Everdawn

Being the member of nobility and royalty, I was trained to fight ever since I was young. My late father made sure that I received the best education in the realm where I was trained by a legendary swordsman, Sir Ayden of Riverheart, a knight whose skill in swordsmanship was near peerless. Well-known for his exploit in the War of Three Princes which happened in Everfrost southerly neighbor, Kingdom of Kingfisher, where three princes fought for the throne of Kingfisher, and Everfrost intervened on behalf of one of the princes, supporting his claim for the throne.

Sir Ayden was a native of Kingfisher and was that of minor nobility there. But during the war, Sir Ayden showed his valor and skill in swordsmanship, which impressed both my father and the prince whom my father supported. Before long, the War of Three Princes was over, and Prince Ulfric, the prince whom my father supported, ascended to the throne while his brothers lost their claims to the throne and were exiled. As a show of goodwill, Sir Ayden was sent to Everfrost to act as an ambassador and retainer for my father, and because of that, he became my combat instructor.

Sir Ayden was a man in his late forties, though he seemed to look a decade younger. Slightly tanned and dark-haired, Sir Ayden was a stoic figure who didn't speak much, but being someone who personally fought alongside my father, he was close to the House of Niflheimr. My father even personally requested to him to become my combat instructor once I was able to wield a sword, and he gracefully accepted the request.

As an instructor, Sir Ayden was a harsh but fair teacher. He made sure to let me learn through real fights. Each time I trained with him, I received a significant amount of bruises all over my body, but he was also quick to praise me for taking up his teachings rather quick. Besides fighting, he also taught me the art of warfare and how to wage wars. Over the years, I learned so many things from him and while I never experienced real combat, I had mastered many forms of fighting, though I truly excelled in wielding greatsword. Considering that the King of Everfrost traditionally wielded Everdawn, it was only natural for me to learn how to master greatswords.

One day, after a session of learning from him, Sir Ayden told me that I had nothing to learn from him anymore.

"My lord... I have nothing else to teach you. You have thoroughly mastered the art of war, and it is up to you to decide on what to do with it."

After that, Sir Ayden was released from my father's service and returned back to Kingfisher in order to serve his liege, King Ulfric. I had no idea what he was up to these days, and from what I had heard about our southerly neighbor, Sir Ayden didn't involve himself much in King Ulfric's court. It was safe to assume that he just decided to live in his land with his family, only raising his banner for his liege if required.

Now that my father had passed away, I had decided to send Sir Ayden a letter informing of his death. Considering that they had quite a close relationship during his stay here, it was only fair for him to learn of this. I wasn't sure how long it would take for the letter to reach his domain, Riverheart, but that was the only thing I could do for him as my former mentor. I wasn't sure what he would think of this, of course.

Of course, besides the death of my father, life continued as usual in Everfrost. My mother was the one doing the governing in my stead as my regent, making sure to keep the kingdom running even after the death of the head of state. The mining business remained thriving due to the land was rich with minerals, magical or otherwise. These had been the kingdom's main sources of income, and the kingdom would receive foods from outside because it was hard to cultivate crops here in Everfrost due to the everlasting winter.

One had to wonder, what was the deal with the winter here? Many said that the winter was magical in nature, though life still continued despite the winter. The people were already used to the cold at this point, and while there were several attempts to deal with this winter issue in the past, nobody seemed to care much about the winter these days. The people had learned how to deal with it these days.

And even with the winter, that wasn't an excuse for me to not exercise. Every few days, I would come to the training yard to train with my knights and retainers, and thanks to the tutelage of Sir Ayden, I effortlessly defeated even the most skilled among my knights.

Wearing a white gambeson, I wielded a training sword, and I took on four knights at the same time. They were much older than me, with the youngest among them being twenty years old in age. Due to me favoring greatsword, I used a training greatsword during the fight, and I skillfully parried, deflected and blocked their attacks before I disarmed them, sending their training swords flying from their hands.

Seeing that they had been handily defeated, the knights yielded, and I thanked them for sparring with me. As I went to get myself a drink, I could hear the onlookers who were courtiers speaking among themselves.

"Did you see that? Even though he's young, he managed to defeat four adults at the same time!"

"As expected from our king!"

"Well, that's already expected, with him being the Monarch of Winter."

"I wonder if he's already engaged or not. Whoever gets to marry him will become the Queen of Everfrost!"

I sighed as I set aside the drink. I decided to tune out their chatters as I went back to the training yard to continue with the training.

"Now... who wants to go next?" I called out. The knights started murmuring among themselves. I had already defeated most of them in the spar, and they weren't sure whether they wanted to repeat the same thing or not.

"This look fun." A female voice spoke out before a tall woman clad in skimpy attire stepped into the yard. She was Duryath, the half-orc warrior who became one of my retainers after the visit of the delegation from Vilhammar some days ago. "I'll take you on, my king." She had taken a training weapon, which was a greataxe. Taking her place, she directed her gaze at me, flashing a rather confident smile while also baring her tusks.

The onlookers became animated as they saw Duryath.

"It's the half-breed!"

"She looks strong!"

"Doesn't she feel cold? She's practically naked with those strips of clothes."

"Well, this is going to surprise you people, but I have to admit that muscular women have their appeal."

"Let's see how this one will go, everyone. This is definitely going to be an interesting fight."

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Facing Duryath, I wielded my training greatsword with both hands. While the blade was dulled, it had the same weight as the real greatsword. The same went for Duryath's training greataxe. Also, she had to be careful while using that, considering that while the blades were dulled, it was still heavy enough that it was pretty much a heavy hammer.

I studied Duryath's stance, and I could see that she was also doing the same. I maintained the distance between ourselves, trying to figure out the right moment to move, and after a few seconds, I decided to start off the fight by closing the distance between ourselves.

"Haa!!"

Yelling out, I swung my sword at Duryath, targeting her side, but the half-orc skillfully blocked the attack using her greataxe. I pulled back my sword and went for another strike, and she also blocked it. Immediately, Duryath went for a counterattack, swinging her greataxe at me, and I deflected her blow.

Before long, both Duryath and I ended up trading blows with each other, attacking and parrying. I made use of my instinct to predict where she was going next, though whenever I tried to land a hit, she managed to block my attack. We grunted and yelled as our weapons clashed, and each time our weapons met, I couldn't help but feel the strain from her attack. Not only that her attacks were powerful, they were also precise in a way that a normal person might end up injuring themselves even if they managed to block the attacks.

"Hyah!"

Duryath swung down her greataxe, and I dodged the attack. When her greataxe smashed against the pavement, I stepped on it and ran up the handle, this time aiming to strike at her unprotected upper body. But she quickly yanked her greataxe from the ground and sent me off the course, though I managed to land safely on the ground.

At this point, the two of us ended up in a stalemate, and we somehow lost track of time as we continued trading attacks with each other. Then, when we brought our weapons together for another clash, the sheer force of the collision between both weapons caused them to break the moment they made contact with each other. Seeing that our weapons broke, both Duryath and I stopped ourselves.

As we stared at our broken training weapons, the onlookers became more animated as they talked to each other.

"Did you see that?!"

"They were so fast I couldn't keep track on their movements!"

"They're evenly matched, though I'm sure things will be different in real combat."

Duryath let out a laugh as she then shrugged. "Well, this is a first. Draw, my king?"

I couldn't help but smile. "I suppose. It's a draw."

Due to our intense fight earlier, both Duryath and I were drenched in sweat, and I couldn't help but notice her body glistening with sweat. I tried my best to not stare, though thanks to her sweat, the contours of her body became more pronounced. It was hard to look away, and Duryath seemed to take note of it, though she didn't call me out of it.

"It's a great workout. Let's do this again someday." And with that, Duryath left. I watched her leave, and I couldn't help but stare at her as she left. She swayed her hips as she walked away, and my eyes were drawn to her exposed backside. I gulped, feeling my cheeks heating up.

Sighing, I set aside the broken training sword and decided to go clean myself. My arms felt sore after exchanging blows with Duryath earlier, and warm bath would be the best for this.

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Putting on a fresh set of clothes after bathing, I walked aimlessly around the Frozen Keep, having nothing else to do. Servants who passed by me bowed their heads and I waved my hand, acknowledging their greetings. Considering that my mother was the one who held the court, being the regent, I was left with nothing to do, and I couldn't help but feel restless.

I didn't watch where I was going, and when I somehow noticed where I was heading, I was in front of the royal armory, where royal heirlooms were kept. Looking around, seeing that the guards didn't seem to mind me there, I decided to enter the armory so that I could take a look at the things inside.

Once I was inside, my eyes were drawn towards the greatsword placed on a pedestal. Considered to be the House of Niflheimr's most priceless heirloom, it was only fair for the greatsword, Everdawn, to be kept on the pedestal like that. Approaching the pedestal, I then reached out to the sword and grabbed it by the hilt.

"Whuh!"

The moment I grabbed the hilt, I felt something stirring inside me. The Will of Everfrost swirled within me, and in an instant, I could feel the wisdom of my great ancestors. The swell of power left me in a state of trance, and it felt like I had lived through countless lifetimes.

Everdawn was considered to be the Frost King's symbol of power, and no one except the Frost Kings could wield the sword, at least to its fullest potential. Perhaps to the hands of normal people, Everdawn was nothing more than an ornate-looking greatsword, but for the Frost Kings, it was a conduit that connected a Frost King to the previous Frost Kings who lived in the past.

According to my father, the dwarven smiths who crafted the sword made it as a test for the first Frost King to see if he would lose himself if granted with power beyond imagination or not. The first Frost King passed the test and was able to create the Kingdom of Everfrost. Of course, there were several Frost Kings who were drunk with power, and they often met tragic and unfortunate ends.

I had to wonder if I would become drunk with power or not if I kept wielding it. Letting out a heavy sigh, I put Everdawn back on the pedestal. My father used to wield the sword in battles as well as while executing criminals. Would I be able to do the same thing as him?

As I pondered about these things, I sensed something behind me. I turned around and saw the girl whom I saw those days ago. She had the same hair color as me, and her eyes were red, though those eyes were shining brightly. Normally, I would freak out and start reacting to her presence in the most expected way, but instead, I was calm.

"Who are you?" I asked, repeating the same question that I asked her at that time. But I felt no trepidation. I had no idea who she was, but I felt like I was seeing an old friend. A precious friend. I never knew her, but out fates were deeply intertwined.

Through the Will of Everfrost, I had lived countless lifetimes, and from that, I knew that she was someone very dear to me.

"I am the blade that you wield in the face of adversity. I am the light that breaks the darkness. I am the bane to all that is profane and evil."

The girl smiled as she stepped closer to me.

"I am the dawn that brings hope in the face of despair. In a way, we complete each other."

She did a curtsy, one foot at the front and another at the back.

"I am Everdawn. And I am yours to wield in the upcoming calamity, Frost King."

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"Calamity?" I frowned. I remembered hearing that from her the first time we met. "What do you mean? And... Everdawn? Like the sword?"

The girl who called herself Everdawn tilted her head. "The sword and I are the same. I am the sword, and the sword is me. The distinction between the sword and I is that I am capable of communicating with you, while the sword is incapable of doing so."

"Ah, well... I guess that makes sense..." I mused. "Still, about the calamity? What do you mean?"

Her face turned serious. "Do you remember what I said to you last time? A great calamity shall befall you in the near future. Something dark will happen to you and this kingdom, and you ought to be prepared for its eventuality."

I gave her a questioning look. "Something dark? Like an attack? Or war?"

"The exact detail is unknown, even to me. But it is still calamity nonetheless, and you must prepare yourself, or else the Frost King and the Kingdom of Everfrost will cease to exist." She continued, still looking very serious.

"Prepare myself? What sort of preparation? Do I need to prepare for war? Or do I have to watch out for any assassin?" I questioned her.

"For the time being, make as many allies as possible. The strength of the Frost King alone is not enough to fight against this encroaching darkness. A king who fights alone will die alone, but if you seek strong allies, it will surely ensure your survival." The girl explained.

"So, you're telling me to make friends?" I asked.

"That's a rather gross simplification, but yes. The bonds will help you to shine a path to victory." The girl said.

"I see..." I mused before I smiled at her. "Thank you for telling me this. I still don't understand most of this situation, but since this sounds very urgent, I'll try to follow your instruction to the best of my abilities." Then, I stared at her. "Still, since you call yourself Everdawn the sword, then your name is also Everdawn, yes?"

"I said before that I am the sword and the sword is me, so yes." The girl answered.

"But since I'll be wielding Everdawn as the King of Everfrost, it feels weird to call you Everdawn." I said. "How about I call you Dawn instead? Does that sound good to you?"

"That..." The girl mulled over my words for a bit before she sighed. "Fine. You may call me Dawn. While I see no reason for this sort of distinction, if you wish to differentiate me and my sword self, then I see no problem with that."

I smiled and held out my hand at the newly-named Dawn. "Then, starting today, let's work together, Dawn."

Dawn blinked as she looked at my hand. After a while, she let out a resigned sigh before she accepted the handshake. Her hand felt cold, though she certainly was corporeal and I could touch her. "I shall be in your care, Frost King."

"You can call me Karol. You said to me earlier to create as many bonds as possible, so I don't see why we shouldn't be friends." I said.

"Friends?" Dawn blinked. She seemed to be processing what I said to her before she looked away. "V-very well... if you insist on being friends with me, I see no reason to refuse. B-but please do not misunderstand. I agree to such term not because of you in particular, but because of the fate awaiting you. So, please remember that."

Well, now that I got to speak to her like this, Dawn seemed to be having problem expressing herself properly. Perhaps it was because of her being the sword, but that didn't really matter here. "Yes, I'll remember that. I will be in your care, Dawn."

"..." Dawn looked at my face before she softly spoke, "Yes, Karol."

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One thing that I learned after meeting Dawn was that she could materialize herself in front of others, though only in a short span of time. That explained why both Linde and Duryath were able to see her at that time. But most of the time, she was invisible to others but me. And now that I was made aware of her existence, she decided to hang out around me, following me around.

"So... back then when my father used to wield you, did you appear before him in this form?" I asked her as both of us walked down the hallway.

"No. Each Frost King perceived me differently, and my personality would also differ depending on my appearance. When I appeared before your father, I looked like this." Dawn shifted her form, turning into a young woman in white dress with white hair fashioned in an elegant bun. She somehow looked like my mother. Then she reverted back to her child form. "I take the appearance of an image that a Frost King feels strongly the most."

"And in my father's case, that image happened to be my mother, or rather my mother when she was younger." I said.

"Precisely." Dawn nodded.

"If that's the case, why do you look like this?" I asked. I didn't remember knowing someone with her appearance, nor any strong feeling towards this particular appearance.

Dawn shrugged. "I don't know. The moment your father died, I automatically shifted my designation from being his sword to your sword. It just happened that I took the appearance from your mind."

"Huh. That's strange." I mused. Well, according to her logic, if she were to take an appearance, she should've taken my sister's form or Linde's form, with both of them being the most important people in my life besides my mother.

"It could be a deeply buried memory, something that you can't immediately recall. Do you have a younger sister by any chance?" Dawn asked.

"Not that I know of." My older sister, Kassandra, was the only sibling that I had. "Well, not that this is important. Maybe we can learn why you look like this sometime in the future. You don't mind looking like a child, do you?"

"I see no problem with this body. Though it's rather hard to reach something from higher place with this body, and for some reason, I am easily annoyed. But none of that is an immediate problem for me, in case if you're worried." Dawn stated.

"Well, just tell me if you have problem with anything. Having someone who can listen to you will help you a lot, right?" I grinned at her, and I could see faint hint of redness on her cheeks.

"Hmph. For some reason, I felt annoyed when I heard that, but also felt happy. Perhaps this person whom I based my appearance on had a rather complex opinion about you, Karol." Dawn crossed her arms over her chest and looked away in a huff.

"Ah, so that's what you meant by having different personality. You took after the personality of the person whom you based your appearance on. A little strange, though, considering that I don't remember meeting someone like you before." I said. "Not that I mind, of course, since it doesn't really matter."

"Right..." Dawn said. So, both of us continued walking down the hallway, exploring the Frozen Keep.

"So... since we're bound with each other, how far away can you get away from me?" I asked. Considering that no one could see her, then I could use her to snoop around, provided that she didn't mind that.

"I can go to the other side of the world without problem, though I can immediately return back to your side if you ever need me. Though if you somehow lose your ownership of Everdawn, I may not be able to stay close with you." Dawn explained.

"So I can potentially lose my ownership of Everdawn?" I asked.

"For instance if you are defeated in battle, spared but have Everdawn taken from you as a war booty, that means you lose your ownership of Everdawn. The same also goes if you abdicate your throne and pass your crown to the next Frost King while you're still alive." Dawn explained again.

"Will I lose my ownership of Everdawn if it somehow gets stolen?" I asked again.

"No. In that case, Everdawn is taken away from you unrightfully, and I will still remain by your side even if Everdawn is miles away from you, though I will still be aware of what will happen to Everdawn since both Everdawn and I are one and the same." Dawn told me. "In case if Everdawn is stolen, I can lead you towards where it is located so that you can take it back."

"I see..." I mused. "Can you make Everdawn return to my hand if it gets stolen?" I asked.

"No, I have no such power. But you can put some magical charms on Everdawn so that you can return it back to your hand anytime you lose your grip on it." Dawn crossed her arms before she continued, "Though I will not like it. Magical charms will make me feel funny in my head."

"You mean it'll affect your personality?" I inquired.

"In a way, yes. Any sort of charms on Everdawn can affect me in unpredictable ways. For instance, if you add strengthening charm on Everdawn, I will somehow become aggressive and prone to anger, or it can make me shout every word whenever I speak." Dawn explained to me.

"Well... that's inconvenient." I commented. I couldn't imagine having Dawn shouting out every word whenever she spoke.

"Of course, since I am visible only to you, the one who will see the change is you." Dawn said.

I was about to ask her more about her, but I stopped myself when I saw a courtier coming over to me. Dawn somehow hid herself behind me in a rather instinctive manner even though I was the only one who could see her.

"Y-your highness, I was looking for you..." The courtier said as he panted. "Queen Katarina wishes for you to join her in the court. A delegation from the Kingdom of Kingfisher has come."

"Kingdom of Kingfisher?" I inquire. "Is there something important happening?" I asked him.

"W-well... I didn't know the exact details, but..." The courtier looked rather grim as he spoke his next words that somehow sent chills down my spine.

"King Ulfric, the King of Kingfisher and the Monarch of Rivers... is dead."