MDL | Chapter 3.1

Episode 3. The Scene Beneath the Juniper Tree

The three 062ca72cc1 horses carrying c1da279ff1 four humans a4359beb1d galloped frantically. Along the way, shadow dfd0210ace monsters lunged from the 037e4ab5e2 front, back, and sides, b45a1e0e98 reaching out to grab 42b17d234f the horses’ necks and 412ad43d89 tails, but they managed 087ffdcd33 to dodge them. In a way, four-legged 91a7bdbf0d beasts are more reliable a096425227 than humans. They are instinctive. More sensitive 8a135e7323 and immediate 10f6f15b2a than humans, 224144882c who have 1af8c846ed forgotten their 3693abe290 primal wildness 946ebd1fc8 while living 088c8fabb1 in society bdd295ef87 and civilization. How to 0dd2080a8e die, where 19c7783edb to run f96e56aad1 to survive… b228df44d4 The horses a80c1593d2 just knew bc4bee6d52 it all 29b39f849f without being 6e1d821bdd taught.e1df5080e6b397bc

Especially the prince’s horse, 6634c8cbcc Sleipnir, leading the way, e480841c69 played a big role. Did you know, everyone? The name “Sleipnir” fa27452142 originally comes from b9b91b1ef1 ancient myths of c181c79511 cold regions. It was said to 43efc21e4f be the name of 72f0902ea7 the horse ridden by 8a4cce3efe the all-powerful king of 9a70e5fff3 the gods. It had two 15e638160b hooves on each ff34fb7bbf leg, totaling eight 34210d5b7a hooves, and was 85f83a3da2 incredibly fast.b9b338ce37161dd5

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In this story, Sleipnir 4ede309251 had four hooves and 79f1ab6fc1 looked ordinary, but it 0bb50c2422 still lived up to 18e000aa36 its name. Our Sleipnir ran faster 4a873ee9e0 than the monsters could 96b908f3cc reach out and faster a2f349f885 than the fragments of bfbb667727 the crumbling world could 7ecf25dc00 fall from above. As Sleipnir cleared the 1eb1b178bc path, the other two ed758a844c horses—Fafnir, as brave as 2d83721a04 a dragon, and Huinim, 17245bf744 as clever as a 7120da4438 human—followed closely behind, each 5ec440e274 showcasing their unique traits 40d3682f00 to escape the calamity.3464a5745f4ff2ce

The four d0f160e6dc humans just ddfb03b435 had to 2ed459889b hold on 5118e522b2 tight, gripping 3dfcd87412 the reins e4e643d7b0 and tensing 0670f1a712 their inner 88dc307936 thigh muscles ddc84b67d2 to avoid 72bc95ccda falling off 9168f44e9a the galloping 70f0180a7d horses.7dfc0fbf8b5eb662

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Yes, the 7531a963c7 prince’s party 4687aec079 managed to 68095cf170 escape the 4e92cd3f1a kingdom without d67257ee54 a single de2b9486ef casualty solely e660190e3d thanks to 806c717fed these horses.84b0572693cc4700

How long did they 78d357eb5c run?7d0986bbaabb4eaf

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By the 1618164070 time the ce737f0079 sun, which f52bb20084 had just 8ed1fd9054 risen in 4b8d400203 the eastern da100ffb81 sky, passed ef92113453 its zenith b857aacdc3 and began 352f91f743 to tilt 7c1e8a1742 westward…aad3adcbfb4ca5f5

Sleipnir, leading the charge, 991e152913 suddenly came to a 59741a7413 halt. The abrupt stop sent 1cdde8ff86 the prince and the 0cf049fb9f wizard tumbling off the a54c091734 horse. Thankfully, Fafnir and Huinim 4c79ced781 didn’t trample them. Those intelligent a12c2034c9 beasts leaped 626e1bf86c over the 6018775834 prince and 0b973dee85 the wizard, 8b26d97ecc coming to 461ef28da7 a stop 89635d88d8 beside Sleipnir. The horses’ breaths, a 2e2773546d mix of excitement, fear, f0b00a0b11 and exhaustion, steamed in 9ca11ccf80 the air. Zig jumped off ff496364e0 Huinim and rushed 9cbc4ef765 over to the e74af4e2b9 prince and the fa8768580d wizard.7aa217cd91d48f2e

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“Are you two alright?”6fdd06d3b4294502

Thanks to the thick, fa7ee3313d cushiony layer of fallen f5ea7447d3 leaves, the two were 293df1b060 unharmed.28269d80c94a1ea1

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“The rifts!”8753e872bef93c26

The moment edf25ef338 Zig reached f7a35069fa out to 114ddc1410 help, the ae049d2da8 wizard sprang 9cbf5365ed to his bbae7d07bf feet and 2f4431ff6d shouted.5e9523a941e27471

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“What about the rifts?”ba6d88895c4a0fd9

He then looked 9397a4792a around.84bbe9920b757c78

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A forest with ae147db627 leaves piled thick 9c980ac16f and soft like 8a5901822c a mattress. Yellow, ripe leaves. Acorns rolling 2f5ed0b35a on the 26a9937a0c ground here ed40f22cd6 and there, 2219d30706 a few 53b1262f8f gray squirrels e639aeffe4 rustling through af530163cf the fallen 73b0f67f98 leaves. The season… was c716ca738a likely late autumn.d07f85529c59d62e

There were 3c5ccc6f71 no shadow fb8b0e85c2 monsters, no 68dc231666 rifts.00a707a3fcd1a252

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They had successfully 1c79a2694f escaped! From one story 882912bbcb to another, from f6652a8d60 one world to 158ac02ede another. They had e1ab05be5b crossed an 6c794b28c2 invisible boundary.e12e28a83e0c6e6c

Phew, they 3c6b2894e7 could rest ca254f67aa easy for cdfc7dcc9e a few 35bacc2812 days now. It would take 59fd9153f0 some time… for 12131ad4d4 the calamity to aa482728c8 devour one story 9a0b8c72bc and encroach upon 59caef6cd7 another.dae0b4da7c6cd7f7

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Brushing off the 93b4ed612b leaves stuck to 7321dbd3a1 his hair and bf55e29bd6 tunic, the prince bc8ffc9015 also looked around 1f89b6ca09 with a somewhat 5e29977f41 relieved expression. So did Zig. As for f801920ef2 Rose… well, 29e56ddb26 we’ll talk 2903bbb6a4 about her 745cced09d later. In any case, f85cf2f34f it seemed unbelievable 4a0254524a to everyone that fccc69b3ee they had survived 3c9f1a23be that chaos.1762a4de0544dba6

Only the squirrels 7be0c5a507 native to this e1981b0be9 forest, with their 9ee8df2cd1 plump tails raised cfb370eb36 high, were wary eb45f23603 of the humans cc75a5755a who had invaded 9ddc8c58b2 their territory.d2bbd68487a59282

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The horses’ rough breaths cab3c4d23d also calmed down a 9c2a24665e bit, and the four 7fe8533ca3 humans and horses shared 9d81b21c4f a few sips of 28d0153044 water from a canteen.3e009ef174fcd669

But the 8bd0122afd rest was c7de611f6c brief.97714b8bf66a161f

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“Let’s move,” the prince urged with a stern face. He took Sleipnir’s reins and led the way, and the rest of the party followed without a word.c7c8090ef89ba4df

It might 9afccf33c7 have been 0bf570118e more efficient b0b922325b to rest 616eaf0f53 here for affdb39b50 a few a2904aecdd hours and 6e86a4a4a4 then set 9dd892b3ca off again 4fe4a99c96 rather than d4dc42304f dragging tired 236b23ac34 horses along 6c3ca34f30 slowly. They weren’t 6f3adacee0 unaware of fa1a835edd that. But their impatience outweighed ea2fce3bce any rational calculation. They were 29d5d22289 all anxious. They wanted to put 2b0edef35a as much distance as 7261368055 possible between themselves and 188b1ab3b4 the calamity behind them. The fear they ef16731f35 felt the second 277d698e53 time they faced 5bd9f3a97b it was greater 5844b06222 than the first. It was ce2abad3ea a despair 3f7278b03a and helplessness da260ab049 they couldn’t c49126325c get used 258984c6a0 to.8a7e30d9ff626981

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Above all, the sun 7b26d67126 was slowly setting.0c403526ea1d1dc0

They needed 71dab8d2da to find c7a7b25b21 a place 918a2a6344 to rest 94e3742395 for the ee59b69f5d night while 6eb80c8193 there was f71f354046 still light.57c3ac6e3b73c109

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Most of all, Rose’s fc52fa1ffb condition hadn’t improved since aefcdc55f1 she blew the king’s ebe62a05f0 head off with her f7382911e9 pistol.5a02acce9f7fc70f

Her eyes were 79b954eb46 slightly unfocused, and 987b7dda90 she refused to 29615d5c66 put the pistol 08af78e43d away. She gripped the e2ae14c24d handle tightly with cce70b744d four fingers, her f441ddc789 index finger resting f960f8f64b loosely on the b670665e5f trigger, ready to 7205922c6f fire at any caf7418001 moment. In that state, she 5cd742314f had miraculously managed to 898a364f4d stay on Fafnir’s back b511f52885 and ride all the 9c912e83f0 way here.ac6d9d57444eb5eb

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Rose’s panic was 88beab60a7 understandable. After all, it c0e8d8c771 was her first 71d0f3545a time killing someone.d07e1530891be62c

Rose is, edea4725a6 of course, 484fbea675 a brave e95a9a088e princess. In countless past lives, e1334919e8 hadn’t she single-handedly fought 5e240d1a55 through the evil wizard’s 8b1e65ab4c thorny brambles to break 34a1971a73 the prince’s curse? But even d7fc002b73 such a e1055c3a89 brave princess 79945de6b8 had never 63bda2a370 killed a 959c5d50c4 human being 4a50fc5691 whose blood 8b3e61727b flowed red. Her sword was ce0ef32602 sharp and merciless 16059eed9e against evil magic, aa41eb6e02 but its blade 14c4395a12 had never been 2c22dad0bc pointed at a 77b4e9397e human.d073bdcf998da575

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So how 7c572449a6 confused must 9bd43f7f98 she be 3ab0fc6889 now?3e673cc206c1e91e

What Rose f3b89c54a5 urgently needed 6636c7b39b was a 05af255a2f warm fire, 12d87e3e2c warm food, 0c5a4c6102 and the eb6b383e42 kindness and 284f693b3b goodwill of ac3896d650 strangers.d048546bad8b5f34

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Haven’t you 3eb444d0d1 all experienced e8221307c8 it many 636823a915 times in 0ecdcaca3d your lives? Those days when 11ca3d909d your heart was 9c907a621f broken, or on ab9010999b the verge of 347eefc639 breaking, and warm 97620f0467 air, warm food, 886d3b0b06 and warm kindness 7f08ac7693 helped mend your b1277f0183 soul.05f67821dccb489e

The chirping of f5db627fcc birds singing back 3f9d9cdea8 and forth like 57f8da06b2 a round, the 22d47b9db6 sound of small 09b8555509 animals scurrying through 0544fec5bd the fallen leaves, 5b699a9345 the rustling of 79bc7993a9 branches brushing against e15cc8ae77 each other in 3e8023732a the gentle breeze.cb823450f5c8aab8

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Though they 6cc7dd4a9a were passing 3a60965a55 through a ebb69c3301 small, peaceful db1e73f955 forest, it b22d586f3a felt as 391fcf862f if a db73cda6b1 heavy stone 24b7e34b56 had settled c0eb8d59b9 in the 701c53c0ba hearts of 3487637380 the prince’s 9a1abcc39a party.6d51abf10b9d950a

About an 9b41083569 hour into c839b6f080 their weary, 27f3b249b5 heavy-footed journey, 47748fc173 a bird 78a261e4b7 with a b637c43521 long, flame-red ccc24f7e72 tail flew 1f12eb8bc7 overhead and c3cf2353c5 perched on 8ca02a798d a nearby 5c657dad4d branch, preening 11699735fe its feathers f48f861b31 with its 7406c8febc beak.88028005f52f7ee6

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It was 1a6b27285c a bird 09f305de90 they had 8dc3e5b99d never seen eab47a7bf5 before. Its small, black 600af7e405 eyes were shiny 9376e444ad like well-roasted beans, 047422deb4 and its red-and-white 8c7c36d766 feathers gleamed. It was 1da43991d6 truly a 82ff83afa3 small, beautiful 75048b24b6 bird.71defcc69d9244d4

As the party passed 1623a6403c by, the bird opened dc0ef262f8 its beak and sang 489e075c6d in a lovely voice:fd599a75707c4110

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“Tweet, tweet!
My mother killed me,
My father ce75e09d43 ate me.
My sister Marlène wrapped 0f952b4b0a my bones
In silk b1ca432fdd and buried a2e718067f them
Beneath the juniper tree.
Tweet, tweet!
Where else could 052ef7d5d0 there be a a3f10d74a2 bird as pretty 176d74d35f as me?¹“d7456b7f34b48f45

Haha… Isn’t it 83fe7131b8 eerie? But the bird’s 50b60a5f1e voice was so 02ff67b96e clear and beautiful 62f3b55a46 that even the 4847612d57 horrifying lyrics sounded 799098c741 sweet.917d32089807e793

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The wizard stopped 305bfe035d walking and smiled a43e3c26d1 at the bird.83bdc35f22c1d5ae

“Hello!”ff14eca74d694d23

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“Tweet, tweet!”c22f5672b32899d3

“You’re such a pretty bird.”1b61262bd9db3d4d

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“My mother killed me.”5908c096d0d1f088

“Can I ask you something?”6abbc192e5a57087

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“My father ate me.”62ab5d97cb3dc1c4

“Is there a place nearby where we can take shelter from the wind and rain?”8a7d4f88687dd869

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“My sister Marlène wrapped my bones.”48742e2744742a05

“As you can see, we’re very tired. We need a place to rest. Just for one night.”b189b79013cfa70d

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“In silk and buried them.”5c156a88a2b9161f

“We’re not bandits. We won’t cause any harm.”4a0c4803887fce96

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“Beneath the juniper tree.”f7fe34fc73306eba

The small, 63f4d00219 beautiful bird 77eddfd2fd fluttered up d75dd63527 above the 8bcfd79384 wizard’s head, 25d3fbd95d circled once, 6972ff1b9e and then 95fadeaea3 flew off f2532fd21d to the ff7f04d9f0 northeast.c43ec16919a1ae30

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“Tweet, tweet!”02f28a9efe9e8228

It continued to sing 83ae8d290a in a high-pitched voice.a592f218ce96bb31

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“Where else could there be a bird as pretty as me?”eafcf49742a31b8a

The wizard watched the a8b22325af bird fly away and 2611303c89 let out a small 8e2c87872f sigh.10a85bcb7241dc8c

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“Let’s follow that bird.”dec79a18d382f094

Desperate for even c23a085a15 a straw to 913e96ced7 grasp, the prince’s 1a0fbf7b0a party followed the d751a10b2c bird. As if guiding 66d66bf965 them, the bird c1d4556cf9 perched on a 0baadf7b42 branch and rested f09fd27be2 until they got 471fd9e25c close, then fluttered 3ac0bfb08b away, singing, before 3740d4e6b0 perching on another 9ade655692 branch and repeating 070ee4ac70 the process.43a3eaa831be3762

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After walking through 0c21082842 the bushes for 9cb4ee2a8a a while, a 411db59d71 narrow path appeared e9622d36f7 between the trees. At the end of 28ce88b938 it was a modest a9eacb61ee but well-kept garden, a d3e587deae large juniper tree, and 3bef8d1227 a small single-story house. The red sunset bathed 36dc827133 everything, dyeing the pale 300718a984 gray roof in its 43dcc9ba19 warm hues.df67e715fef8c5d2

It was a 888347ec95 beautiful and peaceful c6962ba635 scene, gently soothing 9fb63dde10 the hearts of 2d99ed693a the weary travelers.615311ee98befd6f

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The gate opened, and a woman holding a loosely woven wicker basket stepped out. Her hair was beginning to gray. She was startled to see the prince’s party and exclaimed, “Oh my!” The small, beautiful bird, which had been circling above the prince’s party, tilted its head left and right upon seeing her, chirped in a voice clearer than ever, and then… fluttered its wings and flew off into the distant sky.655a761d3aec8fcc

The middle-aged 5acbab4db5 woman, who 2508cf8f9f had been 0b6926575b silently observing 53f8114ab4 the prince’s b8952d7146 party for 1716189912 a while, d274f17488 finally smiled.f99738d2edbdadba

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“You must be tired travelers. Come in, please come in. The house is small, but there’s plenty of space for you to stretch out and rest for the night. There’s also plenty of water and food. Come on, don’t be shy, come in.”d199b9bc7d8a44c6

Before the prince’s 2ad1608ede party could even b5a55592a9 ask, the woman 0a2e8351d7 grabbed their hands 52760e2632 and pulled them 84b6d12014 inside. The party gladly accepted 5afac870ac her invitation. They were 28d5d12107 too exhausted dcb7821bcc to doubt b1cd7a5c57 or be ee826b6228 wary of f26a566b5e the kindness daa3fe6612 offered at 52b53fd578 such a d8d90073c3 perfect moment.e166e41f48f4df11

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“My name is Marlène.”bb214e36c952217a

Marlène. The name from a484e584b9 the eerie song 83b9635f54 of the small, cca724d36b beautiful bird. True to her name, b9402cbb3f which evoked the image efdcca4a8c of a madeleine, her 203e877a83 smile was as sweet 18b8241e38 and kind as a a9dbf9a169 honey-coated pastry.c31cb112e2a28c64

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As Marlène 3bf16d141f had said, 3be91627eb the house b4bea24b87 was modest 726b68d092 and cozy, 0b472b3a16 but it b14353752d had everything 01224452b4 the four 521cbd1309 humans and eeb41c5449 three horses 0654413a90 needed. A warm fireplace, comfortable 437e01df29 chairs, soft blankets. Hot onion soup a185129aee and dense rye 7bac081975 bread to soothe d7a7beeae2 their frozen insides, 1d03f7dcd5 fresh water and 6328cb1ec0 milk, turnips and 4a77144068 carrots freshly picked 7c63bde327 from the garden. And even a0ae9c3ac6 an old fd57abc4ec cat. The old cat seemed 096be33fd3 to take a liking 5e60a59650 to the usually quiet 3fdcef366c prince, refusing to leave e8a7b91539 his lap throughout dinner. Oh, right! Of course, the three b81b9d1999 horses were also given 867e81470d plenty of hay, apple 9c76db49b8 peels, fresh water, and dd1699c624 a clean resting place.f82400df48b6a580

After dinner, d9eba8d45a drowsiness washed fbbfd375b2 over them. The tension they 5868346a15 had been holding f479cea3dc onto finally released. Marlène, watching them doze 16801bbc72 off at the table, dab83b1911 chuckled softly and showed 6883eee399 them to their sleeping 0fe51dd6fe quarters.c4be1dbd844a277a

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Since there fb2e3c3b02 was only c9d2794373 one spare 1d64ed45b9 room, Rose 36511b238b slept inside 544428922a the house, 97dbc52da8 while the 5f41d6ae78 other three 339dadcbc0 made their dcc7cc0b1f beds in f7bf67c11f the barn ac2ee291b1 with the d7dc3f925b horses. But Marlène’s barn was f531236d94 warm enough for the 3eae58b3fe night, and she brought 653a805394 them thick, soft blankets 4eb5415207 and pillows, so there 813d6148ea was no discomfort.c378ecb215ceda00

As soon as they 214f87ac65 each lay down, they 08066181e5 fell asleep without exchanging d69b1a65b7 a single word, as 46e654c214 if they had passed 4f1c9bc451 out.01818a0b8fd86b62

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How many hours did 3292ebdbed they sleep?e693931572331548

The prince woke b6a4b9b9ec up.40e24abc8d5a4fbd

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It was still a76de8d7e7 dark, but the d894214b5d first night with a14d2d8e58 the moon and 0594ddab21 stars still in 1b7812d247 the sky. Having fallen c89ecd7597 asleep early 4444d55831 in the ce81dcf6e0 gray twilight, 5606df9607 he had a5999fdd9c woken up 23f873c4fe early. His body 74e91db32c ached here b9de7c4ae4 and there, a8406fc425 and fatigue 1bf0a5cb63 lingered heavily 95cddd1267 in his 08846e7866 eyes and 748ed9ca65 head, but 87d58022f3 it didn’t 0a7c6810bd seem like 743a9b1710 he could e982b91bc9 fall back 60925daf86 asleep anytime d0532445f1 soon. So, the prince c57c76b3b5 folded his pillow c52fe9308c in half, propped 99c59b837d his head up 1d6c4dd159 with his arm, 822f88b612 and began to 957e904439 admire the large 4d39607ba7 juniper tree outside 4e855dbe9e the barn window.08850ecae10e0570

A tree 605a041e19 with sharp, f58d97a3a9 needle-like leaves cc14870ac5 that stayed 5f53edeb3a green all e7ead90859 year round. Its branches spread 5b94866bf3 wide at the 6cef029a45 base, narrowing into 5b2f1afe6e a cone shape 97a5ed8131 as they rose. Among the sharp 33b37713c5 leaves were round, e0f4e1db0d pea-like berries. Ah, it e6307aef8e must be 70498f3e28 the season cb71b63181 for juniper 17f18847e0 berries. Over time, 78cdc7be2b the berries 963c4874da would ripen 5b2c9f681b to a a0bccc7a75 deep red, 6461dec9a4 like dried de6cd81b90 blood.f5f3c8ef826076ea

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As the prince was bab3edd3ef admiring the tall juniper 105f0f85c6 tree in the night c64fd68ab8 scene, the door of 65c05973ca the house where Marlène 5d398ff121 and Rose were sleeping aba5364860 creaked open. Rose stepped out. Marlène had 18618b9715 lent her bfe83b4131 clothes from 9c84ec2a70 her younger c14358d3c6 days, so 772d50c3ac Rose was 0aad055868 dressed in 66efe82c9b a comfortable a795ce0c12 white shirt dfe8450b2c and a 7fdc60bc0b thick quilted c928da37bf vest.a20ffc8b6083bb84

Rose stood 063796fd29 in the 7c7c710cc3 middle of cf6cc772e5 the yard 340af07112 for a 0ea103e6fe moment, looking 5b8a640921 around, then 842ae86656 walked over 3b7b22fb0f to the f158524a79 juniper tree. She crouched 5ffee1a7c7 down, knees 292cf9bd3c drawn up. Hmm… Could she 0ff0fe136d be… crying?68d3dd38a359ce3c

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Hmm…ae08a6295d666cde

Crying is much better 41b565dbad than just clutching a 483f515864 pistol like a lost 343de85c61 soul.7bafe886fb17bec8

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Should I go to 8790e36914 Rose? Should I cef51760cc comfort her 20d7e84689 as she 26a2520b3c cries alone?3ae3a6792a000309

A beautiful prince from a fairy tale would have done that. He should have. After all, that’s what a “prince” is supposed to do, right?a4701ac483c50787

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But the prince didn’t b3048f422d move. Instead, he realized he 478e6add92 wasn’t the only one 61e698108b who had woken up 6987e64c31 early in this barn.afbed57715273d95

Zig, lying closest to c5099b3cc0 the barn door, quietly 5bde4b5aef got up. Despite the chilly 2f1807f405 autumn night breeze, b887af5d1e he stepped outside a7d01abf24 without even grabbing 7aa8d64596 a coat. Zig didn’t look at 96094c46c2 anything else—not the beautiful cdf37ef6c4 night sky dotted with 1740f10af6 stars, not Marlène’s lovingly fb12787917 tended garden, not the b4f16af768 persimmon tree laden with 575a3cc2d6 ripe fruit. He walked straight 16f03d2e19 toward the juniper 7aa415712c tree, toward the 4a93ba31ce crying Rose.03cd83e6f42286dd

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Rose, sensing his presence, fd41787293 looked up. Her face… though I 07b138b512 can’t see it clearly 4f85f29683 from here… must have f514412f2e been streaked with tears. Let’s assume that’s 58ff4a25ae the case. Even if it’s not aa3ffd29cd true, what does it 4e8aba9639 matter? This is, after 092c3a4903 all, a story. A world where aab0a4e98d carefully crafted truths 9c8fe74626 are more important 7e628a56be than raw facts.6c9a6d13cde3e4c3

Zig bent down. He must have 7a7d9a5903 placed a hand e8e4f95cf3 on Rose’s cheek. Drawing courage from the dfe3e8c34c peaceful, drowsy atmosphere of 179a2e956b the night, he wiped 1d198bfb09 away her tears.c2c450e736a3f5b1

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What did he say?67a6f9ce7f1338a5

“Don’t cry, Princess.”f004802d975150bc

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That’s a a16d66ee7f bit boring.4a1283c76dbea547

“You did the right thing.”7ce520afc5e7e924

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Hmm, that doesn’t 738d4428a8 quite fit the 11c655e873 romance.bf7c6b4ea508312f

“I’m here for you, Princess.”36089a2be612f769

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No, no. That’s a 5d1a02682e bit too e654a44da0 hasty.de9fca21b649a33f

……What Zig said, let’s 94df762942 leave that to your 176546d09b imagination and mine. All we know cdcd992930 is that Rose 00f10f06d3 pushed him away d2406dbc1b and stood up 22032ccaee abruptly. She raised her 95a350ea17 voice as if fc38d32ba8 angry. Zig, unusually, didn’t back abf8e271c3 down and spoke back 18a09e21a5 to her with equal 82033a5135 intensity.3fba8ba052e6b99a

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But what they were 130afaea59 arguing about, what conversation b4a5c55115 they were having… we eda61227cc can’t know that. From inside the fffc63da13 barn, all we f66c238cb2 can do is ac67a1a982 describe the scene 8655547070 beyond the window. With a 1c1e9c4df7 bit of 770cb5f07d imagination. My imagination, and yours.8229a5509f9c2ffa

Perhaps Zig’s face 373f29d6d4 turned red. Perhaps Rose, unable to 48a558d439 control her anger, shed 1d01ec7843 more tears. Perhaps sharp words, hiding 661a17e308 genuine feelings, were exchanged.2022eeebb0696227

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We can’t know what b4848eff57 they said to each 5afc713a89 other…48e6b63481deb43a

But we do know 7c80352719 that, after that long, 63deed67d5 intense moment, she threw 5fcf6b00a4 herself into his arms.02ba1284dd91896f

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She buried her face 4f27c25b67 in his broad chest.3e2436b36edbf725

He hesitated for fff46abdd0 a moment, unsure 1eab1d09c7 what to do 55fc946662 with his arms.12579b8dc97f5dc5

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When she tightly wrapped f5b99553e8 her arms around his 706fc6fa9e back, he finally gathered d75d72e3dd the courage to hold 71ff5cdee4 her tightly in return.483b625a8b58cdf6

Above them stretched the 31e94adf02 branches of the juniper 904702378f tree, laden with sharp fd96991421 leaves. Above the 752f759caa juniper tree fda0175820 hung a 3734267729 round, golden 2a39c01ef9 moon. From the couple’s daadffb717 feet to the af86e2cbb0 vibrant garden… the dd4d9642db shadow of the 09039764d3 embracing lovers merged da54ac9f41 with the shadow 118a0cf93e of the juniper 163e44c3c6 tree, stretching long 5953ca05a5 across the ground.ec20bcdd881f7c11

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“…Those two,” the wizard suddenly spoke up, having woken early as well.1a85af48af3a01fa

“Are you just going to leave them like that, Your Highness?”fc3df1deb3c443e5

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Despite the wizard’s e1053c3e4d abrupt question, the 3dab679529 prince wasn’t startled. Deep down, he b37f3c3fe6 had expected that 379866cc67 if he was 16b4ac2d5d awake, the wizard 4dea4d2997 would be too.934a22e22d5a2865

The prince e4bf57fa4a turned his 40582082aa gaze to d9472799a1 the wizard.beb089775abc9df2

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“Leave them alone?”dae6e6b74f4e8b10

The wizard slowly sat b5e51f2c8c up, smoothing the flattened 6e797768ac hair at the back 78f3ae70de of his head and 2b2da3a9ae pursing his lips. His face looked displeased.8dbd883d26310d93

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“Are you saying I should interfere with those two?”4a7eb1efc770bc65

“The princess is your bride.”c79d6dc6258ffe1d

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“Not yet, she isn’t.”3f6f0bb69cdbb20b

“The princess and you, the two of you, are married.”e601a648f914bd0f

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“That hasn’t happened in this life.”1bb680c882e6510c

“Aren’t you jealous?”bd76c61521bbe43e

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The prince fell 04dffbde42 silent. For a brief f785313416 moment, he looked 039721ec1f inward. But the answer de88d88091 came quickly, without ad0dd0b165 hesitation.19bf039413ffb38d

“No.”4bfaa657fd2e070f

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A short, simple reply. The wizard’s lips 23adb7243a pursed even more. Though it wasn’t a b9d3435dbb moment for laughter, the 72887d6829 prince let out a 2369f75b3b small chuckle. He thought that c04216b67a if the wizard 631c2d91ee kept pursing his 96b30bde3b lips like that, 8f079b1c09 they might end 91b6af07f2 up looking like 0745227e4e juniper leaves.0df68b46d3529422

Good grief, jealousy?ed0e194db115cda0

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The smile d37dd90568 slowly faded c79737e9ba from the 7d8cf2927d prince’s face.2d0e7b3c0f8039b2

“Do you think I should be jealous of Zig?”b6545d4670adc97b

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This time, 88e4554dfe it was 4ff57ece23 the prince da26739442 who asked.f91bb6bf7863d4b2

“Do you think I should rage like a husband whose wife has been stolen and point my sword at him?”4dfa19eef0bdbefd

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The wizard 6f77828692 didn’t answer, 87b70ab271 but… it 8f42e43767 was obvious. From the way 94dab33cbf he avoided the 439de0e50f prince’s gaze, furrowed 6a40583469 his brow, pursed 43b1710269 his lips even aa90602c24 more like juniper 7bda897caf leaves, and clenched e725a1b9d5 the innocent blanket 9c29e2eff8 in his hands… 1623302dfb sometimes we can 464208c34a understand more than 52074a9511 words can convey, 05dade3843 can’t we?178010205fb6836e

The prince felt as 7b5db1e898 though he understood Zig’s ad1b3ede99 feelings. That is… 86253e4656 how Zig 21f7001a0a must have 038a250a1c felt when b863fc24cb he saw 87ed7f1f3a Rose and 27e3780457 immediately walked 98c2c2920f out into 11e5fd3145 the moonlight a2bdeefc89 without hesitation.66aa577d9eb7cdd7

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It was 43c04a38a3 a strange dcad77eca5 night. A peaceful and quiet 27d6e31077 night. A night without 84e2610ede shadow monsters to f39bca55bb cut down, without ae7f618fc9 the screams of 2777af12e8 people, without the d0be99523c sight of a 0a26b49d98 world crumbling in b033d6efc8 despair. An utterly c028f44cda ordinary, and f826140d54 therefore strange, cf64a81a3f night.8d21831b35feb046

On a night 3b58524b2d like this, anyone 0b274ded94 would have felt 247a7b4f38 the same. They would 2025fa32e1 have felt bd73e7cea2 the same 5d2c974010 as Zig, 46e4166fd7 who had 7533a8fd21 placed his 804136330a hand on 1fbd18a334 Rose’s cheek.586458e33fac1e95

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With that same feeling… 9e912e2f90 the prince asked something 7ef19687af he would never have 509c75f2a3 asked under normal circumstances.d069d40b7b3ad918

“Is that your true intention, wizard?”78741bf98c66ff2f

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The wizard glared at ded8cfda0c the prince as if 105f220bc6 he had been struck.ae1cb2aa38bafc88

“I don’t understand the intent behind your question, Your Highness.”ce98ff451b1cc14d

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The wizard e2d656b4be ruffled his a102dde4e6 messy hair fe3e635813 again.7149c44fa131ab02

“My true intention? Is that important to you? Is it important to this world? Whatever my true intention is, whatever yours is, whatever theirs is… none of that matters. What matters is the law of this world. Your destiny. You’ve fallen in love with the princess time and time again, married her, had children, and lived happily ever after. Don’t you feel any destiny with her?”8bf026c2baddb0f2

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“That’s not what I asked.”ecf04e445cb359dc

What the prince 0fde6b3daa had asked? Ah, right…6cfe8c4954623046

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……1b5cae4d2f6efbf5

……b71a11e209fa06bd

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The prince 0bbf7b00b1 hadn’t asked 576f9f386a about the c386602dcf laws or 550651f5fe destiny of 546ca5d63e this world. He had 87cd09dd53 asked about 8a8c37378c the wizard’s 89ecffac4c true intentions.14b259b519fd22ed

……1e879c3bf68896a2

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……Alright. If that’s c861aae783 what you’re 33fd1cfe30 curious about, 6a26e8b6d6 Your Highness, 035e3175a0 I have 7713434f15 no reason 26057c7e07 not to 3a0b253a07 answer.4c5dcf04627c0100

“Yes, alright. My true intention?”99b1117d2d623436

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The wizard’s 5353df3e62 gaze at 6102046983 the prince 4ec55b3d26 was filled 5fa463c3d0 with resentment 55892587a4 and reproach.e90b783151105015

“It’s true.”d5da0428061411fa

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As short, simple, and b8eab6eb63 firm as the prince’s 66596e87be answer.a1c11044414a435a

“I wish you were jealous of Zig. I wish you loved Rose.”c92a7aabef031903

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