Unsure of what to do, Veronica sent a message to Leticia, disguised as an invitation to meet. The princess found the unusual request strange, but Veronica always saved the most beautiful flowers for her, and Leticia imagined it might be something urgent. She accepted the invitation. Upon meeting the florist, she noticed her nervousness and distressed expression but attributed it to some personal problem. She followed Veronica, trusting in her well-known kindness.
As they entered a dark and deserted street, the trap was sprung. A group of men emerged from the shadows, surrounding them.
"I brought her as you asked," Veronica said, her voice trembling with fear. "Now, please, give me back my son!"
"Make her surrender, and he will be freed," one of the bandits replied, a dagger gleaming dangerously close to the child's face.
Desperate, Veronica begged Leticia to surrender. Tears streamed down her face as she knelt at the princess's feet.
"Please, miss! They're going to kill my son! I can't lose anyone else in my family!"
Leticia, touched by the mother's desperation, knelt beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder, offering a bit of comfort. Then, she raised her gaze, fixing it firmly on the bandits.
"I will go with you," she declared, her voice calm and resolute. "However... return this lady's son."
The bandits hesitated for a moment, surprised by the princess's courage. Then, they pushed the child toward Veronica and led Leticia to an abandoned warehouse. They tied her up with coarse ropes.
"The ropes aren't too tight," Leticia thought, analyzing the situation. "But there are so many of them... Ah! I should have told Laurenn I was going out."
Frustration at her own imprudence mixed with growing apprehension. What did these men want with her?
The bandits crowded around their leader, the expectation palpable in the air.
"We captured the girl, boss. Now what?" one of them asked impatiently.
"I sent a messenger to the noble who ordered her head," the chief replied with a cruel smile.
"But last time he was hooded. How will we know if it's really him?" another bandit questioned.
Leticia, despite the fear tightening her chest, listened attentively. She had discovered that these men were merely pawns in a larger game, unaware of the true enemy's identity.
"Boss, the girl is really pretty... we could have a little fun with her before..." one of the bandits suggested with a lecherous look.
He approached Leticia and touched a lock of her hair. Another bandit began to circle her, his eyes greedily scanning her body. The chief, leaning back in a makeshift chair, shrugged, granting permission with indifference.
"As long as you don't damage the merchandise," he said with a sadistic smile.
Panic threatened to overwhelm Leticia. She needed to escape, to call for help. Her eyes scanned the warehouse for an escape route. There were too many of them; escape seemed impossible. But she had to react somehow. With a sudden movement, Leticia broke free from the bandits surrounding her and ran, her hands still tied behind her back.
The chase was short. She managed to dodge one of the men, but another intercepted her, throwing her violently to the ground.
"Idiot!" the chief shouted, furious. "I said not to damage the merchandise! Do you want us to lose the reward?!"
Suddenly, a dagger flew through the air, striking the bandit chief's shoulder with a dull thud. At the warehouse entrance, two figures emerged from the shadows. Leticia could barely contain her surprise. It was Laurenn, accompanied by Aleph.
Laurenn, with a controlled fury, ran toward the bandit holding Leticia and struck him with a well-aimed kick, pushing him away from her. His icy gaze fixed on the fallen man.
"A filthy worm like you shouldn't even dare to touch my sister. You should simply disappear," he snarled, his voice thick with threat.
Drawing his sword with a swift motion, Laurenn advanced on the bandit who had attacked Leticia. The gleaming blade stopped inches from the man's neck, poised to deliver the fatal blow. At the last moment, Aleph intervened, grabbing Laurenn's arm firmly.
"There are more effective ways to deal with them," he said calmly. "A punishment worse than death. Leave them to me. Take care of the princess."
Laurenn hesitated for a second, the conflict clear in his eyes. He knew that as the crown prince, he was forbidden from taking a life directly. Tradition allowed him to order executions, but not to carry them out with his own hands. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his sword and turned to Leticia.
His eyes scanned his sister's body, searching for any sign of injury. With a gentle touch, he caressed her face, worry etched in his eyes.
"Did they hurt you? Did they do anything to you?" he asked, his voice hoarse with anguish.
Leticia shook her head, her eyes welling with tears of relief.
"I'm fine, Laurenn," she replied, holding her brother's hand against her face. "Thanks to you... and to Aleph."
The bandits surrounded the three of them, the threat hanging in the air. The chief, pulling the dagger from his own shoulder with a grunt of pain, threw it at Laurenn's feet.
"You think three of you can take on all of us?" he scoffed with a cruel smile.
"I alone will be enough to fight you," Aleph replied with an icy calm.
He drew his sword and stood in front of Laurenn and Leticia in a defensive stance. To everyone's surprise, he held the blade reversed, pointing it at the bandit chief. The man laughed, incredulous.
"Are you going to fight with the blunt side of the blade? Are you kidding me?"
Ignoring the taunt, Aleph replied:
"I don't intend to kill you... yet," he said with a piercing gaze.
The chief, enraged, ordered the attack. The bandits charged at Aleph, who moved with impressive speed. Dodging their blows with agility, he immobilized his opponents with precision and strength, without any bloodshed.
One of the bandits leaped, attempting a surprise attack. Aleph parried the blow and, with a fluid motion, spun his sword and struck him on the temple with the pommel. The man fell to the ground, unconscious. Two others attacked simultaneously. Aleph, with extraordinary strength, blocked both blades and pushed them away with a single movement. Taking advantage of one opponent's retreat, he dealt a precise blow to his knee, destabilizing him. The remaining bandits continued to attack, but Aleph, relentless, neutralized them one by one, leaving them unconscious on the floor.
The chief, watching the scene with growing terror, his trembling hands gripping his sword, stammered:
"What... what kind of monster are you...?"
"At the moment, just a knight of the Winter Kingdom," Aleph replied with a cold smile. "And an aspirant to be Princess Leticia's official knight."
"Princess?!" the chief exclaimed, his eyes wide with fear. "No one told us she was the princess! Then... that's the... prince?!"
Understanding the gravity of the situation, the chief tried to flee, but Aleph intercepted him with ease. At that moment, the Royal Knights arrived on the scene.
"Wait!" the chief pleaded desperately. "Are you going to hand us over to the shineideas?! Please, no!"
"You feel fear now?" Laurenn asked with a look of contempt. "But you didn't hesitate to attack a defenseless woman, did you?"
The Royal Knights arrested the bandits and took them into custody. The justice of the Winter Kingdom, known for its severity, would see to their fate. For crimes like this, not even the shineideas granted clemency.
...
The shineideas, beautiful as roses, hide dangerous thorns. Formerly human, they were imbued with negative magic, transforming into beings with extraordinary abilities and an ambiguous nature. With a penetrating gaze, they can probe the deepest secrets of the mind, hypnotizing their victims and uncovering their hidden memories. Through a kiss, they transform ordinary people into new shineideas, controlling their thoughts and actions like puppets.
Their bodies are resistant to common injuries, and their lives are prolonged almost to immortality. Only a sword imbued with magic or a special ability can destroy them, rare gifts granted to a few.
In the past, the shineideas were guardians of the law, judges, and ruthless executioners. Over time, however, their function became corrupted. Justice gave way to ambition, and the power that once served order became an instrument of their own desires.
Despite the corruption that has spread among them, some laws remain inviolable; there are transgressions so grave that not even the shineideas dare to ignore them. The punishment for such crimes is summary annihilation, a demonstration of relentless power that reminds everyone of the limits of their influence.