by J. E. Taylor
I waited until he left the floor and the chamber closed for deliberation before I turned to Senator Brax. “It seems we are in agreement for once.” I glanced around. “And the lands have not frozen over.” I grinned at him and then turned my attention to the house. “If you so choose to write up a law protecting wild animals from being hunted for sport, I will sign it on the spot as long as the language used is specific to hunting for sport. We all know that having an unclear bill signed into law has unintended consequences, so be careful with the message.”
I let my gaze pass over each of the men, and they nodded. We had had something similar happen with a poorly worded bill about abolishing drinking. After my father signed it into law, the senate realized they had abolished all forms of drinking, even having a glass of wine with dinner, which was the farthest thing from their original intent of cleaning up the drunks in the street. The law was recanted and refined to abolish drunken and disorderly acts in public places. Many of those senators still remained as acting law makers in this audience.
“I will be expecting the new bills on my desk by nightfall,” I said and bid my leave. It was time to chase down Mr. Kyle Bryggen and find out just what he was up to.
Chapter 6
The warm sunshine made my eyes squint as I stepped outside. I didn’t get more than two paces away from the senate building when a shadow stepped to my side. I glanced at Kyle as he kept pace with me, his hands still clasped behind his back and his eyes roaming the kingdom with curiosity.
I took a moment to take a closer look at him as he walked beside me. He had donned a blue tunic with gold trim that brought out the color of his eyes, and his boots shined like new. He looked freshly bathed and smelled like a clean breeze through a pine forest.
I narrowed my gaze. “Did you steal those clothes?”
“No.”
He didn’t seem bothered by the accusation in my voice or by the skeptical eye I gave him. He continued to scan our surroundings, and the corners of his lips tilted in a smile that would have melted my heart had he not tried to kill me earlier that morning.
“I’m not sure whether I like your ice castle or this place better.”
Any thoughts of how handsome he was evaporated with this statement. I spun towards him. “Bryggen is my kingdom. Not yours.” I poked my finger into his chest.
“And yet it carries my name.” He cocked an eyebrow at me in that silent challenge that made my blood boil.
“It most certainly does not, Mr. Bergeron.” His alias spat from my lips, and I glared up at his impossibly handsome face. “Do I need to put another arrow in that ass of yours?”
“You did not put the first one in my ass.”
“I’m a much better shot than my sister. I wouldn’t just leave you with a flesh wound.”
“You certainly are a feisty one.” His eyes sparkled in the sunshine.
“I am the queen and you should show some respect.” I turned and marched off.
Or so I thought.
When I got to the castle gate, he reached beyond me and opened the door for me. “Like this?” he asked, almost too quietly for me to hear over my pounding heart.
I glared up at his dancing blue eyes. The memory of the beast ready to tear my head off kept me from swooning at his natural charisma. I gave him a curt nod and entered.
He stepped inside with me.
“I did not invite you into my home.”
He just grinned at me and looked at the grand entry. “It lacks your special touch,” he said after his inspection.
I huffed. “And yet, you are still standing here.”
“It would seem so.” He slid his hands into his pockets and stared down at me.
“What do you want?” I shifted under his intense stare.
His nose flared, and he glanced around again. When his gaze landed back on me, a shiver slid up my spine.
“What do I want?” He stepped closer and his voice carried a dangerous growl. “I want everything I lost.”
I blinked at him, not understanding what his point was.
He crowded me against the nearest wall. “I thought I just wanted your ice castle tucked away from civilization. But being here, eating my fill at the local pub, and seeing what my city has become, I decided I want it back.”
“You can not have it back.” I straightened my spine, glaring up at him.
His finger hooked under my chin, jerking it upwards. “You are the only thing standing in my way.”
His mouth crushed down on mine. My brain stalled for a moment despite the unwanted kiss. It was demanding and took my breath away. I placed my palms on his chest, and before I could relish the sensation of his warm lips, I blasted him with the frustration filling me, sending him crashing into the opposite wall.
The fury of his advances and his words mixed together into a dangerous cocktail filling my veins. I advanced on him before he could scramble to his feet.
His blue eyes were wide, and for a moment, I drank in his fear.
“You have the audacity to think you can just take what you want?” My hands tingled as my voice echoed in the great hall. Ice glazed the floor around me, spiraling out with the release of my anger.
“You were the unwise one that woke me from centuries of sleep.” His face transformed into an angry mask. “And I have every right to take back what was once mine.”
“Leave now and do not return, or otherwise I will make you an icicle.” The walls surrounding us had already coated in frost.
“And how did that work for you the last time you tried to do that?” He crossed, towering over me again. “I am not afraid of a little ice.” He growled down at me, and his teeth elongated. “But you should be deathly afraid of an angry bear.”
“Get out!” I pointed at the door as the first threads of fear weaved through the anger.
He laughed and stepped back. With a sweeping bow, he turned and sauntered out of the castle, leaving me stewing. And through all this shaking rage, the feel of his lips on mine sparked a heat deep within me.
I let out a guttural roar and stomped to my room, leaving a trail of ice in my wake.
Chapter 7
It took hours for the pounding in my temple to abate. Every time I thought I had control over the spell of rage, I would glance out the window and see him sitting at the pub across the way, having a grand time in my kingdom. That shifty bastard.
The senate secretary came by with the stack of papers for me to review and sign, but every time I tried to read a paragraph, the feel of his lips on mine interrupted my focus. In a matter of a few days, that man had gotten under my skin in a way no other had.
I glanced up at my ice castle. Even if I wanted to retreat to the cool calmness I always found there, I would never get past him without notice. And the animal would probably follow me.
That thought brought on a surprising thrill, and I blinked, startled by the urge to tempt destruction. Kyle Bryggen was not a man to trifle with. Neither was his alter ego, and yet, I was truly entertaining the idea.
With papers strewn about my desk and none holding any of my attention, I stood, stretching. It was time to occupy my mind. I cut through the castle and across the inner ward to the modest home I’d had built for Anna. I needed the diversion that only children could bring.
I knocked on the door, because as much as my sister chided, I did not want to just waltz in as if I owned the place. She deserved the same respect she had always shown me. She opened the door with my nephew on her hip, flour smudges on her cheeks, and her hair out of place. The instant her eyes fell on me, that harried look on her face transformed to a smile.
Without a word, she handed me Dennis and waved me in as she scurried back to her kitchen where her other two children sat patiently waiting for their mother to finish baking. The sweet smell of cookies hung on the air, and I smiled at the dough rolled out on the table with painstakingly carved shapes molded into the confection awaiting the next cookie tray.
Reindeer, bears, trees, a
nd even snowmen graced the table all decorated with sugars and fruits. My mouth watered just looking at it.
Anna pulled a tray from the oven and set it in the only spot not littered with waiting cutouts. When Sara reached for them, Anna knocked her hand away.
“It’s too hot,” she said to her daughter.
Sara turned to me and raised an eyebrow.
“Oh no,” Anna said when I started laughing.
“The last time I cooled down your mother’s cookies, I broke her cookie sheet, remember?” Even though I was turning down her silent question, I eyed the confections, tempted. I remained patient, though, and once the rest of the dough carvings were placed on the sheet and put in the oven, I leaned over and blew a small, cool stream over the hot cookies, cooling them down enough for all of us to sample.
I reached out and plucked one from the mix, handing it to Dennis before I took one for myself. Both Sara and Kristoff grabbed a cookie as well before Anna even turned from closing the oven.
“Elsa,” she sighed and glanced at the cookie carnage occurring as the four of us devoured the snacks we held in hand before reaching for seconds. She joined the foray and closed her eyes after she took her first bite.
I took a bite, and the sweet confection melted in my mouth with a burst of nuts and cinnamon. “You always make these just like Mom’s,” I said as I put Dennis on the ground to finish his cookie.
A blush filled Anna’s cheeks. “You have the recipe, too.”
I laughed. I had tried my hand at cooking, but I couldn’t seem to get the batter right. Either it was too doughy or too hard. It never melted in my mouth the way Anna’s did.
“You are a much better cook than I could ever hope to be.”
Anna wiped her hands on a cloth, and after shooing the children away from the kitchen to go play, she started piling the cookies in her cookie box. I helped her stack them gently between pieces of parchment paper.
By the time we were finished and had the counter cleaned up, the second batch was ready. Once the hot cookies were laid out on the shelf and Anna’s coveted cookie sheet out of range, I cooled the sweet treats down, and we continued packing them away.
“What brings you by in the middle of the day?” Anna asked.
I pressed my lips together and sighed. “He came down from the mountain.”
Anna’s jaw tightened, and her eyes narrowed. “What did he want?”
“Bryggen,” I said. I hadn’t told Anna exactly who the beast-man was and for some reason, it stuck in my mouth. “He doesn’t want to destroy Bryggen. He wants to rule it,” I clarified, but my words didn’t alleviate the growing fear in Anna’s widening eyes.
“He can’t possibly...”
I held up my hand. “No, he can’t. At least not right now.”
She cocked her head.
“I have until the end of the year to find a suitable husband.” My voice carried my distaste just as clearly as Anna’s frown displayed hers.
“I really hope you find someone.” Anna sighed. “Because I don’t know who would be worse, that beast or Senator Brax.”
I huffed a laugh. Senator Brax would be much worse, at least for anyone of the female persuasion. He would like to see all of us relegated back to a man’s property. Although I wasn’t sure exactly what Kyle’s thoughts were. He just seemed to want to conquer as opposed to rule.
Neither choice was good, so I just had to find Mr. Right in a sea of wrongs. It wasn’t not like I hadn’t dated since I’d thawed the land, but none of the men who attempted to woo me could stand being near me for long. The chill I apparently emitted was just too much for them.
And the only kiss I ever had where a man didn’t wince was with Kyle.
I blinked and returned my attention to Anna now that her head was cocked, studying me. I shifted self consciously and tried on a smile. I succeeded as Anna’s head straightened and her lips curved into that cheery disposition I was accustomed to.
“Don’t worry. I will find someone suitable.” I wasn’t so sure with the meager pickings in Bryggen, but the words seemed to help both of us shake off whatever dark cloud had rolled into the room. “I better get back and finish going through the papers that were delivered earlier. I just needed a pleasant distraction.”
Anna smiled, and as we crossed to the door, she handed me a box of the cookies we had packed. “I know you have a sweet tooth, and instead of bothering Buster at odd hours tonight, you can have these.”
“Thanks, sis.” I gave her a hug and left.
The sun had dipped to the horizon during the time I’d spent with Anna and the kids, and my heart felt lighter.
Chapter 8
The moment I stepped into my office, my lightheartedness disappeared.
Senator Brax stood at the window with his back to me, studying the town below. I cleared my throat and he turned. His face pinched in irritation.
“I was beginning to think you would never attend to your duties.” He waved at my paper-laden desk.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” I asked, ignoring his dig. I was in no mood for his games.
“The senate had some qualms about your behavior today.” He glared at me. If it were up to this asshat, women would be slaves to the community, bending over backwards based on any man’s whim. After all, he condoned a law that would celebrate rape and pillaging.
I crossed my arms. “I have every right to speak my peace. I am the queen of Bryggen.”
He stepped to my desk and picked up the papers on the top, shoving them in my direction. “Not for long.”
I kept my face neutral and yanked the papers from him. Even the name of the unanimous decree left my skin colder than normal. Modified Marriage Decree. My heart pounded with each word I read, dropping lower until it cramped my stomach and made me flash a glare at the senator.
I turned my back to read the rest. I did not want this criminal to see my reaction. I swallowed the bile in my throat.
“This is insane,” I said, waving the papers. “What you and the senate are demanding is ludicrous.”
He stepped close, crowding me against the desk. His sharp stare made my skin crawl. “Regardless. It was a unanimous decision. We don’t feel you are fit to continue to rule over Bryggen.”
“I am far more fit than you are.”
His hand shot out and clasped my throat, pulling me even closer to the vile stench drifting from his mouth.
I clenched my hands. Senator Brax made sure there was a clause protecting him in the decree. If anything unnatural befell him, I would hang for treason. It was spelled out ad nauseam in the decree. The only out I had was finding a suitable man to rule by my side. Otherwise, I would be forced to marry the senator, and he would take the throne.
“I am willing to forgo frostbite to produce a royal heir. How many men can say that,” he purred in my face.
I tore myself from his grip. “I still have until the passing of the next full moon.” My voice cracked as I shook the papers at him. The proclamation was not one I could just rip up like an ordinary bill. It was a unanimous decision by the senate.
Senator Brax laughed. “There isn’t a man in town who would be willing to take a stand against me.”
He was right. No one in this kingdom would stand against the senate, and Senator Brax was the senate.
I pressed my lips together in disgust, and he crowded me again. This time his salacious grin nearly made me gag.
He reached out and wiped the corner of my lip. “Besides, the senate has to approve your chosen suitor in a unanimous vote.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded.
“I can count at least one dissenting vote.”
“You bastard.”
His fingers ran down my arm. “I gave you enough time to get used to the idea. If you choose to disobey, I can always start harming those closest to you.”
The thought of him touching me closed my throat, but the thought of him harming Anna or her children left me sick to my stomach. My gaze dropped to the
papers and then moved back to his salacious grin.
“Get out of my office,” I hissed once my brain jumpstarted again.
He smiled and stepped closer. “Get used to the idea, or be willing to see your sister pay the price.” He turned and left me gripping the edge of the desk with the sweet confections roiling in my stomach, threatening to spill onto the wood floor.
Chapter 9
As the last of the light bled from the sky, I stared out over the mountain with the papers still clutched in my hand. I still couldn’t fathom what had driven the senate to make such a choice. They were sentencing this kingdom to doom.
My mind stalled at the sight of Kyle weaving his way up the hillside carrying a satchel over his shoulder. To my surprise, he stumbled, but caught himself before carrying on towards my ice castle.
I actually laughed out loud at his drunken meanderings, but my laughter was short-lived. A shadow trailed him. I followed its movement, wondering if it was man or beast. Soon the shadow doubled, and as they darted from one tree to the next, it became clear that at least two men were following Kyle.
Could Senator Brax have caught wind that the stranger from the senate floor had escorted me back to the castle?
I stared at the papers as things started adding up. It wasn’t my behavior on the senate floor that caused this debacle. It was something either the senator saw or heard that led him to force this on the kingdom. If he were that heinous, perhaps he would try to take out what he perceived as a threat.
I growled under my breath. Anger heated my skin, creating a dangerous sizzle on the air. I shoved the papers into my pocket and grabbed the cookie box on my way out.
I had to warn Kyle.
I slid on one of the staff’s hooded coats and slipped out the gate unnoticed, then scurried as fast and silently as I could to catch up to the shadows following Kyle. I flanked the woods on the right opposite from where I had seen the men. My coat blended with the woods almost as fully as theirs did.