The Witch's Curse
The Always Cold Season

(Illustration of King Markian de Cordovan)

"Your Majesty, it looks like we have to go back already" Sir Albert who guided the knight expedition this time looked tired. Time takes age and skill. I remember Sir Albert as the most valiant knight I ever met, and from that moment on, I swore to be like him. Although it must take almost 12 years, I can finally surpass Sir Albert in many ways, especially about power.

"Alright, today is quite as early as, command the troops to return,"

A moment later, we drove back towards the north of the continent, towards the Kingdom of Cordovan. The land I love. It took 3 days to get to the Kingdom of Cordovan at the rate of a horse without a carriage, and by carriage, even slower. We rarely use trains except to attend foreign diplomatic invitations. Moreover, I also have no fiancee since the last 5 years, so, it is quite practical for me to ride anywhere rather than riding a train.

"You have come, Your Majesty," Louis, the butler, greeted me at the entrance. After riding for 3 days, we finally arrived. The knight entourage had already gathered at the knight mess and was waiting for the warm dishes the chefs had made there. Tired as well apparently, maybe I am also old like Sir Albert.

"What does that mean? His Majesty is 20 years old, 30 years different from me" Sir Albert snorted in envy at me.

I smiled with a glass of spice in my hand. It's warm. Sir Albert was a knight I admired, as well as a teacher and successor to my father. He is the most loyal person in this kingdom and has been with me since childhood.

His Majesty and Queen Cordovan previously had only one son who was born with great difficulty. Queen Cordovan even died giving birth to me in this world.

Had died?

Right yeah.

He died, then came back to life, people said. I don't know, because I was a baby at the time. But that's the rumor going around. My mother was a woman who rose from the dead. King Cordovan II: His Majesty Arthur Lambert de Cordovan supposedly made a pact with a witch to revive my mother. The rumors are still unclear, as eyewitnesses were only a servant who assisted in the birth of me and His Majesty who had died since I was three years old. I automatically became Crown Prince because the King had no other descendants, and the government was led by Mother as Grand Queen before my age.

Right from the time I was 17, I was crowned King Cordovan III. My name is Markian de Cordovan. Her Majesty, who is none other than my mother, looks proud to see me on the throne. Shortly, a year later, the mother breathed her last as if happily following the father and had completed her final task of caring for her only royal heir.

He had suffered the second death and was certainly not resurrected.

I declared a year-long national mourning period and forbade any celebration and any feast, including marriage. People refer to it as the Cordovan Dark Period.

Now I have no one left but Sir Albert and the knights, my comrades. My days were filled with sword training sessions as well as agendas for the extermination of wild animals and knight expeditions to fill the food of the entire country. We rode around the continent to do the hunting. Some other knights escorted Trade Unions that supplied basic and other necessities from neighboring countries.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Kewhin, is an old friend of my father's and very trustworthy. He led the country when I was not around. I'd rather travel abroad than be in Cordovan. Perhaps, because I wanted to escape the memories of my two dead parents. The air in Cordovan is so cold and suffocating. In fact, I often cried without a sound holding back the longing for my parents. But because I am a king. I can't look weak. Because, this will only be my limitation and will eventually kill me.

******

"Your highness, the letter of reply from the Kingdom of the Puth has arrived,"

An unusual morning.

After a night of rest, my body returned to fitness. Just about to have breakfast and practice, Louis came to me and delivered a reply from the Kingdom of the Puth.

"Puth's kingdom, yes," my hiss.

A long winter storm is a hurricane in August. From the previous months, the stormy period in August to December was the longest winter period ever. There are no days without a storm from the beginning of the month until the 90th day.

I was so moved by his sincerity that, according to Louis, King Zanzabir III was a close friend of His Majesty King Cordovan II and in the period of their reign, bilateral cooperation began. Our kingdom has more access abroad than ever before. Thus, the famine phase when the longest winter has gradually subsided, due to food assistance from the Puth Kingdom and neighboring kingdoms.

The alliance that our kingdom offers is of course a ceasefire and military protection because the Cordovans know best to survive the most difficult situation, we were born that way: to survive or die. In this continent, not a single tribe defeated the persistence of the Cordovanian Tribe, the original people of the Cordovan Kingdom.

"This time, you must succeed in taking the heart of the Princess, Your Majesty. It's a golden opportunity after 5 years of slumping," Louis is gone, Helena is coming. Helena's been my foster mother since infancy. His loyalty exceeded the price of his own life. He was the most trusted man besides Louis and Sir Albert.

"Yes, yes, tried," I answered accordingly.

I who was blind to romance and only knew how to swing a sword felt somewhat overwhelmed by her words. How to win a woman's heart if winning a fight seems easier because there is no 'whatever' variable'?

That said, the word 'whatever' is a more frightening word than the kewini wolf who is famous for being the most ferocious than ordinary wolves. Sir Albert told me after 20 years of marriage with Lady Dwayni and 2 daughters who had also been loyal knights of Cordovan Kingdom.

****

"Princess Isyana Noor Zanzabir"

I caught a glimpse of the title of the portrait of the dark-haired beauty Helena placed on my desk. The coffee I drank this morning looked sweet, but without sugar. Did the waiter forget my taste? Or is this the effect of the portrait of Princess Isyana who does look charming sweet with an unusual aura?

Cordovan girls are mostly brown, red, even blonde. Rarely would a jet-black haired like Princess Isyana of the eastern Kingdom of this continent. If born with dark hair, the ladies here would go directly to the salon to brighten the color of his hair, because, dark hair is identical to witches.

Witch, an ancient legend that resurrected after rumors of Her Majesty's life again became the attention of the public since decades ago. From my childhood, to my adulthood, there was never another dark haired girl in Cordovan Kingdom. Dark hair represents misfortune.

Maybe for them, but not for me. Because my hair is dark too. I don't give a shit. Whether I'm a hybrid witch because Her Majesty has an alliance with witches, there's no hard evidence of that. If anyone brought this news to the surface, it was certainly a form of humiliation towards the royal family and the punishment was death.

"Ishana, yeah... Pretty,"

Coffee out.

It seems like it's time for sword practice to begin.

Or the....

No?

"Baginda!!! The gawat!! You should see this!!!"

...****************...

(connect)