-Thankyou to my lovely beta, without her this wouldn't be possible! Longer note than usual, the book mentioned 'carry on by Rainbow Rowell,' is an actual book and the names I used from this book, fully belong to her, along with the characters themselves!-

So thrilled was I with my Fox's lead, I didn't realise Rowan was sitting next to me until he started to speak.

"We need to leave." He stated.

"When?" I asked shortly.

"Right now really. We are near the court, and we're already late." He told me. I sighed as I got to my feet. My little fox, still cradled in my arms, gave a little mew. Rowan shook his head at me in exasperation. I smiled at him. Getting on the horse whilst holding a fox was going to be difficult. However, when the horse knelt for me, Rowan pried my fox out of my arms. Nervously, I climbed on. Rowan dumped the fox back in my hold.

Looking down at it, I wondered if it was male or female, for I was going to name it, I would need to know. I turned to Rowan, who had by now sat down behind me.

"Male or female?" I asked him nodding at my fox.

"Male." Came his instant reply.

I nodded, again, and went through different names. Charlie? No too obvious, everyone has as some point named a pet Charlie. Rusty? Again too obvious. Aristotle? No, it just didn't suit him. Finally after much deliberation, I chose Otto. Cute and short, just like him. But he needed a full name. I thought about different last names, or even giving him mine.

However I then remember a trip to the human world with Anharlia. Whilst there, I bought a book. It was called Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell. I had fallen in love straight away with it.

Could I name my fox after these two adorable goofs? Yes I could! Otto Snow Grim-Pitch. That was his new name! I smiled and leant back into Rowan. My fox looked up at me, and climbed up me a bit, so he was resting on my chest. A bit dangerous, I thought, but he was a fox. He probably didn't know that we were riding super fast on horseback and that moving around may cause him to fall. Or maybe he was just brave. Or stupid. Or stupidly brave.

On the journey I tried to stay awake for as long as possible, hoping to get a glimpse of of the court. Still, it was night. My eyes were heavy and Rowan was warm. Eventually, sleep's long fingers reached out and snatched me and even though I was unwilling to go, there was no escaping its grasp.

To my extreme disappointment, when I awoke we were already within Unseelie territory. I had missed the first magical moment when everything around you starts to glisten and gleam from under its frosty veil. It wasn't as cold as I expected. Anharlia always said it was "as though all warmth had been frozen out and sucked away, no trace of summer or heat left. Where you forgot what its like to be warm and get used to the eternal bite of winter." But then again, she would think that. Her being summers heart and all.

Curiously, I peered around me. Never before had I seen so much snow and ice. I don't think it had ever snowed in the Wyldwood. Not where we lived anyway. As though the heavens had heard my thoughts, they opened releasing a dusting of perfect flakes. They drifted down and to my utter delight, landed on me.

My fox yelped out. He apparently, didn't like the snow. As quick as a flash, he shot up the front of my shirt, pooking his head out of the top. I giggled and rested my chin on his head. A single white snowflake landed atop his nose. He sneezed immediately. I again thought of just how cute my little Otto was.

The heavens then opened even more as snowflakes started falling thick and fast. My jacket was soaked through in seconds. Then it did a curious thing. It began to freeze. I shrugged it off, which was quite difficult when on a horse and with a fox under you shirt. Although my shirt had short sleeves and the snow was landing on my bare arms, I didn't feel cold. Looking at my arms, I finally saw how pale I was.

Everyone always describes pale things as snow white. My arms were the exact same colour as the snowflakes. For the first time, I realised how odd I must look. Blonde hair, snow white skin and Violet eyes. Yep, I sure did look weird. Anharlia says I got my hair from my Father and skin and eyes from my Mother. I, myself, have no idea if that is true.

Rowan glanced down at me, and did a double take. Quite literally, I was amusing to watch. He whistled to Sage, who wheeled his horse around. Rowan had already pulled ours to a hault. Sage came up beside of us.

"What?" He asked Rowan. Instead of replying, Rowan grabbed my left arm and twisted it. I winced. Sage's eyebrows rose, and he also gripped my arm.

"What wrong?" I asked. Sage gave me an odd look.

"Does it usually do this?" He asked me.

"Do what?" I asked, irritated. Rowan twisted my arm back around, into my view. I snatched it out of his grip, my mouth dropping in surprise.

It was my mark. The usually pale bluey silver, was now practically shinning. A sudden painful spike went through my head, just as I touched it. I gasped out, as darkness rushed up to meet me, wrapping me in its warm embrace. The last thing I saw was the world tipping sideways as I undoubtedly fell off the horse.

When I awoke, my heart was pounding and my head throbbing. Forcing my eyes open, I saw the branches of a tree I was under. The snow was still falling thickly, but we were protected here. I was covered in a blanket, and my back was warm. I was half propped up. Something was rubbing up against my chest. Glancing down, I saw my fox, nosing my neck. It was only then I became aware of my arms, heating up in strips.

Looking behind me, I realised that I was leaning up against Rowan, who was running his fingers up and down my arms. He had his eyes closed and was resting up against the tree trunk. Sage got in my face, pulling down below my eyes. I shoved him off me.

"What are you doing!" I cried out.

"Checking for a concussion." Sage replied. At which point, Rowan sat up properly behind me.

"He didn't hit his head." Rowan told Sage. Sage sighed dramatically. "You alright?" Rowan asked me. I nodded. "Then, we had best be going." With that, Rowan stood up, at the same time as swinging me up in to his arms. Bridal style. Again. I wanted to struggle out of his arms and yell that I could walk. But decided against it. The horse kneeled for me.

It took me a few moments to realise that the snow was no longer hitting me. It parted around as we rode. I was certain it was Rowan's doing, but when I asked him about it, he shrugged. The cheek of it! I allowed myself the luxury of leaning back into Rowan and closing my eyes. Sleep came quickly.

I was woken abruptly when I was shaken. Turning around, I glared at Rowan.

"We're almost here, thought you'd like to know." He told me.

I was taken aback. "Thank you." I replied. A saw a muscle in his jaw twitch. I knew he thought that put me in his debt. He could think that all he liked, but I wasn't. "Thank you, very much." I repeated, just to annoy him. My fox climbed out from under my shirt and resettled himself in my lap. I smiled at his adorableness. Rowan shook his head.

I was glad Rowan had awoken me. I really wanted to get my first glimpse of the court. I wanted to know if it really was as beautifully dangerous as Anharlia described to me. She says that some of the floors are made of a polished ice, slippery but stunning. She says that the ballroom or throne room are most spectacular. She says that there are huge glinting icicles in the ballroom hanging from the ceiling in mesmerizing patterns. But in the throne room the icy ceiling has been carved and shaped.

The outside of the court is supposed carved and beautiful too. With winter plants in a constant state of bloom. And life size statues that are scarily realistic. I think its the sort of beautiful that scares the living daylights out of you. Like a pretty coloured frog that has poisonous skin that will kill you with a single touch.

I can't wait to get there.

The Wyldwood rushes past us as we ride. I think that the horses know we are close to their home and put on an extra burst of speed in an effort to get there sooner.

Of course I am worried. I mean, I've been kidnapped by two princes, who are taking me to see the queen. My other problem is that I am Winter's Heart, but I can't actually tell anyone. I am sure that lying to the queen would be ill advised, but it looks like I'll have to anyway.

I suppose I can pretend that I don't know if my parents are alive, I mean we never did find their bodies. In theory, they could be. If of course we didn't have the hearts. But I can pretend I don't have it, which means that I say that might be alive. Oh this is tricky. I can't believe I'm going to lie to a queen. But I don't really have a choice.

I can feel Rowan staring down at me. I wonder if he can sense that I'm about to tell a huge lie. Or maybe he can read my thoughts. Just in case he is, I yell silently at him to get out of my mind. He keeps staring down at me. He probably can't read my thoughts.

"Rowan?" I ask,

"Yes?" He answers suspiciously,

"Can you read minds?" I'm feeling a little tentative,

"No." He says and I feel a great sense of relief. "But I can feel emotions." He continues. That worries me. Is lying an emotion. Will the queen be able to sense if I am lying? I think I'll ask, subtly.

"Can you tell if I'm lying?" My voice asks before I can stop it. So much for being subtle.

"Sort of." He replies.

"Um...sooo what do you mean?"

"Well, if you were to lie, then you'd feel anxious, I'd be able to sense that, you'd be shifty so might do something out of character or look left top of your eye. Or maybe itch your nose." Rowan explained.

"Oh, I see." I whispered. If I was going to lie, then what Rowan had just told me would come in great use.

"Why'd you want know anyway?" He inquired

"Oh... er.. just, curious." I stuttered. Great lying Tyne.

"Fey can't lie anyway. Remember?" He told me amusedly.

"Yeah, yeah I know," I lied. I had no idea about this. But if they thought I couldn't lie, then I would have the upper hand!

"I can feel you deviosity from here. What are you up to?" He queried.

"Oh y'know this and that." I replied. Not lying but not answering.

"An example please?" Rowan continued.

"Planning...a bed... for my fox." Not quite genius, but I was getting better. Rowan snorted, but dropped it.

The temperature started to drop, alerting me to the fact we were drawing close. The icicles got bigger and the trees were now covered in ice instead of frost. Everything was gleaming and in all honesty, I was terrified.

Eventually the trees started to thin out, creating pretty little glades. The trees thinned again and I saw the court for the first time in my life.

Its huge spires and turrets rose up high above the trees, the windows were large and looked like clear ice, even the people were terrifyingly beautiful. They wore dark colours of blue and red, their eyes glinted with mischief and the promise of pure agony if you ever dreamt about crossing them. Their dark hair was swept back out of their faces, revealing chiseled faces and pointy chins. Everyone had a look of aristocracy about them.

And I had never wanted to shrink away and hide more than I did right now.