17. Seventeen
Sveta guided Ludelle to her starting point. She anxiously pulled at her braid, her claws getting caught in it and ripping a chunk from her scalp. She let the wind carry the strands, like seeds feeding the earth.
Sveta said, “Once the horn blasts, you’ll make your way through this tunnel and your Undertaking will begin.” The minister blessed Ludelle as she created symbols of the court with her thumb on Ludelle’s forehead. “May the Weather Gods bless you. May the Snow Court continue to thrive.”
Ludelle took in the words and allowed them to coat her skin like a film of ice. She spared one final glance to all those behind her, each of them with hopeful eyes. She wished she could stare into Zimyn’s one last time, but apparently, Queens did not always get what they wanted.
Ludelle rolled her shoulders. She wielded no weapons and was stripped of her powers of ice. It was just her and whatever awaited on the other side.
She could do this.
She had no other choice.
The horn’s blast reverberated against the cavernous walls, and Ludelle ventured inside the small tunnel. She had to shrink her body and turn it sideways at points just to be able to get through, but she could feel cold, fresh air. This high up, Ludelle didn’t stall to discover what she had to face.
When she pushed her body out of the tunnel, it was both worse and better than she expected.
Large walls of ice formed a labyrinth so tall that Ludelle couldn’t see anything beyond it. It was eerily quiet, as if its height swallowed all sound. Even the wind from earlier couldn’t penetrate through. A shield from the elements maybe, but already she felt the world closing in on her.
Ludelle took a deep breath. At least it didn’t seem like she would need to fight against anything. It would just be her and her mind as she weaved through and found the Heart, and then her betrothed. Simple, she convinced herself.
Ludelle stepped forward and almost slipped on the icy floor, her arms making circles to gain her balance. She scrunched her brows, confused. Her home had floors made of ice and never before had she struggled with it. Could it be due to her powers being gone? She didn’t let that deter her from what she needed to accomplish. She moved forward, concentrating on taking it slow.
At the first fork in her path, she chose left. Most people would pick the right, their dominant side, she thought, so the less obvious choice made sense, and she didn’t question it beyond that. She worked her way through more paths, coming at some dead ends and digging her heels into the ice to mark where she’d already been.
The experience was dizzying. She had no idea how big this maze could be but she assumed the Heart would be at the center of it. The clouded skies provided her no comfort, as her heart leapt at every turn expecting something to jump at her, to dig its claws into her flesh. The unknown of it all was unnerving.
It was much easier to practice for the Undertaking than be in it. In her training sessions, she knew that she would come out of it alive. Here, the reality of it all made it hard to even think strategically. She had played card games with opponents so well their minds had spun, untied herself from mischievous knots that Zimyn made, yet it had all come to nothing now.
But Ludelle trudged on, her doubts bubbling up even more when she ended up back to where she started. Right at the beginning…fuck.
The tunnel back to the cave seemed like a warm embrace in comparison to going back into the labyrinth. How would her people react if she just walked back in—no Heart, no consort? The horror of it was enough to have Ludelle turn back around, even if she didn’t want to start over again. She recognized the test for what it was: a mental game. One she specifically asked the Gods for, so she didn’t take that blessing lightly. Nothing would come easily for her here, she had no one else to call for help. It was just her and her thoughts against herself.
She grumbled but smacked her own cheek to reorient her focus. Ludelle was greeted by only a thin layer of ice underneath her feet as she stepped back in. She heard a crack under her, so she lifted her foot back to the tunnel entryway.
She gazed down at the wet ice. It was melting. That’s why she was slipping around. The castle never melted, the ice strong and intact. It would have been too easy to just let Ludelle wander aimlessly.
Not only did she need to find the Heart, protect it as she found Cirrus, and get out, she was being timed, too. The Weather Gods were not on her side, then. A smart way to humble her it seemed, so she gave the skies a middle finger—because it couldn’t get worse—and entered again.
She dug her claws into the wall as she braced herself, her arms outstretched and her feet gliding across the slick ice. It was beginning to thin out faster now, so much so, she could just make out the large expanse of space between her and her doom if she didn’t hurry. It was so high that she knew she would never survive it. Cirrus would also die.
All her markings from earlier had melted so she had no clue where she had already been. Frustrated and desperate, Ludelle took a dangerous second to think of how to best track her movements now. She could feel herself sinking down. Sweat beaded along her brow. Ludelle looked up and the clouds moved quickly, the barest hints of the sun coming through.
She didn’t think twice as she sliced across her palm and let some of her blue blood flow on the ground. The small pool of blood caused the ice to melt slightly, but she had no other choice.
She made fewer mistakes this time, perhaps the added pressure boosted her instincts. She didn’t complain either way.
Thinking back on her conversation with Zimyn’s father, Ludelle wondered how nervous her father and her grandmother had been during their Undertakings. Did they walk in confidently? Did each Undertaking get harder or easier as they became more familiar with the test?
The biggest question Ludelle had: Why did the Gods hold their powers hostage and force them to partake in an Undertaking? If they were all-giving and actually cared, surely they would gladly fuel the land they ruled so the people below would prosper.
Right now, she had more pressing matters to worry about, like the fact that the thin layer of ice would not be able to bear her weight soon. She didn’t know how much longer she had, but she begged whoever would listen that she would make it to the Heart soon.
Her nails ached with how much they were holding her upright, and before she knew what was happening, she crashed to her knees. The ice underneath her splintered and fell. She quickly reached out and clawed the wall, but the sharp ice scraped her face as she did. She would leave this maze bruised and cut, if she didn’t die first. She hung there, her legs dangling as she held on, but she couldn’t hold on forever. The distance below daunted her. The fall would last too long for comfort, with too much time to think before her body splattered against the rocks and trees.
It couldn’t end like this. Not without saying goodbye to Zimyn. That thought had her gritting her teeth and swinging her legs until she could toss herself back up onto the maze. A few of her nails cracked and broke in the process, but she could care less now that she was back on somewhat solid ground. She stayed there, heavy-breathing, scared—but she couldn’t stop now.
She decided to crawl to keep moving at least, even if at a much slower pace. Ahead of her was a long straight path and then a left turn. Ludelle prayed that this would be it. If it wasn’t, then her body might actually fail her.
She sobbed in relief when a large clearing revealed itself. At the center, on a glimmering pedestal of ice stood the Heart of the Snow Court.
She didn’t hesitate as she ran and grabbed it, the cold exterior biting into her skin. She sagged in relief. One task accomplished. Now, she just had to find Cirrus and get back to the caves. Right as she stepped off the platform to start the next phase, the ground shook beneath her and the side of the maze she just solved crumbled and fell.