The King gathered a group of guards with different tasks. Night guards, traveling guards, labor guards. The traveling guards would try to find someone who knew how to fix the issue of the seasons. Arine wanted to say that she couldn't go to a nearby Academy while there were people going to the unknown for who knows how long.

As Arine stood still, not knowing where to go, one of the maids nearly bumped into her. The maid had dirty blonde hair coming out of her bun. Arine muttered an apology at the same time the maid did. 

"No, no, it's okay." Arine assured.

"I am so sorry your Royal Highness! The King has ordered breakfast to be served and he calls the royals to the dining table now." the maid said. 

"Ah okay. I'll be there in a moment."

Arine was escorted by the maid to the dining table. There were various items on the table, such as breakfast rolls, toast, and drinks. Usually, Arine would be delighted to see breakfast, but today was different. Today her head was too occupied to enjoy the taste of breakfast. Today she was yearning for the meal to be over so she would be alone.

Arine did not realize as she was buried in her mind that she ate significantly faster than usual. Her mother and father noticed this, and stared at her confused. 

"Arine, do you need to go somewhere? You're eating your food very quickly." her father asked, concerned. 

"Huh?" Arine said. "Oh, no. I actually need to go back to my bedroom for I am not feeling that well." 

"Are you alright?" her mother inquired.

"Yes, yes, it's fine. I'll just need to rest for a bit."

"Okay, I'll call Eda to take you to your room." the King called out to the maid Eda.

Eda came, and Arine realized that she was the same maid she had bumped into. "Yes Majesty? What may I help you with?"

"Take my daughter to her room. She is not feeling well." the King commanded.

Eda looked at Arine with a rueful smile. Eda bobbed her head, bowed down, and took Arine's arm as she rose up to bring her to her room.

"Is everything alright?" Are you ill?" Eda asked Arine.

"No, I just feel the need to rest." Arine replied.

Eda nodded and led her inside the room.

"Would you like for me to fix up your hair and find comfortable clothes for you?" 

Arine nodded.

Eda motioned for her to go to the dressing table with the large mirror. Arine sat down as Eda took the clips out of Arine's hair and started combing it. Arine found it soothing when someone else combed her hair for her. When she was younger, it was her mother who combed her hair and tied ribbons to it. 

Arine's dark black hair fell over her shoulders. The strand of white hair she had was visible in front of her. Arine's mother did not like the white strand she had, but she had tied her hair a way to make the white strand more princess-like and not out of the ordinary. 

Eda tied her hair into a tight ponytail and checked over it one more time. "I think you are ready your Highness. I will take out light clothes for you now."

Arine looked at Eda while she opened her closet and searched through the clothes. She came out with a large sized yellow shirt and loose blue pants. 

"This good enough?" Eda asked.

"Yes, thank you." Arine answered. 

"Rest for a bit. Go to the King and Queen's room once you feel better."

Arine thanked her again as she closed the door. 

Arine sighed as she sat on her bed, pushing the clothes to the side of the bed. The events from yesterday night left her mind dizzy and perplexed.

When she held the rose in her hand, it had glowed and then bloomed into a newly, beautiful rose. It was as if it hadn't withered at all. Arine hadn't seen anything like it before. When she let go of the rose and ran out of the garden, the rose faded again into ash. It was most peculiar. She had so many questions about how the plant had bloomed and vanished, and no way to get answers. One thing that was certain though, was that she would have to go outside. 

Night guards would be placed today, Arine knew, but she had to find a way to pass by them. Whatever happened to the flower was too strange for Arine to ignore. 

Was this how the Blessed of the God changed the seasons? Arine pondered. Arine tried to find something to do that could distract her from the rose until something clicked to her mind.

The Library.

The Library! She could find information there!

...................................

The Library was one of Arine's favorite places inside the castle. It wasn't that Arine was fond of reading—she really wasn't—it was the ancient mood of the Library, the smell of all the pages of the books. And the hidden secrets waiting to be discovered in each book. 

Arine took a stroll around all the book selections. There were plays, fairytales and the informational books. Arine stopped at that section. She ran her finger on all the spines until her finger stopped at one that's title was "THE GUIDE OF KINGDOM ROSE-GRAYEN: HISTORY OF SEASONS."

Arine took it out and flipped over to the table of contents. It was a bulky book with many chapters to it. Arine went to the chapter that said "CHANGE OF SEASONS."

The book talked about each of the seasons and how they transitioned to one to the other. It also talked about how the Blessed of the God could only change the seasons. It was everything Arine already knew.

Arine grew impatient trying to find useful information. All this was facts she already knew. But with the desperation for answers, she pushed herself to read till the end of the chapter.

Blessed of the God have the blood of the God. The blessings. They shall have power as long as they serve. They must always pay their sacrifices to please the God. 

Though, this sometimes is an exception. Those who serve and cannot control the seasons are not the ones in control. There are others, who have power so great that they can change the seasons. These people, those who have the family blood, shall go extinct soon. Graydowns and  Fairens are gone from this world, never to be seen again. These powers are not to be fooled around with, for they are danger to everyone.

Arine shuddered at the thought. The thought of families so full with power, magic even, that they had to be killed, extinct. Could there be one of those with dangerous magic alive now? And causing this eternal winter?

Arine did not want to believe this. Danger like this would've been gone by this time. 

....................................

Days have passed. Days of worry, and cold, and shortages. The King was becoming very stressed. Nothing could be done to fix the season. 

Arine was becoming distressed too. She wanted to tell her father about those who had dangerous powers, but she predicted that he already knew about them. Her father wouldn't believe in them anyway. 

None of the traveling guards had come back either. It seemed that many other Kingdoms, villages and towns faced the same long winter as them. 

A Royal Meeting was held today. Only the Blessed of the God. Arine wasn't allowed to join these meetings, though she was able to eavesdrop on them on the staircase. 

Royal Meetings were held in the 3rd floor, in a once empty room. The 3rd floor had no doors or rooms so the meetings were ideal in here. 

The table was set for everyone. The King was at the center of the table, and the Queen on the opposite side. The King's right hand noble man was by his side too, as well as all the other nobles. 

"How shall we fix this issue?" one of the nobles asked.

"That is way too much of a vague and unanswerable question," the King said sharply. "Let's discuss possibilities of this issue."

"Not enough sacrifices?" one noble suggested.

"Our people always give enough sacrifices." Erik, the right hand man of the King replied firmly.

"We need a new heir for the King and Queen?" another one said.

"It is not the time for a new heir. And Arine Thorne will be Queen of another Kingdom."

"Maybe we need a sacrifice for a noble man who was very disapproving. Perhaps they have displeased what the God looks for. What do you think of that Erik?" one noble, whom Arine remembered as Harris, said venomously.

Erik inhaled sharply and the King slammed his fists at the table, shocking everyone. "These suggestions are ridiculous! Do you not realize you are talking in front of Your King and Queen? Show respect! And the sacrifice may be you, Harris. We don't know the thoughts of the God-"

There was a loud knock on the door.

The King stopped talking midway, and paused to look down at the floor. "Someone is coming."

Everyone looked at the King curiously as he rose to go down the stairs. 

"Should we come, Your Majesty?" Erik asked.

"Come if you desire to. I will go and check who it is."

The King went downstairs, the people from the meeting following him. Arine got up clumsily to hide from the view of the people. Once everyone had gone to the 1st floor, Arine started following them too.

The door to the castle was open when Arine reached the floor. A breeze she hadn't felt for so long hit her. Outside was a doorman speaking rapidly to the King.

"One of our traveling guards has come to give you news." the doorman said.

"Let him in." the King commanded.

The doorman shuffled away and there was the traveling guard. 

"What have you found?" the King asked.

"I have not found him yet, Your Majesty, though we know someone who may be able to fix this."

Arine saw the King was holding his breath as he said "Who?"

The guard took a while to breath in once and out once before he spoke.

"Marvin Graydown."