Sadly, the suitor from Candy Kingdom still failed to impress her. Isis found herself turning her nose up in the air from the stench that wafted from the man. His lack of hygiene was appalling enough, but he was also horrendously unkempt. His clothes were too big for his scrawny frame and it looked like he hadn't shaved in days. A soft nudge from her dad made Isis change her expression of disgust into a more…polite one. The two reached the Candy King and Prince in the middle of the throne room. They looked very confident and Isis had a sinking feeling that her future had already been decided.
"Nice to see you again Isis." The Prince sneered in her direction and her lips tightened into a thin line. The King tensed beside his daughter and Isis forced herself to relax. She was going to behave this time. Her father was very serious about her marriage with this man so she would smile and be charming, like any well behaved princess would.
"It is nice to see you again as well J.R. I had to get some air earlier. I felt like I could barely breathe." She gave him a pointed look and the Prince just shrugged. He obviously didn't care about his odor whatsoever, but Isis wasn't surprised. After all, he showed up to meet his bride-to-be looking anything but royal. She shook her head while her father cleared his throat.
"Isis, this is Prince Jolly Rancher. He is going to be your husband in two week's time." Her gaze darted over to her father. In two weeks? So soon? There was so much to do for a wedding! That was hardly enough time! The Prince, instead of looking alarmed, looked annoyed by the use of his full name. Apparently this was news to her only. How long had they been planning this? What else were they not telling her? Isis's lip curled in disgust once more. Surely she would not be expected to breed with this sad excuse of a piece of candy. Her father misinterpreted her alarm and quickly backtracked to try and calm her. "I know this is all so sudden, but Jolly Rancher—"
"J.R." They all stared at him but the Prince kept his aggressive stance as he stared the Ice King down. "Call me J.R." Isis's eyes were practically slits as she regarded this man. No one was allowed to talk to her father like that. He was going to pay dearly for that the next time they were alone.
"…J.R." The King continued, his irritation from the interruption concealed rather well, "will make a great husband, and…you won't be going alone." Isis looked up at her father, confusion written on her delicate face. "You will be able to take Skye with you to the Candy Kingdom!" Isis kept her face from falling. She got to take her horse? She was being forced to leave her home and the only thing she would be able to have is her horse? Isis, strangely, felt like crying, something she hadn't done since she was five. Yet today she had almost cried twice. While struggling to find a smile, the King continued to talk. "Of course, you would want someone who is familiar with her to take care of Skye, so you will be able to take that stable boy with you."
Isis whirled to face her father, this time the smile coming easily as she hugged him in her glee. The King laughed, pleased with his daughter's reaction to his good news, although he suspected for different reasons. Isis couldn't believe it! Gumball would be able to go to the Candy Kingdom with her! This was great! She wouldn't be alone! The memory of Gumball kissing her flashed into her mind and her good mood dampened. Maybe having Gumball come along wasn't the best thing ever. He would be a distraction in her efforts of pretending to love the Candy Prince. The princess let go of her father and turned to J.R. He was eyeing her with a knowing look and Isis found herself feeling chagrined. J.R. knew that her zealous reaction was not because of her horse, but for the stable boy. She tucked some of her hair behind her ear and lowered her eyes. The King patted her on the shoulder before turning his attention back to the Candy people.
"Of course, Isis will be able to attend my son's coronation along with her new husband and father-in-law." It was obvious that this was not a proposition, but something that was going to happen. "And we will be able to attend her wedding." He brushed the rest of Isis's stray hair out of her face while the Candy King tried to stutter his objections. There would not be enough room in the Candy Kingdom to accommodate most of the subjects of the Ice Kingdom. She pitied the poor fool. Her father would not be denied. Unless he was dealing with her, the King did not back down easily. However, Isis was more concerned with another matter.
"The wedding won't be here?" She asked her father with a hint of a whine. Her father gave her an apologetic look and stroked her hair.
"I'm sorry, snowflake," Isis heard J.R. snicker and she tossed him a glare before turning back to her father. "Your wedding will take place in the Candy Kingdom. The subjects need to see and meet their new Queen, and the only way you'll be able to do that is have the ceremony there." Isis sighed but nodded. It made sense. Everyone in the Candy Kingdom would want to know who she was, and this would be the easiest way. But wouldn't it still be a shock if she just showed up for just the wedding ceremony? Realization dawned on her and Isis had a sinking feeling that she would be leaving the Ice Kingdom sooner than she thought. The Ice King must've seen that she had connected the dots because he patted her shoulder. "You bags are being packed by the maids as we speak. You will be leaving tonight, but do not worry! You will be able to come back for Luke's coronation before you know it." Isis resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Thank goodness she'd be able to come back for that. She crossed her arms across her chest and her father just patted her on the head once more.
An awkward silence followed and the Candy King cleared his throat and uttered the first complete sentence Isis heard from him. "Princess of the Ice Kingdom, why don't you show your fiancé around your lovely home? He has never journeyed so far from his own home and I feel like this would be an enlightening experience for him." Isis leveled her cool gaze on the Candy King. He flinched from the hostility in her eyes. He just wanted them to leave so he and her father could talk about important matters that they were not allowed to hear.
The Ice King placed a hand on the small of her back to get her attention. Isis looked up to see him incline his head towards J.R. and she wrinkled her nose. He was still upset about her tantrum, otherwise he would have fought for her to stay. Stifling a groan, Isis then grasped the sides of her dress and dipped into a formal curtsey and bowed her head. "I would love to escort the Prince around my home." Before she could even utter another sentence, the two teens were ushered out of the room and the doors thudded shut behind them. J.R., growling, started to straighten his ruffled clothes. Isis just laughed.
"What's so funny?" He snarled, only succeeding in making Isis laugh harder.
"Not used to being pushed around are you?" His silence was enough of an answer for the Princess. She reached out and grasped his chin, forcing him to look at her. His eyes were a sickly lavender and his skin a pasty pink. She tried not to think about how long it had been since he washed his scruffy face. "Well you better because I'm going to make your life hell." Fury flared in his eyes and J.R. jerked his head away. Isis only laughed before strolling down the hall. She didn't care if he followed or not. She wasn't the one who didn't know their way around. Besides, there were plenty of people to ask if he got lost. There were servants running around preparing for Luke's coronation. It was happening in a month and the palace was abuzz with activity, but she had a more important matter to worry about: figuring out what the Kings were talking about. Lucky for her, she knew of a service entrance that took her to the throne room and remain unseen. For once she was glad her brother had dragged her throughout their home on his stupid adventures when they were little.
After turning a couple corners, Isis finally found the painting she was looking for. It was a portrait of her late mother and her father. They were both smiling and looked very much in love. Isis smiled at the portrait, placing her hand on her father's face. He looked so happy. Why wasn't she able to make him smile like that? She would forever be in her mother's shadow, the greatest Queen of all ages. Under her reign, the Ice Kingdom had lived in peace and prosperity. Ever since her death, the Ice Kingdom had slowly fallen into ruin. Isis feared that the Ice Kingdom would be destroyed under her brother's rule in a matter of years. They couldn't have found someone more unworthy than Luke to take over the Kingdom. Isis shook her head and pushed onward. There would be plenty of time in her new home to ponder how things could be different. Running a finger along the edge of the frame, she quickly found the small button she was looking for. With a soft click the painting swung open from the wall on unseen hinges, revealing a hidden corridor. Only a select few even knew about this service corridor. It was a secret passed down through the head guards, just in case the Ice Kingdom was ever under attack and they needed to rush the royals out of the palace and into safety. Luckily, Luke and Isis had been around to overhear the guards talking about it when the Ice Kingdom had been in some trouble with the Water Kingdom.
Crawling into the hole, Isis sneezed when a cloud of dust descended upon her. Wiping her nose in a non-ladylike manner, the Princess quickly hurried through the corridor until she reached the end. The hallway ended right behind the throne and Isis poked her head out. The curtain obscured her from view. The Kings were in deep conversation nearby. A map was spread out in front of them. She squinted her eyes but was too far to see anything.
"…The Fire Kingdom is getting more aggressive by the day. They want to conquer our Kingdom, and once they assemble enough troops we will not have a chance." The Candy King made an unhappy noise and Isis's father nodded and kept talking. "My Kingdom will slowly melt the more they progress into our borders, but if we had the alliance of the Candy Kingdom, the Fire Kingdom would be unwilling to take the risk of starting a war. You have too many numbers alone and would be an even more formidable foe with my soldiers accompanying you." Isis's eyes widened. The Fire Kingdom was going to attack her home? But why? What had they ever done to the Fire King to encourage such rage? Wars in the land of Ooo didn't happen often, but they occurred for the silliest of reasons. What had her father done to offend the King?
"And why would I align with you Jack? I would gain nothing from you with this alliance." Isis heard a sound of outrage from her father.
"I am giving you my daughter! Is that not enough?!" The Candy King snorted and shook his head.
"That girl is going to give my Kingdom enough trouble on her own. I will need more than just a bratty teenager for me to put my Candy subjects at risk." The tension in the air was thick as the two Kings glared at each other. Isis held her breath, too scared she would accidentally give her position away to actually process what she was hearing. Her father was the first one to give. He looked away and rubbed the back of his head.
"What are your demands?" Isis felt her jaw drop. What? Just like that her father gave up? Was the Ice Kingdom really in such danger? The Candy King's smile was triumphant as he regarded her father. He stroked his pink goatee in thought.
"I want access to half of your treasury" Her father got to his feet with so much force the chair he was sitting on toppled to the ground. Outrage was written across his face but the Candy King held up a hand to silence him. Her father was in no position to argue and the King knew it. "Since I am helping you, I will need access to your treasury for getting the proper equipment and to repair any damages that come if the war occurs. I also want hunting rights in your kingdom. Naturally, anything of value I obtain will be mine." The Ice King was still standing, trembling with unconcealed rage as he stared down the man that could save their kingdom. Isis, still hidden behind the throne, was furious as well. She couldn't believe that man was so greedy! He would be the ruin of the Ice Kingdom! Her father couldn't make this deal! The Fire Kingdom threat couldn't be that bad. They would be able to make through it. All he had to have was faith.
The silence stretched for a long time, long enough for the Candy King to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Her father was practically boring holes into the man. If looks could kill the Candy King would have already been dead. The Ice King took a deep breath and Isis knew he had made a decision. Despite her certainty, Isis stayed to hear what her father would say. It never hurt to be sure, even when you were certain of the outcome.
"I-I agree to your terms." Isis quickly covered her mouth to conceal her surprised squeak. He agreed? Why!? She slowly backed away into the corridor, her face a mask of horror. Didn't her father see the long term consequences of such an agreement? The Candy Kingdom would single-handedly monopolize their economy in a couple of years. Her Kingdom thrived on the exports it made for the Ice Kingdom was peaceful and didn't get their spoils from war like others. Her Kingdom would perish in a matter of years! They would be driven to poverty, the people would rebel, and, and…Isis turned and ran only to slam into something warm and solid. She tumbled to the ground hard and looked up, her mouth an 'o' of surprise. A familiar face sneered down at her and J.R. butted her with his boot.
"You really need to work on being more observant. I was tailing you the entire time." Isis glared up at him before getting to her feet. Like expected, he didn't help her up, and she wasn't surprised. He wasn't the type to help someone. If he would help anyone, he'd help himself. She brushed the dust off of her royal blue dress and put a finger to her lips. They had probably made enough noise to be noticed, but she hoped the Kings weren't aware of their presence. They wouldn't live to see the day if their parents knew they were there.
J.R. ignored her and pushed past Isis. Startled, the Princess stumbled slightly before regaining her balance. She glared at the man. Who did this bastard think he was? Imagining different ways to stage his death, Isis tiptoed behind him and pulled on his sleeve. "Get back in here." She hissed, a hint of desperation in her voice. At this rate they would be discovered. They were being so loud that their parents would have to be deaf not to hear them. Or was that just the blood pounding in her ears?
"Oh shut up. They won't catch us, so stop worrying." He waved her dismissively away and Isis felt the mounting fury that had been building up explode inside her. Not only did he not respect her, he treated her like dirt. She would not let this go on. Like her father had taught her many years ago: if you want to stop a certain behavior, you nip it right in the bud. For once she was glad she had worn her tiara.
The crowns that the royals of the Ice Kingdom wore were very precious, for whoever wore them controlled the element of ice. There were varying degrees of power, the King's being the most powerful of them all. Being the Princess of the Ice Kingdom, Isis had the weakest of the royal crowns, but what power she was able to wield would be enough for this simple fool. A soft breeze blew through the corridor making J.R. shiver, unaware that his bride-to-be was gathering power behind him. Lifting her hands, Isis faced her palms towards the Prince and started to mutter a spell softly. Deep in concentration, she failed to realize that her voice carried and reached J.R.'s ears. He turned around, saw what she was doing, and flung himself at her.
With a shriek, Isis's spell was interrupted. The blue aura that had surrounded her hands faded until only her pale blue skin remained. J.R.'s hands were rough as he shoved her hard against the back of her father's throne. The massive seat wobbled from the force of the blow, the shock strong enough for Isis to forget how to breathe. Gasping for air Isis looked up to see J.R. pulling his fist back for a punch. She moved her head just in time, a satisfying smack coming from the prince's hand. Her hand flew out to cover J.R.'s mouth, his howl of pain smothered behind it. The fury in his eyes only added fuel to her fire. "Shut-up you fool. We've already been discovered. We need to get—" He flung her hand away and brought his own hand to her throat, moving in close enough that their bodies were touching and she could smell his horrid breath.
"You little witch! Thought you could catch me off guard, huh? You'll pay for that stunt later." He hissed when the curtain beside them was thrown open. The two Kings stared down at them. Her father looked very angry, his eyes trained on J.R., while the Candy King just looked amused. Isis wanted to hit him.
"My, my. I had no idea you two were already so close." J.R., instead of looking chagrined or even a little bit remorseful, just grinned. He grabbed her chin roughly and tilted her face upwards. The lips that met hers were cold, hard, and unfeeling. He kissed her like he owned her, like she was his property. In many ways she already was.
J.R. pulled away and looked up at his father, completely ignoring her own. "Yeah, we get along just fine, don't we Princess?" He looked back at her and Isis smiled sweetly up at him. Then she spat in his face. Before the Prince could even react, her father had shoved him away and drawn her to his chest. Isis was surprised to feel him tremble.
"That. Is. Enough. You will leave my castle this instant. My daughter will meet you at the Candy Kingdom." J.R. wiped the spit off of his face like it was rain before standing beside his father. He hid his rage well, but Isis knew he was still furious. Despite knowing that she would be virtually powerless once she left the Ice Kingdom, Isis couldn't help but feel smug. He got what he had deserved. Not only had he touched her when they were not married, J.R. had disrespected her and her father repeatedly during his stay. For once she was in agreement with her father. It was time for them to leave.
With sickeningly sweet smiles the two Candy royals bowed before exiting the room. The Ice King continued to clutch Isis to his chest and his trembling only got worse. "Oh Goddess, what have I done?" Isis pulled away from her father angrily and stared up at him. He didn't seem to comprehend that she had left his desperate embrace. It was after a few moments that he finally looked over at her. Isis's fury had reached a new high and it was her turn to tremble with rage. Her father had sold her to that horrible Prince, had kept vital information from her, and he had helped her. Her pride had suffered too much today and her father stepping in had been the last straw.
"I didn't need your help!" She seethed "I could have taken care of myself!" The King only stared, his expression bleak. Not getting the reaction she wanted from him, Isis decided to change tactics. "Why are you giving me to that brute? It's not fair! I don't even want to marry him!" Her father groaned and rubbed a hand across his face. Isis growled. "What? You don't want me to bring this up again? Well too bad! I don't want to marry him! He'll kill me if I ever let my guard down! Did you see how he looked at me? A chair means more to him than me!" Her father had been mumbling something the entire time she had been speaking. The King slowly straightened before towering over her, being the man she feared once more.
"Enough!" She realized he had been silently chanting that word like a mantra throughout her whole tirade. Despite the powerful figure before her, Isis stood her ground, her chin held high in defiance as she stared up at her father. "Do you think I want you to marry that man? He is a disgusting piece of filth, but Isis you have to! The Ice Kingdom will fall if you do not marry the Candy Prince."
"This Kingdom will fall whether I marry that man or not."
"And why is that?" He sounded exasperated, certain she had no idea what she was talking about. Isis struggled to maintain what little patience she had before she exploded again.
"Father, you gave the Candy King access to half our treasury and the rights to hunt on our lands. No questions asked! He could do whatever he wanted with the money in the treasury or completely destroy our economy by stealing the profits of our exports and you won't be able to do a thing about it. You agreed to his terms and the Candy King is controlled by greed. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants."
"Which is?"
Isis faltered, unsure of what the Candy King wanted. "I-I don't know. He will lose an ally if the Ice Kingdom falls." The Ice King walked away from Isis and out of the throne room, the young Princess following at his side. He seemed to be lost in thought and Isis, her anger momentarily forgotten, waited to hear what her father had to say.
"I am not sure what the Candy King wants to gain from us other than profit. Maybe he wishes to use our land or just watch a kingdom fall because of his actions, but I am not in the position to make an argument. It is either side with the Candy Kingdom or have the Fire Kingdom vanquish us in a matter of days." Isis swallowed hard, her mind coming up with graphic images of soldiers dying in battle. It was not something she wanted to witness with her own two eyes. "I am picking the lesser of two evils here, Isis. Please understand that what you are about to do might save the Kingdom." She stopped walking. It was a low blow, her father had known that all along. His great speech was leading up to that one little sentence. It played on her fantasy of doing something important for her home, something life changing that would make her a hero. She wanted to matter in people's lives instead of being just a shadow behind her brother. Isis looked up at her father who had stopped walking as well. He didn't look at her. Instead, he stared straight ahead, as if to give her the privacy she needed to make such a huge decision. Time seemed to stop as she debated what to do.
Could she do it?
Could she throw her whole life away to give her Kingdom a chance to survive? Was it worth it when her dunce of a brother would be put on the throne in only a month's time? Her future was unclear, but one thing was for certain, if the Kingdom fell, there would be nothing to save. Or change. Isis lowered her head in defeat, her hands balling into fists. "I'll do it." She breathed softly. Time seemed to move again. Her father started walking and Isis hurried to catch up with him. She didn't want to look up to see the smug smile on his face. Turns out the old man could still manipulate her decisions.
They parted ways at her room and she went inside. Like her father had said, her bags were carefully packed and ready to go. They were by her door, waiting to be picked up and taken to the carriage waiting for her downstairs. Isis went and sat on her bed, running her hand across the silken sheets. She would miss it here. She would miss her servants, her dad's smiling face, the way the sun hit the ice every morning when it rose above the horizon…Tears started to stream down her face and Isis put her head in her hands and finally cried. She cried for her father, the man who had lost his wife and soon his daughter, she cried for her kingdom that would soon perish with Luke holding the reigns, she cried for Gumball who would be forced to endure living at the Candy Kingdom and watching her from afar, and she cried for herself. For the pain and humiliation she suffered, for being powerless over her own fate. That night Isis swore to herself that she would never feel like this again. She would never let anyone humiliate her ever again. She would become powerful, powerful enough to change her fate. This, she was certain.
