Understood. I have removed the highlighting and kept the text clean while maintaining the tone and the context-for-context style.

  An ice-cold wind howled across the landscape. On the island of Galvarad, a place buried under layers of ice and snow, several figures on horseback appeared like tiny black dots in the vast white. The horses trudged through the frost, visibly shivering, exhausted from the long journey, their movements heavy and sluggish.

  "We have to stop, Sir Gioghes! We can't push them any further like this," one of the servants shouted over the gale.

  Gioghes hated the idea of stopping. He wanted to escape this frozen hell as quickly as possible, but he had no choice; he could see the horses were at their breaking point.

  "There should be a camp somewhere nearby. We’ll push until we reach it and then hunk down," the knight yelled back.

  The servants nodded and followed. Each of them was bundled in a thick black cloak, hoods pulled low so only their eyes were visible against the biting cold. Amidst these dark figures, one stood out maiden in a cloak of white leather, appearing like a light shining in that dark, miserable place.

  They were nearly at the camp. It should have been visible by now, but the weather took a turn for the worse—something Gioghes hadn't thought possible. A blizzard erupted, the wind slamming into them with such force that it became nearly impossible to move. Still, they spurred their horses onward, desperate to find shelter. The animals were on the verge of collapsing when the snow-covered camp finally emerged from the white-out.

  They pushed their horses with everything they had, snapping whips and pulling at the saddles as if they could force their own energy into the dying beasts. The horses bolted toward safety, but one of them began to lag behind. Eleonor's white horse—usually the fastest and most agile of the lot—was trailing at the very back. Eleonor urged the animal on with all her strength, but they were still falling behind.

  It was then she noticed the ice beneath her beginning to crack. Panic seized her. Terrified, she lost her sense of what to do. She lashed the horse once, then twice; the animal lunged forward briefly but quickly slowed back to a crawl.

  The rest of the group had already reached the shelter when they looked back and saw Eleonor struggling against the crumbling ice. Gioghes wheeled his horse around, intent on charging back to her, but the ice shattered right before his eyes. His own horse was so spent it could barely stand, let alone make a jump.

  "Just a little further, Princess! Just a little more!" the knight roared, his voice pale with dread.

  Eleonor reached the edge of the camp's solid ground, but a gap of broken ice lay between her and safety. Paralyzed by fear, she froze. The white horse, sensing the danger, found a final burst of speed. It neared the chasm, gave one massive leap, and landed safely just as the ice behind them gave way completely.

  Gioghes rushed to the Princess and helped her down from the horse. Eleonor was in such deep shock she couldn't utter a word. The knight ordered the servants to take her inside immediately. They obeyed without question, leading her into the shelter where a fire had already been lit.

  Gioghes turned to the white horse and stroked its mane. "Well done, girl," he whispered. "You served well today. You saved your rider." The horse bowed its head as if in understanding. He led the animal into a covered area, draped a cloth over it to keep it warm, and gave it some food—mostly their own leftover scraps, but it was all they had. After tending to the other horses, Gioghes brushed the snow from his shoulders and stepped inside.

  The group was huddled around the fire. The servants were swarming Eleonor, bringing her various things, but something caught Gioghes' eye: one of them was holding a piece of wool and a bottle of vodka. He knew Eleonor hated vodka and would never touch it. There had to be another reason.

  He approached the girl, pushing the servants aside, and saw a gruesome sight. Eleonor’s delicate hands were raw, covered in blisters and open sores from gripping the horse’s reins so tightly during the flight. The servants were using the vodka to disinfect the wounds before bandaging them. She was in clear pain, but she clenched her jaw, trying to hide it.

  Seeing this, Gioghes was furious with himself. You idiot, he thought. How did you not realize a horse like that wouldn't fall behind without a reason? She doesn't even know how to ride properly. And look at her hands. If my father were here, would he have abandoned us like this? How am I supposed to lead this girl, to protect her, when I can't even foresee the simplest things?

  The servants finished bandaging Eleonor and led her to a separate room to rest, carrying a flaming log to start a fire for her there. Gioghes considered going in to speak with her but then thought better of it. She’s exhausted. I won't disturb her. He was about to sit by the main fire when a servant called his name. "Sir Gioghes... the Princess is asking for you."

  He went to the small room immediately. It was sparsely a bed, a small table, and a single painting on the wall. The fire was roaring, and Eleonor was sitting near it, her bandaged hands resting on her knees as she warmed herself.

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  "You wished to see me, Princess?" the knight asked.

  "Yes," Eleonor began in a soft voice. "I wanted to see you because you are the person closest to me in this world."

  Her words stung the knight’s heart. For a moment, he felt her pain—after all, his father, Raonis, had been a man of great duty. But then he remembered the girl’s past. She wasn't a hardened warrior; she was a tender soul who had never truly seen the darkness of the world.

  "Princess, forgive me. I should never have let you ride alone. “This is my fault," he said, unable to think of anything else.

  "Do not blame yourself, Sir. By the grace of the God of Light, I am alive and I feel better."

  "But Princess, your hands..."

  "I will be fine," she interrupted firmly.

  "From now on, you will never be on a horse alone. I will ride with you; you will simply hold onto me."

  "That isn't necessary, Sir Gioghes. I don't want to be a burden," she said, speaking to him as if he were the king and she the servant.

  "The only 'burden' I have, Princess, is the weight of worrying about your safety. To ensure you are safe, I will always ride with you."

  "Thank you, Sir. I don't know if I will ever be able to repay the debt I owe you and your father."

  "You owe nothing. My father charged me with your protection, and he chose this path himself. He chose you. He chose escaping your bastard, traitorous uncle overstaying there."

  "My uncle?" she asked, surprised.

  "Yes. Your uncle Vaelor, your father's brother," the knight replied.

  "Sir Raonis never mentioned him," she said, looking confused.

  Gioghes hesitated. He assumed his father would have mentioned the name at least once, but clearly, the girl knew nothing. "My father didn't tell you because you were young. He didn't want to burden you with such things."

  "Can you tell me now?" Eleonor asked.

  Gioghes wavered for a moment. "It's better if you rest now."

  "Please, Sir Gioghes. Tell me. Just a small story about my family," she pleaded, looking at him with eyes that could melt any man's resolve.

  Gioghes was charmed and finally gave in. "Very well. I will tell you." He moved closer to the fire and was about to sit on the floor.

  "Sir, sit here beside me. The floor is too cold," Eleonor said, shifting to make room on the bed.

  "It’s fine, I’ve seen worse," he replied.

  "No. I want you to sit beside me," she insisted.

  Gioghes hesitated, then thought, What’s the harm in sitting beside her? He sat on the edge of the bed. "What do you want me to tell you about, Princess? Pick a topic, and I will tell you everything I know. But only one story for tonight—the rest will have to wait." He gave her a small smile.

  "Alright," Eleonor agreed, falling into thought. A thousand questions raced through her mind, but she had to choose only one. Finally, one question pushed the others aside. "Can you tell me about my mother, Sir?"

  The knight nodded. "Your mother was a magnificent lady, Princess. Just, dignified, kind..."

  "Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but when I asked Sir Raonis, he told me the same thing. Tell me something else. How did she look? What made her special? What did she love to do?"

  The knight chuckled. "Very well. Queen Meralyn had silver-gold hair that reached her waist, just like yours. She had those same beautiful blue-violet eyes. Her face and body were flawless, as if she had been carved from marble."

  Eleonor listened anxiously. "So... my mother was beautiful?"

  "Beautiful?" Gioghes wondered. "That’s an understatement. I’ll never forget the day my father introduced me to the King and Queen. I was only twelve, but her face is as clear to me as if I saw her yesterday. She was so beautiful that everyone’s eyes were drawn to her. Every man dreamed of her. She was the second most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

  "Second?" Eleonor asked, surprised. "After such a description, she is still only second? Who is the first, Sir?"

  The knight didn't say anything at first. He smiled, looked down, and then looked Eleonor directly in the eyes.

  "Me?" the girl whispered, startled.

  "Yes, Princess. You."

  "But you described my mother so... how could anyone be more beautiful than that?"

  "I ask myself that every day, Princess. When I saw your mother, I thought I would never see a more beautiful woman. But now I look at you, and I realize I was wrong. It’s true—no one can be more beautiful than the way I described her. But your beauty is more like that of a goddess than a human."

  The knight felt a sudden surge of nervousness, wondering how she would take his words. Eleonor blushed deeply, overcome with shyness. "Thank you, Sir," she finally whispered.

  "That was her appearance," the knight continued. "Your mother was very calm and balanced. She never spoke out of turn, and she never made anyone feel beneath her. She loved flowers and plants. She loved embroidery, singing, and most of all, playing."

  "She loved nature? She loved to play? What did she play?" the questions tumbled out of her.

  "Your mother adored nature; she would often walk through the gardens of Aelis just to look at the different flowers. As for her music, she played the clavichord."

  "A clavichord? What is that?"

  "It’s an instrument with many keys; each one gives a different sound. Your mother was a true virtuoso. The melodies she created enchanted everyone."

  "Was she the best in the kingdom?" the girl asked, fascinated by her mother's talent.

  "No, Princess. She was one of the best, but not the very best. The greatest player was Frido Shoranis, who lived in the mountains of Isenvar. He was special."

  "What made him better than my mother?"

  "Your mother composed music for outward pleasure—for dancing, for weddings, for balls. Frido was different because in every note of his work, you could feel his emotion. You could feel the pain he endured, the sorrow and grief, but also a flicker of hope for something better."

  "I see," the girl said. "Sir Gioghes, Sir Raonis once mentioned that my mother had a pet. What was it? A dog? A cat? Maybe a parrot?"

  The knight let out a hearty laugh.

  "Did I ask something funny?" Eleonor smiled back.

  "I don't know if you could call what your mother had a 'pet'."

  "What was it then?"

  "Your mother had Miritez."

  "Is that an animal I don't know?"

  "No, Princess," Gioghes laughed. "Miritez was your mother's giant serpent. It was as tall as a hundred-year-old tree and it breathed fire."

  The girl was stunned. She had never even dreamed of such a thing. "And that was my mother's pet?"

  "Yes. She loved it with all her heart, and it loved her in return. It was by her side until the very moment we escaped on the ship."

  "And where is it now?" the Princess asked.

  "That... I do not know," he replied. "But that's enough for today. You should rest. I’ll go check on the horses."

  "Alright, Sir," Eleonor replied.

  Gioghes stood up walked heavily to the door, pulled the door handle, and left the room.