Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Princess Jacqueline Frost was ready to snap.
Although most people thought she had an indifferent nature and a deep well of boundless patience, the truth was far from it. She had a formidable temper and never forgot a slight, but she was very good at hiding what she was feeling.
She always had been.
Appearances had to be kept, and being impulsive and emotional wasn’t acceptable behavior for the future queen of the Winter Kingdom. That had been instilled in her since she was young. Because of that, she was careful about reacting and preferred to be subtle about seeking retribution.
However, sometimes swift retaliation was necessary.
Dealing with one of the asshole princes from the Summer Kingdom was certainly one of those instances, especially when he made it impossible to ignore his obnoxious behavior. Since all four fae kingdoms had princes and princesses around the same age, it wasn’t surprising for a few of them to be attending Aegis Academy at the same time. But out of all of the royals, there were only a few of them that she could actually stand to be around.
There were even less that she actually liked.
And Prince Elyon Tyr was definitely not one of them.
She had known she was going to have a problem with Elyon the moment she saw him and two of his brainless friends blocking the way through the open gates of the back entrance that led into Aegis Academy. Elyon was a vicious idiot who liked to cause trouble and often made a nuisance of himself. He had been that way ever since he was young, and it had only gotten worse as he’d gotten older.
The Summer Kingdom had three princes and one princess. While the eldest princes, Elyon and Baili, had different mothers, Ramsey and his little sister, Aurora, had been born of the king’s true mate and the current queen. Since the king had declared that the next ruler would be determined by merit and not by simple succession, that led to the brothers constantly attacking and sabotaging one another to be named crown prince.
Well, the two oldest princes were pretty cutthroat about vying for the throne, while the youngest prince, Ramsey, would rather be left alone to live in peace.
Out of all the fae royals, Jackie was closest to Ramsey. Since they had been friends for years, it was clear to her that he was also the best choice to be the next king. Unfortunately, their family politics and the cutthroat competition were getting in the way of what was the obvious choice. Even so, she still believed that Ramsey would one day take his rightful place on the throne.
If he could survive all of his brothers’ attempts on his life.
The same type of drama was happening in the Spring Kingdom. A dangerous game was being played out to see who would take over as the next ruler, but there was no clear favorite so far.
The Autumn Kingdom was pretty secretive about what went on in their palace, so no one knew exactly what was happening in that particular royal house. It was said that things were quite harmonious at the moment, but that could have simply been rumors for all she knew.
As the eldest princess of the Winter Kingdom, Jackie had been raised knowing she would one day take her place as queen. Since her position had practically been set in stone since her birth, there had never been any infighting between the siblings. Of course, it helped that Crispin and Kamilla had absolutely no interest in ruling over the kingdom, so there was no reason for them to compete with Jackie for anything.
Cris was a healer by nature and wanted to pursue a career as a doctor traveling between the realms. Kami was a cheerful yet headstrong fae who had no interest in politics or governing. Instead, she loved spending her time drawing and painting. That was something their parents hated since they thought it was a waste of time, but she cared little for what they had to say about her interests. Actually, she didn’t really give a shit about what they said about anything these days.
That meant all of the responsibilities of ruling the kingdom fell to Jackie.
Without the heavy burden of fighting over the throne, Jackie, Cris, and Kami had been free to love and support one another without restraint. That made them an oddity amongst fae royalty, but their bond was a good thing since they needed to band together to deal with their nightmare parents.
Nick and Bianca Frost were a cold, calculating couple who had impossibly high standards for their children. They could even be described as being downright cruel at times, but that was something they hid behind a polished veneer of sophistication and superiority. While most of the Winter Kingdom thought of them as decent leaders, the truth was they cared little for the people they ruled.
Things hadn’t always been that way, though. Back when Jackie was young, she remembered her parents had been very kind and loving. They had often taken her on excursions throughout the kingdom and watching them interact with their citizens had helped her understand what kind of ruler she should aspire to be.
But that had all changed as she’d gotten older.
Perhaps they had believed emotional distance was needed to prepare her for her role, or maybe they had just been overwhelmed with their duties as well as raising three children. Regardless of the reason, they almost seemed like strangers now. They had made it clear they were ready to hand the throne over to Jackie once she graduated so they could live their own lives, but she had reason to believe it wouldn’t be so simple once that time came.
They were too damn controlling to just give away all that power.
Over the years, Jackie had borne the brunt of their abuse to protect her brother and sister. As the oldest, that was her duty. However, her brother and sister didn’t see it that way. They were adamantly against her standing in front of them. They got angry when she defended them or tried to take the blame for something they’d done, but she couldn’t help it.
She would always protect them, especially from their parents.
Since Cris was starting at Aegis Academy this year, he had recently declared his plans to become a healer to their parents. They hadn’t been happy about it, but there was little they could do. That still didn’t stop them from trying to persuade him to change his mind. Little did they know that the punishments they had dished out had only made him more determined to fight for the future he wanted.
He wasn’t standing against them.
Cris was simply taking a stand for himself, and Jackie loved that for him.
While Cris did his best to avoid their parents altogether, and Jackie knew how to placate them, Kami was an expert at making them lose their tempers. She had what could only be described as a passionate nature and an acerbic tongue with no filter. She seemed to be slightly masochistic when it came to the discipline their parents liked to dish out, even goading them to inflict harsher punishments.
No matter how many times Jackie had warned her, Kami wouldn’t stop talking back to them. That was why she was worried about her little sister being in the palace alone with their parents, though Kami assured her she could handle them. Unconvinced, Jackie had tasked a few trusted guards with making sure her sister remained safe. If something happened, they were to bring Kami directly to her at Aegis Academy. And if that wasn’t possible, they would immediately contact her so she could return to the palace.
While the siblings had decided they were fine with letting things stand as they were until Jackie graduated and officially took over as queen, she would go to war with her parents if something happened to her sister or brother. Since she had privately made that clear to them, she hoped that afforded Kami an extra layer of protection.
The king and queen would be better off simply ignoring Kami since she was content to do the same. It wasn’t that hard to do. The Winter Palace was literally the size of a small city, so they could go weeks without running into each other. Jackie still wished Kami was at school with her and Cris, but they would have to wait a few years before all three of them were there together.
Jackie had gone through extensive magical training since she was a child, so attending Aegis Academy wasn’t exactly necessary. Still, it was a nice escape away from the palace. Not that everything was easy at school. While most of her classes were quite easy for her, being a princess at the academy did have its drawbacks.
The fae headmaster liked to trot out royalty to deal with important visitors and guests. Because of that, Jackie was often asked to take on additional duties. And by saying she was asked, she meant she was ordered. She figured it was the only time the headmaster could demand anything from a royal, so he loved wielding that power as often as he could.
Being asked to greet some of the new students was no hardship, although she would have preferred to sleep in like most of the other returning students currently on campus. Then again, there were quite a few students who had been asked to participate in the welcoming celebration.
The first years had to arrive early since they had to go through a week of testing in order to determine what classes they would be taking, and there was a big celebration at the main entrance to welcome the students. Once they came through the portal, they were led through the front gates with lots of fanfare. Honestly, it was a pretty spectacular display of magic and quite entertaining, but Jackie had already seen it all.
Other students came back to the academy early to hang out and catch up with friends before classes began. With no set schedule, they normally stayed up late and slept all day. If given the choice, that is exactly what Jackie would have been doing as well. But she took her responsibilities seriously, even if she didn’t want to do them.
So, she had dragged herself out of bed and put on her uniform, opting for gray slacks instead of a skirt to go with her purple shirt, black tie, and a gray blazer with the academy emblem on the front. The uniform was a necessary evil since welcoming the new students to the school was considered an official school duty.
After slipping on a pair of purple leather boots with thick heels that she had recently purchased, she’d teleported directly to the fairy glade café located on the main floor of the dark tower where she lived. Although her choice of footwear wasn’t ideal for winter weather, she had a weakness for heels. She’d also discovered an awesome spell that made it seem like she was walking on clouds no matter what she wore.
Magic really was pretty amazing.
Because of the early hour, the fairy glade had been empty except for a few of the pixies who were in charge of the kitchen, leaving her to enjoy a quiet breakfast with her guards. To be fair, Dillion Omid and Andrea Ballas were more than just Jackie’s guards. The three of them had grown up together, and they were also her closest friends.
While she was safe enough on campus, Dillion or Andrea usually remained by her side whenever she was out and about. On the day she was crowned queen, they would take over as the head of her personal protection and become commanders of the guards. Some of the older guards were already making a fuss about that upcoming change, but it was her decision to make.
Instead of dealing with the mass of new students at the main entrance, Jackie volunteered to handle the private arrivals at the back entrance. Since the back entrance was located in the Winter Kingdom section of the academy, it seemed fitting for her to lead the official welcoming committee there. However, that wasn’t why she had volunteered for that particular duty.
The private arrivals were mostly demons and other powerful supernaturals who didn’t want to show up with the other first-year students. Even though all supernaturals were accepted at the academy, some of the students, and even a few of the faculty members, weren’t exactly friendly toward demons. It wasn’t fair, nor did it make much sense, but that way of thinking had been bred over centuries of mistrust.
Jackie was one of the few fae who had no problem with demons. In fact, she liked most of them that she had met so far. She appreciated their candor since they tended to be pretty direct when dealing with others. Even if they came off as abrasive and unfriendly, that was far better than fake smiles that masked deception. If some demons had abilities that might be a little scary or considered dangerous, the same could be said for most supernaturals under the right circumstances.
Some demons, especially powerful ones, were simply misunderstood.
Like the stunning siren-succubus hybrid who was currently strolling beside her.
When Jackie had first met Sapphire Ardesia during her visit to Aegis Academy over the summer, she had immediately liked her. Part of that had been an empathic response that probably wouldn’t have made sense to most people. Because of her obvious appeal and powerful magic, Sapphire was someone who garnered envy and spite simply by breathing.
But none of that was her fault.
On a different scale, Jackie knew what it was like to be hated for something she had no control over and couldn’t change. There were plenty of fae and other supernaturals who disliked the royals. While she understood it, that didn’t make it right. She was proud of her heritage, and though she tried not to rub it in peoples’ faces, she didn’t hide her status either. That often led to people disliking her without even knowing her.
Since Jackie had been the ambassador assigned to take the demon hybrid on a private tour of the campus while school had been on break, they had gotten to know one another during that visit. Now, Sapphire was officially a student at Aegis Academy along with thirty other demons and hybrid mixes.
Jackie and her guards welcomed each of the new arrivals as they came through the portal near the back entrance of the academy. The portal was located in a beautiful winter garden on a raised platform that looked like it was made out of a thick slab of ice. Like its namesake, the atmosphere in the winter garden was cool, but it was nothing compared to a true frozen landscape that hadn’t been altered with magic.
A winter wonderland of blue, silver, and white, frost-covered trees sparkled in the strong sunlight, and icicles dripped from the branches. A light dusting of snow covered most of the ground, but the wide pathway had been cleared for them to walk on without worry of slipping and falling. Since Jackie and her friends had used a magical trolley to send the students’ luggage directly to their assigned rooms after they’d checked them in, it allowed the excited group to enjoy the walk unencumbered.
All of the portals were located outside of the campus in an attempt to regulate who came to the academy. That was a precaution put in place to protect both the students and faculty. While it was an understandable security measure, it couldn’t stop powerful supernaturals from teleporting directly onto campus grounds. Supernaturals like Jackie, who could teleport herself to any realm with merely a wish.
A few of the new students in the group were from the Human Realm, while the others lived in the Hell Realm. Most of them had never been to the Aegis Academy campus before, so they were taking in the scenery with excited wonder. While Dillion and Andrea chatted with the group and expertly answered their questions, Jackie and Sapphire walked in front of the others and used the relative privacy to catch up.
Sapphire was careful to keep a safe distance between herself and Jackie while they walked to ensure they didn’t touch. It seemed to be an automatic gesture rather than a conscious choice. It wasn’t hard to figure out why, though. Even without trying, Sapphire drew people to her. That was a dangerous gift, both for her and anyone who was around her.
Jackie had never been attracted to females before, but even she felt the slight influence of the siren-succubus hybrid’s abilities if she got too close. It was an odd yet fascinating feeling to sense the sheer power of Sapphire’s lure. Jackie was strong enough to withstand that pull, but other students would have a problem fighting that kind of magically enhanced magnetism.
As they made their way onto the curved stone bridge that crossed the large expanse of a frozen pond, Jackie sighed. She’d seen Elyon and his two friends waiting for them at the far end but had hoped they would wise up and leave by the time she led the group over the bridge. Obviously, she’d been giving them too much credit.
Even though the gates were open wide now, the three of them were blocking the group from entering the academy. Since there was no reason for them to be there besides causing trouble, she knew that was exactly what the fae males were after.
While all supernaturals could manage some basic spellwork, fae powers were strongly grounded in elemental magic. Each fae had a natural ability to control all four elements to some degree, but the one they had the strongest connection to was determined by the kingdom they had been born in. Fae royals were the strongest of their race because of their ties to the land, making them formidable opponents.
Most of them were careful not to abuse their magic, but Elyon was clearly an exception. Showing off his abilities in a magical tantrum, he set the trees at the end of the bridge on fire, melting the ice and snow. The dried branches lit up with purple flames, casting eerie shadows on the snow-covered ground. As the flames grew brighter, it made a muddy mess that the new students would have to wade through as soon as they stepped off the bridge.
“Who are those assholes?” Sapphire asked.
“The oldest prince from the Summer Kingdom and his two buddies,” Jackie told her. “I would say just ignore them, but they wouldn’t be here right now if they didn’t want to cause a problem. You remember where the Island of Misfits is, right?”
“Yeah. You gave me a tour of the tower and your suite the last time I was here.”
The dark tower was located on an island a good distance from the rest of the student housing. Since it had some of the strongest magical wards on campus protecting it, the tower was where the most powerful supernaturals lived. Normally, new students weren’t automatically placed in the tower until after they went through testing. However, because of their unique abilities, Sapphire and two other new students from the Hell Realm had already been assigned to live there.
“You were assigned a suite on the top floor of the tower. So, you can go ahead and teleport over there if you—”
“I can wait,” Sapphire said, cutting her off. “I have a feeling I’m part of the reason they are here to cause trouble, so I might as well stick around.”
Jackie frowned at that but didn’t bother contradicting her. As the school representative, it was her duty to escort the demons to their living quarters safely without letting some assholes harass them. Sure, Sapphire could probably deal with the situation well enough, but it would irritate the powers that be far less if Jackie handled it.
She turned to address her guards. “Once I move the trouble trio out of the way, take the students through the gates and—”
“Hell, no,” one of the demons said gruffly as he crossed his massive arms over his chest. “Demons don’t run from a fight. If you’re going to beat their asses, I want to watch, or help if you let me.”
The female standing next to him bounced on her feet and nodded in agreement. “That would be fun. Can we?”
“You could consider this our own little welcome celebration.” Sapphire smirked as she shrugged. “What can I say? Demons are different.”
“Apparently,” Jackie said with a little laugh. “All of you stay here. I’ve got this.”
“Aww,” Sapphire said, sounding disappointed. She lowered her voice as she said, “If you would rather avoid a conflict with them—”
“They started it simply by being here. Stay back,” Jackie warned again with a sigh. “Things are about to get a little chilly.”