27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Gerta
I stumble backwards with the Snow Queen’s appearance? Horror quickly displaces my sorrow.
Both Smalls and I are wearing outfits found in her palace, stolen from her servants, who are tied up in their beds. Will she demand both our hearts in repayment? Have I made Kay’s irrevocable sacrifice vain and dragged my dearest friend down with me?
Poor Biggs might have escaped, but it’ll be without any of us, just like he feared.
However, the Snow Queen doesn’t even glance at me once she sees Kay. “There you are! I thought the werecat carried you away while I was distracted with that monstrosity.” She gestures toward Prince, who is trotting after her in a daze. His coat is torn in several places, but the skin beneath the tattered layers is whole.
Kay studies Prince. “What is the issue?”
“No matter how many times I try to freeze his heart, it doesn’t work!” The Snow Queen glares at Prince for the audacity of being invulnerable to her somehow.
Prince grasps his chest. “It is because my heart already belongs to you.”
“I don’t want it! I want nothing to do with you. ”
Kay steps forward, partially shielding me from the Snow Queen. “Do you know this man?”
“She’s never met me,” Prince answers, not looking away from the object of his obsession. “Though I have longed for this moment my entire life.”
The Snow Queen just narrows her eyes. “I know his face . And even if it isn’t him back from the dead, any descendant of his is an enemy of mine.”
“Descendant of whom, my love?” Prince asks.
Straightening, the Snow Queen keeps her gaze on Kay, like she fears she will lose her composure again if she looks back at Prince.
I mean, he is unusual, but the amount of screaming earlier was disproportionate to even his level of annoyance.
“I was interrupted before I can make my announcement,” the Snow Queen adds, stepping toward Kay, “but I choose you to be my King Consort.”
Even though the Snow Queen shoots no magic from her hands, I feel as though she has pierced me through.
Stumbling backward, I wish I had escaped down the mountain while I still had a chance to be spared hearing that sentence. Mayhap true love doesn’t exist between Kay and me, but that doesn’t change the fact that for the first time in my life, I believed in the possibility of such things.
It hurts to let even new dreams die.
“And as your betrothal gift to me,” the Snow Queen continues like I’m not her reluctant witness, “please remove him from my sight.”
“Don’t marry him, my love,” Prince cries, falling to his knees in desperation. “If you want me removed from your presence, I’ll see that it is done. Just wed me instead.”
I glance back at Smalls and find that he’s sitting up and looking at Prince in utter confusion. He catches my gaze and I shrug. Of course, we all knew Prince was odd, but this is madness on another tier.
“I’m afraid I cannot do that, your Majesty,” Kay says coolly.
I whirl back around.
The Snow Queen stiffens, pursing her lips. “Whatever do you mean? Are you incompetent at all but conversation?”
“No; I shall happily remove this man from your presence before he bothers you further,” Kay assures. “It is your betrothal that I cannot accept.”
“I beg your pardon?” The Snow Queen stares down at him in a mixture of contempt and shock. The wind whips at her hair and skirt before pulling her upward so that she’s levitating again.
“Is this not something I have a choice in?” Kay asks calmly, like he isn’t a soldier questioning orders.
The Snow Queen wrinkles her brows, the contempt fading into pure confusion. “It is your choice, for you owe me only your servitude and nothing more. But why would you not desire my hand in marriage? I already own your heart!”
“And mine,” Prince whispers.
I glance back to find that Smalls and Prince have come to stand beside me. Smalls has a tight grip on Prince, like he fears he’ll go running back to the Snow Queen should he loosen his hold.
Smalls is wise.
“Let’s go,” Smalls whispers, nodding toward the stairs. “While she’s distracted and we have a chance for at least some of us escaping.”
“You go ahead. I’ll be right behind you.”
Smalls narrows his eyes like he doesn’t believe me. But I speak the truth. I’ll be right behind him— once I catch what Kay says next.
“ Gertie ,” Smalls hisses .
But I don’t hear his protests when Kay provides his answer. “Actually, my heart no longer belongs to you.”
My knees buckle, and Smalls grips my elbow with the hand not currently restraining Prince.
The Snow Queen’s gaze drops to his chest and then her eyes widen. “Impossible!” She glances between Kay and Prince, backing away a step. “What is happening this day? What is this chaos?”
“Kay . . .” I breathe.
He turns toward me, an actually full grin on his face as he pulls his collar wide, revealing unblemished flesh. Well, unblemished except for the goosebumps prickling over it.
“How can this be?” the Snow Queen demands. “The only way to cleanse my blessing is—”
“True love,” Kay answers, not looking away from me.
“True love also seems to protect from your blessing,” Prince offers helpfully, gesturing toward his untainted skin.
The Snow Queen narrows her eyes at him. “Do me a favor and trip off my mountain. As for you . . .” She turns back to Kay, who wisely meets her gaze. “You still owe me a debt.” She glances past him to make note of me at last. “As do you again.”
Kay steps fully between her and me, and I grasp his hand with my free one.
Sighing, the Snow Queen lets her shoulders slump for a moment before she returns to her perfectly regal stature. “However, neither of you shall live long enough to pay it off without my blessing you are now immune to, so I shall settle with the answer to a riddle as repayment.”
Kay lifts his chin as I suck in my breath. “I accept those terms, your Majesty.”
“Then solve my riddle, little soldier boy. These two soul songs are fueled by passion strong. But what has love that hate does not? ”
Kay glances back at me, the smallest of smiles on his lips and no hint of uncertainty. “Eternity.”
The Snow Queen sighs. “You are correct. Now begone— both of you. Only the suffering may seek solace here, and you are not in pain. Leave before your joy sickens me.”
“I suffer without you!” Prince calls.
A gust of wind blows at him alone, and if it weren’t for Smalls’ grip, I fear he would go flying off the mountain.
“Then suffer,” the Snow Queen hisses, her gaze falling on Smalls next. “You owe me a debt as well, but you can repay it by removing him from my mountain.” With that, she dramatically turns and flies back into her palace, the ice doors sealing shut behind her.
For a moment, we all stand frozen in shock. It is like we were caught in a blizzard, but it ended after mere moments. The wrath we were spared from suffering could have been catastrophic.
Suddenly, Wolf trots around the corner of the palace in her mortal form without a tear in her clothing. “What are you all still doing? The Snow Queen is rarely merciful! Let’s not spit in her face.”
Smalls releases me, grips Prince, and turns them both toward the stairs.
“My Queen!” Prince cries pitifully until Smalls slaps a hand over his mouth.
Wolf frowns. “I know it was just a speculation before, but Prince is most certainly cursed.”
“So, it would seem . . .” But I only have a moment to think upon such things before Kay turns to me, still grinning.
He squeezes my hand. “What an excellent bargain, lassie. A blanket, a bowl of sou[, and that lovely gown you’re wearing all for a day of servitude and a riddle.”
“And true love’s kiss.” I feel my cheeks flush against the chilly wind. “But I actually hate this dress, so I’m not sure it was such a good bargain after all.”
Kay tugs me close so he can wrap an arm around me, his gaze warming me more than my coat ever could. “I happen to think you look quite fetching in that gown. Certainly worth the kiss.”
Smalls clears his throat as he reaches the stairs.
Wolf trots past us. “Smalls is right— you can cast each other longing looks at the bottom of the mountain.”
Nodding, Kay and I turn to follow just as our way is blocked by a man coming up the mountain.
Biggs glances between all of us, the spare rope still coiled around his arm. “Is anyone else coming?”