That day was really cold. All the places were covered in white. Even though the snowstorm had passed, the cold hadn't gone yet. When dusk comes to replace the sun with the moon, the gusts of wind will be even crueler than before.

The main roads became empty. There would be no one selling anything. Only a fool would peddle his wares when that time had come. Common sense knows clearly, life is more important than selling your stuffs.

Suddenly the galloping of the horse's legs ruined the silence of the evening. An old man became its rider. In the rider's mind, he assumed he would not find anyone there. But that assumption was false.

When the old man passed through a small alley, he could hear something. Shortness of breath, weak voice, small movements. All these things he heard from a small alley that was dark and smelled awful.

Curiosity made the old man got down from his horse and looked inside. Changes of light did not help his old eyes to adapt quickly. Yet slowly, he could catch the figure of three small children. They couldn't be more than ten years old kids.

Two boys and a girl. The horse owner thought they were only innocent children, he could have approached them easily. However, the second false assumption was made.

Rest was a nonexistent thing in their days. Bruises had become their friend. One of the two boys moved. His legs looked shaking against the cold of the day. However, the look on his face tried to hide it.

With a trembling voice, the little boy spoke.

"Go away."

Albert, the old man, clearly understood that look on his face. Full of vigilance that was clear on his face. Distasteful feeling mixed on his face. Something which surprised Albert. Too much hatred in a small body.

"Calm down, I won't hurt you. All of you. I won't hurt you."

Unfortunately, those sentences were ignored. They hadn't changed at all. At that moment, precisely the boy began his attack.

A small knife was held in his fist. The boy swung the knife with the despair that followed him dearly. The same thing happened again. The old rusty object was the only protection for them. But little did he know that even his enemy understood how to fight.

The knife was stopped by the old man in front of them. Even Albert's feet did not move an inch. That only made them more depressed.

"Lucius!" the attacker called his another part.

His hands let go of the knife. Quickly, his feet kicked the knife toward the other two children.

"But, Darius ..."

"Do it, Lucius!" Darius insisted.

Albert was a little surprised. He wondered, what those small bodies could do. The boy whose name Lucius, immediately took the knife from the ground. The first attack was just a decoy. The second, Lucius, was the real attacker.

Albert's hand released the wrist of the boy he was holding. However, Darius was trying to hold it now. Little Darius held Albert's wrists tightly with his small palm. While the second attacker ran behind Albert. Lucius aimed at the old man's neck.

Just to avoid was not a problem for Albert. He removed his hand from Darius and easily bent. Although they were small children, Albert did not appear to show mercy. He kicked both of them until their back was hitting the wall.

The attack did not stop there. Giving up was not an option for them. Determination in Darius's eyes.

"Adelle!"

The remaining girl's lips cast a spell. Ice needles began to form around the girl and shot toward Albert. It was not difficult for the old man to deflect and avoid all the needles.

Lucius tried to stand up, to once again tried the attack. However, Darius had seen the gap of their powers, compared to the old man. He thought deeply, that their enemy was probably a former knight.

"Stop," Darius said.

It was clear how Lucius and Adelle could hardly believe the one word that came out of Darius. But the decision was heard clearly. They obeyed it. Lucius let go of the knife, while Adelle just waited, what would happen next to them.

Albert sighed clearly. Their faces were pale in the face of cold. Where the hell their energies for attacking come from.

"So what did you all do?"

"Survive, old man, survive," Darius replied. "What were you doing?"

"Just walking around when brats attacked me," Albert replied again.

That situation was really bad for them. Feeling the cold, hunger, along with their drained energies. They couldn't even run. In the end, the three of them knew, they might end, soon. Whatever shall happen at that time, they could no longer think.

Lucius seemed to hug the girl. Trying to warm the little girl's palms with warm blows. Time was rolling, and the air became colder and meaner than before. Even Albert's warm clothes could barely protect his old body from the winter wind.

The old man could see their movements. The three of them were also cold. A small alley was not a good place to talk, especially at night.

"This is too cold," Albert commented. "Let's go to the palace."

Darius raised his eyebrows, suspecting Albert. What was the old man up to? Unlike others who would ask them, where their home and parents were, Albert did not commit so. Much to their surprise, the old man invited the three to the palace.

"Palace?" so Lucius asked, repeating Albert's word.

"Why? You'd prefer to freeze to your demise here?"

"What are you going to do in the palace?" Lucius asked once again.

"And ... and people also cannot enter carelessly into the palace," Adelle who finally opened her voice, said.

"I could."

Darius' eyes were rounded and widened to hear that. He then understood what was happening. The old man in front of them was the King of the land they stepped on, Rosewell. Darius also knew what kind of consequences awaited. The consequences called fate of execution and death.

"Lucius, take Adelle and run!" Darius cried out.

But another voice stopped Lucius from doing so.

"Wait a minute!" Albert yelled.

The old man massaged his forehead. He was curious, what they were thinking, especially Darius.

"No, no! I said this earlier. Calm down, I won't hurt you."

Silence filled the air. Darius did not move, so did the other two small children. His mind was weighing, what should he do to save the other two. He didn't mind dying, yet he couldn't let the two suffered the same fate.

"Darius, right?" called Albert.

"Yes, Your Honor," Darius replied with a nod of his head.

"So do you want to come with me? I can promise you a good place."

Darius looked at the King, then looked at his two younger 'siblings'. Albert understood the concern and the sense of responsibility of the boy.

"Of course, they are coming too, if only you are. I promise I will give you a decent place."

"Fine. But don't touch Adelle," Darius replied. "I will do anything to repay your kindness."

His tone was dead serious. Albert was sure, there was a tragedy that had happened in the past. He didn't know what that was. Yet, for the size of a child, Darius was a way too matured.

The Rosewell King sighed again.

"You know, it's too cold here to talk and also ... I've never had a child," he said. "So I want you to be my child."