Faust spoke without mincing words:
"I had heard of the Kingdom of Wintertide's might, and my heart turned toward it in admiration. A marriage alliance would bring my kingdom an incomparably powerful ally and immense benefit. That is precisely why I sent that letter."
"Though Your Highness's beauty is indeed beyond compare, I had never once laid eyes on you before this. How could my affections possibly run so deep? Surely you already suspected it was a political marriage. It's simply that such things are difficult to put into words plainly, so I dressed it up as a courtship born of admiration for your beauty."
"If this has caused you offense, I am willing to apologize and make amends for it."
Though the prince's words and tone were earnest enough, they made the Wintertide princess's confident, satisfied smile freeze on the spot.
Selena's silver eyes turned sharp. Her pearly teeth bit into her cherry lips, her snow white cheeks puffed out, and even the tips of her ears grew hot.
"Mmph..."
Perhaps for the first time in her life, the stunningly beautiful black haired girl felt the sting of shame mixed with fury. Faust's casual, offhand remark had trampled flat her matchless self assurance.
Did Snow White not understand this simple truth herself? And yet, as one who considered herself the most beautiful woman in the world, Selena had convinced herself that her beauty was enough to transcend such mundane limitations.
Falling in love merely from hearsay? Such a thing, unthinkable? And yet it was entirely possible!
Absolutely possible! Effortlessly possible!
Her charm simply worked such miracles! Don't ask why, just know: she was Snow White, the living embodiment of eternal beauty!
Having this confident belief exposed to her face left Selena thoroughly displeased, but if that had been all, displeasure alone would have sufficed; it would hardly have risen to the level of an unforgivable sin for a compliment to fall short.
But the one who had spoken these words was Faust, the very man who had made her heart race the instant she laid eyes on him, perhaps the only man who ever had. That was what pushed the princess's mortification to its absolute peak.
What utter humiliation!
The romantic fantasy she had been nursing lay shattered as well. Selena clenched her delicate pink fists, her graceful body trembling faintly. After a few short, deep breaths, however, she composed herself once more.
"Hah. The Prince of Aurum, aren't you the honest one."
The Wintertide princess tucked the letter into her bosom, fingers twirling idly through a lock of her own hair, and sneered:
"But your idea is even more absurd than a direct proposal of marriage. The Kingdom of Wintertide has never once intermarried with the outside world. Did you not know that?"
Faust let out a sigh. "Of course I knew. Especially given how weak my own kingdom is; compared to your great nation, it hardly bears mentioning."
"But!"
The Prince of Aurum took a step forward and declared loudly:
"Precisely because we are so feeble, we must resort to unconventional means, take risky gambits! Marriage alliance is the best plan I could conceive of. The moment my partner and I establish a joint rule, we could effortlessly ascend to the world stage and become the very players who dictate the fate of all under heaven!"
There was more than a little genuine feeling bleeding through these words.
In the man's reddish brown eyes, something like flame seemed to burn, envisioning a future that was all but impossible to achieve. That reckless, unrestrained ambition felt almost tangible, scorching across the distance along his gaze.
Selena's clear silver eyes felt that warmth, and her once frosty stare could not help but soften somewhat.
Such sweeping, audacious ambition... it wasn't unpleasant. If anything, a man ought to be like this; spineless cowards, however handsome, never caught her eye.
No, wait, why did this Prince of Aurum seem to suit her taste more and more the longer she looked at him?!
Snow White gave her head a fierce shake, tossing the unruly thoughts from her mind, propped her chin on one hand, and looked toward the "utterly naive" handsome prince, murmuring softly:
"You really... don't understand anything at all, do you."
Selena went on slowly: "The Kingdom of Wintertide cannot expand outward, even if we wished to, we simply cannot. Our very souls have been bound to this land for generation upon generation."
Faust's brow furrowed. "Is that because of the curse?"
"Oh? So you know of the Dragon's Curse? It's not the most closely guarded secret, but I wouldn't have expected many people in that backwater kingdom of Aurum to know of it."
Selena's beautiful eyes lit up at this. She rested one hand against her cheek and tilted her head.
"Since you've heard it's called the Dragon's Curse, then you should understand that no one has ever escaped it. Our kingdom, across all these long ages, has done nothing but repeat the tragedy of regicide and matricide, cycle after cycle, bound within the curse. This is no matter for some ordinary mortal prince to meddle in, you..."
"That is precisely why I have come here: to end the curse."
Faust cut off Snow White's attempt to dissuade him, lifting his chin.
"This is my primary purpose. The Kingdom of Aurum has no standing to be spoken of in the same breath as Wintertide. If I do not offer the sincerity of lifting this curse, how else could I possibly hope to exchange for an eternal alliance?"
Selena froze for a moment at this, and then that stunningly beautiful face broke into a smile that could have been mockery or admiration, it was hard to say which.
"Hah, how amusing. You intend to lift the Dragon's Curse that has bound Wintertide for a thousand years, all by yourself?"
Faust bowed. "Why not try? I won't be deterred by fear just because the road ahead is difficult. I came alone, prepared with the resolve that if I fail, I will accept my end. Perhaps I might just work a miracle. Princess Selena, I hope you will allow me to help you."
"Hmph... your resolve is firm enough, I'll grant you that."
Selena nodded almost without meaning to, and said flatly:
"If you truly intend to pursue this folly, then it isn't me you should be helping, it's my mother, at the royal capital. She is the true Queen of Wintertide. Whether in power or authority, she far surpasses me. And as for me right now..."
The stunningly beautiful black haired girl gracefully lifted the hem of her skirt and dropped a curtsy, saying with self mockery:
"I'm nothing more than a fugitive princess on the run."
Wait. Did she just say "fugitive princess"?!
Faust's eyebrow shot up, and he could barely keep the corner of his mouth from curling.
Oh, excellent, excellent, "fugitive princess" happened to be exactly his taste; if she hadn't been a fugitive princess, he might not have been so pleased at all!
So, quite contrary to what the black haired girl expected, the handsome Prince of Aurum shook his head without a moment's hesitation:
"I came for Snow White. On this point alone, there is no falsehood whatsoever. Aside from Snow White, I want no one else."
"?!"
Once again, an answer entirely beyond what she had anticipated. The stunningly beautiful black haired princess froze for a moment, then hurriedly lifted her sleeve to cover her lovely face, eyelids lowering slightly.
"Aside from Snow White, no one else?"
Faust nodded. "I came only for Snow White. If this alliance cannot be sealed through marriage to Snow White, then I would rather have no alliance at all!"
Well now, wasn't that rather agreeable?
Selena wouldn't say she was pleased, but that was, in fact, the truth of it.
Pat—
Snow White gave a soft hum, lightly patting Frostwalker on the back, and smiled:
"I approve of your approach. Go back and report your success. Though you won't be able to fool my mother, do try your best to deceive the prime minister."
Frostwalker did not quite understand this shift in Selena's attitude; its processor very nearly crashed.
"Your Highness, you..."
"That's right. I no longer wish to die."
Snow White pressed her slender, glove covered hand to her cheek, the corner of her eye drifting toward Faust.
"I've found something I must do. If I don't see it through, I truly won't be able to rest even in death."