A Dawn on the Cold Shore
Still pitch-black at dawn, with no trace of blue light yet.
Arkin quietly opened the door and stepped out into the corridor.
“Are you the prince?”
Drawing in the cool, crisp air as deeply as he could, he had just reached the entrance when someone suddenly stepped out from the shadows. A short, middle-aged man with a torch raised high tilted his head, gazing at the prince’s face. The firelight swept over Arkin’s features and then retreated back into darkness.
“Arkin Prince?”
Arkin nodded, and the man’s face immediately lit up with joy.
“Ah, yes, right? The prince of Solinar, Arkin? Well, I’m the ‘headman.’ I’m in charge of managing the elephants on this island.”
The headman set down the heavy sack slung over his shoulder with a grunt and, with a rough hand, offered Arkin a long, slender rod.
Arkin opened the sack the headman had brought before sending him away. The mouth of the heavy bag parted, and a sweet scent wafted in.
“Fruit. The elephants are going crazy for it, so I packed plenty. Shake one out gently from the bag, and it’ll drool.”
“Mm.”
Arkin felt the weight of the large fruit inside the sack.
“But if they don’t listen, use this rod to tap the ground. They’re terrified of that sound.”
Arkin examined the long rod and was certain it was a kind of whip. Even for animals, hitting them was distasteful, but perhaps it was better to lure them with the fruit they loved rather than scare them.
“The coast is huge. Where should we go?”
“Ah, yes. Just go down there, then head north a bit more. He should be playing near a large rock that’s about a man’s height.”
“I see.”
Arkin thought that was the end of the conversation, but the man did not leave right away. He paused and watched Arkin with nervous eyes. The headman’s face, lit by the torchlight, was clouded with unease.
“Well, Your Highness, about the elephant… actually…”
The headman sighed deeply, as if the ground were opening up, and let his shoulders droop. He looked as though he wanted to speak but wasn’t sure.
“Why the elephant?”
“You have to eat it with a steel heart.”
“What does that mean? Is it dangerous?”
“Well, not exactly… hah.”
The hesitant headman stepped close to Arkin as if he had made up his mind, then sneaked a glance at the torch and whispered in a low, secret voice.
“This crazy elephant is different from the others. He’s as crafty as can be. He spends the whole day causing trouble by the water, and if you trap him, he’s the type to slip away like a ghost. I told the foreign prince and princess they shouldn’t be entrusted with such a mad elephant… but these priests have to listen to me.”
The flickering shadow of the torch danced across the headman’s face. Yet Arkin did not panic; he shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s an animal raised here, so there must be a way to handle it. If you tell me how to do it, I’ll figure it out.”
The headman let his shoulders droop in embarrassment before grabbing Arkin and detailing every step of taming the ‘mad elephant.’ Even after that, he glanced at him with lingering concern.
“…Can you really do it?”
***
Arkin walked across the dew-wet grass. The stars began to dim one by one, yet the eastern sky remained pitch-black. Cool, clear moisture seeped between his toes, sharpening his senses.
They reached the end of the path, but Nefetia was nowhere in sight. Arkin set down the sack and lantern at his feet and took a brief rest. The steady crackle of the oil wick filled the quiet, and he listened with pleasure.
The wind blowing from the sea brushed the leaves. The sound of them rubbing against each other was much like the one he had heard in the winter forest, and Arkin fell into a reverie. The cool, clear air that washed away Solinar’s chest, the landscape of the ice lake, and the forest where he hunted the reindeer came to mind.
Strangely, he missed his homeland less than he had expected when setting out. He had no desire to wander. He had lived loving only Solinar his whole life, yet…
“Why are you out so early?”
Nefetia, who had appeared late, smiled brightly, showing her teeth. Her golden eyes sparkled even in the dim dawn light. Arkin had secretly worried she might be unsettled after facing Petra yesterday, but seeing her bright expression as always brought him great relief.
“I didn’t come out early… you came late.”
Arkin’s light teasing made Nefetia grin and reply in kind.
“But you came out, didn’t you? You should be honored to walk with me. If you see Kepet, you’ll understand what I mean. How sacred the time before dawn is.”
The bold, carefree attitude from their first meeting had given him a headache, but now it made him laugh. Arkin chuckled and picked up the lantern and sack he had set down.
“Let’s go down to the shore. The headman prepared a lot and told us where the elephant might be.”
The elephant was said to be a bit strange, so Arkin almost told her but closed his mouth instead. He didn’t want to spoil the mood with unnecessary worry.
The two walked side by side toward the sea. The sound of waves came from far away. Plop, plop. Their footsteps naturally matched the regular rhythm.
“Hey, Arkin. You looked really tired yesterday. Are you okay?”
Nefetia, who had broken the silence, seemed to have been secretly worrying a lot despite her playful tone, her eyes carefully studying Arkin’s face.
“Me? I’m fine.”
Arkin deliberately straightened his shoulders. He wasn’t trying to reassure her. In fact, the fatigue had washed away completely. Far more energized than ever.
“And you, weren’t you supposed to come with Zafiri? What am I…”
“What! That’s ridiculous.”
Nefetia pouted, her expression bewildered. She then added quietly.
“I’m grateful you raised your hand for me.”
“…Then I’m glad.”
Arkin walked while casually waving the hand holding the lantern. They didn’t exchange much more. Occasionally, when their eyes met, the gazes drifted apart.
“What’s the dawn like in Solinar? Is it cold?”
“Mm, cold and dark. And quiet.”
Arkin replied. His voice was slightly hoarse, so he cleared his throat.
“How cold? Like your teeth are chattering? Everything covered in cold ice?”
The clear, curious voice approached again. Arkin answered calmly, mindful of his own voice.
“It’s not always like that. We have summer and spring too. But there are places where the snow doesn’t melt even in spring or summer.”
“Really?”
Nefetia’s voice rose.
“Of course, it’s always cold.”
Arkin shifted his gaze farther away because his chest itched at the trivial question. The crashing waves mingled with the sky darkening to deep blue.
“I’ve never seen it, so I don’t know. What about snow? Like ice shards? Or like sand? Soft?”
“It’s not like sand at all. It’s very white and cold. Touching it makes your hand sting, and it turns bright red right away.”
As she answered her question after question, fine sand began to sneak between his sandals. Who cared about snow. It was always cold in that region, so…
Just as it was natural for Nefetia not to know the winter forest because he didn’t know the desert, this fact kept drumming at Arkin’s heart. He looked down at the ground beneath his feet and said ambiguously.
“If there’s an opportunity, I might be able to show you.”
“Really? It means you’ll invite me to Solinar someday?”
The moment Nefetia stopped, their gazes locked. She must have been consciously avoiding eye contact.
“Well, if possible.”
Arkin forced himself to change the subject. After hesitating for a long time, he finally asked.
“More importantly, Nefetia.”
“Mm?”
“You said on the first day that I was your fated soulmate. That’s what I want to ask about.”
Arkin hesitated a little before finally bringing up the question he wanted to ask.
“The king of Kepet never marries and doesn’t have a companion for his whole life, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The calm answer came, but Arkin’s face grew more flushed. It was fortunate the darkness hid it well.
“But you have sixteen concubines.”
A brief silence fell. The only sound was the waves filling the space between them.
“…Why, in a life like that, do you insist on having even one person as your Hetasept…?”
“Arkin, what do you mean by ‘a life like that’?”
“I mean…”
“Maybe… there’s an opportunity to sleep with sixteen men, and you’re desperately looking for one person. Is that what you’re asking?”
“If that offended you, I’m sorry. I was just…”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
Nefetia stopped abruptly and glared at Arkin. Pain flashed in her lowered eyes, and Arkin fell silent.
Nefetia looked at Arkin. The black hair of her head danced in the sea breeze. In the faint light, their shadows gradually became clearer.
“That’s nothing but a duty given to the king. It’s something you must do even if you don’t enjoy it. It’s something you do compulsorily so you don’t care which man you sleep with as long as the heir is born.”
Nefetia sighed and added.
“For some people, it might be enjoyable. But not for me. Mother didn’t look particularly happy either.”
“…So that’s how it was. I understand.”
As Arkin gradually understood the situation, his heart raced uncontrollably. He had never thought this kind of pain existed. It was the first time he realized she had shadows too.