Chapter 1
Chapter 1 – The First Lesson
The first rays of the morning sun struggled to pierce the endless clouds that hung above the snow-covered mountains.
Winter ruled this land.
It always had.
A cold breeze swept across the white rooftops of Frost Village before gently ringing the bronze bell atop the Church of Saint Aurelius.
Dong...
Dong...
The sound echoed through the valley.
Inside the old stone church, warmth replaced the bitter cold outside. A fireplace crackled softly in one corner while colorful light from stained-glass windows danced across the wooden floor.
Six small children sat on simple benches.
Four boys.
Two girls.
The oldest among them had only seen five winters.
One of the boys sat quietly near the window, watching the falling snow instead of talking with the others.
His name wasAlvane.
An orphan.
Unlike the other children, he rarely spoke unless he had something worth saying.
Standing before them was an old priest dressed in a long white robe.
His silver beard reached almost to his chest, and although age had bent his back, kindness still shone brightly in his blue eyes.
The children simply called him...
Father Cedric.
The old priest closed the thick book in his hands and smiled.
“Children...”
“Before you learn to read the words of men...”
“You should first know the world the Creator has entrusted to us.”
The children immediately fell silent.
Father Cedric walked toward a large hand-painted map hanging on the wall.
“Our world is vast.”
“It is divided intoeight great continentsandsix mighty oceans.”
One boy immediately raised his hand.
“Father!”
“Is our kingdom the whole world?”
Several children laughed.
Father Cedric chuckled.
“No, my child.”
“Our kingdom is only one small part of a much greater world.”
His finger moved across the map.
“We live in the northern region of the eastern continent.”
“It is the largest continent known to mankind.”
“Upon this continent stand many kingdoms...”
“Some rich...”
“Some poor...”
“Some peaceful...”
“And some that have known nothing except war.”
His finger finally stopped on a kingdom painted in pale blue.
“This...”
“...is our home.”
“TheFrost Kingdom.”
Every child’s eyes followed his finger.
“Our kingdom is known throughout the world as the Land of Snow.”
“Our winters are long.”
“Our rivers freeze.”
“Our mountains touch the clouds.”
“Our people have learned to live alongside the cold instead of fearing it.”
A little girl smiled.
“I like the snow.”
Father Cedric laughed softly.
“I know you do.”
He continued.
“For nearly four hundred years, the royal House of Frost has ruled this kingdom.”
“The royal family’s surname isFrost.”
“They possess powerful Ice Magic...”
“And it is said that even their Sword Aura carries the blessing of winter itself.”
One boy gasped.
“Can they really freeze rivers?”
“So the stories say.”
The children’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
Father Cedric smiled before picking up a piece of white chalk.
“Now...”
“Enough history.”
“Today’s lesson is reading and writing.”
He slowly wrote the first letter upon the black slate.
“Knowledge begins with a single word.”
The children eagerly copied each letter onto their wooden writing boards.
Some letters leaned sideways.
Some were backwards.
Some looked more like drawings than words.
Father Cedric patiently corrected each one.
Time passed peacefully.
Until one small voice broke the silence.
“Father...”
A young boy pointed toward the two girls sitting together.
“Why are they learning with us?”
“My older brother said girls shouldn’t study.”
“He said girls who learn become witches.”
“Or maybe they’re daughters of nobles.”
A few children nodded.
Father Cedric quietly placed the chalk on the table.
His smile faded.
“Do you know...”
“...who spreads those stories?”
The children shook their heads.
“The nobles.”
The room became silent.
“They fear knowledge.”
“They cannot stop every common boy from learning forever...”
“So they spread fear instead.”
“They tell people that girls should remain ignorant.”
His eyes rested gently on the two girls.
“My children...”
“It is already difficult for a common-born boy to receive an education.”
“For a common-born girl...”
He sighed.
“It is far more difficult.”
“And learning magic...”
“Or becoming a swordsman...”
“Without the support of a noble house...”
He slowly shook his head.
“...is harder still.”
The children listened quietly.
A moment later, Father Cedric smiled awkwardly.
“Ah...”
“I’ve wandered away from today’s lesson again.”
The children laughed.
“Now...”
“Where was I?”
“Oh yes.”
“Our world is not inhabited by humans alone.”
“There are elves...”
“Beastfolk...”
“Demons...”
“Dwarves...”
“Giants...”
“And even those born from the union of different races.”
“They all possess their own kingdoms...”
“Their own cultures...”
“And their own histories.”
Silence settled over the classroom.
Then, for the first time that morning...
The quiet orphan by the window raised his hand.
“Father...”
Father Cedric smiled.
“Yes, Alvane?”
The little boy looked at the map.
“So...”
“If every kingdom has a king...”
“Does that mean we only need a good and powerful king?”
The old priest stared at him.
For a long moment...
He said nothing.
Finally...
He smiled.
“No.”
Every child blinked in surprise.
“No?”
Alvane repeated.
Father Cedric slowly walked toward the church window.
Snowflakes drifted gently outside.
“Tell me...”
“Why must power belong to only one person?”
No one answered.
“Why can’t the people choose someone to govern the kingdom?”
“For a time.”
“And if that person fails them...”
“They choose someone better.”
The children exchanged confused looks.
Those words were too strange.
Too different.
Too large for five-year-old minds to understand.
Father Cedric looked back at them with a warm smile.
“You are still young.”
“When you grow older...”
“You will understand.”
The church bell rang once more.
Outside...
Snow continued to fall upon the Frost Kingdom.
Inside...
Six children quietly returned to their lessons.
None of them knew that one simple question asked by a silent orphan would one day shake kingdoms...
...and change the fate of the world.
