"THE ODYSEUS will land on the port of Theodam, a small port village near before the Mynron Cliffs. Come with me and let's stop this idea of yours." Prince Corean commanded Tori with his no-nonsense voice, but Tori only raised her brows as she crossed her arms with defiance.

"And you care because?" And who told you about this conquest of mine?

The second prince's icy glare replied at her question. So you want to play dumb huh? Then let's play stupid.

"Either way, his highness should mind his own business. And no. I will not go with you so please excuse me. I have a meeting to attend to. By the way, blessings to the empire's star." Tori curtsied before she went down to look for the chieftain.

"Victoria!"

No. Trusting you will be suicide. Not looking back at the second prince, Tori stopped to reply, "You need to go back alone, your highness. Tessa is waiting for you, after all. Please don't waste your time at me just to blame me in the end. Please leave me alone." Gone was her teasing tone as she stripped her façade for a moment just to show him how serious she was.

CHIEF KEIRAN Arin was sitting comfortably on a couch inside a luxurious cabin beside a similar-looking petite woman. The girl, who was around her age smiled at Tori the moment she stepped foot in the room. The chief looked behind her, and when he saw that the second prince was not with her he visibly let out a breath of relief.

The royals and the northern tribes have a strained relationship, huh.

Tori curtsied in front of the two who were relatives. "Blessings to the northern tribe, Chieftain Keiran Arin and his companion."

"Please take a seat, lady of the empire. You must have heard how savage the northern tribe folks are."

Sitting gracefully before them, Tori took notice of the lack of tea at the center table. She missed Lily's concoction.

"Nonsense, Your Grace. If we're talking about nasty rumors, then I am contender myself."

The girl perked up from Tori's answer which made the chief flinched as if he knew it would happen. "My brother is such a paranoid, yeah? My name is Akasha Arin, this dolt's little sister. By the way, you look so young! I heard from Keiran that you're the future head of an influential household in the empire? How cool is that!"

Tori could not hold her grin as she listened to the chatterbox in front of her. With the way things were, the way the young chief looked exasperated with his younger sister but could not even butt in. She realized that the weak point of the fierce northern tribe was sitting in front of her.

What a wrong move for you, honorable and fierce chieftain of the north. Openly displaying your weakness beside you, it is either you are stupid or you are arrogant.

"My name is Victoria Rozenreff, forgive me for the late introduction. It is both my pleasure and honor to be the emissary of the empire to the fierce northern tribe of Arin, the protectors of the wall."

The two stiffened when they heard the last four words of Tori. They were sure that she had no idea, no, they were sure that no one had the idea that the supposed glaciers and icy mountain ranges that protect the Arin Tribe were called "The Wall" which they protected instead.

The Wall. But for the king and Tori, it was the mine of platinum that would change the power play of the world. But before that, she needed to know the internal conflict within the northern region.

Chief Keiran straightened his back while Akasha looked worriedly at her brother before she glanced at the relax-looking Tori. "You know. How much do you know?"

One wrong move and he'll kill me. Tori took notice of the way how he reached for his bolo sheathed beside him. Nevertheless, Tori's sugary smile never faltered for a second. "I know enough for you not to kill me. I know enough that you won't endanger your people along with your centuries-old history."

Tori continued, "The long-standing enmity between the Eckrett Empire and the northern region, I care not about it. I am here to convince you to bend the knee to me as your future queen. But first, give me the chance to prove myself worthy. Isn't that the northern tribe's way?"

Chief Keiran did not seem surprised which meant that Crown Prince Yei Lin already told him about Tori's situation in the empire. Knowing this, Tori hid her wicked gleam.

"How can we trust you, yeah?" Akasha butted in, her silver eyes glinted with wariness and doubt.

Tori shook her head slowly. "You don't have to trust me." I'll be a hypocrite if I force you to trust me. "Instead, watch me like a hawk as I earn your favor. After all, that's what I am here for. And I will start by helping you crush the dangers from the other northern tribes."

That's why you seek the Ming Country's Crown Prince. You wanted an aide in keeping the other three tribes away from your territory. Not because you're lacking in your warfare resources but because you are afraid that they will discover what's behind the fortress of Arin Tribe. You are afraid that they will discover the secret behind The Wall.

"You talk big for a little girl, but I trust Prince Lin." His silver eyes sharpened with malice. "Should you cause any harm to my tribe, I will personally behead you."

The threat sent chills all over Tori's body but she refused to show any emotions in front of them. Instead, she just tilted her head and smiled some more like she always did. "I look forward to the day that you will owe me one." Because that's the time that I'll have you beneath my soles. A mine of platinum and a private army of four thousand skilled warriors, there's no greater prize than that.

The northern tribes once lived harmoniously in the northern regions. Away from the traditions and rules of the Eckrett Empire, they lived a simple life. Among these tribes, was the Arin Tribe. The warriors of the north. The beasts of the glacier mountains. The kings of the winter land. The tribe who led the northern region. The lords of the northern regions. They came into many names and titles and all of them were true. Standing atop the icy mountain, surrounded by beasts, they were the ones with the most number of warriors among the tribes. The other three tribes respected them like an animal who respected the one who was greater in the food chain.

The previous chieftain of the Arin Tribe was the current chieftain's father. According to the information given by Crown Prince Yei Lin, the previous chieftain wanted an uprising against the empire in which the three tribes gladly supported. But Chieftain Keiran opposed the idea of an uprising. He did not like the empire but not to the extent that he would sacrifice everything for it so he usurped the position of Chieftain from his father by declaring a duel.

A duel was an official challenge to a position in the northerners' rules. Since they ruled their land with an iron fist, they believed that only the strongest should lead a tribe. By killing his father, Keiran became the youngest chieftain at the age of twenty.

Noshin Tribe of the Southwest, Tekaran Tribe of the South, and Teiwar Tribe of the Northeast immediately opposed his claim but the people of Arin believed that only the strongest should lead them. Thus, the very first internal conflict within the northern region sparked. King Elphaim Eckrett immediately grabbed this opportunity to strike down the Arin Tribe to take the mines.

In Tori's letter, she promised a unified northern region but it was clear that the king did not care for that at all. If a war within the northern region broke out within negotiation, Tori knew that the king would secretly support the war.

How cunning, Your Majesty.

So Tori needed the three tribes to lose and let the chieftain of Arin Tribe owe her big. Looking at her reflection from her mirror that Lily packed, Tori touched her neck.

One wrong move and it will be over for me. "Prince charming, huh? Wake up. There's no such thing as prince charming. So I'll never be a damsel because no one will save me."

Her red eyes looked sullen in her reflection. Exhaustion was taking a toll on her but she had no other choice but to move forward.

JUST LIKE what he said, Odyseus landed on the last port before entering the premise of the wintery northern regions. Though the next port was near the Noshin Tribe which was a grassland terrain and the Tekaran Tribe which was situated in the biggest tropical forest of the northern region, the cold crisp of icy wind from the mountains would still cause anyone's teeth to chatter from cold.

As a sign of respect, Tori went to the deck to watch the second prince from afar as he disembarked from the merchant ship. She made sure to hide behind the crates as she watched the men disembarked their loads. Tori was waiting for a hooded figure to pass by but not even a shadow of a hooded man showed.

Where the hell is that man?

Scanning the entire deck, Tori did not see any telltale sign of Prince Corean and his knights. "He might have left already."

"Wrong." Tori almost jumped from being startled when the second prince's voice answered her from her back which made her spun around.

"What's with you and pushing me?" For the nth time, Prince Corean cornered Tori to the crates. His hooded figure was so close to her that she could even feel his minty breath on her face.

"No. What's with you and chasing danger?" His dangerous-looking golden eyes squinted at her which Tori returned with a glare. Tracing her long fingernails above his heaving chase, Tori replied. "Why do you care? I am not Tessa. And I am only after the throne, that seat belongs to me. I care nothing more, your highness. So pull your head out from the gutter."

His hands traveled from her cheeks to her dainty neck as if he was choking her. His touch was gentle but Prince Corean tightened his grasp around her neck; Tight enough to alert Tori, but not tight enough to choke her to death.

Fuck

Tori's wicked smile resurfaced as if daring Prince Corean to choke her to death, but deep down she was shaking from fear of death. It took everything in her to stop herself from shaking. She wanted to show him that his warning could never shake her.

"You walked too fast, Victoria, too fast from my liking. One time we are walking side by side and the next time you are already walking a different path from mine." His tone held pain and frustrations that Tori refused to understand.

Touching his hands around her neck, Tori reply in a dead tone. She shut every emotion that screamed within her as she stared back at his pleading ones. What are you pleading for?

"We were never walking in the same path from the very start, your highness. You are just my stepping stone for my goals, Prince Corean. Pull yourself out from your fantasy and go back to where you belong. Win the hunt. After all, that's your only purpose for me."

Prying his lifeless hands from her neck, Tori walked away from the second prince. She already set the path she's going to take.