Winter Queen

by Erica Marie Hogan

  Damari reached the top of the steps, her chest expanding with a long breath before she knocked twice. A moment later a hand appeared, snatching Damari’s wrist to yank her inside. Then she was in Brae’s strong arms. Damari smiled, resting her chin on her friend’s shoulder.

  “You should not have come,” Brae whispered, pushing her back to look her in the eye. “Has something happened?”

  “Not yet.” Damari chewed her lip, glancing across the room where little Noelle slept peacefully on her cot. “I’m afraid, Brae. I’m afraid for you and your child.”

  “What do you mean?” Brae’s hands dropped to her sides. “What do you know, Damari?”

  “Raphaela speaks in riddles, but I know she has been meeting and training with the Eventide Sisters. She is clever and will trick them into thinking she will use her powers for good. But she has spoken of you more these past days than ever before.” Damari wrung her hands. “Brae, I am …”

  The words would not come. She could not bring herself to say them. But the look in Brae’s eyes was clear. She needed to hear, and Damari needed to speak.

  “Brae, I am certain my sister plans to use her powers to kill you and any who could take your place.”

  “You mean …” Brae’s skin blanched.

  “Yes. I believe my sister will kill you and your child before winter comes.”

  Woodland Village

  An icy wind threatened to remove her hood. The rider made her way toward the village, her heart thundering in her chest with anticipation. She felt her companions shifting on their horses, anxious to complete the mission. Her red lips formed a soft smile in the face of the change in weather. Now was the time; she could feel it in her heart. She had sworn when the first chill of Winter came, she would declare herself. She could not wait any longer, and this village, the closest village to Sunkai, was the place to begin.

  Long had she waited and watched this village. Long had she watched the soldiers come and go. A smirk twisted her lips at the lack of barracks. Perhaps the king wasn’t as smart as she had first thought, keeping a village so close to the city walls at such risk with only a small troop of soldiers to protect it.

  With a hiss, she released her sword from its prison in the scabbard. The soldiers on either side of her did the same, filling half the forest with the echoes of coming war. Her eyes fluttered closed at the sound, tremors of anticipation rushing up her back. A strong hand touched her wrist, lowering her sword nearly to her knee. Her sharp eyes turned on him.

  “Are you certain?” Her second, Jaeger, whispered at her side. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes. I have been ready for years.”

  Digging her heels into her horse’s sides, she charged into the village. Women and children ran to their huts, soldiers rushing from their posts as the cries of her army rang through the air. Screams echoed on the rush of frozen wind that blew from the Ice Mountains beyond. A sudden gasp of laughter erupted from her throat.

  Her sword sliced through the air, sending one of the soldiers to the ground before she leaped from the saddle. With one quick sweep, her men had the soldiers trapped, surrounded. They were pressed up against houses, blades at their throats. Thrown to the ground and stomped on by the horses. In mere moments, the king’s men had been conquered by the rebels.

  “People of Nfaros!” she shouted, leaping onto a chopping block near the center of the village. “You have nothing to fear from us!”

  Women and children peeked from the windows, men cautiously stepped from their homes with pitchforks and axes. She smiled, dropping her sword to the ground.

  “I am here to free you from the iron grip of a tyrant. The murderer who sits upon the throne in the heart of the Blood Keep is a traitor! He deserves to die!”

  Murmurs answered her as the men drew closer.

  “You better than most should know of his greed. How many of you have suffered because of his taxes? How many of you have fallen prey to his thievery? He holds this country in a steel fist, but his grip weakens under the power of our belief! The men you see who have taken up my swords were like you. But now, they prosper under my command! Now, they are free and will fight to free their country! Who among you will stand with me against this usurper?” She held out her hands to them. “Who will pick up the sword and follow me?”

  “Who are you?” a woman called from her window.

  With a quick sweep of her hand, she pushed aside her hood, revealing bright red hair cut short to her chin and eyes greener than grass. Her smile twisted into a scowl.

  “I am Mirae Sundragon, daughter of King Vihaan, and the only rightful heir to the throne of Nfaros!”

  Why do we hesitate? Why can we not move? Adlae Sundragon took a deep breath, pulling her long white braid over her shoulder. She stood at the gates of the city, the guards shifting nervously as they watched the ice creeping along the ground all around her. The ice always formed when she was afraid, more quickly than usual.

  Step through the gate, Adlae, Winter’s voice whispered in her ear. There is no need for us to be afraid.

  Adlae closed her eyes, pressing her hand to her heart as she felt the old Queen of Winter embodying her. Running from Brecken Jandry all those years ago had been the only option when Winter first spoke to her, denying Adlae her heart’s desire to seek pure, wrathful vengeance on Roderick Kael. Violence of any kind was not permitted of a Winter Queen unless she was threatened. She always wondered if Brecken suspected she was Adlae Sundragon, but he had made no accusations, and they hadn’t tried to find her, accepting her as their new Winter Queen for the past five years. Leaving had been her only choice, no matter how she wished to stay and take back what was hers, right then. With Winter’s voice whispering inside her mind, Adlae had sought solitude.

  You are in me, and I am in you. The Winter Queen’s vow echoed in her ears. Only after the vow had been spoken, only after this power had been given to her, did Adlae realize what it truly meant.

  The words meant she was not one soul anymore, but two. The vow meant the former Winter Queen lived on, bound by forces unknown to Adlae forever, until her turn to pass this power on to another came. Adlae lowered her hand from her heart, wiggling her fingers and smiling when ice flurries scattered to the ground at her feet.

  It is time. You have said so yourself, Winter urged her. Take the first step, Adlae. Take the first step and find your courage. It is your throne, by blood and birthright.

  Adlae nodded and stepped forward. The guards opened the gate as soon as she moved, standing tall and straight, unmoving as she passed. They knew who she was; no harm would come to her by their hand. Adlae folded her hands in front of her as she walked slowly down the street that would take her to the Blood Keep. Sunkai was waking up, men and women opening their street markets, and shutters thudding open to allow the sun to brighten their homes.

  Adlae’s bare feet chafed against the rough dirt streets as she turned another corner, her eyes traveling up until her neck arched back. Her breath was stolen from her as she gazed, for the first time in five years, upon the Blood Keep. She remembered when she had come into the city after Brecken Jandry and his men discovered her, how she had swept through, unleashing an ice storm upon the city to reveal her rage over what had become of her—of her family. That storm of fury was the only retribution she could take before Winter’s voice compelled her to isolation in the Ice Mountains.

  “Never before have I seen such a beautiful place,” Adlae whispered.

  You are glad to be home?

  “Of course.”

  Do not forget your purpose.

  Adlae’s lips tightened. “Never.”

  You are a Queen of Nfaros, only one when there must be two. The usurper will make his future bride queen, you know this and if she were to bear a child ...

  “The people will rise in support of that child,” Adlae breathed, ice gathering on her full lips.


  You must find your sister Brae. You must find support in the shadows of the palaces. Only then will you succeed.

  “I know.” Adlae nodded.

  The Frostlings wait for your command. You must take care, Adlae Sundragon. You must not bring the snow to Nfaros too soon. Do not let your anger cloud your judgment.

  “We wait for the Creator’s urging,” Adlae whispered, bowing her head. “Then we will strike this false king with a winter that Nfaros has never seen before.”

  She moved forward once more, taking the long pathway between the buildings toward the Blood Keep. Children paused in their play to stare at her, women put aside their wash to follow her, forming a crowd behind her as she walked. Adlae smiled, glancing up at the thick white clouds in the sky. Lifting her palm to her chin, she pursed her lips and blew.

  A flurry of snowflakes floated from her palm, swirling in a circle around her before bursting, scattering glittering flakes across the city streets. The children shrieked, trying to catch the cold flakes as their parents laughed, relishing the chill passing over the city to relieve them from summer’s heat. Adlae nodded as people bowed, whispering ‘Your Majesty’ as she passed and laying the last summer flowers at her feet. With a wave of her hand, the flower petals froze, curling as ice gathered from the edges and spread along the stem. The people gathered them up like precious jewels, in awe as they did not melt after she passed, despite the summer sun still shining in the sky.

  The ground vibrated—the distant sound of horses whinnying and soldiers shouting bringing Adlae around. Her heart raced as she was thrust back into that moment five years ago. The sound of their horses, the dense fog which hid them, the harsh hiss of steel being pulled from a scabbard.

  Remember your purpose, Winter’s voice whispered in her ear as her fingertips turned to icicles, the dirt beneath her feet crackling as ice slithered along the ground. The people gasped, stumbling back from her as the ice formed all around her, layering the ground in iridescent glass.

  Do not let them see your fear, Adlae Sundragon.

  Adlae straightened her spine as the horses rounded the corner, approaching her at an unrelenting speed. Her heart thundered in her chest and her blood pulsed, but she resisted the urge to lash out at them. Reaction was unnecessary; she had nothing to fear from them unless they raised a hand to her.

  We are blessed by the Creator—they wouldn’t dare harm us.

  The horses skidded to a stop at the border of the ice, the guards pulling on their reins, circling them a few times before they began to settle. Adlae pulled a soothing breath into her lungs, staring up at the one who was the captain. She knew his face immediately; she would remember his face until her dying day. How much fear he had caused those years ago! How relieved she had been when he’d not known her! Looking into the face of someone she knew so well and having him look back at her without any recognition in his eyes was so very strange.

  Adlae bowed her head, her eyes fluttering closed.

  “What do I do?” she mumbled.

  Be who you are. Be the Winter Queen, Winter responded.

  “Your Majesty.” His voice drew her gaze upward as he dismounted.

  One of his men took hold of his horse to keep the animal still as the captain stepped forward, hesitating at the border of the ice. Adlae waved her hand and the ice dissolved, leaving the ground moist where it had been.

  “Brecken Jandry,” Adlae whispered as he bowed low at the waist, one hand resting on his sword hilt.

  “The king requests your presence in the Blood Keep,” Brecken announced, straightening once more. “He would be honored if you would be his guest for the duration of winter.”

  “Tell me about your wife, Brecken Jandry.” Adlae tilted her head, ignoring the invitation. “How do she and your child fair?”

  “They are quite well, Your Majesty.” Brecken frowned. “Will you allow me to escort you to the Blood Keep?”

  “Of course. How could I refuse such a gracious offer?” Adlae nodded.

  “We have brought a horse for you.” Brecken snapped his fingers.

  Adlae gasped as one of his soldiers emerged from the circle they had formed, bringing with him a pure white mare, her mane hanging low against her long neck and her eyes bluer than the ice crystals on the mountains. Adlae stepped forward, whispering softly to the animal as she ran her hand along the mare’s nose.

  “She is beautiful,” Adlae murmured.

  She is perfect. You will go through much with her, Winter whispered.

  Adlae closed her eyes, keeping silent so they would not think her strange. What do you mean?

  You will see.

  Brecken watched the Winter Queen carefully from the corner of his eye as they approached the Blood Keep. She had been whispering to herself, and he knew she thought he hadn’t noticed. He’d heard many tales of the Winter Queen as a child. They always said her predecessor’s soul was bound to her, and they sought each other’s company during the years of isolation on the Ice Mountains. But he had always thought those were children’s stories. Surely every soul, when once departed from the body, went to the next world guided there by the Creator. Especially a soul like the Winter Queen’s, who lived only to do the bidding of the Creator.

  His mind strayed back to that moment five years ago when he found her in the woods. She had been recreated from whoever she was before that night, embodied with the magic of the Winter Queen. Brecken didn’t know how she had been chosen or why; all he knew was what he’d seen. Who she was before did not matter, for no one would remember her mortal life. For no one looked like the Winter Queen, her magic filling her with youth and a strange beauty that no mortal human could achieve.

  The sun glistened off her pure white hair, her unearthly blue eyes piercing every person who passed by, suspicion etched into her milky white face. Brecken wondered what she’d looked like before; he wondered what her name was. But asking would be disrespectful, an insult even. No matter if she had been of the nobility or a poor farmer’s daughter, she was a queen now and to ask her to reveal her past would be shameful.

  “Winter has been elusive since the Sundragon was overthrown,” Brecken commented, breaking the long silence between them since he’d presented her with the mare.

  “Indeed,” the Winter Queen replied. “The Frostlings have been reluctant to bless the new king with winter.”

  “Then the Creator has been displeased with us?”

  “The Frostlings obey my command.” The Winter Queen arched her brow at him. “And I obey the command of the Creator. To ask me what He wills is dishonorable, Brecken Jandry.”

  “Forgive me, Your Highness, I meant no disrespect or offense.”

  “Of course you didn’t.” Her face softened for a moment. “You know little of Winter do you not?”

  “Very little,” Brecken replied.

  “Then I will educate you, Captain.” The Winter Queen bent over, stroking the mare’s neck. “There is much you may learn from me before the first snow.”

  “May I begin ...?” Brecken hesitated as they approached the gate to the Blood Keep. “By asking who you whisper to?”

  The Winter Queen smiled. “I see you do not believe legends.”

  “Too many legends are inventions of parents for their children. I believe only in the Creator and my king.”

  “Two wise choices.” She nodded. “But I think you will find that many legends you believe to be the invention of parents and children are true. You simply have not been looking and listening deeply enough to see the truth of them.”

  “Perhaps, but even you must admit these stories of magical flowers and dragon people on the mountains are just that. Stories.” Brecken chuckled softly.

  “You believe in me, for you see me and know that without me summer would be eternal.” She looked at him as she would look upon a simple-minded child. “Am I not also a legen
d? Am I not also the character of children’s stories? Do not say something is not real unless you have proof, Brecken.”

  “Yet, I have no proof that these things are real,” Brecken countered.

  “And you never needed proof of the Creator’s existence. Think of that.” The Winter Queen turned, riding a few paces ahead of him through the gate.

  Brecken shook his head, following after. Perhaps she was right—perhaps she wasn’t. Brecken knew only that believing in the stories he told Noelle to make her sleep at night was foolish. For how could he possibly believe there was so much power in this world that sat idle day by day and was never used for the prosperity of the poor people of Nfaros?

  The Creator would not put such magic in the world and refuse to let us use it ... He would not do that. Brecken shook his head and hurried after the Queen.

  Adlae’s breath left her lungs when she stepped into the Blood Keep’s throne room. The sun gleamed through the glass ceiling, spraying golden rays of light across the marble floor to light the room in splendor. Adlae’s eyes fell first upon the throne, and her feet moved of their own accord toward it, her bare toes brushing against the soft edge of her gown as her fingers rubbed against the thick golden eagle brocaded across her bodice.

  All of her gowns were the same, ever since she’d taken up this life. Pure white satin formed itself to her body with the image of the Winter Queen’s eagle intricately sewn into the front. Adlae had grown used to them, knowing this was who she was. Even as thin as the garments were, she was never too warm or too cold. Never had she felt the sting of the icy snow on the mountains, never had she shivered in the night when all warmth left the world on the precipice she’d called her home for the past five years.

  Adlae stopped short of the throne, remembering she could not get too close. Remembering she could not sit there, not until she had revealed herself. Not until she had gained enough support and strength from the people to overthrow this false king who called the throne his.