Ryuho snorted. “Don’t act all high and mighty like you care about the empire. You just want to kill Feilong, right? Don’t force that responsibility onto Lina! Don’t use her to get revenge!”
“I’m going to save my father,” Angelina decided. “Please guide me through the castle.”
The old woman gritted her teeth. “In that case, I can’t be your guide. My clan serves the Yulan royal family, and you aren’t worthy of becoming our princess! In the end, you’re merely the Imperial Princess of Jinlong!”
When the old woman shot to her feet, Yuen unsheathed his sword, and Ryuho stood up as well.
“Go ahead and kill me if you please,” she said. “I’m nothing more than an unarmed, feeble, old woman who had her country stolen from her. By all means, trample us underfoot and continue living your lives as if nothing happened!”
“Don’t kill her, Yuen!” Angelina cried.
This old woman was Marfa’s mother. They couldn’t kill her when she hadn’t even attacked anyone.
“That girl isn’t our princess!” the old woman called out to the Yulan citizens. “She’s a traitor who’s submitted herself to Jinlong! She won’t be able to enter the castle.”
After shooting scornful glances at Angelina, the old woman and the Yulan citizens disappeared into the dark forest. Only the waves echoed across the silent lakeshore.
Will I really be able to enter the castle? Angelina wondered while gazing at the solitary tower protruding from the water. The vast distance between the shore and the castle filled her with anxiety.
Ryuho pressed his nose into Angelina’s stomach. “Don’t spare those old folks a second thought.”
Relief washed over her. “Yeah!” she agreed, rubbing him between the ears.
Hisame patted Angelina on the back as well. “Don’t worry—I’ll build a bridge to the other side.”
“Okay!” Angelina cried, raising her head in a show of resolve. “We’re counting on you, Hisame.”
Snowmelt from Mt. Jinlong flowed into the lake. Consequently, the water chilled Hisame to the bone as he walked into it. He submerged himself up to the knees, biting back pain all the while. He would transform the frigidity of the lake into power to build the bridge. As such, he chilled himself near to the point of death. His teeth chattered, and his lips turned blue.
Upon sensing a human in their waters, the monstrous fish attacked.
“Hisame!” Angelina and Ryuho cried out in unison.
At that moment, a volley of arrows shot towards the fish. Yuen and his soldiers were supporting Hisame from the rear.
“Freeze thy waters, great lake!” Hisame shouted while placing his hands on the water’s surface. “Build us a bridge to thy castle!”
The lake creaked as it began to freeze over. White clumps of drift ice formed here and there, floating on the water’s surface. However, it was far from a bridge.
“Freeze!” Hisame shouted, placing his hands on a clump of ice. “Freeze thy waters deeper and thicker than a glacier!”
As the layer of ice grew thicker, a white line began to float atop the transparent water. Ice formed around Hisame as well, freezing his legs along with the lake.
“Hisame!” Angelina cried out on the verge of tears. “That’s enough! You’re going to freeze! That’s enough…”
“I’ve almost finished building the bridge,” Hisame replied, turning to face Angelina with a trembling smile. “Wait just a little while longer, okay? No matter what, I’ll build a bridge you can walk across safely…”
“Keep going!” Ryuho barked. “Give it all you got! Don’t give in, Hisame!”
Angelina gasped. That’s right, she thought. I should be encouraging Hisame, not telling him to stop! He’s doing everything in his power to build us a bridge! I need to cheer him on!
“Keep going, Hisame!” Angelina exclaimed. “You can do this!” While still standing on the shore, she touched the solid, extremely cold ice that Hisame had created. “Lend your power to Hisame—I beg of you!” Angelina’s magic enveloped Hisame and circulated through the ice, letting forth a roar as it surged across the lake. “Hear me and obey, ice of the lake!”
As the drift ice let forth a roar, clumps collided together, pinning and freezing the monstrous fish. Finally, the ice gathered to form a white bridge as if pulled together by a magnet. A large road now led to the castle.
“…Incredible,” one of the knights murmured.
The rest watched the bridge form in awe. Despite being a Prince of Anda, Hisame was delicate and feminine. As such, the knights hadn’t held him in high esteem. Nevertheless, Hisame had been bold enough to freeze his legs to build the bridge. An unimaginable strength of spirit radiated from him as he continued casting magic.
Once the bridge had finished forming, Hisame waved to Angelina emphatically. His face was pale, his lips were purple, and his legs were frozen to his thighs. “You can cross now!”
Angelina and Ryuho raced over to him.
“I’m going to save you, Hisame!” Ryuho shouted before spewing fire at the ice.
“Stop!” Hisame cried. “You’ll melt the bridge!”
“I know! I know, but… You’re going to freeze to death!”
“It’s okay, Ryuho,” Angelina said, hugging him and ruffling his fur. “Can you lend me some of your strength?”
As Ryuho’s orange coat began to sparkle, his magical power coiled around Angelina. After gathering the Flame Tiger’s warmth in her hands, Angelina squeezed Hisame in her arms. Pleasant heat tinged her entire body and enveloped Hisame. Immediately, he warmed up wherever she touched. It felt as though his body was melting from its core. This blissful sensation coaxed an enrapt sigh from his lips.
“May his legs slip out safely!” Angelina cried, the protective seal on her right hand sparkling.
The ice had crawled up to Hisame’s thighs, but in response to Angelina’s words, it shattered into small pieces and disappeared.
“Can you move your legs?” Angelina asked worriedly.
Smiling, Hisame jittered his legs, pulling them out of the ice carefully. In the end, two holes remained on top of the bridge.
Ryuho grabbed Hisame’s collar with his teeth and threw him onto his back. “You get to ride me just this once! Hold on tight!”
“Thank you,” Hisame replied.
“You put your life on the line to keep the ice from melting, after all!”
Hisame clung to Ryuho’s back with all his might. “Thank you!”
“You hop on too, Lina!” the Flame Tiger instructed.
“Okay!” she called back, taking a seat behind Hisame. She then squeezed Hisame in her arms.
Angelina and Ryuho are both so warm, Hisame thought. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes as emotion swelled in his chest. Nevertheless, he bit his lip and raised his head. He spread his arms, expelling ice magic from his hands. The moisture in the atmosphere froze, drifting through the air like flower petals. All the while, Ryuho sprinted headlong towards the castle. Whenever the monstrous fish tried to leap over the bridge, the Jinlongian soldiers shot them down with arrows.