Chapter 30
Jack’s castle—our castle—was a wonder of wintry fairy tales.
When we emerged from the cerulean lake surrounding it, Nanok and Fintan immediately took the woods, pouncing through the massive snow drifts four times the size the Cove produced.
I paused on the bank to take it all in from that vantage point.
Nestled within the snow-capped mountains and surrounded by hills of snow and snow-covered evergreens, a glistening white castle stood.
Icicles hung from the bottom edges, sparkling when they caught the brightened sun just right.
There were two main towers with jutting spires on every side; rounded, elaborate stained glass windows with various shades of blue displayed snowflake designs.
A bridge led to the road from the main iron gate, towering over the lake, and two wide arches were underneath, allowing boats passage. The northern lights danced in vibrant colors in the sky, even during the day, and the lake reflected their radiance.
Tears prickled my eyes, and I gasped when Jack’s palm slid against mine. “Jack, it’s—” Pausing, I squeezed his hands, fumbling in my mind for the right word. “—breathtaking.”
“And now, it’s your home, Sylvaria.” Jack kissed my cheek while swirling an arm around us, conjuring our outfits from the solstice ball. “Can’t have the queen arrive at her castle for the first time naked now, can we?”
Blushing, the new warmth pooled in my cheeks. “If you had your way.” I arched a wicked brow at my mate.
Jack chuckled and pulled me to his side by my hip. “I’m far too jealous of a male for all that business.”
“At least you admit it,” I said with a sparkling grin.
Patting my waist, he took my hand and tugged me. “Let me show you where the ceremony will take place and your coronation quarters.”
“Coronation quarters?”
Dragging his knuckles lightly over my cheek, he gave me a warm smile like he kept forgetting I didn’t come from the same walk of life as him. “It’s where you’ll bathe, dress, and have your hair and wings prepped.”
My wings perked at that before flapping. “My wings?”
“Of course. They deserve to be dolled up like the rest of you for your coronation because much like you—” Jack reached behind me, dragging a finger down the seam separating my wings and making me moan. “—they’re gorgeous.”
With a grin, I turned to face him, encircling my arms around his neck. “Why don’t you make it faster and take us there?”
“Whatever you desire, my queen.” Jack gave a flash of canine.
My life was already a fairy tale, considering I lived in a magical town full of mystical monsters, creatures, and beings. The Winter Kingdom, I now realized, was my true fairy tale, and Jack was my king on a snow-white horse.
In a flurry of snow, we appeared in a vast hallway.
Snow piles lined the walls, edging up near each stained-glass window.
Crystal chandeliers with hanging beads and gold accents hung between each window.
Ornate grey archways hung down the length of the hallway with Nordic scrolling carved into the stone.
The floor was shiny azure marble, with the same intricate carvings etched within it.
“Is this where the coronation will be?” Jack let me slip from his grasp, and I turned circles, my skirt twirling with me as I marveled at it.
“No. This would be the main hallway. Hardly a spot for a ceremony.” Jack watched me for a beat, folding his muscular arms over his chest, his glacial eyes glinting at the sight of me.
Gliding toward him, I pressed my hands to his chest and beamed. “Show me.”
Jack kissed my knuckles and led us through several more hallways.
We passed several people, all with the same fae-pointed ears like me and Jack.
They were dressed in the same color schemes of white, silver, and pale blue.
No one wore the midnight blue of Jack’s royal ensemble, and I assumed that shade was reserved for the king alone.
The people smiled and whispered to each other, bowing whenever we passed them and returning straight back to chattering.
Leaning closer to Jack, I whispered, “I assume all the chatter surrounds my arrival?”
“Yes, Snowflake. Not only have they never seen a future queen, but also never a winter faerie.” Jack trailed his finger around the top edges of one wing, making them vibrate in response.
Stifling a groan from the zing of pleasure swirling in my core from that one fleeting touch, I tightened my grip on his hand. “If you wish me to keep on ceremony, you’d better stop touching my wings like that, Jakzair.”
“You’re right,” he responded, pressing his lips to my ear. “That’s for later.”
His chilly breath, mingling with the minty, snowy scent of him, drew another groan from my throat.
All of it whooshed away; no sooner had we stepped into an enormous room.
An altar stood at the back, with a dozen white marble stairs leading up to it and a single silver throne at its center.
White Corinthian columns circled the throne area, accented with gold.
More sapphire-stained-glass windows served as a backdrop, extending to the ceiling.
Larger Corinthian columns bordered the room, the leaves at the top interlaced with metallic gold.
A swooping archway hung over the stairs at the front of the altar, and the floor was like cerulean glass—transparent and glossy with those same Nordic knot patterns.
“I-I don’t know what to say,” I breathed out, staring at the ethereal surroundings.
Jack pressed a hand to the small of my back, guiding me forward. “I’m glad you like it. I know there’s only one throne, but I wanted to surprise you with yours during the coronation. It’ll be right beside mine, both centered.”
“Surprise me?” I asked, my voice cracking.
Jack brushed a tear that had started to fall down my cheek with his thumb. “I can’t thank you enough for making such an important decision so quickly. It would have taken centuries to overcome the ache of losing you after finding you. To know you were out there, and I could never be with you.”
“Jack.” Tracing my fingers through his beard, I stroked the tip of his ear.
He nuzzled his cheek against my palm. “You don’t need to thank me.
I’m thankful fate brought me to the Cove.
I not only got a new family and new friends, but ones who finally accepted me.
And best of all?” Rising to my tiptoes to bring our faces closer, I pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.
“It brought me my mate. Something I never thought I’d ever have. ”
Jack rested his forehead against mine, his nose drifting through my hair, inhaling me. A guttural growl bubbled in his chest, bits of his ice creature poking through his forehead. The icy cold of it alerted me, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.
“You’d better go get ready for the ceremony, Sylv, before I and my creature spark the unrelenting urge to consummate this early.
” Jack rubbed my shoulder, his eyes falling shut, and gulped harshly.
He snapped his fingers, and a young woman scurried from the shadows, dressed in a light blue dress with billowing sleeves and silver bordering.
“Yes, m’lord?” She had deep auburn hair that fell to her hips with several braids held together with silver cords. Her hazel eyes lit up when she glanced over to me, grinning as if she already knew what the command would be.
“Take Lady Sylvaria to the coronation chambers and see to it that she’s ready by sunset for the ceremony. Her dress and robe should have already been delivered.” Jack spoke to the woman, but kept his azure gaze fixed on me.
“Of course, my lord,” the handmaiden responded, curtsying. “My lady, will you please follow me?”
“Until sunset? How ever shall I cope being away from you that long?” I flashed him a devious grin.
“I’ll make it up to you later tonight,” Jack responded, swatting my ass to encourage me to go with the handmaiden.
The handmaiden’s cheeks turned rosy, and she nonchalantly itched her nose with a knuckle to hide her smile.
Following beside her, I stretched my wings and continued to take in the palace décor. “My name is Sylvaria, but everyone calls me Sylvie. What’s your name?”
“Arryn, my lady.” She offered a warm smile and walked with her hands clasped in front of her.
Sunlight now peeked through the stained-glass windows, casting a glittering radiance over the columns, floor, and archways in the hallway.
“Nice to meet you. Do you mind if I ask how long you’ve been serving the king?”
A tall male fae dressed in a white chef’s uniform power-walked past us. There were several brown stains on his shirt, and his expression bordered on terrified. Frowning at this, I opened my mouth to ask Arryn about it, but she spoke first.
“I joined his majesty over twenty winters ago,” Arryn answered, undeterred by the panicked chef who’d scurried past.
I glanced over my shoulder at the man picking up speed as he neared a door, but paid it no mind since Arryn didn’t seem to think it a big deal. “Twenty? Wow. I guess you know him pretty well, then?
“As much as one could in the very few conversations we’ve had.” Smiling, Arryn opened an opal door with silver accents on our right and ushered me inside. “I’d imagine I don’t know him as much as you, my lady.”
Arryn has known him for over twenty years. I learned a lot about him in the short time Jack and I had known each other, but it was still unsettling how much there was still to discover.
Pausing at the doorway, I drummed my fingernails on the frame. “A connection like what Jakzair and I have is a celestial wonder.”
Arryn’s eyes brightened. “Sounds incredibly romantic.”
“Yes.” My stomach fluttered at the notion of Jack being my mate, being mine, and soon to be my king. “It is.”
The room was smaller than the others I’d seen thus far—a cozy, dimly-lit room where the only illumination was orange hues provided by the flames from dozens of candles.
A circular white-marbled tub with steaming cerulean water was in the center, facing three windows bordered by grey stone that offered a picturesque view of the snowy mountains.
Matching the rest of the castle, stone archways curved toward the ceiling, meeting in the center with Nordic designs carved into every other rock.
A mirror bordered with Nordic knots carved out of wood rested to the left of the tub, a basin on a wooden table beneath it.
Several towels hung on pegs around the room, and several green fern plants accented the corners.
“If you wouldn’t mind removing your clothes. The bath is to temperature already, and I’ve added milk and lilac.” Arryn stuck her finger into the water, swirling it, and nodding when she was satisfied.
This was to be my life now. To go from a winter faerie shunned by my own people, to a bakery owner in a monster town, to the Winter Queen. Life sure loved to keep things interesting, even for an immortal one.
Removing my dress, I looked for a place to set it, but Arryn held out her arms with a grin. Draping the garment over them, I smiled and moved to the tub’s edge, the lilac scent wafting from the vapors putting me in a euphoric daze.
“Your wings are beautiful, my lady.” Arryn stood at my side, staring at my wings with wide eyes. She tilted her head as I fanned them, catching the flames’ reflection in the crystallized patterns.
“Thank you, Arryn,” I responded warmly before dipping my toe into the water. Suppressing a groan at how positively perfect it felt, I shut my eyes and sank until the only thing not submerged was my head.
We spent the better part of an hour chatting and getting to know one another now that she’d be my everyday maiden.
I encouraged her to sit on the edge of the tub rather than stand at attention the entire time.
Arryn was from a long line of woodland fae and, unfortunately, lost most of her family in a ruthless rebellion war with the sky fae.
It left only her and her two younger siblings.
To provide for them, she sought employment from the Winter King.
I told her all about my past as well, about Arcane Cove and how Jack’s portal finally brought him to me.
Arryn remained starry-eyed during the entire story, and only when my fingers began to prune did our conversation end.
She helped me into my coronation gown and robes and fastened my jewelry.
She pulled bunches of my hair, creating a centerpiece at the back of my head, and making the rest of my hair hang in wavy tendrils.
The kingdom’s snowflake crest was the final piece, a glittering diamond hairpin she secured on the right side.
When I rose from the chair and stared at my reflection in the mirror, I became a whirlwind of emotions. A part of me hardly recognized myself, whereas another part of me, a sliver buried so deep I hadn’t noticed it there before, knew that I was finally seeing myself for the first time.