Soft, white snow scattered on the ground and danced lightly along the air, the leafless trees billowing from the slight breeze. It was chilly but it wasn't biting anyone out of their skins, however it was enough to make them shiver. Those who were lucky enough who had been born with tolerance to the cold had gritted their teeth and carried on with their jobs. The rest stayed huddled in front of the warmth of the fire, hoping the snow would stop soon.

Snow. Snow's everywhere. Beautiful, but a deadly killer. Once upon a time it had frozen and stacked in piles it became layers of ice, unlucky villagers had slipped to their deaths. Blood upon such pretty snowflakes.

At least they were all accidents.

The Maria and the Sina had been in war for over centuries, generation after generation, year after year. It was all sort of a scheduled system. Every winter there'd be a mournful Christmas, dead bodies upon dead bodies, pools of crimson and defeats. There were never any real winning. Still, they prayed to their Gods they would win somehow, someday - but that day never came.

Every winter, swords clashed against flesh and shield. Every winter, cries of pain and victory echoed throughout the white landscape.

Every winter the snow stained red, with two flags embedded admist the dead bodies.

If it weren't for the Prince who led the front line, Maria would've lost everything.

No. There were no words need to be said. All it needed was the look of his icy eyes and it would surge their gears with such determination equal to angry bulls - it was what charged them to thrust and parry, to cry out their spirits and to abandon their wishes to live suffering but to die trying.

The cold Prince - Levi is his name. Once he introduces himself, you'd never forget the name, you'd never forget the face. Cold may be his face like the snowflakes, but there was always burning passion under the heavy armour of metal. He may have no heart but he has one, clear mind. One passion that bursts through the white snowflakes of the winter.

"Mike, see anything?"

"Nay." he huffed. "Useless birds don't satisfy anythin'. Prob'ly the fox, not for the people of Maria. Ugh, probably the stupid snow got them all dead."

It was usual for the nobles to hunt or buy as much livestock as they need. At war in the winter there'd rarely be any time for hunting for food, and they were going hunting now before the winter war phase for stock for themselves and their soldiers.

White flowers and pine trees scattered amongst the not yet bloodied landscape as they left footprints on the snow that dusted the earth, Levi wincing as their boots made crunching sounds on the ground. He looked for any signs of life other than themselves, stupid big-ass trees and some birds. He then heard a rustle somewhere in the bushes, he and Mike quickly jumped back behind a dead tree for camouflage.

"Get your arrows ready." Levi hissed as he pulled one out himself, the silver end of the pointed blade shining in the bright light reflected by the snow. He put it between his skilled fingers right next to the bow, one hand holding the end of the arrow and the other stretching the bow and by the feathers. He turned around to shoot.

No. He dazed. He couldn't shoot.

Before his eyes, stood quite in the distance, the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, and Levi had frozen. His hair was brown but had the odd appearance of it being bleached white by the season, soft locks stopping just behind pointed ears. His figure was small but slightly towering in height, but his fingers were nimble and thin, his frame lean and skinny. His eyes were deep, deep green, and his skin coloured so contrast against the snow, soft lips parted to breathe out heating steam from his mouth. An oversized cloak draped over his shoulders, followed by grey, simple clothes and brown footwear. A basket of Edelweiss was held between his twined fingers.

Levi then noticed the two extra appendages on top of his head. Just above his ears, the Prince could see two small lumps budding, branching out like deer's antlers, however miniature and very limited. White flowers dangled itself in the horns like a crown.

His ear twitched as he sensed a presence.

And may God help Levi, he sounded like an angel.

"Hello?" he softly called out. "Is that you, Armin?"

Levi and Mike stared at each other and held their breaths, both thinking of the same thing.

"Oh, you're too paranoid." the creature told himself, his laughter a gentle tinkle. He walked away, leaving bootprints along the snow. However as Levi stared, the places where he left his footsteps, the snow seemed to grow back up, leaving no footsteps at all. The looked at the creature with a held breath, gritting his teeth and digging his nails into the tree.

"I can't shoot him." Levi finally said with a shaky breath, resting his head on the pillar-like tree and closing his eyes. "No. Not a creature such as that."

Their breaths were pants although they hadn't been running, but their hearts were hammering onto their chests. Mike ran a hand through his hair, gulping and shoving back his arrows into the wooden cylinder on his back.

"Neither do I, Sire." he breathed out. "Neither do I."

They trudged along the forest trying to find food, but all they got was a river of fishes. It's always fishes nowadays in the winter, and they were lucky enough the rivers hadn't frozen up. Winter - no matter how wealthy you are, no matter how much authority you hold, it's merciless. It is ignorant to people boxed together with their classes, it attacks everybody. Anyone. Children, women, men... Say, it even changes the whole nature itself. There's always the goddamn birds but they were never enough, and they taste horrible and proved nauseous.

So the two men walked home, yet again with fishes and fishes and fishes. They didn't rot throughout the winter because they'd keep them in a chamber stuffed with snow and ice, though the whole food stock had began to stink of fish from the past years so pretty much everything tastes like fish now. Not that anybody had the rights to complain, because food is food. You die a starving damn or you die by food poisoning.

(So I guess you can imagine how their breaths stink like, hm...)

Levi nodded at the guards before swinging the door open, groaning. He walked into the castle's kitchen, Mike following behind although they've done this millions of times easily.

The rule is that of nobody would look at the Prince directly at the face unless you are more than just an acquaintance - like his fellow soldiers, his friends, his family and a few of selected people. It is considered disrespectful and almost challenging, it would result in imprisonment in the dungeons. Nobody looked at Levi and the cooks busied themselves with chopping ingredients and fish meat.

"In here again?" Levi asked one of the cooks. Levi had turned his head to look at her, however she doesn't look back and she only looked at her chopping board

"Yes, Sire. Just empty the contents and we'll handle the rest."

"Mmhm." Levi swung the metal door open, finding newly stacked snow and ice inside the cold storage room. He emptied the contents of his bag - yet more fishes - onto the corner of the room, Mike following suit. They walked away from the stinking kitchen, Mike parting to his headquarters while Levi gone back to his main castle.

"Hello, Sire. Back so soon?" a woman greeted, bowing her head - she looked at Levi. Didn't matter since she was his personal servant, so he shrugged and tossed his cloak away, the woman catching it in time, chuckling.

"Let me guess. Fish for dinner tonight?"

"Tell me something I don't know." Levi groaned, shoving off his cold boots and stretching his limbs. He took off his chainmail and his armour, throwing it aside carelessly. He collapsed on the bed, growling.

Petra Ral laughed lightly, retrieving the Prince's equipment. She sat down on one of the stools and began to polish them, even though no sign of dirtiness were to be seen, except from stupid ice and snow that had been contaminated with earth.

"Hey, Petra." Levi said, eyes half asleep.

"Yes, Sire?"

"Have you seen this creature?" he said, almost dreamily. "Seeming like a normal, petite young man - however with deer antlers crowning his head? Just two short branches, but it all seemed to dangle with Edelweiss, and he picks the same flower and he carries a basket made and entwined with the stem of the same flower. Every of his footsteps levaes no trace; and his voice..." Levi gritted his teeth. Had he been hypnotized? Looks could certainly kill.

"... I've heard about it in fairytales." Petra thoughtfully tapped her chin. "A sweet, beautiful child of innocence, he creates the snowflakes. Though - " she put the armour aside and reached for the boots, rubbing the soles. " - only to admire upon, and not a container for the blood."

"Magic?"

"No idea. Nobody knows what he does but he picks Edelweiss - because they're always there. Even in the winter. Rumours say he lives in the forests that surround Maria, but I have no clue about that." she smiled. "Why?"

"... Because..." he bit his lip. "Nevermind. Wake me up when it's time for dinner."

His cursed his boots for crunching again, sighing. His eyes alert for any signs of creatures - Mike would've done a good job, but he's away right now, so Levi's alone by himself. He held his bow to his side, stalking forward like a wolf hunting. He looked around for any quiet clopping of hooves or padding of paws.

He looked at the ground.

Edelweiss.

As soon as he saw a flash of green cloak he stepped back behind a tree, holding his breath, peeking back with only one visible eye.

It was the creature again - though his hair seemed whiter by the rate (or is it just my imagination?), and his eyes hued a lovely golden yellow.

Just like Edelweiss.

He hummed softly, his boots leaving no sound in the snow. There was a sort of picking sound as the boy retrieved the white flowers and pressing the petals close to his cheeks, appreciating it with a soft murmur and laying it down in the basket with the other white flowers. He sat in the clearing admist the snow, watching every snowflake dance gracefully to the ground, giggling softly every noun and then.

He doesn't know. He doesn't know. The snow is a beautiful killer. He doesn't know.

Levi knew he had became attracted to this pretty creature as he had completely faltered his focus on the rest of the hunting trip, his mind often wandering off while he carried a bag of (yet again) fish home. The fishes are getting fewer and the river's starting to crack and freeze.

The creature was to blame, but at the same time, he was innocent.

Levi didn't know what hapenned but he'd go on a hunting trip every day, even when he hadn't scheduled to do so, only for the sake of the creature, then fish. Every time Levi sees the creature there'd be more flowers forming around his antlers like a white crown, and his hair would turn white and his eyes would be pure, molten gold. Sometimes he'd pick Edelweiss, sometimes he'd prance about in the snow. Sometimes he built figures from the snow - little villagers and their childishly-made homes. Levi just couldn't help but stare at him with dazed eyes. He hadn't meant to... to 'stalk' - but who could resist such a beautiful creature?

He wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted.

It was another day, where it's not a hunting trip, Levi carrying his usual bow and arrows. He walked in his footsteps that had not yet been covered by the snow, making his way back. There's always the Edelweiss, and he'd jump back behind the same tree over and over again, day by day. He knew he should be sword-sparring today... but only one day couldn't hurt, right?

Always, the flash of the green cloak and the light footsteps, the basket made and full of the same flowers. The crown on his head seemed to be in full bloom, and when one petal fell off - Levi noticed - it would always grow back.

Then Levi saw that the creature had noticed the footprints his boots had left on the ground.

God help me. Levi gritted his teeth. If he ran now, he would leave more footprints and who knows what danger he had brought with him into Maria? You could never assume or trust something - even though he looked innocent. But then running away or not, Levi had been screwed.

"Armin? Is that you?" the creature called out. He was getting even closer... closer... Levi gritted his teeth.

Until he came face to face with the creature.

His skin was paler than when he had first met him, and now he looked like an albino with golden eyes. Crowned with Edelweiss with a pair of deer antlers, a green hood, grey clothing and brown boots. Basket made out of and containing flowers.

...pretty...

"Ah, d-did you get lost?"

May God help Levi trying to snap out of daze because his voice is heaven.

"... Uh..."

"Did you bump your head?" the creature asked, concern written all over his face. "Oh! Did you slip? Did you fall out of the tree? Did you get cold? Did you - "

He flinched.

"I'm sorry."

Was that Levi or him?

"You're beautiful." Levi blurted out of nowhere.

Uh what what what what what what what

eren ur too ooc fricken get ur butt here right now jesus-freckled-marco-christ

im too lazy to proofread this gomen for mistakes

sighs updates soon

- caspian