The Rose That Blooms In North
Chapter 1: La Rose Mourante

"Your Majesty."

The warm, friendly voice of a man draws him to consciousness, to reality.

The princess woke up covered in cold sweat. Breathing gasps. His throat was burning dry. Tight chest. His eyes ventured around, scanning quickly before finally realizing that he was just having the same nightmare.

The nightmare had actually happened right before his eyes and was now haunting his nights. The tragedy that befell the royal family of Schiereiland a few days ago cost him his family and his palace and the country he loved. All of that has really happened.

"Your Majesty, are you having nightmares again?" asked the man who had been watching her since then with a face filled with worry. The man did not sleep all night because he felt obliged to take care of him. The words of the late King a few years ago still lingered in his mind,

"Leon, I entrusted Anastasia to you. You can take good care of her."

Those words, until now, he still regarded as a great honor that he had to do well. Life's purpose. Mandate of the King. A sign that the King trusted him very much.

And Leon plans to make sure he doesn't fail to do the job. So even though the entire Palace was burned down, even though all the members of the royal family were killed and captured, Princess Anastasia was still alive and safe.

Although now he doesn't really look alive.

The Princess just nodded without saying anything. Look at his eyes empty. It was as if his soul was not there.

"Wait a minute, I'll get you some water soon" she said in a soothing tone.

Princess Anastasia glanced at him, then nodded back. People will think of themselves as mute from birth. The Princess was the most talkative person she had ever known.

Leon immediately went to take the water container to the river near the wooden hut that was currently their residence.

It had been a week since the tragedy that happened that night, but Princess Anastasia still had not spoken a word. The incident must have made him so shocked and sad that he could turn Princess Anastasia who he knew as a cheerful young girl with a perfect life into a somber like a withered rose lost the light.

How not, the terrible incident occurred in the evening after the celebration of the Princess' twenty-year anniversary. Even though the morning they are still a happy whole family in the celebration orgies of the Princess who just turned into adulthood. But after everything was over, when the people had already started sleeping at night, they came and destroyed everything. Destroying the Princess' happy life.

Leon did not know the details because that night he was accompanying Princess Anastasia practicing swords in the forest near the palace. As a gift for her twentieth birthday, the Princess asked her specifically to teach her a sword lesson she had never taught. So when everyone was asleep, they sneaked into the forest near the Palace. But when he returned to the palace, it was too late. The king he had served for his entire life was now dead. The Queen and the Crown Prince are captured by Nordhalbinsel's forces. At the time, Leon had no choice. He must protect Princess Anastasia and go on the run to secure the Princess instead of fighting Nordhalbinsel's forces with the rest of the soldiers. Even so, Leon is still haunted by feelings of guilt for feeling unable to keep the royal family who had raised him like his own family.

Just like Princess Anastasia, the events of that night still haunt her nights, making her reluctant to sleep if it means she has to go back to seeing the incident in her dreams.

Screams blared at the Queen, the corpses of the soldiers were strewn along the halls of the Palace, blood flooded the floor, and the bodies of the soldiers were scattered, flames raged in various places within the Palace while rain and thunder roared as well as the sound of swords piercing through the bodies of the soldiers who had once been his comrades in arms. It was all rolling endlessly inside his head. To haunt him was more than the horrors he had faced on the battlefield. Because in every war, he led the royal army, fought bravely, and managed to defend his country. He saved a lot of people. But that night, he runs away from and fails to defend his country.

Anastasia's breathing and living daughter is the only proof that she didn't completely fail. He hasn't failed.

After the water container was full enough, Leon immediately ran towards the log cabin.

The morning was dark. The lush trees within the forest blocked the entry of sunlight. Help them hide inside a small log cabin that no one can reach.

They found it deep in the forest. And that forest had been the training ground of Princess Anastasia for many years. It was there that Princess Anastasia used to practice the sword secretly for fear that the King would not approve of her hobby. Of course a father doesn't want his only daughter to be hurt by holding a gun. The King loved his daughter very much and sometimes even seemed overprotective. He was so scared that his daughter was hurt. That is why Leon who is the best swordsman in all Schiereiland is not assigned to be the King's personal bodyguard, but the personal bodyguard of Princess Anastasia.

Leon entered the log cabin and immediately gave water to the Princess to drink. Right at that moment there was a sound of lightning striking. The voice made Princess Anastasia surprised. The container of water almost slipped from its handle if Leon did not immediately catch it.

Princess Anastasia screamed at the sound of lightning as if looking back at the tragedy that happened that night. His trembling hands covered his ears. He constantly cried and begged not to be killed as if there were Nordhalbinsel warriors around him. Since then, the Princess' condition has gotten worse, causing Leon to worry that the Princess might not be able to recover from her trauma.

He would not eat for days, his eyes blank. He doesn't talk and always has nightmares. Every time it rained and there was the sound of lightning, he started screaming and crying like he had lost his mind.

At such times, Leon would try to calm her down by hugging the Princess and closing his eyes.

"Your Majesty, please calm yourself. There's nothing. We are safe here." Leon said many times until the cry subsided and the Princess calmed down again.

***

When the rain had stopped and Princess Anastasia looked stable, Leon prepared to go to the market in a small village near the forest to buy groceries. The distance between the wooden cottage where they live with the market is quite far and takes approximately one hour walk. Leon always asked the Princess to stay in the log cabin and wait for him. And usually the Princess just nodded silently without protest. But only this time did the Princess insist on going with him. She didn't really say it, but as soon as Leon got out of the cabin, the Princess tailed behind him. And when Leon asked her to go back into their cottage, the Princess looked at him sharply. That was enough to get Leon to let him into the market.

The market on the edge of the village is indeed not a dangerous place for the Princess because in addition to high nobles and state officials who often go to the Palace, no one knows the face of Princess Anastasia. Nor would the Nordhalbinsel soldiers go to such a remote, slum. After all, near the palace was another larger and complete market. Even if the Nordhalbinsel people who now control their palace want to go to the market, they will not choose a remote market near the forest.

Leon looked back at the Princess. His stubbornness is the only proof that the Princess is still the same as she used to be. "All right." He sighed. "But your hair..."

The princess looked down at her long hair. The red hair that was usually neatly arranged and brushed by the servants now looked dirty and messy. Such red hair color is very rarely found anywhere. So maybe the Princess will be the center of attention with her hair.

After making sure the Princess was wearing a hood that covered her striking red hair, the two of them left together.

Leon led Princess Anastasia slowly through the forest. Princess Anastasia was indeed not a woman with a weak physique, but now with her body getting thinner and paler, she looked very fragile like a twig that would break at any time. So he felt the need to hold the Princess' hand during the trip. Worried that a tree branch might hurt the Princess.

The forest was filled with shady trees so there was only a beam of light illuminating their journey. The road is slippery because it just rains. Many times there was a rustling sound among the bushes, but nothing dangerous appeared. Instead Leon thought it would be nice if the one that appeared was a savage beast, then he could defeat it with his sword and burn it for their food today so that they would not need to go to the market. But the forest was very safe, there were no wild animals. There were only a few small birds chirping behind the trees and a forest rabbit whose flesh was disliked by Princess Anastasia on the grounds that she liked the petite feathered animal. The river water flowing along the forest looks very clear, so Leon can see and make sure that there are no fish in the river. There was absolutely nothing he could hunt for their food.

Along the way Leon tried to invite the Princess to talk by telling her experience during the week to go to the market alone. As much as possible Leon avoids talking about the past or related to the events of the night.

Leon told me that some sellers in the market praised Leon because he looked like a reliable husband because he wanted to shop at the market alone. And after that the mothers who are shopping around will start complaining about their respective husbands who can not give a lot of money, but also do not want to be invited to the market.

“If you were, your wife would be so proud. I have a handsome and reliable husband. By the way, where is that woman? Once in a while you guys have to come with him, so we can chat with fellow ladies.” One of the buyers agreed, while the other agreed.

“I'm not—“ Leon just wanted to refute her and explain that she's not married yet. And that the only woman waiting for him to come home from the market was a Royal Princess whom he had served since she was an infant. But he realized that it would be safer and easier if he didn't explain anything. So he lied by saying, “He is sick, so I replaced him go to the market.”

“Gosh, poor lady. The weather has not been good lately. Sometimes it's very sunny and then it rains a lot. You have to take good care of your wife, son.”

Leon just nodded to hear the mothers pitying ‘istri’ that he didn't really have, hoping the chat was over soon or at least the vegetable seller quickly wrapped up his groceries.

Most of the sellers in the market did not know that he was a General known as the Lion of Schiereiland or the Lion of the South, depending on which person called him. Even so, there are some gun and liquor store owners who recognize Leon because they volunteered for the war a few years ago. Leon asks the people who recognize him not to tell anyone about him. Leon also asked them to keep an eye on the surroundings and tell him if there were any signs of spies or Nordhalbinsel troops. Until he can be sure that the market will remain a safe place for him and for the Princess.

They arrived at the market when it was noon and the sun was shining very brightly. Princess Anastasia who had never gone out of the Palace other than to practice swords in the forest during her life, looked extremely amazed by the surrounding crowd. His eyes wandered around watching everything as if everything in the market was more attractive than any gem he had ever had.

“Today the market is indeed more crowded than usual day. Maybe because the harvest festival is getting closer. Some farmers came down to the market to sell their crops and mothers raced to buy groceries for the celebration.” Leon explained to Princess Anastasia who only nodded while still looking at the surroundings stunned.

The market was not very spacious, even the Palace's kitchen was much wider. But due to the sheer number of people there, the market looked like a vast sea of humans. The voices of the sellers offering his wares, the buyers bidding, and some bandits charging security money filled the ears. From here and there the fishy smell of fish that is not too fresh because of the market distance is very far from the sea. While fresh fish were only sold to the nobles or, now after they were colonized, imported to Nordhalbinsel. Not all vegetables are in good condition. Especially since the Nordhalbinsel attack, most of the vegetables with good quality were sent to the kingdom of Nordhalbinsel. If any farmer does not send his vegetables, his fields will be destroyed. So the peasants had no choice but to give up their crops and hard work to the kingdom.

Leon was bidding for the price of the fish because the rest of the money he was carrying was not enough when he realized that the Princess was no longer beside him. For a moment his heart almost stopped. In a hurry Leon left the fishmonger regardless that the fishmonger had just agreed to the price he had bargained for. He circulated his gaze around, scanning swiftly. At that time the market was indeed more crowded than usual, so it was difficult to find the Princess. He tried to remember the last time he made sure Princess Anastasia was standing quietly beside him. But he could not remember it clearly from being too panicked.

Bad assumptions begin to occupy his mind. Leon wonders if maybe they were followed by the people from Nordhalbinsel and they kidnapped the Princess. They might be torturing him somewhere right now. They might not have given the Princess the chance to shout for help and immediately killed her on the spot. Leon's never felt that scared before. Wars, thousands of enemies, and weapons ever directed at her, even death, none of them have frightened her beyond the fear of losing the Princess. Back then, he thought it was better to die than to lose Princess Anastasia.

Yet right at that moment, just as he was about to give up, he saw her.

The Princess was standing silently in the corner of the quiet hall facing towards a board.

The figure of the girl with long, crumpled red hair that was never again combed, with the bone-white dress in a brown robe that almost covered her entire thin body looked so fragile from a distance. But it's better than not being able to see her again forever. A feeling of relief flowed through his soul. If it wasn't for the Princess taking off the hood of her robe and revealing her red hair, Leon might have had a hard time finding it. Leon could be crazy for it.

Leon walked slowly towards her, still watching Princess Anastasia who now looked shabby with her dirty dress and pale face. His long red hair that had always looked beautifully shiny and well-groomed now looked dirty. But none of this detracts from her beauty.

Princess Anastasia seemed to be aware of the existence of Leon who was observing her with a worried look. He followed Leon's line of sight, taking in his long hair that now looked tangled and dirty. His face flushed in embarrassment, realizing his current appearance was very far from his usual appearance while still living in the Palace.

The Princess walked towards Leon. Unlike before, his steps now looked so steady. It no longer looks weak and fragile. His eyes came back to life, like the sun had just risen in his eyes, until Leon was surprised to see all the changes. Then, without realizing it, the Princess had pulled out the sword that was slung on Leon's waist.

"Your Majesty, what do you want to do with—“

With a single swift slash, a red haircut fell on the ground. The Princess was still able to swing the sword well, so even though it was not perfect, she managed to cut off the tangled part of her hair. The long, red hair that became the royal pride of Schiereiland fell on the dirt. But the Princess now appears much more alive than ever with her short hair.

"Do I look more beautiful now, Leon?" Ask.

Leon was surprised to hear the words from the Princess' lips. He hasn't heard him talk for a week. For a week she had been waiting for the words, whatever they were, to come out of her. Until Leon almost gave up and thought maybe the incident was so traumatic that it took away the ability to talk the Princess.

He was glad that he was wrong.

Now, in front of him, a short-haired woman with eyes glittering in a new spirit of life, was smiling at him.

Leon smiled and nodded without saying anything in return. Without him noticing, tears of happiness welled up in his eyes. But he hurriedly rubbed it before his tears started to fall.

"You are so beautiful, Your Majesty."

***