CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER-36 THE MORNING AFTER GOLDAMIA MORGAN

It was morning in the kingdom of Frostholt. Aldrich and his team had arrived yesterday, and after meeting the Queen, Freya had been ordered to give them clothing and shelter.

Aldrich woke up inside a tent like house. It was large, spacious, but still just a tent. The structure was made of thick leather and reinforced wood, designed to trap warmth inside.

A cold wave of wind blew through a gap in the tent’s entrance. The fire burning in the center of his tent began to die down. The flames flickered weakly. The cold hit him instantly, biting through his blankets and clothes.But then the wind died down. Instead of going out completely, the fire began to burn again. The flames grew stronger, crackling back to life.

By this time, Aldrich’s eyes were fully open. He lay there staring at the tent walls. Ice crystals had formed on the inside of the leather. His breath came out in white clouds.

He spoke quietly into the empty tent.

"I feel so much pain inside me."

His voice was hollow and Tired.

"I still haven’t forgotten Sarah. And I’m pretty sure she’s moved on with some other man by now, knowing that I’m dead."

He sat up slowly and continued speaking, though he was talking to Solomon inside his mind.

"Do our time here and that of my Earth... do they flow the same way?"

Solomon’s voice responded inside his consciousness.

"Well, according to scientist Lucian Makaveli’s research, every three days here equals roughly one month gone on your side of the world."

Aldrich’s face fell.

"Dammit. I was right."

He clenched his fists.

"She truly must have moved on by now. It’s been several months for her. I don’t expect her to wait for a dead man anyway."

He stood up and walked toward the dying fire.

"I hope she finds someone better. Someone rich. Someone who will love her the right way."

His voice cracked slightly.

"I really do wish her the best. But that Chapter is closed for me. No matter how much I still want that connection between us... it’s over."

For the first time, he said her full name aloud.

"Sarah Goldamia Morgan."

Tears filled his eyes. His chest felt heavy. He was going to cry.

Inside his mind, Solomon spoke gently.

"Sometimes we wish things would happen differently, my boy. But we cannot control everything. Life has to go on."

Aldrich’s voice trembled.

"You don’t understand. I can’t stand the thought of her with someone else."

"I do understand that feeling," Solomon said quietly.

"But you must accept the truth, Aldrich. You are dead to her. She will never know you’re alive here or that you still love her. You have to let her go that’s women for you, and that’s why I got 6 of them you know."

At that exact moment, the tent door opened.

Freya stood in the entrance. She stared at Aldrich, who was standing alone by the fire, talking to himself with tears in his eyes.

Her face twisted in irritation. Disgust, even. She had never liked him to begin with. And now this?

"I’m guessing we have a mentally ill prince right here,"

she said coldly.

"You wack head. Why do you talk to yourself? All alone like some madman?"

Aldrich snapped out of his thoughts. Surprise hit him. He quickly wiped his eyes and stood up straight.

"Good morning, Freya," he said, his voice steady now. Emotionless.

He walked past her without another word, shoving all of his emotions back down inside himself. He stepped out of the tent, life had to go on.

The cold hit him even harder outside. The wind cut through his clothes like knives. Snow fell lightly from the gray sky.

His twenty soldiers stood in a perfect line in front of the tent. The moment they saw him, they all saluted in unison.

"My lord!" they said together.

Aldrich looked at them. Some of their faces were respectful. But others... he could see it. The doubt. The judgment.

Seven of the soldiers exchanged glances with each other. They whispered quietly, just loud enough for Aldrich to hear if he was paying attention.

"How useless is this guy? Fighting against King Augustus like that."

"Treasonous bastard. He’s nothing but a jealous brother."

"We got stuck babysitting an exile. What a joke."

Aldrich heard every word. But he said nothing. His face stayed calm.

He stepped forward and addressed them all.

"Listen. I hate being treated like some leader or king. Don’t salute me. Don’t call me ’my lord.’ Just see me as someone who’s here because he’s responsible for his actions. You’re soldiers. This is your duty. That’s all."

Some of the soldiers looked confused. Others looked relieved. A few still looked disgusted.

By this time, Freya had stepped out of the tent as well. She looked at the soldiers and spoke.

"Breakfast is ready at the royal kitchen. Head there and eat."

The soldiers nodded and began walking away in formation.

Freya turned to Aldrich

. "The Queen is waiting for you. Follow me."

Aldrich said nothing. He just nodded and began walking beside her.

The walk toward the royal ice castle was long. And awkward.

Neither of them spoke. Freya walked with her arms crossed, her face cold and annoyed. Aldrich walked with his hands in his pockets, his mind still heavy with thoughts of Sarah Goldamia Morgan.

The silence stretched on. Uncomfortable. Tense.

Finally, after what felt like forever, they reached the castle doors.

Two northern soldiers stood guard. They wore white armor with blue fur trim. The moment they saw Freya and Aldrich approaching, they pulled the massive ice doors open.

Freya and Aldrich stepped inside.

The warmth hit Aldrich immediately. It was still cold compared to the royal kingdom, but much warmer than outside. Magic heated the castle from within.

They walked down the hallway and entered a large dining hall.

A long table sat in the center of the room. It was covered with food. Roasted meats sat under small fire warmers to keep them hot despite the cold. There were wines, fruits, bread, cheeses, and more. The aroma was incredible. Rich and savory.

Queen Elara sat at the head of the table. She looked up and smiled when she saw Aldrich.

"Come, Prince Solomon," she said warmly. "Come have a feast with us."

Freya’s face twisted in disgust. She couldn’t believe it. The Queen was treating an exiled prince with this much hospitality? While people in the kingdom were starving? Struggling to afford food?

Her anger was justified. But the Queen’s decisions were not to be questioned.

Aldrich’s eyes moved left and right, taking in the room.

There was an old man sitting to the Queen’s right. He was a general in the northern army. His hair was white as snow. His face was weathered and scarred. His armor bore the crest of Frostholt.

To the Queen’s left sat two identical twins. Both were young man, maybe in their early twenties. They wore matching white leather armor trimmed with fur. Their hair was silver white and braided identically. They were warlords, just like Freya, but of higher royalty. Nobility.

Aldrich walked to an empty seat and sat down.

Queen Elara gestured to the table.

"Please. Everyone, eat."

Servants moved quickly, pouring wine into goblets. Aldrich grabbed a piece of meat, tore into it with his hands, and started eating immediately. He took a whole sip of wine, set the goblet down, and dove into the food like he hadn’t eaten in days.

Everyone at the table stared at him.

But He didn’t care.

Queen Elara cleared her throat gently.

The old general spoke. His voice was deep and rough, like stone grinding against stone. His name was General Bjorn Frosthelm.

"Prince Solomon," he said, "I shall give you an update on what is happening here."

Aldrich’s mouth was already filled with meat. He spoke with his mouth full. "Yeah, I got ya. Speak."

General Frosthelm’s eye moved slightly, but he continued.

"We’ve been battling beasts and monsters of every kind. All of them are ice created. They storm us from above and from the front of the wall. Our soldiers are exhausted. Our resources are stretched thin."

He paused. "And we would like you to prove your strength against one of our own. Because frankly, I still don’t understand why King Augustus didn’t send us the Royal Heads. Instead, we got an exiled prince."

Aldrich stopped chewing. He swallowed slowly and the next thing he said was.

"Who am I fighting?"

From the doorway, Freya stepped forward.

"I volunteer, my Queen. I shall spar against him."

The two twins nodded in agreement. They looked at each other and smiled slightly, clearly entertained by the idea.

General Frosthelm nodded. "Very well. An excellent candidate."

Aldrich stood up and wiped his mouth clean from the food

"Shall we, then?"

Queen Elara chuckled. A genuine smile appeared on her face. She had taken a liking to the kind of man Aldrich was. Straightforward and Unbothered. Honest even.

General Frosthelm stood as well.

"We will have this spar at the Northern Pool of the Moon and Spirit. Follow me."

Aldrich and Freya both walked forward. The group left the dining hall and moved through the castle. They passed down long ice corridors, through arched doorways, and down a spiraling staircase carved into the mountain itself.

Finally, they entered a massive cave.

The walls were made entirely of bluebice. They glowed faintly blue, lit by some internal magic. The ceiling was high and jagged, covered in icicles that hung like frozen teeth.

At the center of the cave was a pool of water. It was perfectly circular, maybe thirty feet across. The water was crystal clear and impossibly still. Two fish swam through it slowly, their scales shining silver and blue.

This was the Northern Pool of the Moon and Spirit. A sacred place in Winterhold.

Freya and Aldrich stood a few meters away from each other. The Queen, the general, and the twins stood off to the side, watching.

The fight was about to begin.

Freya raised her hands slowly. The water in the pool began to move. It rose up, defying gravity. A liquid ribbon of water hovered around her body, circling her like a living thing.

Inside Aldrich’s mind, Solomon spoke. "It seems she’s using water manipulation. One of the first attributes of the Frostholt Kingdom. She’s quite serious, Aldrich."

Aldrich said nothing. He just stared at her. His hand moved toward and his sword manifested.

The air grew tense.The cave was silent except for the sound of water moving.

The fight was about to begin.