Chapter 1 #2
I leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’d love to stay and gossip about crushes and princes, but I need to get to the palace, or the queen might throw me in with the snow leopards.” My gaze drifted to Aldric, and I winked. His returning smile barely reached his eyes.
Our mother’s voice cut through the playful banter as she strolled in from her quarters. “That’s enough, Lyra. Sylvi has more important things to worry about than romantic nonsense.” The corners of her green eyes creased as she gave me a loving smile, but the furrow etched between her brow deepened.
I was running late, but I couldn’t ignore my mother when she gave me the look. “What is it?” I asked, annoyed she was choosing now to lecture me, especially when Aldric had already tried.
Hands clasped tightly in front of her, she took in a shaky breath.
Her shoulder-length, lustrous hair, once jet-black as mine and Lyra’s, was now softened by shimmering grays.
It was still so early she hadn’t had the chance to coil it into a coronet.
Tucking a strand behind a pointy ear, she said, “Nothing. It’s just…
Well, I’ve seen what this position does to those who serve the crown.
Your father…he gave everything to them. Everything. ”
“And you think I’ll end up like him?” I asked softly, meeting her weary gaze.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I think the queen and her court take more than they give. And after that war she tried to wage against Yulreth…” She shook her head, her voice heavy with disdain. “A peaceful realm, Sylvi, attacked without cause. It’s a disgrace.”
I exhaled slowly, choosing my words carefully.
“I think that while Skadgard is in the middle of this unrest, it’s best if all talk about discontent with the queen stays within the walls of this house.
Or better, just don’t talk about it. Last thing we need are rumors spreading that the family of the captain of the guard are dissenters. ”
“We’re not dissenters, Sylvi,” Aldric said, stepping closer, his voice clipped. “Just concerned citizens of Isenheim.”
“Speak for yourself, Aldric,” my mother spat, smacking his shoulder. “That Unseelie Queen sullied our kingdom with her dark magic. There, I said it.”
I bristled, but kept my voice even. “Careful, Mother. That kind of talk can get you thrown into a cell. Look, I need to go, but we can talk more when I return home tonight. I need to pack up my stuff, anyway. I’m supposed to move into my captain’s quarters at the palace tomorrow.”
She scoffed. “Your father was never asked to move into the palace.”
“Father already had his own family when he took the position as captain—he wasn’t going to uproot us. Besides, it’s what the queen wants.”
My mom crossed her arms, her eyebrows hiking up her forehead. “Does she now? What the queen wants, the queen gets. First, she steals the throne, then my husband, and now my daughter.”
I strapped on my satchel and opened the door. “You have nothing to worry about. Being at the palace will make it easier for me to carry out my responsibilities.”
“I don’t like it.” My mother cupped my cheek. “You’ll be at her beck and call with no opportunity to take time for yourself. She’s going to run you into the ground. You should be here with your family.”
“I really should go. See you tonight. Save me some supper.” I kissed her on the cheek and scurried out the door before any of them could trap me into another conversation.
Isenheim stretched out before me as I stepped out into the crisp morning air, the city glinting under a fresh blanket of snow. Our home, though modest, stood apart from the crowded streets. The royal family’s generosity had provided us a place of comfort—a testament to my father’s service.
The cobblestone streets were lined with townsfolk already beginning their day.
The towering city walls loomed in the distance, the silver and navy blue banners of the Frostbound Court fluttered gently in the frigid breeze, while the pale stones of the battlements gleamed under the morning rays.
Along the parapets, guards kept a watchful eye.
Since the failed invasion, we’d padded our patrols, and the added security around the city hadn’t gone unnoticed by its citizens.
People were trying to busy themselves, to go about their lives like nothing had changed, but it was hard to miss the weariness in their gazes or the worry that weighed heavily on everyone’s shoulders.
People weren’t stupid. They knew something had to be awry for the city to be teeming with added guards, but the queen had yet to address her subjects.
I wove through the streets in a hurry, desperate to get to the city stable.
A part of me was nervous about facing the queen, but the better part of me was simply anxious to find out if Jack had returned to court.
I tried to convince myself the uncomfortable pressure on my chest was just my responsibilities weighing down on me, but deep down, I knew it was more.
The prince and I came from completely different backgrounds.
I was common fae, he was a royal fae prince whose lineage dated back to the founding families of our people.
Yet, despite our social differences, we’d forged a friendship that ran deeper than the roots of the evergreen trees that dominated our kingdom.
It all began the year I turned seven, and my father first brought me to the palace to witness the magic of the queen’s Royal Hrímblót Festival, a celebration during the first snow of the season, when our people paid tribute to Skadi, goddess of winter and the hunt.
It was an extravagant event filled with feasts, music, and enchanting sights.
He’d brought me to the festival as a treat, but also because he’d wanted to show me the importance of protecting our people and traditions.
Sometime during the evening, I slipped from his view and wandered into the gardens, where, lured by the pretty shimmering fairy lights and ethereal quiet, I was swallowed up by the Grove of Whispers, the queen’s infamous inescapable maze.
Panic-stricken, I’d stumbled through the labyrinth, my heart racing as the towering hedges seemed to close in around me.
Each turn I took felt wrong, the pathways blending into a never-ending spiral of snow-covered walls.
Tears had burned hot against my cold cheeks as I realized just how lost I was.
I remembered how a faint light had flickered ahead.
I froze, watching as it grew brighter, its glow soft and warm amidst the icy surroundings.
The light moved closer, revealing a small, shimmering orb that fluttered like a butterfly, a wisp.
It’d danced in the air, its movements almost playful, before darting ahead as if urging me to follow.
Desperate for any guidance, I’d stumbled after it, my small boots crunching against the snow. The orb’s glow had illuminated the path, leading me deeper into the maze. Just when I thought I might collapse from fear and exhaustion, the walls opened into a clearing at the center of the labyrinth.
There, amidst a swirling flurry of snowflakes, had stood a male child around my age.
His silver hair shimmered under the moonlight, almost glowing, and his deep blue eyes had been narrowed in concentration.
He’d been dressed in fine winter robes trimmed with fur, but his shoulders were slumped and his hands trembled as he tried to shape something from the snow in front of him.
I’d watched as the snow shifted, forming the rough outline of a bird, only for it to collapse into powder. He’d let out a huff, his cheeks flushed with effort.
He might’ve been frustrated that the bird hadn’t taken flight, but until then, I’d never witnessed anybody wield magic like that. I could still remember the shiver of wonder that had run down my back.
Only royal fae could wield that kind of magic.
It was then that I realized he must have been Prince Jokullson, the Frost Queen’s son.
Finally sensing my presence, his blue gaze snapped to mine. For a moment, neither of us moved. My heart thudded painfully, something snapping into place within me, like gears aligning.
“I-I’m lost,” I’d stammered, wiping at the tears streaking my face.
The young prince blinked, his expression a mask of confusion. “The courtyard is spelled to stay hidden,” he’d said quietly, his voice soft and uncertain. “How did you find it?”
“The light…it led me here.” I’d tried to find the fluttering orb that had guided me to the courtyard, but it had vanished as if it had never existed.
He’d looked uneasy, almost shy, as if he hadn’t been accustomed to speaking to others.
“Your magic,” I’d blurted, trying to fill the silence. “It’s amazing. You made the snow move like it was alive.”
His cheeks flushed, and he looked away. “It’s truly not impressive at all. I can’t even get it to keep form, let alone fly.”
I’d stepped closer, my panic at being lost forgotten. “Show me. Please?”
He’d hesitated, but finally raised his hands. Snow swirled upward, forming the shape of a small rabbit. It wavered for a moment before solidifying into a delicate ice sculpture. “I can turn them into ice, but I can’t seem to get them to…come alive.”
I’d gasped, reaching out to touch it. “It’s beautiful,” I whispered. “I’ll call her Esmir.”
The boy’s lips twitched into a small smile. “Esmir…” he repeated softly.
From that moment, something shifted between us. He wasn’t the shy, lonely prince in the maze, and I wasn’t the captain’s scared, lost daughter. We became something else—something new.
When he led me back to the palace, my father swept me into his arms and thanked the prince profusely, and though Jack barely spoke, his gaze had lingered on me. After that day, he kept asking my father to bring me back, and soon, it became custom.
And Jack and I became inseparable.