In the end, they spent the entire day visiting various places that Noct was certain he would have been fine not knowing about. Other than that, the Crow Thief also learned to beware of Jul Orben's promises. She had been completely serious when she told them she would be touring him and Chell around the kingdom, because by the time sundown had arrived and the four had decided to go back to the palace, Noct was more than eager to lie down and rest his feet. He felt like he had trekked through an entire forest again. At the same time, he deeply admired Yoko's perseverance towards her companion. The Falcon Witch was simply too lively to contain.

After a lighthearted conversation over a delicious dinner course, Noct and Chell were led back to their room. The candles had been lit now that night had arrived, providing a soft orange glow over the hall's ornate designs that they passed by. A quiet atmosphere enveloped the palace in contrast to its scenery during the day, giving off the effect of a forbidden sanctuary. Even the maids and butlers they passed seemed to tread more quietly underneath the moonlight.

"Are you really fine with a single room?" Yoko asked with uncertainty as she and Jul arrived before the door, pausing for a moment.

Noct exchanged glances with Chell and smiled at the princess. "It's okay. The little miss can have all the bed for her tonight. I usually don't sleep, and when I do, I can sleep on the chair."

"Alright," Yoko nodded. "Well then, Jul and I will be taking our leave. Good night."

"Thank you." Noct bowed respectfully, thinking it was the right thing to do at that moment. By his side, Chell nodded firmly to her.

"Good night Chell, Noct!" Jul said, seemingly still filled with energy. "I can't wait for all the things I have planned for us tomorrow—!"

"Alright, alright, they need rest and we need to get going now." Yoko interrupted her sentence as she grabbed the her wrist and dragged the girl away.

The Crow Thief heard the satisfying thud and click of the lock as he closed the door without regret. He breathed a tired sigh he had been keeping in and turned to look behind him, seeing Chell's blank stare. He was amazed at how she could keep up her blank look even after such a tiring day of walking and being held against her will. "What a day, huh?"

In reply, Chell merely blinked. She looked away, turning to face the balcony before returning her gaze to Noct. Then, she parted her lips to speak in her usual quiet voice. "... I need... to talk with you."

Noct took a moment to realize that the Snow Witch was actually starting a conversation with him. He had thought that she was still irked after failing to save her from Jul's lively clutches, though he was certain he couldn't have done anything to help her even if he tried. He shrugged, finding himself with a small grin on his face. He nodded. "Of course. To the balcony, then?"

She nodded in reply.

Noct was again greeted with the same nightly scene as they both stepped outside, a familiar cold wind blowing at their faces and ruffling their clothes. He jumped onto the railings again without any fear or thought of falling and settled himself onto the same position he had adopted last time, movements as lithe as a cat. He sighed again in content. "Ah. Yes. My ass feels much better now."

Chell herself leaned on the same spot on the wall a few ways beside him. Her gaze was fixed on something in the dim-lit horizon. Like the night before, she looked surreal and otherworldly with her white hair that seemed to have been weaved out of streaks of moonlight, and her eyes that shone bright silver, piercing and intimidating. Like that, they were met with the same silence that Noct had grown accustomed to during their travels together. He waited politely for her to be the first one to speak.

"... We should... leave," she finally said after some time had passed. Her eyes had not moved from the spot where she was looking at. Noct could hear the strained, uneasy tone of her voice.

He glanced at the brightened streets of the kingdom before him, tilting his head. "Hm... If you don't mind me asking, why so?"

"... Because I..." Chell trailed off. "I don't... believe that the person... I'm looking for... is here."

The Crow Thief wrinkled his brows slightly. He could sense that the little miss was hiding something. There was a slight pause between her words, something between the lines that remained unsaid. He didn't speak immediately, giving her time to change her mind in any case she decided to tell him. However, the Snow Witch remained her silence.

Noct sighed. It was going to be a long while before he and Chell could trust each other.

Assuming I'd still be around, of course.

"... You've noticed already, haven't you?" He suddenly asked her. "About Yoko and Jul. About what's happening to this kingdom."

At this, she finally tore her gaze and looked at him, expression leveled. She made a single, small nod.

"That's... another reason why we need to leave. The power of a Vitte... can hold a lot of leverage. If... it was known or even rumored... that I favored Yoko during this struggle for the throne... it would be difficult for us to leave... Lance warned me... never to be involved too deeply with royal blood... outside Aurden," she finished.

Noct stared at her with a look of surprise. That was perhaps the longest sentence that the Snow Witch had uttered in their time together, not including, of course, of when they had to exchange their oaths. His head was swirling with thoughts from what he heard but the one thing he first blurted out was a name.

"'Lance'?"

"... He's another Vitte... A powerful wizard and... a friend," Chell answered him evenly.

Noct was genuinely startled to learn that the Snow Witch even had friends. He was always with the notion that she was alone. The thought had not occurred to him.

"I see," he said. "That sounds extremely dangerous, little miss. Although I've been meaning to ask..." He crossed his legs and turned his entire body to face her and tried to mask a timid smile. "Sorry for not knowing, but what do you mean by a 'Vitte'? Please enlighten this humble student. Every time the princess mentions that name, I feel like I'm being left out of a secret."

Chell blinked, shifting uncomfortably. Noct suddenly felt a slight difference in the air between them, this time more pronounced from the Snow Witch's hunched shoulders. He realized that this was a subject that she was not eager to share with. A moment passed in steady silence. Noct thought she would refuse to answer again until she surprisingly did.

"The Vittes..." she began, "... Are the four witch families... who are second in power... to the First King."

The Crow Thief's eyes widened as he heard that, jolting in alarm. "You mean... the First King? The one who rules over the capital, Aurden... no, the entire continent?"

Chell nodded as though unbothered by this fact. Noct, meanwhile, was trying his best to hide his emotions. This was a revelation he had not expected at all. Everyone in the continent knew of the First King. Like his namesake, he was the king of all kings, the most powerful mortal in the lands. He bowed down to no one and held power and dominion over everyone and everything. The very fact that the Vittes were said to hold power only second to his was beyond the thief's expectations. That meant that the the Snow Witch—the small, naive girl before him—was more important than any royal other than the First. That explained why Yoko had insisted treating her respectfully. And yet... Chell acted nothing like her title. It was almost as if she hadn't cared enough to consider mentioning this to him or to anyone else.

    Noct narrowed his eyes, wondering what else he didn't know about Chell and knowing that there was probably a lot more than he had first thought. The little miss was an enigma. Her entire background was surrounded with mystery and he wasn't sure if he would be allowed or if he even cared enough to try uncovering them all. As long as he benefited from it in the end, he decided then and there not to go against the girl before him and not to pry any more than necessary.

    He gave her a teasing grin. "So... should I call you lady miss from now on then?"

    Chell's eyes narrowed in discomfort. She turned away. "... Please don't call me by tha—"

    Her sentence was interrupted as a sudden scream pierced through the night from inside the palace walls, causing them both to jump. Noct and Chell froze, exchanging quick glances. They recognized who the voice had belonged to.

    Yoko.

----> thank you for reading!

Q:

Trouble has now begun for the Crow Thief and the Snow Witch!

Why do you think are the other two Vittes who have yet to be mentioned?

Why is Chell so secretive about herself and her name?