[In the third year of the 400th…
era, His Majesty Morgan, at the invitation of the other Archons, traveled to Liyue to celebrate the conclusion of the Archon War.
The White Tsar ordered Grand Duchess Anastasia to accompany him, leaving Grand Duke Filippov to oversee the state.
The banner of the Court of the Pale Star stood tall in Kitezh, and the chariot of the Lord of the North headed east, scheduled to reach the borders of Mondstadt in fifteen days.]
— — “History of the Azure Star Sprites · The Early Era of the Archons · Prologue”
Outside the frosted carriage window, the grey-white of the permafrost of Snezhnaya covered the land.
The greenery of early spring in the North was sparse, and the branches of the birch forest, like thorns, pierced the sky.
Inside the ornate chariot, Anastasia Feodorovna was resting with her eyes closed.
The dull sound of the wheels rolling over the frozen earth was rhythmic and steady.
This most noble Grand Duchess of the Court of the Pale Star was draped in a luxurious fur robe trimmed with silver and deep blue, her long hair cascading over her shoulders like flowing white gauze.
Her delicate face still bore the soft lines characteristic of a young sprite.
Compared to the Tsaritsa, who would later be known for his cold and majestic demeanor, at this moment, one could still find a hint of genuine warmth in her eyes.
The high level of the delegation accompanying His Majesty this time was truly unprecedented in the history of the sprites.
But Anastasia was not surprised.
This was the first official gathering of The Seven of Teyvat, and the entire continent was celebrating the long-awaited conclusion of the millennium-long Archon War.
She knew that His Majesty had been looking forward to this trip to Liyue for a long time, and had even been excited for quite a while, finishing even the official documents he usually dreaded with great speed.
Thinking of His Majesty Morgan, a slight curve appeared involuntarily on Anastasia’s lips.
In the eyes of the oblivious Snezhnayan nobility and sprite subjects, the favorite minister most relied upon by the White Tsar seemed to be the astute and capable Grand Duke Filippov, who oversaw many affairs.
Countless powerful figures racked their brains, just wanting to catch a glimpse of His Majesty from afar at court banquets.
And several Grand Dukes had even “exchanged pleasantries” so intensely over who could share a meal with His Majesty and taste dishes cooked by an Archon that they nearly tore down half a side palace.
After being scolded by His Majesty, these fellows finally calmed down.
And sharing three meals a day with the White Tsar was already part of Anastasia’s daily routine.
But only Anastasia knew that the favor between monarch and subject was fundamentally different from what she possessed.
She was special.
Since she was a child, she had followed Morgan before he had even been crowned king.
She had seen with her own eyes that thing that fell from beyond the sky, smoking and glowing with strange fire, crashing onto the snowfield not far from the frozen lake where she used to play.
Its structure looked like a hunk of iron that only the old men of Hyperborea could possess.
From then on, she witnessed how Morgan rose step by step, starting from uniting a weak sprite clan.
Uniting all possible allies, eventually emerging victorious in the brutal Archon War, being crowned as the White Tsar, and receiving the power of Ice granted by Celestia.
His Majesty possessed a technology that could preserve images, and that marvelous creation was called a [light cone].
Its edges were transparent, thin as a mirror, but inside were colors like a painting.
Special people could even obtain the recorded feelings, or even power, through the light cone.
While other Grand Dukes racked their brains to obtain a single light cone, even Grand Duke Filippov had only collected about ten.
Most of them were “wholesale” souvenirs like those from the founding ceremony of Snezhnaya.
What Anastasia possessed, however, was a private collection that could fill a small chest, enough to play poker with ten tables of people.
A stylish new dress tailored today would be drawn by His Majesty and gifted to her.
His Majesty would pick up a frozen, fluffy young snow fox from the snowy forest, draw it, and gift it to Anastasia along with the fox.
Even just on a sunny afternoon, when she was reading in the courtyard and His Majesty felt the light and shadow were perfect, he would casually record it.
Those light cones that carried the trivial warmth of daily life were the truly priceless treasures.
She had even been allowed to board that “extraterrestrial carriage” that had fallen with His Majesty.
Although Morgan had never explained the knowledge from beyond the sea of stars to her in detail.
“Children who know too much don’t grow tall easily,” he had said at the time, although Anastasia felt this reason was very perfunctory.
But in that small space filled with a strange sense of mechanics, she had played some “games” where the images moved.
She had listened to “songs” with strange but inexplicably catchy melodies, and even curled up on comfortable seats, listening to him recount fragmented stories of adventures among the stars in a tone adapted from fairy tales.
Between His Majesty and the other sprites, it was monarch and subject, protector and protected.
Only with her, in the companionship of long years, had that feeling long transcended the simple relationship of monarch and subject.
It was closer to…
family.
He was the star she looked up to, a member of the [Trailblazer] in the stories told.
He was also the elder who would quietly add an extra sugar cube to her hot drink.
He had some habits that did not fit the sprites of the North; he disliked being served by attendants and disliked overly luxurious attire.
And he was persistent about covering others’ navels with a square handkerchief when he saw them fall asleep.
He was very fascinated by things from Liyue: clothing, vases, books, paintings, and potted plants.
“You will be one of the nobles attending this time,” Morgan said to her on the eve of their departure while checking the gift list, his ice-blue eyes appearing exceptionally gentle in the candlelight.
“See the world and get to know people; in the future, this land will eventually have to be handed over to you.”
He did not shy away from it at all.
Anastasia knew that she was the heir chosen by His Majesty.
This heavy trust and expectation made her feel warm, while also feeling the heavy weight on her shoulders.
Anastasia took a deep breath, her fingertips unconsciously brushing over a small light cone hidden in her sleeve.
What was recorded inside was just a mundane afternoon when Morgan was trying to carve a funny rabbit in the courtyard using his ice element.
As a result, because he was distracted by listening to her tell boring gossip among the nobles, he carved the cute rabbit with an exaggerated and funny expression.
He even said some things she didn’t understand, like, “When you and I are released, it must be the super big cup; those rabbit-head fans will definitely pull until they explode.”
That ice sculpture, named [Rabbit Head] by His Majesty, was imbued with special ice element, never melting, and was placed by Anastasia on her own desk.
Power and gentleness, majesty and spontaneity, Archon and family—these contradictory qualities were strangely and harmoniously unified in her Majesty.
The chariot jolted slightly, pulling Anastasia back from her memories.
She opened her eyes, her pupils reflecting the gradually changing scenery outside the window.
The border of Snezhnaya was almost here, but there was still some distance from Mondstadt; this was the buffer zone left by the two countries.
The chill in the air was no longer as biting, and the wind began to carry the more humid and free scent belonging to Mondstadt.
“Almost at the border,” she whispered to herself.
The partition at the front of the carriage was tapped lightly, then slid open a crack, and a sprite guard wearing light armor reported in a low voice.
“Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence.”
“Understood,” Anastasia nodded, her demeanor impeccable.
She straightened her not-at-all-disordered sleeves and skirt, tucking away that trace of softness caused by her memories.
Transforming back into that elegant and perfectly poised Grand Duchess of Snezhnaya.