Mistra was hard at work, exhausted but diligently reading when a blast of cold air smashed against the side of the castle, causing the stone to moan and a cold draft to seep through any crack in the stone it could find. I had been near sleep, drowsing in bed watching my consort and longing for her to finally give in and go to the bed for the night.

“What was that?” she said in a hushed tone, seemingly wide awake now.

“An early winter gale?” I suggested, though I knew it would have to be very early and even so, they typically did not blow hard enough to be noticeable inside.

“Extend your magic.” Her voice was barely above a whisper now and she was on her feet, face looking more serious than I had ever seen it before.

Panicked, I sought my core and released my magical senses, in an instant I could feel that the magic of the castle suddenly felt foreign and wrong. I expanded my aura around the room and went searching the hallways and stairwells for a source, but it didn’t feel stronger in any particular area, the atmosphere of the whole castle had somehow changed. The castle itself and area around it had always radiated a sense of ownership and belonging for me, like it would bend to my will if asked, but now it felt closed off and cold, resistant to any attempts I was making to connect with it.

“Something is very wrong,” I said, rising to my feet and getting dressed as quickly as I could. I didn’t know where I was going or what I was planning to do, but a sense of urgency had consumed my body.

There was a loud knock once upon our chamber door, then it was open, Feros stepped into the room and seemed relieved to find us both on our feet and anxious.

“Gather everything you possibly care about,” he instructed in hushed, serious tones, “I would prioritize people over objects, the faster we leave the better.”

“Leave?” The hair on my neck was prickling now from either the cold or the foreign magic, perhaps both.

“Oh yes,” he said with a laugh that lacked mirth, “I don’t think you’ll want to stay around and fight to stay. Perhaps if you could convince me to stay then we could defend a bit, but we are ultimately over our heads now.” He suddenly went quiet and motioned for us to do the same and swiveled his head around in different directions as if trying to pick some faint sound. “We have half an hour maybe,” he finally said, “but I wouldn’t give it more than half that just in case. I promise I will explain once we are all safely in the demon realm.” Without giving me chance to question any more he bolted out the door, I assume to start gathering his own important items.

“I have to take my book,” Mistra said, panic rising in her voice, “I can’t leave it behind in case something happens to it.”

I picked up the servant bell kept on the vanity and rang it several times in the pattern used for urgent matters. Within moments a harried and tired looking older woman entered the room. She seemed to be unaware that anything strange was happening, though she had unseasonably bundled up in an over sized shawl.

“I need you to find the two strongest people in the castle and have them rush to this room, they need to move something immediately to the basement with no questions asked.”

The woman’s eyes flitted between the two of us, her face dropping as she realized that something was seriously wrong. I could see she wanted to inquire about what was happening, but then decide against testing my patience when I was already stressed and instead bowed deeply and scurried down the hallway to do as she was bid.

While we waited on the servants to come take the book, we each took a bag that typically held odds and ends that didn’t seem to have a proper place in any other drawer or on a shelf, emptied them, then went about refilling them with sentimental items. I managed to get much of Evonia’s old jewelry along with my own chosen pieces and other odds and ends such as letters or journals I thought might come in handy later to fit in the bag and have it be reasonable light enough in case I had to run. As time was progressing, the foreign magic felt like it was growing stronger, pushing forcefully against my own and filling me with the instinct to flee, I was prudent enough to know that whatever was behind the magical force was something I could not hope to stand up against in a fight.

Our help arrived just after we agreed that we had everything else we truly cared about. The woman who was the head of kitchen arrived, her arms toned from helping lug around large volumes of flour, potatoes, and other heavy items daily, the other servant I recognized as the smith, he arms nearly half again hers from hours of daily work with his hammer. If I got to see the servant who fetched them again, I would commend her on her quick and accurate thinking of who best to send. Both looked concerned and confused, though not nearly concerned enough.

“My consort needs this book moved to the basement immediately,” I instructed, pointing to the unmistakable tome. “There is no time for you to question the why or what’s happening, simply follow Mistra, keep your mouth shut unless necessary, and comply with her commands like you would for me.”

The pair looked uneasily between themselves, but quickly moved over to the book and began figuring out the best way for them both to get a grip to carry it. Mistra put a stray piece of paper in the book to mark her place, then helped them close the heavy cover and stepped back for them to start lifting. I picked up both our bags and moved over to hand hers to her.

“Get to the basement and wait for me,” I instructed. Her eyes were wide and she looked as if she might complain about going without me. “There’s no time to argue, there’s something I need to check on and then I will be joining you, but if for any reason I don’t show up and Feros says it’s time to leave, do it.” Her eyes welled up, but she nodded. I leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips, then pulled away and placed one also on the tip of her nose. “I will be fine,” I assured, then I turned and left the room before any tears of hers might start my own.

The hallways of the castle were eerily calm, though alarmingly cold and with each passing moment it grew even colder, by the time I made it to Mari’s chambers my breath was beginning to crystallize in the air. Before I could push open the door, Mari came rushing out, a large bag on each shoulder.

“Yes yes, I’m fine,” she said tersely, “you shouldn’t have worried for me and just gotten yourself out. Feros has already been by.”

“Had I not at least checked on you I would have never heard the end of it,” I called back as I raced further down the hallway. Just around the corner was Tiffany’s room and I had a feeling she would be none the wiser about what was happening.

“What’s going on?” the princess said sleepily after bolting upright in bed.

“We need to leave, now,” I commanded, offering her my hand.

“Are we being invaded?” She stumbled to her feet, trying to stuff her feet into a pair of slippers but missing entirely in her panic.

“No questions, just go,” I commanded. I could sense something was drawing noticeably closer and our breaths were now solid white.

“But my things,” she protested and swung her head around the room, trying to pick out what to take.

“You came here with nothing, it doesn’t matter if you leave with nothing.”

Not giving her a chance to protest any further, I firmly grabbed her arm and dragged her to the door, her slippers only half way on her feet, falling off before making it to the door.

“But-”

“No!” I snarled.

There was no more protest, but whimpers of pain and complaint about the death grip I maintained on her arm. I didn’t want the girl losing her wits and deciding to get loose and run back for anything, or if anything alarming happened, her collapsing to the ground and making me lose time to pick her up. The steps to the basement were growing a coat of frost making it dangerous to fly down them with any real speed, but I couldn’t risk slowing down. At about half way down the steps, Tiffany let out a cry as her feet slipped out from beneath her, but I was able to keep hold of her arm and drag her the rest of the way and only gave her a fraction of a section to get her feet again before I ran at top speed towards the ritual room. Tiffany and I just made it through the door as the room tilted and shifted with magic, the ritual to cross the barrier complete. The princess collapsed like a sack of potatoes onto the ground as she fainted from the overwhelming presence of magic and I let her thump to the moss coated ground of the demon castle. The two servants who had been carrying the book collapsed as well, causing Mistra to gasp in alarm as her valuable book toppled with them. She gave it a quick glance to assure it was safe, then raced across the room to me and threw her arms around me.

“I’m so glad you made it,” she said softly, her breath deliciously warm against my freezing ear.

Feros let out an audible groan, then leaned forward and began to take great handfuls of the moss that made up the symbol on the floor. “Alice, help me,” he commanded. It seemed his valuable item had been the girl.

Looking at all who made it, there was only myself, Tiffany, Mari, Alice, Busby, the two servants, Mistra, and the fiend.

“Quickly,” he hissed.

Alice sprung into action, seemingly largely unaffected by the change in realm and began to mirror him, ripping up large chunks of moss. They didn’t stop until the symbol was entirely gone and all the moss around the area had been destroyed as well to a point where you could no longer tell the symbol had been.

Feros let out a held breath and stood up straight. “We are safe, for now.”

“What’s happening?” I demanded to know.

“It seems that our little Alice isn’t good at following direct orders,” he grumbled, casting a withering glance at the girl. She nodded her head and kept her eyes trained on the ground in shame. “Your court is now being inhabited by the Winter Fae and I’m not sure how exactly to convey just how tremendous of a problem that is.”

Mari’s face paled to a worrying shade of gray and she dropped her bags at her feet. “The Winter Fae?” she murmured. “I had heard of their existence, but surely something so… terrible could not really exist.”

Feros nodded to her seriously and turned to me. “This is not what you want to hear, but this might very well be the end of the House Yser.”