Miss Frost Chills the Cheater

by Kristen Painter

  “It’s beautiful,” Sin whispered.

  “Wait until you see it up close,” my uncle said. He grinned, obviously pleased with Sin’s reaction.

  “I can’t wait,” Sin said.

  Uncle Kris maneuvered the sleigh lower. “And you two are just in time for the annual Tinkers’ Tourney.”

  “Oh, I’d forgotten that was this week. We picked a great time to visit,” I said.

  “What’s the Tinkers’ Tourney?” Sin asked.

  My uncle answered. “It’s where a select number of Master Tinkers, our toy creators and developers, show off their best ideas in hopes of being chosen to present their best idea for the toy of the year. There are three this year. Whichever toy wins, we’ll put into production for Christmas. It’s a very festive competition with lots of toy-themed edible goodies to go along with it.”

  “How are the tinkers chosen to compete?”

  “They vote for each other all year long.”

  “It sounds like fun, but…” Sin frowned. “It’s already October. Isn’t that a little late for Christmas?”

  Uncle Kris laughed. “Son, this is the North Pole. One of the most magical places on Earth. There’s nothing we can’t do.”

  He flicked the reins, and the sleigh descended again, skimming over rooftops. Below us, elves looked up and waved. I waved back. Sin did too.

  Then he leaned toward me. “You might have to pinch me. I’m not sure I’ve processed that all of this is real.”

  “It’s real, I promise.”

  He blinked as he pointed ahead of us. “Is that…a giant Christmas tree?”

  “Yes. It’s also the headquarters of Christmas Incorporated. Or, as we all call it, the factory. It’s where all the toys are made.” Grinning, I tried to see the NP through his eyes.

  Everything was centered on my uncle’s headquarters. From the enormous green Christmas-tree-shaped building (complete with ornaments, working lights, and garland) that occupied the heart of the city, the neighborhoods spiraled out like the arms of a galaxy. They each twinkled just as brightly too.

  Most of the neighborhoods tended toward a distinct theme. In the bakers’ and confectioners’ neighborhood, many of the homes and businesses looked as if they were built from gingerbread and decorated with candy.

  Where the builders lived, the structures sported visible rivets and clockwork cogs that were both operational and decorative. The lines were crisp and clean, all angles precise.

  The tinkers’ community was brightly colored and whimsical, with striped trims and curvy roofs that suggested the playful nature of those who lived there.

  In one of my favorites, the decorators’ quarter, shops and homes alike sported the crisp lines, bold patterns, and flawless bows of packages waiting to be opened. Here and there, colorful spiral accents of metal “ribbon” added some fun.

  And then, just across the Meltwater River and north of town, was our destination, the Winter Palace.

  It glowed with the soft blue-white light of ice and glittered with the diamond reflection of fresh snow. Both of those things were illusions. No ice or snow had been used in the construction of the edifice, but those accents, along with blue-veined white marble walls, blue slate roof tiles, silver accents, and an abundance of sparkling glass windows made it impossible to mistake the structure for anything but the Winter Palace and home of the Winter King, Jack Frost.

  I took a breath as we touched down inside the palace walls. “It is impressive, isn’t it?”

  “I’ll say.” Sin climbed out, picked up Sugar’s carrier, then offered me a hand, all the while taking in the scenery around him.

  “Jayne!” My mother’s voice carried to us as the towering double doors opened.

  Behind her trailed several members of the household staff, coming to help with our luggage probably. I waved. “Hi, Mom! Hi, Gregory!”

  Gregory waved back. “Hello, Princess. Welcome home.”

  “Thank you.”

  Gregory Brumal was the palace’s steward. That meant he was the head of the staff, in charge of keeping the palace running, and without him, the palace didn’t function. I was sure he wasn’t about to carry luggage, but he would direct some footmen to handle it.

  I hugged my mom and almost hugged Gregory, but I didn’t want to embarrass him in front of the other staff. “It’s so nice to be home.” I got Spider’s carrier out of the sleigh. He was quiet but busy sniffing the air. I wondered what he thought of all this. I was sure he’d tell me later.

  I turned to introduce Sinclair to Gregory, but he was already directing which staff should take which bags and to what rooms. I let him be. The man liked things done a certain way. No reason for me to interrupt that. There would be plenty of time for him to meet Sinclair later.

  My mom’s smile was enormous. “It’s so good to have you here.” She put her arm around Sin and hugged him too. “Welcome to our home, Sinclair.”

  “Thank you, Lady Frost.”

  “Sinclair, I told you to call me Klara. Granted, there are some occasions where Lady Frost would be more appropriate, but in private, Klara. Please.”

  He nodded. “I’ll remember that. Thank you, Klara.”

  She smiled and gave him another hug. “You’re welcome.”

  He glanced up at the palace’s spires. “This is quite a place you have here.”

  “We like it.” She laughed as she released him and turned to me again. “Your father’s in meetings all day, but that will give you two a chance to get settled. You’re in your own apartment, naturally, and Sinclair is in the Montebonne suite.”

  “Great.” I kind of meant that sarcastically. The Montebonne suite was in a completely different wing from where my apartment was located. Not that Sin and I were planning on any secret midnight trysts, but it would have been nice to at least be in the same ZIP code. Just in case the need for a secret midnight tryst arose.

  Kidding. Kind of.

  But before I could say anything, my uncle put his hand on my shoulder. “Jaynie, I’ll see you at dinner tomorrow night. I need to get going. Work to do. Lists to check. Meetings to attend. You know how it is.”

  “Yes, I do. Thanks for coming to get us.” Our luggage had now been gathered up by the staff, who were headed into the palace.

  “Yes,” Sinclair said. “Thank you again for picking us up. That was a great ride.”

  Uncle Kris nodded. “Happy to do it.” Then he climbed back into the sleigh and headed off. By land, this time. No need to make the reindeer fly when he was already in the NP.

  “Mom, why don’t you put Sinclair in the Crestfield suite?”

  Her brows lifted a little as her lips pursed. “You mean the one across the hall from your apartment?”

  “Yes. That one.” I held her gaze. “Our cats like to hang out together. Having him so far away will make that tricky.”

  She tipped her head. “Your cats, hmm?”

  Sin’s expression said he was happy to keep the peace. “Wherever you want to put me is fine.”

  I ignored him. “Mom, there’s nothing nefarious going on.”

  My mother’s lips puckered up again. “It’s not nefarious things I’m worried about. But I trust you. And you are adults, after all. The Crestfield suite is fine.” She looked at Gregory, who was standing a respectable distance away, waiting on further orders. “Can you see to that?”

  “Yes, Lady Frost.”

  I nodded at him. “Thank you, Gregory.”

  He bowed. “Just doing my job, Princess Jayne.” He left to make that adjustment, leaving two underbutlers behind.

  It wasn’t necessary to thank the staff. That’s something you learned early on as a royal. The family’s thanks were implied. But in this case, I wanted to say it anyway.

  My mother clapped her hands. “All right, let’s head inside and get you two situated. I’m sure your cats would like to get out of those carriers.”

  I glanced at Spider. “I’m sure they would.”

  As we fell in behind
my mom, Sin leaned in. “Should I be calling you Princess? And I know your mom said to call her Klara, but when should I call her Lady Frost?”

  “No to Princess. Please, no. And only refer to my mom as Lady Frost when anyone who isn’t family or staff is present.” I almost shuddered. This was what I’d been worried about. That Sinclair would be overwhelmed by the formalities that went with life here in the North Pole. It was old hat to me, but I’d grown up with it.

  To him it must seem like—

  “It’s another world up here.” He looked around at the palace grounds, taking in the snow-frosted pine topiaries and the permanently frozen reflecting pond that mirrored the palace so beautifully.

  “It is. Literally.”

  “I like it.” He smiled. “It’s very cool. No pun intended.”

  “Pun allowed. It’s both cool and cool. So I’m good with it.” He didn’t seem overwhelmed. Maybe I was worrying for nothing.

  The two underbutlers marched along behind us, causing Sin to glance back once or twice. I wondered what he thought of it all. I hoped he’d tell me later. And I hoped it was good.

  It took twenty minutes to get us to our rooms. Our things were already there, and Gregory was waiting on us. He wanted to have us unpacked, but I assured him that was something we could do ourselves. On occasion—like when I’d returned from college with a dorm room’s worth of stuff, I’d let the staff help with that task, but this was nothing like that. I had one suitcase and one carryon that was all cat supplies. I could manage.

  Sin had the same, and I was sure he wouldn’t want strangers going through his stuff. It was way too early for that level of royal interference.

  Gregory left, but a few minutes later, I heard knocking at Sin’s door across the hall. I peeked out. It was Michael, another underbutler, with a cart holding all the things that had been added to the Montebonne suite for Sugar. Food and water bowls, a cat tree, a scratching post and the all-important litter box.

  Sin answered and let the young man in to set them up. As Michael went past, Sin shot me a look.

  I laughed to cover the nerves I was feeling. “It’s a lot to take in, I know.”

  “And you’ve lived like this all your life?”

  I nodded. “Sure. Except for college and Nocturne Falls.”

  He shook his head slowly. “I give you a lot of credit.”

  “For what?”

  “For being so well adjusted. For not being completely spoiled and out of touch with the world.”

  “Thanks.” His words made me both happy and sad. So I changed the subject. “Hey, you want to go into town? I’d love to show you around. We have the rest of the day and tonight to ourselves.” Tomorrow there was a formal dinner in Sinclair’s honor. Lots of dignitaries and such. Very official. I usually loved formal dinners, but I wasn’t exactly looking forward to this one because I didn’t want it to be a bad experience for Sin.

  “That sounds really good. Maybe we could get something to eat?”

  “Like breakfast? Because it’ll be more like lunch when we get there. Physical North Pole time and magical North Pole time aren’t the same.”

  “I’m fine with whatever. Lunch is good.”

  “Then I know a great food truck that has amazing tacos. Although I heard there’s a new tandoori place in town that is crazy good.”

  He stared at me for a moment. “You have food trucks here? And tacos? And tandoori?”

  “Sure. And pizza and sushi and burgers. It’s the North Pole, not Mars.” I needed him to see that life here wasn’t that different. At least not outside the palace.

  “I’m in. Let me just get Sugar’s food out and I’m ready to go.”

  “Good. I’m going to change, get Spider set up, then I’ll meet you in the hall.”

  He spread his hands. “Should I change too?”

  He was in jeans, a thin gray sweater, and his black leather jacket. “No, you look perfect.”

  He smiled. “Thanks, Princess.”

  “Hey—” But he shut the door before I could complain.

  I closed mine, too, and got myself ready. Then I went into my apartment’s kitchen. All the apartments had them, but mine certainly didn’t get used much. Mostly it was kept stocked with drinks and snacks. Nothing that needed actual cooking. There was a whole palace kitchen for that, complete with chefs, who unlike me, actually knew what they were doing in such a space.

  A large box of my aunt’s eggnog fudge sat waiting for me on the counter near the stove. That made me smile as I dished out a whole can of Chicken Party for Spider. “Here you go, baby.”

  He was sitting on the window sill looking down into the gardens at the back of the house. The centerpiece of the garden was a pond kept from freezing with a heating system. Because of that, it always had wildlife around it, mainly the talkative, black and white Muscovy ducks that my mother loved so much.

  He seemed to be fixated on them, which explained why he hadn’t responded to the food I’d put out. I went to stand by him, giving his head a scratch. His fur was so silky.

  “Those pigeons are in the water,” Spider said.

  “Those aren’t pigeons. Those are ducks. And ducks love the water.”

  “Ducks are dumb.” He looked up at me. “Spider hates water.”

  “Yes, I know, but you love Chicken Party, and there’s lots of that in your bowl.”

  “Spider loves Chicken Party.” He jumped down and sauntered over to inspect the food.

  I had changed into jeans, a long-sleeve T-shirt, and the galaxy-blue leather jacket Sin had gotten me for Christmas last year. Then I threw on a scarf. The new outfit was a lot more suited to running around town than the dress pants, blouse and long coat I’d worn. I’d picked the outfit because I knew my mother would like it, but also because I hadn’t been sure who was coming to meet us when we landed.

  Being a princess meant being appropriately attired at the appropriate times, something I’d struggled with when I was younger, but as I’d grown older, I’d come to accept what being a princess was really about.

  I had two lives. One lived for myself and one lived for the monarchy. Which meant my life wasn’t always my own. Much of it was determined by the throne and responsibilities that awaited me.

  I just hoped Sin would understand that too.

  We walked together down the hall and through the corridors of the secondary residential wing of the palace. I’d moved here from the primary residential wing when I was sixteen. My parents lived in the primary wing. Essentially, that entire wing was theirs.

  Sin did a lot of looking around, which I understood. It was an impressive place.

  “You’re going to have to give me the grand tour tomorrow.”

  “I’d be happy to. I’ll have Gregory bring some Segways up.”

  “Segways?” He was on the verge of laughing.

  “I’m serious. You want to see the whole palace? Then it’s the only way. Too much ground to cover by foot in a day.”

  He whistled. “Crazy.”

  “It is, sort of. But a lot of the property is open to the public and some of it is reserved for business use, and then there’s all the staff that live here, so when you look at it that way, it doesn’t seem so overwhelming.”

  “How many people actually live here?”

  “About three hundred and fifty.”

  “In the palace?” He whistled again. “No kidding?”

  “Honest. There are two people on staff whose only job is to keep the palace clocks wound and running. There’s one particular maintenance person who only does paint touch-ups.” My education in palace history and management were finally paying off.

  He stared at me for a second. “This place is like a small city.”

  “It kind of is.”

  “That’s surprising. But a lot of this is. I thought you’d have your own security, too.”

  I shrugged. “I could if I wanted, but there’s never been a need. Plus, my magic makes me pretty capable of defending myself.”<
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  He nodded. “I’m aware.”

  We turned toward the private exit on the side lawn, where the personal vehicles were kept. The south exit was pretty much the one we all used to come and go by.

  I didn’t want a driver taking us into town, so we’d be in one of the crawlers, a large, high-tech snowmobile hybrid with front skis and rear tracks that made any icy surface passable. In one form or another, crawlers were our basic form of transportation.

  We stepped out beneath the south exit portico, and one of the valets popped out of the transportation office to meet us.

  He tipped his hat at me. “Afternoon, Princess Jayne, and welcome home. What can I do for you today?”

  “Thank you. We’d like a crawler brought up.”

  “Right away, Princess.” He ran back to the office, where he called the garage on his radio.

  Electronics don’t work that great in the NP, but walkie-talkies seem to do okay over short distances. The staff in the palace and the elves who worked for my uncle all used them. Land lines did okay too.

  In less than a minute, the crawler arrived. The valet who’d brought it hopped out and came around to present me with the keys.

  “Thank you.”

  She bowed. “You’re welcome, Princess.”

  Sin approached the vehicle with great curiosity. He trailed his hand over the sleek seating compartment that was sort of a clear, egg-shaped bubble cradled in gleaming white fiberglass. “This thing is very cool.”

  I dangled the keys. “Want to drive?”

  His brows lifted. “Yes. But how about you get us into town and let me see how it works first? Then I’ll drive back.”

  “You got it.”

  We got in, I started it up, and off we went. The crawler was quiet inside, letting us talk without too much engine noise.

  Sin shook his head. “I still can’t believe I’m here. This place is…I’m about to say cool again.”

  I laughed. “It’s okay. It is cool.”

  “It must have been something growing up here.” He was looking out the window.

  Ahead of us, the palace gates were opening. I drove through with a nod to the guards. “It was great. I didn’t always appreciate it, and sometimes, it felt like a prison, but now I love my home.”