Chapter 2 #4
I await your acceptance of these terms. Should you find them disagreeable, I will regretfully be unable to assist you in your hour of need.
Your loyal kin,
King Maelthar of Verrindor, Realm of the Unseelie Court.”
The room fell into a thick, oppressive silence. My heartbeat thundered in my ears as I stared at my mother. I stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. “What in Náldrún’s fucking Hel is going on? You’ve never mentioned any betrothal to me. Tell me the king is mistaken.”
“Sit down, Jack,” my mother commanded, her voice so harsh, I felt it in my bones.
I stood straighter. “You’ve no right—”
“You are a prince of Skadgard. This is how alliances are forged. This is how kingdoms are preserved. Stop acting like you didn’t know this was coming. I did what any monarch does to secure the future of their kingdom.”
“You already agreed to this,” I said, my voice rising. “Without consulting me.”
“How could I? You weren’t here the last few days.”
“That letter reads as if you’ve been planning this for weeks—months, even—not days, Mother.”
Her gaze locked onto mine, unflinching. “Do you think I was not once sold to this kingdom? Do you think I had any say in what happened to my life? I, too, was an Unseelie Princess betrothed to the then-Crown Prince Hayden of Skadgard. I didn’t choose this life, but I accepted it because it was my duty to ensure the strength of both the Frostbound and Unseelie Courts. Now, you must do the same.”
“This is different,” I growled, though I wasn’t sure I believed it myself. “You can’t ask this of me.”
Her lips curled into a humorless smile. “We are not just rulers, Jack; we are the shield that protects our people from annihilation. You said it yourself. Our borders are weakened, the magic that fuels our land is failing. A retaliatory attack from Claus looms, yes, but an attack from the Isogrim? Those savages will tear through our realm without mercy. For centuries, our hrímdreki have protected the land that borders their barbaric kingdom. With them missing, it’s only a matter of time before their chieftain finally decides to invade.
And what of our people then? Without the Unseelie King’s aid, it won’t be long before they breach our defenses.
This marriage is not a request, son; it is a necessity. ”
Fury surged through me, chilling and uncontrollable.
This was who the Frost Queen was. How she operated.
In secrecy. Moving chess pieces on a board only she was familiar with.
I had nothing against the Unseelie Princess, I’d never even met her.
I didn’t care if we were distant cousins and that our union would strengthen our allegiance to the Unseelie Court.
My mother had no right to barter with my life. I stormed out of the room, not bothering to wait for her dismissal. My boots struck the floor like thunder as I pushed through the heavy doors and into the dimly lit corridor.
“Jack, wait!” Sylvi’s voice cut through the haze of my anger. I heard her hurried steps behind me, but I didn’t slow down.
I couldn’t.
She caught up with me, her hand gripping my shoulder as she forcefully spun me around. The instant her palm touched me, she recoiled with a sharp gasp.
“Stars above,” she whispered, staring at her hand, her breath visible in the sudden chill. “Jack...”
I looked down at myself, realizing my entire body was coated in a thin layer of frost. The magic that lived in my veins had always been an extension of my emotions, and I’d been so angry at my mother that it had spiraled out of control.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, my voice strained.
“What’s going on, Jack? I know this can’t all be because of that bullshit betrothal.”
At least her sentiment was aligned with mine.
“I can’t do this right now, Syl. Please. I need time to think.”
“No.” Her tone latched onto my muscles, halting me in place.
As common fae, she held no magic, but what she still didn’t understand was that she didn’t need magic to exert her control over me.
When I met her eyes, they burned with the stubborn resolve I knew all too well.
“You don’t get to decide when it’s convenient to confide in me, Jack.
We’re either friends or we’re not. Now, tell me what’s really going on. ”
I clenched my fists, the frost in my veins coiling with an inky darkness I didn’t welcome, didn’t even want to acknowledge. “I can’t talk about it. Not now.”
“Jack—”
“Sylvi, stop,” I growled, deeper than I’d intended. And while I instantly regretted it, I needed her to know that right now was not the time to push me.
Her expression morphed, the fierceness in her eyes giving way to something I couldn’t bear to see—hurt. Fuck. I’d done the one thing I’d promised I’d never do.
I turned away before it could gut me completely and strode down the hall with harsh strides, my chest tight with a mix of rage and guilt.
Her whispered voice followed me, a quiet plea I couldn’t answer. I pushed through the set of giant double doors that led to the expansive evergreen gardens until the balm of gently falling snow and the quiet of the night swallowed me whole.