Winter has her eyes closed tightly, waiting with a bated breath as she clearly hears the low and threatening growl of the wolf. She couldn't bear to look at its eyes, feeling its presence nearing her. She heard Ryujin and Yunjin calling for her until they were silenced - probably seeing the situation. Winter did not care, she would rather have them safe than help her.

"What happened - "

Winter heard Aeri's voice, her question being stopped mid sentence, and the shuffling footsteps. She wonders if everyone was there, was she really about to be mauled by a wolf in front of everyone?

She waited, and waited - then suddenly, she felt something on her hand, a wet sensation as it nudged the back of her hand. Winter opened her eyes to see the wolf, nudging her hand and Winter did not know what to do. She tried moving back but with a sharp glance of the wolf, its eyes penetrated her like lightning, she froze.

A nudge.

"Liulfr."

Winter heard the familiar voice, Karina's cold and authoritative voice and presence being felt in the huge hallway. The wolf looked at Karina, and Winter thought it would run away but it only growled, much louder than earlier. The wolf's stance changed, as it directed its gaze to Karina, and Winter wanted to shout at them to run - or to do whatever they can and not just stand there.

"You should not be here, out."

Winter looked at Karina, looking at her incredulously as she listened to her speaking to the obviously large wolf, unfazed, and talking to it as if it was a house pet?

The wolf changed its course, baring its teeth as it growled louder. Winter could hear its breathing getting quicker, harsher, much more aggressive. She doesn't know what to do, and as she saw the wolf taking its first step towards Karina, Winter suddenly moved - pushing herself to stand up. Running despite knowing the wolf would be much quicker than her, she shouts as she glances at the wolf, charging at Karina, "Don't!"

"Winter!" "Stay away!" Ryujin and Yun jin shouted simultaneously.

In a blink, Winter ran in front of Karina, letting the latter stand behind her back, facing the wolf as she closed her eyes, no thoughts running in her mind. Just plain survival mode - or was it her stupidity?

"Stop!" She shouts, saying it like a prayer to a god to be heard, facing the full force of the charging wolf. Winter expected an impact, expected for her limbs to be eaten - for her to shout in pain, and die an instant death.

But what she did not expect was for the wolf to stop a foot in front of her, looking at her with its eyes, staring at her as if reading her like a book. Then it took a step back, looking down as it whimpered.

Was it the queen's help?

Just then, Winter became aware of the presence behind her - the small distance between them, she could hear Karina's steady breathing, not a sign of panic - and she could feel the latter looking at her.

"Liuflr, out." Karina commanded and the wolf looked at the latter, before growling again and it ran, straight to the wall - in which it vanished then.

A touch on her shoulder made Winter jump, facing everyone - seeing it was Ning who touched her.

"Are you okay?"

Winter blinks.

Was she okay?

Was she okay?

A wolf just woke her up from her sleep, almost attacking her and the queen, and she gets a question like that?

Winter does not know if that was a rhetorical question.

"What the was that?"

**

Winter watched as the four girls were discussing something that they never bothered to share with her, glancing at Minju who was checking if she was injured once again, while her friends kept on asking her what happened. 

"I just woke up with that wolf, standing right over me," Winter explained blandly, with no hint of any emotion. Perhaps, she won't be surprised anymore if there will be an apocalypse happening there. "I had other worse mornings than that, trust me."

It was Ryujin who called the attention of the others that were discussing, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but can we have some answers on what happened?" she said, her tone in apprehension and worry.

Ning stepped forward, looking at Minju, "Is she injured?"

The girl shook her head, "Just a little bit shaken probably, but Liuflr did not hurt her." she said carefully, her words hanging in the air as she took a quick glance at Winter.

"You promised us safety," Winter said when no one talked, "and I woke up with a wolf probably wanting to eat me. Can someone, anyone, explain that?"

"We're sorry about that, sincerely. We never thought that Liuflr will go to your room," Ning apologized as she bowed, and Winter couldn't help but to nod. The latter seems to be genuine with her words, the way she couldn't meet Winter's eyes says so much.

She sighed, "And the wolf? Liuflr, is that its name?" She wondered, looking from Ning then to Aeri who answered her.

"Yes, that's correct," Aeri said, "He is a familiar under the Kingdom, which is why the spells did not trigger." she explained which generally answered the next question on Winter's mind.

"Liuflr," Winter repeats the name, as if trying to get used to it, "such an interesting name." She mumbles to herself.

"Would it still be safe for Winter?" Yunjin suddenly asked, "After all, it looked like that Liuflr really wanted to attack her earlier."

Everyone then turned to look at the queen as she walked towards Winter, examining her in a distance, "I don't see her in any pain."

"Your majesty." Ning said in a careful and yet firm tone.

Winter looked at Karina, with a clear distaste in her gaze - she would not have minded the woman's words if she did not say it in a way as if what happened earlier was not a big deal. Karina did not bat an eye at her head councilor, looking down at Winter steadily. Winter then thinks that perhaps, what she saw last night in the garden was only an imagination.

"That's quite huge coming from someone who was about to get mauled earlier by a wolf."

"And are you expecting something, Kim Winter?" Karina asked, raising an eyebrow.

Winter hated how her name sounded so different coming from the taller girl, she looked at Karina - glaring at her. She never thought that she would meet someone as pretentious and annoying as the girl in front. "A thank you will be appreciated."

A scoff.

"You barely did anything." Karina answered and turned around.

Winter takes a deep breath, it was obvious that Karina thought less of her - just with the way she said nulla magias the night before, to the way she was acting right now. She tries to control it, clenching her fist as she composed herself.

"I saved you," Winter said, her voice firm and steady, "If you cannot show a hint of gratitude, then at least give us assurance that we will be safe here."

"You saved me?" Karina said and tilted her head, "May I remind you that Liuflr is the Kingdom's familiar, not yours."

"He would've killed you if I didn't step in!" Winter flared up, she could not tell if Karina was pressing her buttons or it was just her plain personality. Her voice was loud and demanded everyone's attention.

"And how would you know that?"

"Because I felt it!"

Everyone stood there in silence, looking at Winter - confused at her words. But for Winter, it was the truth. In that moment, she felt the way the wolf changed - how it directed everything to Karina, somehow she just knew that there was nothing stopping the wolf from actually attacking the queen.

Karina stood there, staring at Winter - her eyes steady as she did not utter anything.

"Did you see the way he looked at you? How his breathing changed, and the tension on his muscles?"

Winter noticed all of it, in those few seconds that happened too quickly for anyone to grasp. But she saw all of it, and maybe it was because she has always been observant with her surroundings. The fact that she values everything in life, even the smallest changes in animals - she would notice everything as long as it is about life.

"I told you, Liuflr is the Kingdom's familiar. He will answer - "

"That's the thing, the kingdom's! You are the queen, but you are not the kingdom!" Winter cuts her off, making Ryujin and Yunjin gasp in surprise.

They heard Karina taking a deep breath, slow and steady, "What did you say?"

"A kingdom may be ruled by a queen or king," Winter answered in a steady and firm tone, "but it will always be run by its people."

"Win... " Yunjin called quietly, her voice barely above a whisper as she never wanted the attention of the others, walking behind her as she grabbed her arm, "I think you should stop."

Winter brushed her off, because she felt that Karina needed to hear her words. The latter was nothing but too high and mighty the moment they were there. Winter respected her title, and she tried her best to understand her. But Karina was making it difficult for her, it was as if she never cared about anything rather than the fact that she's the queen.

The way she said nulla magias in clear disdain, as if they were lower than her.

The way she implied how her friends could not be trusted and are only using her to be in the palace.

The way she easily brushed the events earlier, as if Winter's life never mattered.

 "You may be the queen but a kingdom without its people is nothing but an empty place," Winter said and stared straight at Karina, "and a queen without her kingdom is nothing but an empty ruler."

"You do not have any idea how it is to be a queen."

Winter sighed and nodded her head, that is true. She never has an idea how it is to rule a huge place, but one thing is for sure. "Yes, but I do know one thing. Every life must be valued, magicaes or nulla magias. Your kingdom stands on Asteria, and every single one, with or without magic, must be valued."

Silence.

Winter bowed, "If I may be excused, your majesty." she said and turned around, Ryujin and Yunjin quickly bowing as well, running to her side.

Leaving the whole room in silence, with Karina watching her retreating figure.

"You should not have said that." It was Aeri who broke the silence, sighing as she shook her head. "She was in shock and wanted to know she's in good hands."

Karina knows that.

"You took things too far, Karina." Ning said, all the titles were gone but it did not bother Karina for a bit.

"We need her to trust us." Aeri reminded Karina, "To trust you."

She knows that too.

"This is our last chance, Karina," Ning said and walked towards the door, "she's lost in this world, please be gentle with her."

"She's different."

Now, that's something Karina was not sure about.

Not yet.

She looks at Chaewon and Minju, nodding her head, "Please take care of them, show them around the palace."

Karina said and walked out of the room, the need to be alone was suffocating her. She has never met anyone that was as forward and honest to her in years, and she was awfully reminded by memories that she has left in the past. Memories that she never wished to resurface, and yet there they were starting to pool her mind.

Closing the door behind her, she was welcomed by her study room. Large shelves on both of its walls, with books that Karina has read throughout her years. The scrolls all piled up on her desk as she needed to look at them, but she didn't bother to do it as she went straight to the window behind her desk, taking a deep and shaky breath.

Karina was harsh, that was true.

But she needed to do it.

Karina needed to protect herself from anyone.

After all, a queen has enemies - even the most trusted ones will stab her from the front when given the chance.

**

Winter mindlessly walked, her thoughts scattered as her emotions were still high from the encounter earlier. To the moment waking up with a wolf above her, and to how the queen treated her as if she was nothing. Ryujin and Yunjin tried to calm her down, but Winter just couldn't do it. It seems like it was hard for everyone there, the magicaes, to understand the situation she's in - that she's trapped there for ten months.

Alone.

With no idea if she'll be alive in those ten months.

At first, she thought that Karina was just putting on a facade, as Winter is quite aware of the weight of being a queen to a kingdom. But all of those were gone, perhaps it was not a facade but who she actually is. There was nothing she could do about that, but somehow, deep inside her, there was something else. That's why she needed to get out of that room, away from judging eyes, away from the eyes with a golden hue.

"Win, hey." Winter heard Ryujin but she kept on walking not until the latter grabbed her by her arm, turning her around to face her. "Hey, will you stop for a moment?"

Winter turned around and she was welcomed by two pairs of eyes, no purple glow nor golden specks - just plain, dark brown eyes. It felt good to stare at her two friends looking at her worriedly - it reminded her of home. Even for a quick moment, Winter felt light as she looked at them, concern evident in their faces as their brows furrowed.

"Sorry, I was just," Winter apologized quietly, looking away, breathing out as she tries to relax her body, "I got carried away, sorry."

"It's fine, you really don't have to apologize for anything. We were just worried," Yunjin answered her and took a quick glance at Ryujin, nodding her head as if they understood each other's look. "Let's go to our room, you can maybe take a cold bath there?" she suggested with an easy smile.

Winter wanted to decline, but then again, it may be the best idea for now as she still couldn't stay in her own room after what happened. "I, yeah, if that's fine with you two?"

The two girls let out a laugh,