled as her presence settled among them.
Helen noticed first. She rose from where she sat, her expression already questioning. "How is the commander doing?" she asked. "Why won't they allow us to see her?"
Evelyn did not answer immediately. She closed the door behind her, her hand lingering on the wood for a second longer than necessary. Then she turned.
Her eyes moved across the room. Counting them. Measuring something. Then she exhaled sharply. "Your commander needs your help."
The words fell into the room. And stayed there. No one moved. No one spoke.
Silence stretched, thick and heavy, pressing against every corner. Helen's brows drew together. "What do you mean?"
Evelyn stepped forward. "She is being held captive by her brother," she said. "She doesn't want the wedding."
A few of the girls shifted slightly. Others glanced at one another, uncertain. Evelyn's gaze settled on Helen.
"She needs you," she said, her voice lower now. "To break her out." Helen's eyebrows furrowed deeper.
The words didn't just surprise her. They unsettled her. "That will be treason," she said slowly.
The room seemed to shrink around that word. "We will automatically become enemies of both the Ice Throne and the Golden Throne."
Evelyn nodded. No argument. No persuasion. "Yeah," she said simply. "But I am only a messenger here."
She turned. No hesitation. And walked out. The door closed behind her.
The room remained still long after she left. No one spoke at first. It was as if the walls themselves were waiting. "What do we do?" Claudia finally asked. Her voice sounded smaller than usual.
Rita stepped forward almost immediately. "She is our commander," she said. "If she commands, we must obey."
Her tone carried certainty. Not loud. But firm enough to settle in the room.
Helen shook her head. "That is not how this works," she said. Her voice remained calm, but there was tension beneath it.
"Doing this," she paused, searching for the right words, "makes us criminals." She looked around at them. "At all of us." Her gaze softened slightly. "We will become aliens to our brothers, our sisters, our parents."
That landed. Harder than the word treason. No one wanted to imagine that. Faces shifted. Eyes dropped. Hands tightened slightly around whatever they held.
Silence returned. But this one felt heavier. Each of them stood there, caught between something they had sworn to protect, and someone they had sworn to follow.
Then Rita moved. One step forward. "Good for you," she said, her voice sharper now, "who have families to be alien to."
A few heads lifted. "I do not have any family," she continued. Her jaw tightened slightly. "Except Maria."
The name carried weight. "And if you will not move," she added, her eyes locking onto Helen, "I will do it myself."
The room shifted. Something had been set into motion. Claudia stepped forward next. "I will join her," she said.
No hesitation. No second thought. Then another moved. And another. One by one, they began to separate.
Not cleanly. Not evenly. But clearly. Half of them drifted toward Rita. The other half remained where they stood.
Helen didn't move. Her chest rose slowly as she watched the division happen in front of her. For the first time, they were not one. "I love the commander," Helen said. Her voice carried something heavier now, and real.
"But I won't become an enemy of my own country." The words settled. And that was it. The line had been drawn.
Night came quietly. Too quietly. The castle rested under darkness, torches flickering along the walls, guards pacing their usual routes. From a distance, everything looked normal.
But beneath that surface, was movement. Shadows shifted where they shouldn't. Soft footsteps pressed against stone.
The maiden army moved. Half of it.
They were Silent, amd focused. Every step measured. Every breath controlled. No shouting. No clashing. Not yet.
Maria lay on her bed. Still. Her eyes closed, but sleep had not come easily. It had been restless, broken, filled with thoughts she could not quiet.
At some point, exhaustion took her.
Then, a sound. Sharp, and sudden..Her eyes snapped open. She didn't move at first. Another sound followed.
Closer.
Her body tensed. Before she could fully rise, the door burst open. Wood slammed against stone.
Maria gasped, her hand reaching instinctively for the nearest thing she could use.
A stick. Not much. But it was the only thing she could hold. She held it up, her breathing uneven, her eyes fixed on the doorway.
Then, Claudia stepped in. "Commander," she said quickly. "We have to go now."
Maria blinked. Her mind caught up in pieces. "What "
"Ships are waiting for us," Claudia added. That was enough. Maria moved. No questions. No hesitation. She dropped the stick and rushed forward.
The corridor outside was already in chaos.nBodies on the ground. Guards struggling to rise. Others hesitating, recognizing her.
Not sure if they should strike. Maria didn't stop. She bent briefly, grabbing a sword from a fallen warrior.
The weight felt right in her hand. Familiar. The first guard stepped in her path. He hesitated. That was his mistake. Maria struck.
Clean, and fast. He went down. Another came. Less hesitation this time. But still not enough. Steel met steel.
A clash.
Then silence. She moved forward again. Every step carried urgency now. No room for doubt. No room for fear. Behind her, the others followed.
The sound of boots, steel, and strained breaths filled the halls.
Minutes passed. Or maybe seconds. It all blurred together.
Then, the gates. They stood closed. Massive, and unmoving. For a moment.
Then, a crash. Wood splintered. Iron groaned. The gates burst open. Cold air rushed in.
Maria didn't slow. She mounted a horse in one smooth motion, pulling herself up with practiced ease.
The others followed. And then, they rode in a hurry.
The night swallowed them. Hooves pounded against the ground, fast and relentless. The sound echoed behind them, fading only as distance grew.
No one spoke. There was no need. They rode for miles. Past the outer lands.
Past the last watch posts. Until finally, the sea came into view again. Ships waited. Dark against darker waters.
Evelyn stood near them, a bundle of clothes in her arms. She stepped forward as they approached. "You made it," she said quietly.
Maria didn't slow. She dismounted, grabbed the clothes, and moved toward the ship.
No pause.
No second thought. One by one, they boarded. Ropes were cut. Sails adjusted. And the ships pulled away.
Behind them, Snowland woke. Not gently. Not slowly. Chaos spread through the castle like fire through dry wood.
Guards ran. Voices shouted. Orders clashed with confusion.
Edmond and Bianca were still asleep when the knock came.
Loud, urgent, and relentless.
Edmond's eyes snapped open.bHe didn't need to think. His hand moved instantly, grabbing the sword of Odin.
Steel slid free with a sharp sound. "Who is there?" he roared. "My lord," a voice answered. "We got some problem."
Edmond moved to the door and pulled it open. The guard bowed quickly. "What is the problem?" Edmond demanded.
The guard hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Lady Maria has escaped."
The words struck hard. Edmond staggered back slightly. "What did you just say?"
"Lady Maria has escaped," the guard repeated. "The maiden army of Snowland broke into the castle and rescued her."
For a moment, Edmond said nothing. Confusion held him tight, and unmoving.
Then it shifted. His jaw tightened. His eyes darkened. "Robert will be here in a few hours," he murmured to himself.
The weight of it pressed in. "How do I explain to a king that his bride has escaped under my watch?"
Silence followed.
Then, movement. He straightened. "Go after them," he ordered. "They must not have gone very far."
The castle erupted again. This time with purpose.
Edmond mounted his horse without delay. The soldiers followed. They rode hard. Tracking. Watching the ground.
Hoof prints.bBroken paths. Signs of haste. They followed it all.
Until they arrived at the riverbank. The trail stopped. Edmond pulled his horse to a halt.
His eyes lifted. The ships were still in sight Not fully gone. "No!" He breathed. Then louder. "No!"
He stepped forward, his voice rising. "Maria!" he shouted. "Stop this now!" The wind carried his voice across the water. "This won't end well for both of us!"
On the ship, Maria stood.nHer eyes found him.nShe didn't move. She didn't respond. She just watched. "I am sorry, brother," she whispered to herself. "I must go to the man I love."
Edmond turned sharply. "Prepare me a boat," he said. "I must go after her." His voice carried urgency, and desperation. "I have to stop her."
The soldiers moved immediately. But before they could act, a sound echoed from afar. Sharp, and clear. A trumpet.
Edmond froze. His breath caught. He knew that sound.
Slowly, he turned his head. "Robert," he said under his breath. His grip on the sword tightened. "Is already here."