Chapter 7

  Caged Bird

  It was Sunday.

  And according to the [CIS (Pronounce as Zee-is)] religion practiced by the people of Snowhaven, that meant one thing: morning worship.

  Naturally, this applied to the royal family as well.

  At the Grand Cathedral of the Capital

  Princess Nora Ophilis and her two younger siblings, along with retainers of varying ranks, all knelt in unison. There was no division here between royal blood and commoners.

  Before the Symbol of CIS, no one stood above God.

  The cathedral bore no statues, no incense, no charms, nor portraits of prophets.

  Only the Symbol of CIS—a simple engraved cross at the center of the chapel—surrounded by a kaleidoscope of stained glass arranged in beautiful geometric patterns.

  Dan and Zeedee were outsiders to the faith, but Princess Nora had invited them to observe the ceremony from the wooden pews at the back.

  From there, Dan saw everyone kneeling upright, both hands raised at chest level, eyes closed as they recited something softly.

  The ritual ended as quietly as it had begun. No fanfare. Everyone simply dispersed.

  On the carriage ride back from the cathedral, Dan was the first to be addressed.

  “You didn’t look all that surprised, Mr. Fury.”

  “What surprised me is that you only do it once a week. I spent ten years in Diablo watching Casca do it every evening.”

  “The CIS organization permits weekly worship now… but Master Maximin is traditional. She follows the old practice—daily.”

  “You have to face west when you pray too, right?”

  “Mr. Fury, you know so much.”

  “How could I not? I used to watch Casca wander around trying to find the sunset every time. I only found out today that once a week was allowed.”

  “Speaking of Master Maximin… Yesterday I asked one of the close advisors to my mother about her, Mr. Fury.”

  “What did you find out?”

  “Apparently, Master Maximin came to ask my mother for help getting access to the church hierarchy.”

  “!”

  Confirmed. That made two matching reports—his own and Nora’s.

  “Why would she do that? Isn’t Casca capable of going in herself?”

  “That’s the part I also wondered about, Mr. Fury. It seems the Church and Master Maximin… don’t see eye to eye.”

  “What kind of disagreement?”

  “I wasn’t told, Mr. Fury. That’s all they would say.”

  “…Makes sense. You’re a princess—there are limits to what they’ll tell you.”

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  “It’s not public knowledge, but internally, the tension’s been building for some time. If I remember her letter to you correctly, didn’t Master Maximin say she came to settle some ‘unfinished business’ in the human realm? I believe this is what she meant.”

  “It must be pretty serious if she went as far as asking your mother for help… But not serious enough for war. Honestly, I doubt the Church could do anything to stop her if she got serious.”

  “She’s lost her temper before, Mr. Fury?”

  “Hooh… Don’t even get me started.”

  Zeedee visibly cringed. Nora was even more intrigued.

  “But Master Maximin is so calm, isn’t she?”

  “Just branding.”

  “All right, that’s enough, Zeedee.”

  Dan raised a hand to cut her off and turned back to Nora.

  “Thanks, Nora.”

  “It’s no trouble at all, Mr. Fury.”

  Dan closed his notebook.

  “If I want to ask more… there’s only one person who’d really know. Not your mother. Not her advisors—I’d never be able to reach them. But there is one person…”

  The Raven.

  One of the Five Heroes. Casca’s old comrade.

  “Master Raven won’t return from his mission until late next week, Mr. Fury.”

  “What mission is he on?”

  “Suppressing rebel factions.”

  “Got it. But… wait. Next week? That’s the same time as your engagement ceremony, isn’t it?”

  “…Yes, Mr. Fury.”

  Nora’s expression dimmed instantly.

  Then, suddenly… she stared down at the floor, clenched her hands until her palms were damp with sweat, and summoned the courage to speak.

  “Mr. Fury…”

  “Yes, Your Highness?”

  “…Could I speak with you privately?”

  Privately—meaning without Zeedee.

  “…”

  Dan looked at Zeedee.

  “Go grab something to eat in town.”

  “Of course, Your Highness.”

  The carriage stopped near a city landmark, and Zeedee stepped out.

  She watched the carriage roll away with only Dan and Nora inside.

  They traveled a good distance out of the capital, up to a gentle green-and-white hill that overlooked all of Snowhaven beneath a pale sky.

  Nora sat on a large boulder, gazing down at the city. A chill breeze swept past the two of them.

  “…You were right, Mr. Fury. I don’t want to go through with the engagement…”

  She spoke softly.

  “…I’ve been thinking about what you said all night…”

  “What did your heart say?”

  Nora didn’t answer. She hugged her knees and buried her face.

  “…I can’t do it. I can’t go against Mother.”

  “Why not?”

  “……”

  “Have you ever even tried?”

  “No one dares to…”

  She shook her head.

  “And if you can’t even stand up to your own mother, how do you expect to rule Snowhaven someday?”

  “…I don’t know, Mr. Fury…”

  After a long sigh, she sensed Dan’s presence moving closer. He brushed snow from the rock beside her and sat down, gazing at the distant Crystal Palace.

  “For someone raised under her influence, I know it must be hard to even imagine resisting. You’ve never made a single choice for yourself, have you?”

  “…No.”

  “Your siblings probably haven’t either.”

  “We don’t really talk much…”

  “That’s sad.”

  Dan sighed too.

  “From what I’ve seen, I’ll tell you one thing. Want to hear it?”

  “Yes, Mr. Fury.”

  “If you keep saying ‘yes’ to your mother, then you’ll be the kind of person who does as she’s told… until the day she dies. And then what? When you become Empress Ophilis the Fifteenth, how will you live when the Fourteenth is gone?”

  “…I don’t know…”

  “Exactly. You don’t know—because your whole life, you’ve been raised like a machine. You take orders and follow them. You’ve never been taught to think.”

  “But Mother does it all for my sake…”

  “She does. I’m not saying your mother is wrong.”

  Dan nodded.

  “Growing up in a harsh, frozen world shaped her into what she is. We can’t change her. But at least you understand her. And if you do… then you need to approach this smartly. Think like a survivor, Miss Nora.”

  “Think like a survivor…?”

  “You have to learn to push back. Respect yourself. If you can’t even stand up for yourself against your own mother… how will you ever defend your people when another kingdom marches on Snowhaven?”

  “……”

  “What I’m trying to say is—”

  Dan turned to her.

  “You need to understand what kind of person your mother is. What made her the way she is. Once you understand that, you’ll know how to deal with her. You’ll be able to read her like an open book. Remember this—your mother isn’t someone terrifying. She’s not some puppet master. And she’s not a machine without fear. In the real world… everyone’s afraid.”

  “Even you, Mr. Fury?”

  “That’s right. I’m afraid too. I’m afraid I might not have enough power to protect Diablo… Your mother’s fear might be the same. Maybe it’s the fall of Snowhaven. Or maybe… it’s something more personal. Maybe she’s afraid of losing you.”

  “…She’s never shown that, Mr. Fury… Not even after what happened recently… She didn’t ask a single thing…”

  Her voice trembled—on the edge of tears.

  “That’s just how she is, Mr. Fury…”

  “You’re right, Nora. That’s exactly why.”

  He nodded.

  “Her mother was probably the same. And the ones before that, too. It’s a cycle. What they inherit, they pass on. But you—you’re different. You recognize that something’s wrong. You see the system you’re trapped in. That makes you lucky, don’t you know?”

  “Lucky…?”

  “Yes! Incredibly lucky.”

  Nora froze.

  “If you’ve already weighed it in your heart and know that this engagement crosses a line… then fight back. Fight for your dignity. You’re not a child anymore. Courage begins right here, right now. Stand up for yourself. Push back against your mother—for your own sake.”