"A group of soldiers from the moon were tracking the Princess in the mountains," Advisor Torin reported. Winter listened, rubbing her temples to smother the headache bursting behind her eyelids, with an uneasy stomach. Ambassador Jacin had exempted himself from dinner with an excuse to 'tour the grounds'. Though she knew his intentions were malicious, the prospect of him leaving her alone for even a moment was too tempting to challenge.
It also gave Advisor Torin the chance to inform her of Prince Thorne's progress. "They were not normal soldiers either," he continued. "Prince Thorne described them as mutated beings part human and part beast. He suspected their origins to be wolf, or some other form of canine."
"Did Thorne confront these soldiers?" Winter asked, taking a bite of her untouched bread now that the repulsive man stealing her appetite was gone. Should princesses really be eating so much? he pestered as she filled her plate with food. Scowling at the memory of his voice, she took another two bites for good measure.
Advisor Torin's face paled. "I'm afraid so. It appeared their orders weren't to capture Princess Cinder, but too . . ."
He didn't need to continue his train of thought – Winter's mind could do that for him. Kill. They were sent to hunt and kill.
"But apparently they failed," her advisor continued. "Prince Thorne insisted on this fact. He also said his crew was able to apprehend one of the soldiers and is keeping her as a prisoner. With luck, she will confess the Snow Queen's plans or at least some information on the princess."
"Not if she's anything like the ambassador," Winter mumbled under her breath. While she'd spent less than twenty four hours with the man, his loyalty to his queen came out in nearly every conversation. Winter felt as if she was getting to know the woman on a personal level – something she wanted even less than spending another few days with Jacin.
He wanted something, Winter could tell that much. His actions seemed deliberately curious, trying to weasel his way into every closed door in the palace. Whatever he searched for, Winter was determined to keep it from him.
"Your Highness," Advisor Torin interrupted her thoughts. Looking up, she noticed the seriousness of his face and prepared to listen. "I think it would be best not to confront Ambassador Jacin about the soldiers."
Winter choked on her half-swallowed bread. As soon as a gulp of ice-cold water soothed her throat, she was on him. "And why not?! We have proof the Snow Queen has deliberately tried to kill Cinder, the heir to the Iceland throne, and you want me to ignore it?"
The Ambassador might have been a smooth talker, but Winter doubted he could talk his way out of an assassination attempt. In fact, just imagining the look on his face when she told him made Winter smile with glee.
But Advisor Torin looked adamant. "Princess . . . I propose we use a stealthier strategy. The instant we confront the Ambassador he's sure to return to the moon. However, as long as he remains here, we can keep an eye on him as much as he is keeping an eye on us. We might even be able to find information on Princess Cinder as well."
Winter knew his logic was sound, as always. Still, the prospect of driving Jacin away was tempting. No more pestering questions, no more hidden insults, and no more false smiles. Winter hated false smiles more than anything else in the world. Smiles were meant to share happiness and love, the way her mother's smiles always did. People who misused them had the blackest of all hearts.
Or perhaps coldest of all hearts, in the case of the Ice Queen.
"Alright," she finally relented. The idea wasn't her fondest, but she knew it to be the right thing. "Only until Cinder is safe, however."
Advisor Torin nodded his head in agreement just as the doors to the dining room flew open. Ambassador Jacin, wearing the rune-covered clothing custom to his home, strutted in as if his presence was the most natural thing. The two guards flanking him – assigned by Winter to keep him away from anything important – looked more aggravated than when they'd left. And that was saying a great deal.
"Only do what until Cinder is safe?" he asked with falsely innocent eyes. He flashed her his smile woven with deceit and insincerity and her appetite had fled once again.
She scowled. "That's Princess Cinder to you."
She shot him a look that warned him of the consequences of making the mistake again.
Against his best efforts, he looked genuinely taken aback. Good, Winter thought, make him learn some humility.
"Of course." He collected himself. "And exactly what are you doing until Princess Cinder is safe?"
Advisor Torin moved to speak, but Winter stood, cutting him off. "Sparing your life," she muttered.
To her delight, the Ambassador actually paled while Advisor Torin shot her some scolding words. Ignoring them, she headed out the door right past Jacin with only a muddled I'm retiring early in her wake. As she shuffled past him, Winter couldn't help but notice the Ambassador's sharp glare following her down the hall.
Sleep descended over every other member in the palace, most grateful for the end of a very long and awkward meal with their unwelcome visitor. Rest could not console Winter, however – not when her sister was fighting against the perilous winter beyond her reach.
That was the other reason Winter spent the night wandering the dark parts of the castle. She couldn't even force herself asleep while staring at the empty bed Cinder slept in only nights before. It painfully reminded her that down the hall, her parents' bed also remained eerily vacant – though not too long ago occupied by people that loved her.
Jumping for the second time as the wind battered against the palace walls, Winter nearly dropped the candle guiding her way around the empty halls. Walking around distracted her easily, and she could let the worries of the day seep from her mind if only for a little while. She could pretend Cinder was home, she wasn't trying to run a kingdom, and their unwanted guest from the moon didn't exist.
The candle flickered, casting odd shadows on the walls surrounding Winter. She was alone in the world, only now fully realizing it.
"Isn't it not very princess-like to sleepwalk?"
Though the cold voice surprised her, Winter was grateful she did not show signs of being afraid of the stranger joining her night walk. Turning to face him, she mustered the greatest look of contempt she owned before facing Jacin head on. She hid all of her unease being only in her nightgown with restless hair and none of her suspicion at what he was doing awake at the late hour.
"Isn't it poor manners to use a double negative?" she retorted with a snap. The Ambassador's eyebrows raised, genuinely surprised the princess knew proper grammar. His befuddlement didn't interest him for long, however.
Winter eyed his clothing with narrowed eyes instead of continuing the conversation. His formal clothing was replaced by much less extravagant fabric, no designs in sight on the dark shirt and black pants. What had her apprehensive was the industrial boots practically sewn up his legs and why anyone would sleep in such uncomfortable things. Of course, Winter did not believe for a second that sleeping was included in his evening plan.
"My father's private study is that way." Winter pointed down the stairway and eastward – the opposite direction Jacin had been walking. He paled without sufficient rebuttal, confirming that was where he planned to visit. She smirked, "Not that it's of any use to you."
Jacin shrugged, still vulnerable from her attack. "Oh, I doubt you have any idea what's useful to me."
"Allow me to clarify my meaning; my father's study isn't open to you. You will have to hunt for Iceland's weaknesses elsewhere."
A dark scowl crossed over Jacin's face. "Fight it all you want, I will find something here that brings Iceland to its knees."
"And what if there is nothing?" she prodded, doubt seeping into her voice. Though she hadn't been raised on how to nurture Iceland like Cinder had, Winter did know there was something her parents had been keeping from them. They had a secret – and Winter knew it rested in her father's study somewhere.
"Isn't anything," he corrected. At least on the intellectual front, it seemed as if they were evenly matched. "And I believe there is always one brick that, if taken away, will leave the whole castle to topple."
His father taught him that lesson; that any kingdom, any source of power or military, could be brought down with one action. All he had to do was find the right action.
Jacin hadn't realized he lost himself in the memories of his father until he noticed the princess staring at him. Being a member of his queen's personal guard, he had seen many crushed under the weight of fear the Snow Queen radiated. Whether they were born on the Moon or the Earth, all broke when threatened by her intimidating power.
Princess Winter was the first person he'd met who hadn't even flinched. She glared at his threats as if they meant nothing, she brushed off formality between them knowing it wasn't genuine, and she showed no fear in the face of danger. A part of him wondered if her older sister shared this bravery.
But he couldn't admire her courage, he couldn't envy her strength – he needed to crumble her from the inside out. A weak ruler means a weak country, his father chastised while taking his king in a game of chess. Iceland flourished because its leaders were great – only now could it fall to the ground and out of Queen Levana's way.
"Don't your people feel cheated that a helpless child is on the throne rather than her older, wiser sister?"
As he expected, the comment cut through the princess's defenses and made her flinch. Her age must have been a hindrance – not to mention taking the throne after her undoubtedly adored sister. Being thrust behind a shadow for so long, the light must have burned her eyes.
Jacin found himself hoping for tears to pour down her dark cheeks, but they never did. Before she opened her mouth he could see that he had lost. She did not cry, she did not run away, she didn't even call out the cruelty in his comment – she shot back.
"Child?" Winter laughed bitterly to herself. "I don't know how royalty works on the moon, but here the only thing that matters is blood. Whose blood you have and how much of it you are willing to spill for your country – that is all there is. No one cares if I am a child or a female or anything else. All they care about is if I will do everything in my power to better their lives."
She leaned in close to him, her dark eyes glowing with her candle's dancing flame. "And I will do everything in my power to better my country. I will do whatever it takes, and I won't let a lapdog of the Snow Queen get in my way."
Winter didn't wait for his response or reaction. She turned on her heel briskly, and walked down the corridor with a confident strut. Whatever it was that plagued her thoughts when Jacin first spotted her that night, it was gone now.
Unfortunately for Winter, her words that should have left him feeling defeated had him feeling quite the opposite. A smirk, twisted in the dim light of his own candle, would send chills to even the creatures born to live in the harsh conditions of the tundra. A light chuckle hummed in his throat as he turned away, his last words meant solely for himself.
"There is one other thing that matters to your people – what planet their ruler was born on."
Hey everybody! It's been awhile . . .
I really am sorry I haven't been able to update as much as I'd like to. Unfortunately, it's something I can't control and I am doing my best to update as often as I can. After April it should cool down, and I'm hoping to finish the story before September (A long ways off, I know, but it's always good to plan ahead)
The next chapter is actually almost done! I'd say about three-fourths completed. I hope to get it up in the next few weeks.
keep. the. hope: Thank you so much! Your review made me so happy I was giddy the entire day :)
BookAddict510: All of your reviews are so kind and so enjoyable to read, I hope you know that :) And don't worry about the typos, I make them all the time. And I'm so sorry! I probably did say that, but I planned to upload Book Three before the chapter. It sets the tone better that way :) Thank you so much for all your amazing reviews and for sticking with this story! I love your reviews so much!
Montana89: I am blushing profusely right now :) Thank you so much!
Guest (1): Four :) And thanks!
LunarLover: OH STARS! That was too adorable :) Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Guest (2): I'm so sorry! I need to update more often, I know. Thanks for the review!
Another grand thanks to everyone reading and reviewing!