The Scarlet Phoenix and the Prince of Winter

Chapter Three

My daydreaming is coming to a very interesting part of the story, much like a sneaky twist no one anticipated. What was supposed to be just a dull ride on a public snow carriage with Jang turned into a private ride with the Crown Prince, who disguised himself as a 'researcher' before we left the castle.

I don't know how he did what he accomplished in that less of an hour after we finished talking in his room, but we are now heading to Aurville with only the two of us inside this luxurious carriage. My puzzled look must have been evident as we rode the carriage because he offered to explain to me what happened. He said that he rented this carriage with the help of Madame Morris, who happened to be his 'main aid' when it comes to this 'secret activity' as he calls it. The Crown Prince shared too that he also asked my superior to inform my friend, Jang, that I was ordered to do some work, so that she won't worry or suspect about me. It all ended in canceling my plan with Jang of going home with her, in exchange for me accompanying Prince Kao to my hometown.

Aurville is the nearest town to the castle. It's also the biggest and busiest of the towns under the kingdom, so people call it the capital, even though it is still a cold town where almost all of the human activities are done indoors just like everywhere else. It's just different in Aurville because it is where the Underground Markets are located. Same with the Fire Academy and the Aurville Health Pub. Most of the institutions are here, making Aurville look more vibrant than the other towns.

But even if Aurville is relatively a rich town, it is still dull and lifeless because of the eternal winter Aure had. The school has taught us that this eternal winter had been around for at least a hundred years. It's been that long, that's why our lives had completely changed from our history to adjust to the harsh weather conditions.

The lands are barren because of the never-ending snow falling from the sky, thus we have snow hills and mountains. Farming had to be underground, with the help of a thousand columbars and man-made watersheds our kingdom had built over the course of the century. Even our houses are mostly underground because the pile of snow had covered them and no one had bothered to clean them up because we all know that winter's not going to stop anytime soon.

It's only the castle that's mostly still above the ground, because it's perched on top of a plateau where it's two edges are active glaciers so the ice falls down into an icy river below. Because of Aure's condition, most of our lives have been inside walls or under the ground. The most time that we are above the ground to brave the cold is when we travel by these snow carriages, because it is the only type of vehicle that can travel from one town to the other as it can move swiftly on snow and ice. If only this legendary element called fire still exist, perhaps life would have been so much better. My life could have been a one-eighty shift from what it is now. The only thing that I don't hate with my current situation is this moment--- having the Crown Prince with me.

Speaking of him, he was reading a book beside the window while I sat nervously next to him. I protested when he ordered me to sit next to him, suggesting that I should just sit behind him because the seats on this carriage are arranged in a way that the most important persons on board sit in the middle while his guards and servants sit in his front and back. The driver or steerer as we call it sits upfront and he can't see his passengers behind him because the two sections are separated by a wall unlike on a public carriage, supposedly for privacy because the people who rent this type of carriage are usually important people.

This is why it's a big deal for me because I am still a court servant despite the odd circumstances that are happening to us right now. The Crown Prince shouldn't treat me like I am his equal by letting me sit next to him. But I am not complaining, since this is my dream of dreams.

"Are you uncomfortable?" he suddenly asked, side-eyeing me from his book and it made me blush again. "I told you that I'm not ordering you around on this journey. You are accompanying me as a resource person. This is a research."

"You're really doing this for research?" I blurted out before covering my mouth again because of what I just said. "I'm sorry Your Highness, I shouldn't have---"

"It's okay," he asserted, waving his hand in front of me. "I told you to drop the protocols. Drop the honorifics too. I'm not the Crown Prince right now, remember?" He said that with a wink and I swear to God that evil wink killed me. I am now dead and someone should bury me now before my corpse gets as hard as steel from frostbite. "Do you understand me, Rainha? I am not the Crown Prince as of the moment. I am Travor Dubstein, and I am a researcher of the kingdom." He even showed me a royal badge that only the true researchers of the kingdom possess.

"Y-Yes, Travor."

"Good. Now, how long do we have to wait before we reach Aurville?"

"It's a two-hour ride. Three, if there's a snowstorm. Ten if it's the season of the Ruthless Blizzards. But I don't know about private snow carriages, we might arrive earlier than what I told you."

"So this is the first time you rode on a private snow carriage," he pointed the obvious.

"Yes, T-Travor. Both as a court servant, and as a 'resource person.' That's why I can't even breathe properly inside here." It was true, but not as what I was trying to imply. Little did the Crown prince know that the true reason I can't breathe properly right now is because of this moment--- his presence right next to me, like he was really not a prince and he was not unreachable. The proximity of our bodies had been sending me sensations I have never felt before. But I will never tell him that.

"You should get used to it."

"I don't need to get used to this," I mumbled. "I know that this is a once in a lifetime moment." The moment I said that I wanted to kill myself. I just realized that it might sound different to the Crown Prince. What if he thinks that I was trying to say to him that I wanted this to happen again? What would he think about me then? I hope he doesn't think that that I'm ambitious.

"Why not? I can give you passes for a private carriage in exchange for accompanying me to your Aunt."

"Oh no. You don't have to do that---"

"I have to do because this is not related to your work in the castle, which means you're using your private time right now. I value people's time, Rainha. So you will accept my payment."

"P-Payment?"

"You'll receive coalstones for this, and the carriage pass I just mentioned."

I was speechless about this. I wanted to hug him, to show him my gratitude, and I almost did if not for the remaining normal brain cell on my head trying to stop me so I clutched my chest tightly instead.

I don't know what to say. The coalstones would mean a lot. It means me and my Aunt have to work less for a while. My Aunt is a cook in a bakery in the central avenue of Aurville. Sometimes she had to work the whole day just to get enough money and pebbles. At least if the Crown Prince meant what he said, that would mean my Aunt can have her offs in the weekends. Then she'll stop nagging me when I go home, talking about marriage just so she can have the house to herself again.

Prince Kao was immersed in his book again, and I noticed that it was the same book that he showed me while we were in his room. "Umm, T-Travor? Can I ask you another q-question?"

"What is it?" His face was still on the book but I know he was listening intently to what I was going to say. "Why are you interested in the snow gypsies?"

This time he put the book on his lap and stared at me. He had put on his glasses which were just lying in his coat pocket all this time, but right now he wore it and I was right. He looks so good with it.

"You studied in school right?" he asked.

"Yes..."

"Then you must be familiar with the Legend of the Scarlet Phoenix."

"Oh. I think we read a short story about that back in the days..." I said reminiscing about my school days. "What about that? I don't remember anything there that mentioned the gypsies."

"Because it's a folktale, Rainha," he explained, and I almost bit my tongue painfully because he looks at me with this intense gaze that makes me drown even without water. Plus, the fact that we talk casually right now like we were old acquaintances still doesn't sink in with my reality. It's like some bizarre phenomenon is happening where my deepest desires had sprung to life.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"I guess not," he agreed. "But since it's literature, it's not something that gives instructions or hard facts. The Legend of the Scarlet Phoenix is like that. It aims to amuse rather than to inform."

"O-Okay..."

"The Scarlet Phoenix, which appears bin our traditions and literature, was said to be one of the last deities to have existed here in Aure. She was revered by our ancestors and was known as the Goddess of Fire and Volcanoes. Various texts told different versions, but the general conclusion is that the Scarlet Phoenix is the source of all the fire in the world."

"I know about that," I blurted out excitedly. "Old folks used to say that her death caused the extinction of fire."

"That's correct. That's why our kingdom is in deep frost. According to the legend, she died inside her home, the volcano where we get our coalstones, Mt Kal Ayu. This is the version that became popular with our people."

My brows furrowed at what the Crown Prince said. "Do you mean there is another version of the story?"

Prince Kao nodded. 'And the version I'm talking about is more detailed. More complete. More informative."

"And that somehow involves the snow gypsies?" I asked because I was already into this. I even forgot the Crown Prince's charm for a second because of the excitement I was getting from hearing this old but familiar story.

"Yes," he replied, pointing at the book on his lap right now. "This is the version I'm telling you about." The embossed title of the book glistened and I just can't help but ask more.

"What does it say about the Scarlet Phoenix then, Your Highness?" I shook my head and corrected myself, saying, "I'm sorry, I mean Travor?"

"It says that when the Scarlet Phoenix dies, it can return from its ashes, Rainha. The details about how its revival happens are vague, but according to this book, the snow gypsies, which is properly called the Luria, were the Scarlet Phoenix's devoted followers. They are the only ones who are said to know the secret of how to bring back the deity from the dead. That's why I am researching on them."

I had goosebumps all over me at what he just said. "You plan on bringing back the Scarlet Phoenix?"

He nodded. "That is my ultimate goal. I intend to revive the dead deity, so that fire will exist again in Aure and this winter will stop for the first time in a hundred years."