The Cryo Sovereign's Secret

Roselight Hollow,

By the Old Well, Beneath a Sloped Roof

The little cottage breathed with warmth, its walls steeped in the scent of lavender and sun-dried herbs. Light filtered through sheer curtains in golden ribbons, dancing across the wooden floor. A kettle hummed on the hearth. It felt like the kind of place time forgot.

Elynas sat curled on a cushioned bench, her brown hair a tousled mess, but her smile was soft and steady as Grandma Suri gently patted her head.

"So tell me, dear," Grandma Suri asked with a twinkle in her eyes, "do you remember anything before you passed out?"

Elynas furrowed her brow and shook her head slowly. "Not much… it was all so chaotic." Her voice was quiet, distant. "The last thing I remember is Big Brother Orion… hugging me tightly on a boat. We were heading toward Romaritime Harbor, I think."

Grandma Suri nodded, her fingers still brushing through Elynas's hair. "That doesn't sound like anywhere in Arian," she murmured, thoughtful. "And this big brother of yours… how old is he?"

Elynas blinked, eyes lighting up faintly as if a fond memory had passed through her like a breeze. "Hmm… I don't know exactly. But he looks so… beautiful. Like someone made out of cake and sweets." She gave a little laugh. "I think he's around twenty. Maybe older?"

Grandma Suri laughed warmly, her voice like an old lullaby. "There are only two Orions I know of. King Orion the First… and Crown Prince Orion the Second."

She leaned closer and tapped Elynas's forehead with a crooked, loving finger. "And something tells me you're talking about my grandson."

Granny Suri rose slowly from her rocking chair, joints creaking like the old wood beneath her. She shuffled across the room to a small, timeworn shelf stacked with books and trinkets. Her fingers traced the spine of one leather-bound album before gently pulling it free. Inside, tucked between pressed flowers and brittle parchment, was a hand-painted portrait.

She opened it with care and turned it toward Elynas.

Painted in soft strokes, a young boy gazed back with delicate skin like moonlight on cream. His straight brows gave him a look of quiet intent, though a smile played mischievously on his lips. His eyes sparkled with just a hint of greed—childish, curious, full of hunger for the world. White hair, short and feathery, brushed against his neck.

"This is him when he was a child," Suri smiled, her voice full of fondness. "He sat right here the first time Minerva brought him over. I couldn't resist painting him."

She chuckled softly as she handed Elynas the page.

Elynas leaned in close, cradling the image like a treasure. "He looks so good," she whispered with wonder. Then her eyes flicked up, hopeful. "Can you paint a portrait of me too?"

Suri raised a brow playfully. "Only if you can sit still for longer than five minutes."

Elynas beamed. "Deal!"

---

Just 300 meters away, near a patch of sun-drenched grass behind two humble cottages, Tera and Merry sat cross-legged, poking wildflowers into each other's hair.

"Do you want to check if that girl woke up?" Merry asked, her tone soft but tinged with curiosity.

Tera glanced toward the sloped cottage, then nodded. "Yeah. Let's bring her some apples too. Granny Suri says fruit helps with memory."

Tera and Merry made their way up the slope toward the cottage, arms full of apples and whispers.

"Quiet this time," Tera whispered, tiptoeing like a cartoon bandit. "She'll throw that ladle again if we wake her up."

"I thought it was a spoon," Merry muttered, eyes darting nervously.

As they reached the door, Merry leaned in—only for her long white hair to snag on the iron hinge with a painful tug.

"Ah—ow!" she hissed, her violet eyes twitching furiously as she clawed at the knot.

Inside, Granny Suri paused mid-stroke, her paintbrush hovering in the air. Her smile faded into a flat line. Slowly, deliberately, she set the brush down… and picked up the legendary wooden spoon of discipline.

"Those little mice again," she muttered.

The door creaked open.

Merry stumbled in, still detangling her hair, followed by a sheepish Tera who was already hiding an apple behind her back like a guilty squirrel.

"Granny Suri! Good morning!" Tera beamed with an exaggerated grin. "We, um, brought apples!"

"For the sick girl!" Merry added quickly. "Not for us. Nope. Definitely not for snacking."

Granny Suri narrowed her eyes like a seasoned war general. "Mmm-hmm."

She raised the spoon.

Both girls bolted behind Elynas like mice into the hole of the wall where they live.

Granny Suri sighed as she watched the Tera and Merry peek out from behind Elynas like a pair of mischievous raccoons caught in daylight.

"You two," she said, voice firm but not unkind, "are going to make me paint with high blood pressure one day."

Tera grinned sheepishly, still holding out a half-bruised apple like a peace offering. "We thought the guest might be hungry."

Merry nodded, trying to act innocent. "And maybe she'll remember stuff if she eats. Apple therapy."

Elynas giggled softly from the bench. "They're cute."

Granny Suri muttered something about 'cute little chaos goblins' under her breath, but waved them in regardless. "Sit down, both of you. But no loud yelling, or you're getting ladled straight back out the door."

Tera and Merry plopped down near the hearth like obedient puppies, their eyes now glued to Elynas.

"Do you know you fell from the sky?" Tera asked, not even trying to mask his curiosity now. "Like… fwshhhh—" he waved his arms dramatically, "—straight outta the clouds!"

Elynas blinked, then laughed a little. "I… guess? I don't remember falling. Just… a boat. And someone really warm hugging me."

"Was it a boy?" Merry asked eagerly. "Like—handsome warm or uncle warm?"

"Definitely not uncle warm," Elynas giggled. "More like… the kind of warm that makes you feel safe. Like you don't have to be scared of anything when they're there."

Tera and Merry exchanged a look.

Tera leaned forward conspiratorially. "Was he your boyfriend?"

"What?! No!!" Elynas covered her face in embarrassment, ears turning red. "He's just someone really important to me…"

Granny Suri smiled faintly at her painting-in-progress. She hadn't said anything yet—but her eyes glinted with the shine of someone who was slowly solving a mystery.

"Tell them what is his name." Suri said casually, dipping her brush in pale blue paint.

Elynas hesitated. "…Orion."

"And anyone else with you?"

Elynas tilted her head. "Yeah. Felix. He was there too. He's… complicated. He always says he doesn't care about people, but he never means me any harm and often care about me."

Merry leaned back. "Felix sounds like a cat."

"He acts like one too," Elynas muttered, mostly to herself.

Tera opened his mouth to ask more questions, but Suri clapped her hands.

"Alright, that's enough. No interrogating the guest like she's on trial for stealing soup. If you really want to help her recover her strength, go fetch some rosemary and mint from the herb garden. And no eating the mint!"

Tera and Merry groaned but stood up obediently.

"Come on," Merry whispered to Tera as they stepped outside. "We are so going to find out if this Orion guy is actually a prince or just dreamy."

"Or both," Tera whispered back.

Inside, Granny Suri finally set her brush down and turned to Elynas with a much softer gaze.

"You're not from here, child. But if you want, you can stay here like it is your own home."

Elynas's smile faded just a little.

"I.... I don't want... to be a burden."

Suri reached out, gently pressing a hand over Elynas's chest.

"Then let's make sure you aren't one. I will help you become someone dependent."