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Jessamine hated the way the days grew short during the dreariest of months. She would get out of her studies to find the world cloaked in darkness and it wasn’t even half past four in the afternoon. But today there was something to look forward to at least, her eyes caught sight of snow falling through the window. Excitedly she ran to the glass to look out over the grounds of Dunwall Tower. The library didn’t have any external windows so this was the first she was seeing of Dunwall’s first snow. Jessamine pressed her hands to the chilled glass and looked out at the steadily falling snow that had already blanketed the ground. She could spot a few groundskeepers shoveling the paths and walkways, but one figure caught her eye. There was a young man just standing in the middle of the yard, looking up at the snow with his arms held out.
She hurried down the hall and descended the stairs two at a time, she might be a future Empress, but even she enjoyed the first snowfall of the year. Jessamine didn’t bother to grab a coat; the air was chilly but the bitter temperatures of The Month of High Cold or Ice hadn’t set in yet. The Month of Darkness was aptly named, for it consumed the day with night and marked the changing of the season. She paused only briefly to put on a pair of boots left by the door before running out into the yard.
With her head turned skyward she spun in a few quick circles with her arms out and giggled as the snow brushed her face. The worst months of the year might be swiftly approaching, but right now she enjoyed the simple beauty of a snowfall. She stopped spinning and noticed the same man was still staring transfixed at the sky. He had darker skin than most of the guard staff and a messy mane of thick black hair. His eyes seemed so wide and filled with wonder. “Hey!” Jessamine called out to him. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
He noticed her presence suddenly and scrambled to stand at attention. Jessamine laughed and told him to relax. She had figured out who he was, he was the new recruit her father received from Serkonos, apparently, he was the best blade they had, but all she saw was a young man enamored with snowfall. “Have you ever seen snow before?” She asked and walked closer so she shouldn’t have to shout.
He shook his head and moved his hands in a few quick gestures. “Oh, I’m sorry, I can’t read sign.” Jessamine noticed how the man’s expression fell and he turned his eyes back to the snow. “Here,” she extended her hand towards him. “You can just trace the letters on my palm and spell out what you were going to say.”
He looked back at her with a raised eyebrow and then took her hand gently in his. Carefully he spelled out: FIRST TIME. “Your first time seeing snow?” She asked. He nodded. “What do you think? Beautiful right?” LIKE MAGIC. Jessamine smiled it was like magic, she supposed. “You’re from Serkonos right?” He nodded. “Your names Corvo isn’t’ it? Corvo Attano?” Another nod. “My dad speaks highly of you. I’ve seen you around the palace, do you like it here?” IT'S DIFFERENT. I LIKE IT. Jessamine remembered her studies, Serkonos was a southern island, the one closest to Pandyssia. While Dunwall was on the southern side of Gristol it was still north enough to see snow. Corvo had arrived in the Month of Rain, so this very well could be his first ever snowfall.
“Snow is pretty and all, but just wait a month or two, when it’s piled high in the streets and your carriage gets stuck every block or so.” She laughed and saw Corvo smile. He motioned for her hand again. I DON'T THINK I'D MIND. “You say that now, but just you wait.” Corvo made a raspy sound that she took as a laugh. Now that she could get a closer look at him, she could understand what some of the other servants were saying. “You know, you’re a bit of a mystery,” she said. “Of course that’s not your fault,” she added quickly. “Alone in a new country, and you can’t speak… must be hard.”
I'M USED TO IT. Corvo wrote on her palm. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
She nudged him a bit with her elbow and said, “There’s a lot of chatter among the servants you know. You’re mysterious, cool, and very attractive.” Jessamine looked up to see that a splash of red had spread across his cheeks and he pulled up his scarf a bit to cover his face. “And shy it would seem, a bit bashful?” Corvo turned away. “I was just joking,” she said. Corvo traced the words, I KNOW.
“You are cute,” she said. “I heard some call you big and scary, but that’s not true is it?” He shook his head. “Didn’t think so. I think the silence weirds people out. But you know?” Corvo turned to look at her. “I don’t mind it at all.”
He smiled and wrote, THANKS. Corvo noticed that Jessamine shivered slightly. He took off his jacket and put it over her shoulders. “Aren’t you going to get cold?” Corvo shook his head. “Ooh a tough guy I see.” They both chuckled and Jessamine looked around the yard. The groundskeepers had finished shoveling and they had the yard mostly to themselves. “Have you had made winged snow people?” Corvo shook his head again. “Oh, yeah, obviously not.”
She flopped down in the snow and started to move her arms and legs back and forth. “You do this, then when you stand up it’ll look like your arms are wings!” Corvo watched her but didn’t move to join her. “What?” She asked, “Are you too old for fun?” He frowned and flopped down into the snow beside her. She laughed and moved her arms up and down to make sure the imprint in the snow would be good. Then she sat up and looked up at the snow filled sky. “You think there are people out there with arm wings?” Corvo shrugged. “Like merfolk? But birds in the sky? I think that would be cool. When I’m Empress I’d love to meet people like that.”
Corvo got up first, he was careful to not disturb the outline he had made in the snow. Then he extended a hand down to Jessamine. She took and he lifted her up to her feet. They admired their work. “Yours is kinda lopsided.” She said and elbowed him. “You need practice.” Corvo huffed and brushed the snow off his clothes. “Oh! I have your coat! I didn’t even think…” I'M FINE. Corvo assured her.
“Can I ask how you… you know… with your voice?”
Corvo frowned. BORN WITHOUT ONE.
“Oh. Do you ever wish you could talk?” He looked at her and raised one eyebrow. “Silly question, of course you do. It would probably make things a lot easier. What’s Serkonos like?” He hesitated before answering. WARM. BEAUTIFUL. SHINING SEAS AND OLD FORESTS OF GIANT TREES. AND... Corvo stopped and furrowed his eyebrows.I CANNOT REMEMBER THE GRISTOL WORD.
“Hmm… act it out?” Corvo stared at her and rolled his eyes. “Hey, you got a better idea?” He shook his head. First he moved his hand and arm up and down in a waving motion. “Uh, waves? Water? The ocean?” Jessamine guessed. Corvo shook his head. He waved his arms again but this time blew air from his lips. “Oh, wind!” He shook his head and smiled. “Ok so you have wind in Serkonos?” He moved his arms in a wide circle over and over and blew some more. Jessamine watched for a few moments before it hit her. “Oh! A mill! A windmill!” Corvo stopped and nodded enthusiastically. “You have windmills in Serkonos, that sounds so cool. I’ve only seen two in my whole life and they were up in Northern Gristol.” Jessamine smiled and said, “Someday I’d like to see all the islands that make up the Empire. Serkonos sounds nice.” IT'S HOME. “Do you… miss it?” NOT YET. “Did they give you a choice to come here?” Corvo nodded, then shook his head. “Meaning?” COMPLICATED. “Right. Probably a lot of “honor” and “pride” right?” She puffed out her chest. “You have to do this for your country Jessamine, you have to move like this and talk like that all for your Empire.” Corvo nodded aggressively. “It’s same everywhere it seems. Well I’m glad you came and not some old boring soldier. You’re way cooler.”
The snow continued to fall softly and glittered in the light of the lamps in the yard. It coated the world in a small blanket of silence and stillness. Jessamine knew the world was not a peaceful place. She knew that war or infighting could happen anywhere but for a small moment, as she stood in the yard surrounded by slowly falling snowflakes, she believed that it was peaceful. The future was uncertain and that was part of the fun. For now she was just happy to be sharing the first snowfall of the year with someone who saw it as beautifully as she did.
Sometimes Jessamine wondered if she was too optimistic to be an Empress. If she needed to toughen her heart and harden her skin. She was still young, but she wasn’t stupid, naïve maybe, but not stupid. Her father was kind Emperor, surely, she could continue where he left off. She felt a hand on hers. YOU OK?
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just lost in thought. Lots of thoughts. It’s so peaceful, I couldn’t help it.” Corvo nodded in understanding. “You know what?” Corvo shook his head and shrugged. “I’m going to learn signing,” she said. “Starting tomorrow. I’ll make dad learn it too, it can be our winter project.”
YOU DON'T HAVE TO. Corvo was quick to write. Jessamine smiled. “I want to. Besides, it’ll be far more useful in the future to know it. I’m sure there are others who use it, an Empress should be able to communicate with all of her subjects. Don’t you agree?” Corvo tilted his head before agreeing with a nod. “It makes the most sense, especially when I pick you as my Royal Protector next year.”
Corvo made a choking sound and stared at her with wide eyes. He made a rapid motion with his hand for hers. JOKE? ARE YOU JOKING? Jessamine laughed harder than she meant to. She didn’t expect such a shocked reaction. “I’ve seen you spar, and dad talks about your skills all the time. You’re way closer to my age than the others I have to pick from.” She looked him up and down, noticing the snow that had gathered in his hair and the redness in his face. He was older sure, but she couldn’t lie, he was attractive too which was a bonus. “Do you not think you could protect me?”
He shook his head.I CAN. I WILL. BUT… he turned away. ARE YOU SURE? I'M SERKONAN. THERE'S NEVER BEEN A FOREIGN ROYAL PROTECTOR BEFORE.
“I love a little drama,” Jessamine said. “Dad said I get to pick, no questions asked. So what do you say Corvo Attano? In a year will you be my Royal Protector?”
IT WOULD BE AN HONOR.
“Then it’s a promise,” she grabbed his hand in hers. “I’ll hold you to it.” Jessamine looked around the yard and asked, “If you’re free tomorrow do you want to meet me here again? After my studies. This was fun and I’d like to make a snowman if the snow’s still here.”
I WOULD LIKE THAT. Then he smiled. WHAT'S A SNOWMAN?
“Oh man, you don’t know what a snowman is? That’s it, we’re making an army of them tomorrow!” Corvo grinned.
Light filtered into the yard as a door was opened. “Lady Jessamine? Are you out there?” A voice called out into the yard.
“Yes! I am!”
“Come on inside, dinner is ready.”
“Coming!” She started to jog back to the palace but stopped and ran back to Corvo. “Your jacket,” she said and shrugged it off. “Thanks again, that was sweet of you.” Jessamine paused at the door and called out to Corvo who had started walking back to the soldier’s quarters. “Remember! Tomorrow! Same time!”
Corvo waved and signed words he knew she couldn’t see from that distance or read anyways, “It’s a promise!”