Carved in Ice and Glass: A Snow White Fairy Tale Romance

2. The Princess

The cool, wintry air swirled around me, capturing stray strands of my raven black hair and twining them around my cheeks. But it didn’t matter. My magic cloaked me completely, so no matter how my hair billowed around me, no one would notice.

I waited at the edge of the forest, watching patrons enter and exit the pub, searching for one man in particular. The cold nipped at my arms, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Sometimes, when I focused hard enough, my magic made me impervious to the elements. I could often isolate my invisibility to certain parts of my body, though this was only ever really useful if I wanted to pull a prank on someone. But the amount of control over my powers often made me feel as if I truly were invisible. As if I didn’t exist at all.

An aching hollowness filled my chest, threatening to cave inward as I was reminded of being invisible in the palace of the Winter Court. Once my father married Calista, it was as if I no longer existed. I was an outsider. Unwanted. Unloved.

A hard lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed hard to focus on the task at hand.

There. A tall, wiry fellow with bright red hair entered the pub, his swagger and smug expression telling me everything I needed to know. He was a fae lord. A wealthy one. Exactly who we were looking for.

“I see him,” I whispered. The wind washed away my words, but I knew Frisk would hear me. His keen fox hearing never failed.

A small chitter sounded next to me, followed by a low chuckle as Frisk’s furry ears twitched. “The fool won’t know what hit him.”

I couldn’t suppress my grin. Frisk always loved these missions. It was part of the reason I always brought him.

That, and his knack for stealth.

A blur of motion shot forward. If I hadn’t been looking for it, I wouldn’t have noticed the ripple in the snow. Frisk was an arctic fox and he blended into the surroundings almost as well as I did. It didn’t take long for his form to vanish entirely, leaving me squinting through the flurries, awaiting his signal.

A few moments later a high-pitched chitter rang out.

I sprang forward, circling the pub to find the lord’s carriage, his driver flat on his back with Frisk sitting calmly atop him.

I huffed a sigh and put my hands on my hips, even knowing Frisk couldn’t see me. “Is that really necessary?”

“What?” Frisk blinked his wide, dark eyes—the picture of innocence.

Stifling a laugh, I muttered, “Keep watch, will you?” and flung open the carriage doors.

It appeared empty at first glance, but I knew better. The queen had gotten crafty with her methods. No doubt my thievery had her growing more and more paranoid. A smile formed on my lips at the thought of mighty Calista, wringing her hands in frustration and anxiety.

But no. That wasn’t my stepmother. She was much more likely to kill someone instead of fret.

I pressed down on the floor of the carriage, then the cushioned seat. A low creak echoed, and I pushed harder, feeling around the outer edges of the seat until I found a small lever. I pulled it, and the mechanism released a tiny compartment underneath.

I gasped. Piles and piles of gold, some in pouches and some simply spilled over as if the lord had been in a hurry. He likely wanted to down a few more drinks before he had to report back to court. What a gluttonous goat.

“See anything good?” Frisk called out.

“Hush!” I hissed. “You’re just an ordinary fox, remember?”

An innocent chitter followed my words, and I laughed. Not many fae folk knew of the faerie creatures that roamed these woods. Most dismissed them as children’s tales, but I knew better. I lived in these woods, and the faerie creatures were my closest friends. Some were ordinary animals, but others were sentient. Some even had magic, just like the fae folk.

I opened my sack and started scooping coins into it, wincing as they jingled loudly. But there was nothing but the quiet frigid air behind me. Even so, I didn’t want to push my luck. My movements were quick as I shoveled more and more coins into my sack. I was almost finished when Frisk’s loud chitter had me going rigid.

Damn. Out of time.

I bit my lip and gazed at the pile of coins that still remained, mentally calculating how much food and supplies that could purchase. How could I just leave this gold sitting here? I swiped one last handful just as someone grabbed my cloak from behind.

“Who’s this, eh?”

I wriggled, struggling to free myself. Too late, I realized I’d let my invisible glamour fall in my haste to grab more coins. I couldn’t risk using it now; very few people knew the extent of my magic, and I wanted to keep it that way. Even Queen Calista didn’t know what I could do.

The red-haired lord raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a cruel smile. “Ah. You’re a looker, aren’t ye?” His bloodshot eyes drifted to my rounded ears, and his eyebrows lifted. “And human.”

People often mistook me for a full-blooded human, even though I was half fae. My ears were both a gift and a curse in that sense.

I knew how to get myself out of this situation. But I hated playing the damsel.

I pretended to gasp. “Oh please, good fae lord, please let me go! I didn’t mean any harm!” As part fae, I couldn’t lie, but I had plenty of practice skirting the truth. In all honesty, I didn’t mean any harm; generally we tried to steal without hurting anyone.

“Save it, lass, I can see the gold gleaming in your pack,” the lord spat. “I think the queen will be pleased I’ve finally caught one of the Snow Princess’s thieves.”

So he didn’t know it was me, then. Relief swelled inside me. One of the benefits to being an invisible and unloved princess was no one recognized my face. I released an anguished wail and covered my face with my hands. “Please. Please! There must be something I can do to make it right. Name your price.”

The man’s hold on my cloak loosened slightly. “Any price, eh?” The darkness stirring in his eyes told me all I needed to know.

Blood and ice, this man was foul. I would enjoy beating him senseless.

“Yes, yes,” I urged, layering my voice with more desperation and sobs. “Anything you want.” I widened my eyes so he would understand my meaning.

His foul grin widened, his arm dropping and releasing me completely. He leaned forward, and I did, too, holding my breath so I wouldn’t have to smell the nasty stench of his inebriation. In a flash, I unsheathed my dagger and raised it to his throat.

“Step away from me,” I said, dropping all pretenses. “Now.”

The man’s face slackened in shock, then turned a deep red, anger boiling in his eyes. “You little bitch.”

I cocked my head and smiled. “Go ahead and test me. I haven’t gotten this knife dirty in a while, and I miss the feeling.”

His eyes darted to the gleaming silver blade, and his expression faltered. It wasn’t made of iron, but it would still do some damage. “You wouldn’t. A fine lass like you?—”

I sliced hard, nicking the sleeve of his tunic. He swore loudly, cradling his arm as a drop of blood fell to the ground, leaving a large, crimson stain on the white expanse of snow.

Frisk let out another loud chitter.

I groaned and slammed the hilt of my dagger into the man’s skull. With a grunt, he collapsed, and I easily stepped over him, securing my glamour back in place before emerging from the carriage. From the pub emerged several other men, their shouts loud and echoing as they drew closer.

“Let’s dash, shall we?” Frisk asked.

Together, we darted off toward the woods. “I didn’t even get to toy with him,” I lamented.

Frisk chuckled as he scampered alongside me. “Next time, Princess, I’ll let you torment all the queen’s lackeys until your heart’s content.”

* * *

“It’s not enough,” declared Tansy, her sandy hair a frazzled mane around her face. She chewed on the ends of her fingernails, a habit I often chided her about, as she surveyed the pile of coins on the table in front of her. “I’ve counted it twice, Snow. It won’t be enough.”

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. We sat in my small cottage, the largest of the dwellings we’d built in the forest. Eight of us surrounded the table where our entire funds had been collected and counted at least three times. “It has to be,” I said. “We’ve been gathering coin for months now. How can it not be enough?”

“Mercenaries are expensive, darlin’,” drawled Gareth with his deep, low twang. He scratched at his white beard, his mouth puckered in a frown. “We knew going into this that it would be a long shot.”

“Are we even close?” I asked, my voice tinged with desperation. If we were only off by a few coins, all I had to do was rob a few more carriages, and?—

“No,” said Huck in his clipped voice as he crossed his thin arms over his chest. “We aren’t close. We would need to double this amount before we could hire any, and even then, it might not be enough to overthrow the queen.”

I shot him an annoyed look. Huck was always the most pessimistic of us all, although he would argue he was realistic. “We can’t just give up!” I said. “We’ve come so far…”

When I’d been exiled, I’d sought refuge in Knockspur, the last of the human lands. Decades ago, the fae had seized control of most of the Winter Court, casting out the humans and forcing them to flee to Knockspur. Some of the human nobles remained, but it was only for pretense. They were closely watched in their own lands, which was why they had to come here, to Knockspur, for us to gather. Thankfully, the fae lords asked no questions when the human nobles said they had to travel to Knockspur to visit relatives. Most fae turned their noses up at human colonies and wanted nothing to do with them, so it was the perfect explanation for our frequent meetings.

But for years now, I’d been gathering followers to join the rebel cause. We had human nobles from each of the seven provinces, who knew the area and its people well.

And together, we vowed to take down the queen and give the land back to the humans.

“Eira,” said a soft voice I knew only too well. “We need a new plan.”

I forced myself to meet Denton’s gaze. It was still difficult to look him in the eye since we’d decided to end our complicated and undefinable romance. I wasn’t heartbroken over it—it had been nothing but a fun, casual distraction—but it was still awkward.

For weeks, we’d met for secret trysts in the woods, the thrill of our undiscovered dalliances only fueling the fire between us. But we had both agreed it couldn’t last, and after Huck had almost walked in on us taking each other against an oak tree, we decided it was time to end it.

It was uncomfortable now. Mostly because I could tell he wanted more.

And I didn’t.

But, of course, I had to pretend things were perfectly normal, because no one knew what transpired between us. I was the princess, and he was a noble of the Jarta Province. Our goal was to usurp my stepmother and establish myself as the rightful queen of the Winter Court. The last thing we needed was for word to spread of the Snow Princess and her secret human lover.

So I kept my gaze steady as I looked at him, my eyes roving over his tan skin, his milky brown eyes, and the light stubble on his chin that often tickled me when we kissed. “What do you suggest?” I asked him.

“Each of the provinces has a small band of followers,” said Denton. “And we’re human. We can lie, and we can avoid faerie bargains. Surely, that should amount to something. Can’t we try to sneak into the palace and start a riot from the inside?”

I spread my hands and scoffed. “How? The queen has tripled the guard since we started robbing her coffers. And you may be immune to faerie bargains, but I’m not.” I self-consciously tucked my dark hair behind my rounded ears. Sometimes, I blended in with my human friends. Other times, I was reminded of how different we were. I was half fae, which meant that, biologically, I was bound by fae laws. Even if I looked like a human.

“But you have your magic,” Stella pointed out, her eyebrows raised. Her white-blond hair was pulled into a long braid down her back, and her pale eyes appraised me with part amusement, part awe.

“Yes, and as soon as one soldier discovers me, everyone will know what I can do,” I said. “I can’t risk it. It’s the only thing I have over the queen.”

“And what good is having an advantage over the queen if you never use it?” Denton said.

My nostrils flared in my frustration. I opened my mouth to argue, but a soft voice to my right stopped me.

“I have an idea.”

I faltered, my gaze shifting to Penelope. Her short, red hair framed her face like rose petals. When everyone turned to look at her, her pale cheeks flushed as dark as her freckles. She rarely spoke up during our meetings, but when she did, she had clever ideas. It was why she was here in her uncle’s stead, even though he had more authority in the province of Cordenna. That, and he was an old bat who would never in a million years ally himself with the vigilante princess of the Winter Court.

“We utilize our connections,” Penelope said simply.

Silence met her words. I cleared my throat. “What connections?”

“The creatures.” Penelope gestured to the window, through which I could barely make out a trio of black-capped chickadees circling each other. Behind them, Mauro the great white stag pawed at the snow at his feet. I knew Frisk was out there, too, though he was hidden by his snowy surroundings.

“I’m fairly certain sending a stampede of forest animals would draw a bit of attention,” said Huck, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Shut it, Huck,” Gareth said. “Let her speak. Go on, darlin’.”

Penelope’s face flushed a deeper scarlet, but she plowed on. “Our friends are sneaky. And if they pretend to be normal animals, no one will suspect a thing.”

“The problem is, there aren’t many normal animals on the palace grounds,” I said. “They are repelled by the queen’s blood magic.”

“For good reason,” muttered Lark, rubbing his bloodshot eyes and taking another drink from his flask. He represented the tiny province of Quinton, and he didn’t contribute much to our meetings. He was here because he was the only human from the area willing to join me. Even if he was sloshed more than half the time, I was grateful for his loyalty. That, and he was one of the best secret-keepers I’d ever met, even when he was drunk.

“The smaller creatures can slip into the palace,” Penelope said. “Like Frisk!”

“No way am I going in there.”

We all jumped and turned to find Frisk coiled on the carpet by the front door. How he’d gotten inside, I had no idea, but the sight of him curled up on the floor like that brought a smile to my face.

He rose up on his legs and stretched with a long, lazy yawn. “Lark is right, there’s a good reason we don’t go near the castle. Her magic reeks.”

“Then what do you propose?” I asked.

“I propose we make a move on the queen’s assassin.”

A hushed whisper fell among those of us seated at the table.

Denton spoke first. “The hunter? That’s the worst plan I’ve ever heard. He’s unbeatable. How are we supposed to make a move on him?”

Frisk flashed his teeth, his dark eyes glinting. “You know what those chickadees are chirping about? They caught sight of the fearsome hunter not too far from here.”

I held my breath. The assassin was here? In Knockspur? The fae never traveled this far into the human lands unless they had to.

Which could only mean one thing: the hunter was on assignment for the queen.

I exchanged a glance with Tansy, who smirked knowingly at Stella, who raised her eyebrows at Huck. Huck scoffed and crossed his arms again, clearly unconvinced, but Denton was nodding eagerly. Lark had fallen asleep, and Gareth gazed out the window as if no longer interested in our conversation.

Penelope shifted nervously in her seat. “How do we approach this without getting ourselves killed?”

“Well, there’s eight of us,” Stella said. “And only one of him.”

“He’s taken on fifteen opponents at a time and still won,” I said as if reciting from a textbook. I’d never actually met the feared assassin, but I knew enough about him to know he shouldn’t be underestimated.

Penelope’s suggestion sparked a plan in my mind. Fae creatures disguising themselves as ordinary animals… I tapped my chin, a slow smile spreading across my face. “But you’re right. As humans—or half-human, in my case—we do have an advantage.” I leaned forward, bracing my palms on the table. “All right, friends. I have an idea. And this one will work.”