The laughter never stopped.
It was strange. Just the other day, war had been decided against a southern marquis house, and yet
the people of the North weren't worried in the slightest.
Am I the only one who feels uneasy about this?
The ministers and nobles were already in a festive mood.
"I did not know, Grand Duchess! Please forgive my disloyalty!"
"Think nothing of it, Sir James. These things happen. I know well where your loyalty lies."
"I shall drive back the southern rabble and return in triumph!"
A send-off ceremony was held just before the wedding.
The wedding preparations had already been completed, but did the send-off really need to be done like this?
Am I the only one worried that this decision was made too hastily?
"Hexon, I'm a little concerned."
"About what, my lord?"
"Whether I decided on this war too rashly."
"That is precisely what makes you the Grand Duke, my lord. Never fighting a battle you cannot win — is that not the very essence of Wintergard?"
Hexon gave a lengthy answer, but wasn't it hollow at its core?
Yet the response that came back was not from the North's Minister of Internal Affairs —
it began pointing to the attitude of a typical Northerner.
"Whatever else may be said, doubting the Grand Duke or trying to destabilize the North under the banner of principle — that is not something that can be forgiven, is it not?"
"That much I know."
"It was entirely righteous anger, my lord."
"That — Andrea Wintergard? A Wintergard I've never heard of. All Wintergards are accounted for elsewhere, aren't they?"
"Indeed, my lord. This is someone we have never heard of."
It may have seemed rushed, but there was no need for concern.
That was Hexon's conclusion. The army carried ample provisions,
and from the soldiers stationed with House Barth to the military funds —
the position was favorable as well.
"There is no reason to lose, my lord. Even if this is a matter of politics, I see no reason anywhere for the North to lose."
"Is that so?"
"It is, my lord. If House Barth's forces and the main army move in simultaneously, their momentum will be broken in no time."
"I trust your judgment."
James and Dorgon.
The two seemed to have nothing in common, yet there were quietly many ways in which they were alike.
But there was one clear difference between them —
it was the difference in how they saw a situation.
James was weak at seeing the larger picture, but in actual combat he was on par with Leor, or perhaps even beyond him.
Dorgon was truly poor at crossing blades, but he had a talent for seeing the larger picture.
"Dorgon will command the whole, while James serves as his deputy and leads in battle. Understood?"
"Yes! My lord."
"Trust that Dorgon has something in mind. You understand?"
"Yes! I will return victorious without fail!"
As James stepped back,
Dorgon came forward first.
At a send-off ceremony, the commander of the expeditionary force is named. At that moment, the Grand Duke's Banner is lowered, and the commander is told to return only in victory.
What needed to be said to Dorgon was simple.
"Return victorious without fail. I have no need of prisoners, and the political matters will be resolved afterward."
"Yes! My lord!"
"Give everything you have, and go teach those southern fools what it means to fear the North!"
"I will give my utmost!"
Dorgon received the Grand Duke's Banner.
The send-off ceremony concluded modestly.
But what mattered now was the wedding.
"Now that the send-off is more or less done, let's discuss the wedding."
"My lord, the nomadic tribes also wish to attend the Grand Duke's wedding."
"If they're siding with us, they're always welcome. Can we make room for them?"
"That is a bit risky, but... I will ensure they come without soldiers."
"Do that."
He was following along with the ministers' opinions.
Laughter.
We just held a send-off ceremony.
We're going to war! War!
"Aren't you worried?"
"Do you mean about the wedding, my lord? We are doing our utmost to..."
"No, I mean the war."
".... Do we need to worry about those southerners?"
That was Berdo's word on the matter.
His opinion was simple.
"They are nothing like the fearsome nomadic forces, nor are they as powerful as the Traitor of old — what is there to be so worried about, my lord?"
".... You're not wrong."
"Besides, Zamuchin and the other ministers aren't the least bit worried either."
"Right. I suppose so."
"In any case... no matter how I think about it, the Grand Duchess's dress really should be white..."
Right now, everyone was fixated solely on the wedding.
White would suit Daniela's dress well enough. All things considered.
"Still, I think a dress adorned in black would suit the Grand Duchess."
"Come now, Hexon! That shows a complete lack of aesthetic sensibility!"
"I am merely saying that black better suits the North!"
"White!"
"Black!"
It's not a funeral — a black dress is a bit much, isn't it.
I stepped in to stop Berdo and Hexon, and turned my gaze to Daniela.
Black? I mouthed the word, but she shook her head.
Then white? Daniela nodded.
"Let's go with white. Black is too much for a wedding."
"As you wish, my lord!"
"There's surprisingly a lot to sort out, isn't there?"
"We must also send letters to the nobles and ministers of every domain."
"They all know already."
"The customs of the North require...!"
"Fine, I'll write them. That's all."
With that, the meeting was over.
Several days had passed since returning from the Northeast, and there was still quite a lot to be done.
Mountains of political and economic matters for the North!
I had expected work — but it turned out to be nothing but wedding-related matters.
Without my knowing, Winter Castle had been fully decorated, and now they wanted my approval — what for.
The study was piled high with wedding-related documents.
"I couldn't go through a second wedding after this."
"I know what you mean. There's some here for me as well."
"Daniela, should I just handle all of it? You must be tired."
"I'm fine. My lord. This is all my work to do as well."
That was the proper bearing of a Grand Duchess.
Even if the North revolved around the Grand Duke,
it didn't mean the Grand Duchess had no role at all.
The problem was simply that there hadn't been one until now.
"Right, let me try writing some letters first."
He stacked the pile of papers sitting on the table.
Originally, they had been paper he'd set aside to write to Daniela to improve their relationship.
Either way, it seemed they were serving their purpose.
"In the end, we're writing wedding invitations by hand, aren't we?"
"Hmm... I suppose so?"
"I'd have to try writing one to know. Really."
It was already proving difficult.
The solution was to write one proper letter, then simply change the names.
There wasn't nearly enough time to write each one individually.
"Daniela, could you help me?"
In the end, he needed Daniela's help.
Daniela looked puzzled as she slowly made her way to where he was sitting.
"This is a first, isn't it? You asking for help."
"Mm, I suppose. I don't usually say things like this."
"I'm happy to help. My lord."
"Are you? I'd have to try writing one to know."
He had written official documents before, but he couldn't very well write a wedding invitation like an official document.
He sat before the blank paper, turning it over in his mind.
He needed a good opening line.
"Wouldn't it be best to simply be honest about it?"
"Honesty. It's not a political matter, so I suppose that would be fine."
"Then shall I try writing something like this?"
Daniela laid out a sheet of paper and dipped the pen lightly in ink.
She composed the sentence slowly. There was a brief moment of hesitation, but
it didn't take her long to write.
"This is what came to mind."
"What did you write?"
On the blank paper was a metaphor about a flower and a wolf.
A wolf can find a flower even in a snow-covered winter.
Hmm. As a metaphor, it was very good.
"Because a wolf, too, waits for spring."
"That's not bad at all. I like it."
"You always like the sentences I write, my lord."
She was right.
Even when Daniela wrote something in jest, it never once failed to resonate with him.
He would use this as the opening line.
"The wolf wanders in search of a flower, even in winter."
"That revision works well too."
Once the first words came, he filled the blank page with sentences in quick succession.
He was able to honestly convey to the page what he wished to say to people, and what he felt.
A flower and a wolf.
Daniela had already become a Wintergard.
The crests each symbolized were different. House Barth's crest — well, he couldn't even remember it.
"I wrote it like this. What do you think?"
He showed Daniela the letter he had written.
The signature and seal had not yet been applied, but if Daniela approved, he intended to stamp it immediately.
"It's wonderful. My lord."
"Good, then we'll go with this. Could you call Alfredo?"
Alfredo entered from outside the door.
Alfredo took the letter and replied at once that he would have it sent to everyone without delay.
"My lord, this Alfredo is overjoyed. What — what a joyous occasion this is!"
"You were worried too, weren't you, Alfredo? Everything will be fine now."
"This Alfredo... with his very life!"
"I understand. Go send the letters quickly."
Alfredo stepped out of the study.
The wedding was now certain.
===
Sent by Theodor von Wintergard and Daniela von Wintergard.
Nearly thirty years have passed since the wolf set out in search of a flower.
Through the winters, across the wide fields of snow, I have waited for spring to come.
At some point, not knowing that a flower had bloomed, I walked on believing that the first flower I ever saw was all there was for me.
Now the wolf has welcomed spring, and found the violet.
Just as spring follows when winter has passed,
I ask that you celebrate my spring with me.
Theodor von Wintergard.
===