The murmur of the nobility died away abruptly. There was no burst of frost, but a strange, icy heaviness began to fill the lungs of those present. From the far end of the hall, a figure advanced with an elegance that compelled everyone to make way.
It was Cassane Windsteel.
Her hair was a shade of blonde so pale it was reminiscent of virgin snow, and her eyes, an electric blue, possessed a depth few dared to meet.
She wore a deep blue ball gown that emphasised her status; but what truly stood out was her aura. Though she tried to contain it, the icy quality seeped into her presence, making the air around her feel dry and biting, like a winter's morning in the northern mountains.
"Is that her…?" whispered Elric beside me, rubbing his arms uneasily. His third circle was barely enough to keep him from shivering under the pressure of such a pure affinity.
Margery, on the other hand, stood her ground. Her fourth circle reacted instinctively, stabilising the temperature within our small perimeter, though her violet eyes never left the bride. She knew that such a level of coldness was not normal for someone of her age.
Cassane stopped in front of us. She ignored my father's formal bow and Elric's nervous gaze, fixing her eyes directly on mine.
"So you're the 'ornament' my father has chosen for me," said Cassane. Her voice was melodious, yet devoid of any human warmth.
A lazy smile played on my lips. Whilst the other nobles kept a safe distance to avoid the chill of her presence, I took a step towards her, breaking protocol and stepping squarely into her personal space.
"An ornament who seems to be the only one in this room who isn't intimidated by your 'atmosphere'," I replied, looking at her with a calmness that bordered on insolence.
I could see a flash of surprise in her blue eyes. She wasn't used to anyone, let alone someone like "me" from a minor county, treating her with such familiarity.
I recalled our brief time at the Imperial Academy. The little contact we'd had had always been under an implicit hierarchy: she was the absolute queen and I, in her eyes, was probably nothing more than a commoner with a pretty face. That's how unattainable Cassane's popularity was in the capital.
"Well, you'll have time to get to know each other," interrupted the Marquis Cedric, breaking the standoff of glances with military efficiency. "But we must announce the engagement immediately; I want to get this over with quickly."
His tone was not that of a father celebrating his daughter's marriage, but rather that of a general dispatching a necessary formality. Cassane made no protest; she simply turned away with icy elegance, accepting her role in her father's arrangement, though her icy aura seemed to grow slightly denser for a second.
My father nodded with a mixture of relief and nervousness, whilst Elric and Margery stood to one side. The hall fell silent as the Marquis stepped onto the small dais, capturing the attention of everyone present.
The announcement didn't take long. Most of those present already knew what was coming, so there were no great cries of surprise. For my part, I took advantage of the distraction of the toasts and empty congratulations to step out into the courtyard, distancing myself from all that political farce.
I reckoned this moment would also give me time to process the idea of my fiancée, who, admittedly, hadn't made the best of impressions in the hall.
I walked a little way through the fortress garden until, amongst the shadows of the stone sculptures, I saw her. There she was: Cassane Windsteel.
"It didn't take you long to come here. Are you that eager to meet me in private, Cassian Varkas?" She said my name with a sharp edge to her voice, as if she wanted to make a point or mark her territory.
I stopped a few metres away, watching as frost began to cover the leaves of the bushes near her. Her presence was still like a storm waiting to break.
"Don't flatter yourself, Cassane," I replied with a calmness that seemed to irritate her. "I was just looking for some air that didn't reek of noble hypocrisy. Your being here is simply a coincidence… or bad luck, depending on how you look at it."
I could see her blue eyes flash with a spark of annoyance. No one in the capital spoke to her like that, let alone someone who was supposed to be grateful for "moving up" in status thanks to her.
"It seems someone's grown a bit brave now that they're engaged to me," she snapped with disdain. "But make no mistake: this will never end with the two of us married."
"Are you sure?" I replied, keeping my tone relaxed. "Although, come to think of it, there's a fair chance you'll end up falling in love with me."
Cassane let out a wry laugh, laced with a coldness that wasn't just magical.
"You really are mad. I only agreed to this because you were a better option than that pervert from House Sterling…"
"So, they're just trying to use me to avoid another engagement," I concluded, unflinching. "It couldn't be more obvious."
She looked at me with a mixture of fury and pent-up frustration.
"Do you think I'm happy about this?" she snapped at me, and this time the frost beneath her feet crunched loudly. "Ever since I awakened the ice attribute, not only do I find it hard to get close to people, but I have to put up with nobles powerful enough to decide my fate on a mere whim or out of a thirst for power."
She fell silent for a second, and I could see her breath forming a frosty mist. To the world, she was a jewel of war; to her family, a political problem to be resolved.
"You're the perfect shield, Cassian. A 'useless' man so handsome that no one will question why I chose you, but weak enough that you pose no threat," she added, slipping back into her icy demeanour.
"That's good to know," I replied with a calmness that seemed to unsettle her. "That way I can play my part without any trouble. But you really are cold-hearted, Cassane. If that nobleman who's after you hears about your engagement, and on top of that finds out it's to someone like me… what makes you think he won't try to kill me to sort this out quickly?"
A flicker of guilt crossed her eyes. It was barely perceptible, but enough to confirm that, although she had considered that risk, it still weighed on her. Enough to know that, had she had another option, she would have taken it before condemning a "useless" man to the sights of a predator.
"That's your problem, Cassian," she said, regaining her icy demeanour, though her voice trembled slightly. "You accepted your father's deal. Now you're part of the game, and the weak pieces are usually the first to fall."
I took another step closer, ignoring the piercing cold emanating from her body.
"Well then, let's hope that nobleman from House Sterling has good taste," I remarked, staring intently at her. "It would be a shame if his fire were to go out before it had even been lit."
Cassane looked at me as though she were looking at a madman or a suicide. She couldn't comprehend how someone without a shred of mana could joke about death in front of one of the most powerful families in the Empire.