Winter's Frollick

by Felicia Tatum

  Jacob only stared with wide eyes, but Henry answered, “No. Your face is perfect.”

  She blushed at his words and slowed down with her eating. She realized she was probably a mess, but she was so hungry. She hadn’t eaten since they’d ventured out in Summer Court and that was quite a while ago. “Thanks,” she whispered.

  They finished their meals and all three lay beside each other and drifted off to much needed sleep.

  19

  The days passed slowly as they sought out the fourth member of the frollick. Freya’s birthday inched closer, and they had less than six weeks until she turned twenty-five. Fed up with searching and finding no results, she decided to speak to a seer.

  Max was one of the most renowned seers in Winter Court and she’d requested his presence. She arrived at his shop with only Henry in tow, afraid too many of them would be overwhelming to the seer and knocked three times.

  Max was a short and stout man with many years on him. His hair looked like it’d never been brushed and when he smiled, his teeth shone with whiteness. He pulled open the door and ushered them inside as he peered around them to ensure no one watched.

  “Princess Freya,” he said with a bow. “It is my greatest honor to assist you.”

  “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice. This is of the utmost importance.”

  “Of course. I see you only brought one frollick member today.” He eyed Henry, who surveyed him back. It was hard to tell what they thought of each other.

  “Is that okay? Do you need us all?”

  He shook his head, his hair flaying about on top of his head. “No, no. Only you. Come and sit.”

  Henry stood by the door like he was on guard duty and watched them intently. He didn’t want to get in the way, but a part of him didn’t trust the man in front of Freya. Maybe it was the mate mark or his urge to protect her, but he watched him closely.

  “Now, now, place your hands on mine and stare into my eyes.”

  Freya fought back a giggle and did as he asked. He stared at her for what seemed like hours and then it happened. He jerked once and his eyes grew white. He was seeing something and mumbled incoherently as he watched the scene play out in front of him. He began to jerk more, not stopping this time, and she fought to keep hold of his hands.

  When it stopped, he slumped forward and took deep breaths. He let go of her hands and patted the top of them gently. “Yes, yes, I saw him.”

  “You did? What did you see?”

  He gulped and knew she wouldn’t exactly like his answer. “Winter, Winter. He is of Winter Court.”

  She gazed at him, waiting for him to tell her more. She knew he had to be of Air element, so this was a good start. He was male. He was in her court. And he was of Air element.

  “He has the darkest of dark hair. And his eyes are greener than the land under the snow.”

  She smiled and turned to Henry with excitement. They would be able to find him now. It was going to be easy since they had a clearer picture of what he looked like.

  “Thank you, Max. I appreciate you.” She dropped some coins on his table and stood to leave.

  “But but wait. Wait,” he called out to her. “You must be careful with the one you have. The one who is reluctant.”

  Finn. “Why?” she asked carefully.

  “He will, he will doom you if he does not join.”

  Her heart stopped and she fought the tears threatening to escape. He would doom them. What did doom mean? Was he going to be her end? Would he hurt her somehow?

  “I cannot, I cannot tell you more. Just know he has to join you. And soon.” Max left the room then.

  She glanced at Henry with a grim look on her face. She wasn’t sure what he’d meant but she knew she had to talk to Finn.

  “Let’s go, Freya,” Henry said. He held his hand out and she took it, needing the comfort he brought her.

  “He’ll doom us,” she whispered more to herself than him.

  He squeezed her hand and vowed, “He will not. We will make him a part of the frollick.”

  “But how?”

  “No one wants to die. We will simply tell him what the seer said. He will either step up or step up. There is no other option.”

  “But he doesn’t want this mate mark. He doesn’t even like me.”

  “You don’t know that,” Henry said.

  “It’s fairly obvious,” she huffed. “He won’t even look at me.”

  “I’ll talk to him first,” Henry promised.

  “What if he doesn’t talk to you? What if you don’t find out anything?”

  “Have faith,” he said, and they walked back toward the castle.

  Henry found Finn with the other knights, though he wasn’t in armor. Freya had agreed to let him become a knight after he’d acclimated to Winter Court and it hadn’t happened yet. He was warm natured, and he often froze in the cold temperatures. His body needed to adjust and ready him for the continued cold of Winter Court.

  “Finn? A word?” Henry called.

  Finn sighed and nodded, making his way over to Henry. “Yes?”

  “Walk with me,” he instructed. He began his descent down the steps and motioned for Finn to follow. They walked about the castle walls and Henry began his speech. “I need to speak to you about Freya.”

  Finn stopped and shook his head. “I need time to adjust.”

  “You have no time,” Henry interrupted. “We saw a seer this morning and he said you are to doom us all if you do not properly join the frollick. You have to accept your new fate. You will end us all if you do not.”

  Finn stared and didn’t say anything. He wasn’t sure what to say. Or what to feel. Doom was a heavy word and it weighed on his shoulders. He didn’t want the mate mark, but he also didn’t want anyone to be hurt because of him. Because of his actions. Or rather, inaction. “I don’t know how. I am very angry about this mark.”

  “We know,” Henry told him. “It’s obvious you are very unhappy. Freya does not like mating with so many, but she has accepted this is her destiny. You must do the same, so you do not doom us. Do you want to be why we all fail?”

  “How do I accept it when I don’t want it?” Finn asked.

  “I don’t know. But it needs to happen. You have to embrace your new destiny. You are now of Winter Court and you are mated to Princess Freya. You can define it however you want, but you are her mate. You are destined to be there for her, to protect her. It doesn’t have to mean more.”

  “I don’t want it to,” he hissed. “But the feeling I got when Rulissa was attacking. It was too much.”

  “The mate mark is very intense,” Henry agreed. “But it doesn’t have to mean more. Freya is getting to know us. It isn’t instant love, it’s instant protection and caring what happens to the others. I care for Jacob as I care for Freya. I even love her, but she doesn’t know it, yet. I’ve longed for her for a long time though. So, it’s a natural progression. You can simply be her protector.”

  “Would she be okay with that?” Finn asked. He rubbed his hand over his face and scratched at the stubble on his face. He was worn out, it was evident, and he knew it would only get worse. Fighting your mate mark wasn’t something people did. Most were ecstatic it even happened, so why would they fight it? Why did he have to feel this way?

  “You’ll have to ask her,” Henry told him. “I suggest you talk to her sooner rather than later.”

  He nodded. He understood the urgency in Henry’s voice. It was clear he cared for Freya. It was clear he cared for them all and was worried about their future. Finn knew he had to fix this before he doomed them. He rushed inside the castle and searched for Freya, finding her in the sitting room with a pen and paper at the table. She appeared deep in thought and he wondered what had her so focused.

  “Princess?” He cleared his throat and placed his hands behind his back. His normal stance for speaking with the royals.

  “Finn,” she gasped as she turned. “I haven’t seen you since we arrived b
ack.”

  “I apologize. I’ve been getting acquainted with the other knights. Thank you again for placing me with them.”

  “Of course,” she said and nodded. “What can I do for you?”

  “Henry spoke to me. And I do not want to doom anyone. I’m sorry for how I’ve acted, but I simply do not want a lifetime mate. I don’t want to be tied to anyone.”

  She put the pen on the table and motioned for him to sit. “I see. Well, I felt the same way at first. I pushed Henry away and fought the feelings that came with the mark.”

  “You did?” He didn’t like the way she said “at first.” It was like she expected him to change his mind, but he wouldn’t. Not after what happened with Amber.

  “I did. I still fight it. I don’t want four mates, but it’s my destiny. And it’s the only way to beat Rulissa,” she explained. “My sisters and I, we figured out the key to defeat is all of us meeting our frollicks. We have to figure out a way to make this work, Finn.”

  “I vow to protect you.”

  “And what about Henry and Jacob? What about the one we haven’t found yet? Will you protect them? Give your life for them?”

  His heart beat rapidly and he thought about what she was asking. It was hard enough to lay his life down for one person, but four? Could he do it? “I can try.”

  She shook her head and slammed her hand down on the table. “That’s the problem! You can’t try. You have to embrace this. You have to vow to protect us all. Frollicks are a team. We have to work together, fight together, live together, and love together. It doesn’t have to be romantic love, but the connection has to be there.”

  He stared at her, noticing how flushed her cheeks became as she grew frustrated. How her hair fell in curls around her shoulders in just the right way. How her eyes lit with fire as she spoke.

  “You need to decide, Finn. Otherwise, we’ll have to find a way to break the bond and we both know what happens if mates decide to try and break a bond.”

  He nodded. He knew what happened and he didn’t want it for anyone. He’d heard the stories of those before them who had tried to break the bond. Of the pain and torture they endured before finally killing themselves to end it all. He knew of the stories of loss and heartache driving the person mad until they no longer resembled themselves. The stories of how the other frollick members slowly joined the main mate in insanity.

  He didn’t want that for any of them. He was shocked she even suggested it, but he could see where she was coming from. The seer said he was the one to doom them if he didn’t step up and if he couldn’t do it, then why bother? Either way, they ended in death. He figured she’d rather die at her own hands than Rulissa’s.

  “I’ll think about it and get back to you by the end of the week, Princess. I’m sorry for my part in your pain.”

  She stared him dead in the eyes and said, “You’ll be really sorry if you end us all.”

  He shuddered at her words and stood to leave. He didn’t rejoin the nights, instead he searched out Jacob. Jacob was in the woods practicing his Earth magic with a few Earth fae. Finn stood to the side and watched as they finished up and then strode toward Jacob once he was alone.

  “How do you feel about this mate mark?” he asked bluntly.

  “I think it’s insane and the craziest thing I’ve ever heard of, but I’d do anything for any of you, so I guess it’s kinda cool.” Jacob was such an honest guy. He didn’t sugarcoat or sweeten words to make others happy. It was the New Yorker in him.

  “You would die for me?”

  He nodded. “I’d rather not, but if it came down to it, I’d protect each of you. The best I can. I know I’m on the struggle bus with my magic, but I’m trying to get better.”

  Finn contemplated what he’d said. This half-human fae who hadn’t even known he was magical until a month ago would lay down his life for three people he barely knew. And Finn couldn’t commit to the same. Why? What inside him was so broken he couldn’t see the bigger picture?

  All he thought about when he thought of the frollick was connection and pain. The connection would bring pain. A pain like no other. His heart would be ripped out and shredded, then stuck back in his body to try and heal itself. He knew that kind of pain, that kind of heartache, and he couldn’t bear to feel it again.

  He realized he was scared. Fear was controlling him, and he mentally kicked himself in the ass for allowing it to. But each time he thought of Amber, the darkness crept inside of him and strangled his insides. He fought to breathe, fought to keep focus. He didn’t want this and didn’t think he could change his mind.

  “Thank you, Jacob. Your words have assisted me,” he told him. He walked away and went to his room where he lay on the bed with his hands under his head and thought of how to tell Freya he wanted to break the bond.

  20

  “We’re going to have a party,” Freya announced at breakfast the next day. “A party for all the water fae in the land.”

  Henry chuckled. “That is a perfect way to find the last mate.”

  “Isn’t it? I thought we could have a little training session or something to get them here. Or maybe I should host a series of parties for each element, so the other people don’t feel left out. What do you think?”

  “I think a series of parties is a great idea. You can say they’re appreciation parties for all they do in the Court.”

  “I love the idea,” she squealed. “I want to have it this Saturday. We need to find our next member and we need to find him fast. What if he’s like Finn and doesn’t want to join? We will be in trouble and we’re running out of time.”

  “Will the curse break if Finn doesn’t accept his place?”

  “I don’t think so,” she said. “When she cursed us, she said we had to have full frollicks by our twenty-fifth birthday in order to break the curse on our land. I don’t consider us a full frollick when Finn won’t join.”

  “No, because he’s not in. How can we be fully functioning when one of us is so out of tune?” Jacob asked. “I don’t see how it could be considered a full frollick.”

  “I hope he doesn’t decide he wants to break the bond,” Freya whispered. “I told him his other option. He needed to be all in, or we needed to break the bond.”

  Henry gasped. “You did not tell him to break the bond!”

  She nodded. “I did.”

  “What does you mean?” Jacob asked. He was still clueless to a lot of the fae way.

  “If a bond is broken, the mate who broke away slowly goes insane and then kills themself,” Henry hissed. “There are no stories of survival.”

  Jacob’s eyes widened and he gaped at Freya. “Why would you give him that option?”

  “Because if he doesn’t want to be here, we are doomed anyway. Either way we lose. We only have one option for success and that’s if he joins us. I wanted to show him how serious this was, and I hope it was clear.”

  Henry shook his head and mumbled to himself. It was clear to him and he wasn’t happy with Freya. How could she allow Finn the option of breaking the bond? It would kill them all. He prayed Finn wasn’t stupid enough to do it.

  “Now let’s plan this party,” Freya said excitedly. She was trying to distract them both, so they didn’t dwell on the potential loss of their lives.

  “What do you want to do?” Henry asked. “How long will it last?”

  “Three hours. We’ll start at six and go until nine. I want a few of the Water fae to demonstrate how to do the cooler tricks, like icicles into rivers.”

  Jacob lost interest in the conversation and began thinking about when Finn came to him yesterday. He’d known then his options and hadn’t mentioned it. He was young and wasn’t ready to die. He knew his life was probably going to be shorter thanks to Rulissa but going crazy and killing himself? He didn’t want to do that.

  Freya and Henry hashed out the details of the party and planned the other three while they were at it. Over the next month, they would celebrate each element and
the fae who welded them. She was excited to find her last mate, but the feeling of dread slowly took over each day they hadn’t found him. With less than six weeks until her birthday, she knew time was of the essence.

  Finn, however, was a problem none of them saw coming.

  The week flew by and it was soon Saturday. Fae raced around the castle to decorate and ready it for the company while Freya and her frollick readied themselves. Finn was absent, as usual, and they didn’t expect him to come at all. Freya dressed to the nines with a long, flowing gown showing off her shoulders and cleavage. It was coral colored with small beading details around the waist and down the back. She felt elegant and like the princess she was in this gown. Henry and Jacob wore tuxes with tails and both of them were as handsome as ever.

  Freya was nervous. After the unwelcoming welcome she’d received from Finn, she worried the last member of her frollick would be as angry about the mark. She hoped he showed up tonight. She’d requested everyone’s attendance and most of the time her people followed her direction, but seeing as she’d never met this mate before, she wondered if he’d show. She’d held countless parties in the castle over the years and always mingled with all attendees. She’d have known if she’d met him before. The pull she felt with Henry and Jacob was strong enough to knock her down and there was no way she could have ignored if it happened before.

  The castle was lit in multi-colored lights across each hall and room. Ice sculptures and ice flowers filled each table while mounds of food surrounded them. Freya was pleased with how the castle looked and noted to herself to tell her people how well they’d done. She swept across the floor in each room, making finishing touches before fae started to arrive. Orion found her in the hall and stopped her from continuing.

  “You look lovely, Freya,” he said with a grin. “Are you ready to possibly meet your last mate?”

  She nodded. “I am, but I have a question.” She hooked her arm through his and led him away from the crowd. “How have I not met him before? Is it possible he is in another court?”