TORI WAS now getting used to the wintery state of the Arin Tribe in her third morning in the place. She was in the middle of brewing her Chamomile Tea when a familiar firm three knocks interrupted her. Not bothering to open the door, she continued with what she was doing as she replied. "Come in!"

Tori poured another round of tea to the second teacup for her favorite guest. She did not glance at the person who entered the premises of her room. Instead, she proceeded to sip her kind of heroin. The familiar thud of the footsteps became closer until the silhouette stopped in front of her. Finally looking up, Tori greeted her guest with a polite smile. "Please have a seat, Your Grace." Tori gestured to the empty seat in front of her.

Chief Keiran, who had a solemn look on his face, took the seat in front of Tori without even bothering to glance at the served delights and tea on the table. "Your messenger brought a message from the warriors last night."

My dearest new pet has finally come back, I see.

Tori's attention remained on her tea but she was listening to him. "And I believe she brought good news?"

In her peripheral vision, Tori saw him nodded his but his grim expression remained. "It brought Chieftain Syzo Teiwar's head."

Tori beamed at his words, finally giving him the attention that he deserved. "And I presumed that you are already marching to destroy the two thousand men camped out just beyond your borders? That will be the nail to the coffin, Your Grace." Her eyes scanned the young silver-eyed chieftain. Just staring at his eyes made her involuntarily remembered a certain golden-eyed one.

"We are not killing them, Lady Victoria. And they are already outside after me and my men captured them right after your pet arrived, I am here to get you."

Setting her teacup down, Tori raised her eyebrow at him. "They did not resist, huh."

"After seeing Chief Syzo's head being displayed as we marched around their small number, they had no choice but to surrender."

"Worry not, Your Grace. They will bend their knee but do not pass judgment to the remaining chieftains yet. I believe they will be used in the future." My future. Tori could still extract the information about the benefactor of this siege. She knew that the fifteen thousand men were a militia to be used to usurp King Elphaim's throne, but Chief Keiran disrupted the plan when he declared a duel to his father and won the seat fair and square.

But the flow of the events is enough to conclude that this benefactor planned it well from the beginning, who is it? Is this related to the snake among my vassals?

"I am a proud warrior of the north, Lady Victoria. I swore to you to bring the empire beneath your feet and I plan to do that." His silver eyes were indeed a warrior's eyes. They were clear as the untainted snow of the north. They were ruthless but clear from the darkness.

"Prove it to me, Chieftain Keiran Arin. Bend the knee," Tori dared. She knew how the northerners valued their pride and when they bend their knees it would mean they would serve you for all eternity. For the warriors of the north, they would rather die than break the oath of bending the knee. This act showed that they submitted to their lifetime masters.

Silence engulfed the tiny room. The crackling of the burning wood in the fireplace was the only sound that could be heard. Tori's ruby eyes and Chief Keiran's silver eyes were accentuated from the warm light provided by the lamp and the flames from the fireplace. No one batted their eyelash as they stared at each other.

Tori only followed Chief Keiran's movement as his imposing shadow covered her as she stood up. His heavy footsteps muted all the other sounds in the room. And the next thing Tori saw was the new king of the northern region bend his knees and bowed his head as he gently grasped her hand. Tori felt his forehead touched the back of her palm.

Smiling slyly, Tori chuckled which sounded a humorless laugh.

"I, Keiran Arin, Chieftain of the Arin Tribe and the protector of The Wall, swear to Lady Victoria Rozenreff that I will only serve you until the day I draw my last breath and be with the Winter God. Until that time comes, I am at your disposal. I will be your claws and fangs to your enemies. This, I swore to you in the name of all the ancestors before me."

The woods turned ashes in the room's fireplace and the raven eyes of the gray-feathered hawk sitting outside Tori's room were the only witnesses of the life-binding oath that transpired that would shake the Eckrett Empire very soon.

IN THE fifth day, Tori was being escorted by a group of Arin Tribe's finest warriors with Chief Keiran Arin himself, who was now the chieftain of the four tribes and the leader of the northern region. Tori's pet, Talia, was now flying above them as they passed the historical stream of the valley where the thirteen thousand men of the enemies crumbled after using their rafts.

The sun was up and it was not high tide yet so the stream looked dried as they passed by. No one would be able to guess that a few nights ago; a bloodbath happened here, a battle between the thirteen thousand men and thousands of beasts.

The thirteen thousand men led by Chieftain Syzo Teiwar were being led into a trap. Since it happened during the night, they failed to notice the splashes of animal blood that littered the canyons that surrounded the valley. As per her instruction, the warriors gathered their livestock and gutted them to secure the blood of hundreds of livestock. The blood flowed to the once-dried stream making the entire valley the target of thousands of gigantic beasts in the area.

Everyone in the Arin Tribe knew that she defeated the thirteen thousand men of the opposing enemy while she was sipping her favorite tea. She did not even take a single step away from the territory of the Arin Tribe, but her pet, the infamous supposed wild hawk, delivered chief Syzo's head to Chief Keiran. Her feat spread like wildfire into the Arin Tribe's household that everyone dubbed her as the genius of the empire.

True to his words, Chief Keiran did take the two remaining former chieftains of the enemies in his dungeon. But a crow from the Information Guild called her back to her battlefield, the capital. According to Lady M, the noble faction was displaying a shady string of activities. This led her to be escorted to the port where the ship sent by Lady M awaited Tori.

Riding their horses' side by side, Chief Keiran finally broke the silence between them. Tori could now see the telltale signs of the port. Their short goodbye was coming.

"How can I know that you will need my help when I am hundreds of miles away from you, Lady Victoria?" His long straight hair whipped when he spun his attention to her.

Instead of answering him, Tori muttered her thoughts. "You did not tie your hair."

"I don't have the time. You were so eager to return to the capital. We're here," announced Chief Keiran when they arrived at the deserted port. A merchant ship was already waiting for Tori.

Descending from the chestnut-colored mare, Tori touched its face. "I will be back. Until then, guard the northern lord for me." Tori whispered to the horse as she caressed its face.

I have yet to use him.

Tyhen grabbed her luggage from her hand without saying a single word. Compared to the time when he pointed his blade at her neck, Tyhen changed in his way. Defeating the enemy helped her earned his respect. He sprinted to the ship that was now ready to sail back to the waters of the capital.

Tori handed the reins to Chief Keiran. Tori knew it would take time before she could come back. She had a lot to do in the capital.

"Again, how can I help you in the time of your need when you are hundreds of miles away from the north?" His once stiff tone changed held a new change of flavor, wariness. The lord of the north was feeling confused, something he was not used to.

Tori raise her right arm, a signal for the flying Talia. Her golden ringlets flew from the flapping of the hawk's wings as it landed on her leather-covered arm. "Just look for this one in the sky and you'll know when I needed you. If this one encircled in the sky five times, then at that time, my life is endangered. Let's just hope that won't happen though." Smiling at him, Tori tiptoed and leaned at him to reach his nape. Tori anchored her left arm to his nape and kissed the side of his lips.

Walking away without looking back, Tori together with her pet, Talia, left the land of the north.

TORI WAS led to a similar-looking cabin, but unlike before this one had a small glass window. She discarded all her fur clothes and changed into her usual outdoor dress, the ones with fewer ribbons and frills.

I am now going back to the capital. It is funny how the north was said to be dangerous yet I felt so secured in that place. Unlike the wretched capital, adorned with lavish activities yet her head could roll in the plaza any minute.

She laid on the bed and closed her eyes as she let the waves lulled her to sleep. Tori was about to surrender her body to sleep when loud and rude knocks disturbed her. "What is it?"

But the knocks continued and grew harsher as minute passed until the door opened forcefully. Looking outside of the window, she saw an enormous ship sailing right beside the merchant ship she was sailing at.

"Arrest her!" The royal knights clad with their swords entered her room uninvited.

"In what grounds are you arresting me?" Tori did not dare to oppose, not when she had no one to protect her or no weapon to defend herself. It was an uttered defeat for her. "Answer me!"

Her head was spinning from the fast transition of the events. One time she was relaxing and the next thing she was being grabbed by the royal knights. They proceeded in dragging her outside her small room to the upper deck.

The sunlight made Tori closed her eyes from the sudden change of scenery. They held her arms at her back, twisting her arms painfully. Pushing her to the wooden floor of the deck, Tori landed in a loud thud. What is happening?

Looking up to the person before her, Tori recognized the captain of the royal knights standing above her and looking down at her with disdain in his eyes. "You do realize that antagonizing me will have recuperations, Captain." She was kneeling in front of him but her eyes remained sharp even being blindsided by the current events. Is this the result of the shady transactions of the noble faction? But why involve the loyal royal knights who only obeyed the king?

"I will gladly face the said recuperations just to uproot the root of all evil, Lady Victoria Rozenreff. After betraying your family now you betray the empire by planning a siege to the empire. Good thing that King Elphaim learned about this plan of yours!"

What?

Tori's eyes widened like saucers upon hearing him but he continued with his fuming words. "I look forward to how you will twist this just to save your face, but I highly doubt that. Not when the guillotine is waiting upon your arrival." His smug-looking face met her emotionless one.

"Did you get her?" A familiar voice made Tori froze. Pivoting her head to look at the traitor's face, Tori could not help but shout. "You!"