Melrose was not a difficult territory. But it was a neglected one.

  Ever since Aria had cimed it and decred it under the dominion of the Rainbow Sword guild, the region had enjoyed unshakable peace. No bandit dared to strike. There were no vilge disputes requiring intervention.

  But it wasn’t due to good governance.It was due to fear.

  The reputation of Aria and her guild kept enemies at bay. Yet the vilgers still patiently waited for someone to fix the roads, organize the harvests, collect taxes on time—or at least keep records.

  And Aria… simply didn’t.

  Not out of ziness or neglect. It was just that, to her, the world didn’t revolve around stamps and signatures.

  So when Elena—now resolved—asked to stay in exchange for helping, Aria nodded without much thought.“Do what you think is necessary. If things improve, it’s better for everyone.”

  No formality. No contract.

  The Disordered Office

  The guild's archives were a mess. Unsigned reports. Vilger requests mixed in with warnings about wild beasts. Urban pns buried in dust. A trained crow—no one knew who sent it—pecking at outdated maps.

  Elena rolled up her sleeves, asked for tea (which Snow handed her in silence, without making eye contact), and got to work.

  Within days, she had organized the requests by district, created a basic accounting system, and established specific days for meetings with vilgers, soldiers, and artisans. All with an improvised seal that simply read: “Approved by common sense.”

  Responses didn’t take long.

  Vilgers began arriving in droves. They wanted to say thank you—or rather, they wanted to keep proposing ideas. It seemed the entire territory had been waiting for someone who not only listened… but actually replied with more than “do as you wish.”

  Aria the Unbothered

  “Does it bother you that I’m making decisions for you?” Elena asked one afternoon, while setting up a meeting between local leaders and guild members.

  Aria looked at her from the rooftop where she sat, watching the wind ripple through the treetops.

  “If you were doing anything harmful, I would’ve stopped you already. But you’re not. So… go ahead.”

  “You’re very strange for someone who leads a territory.”

  “I don’t like controlling people,” Aria replied ftly. “I just want them to live in peace. If you can make that better… then do it.”

  Elena sighed.It was like talking to a rock… a beautiful rock that shimmered in moonlight and could probably cut you in half if you woke it up wrong.

  Snow, the Cold-Eyed Cat

  As for Snow, Elena had tried to speak with her several times. She thanked her for the tea. Greeted her in the mornings. Even invited her to observe the administrative changes.

  And Snow…

  ...completely ignored her.

  Sometimes Elena doubted if she was alive or just a decorative statue. But then she’d see her move with the precision of a trained killer, vanishing through a window without a sound. Or watching over Aria from afar, like a territorial cat that didn’t need permission to protect what was hers.

  “She doesn’t like me,” Elena once said to Aria.

  “She doesn’t dislike you,” Aria replied without looking up from her book. “She just... doesn’t ‘like.’ She doesn’t do that.”

  Elena didn’t know whether to ugh or worry.

  A New Bloom

  Little by little, the fallen princess began to bloom in Melrose. Not as a noble, or as a leader… but as someone useful. Someone needed.

  She asked for no titles. Demanded no respect.She just worked. Patiently. Tirelessly.

  And so, people began to follow her.

  Not with fanaticism. With silent gratitude. Like the vilgers who, after receiving her help, began leaving baskets of fruit or bread at her door.

  Like the guild soldiers who, after seeing her reorganize their shifts to avoid double-duty, started greeting her without being told to.

  Like Snow, who one afternoon, instead of ignoring her, offered her an umbrel when it started to rain. She said nothing. Just left it there, as if by chance.But Elena knew it was her way of saying “Well done.”

  Ashen Reflections

  And Aria… simply watched. From afar. With the same unshakable expression as always.

  But when a patrol returned wounded from a mission, and Elena rushed to the infirmary with bandages and fwless organization, Aria was the first to arrive—covering her with healing light. Silent. Powerful. Undeniably protective.

  She might never say it.Might never admit it.But she already considered Elena part of the guild.