"Pfft!"

  This scene was so funny that Remesis had to restrain herself with all her might from laughing out loud. It suddenly occurred to her that in two lifetimes, she had never seen anything funnier than this.

  Asil looked like a puppy that had stolen a piece of meat from the table while the owners weren't looking. Her facial muscles worked very quickly, and it seemed she was eating the bread without even swallowing. At the same time, her gaze remained fixed on Remesis.

  Animals usually guard their food very jealously. Take a step closer, and it will growl, and if things go badly, it will tear you apart in an instant. At that moment, the princess wasn't much different from them.

  Although Remesis didn't intend to take anything from her, she still felt the threat and decided not to risk it. Suppressing the smile that begged to break free, the girl turned away and silently finished her bread.

  Well, at least it was a sight worth seeing. After all, when else would she get to see the merciless northern devil doing something so cute and funny?

  Asil: Crunch. Crunch.

  This "breakfast" was certainly the most meager of everything Remesis had had to subsist on in this life. But the girl didn't complain, already happy that they had at least some food. She ate the not-so-fresh bread and washed it down with water. Meanwhile, continuing to think about their further path.

  Of course, staying here any longer was impossible.

  In her previous life, they got stuck in the deserted wilderness for almost a month. Those days were remembered by Remesis as the worst days of her life. Not only was she deprived of the ordinary human comforts necessary for a comfortable life, but she also fought not to freeze to death. Not to mention the other dangers of the North…

  Every night, the girl had to fall asleep to the howling of wolves and the growling of monsters, which only by lucky chance didn't stumble upon their shelter.

  At the mere thought of having to go through all this again and eat half-raw wild animal meat, Remesis began to feel nauseous. She still couldn't forget that disgusting taste, and even after they got through it, she couldn't look at meat normally for several more years.

  "Anything but that!"

  Back then, they were just children who could do nothing. They were thrown alone to survive in a foreign land — about which they had previously heard nothing and knew nothing. Children who survived only by a miracle. However, now everything was different.

  The time Remesis had spent during these eight years was not wasted. The girl had explored the northern surroundings far and wide. Even without a map or compass, she could determine their location simply by the direction of the sunlight. Remesis knew perfectly well the location of all the local settlements.

  Of these, the closest to this place was a small village called Araken.

  It had only fifty inhabitants, and the village itself was poor and run-down. Such were the consequences of the invasion of barbarian tribes that had terrorized these lands and the northern inhabitants for decades.

  However, Remesis didn't care. As long as they could find shelter and food — the girl was ready to go anywhere.

  Anything was better than continuing to stay here.

  Fortunately, the money Remesis had been saving all this time finally came in handy. The girl secretly collected jewelry that her older sister had lost interest in. Then she told Seila to sell them to a jeweler. The money raised should be enough to support them for the first while in the North.

  But when Remesis thought about how to explain all this to the little animal that had hidden from her in the cave, she just sighed. When they got here, Asil had hidden in the darkest corner of the cave and barely came out from there.

  Remesis could only see a pair of golden eyes that intently watched her from the shadows. Her eyes stood out strongly in the complete darkness. Such a sight was, of course, somewhat frightening… But after a while, the girl even got used to it.

  "She really does act like a beast," Remesis muttered.

  In any case, she had already managed to lure the princess with bread this morning. But the girl wasn't sure if this trick would work again.

  Remesis thought for a moment before speaking:

  "Mm… Your Highness, I heard there's a village somewhere nearby."

  "…"

  The princess didn't answer, but perked up her ears slightly.

  "There should be food and water there. And a place to sleep. A place to shelter from the cold… Anyway, I'm going there. If you want, you can come with me." Asil: …

  Remesis sighed.

  "Alright… Let it be this way."

  Like parents usually do with their capricious children, Remesis decided to perform a little trick. The girl moved a short distance from the cave, pretending to leave. From time to time, she looked back.

  The last thing Remesis wanted was to take a risk and try to forcefully lead Asil away. She couldn't just leave her here, could she? But staying in this wilderness was also not an option… In any case, the girl hoped for the best.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  And fortunately, her expectations were met.

  A few minutes passed before a rustling sound came from the cave.

  Soon, a small dark creature did indeed emerge from there. Remesis breathed a sigh of relief. She walked on, feeling someone's small steps following behind her.

  Remesis acted as a guide and went first, while Asil, glancing at her distrustfully, followed at some distance.

  Thus, they walked several kilometers.

  The weather today was better than yesterday. The blizzard had subsided, the wind had died down. Two small silhouettes made their way through the snowdrifts on a huge snowy wasteland. After eight years, Remesis, accustomed to the warm climate of the southern part of the empire, felt out of her element. She was just waiting for this to end as soon as possible.

  "It's so cold here…"

  The girl muttered, rubbing her palms. Now her only dream was to be in front of a hot fireplace. She calculated that it would take them about two hours to reach the village.

  Asil silently watched her. A strange spark flickered for a moment in her golden eyes.

  But it quickly vanished when Remesis turned to her.

  "Your Highness, aren't you cold?"

  Asil frowned.

  "No."

  The princess occasionally answered her only with such short, one-word phrases. Remesis even wondered if she could say anything else besides this. She was probably not very familiar with human speech.

  "Well… Tell me if anything. I don't have any other warm clothes, but I can give you my cloak."

  "…"

  Asil looked at her impassively but said nothing.

  After a short period of wandering, they reached the village of Araken, which was surrounded by a stone wall. On top of it rose iron spires, above which stood two round, squat towers.

  The garrison of the watchtower consisted of only a few unsteady-looking men. One of them came down to the travelers, who immediately aroused his suspicion.

  "Who are you?"

  His unkind gaze slid over the children, who at best looked like offspring of a barbarian tribe. Covered in dirt and blood. Especially the girl with shaggy black hair, who most resembled a northern savage.

  "Can we enter the village?" Remesis asked quietly.

  "I asked who you are?" the man growled, striking his spear on the ground. "Not the spawn of those savages, by any chance? Then tell your chieftain that we have nothing. Even if they come here, they won't get anything!"

  "We are not barbarians."

  "Really? Then what are kids like you doing here?!"

  Remesis sighed heavily. The guard was right. They really didn't look like aristocrats' children, and what's more, not even like ordinary people. Their appearance after everything that had happened was terrible.

  Especially Asil, who was suspicious to begin with. With her rough appearance and rough manners, the girl could easily pass for the child of some northern savage.

  So the guard's concerns about children appearing out of nowhere seemed quite justified.

  At the same time, Remesis happened to notice that the princess was throwing no less unfriendly glances at the man than he was at them. When the guard raised his voice and spoke to them threateningly — Asil growled softly. Remesis was afraid that something terrible was about to happen and hastily took control of the situation.

  Just in case, she pulled Asil aside and smiled apologetically. To smooth things over, Remesis decided to employ a skill she had mastered well in her new life. Lying with an innocent expression!

  "Actually, we're from the capital," Remesis said plaintively. "Our parents are merchants and came North to sell timber. It so happened that on the way, our cart was attacked by wild beasts…"

  The touching story of a little girl could touch anyone's heart. The guard stood and listened with his mouth open.

  "…And so, after much wandering, we finally came to this place."

  Even Asil stopped squirming and stared blankly at her. The princess and the guard silently watched her. When her story came to an end, Remesis remembered to wipe away a few tears. She was really trying her best to get into the village, and preferably without violence…

  "Uh… Well…"

  The guard hesitated.

  No one could resist the big, pity-filled blue eyes of a child.

  "Uncle, please! We haven't eaten for days…"

  Gradually, the guard's angry gaze turned merciful.

  These girls involuntarily reminded the man of his own children, who were about the same age. As a father, how could he not be sympathetic? In such a cruel place as the North, it was the weakest who had the hardest time.

  Moreover, the blue-eyed girl's speech did indeed have a southern accent. It didn't seem like they were from the tribe of those brainless thugs.

  The guard decided to make an exception.

  "Well, alright, come in…" he reluctantly grumbled, setting aside his spear.

  "Thank you very much, uncle!"

  As soon as they managed to enter the village, Remesis saw a not-too-impressive sight. Like most settlements in the North, people lived very poorly after being ravaged by barbarians. Not comparable to the capital, where even the poorest commoner family owned their own livestock and land.

  The market square was right behind the gate, but the wooden stalls were empty. They walked along dirty village streets, past rows of small houses made of logs and rough stone. The few villagers glanced anxiously at the unfamiliar travelers.

  Remesis's heart involuntarily clenched at the sight. Life in the North was truly hard. The girl had come here knowing exactly what awaited her. And yet, at moments like this, she couldn't remain indifferent.

  The North and South were so different from each other that they seemed like two different states.

  The girl took a shallow breath. One way or another, her sympathy wouldn't help these poor people. First and foremost, she had to change her own fate.

  After wandering a bit down the street, Remesis and Asil came across the village's only tavern. The wooden building was two stories high and, like all the other structures, looked dilapidated and shabby.

  But Remesis stepped inside without hesitation, eager to feel the long-awaited warmth.

  The tables for patrons were empty in the middle of the day. Remesis noticed only a few drunkards emptying cheap liquor at the counter. However, a kind-hearted auntie, the tavern owner, saw the rare visitors and headed straight towards them.

  "Welcome! Children, what do you want?"

  Her voice sounded soft and friendly.

  This involuntarily had a calming effect on Remesis. In such a place, she was glad to meet pleasant people.

  "We would like to rent a room…"

  "Oh, of course, a room. All our rooms are free right now. You can choose any one you like!"

  "Thank you. We're ready to check in right now."

  "Where are your parents? Aren't they with you?"

  "We are traveling alone."

  "Alone? Oh, my! So little… You must have had a hard time."

  The hostess's sympathetic gaze settled on Asil. Apparently, her appearance shocked the woman. The girl's hair was stiff and tangled, like a ball of dry straw. And her clothes, torn in several places, looked more like rags.

  Not to mention that she was covered in dirt and blood.

  "Oh, oh, oh," the woman muttered incoherently, completely unaware that the atmosphere was becoming more and more tense. "Child, what happened to you!"

  The tavern owner's hand reached out caringly to touch her cheek.

  "Oh, no!"

  Remesis panicked as the woman before her was about to do something completely reckless. The moment the hostess touched Asil, there was a high probability she would no longer have a hand.

  Asil's amber eyes became bloodshot, which meant things were bad. The princess hated being touched by strangers, and it seemed that at such moments, a defense mechanism would activate in her.

  Trying to think of a way to save this kind-hearted auntie, Remesis took a desperate step. The girl lunged forward and could think of nothing better than to pull the princess towards her.

  The flickering golden pupils of the other girl trembled.

  "It's okay…" the girl whispered quietly in her ear. "You don't live in the palace anymore."

  After these words, the small body in her arms went still.