The Cold King

by Amber Jaeger

  “No,” he said to himself and reached for her. Her neck was as cold as the stone beneath his feet and tiny puffs of steam came from her slack mouth much less frequently than they should have.

  “Calia!” he cried, gathering her up in his arms. Her body was an icy lump and he pulled her close as he stormed up the stairs.

  “Marchello, Abelina!” he shouted into the main hall. “Fetch Iago at once!”

  He heard the scurrying of their feet as he rushed to the nearest fireplace.

  The king laid his servant down as close to the flames as he dared. He left her side to pull a tapestry from the wall before returning to drop to his knees and wrap her in it. She did not stir and he gathered her back up, chafing her arms and legs to try to spark some heat.

  Iago ran into the room with Abelina and Marchello on his heels. Their faces fell when they saw the limp servant girl. “Your Majesty, what happened?” Iago breathed.

  “I locked her in the dungeon and she caught ill,” he said, not bothering with an attempt to hide his guilt.

  “The dungeon?” Abelina shrieked. “What could she have possibly done? How could you?”

  Marchello gave her a warning look and tried to place an arm around her shoulder. She shrugged him off and crossed the room in a flash. “We thought you had her attending that poor pregnant queen!”

  To everyone’s surprise the king hung his head in shame. “She defied me,” he said weakly. “She refused to lock Sola in the dungeon so I made her take her place.”

  The housekeeper’s face grew to an alarming shade of red. “You—”

  Iago cut her off. “Abelina, get me hot water and blankets. Marchello, go and fetch the towns physician at once.”

  Marchello nodded and pulled Abelina out of the room. Her crying and cursing echoed back down the hall.

  Iago knelt in front of the king and put a hand to Calia’s cheeks. He winced at the iciness.

  “Will she be all right?” the king whispered helplessly.

  The healer glanced up, surprised to see the fear and pain in his masters voice echoed in his eyes. “I do not know,” he admitted.

  The king shifted to cradle the girl against his body and Iago pulled the tapestry away to lay his hands against her neck and then chest. The king growled. “What are you doing?”

  Iago eyed him suspiciously. “I fear that her core is as cold as her extremities and that is very dangerous. We must warm her.”

  Abelina returned with an armful of blankets and Cato came right behind her with two steaming buckets of water.

  Iago worked quickly to soak the cloth and laid the steaming towels over her brow and chest. He wrapped her hands and feet. He took a blanket he had laid dangerously close to the fire and laid the warm article over her abdomen. Finally he covered her with the last of the blankets and sat back.

  The king held her tighter and studied her face. Her eyes and mouth were closed but her lips remained an inky blue. Iago’s face was creased with worry as he watched over the girl.

  “Why isn’t she waking up?” the king asked and his voice was tinged with panic.

  Iago shook head. “She is quite ill; I think it has settled into her lungs. Listen to how wet her breaths sound.”

  The king hung his head and gripped the girl tighter. “I am sorry,” he whispered into her hair.

  They sat like that for a long time, the king clutching his servant and the healer watching over them both. Finally the doors banged open to admit Marchello and the physician.

  Dr. Reed strode in with his small leather bag and a frown on his face. “Your Majesty,” he said, not looking away from the girl. “What has caused this?”

  The king swallowed hard before answering. “I did. I locked her in the dungeon and she caught ill. It’s my fault.”

  The doctor glanced at him in surprise. “She’s your servant; you can do with her whatever you wish.”

  “I did not wish to harm her,” the king ground out. “Can you help her or not?”

  “Perhaps,” he said. He knelt down and pulled several instruments from his bag. He frowned at the color of her mouth and grimaced when he felt how cold she was. He pulled a long stethoscope out of his bag and pulled the top of her gown down.

  The king grabbed his hand and crushed it in his grip. “What are you doing?”

  “Listening to her lungs,” the exasperated physician said. “Now if you please, you asked me here to do my job.”

  The king relented and released his hand. The doctor listened for a long while before pulling the instrument away. “She’s quite ill. I’ll need to take her town if she is to recover.”

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  “Water in the lungs. She might be all right but she needs medicine and more care than you can provide for her here. I’ll need to bring her to my clinic.”

  The king nodded slowly. “My butler will take you both there at once.”

  Iago offered to take the girl so the king could rise but he refused. He stood smoothly and adjusted Calia in his arms before taking her out to the carriage. Marchello slid in first and reached out to take the limp girl into his arms.

  The Cold King pressed a kiss to her brow before gently handing her over. His heart broke when the door shut and he stood at the gates watching long after the carriage drove away.

  “My king?” Marchello said hesitantly.

  Valanka turned from the fireplace and eagerly searched his butlers face. “Is there any news?” he asked.

  Marchello shook his head. “She’s very weak and her breathing is labored. The physician said it will be several days before he knows if she will recover.”

  His heart slowed at the butler’s words. If. “Has she said anything?”

  “She hasn’t woken up yet,” Marchello said quietly.

  The king nodded. “I want you to go to town every day to speak with the physician and report back to me.”

  “Of course. Anything else, sir?”

  The king nodded slowly. “Yes. When she released, tell her she may come back here or… she may not. The choice is hers.”

  “Your Majesty?” Marchello breathed. “You have never done such a thing.”

  “No, I haven’t,” the king agreed sadly.

  For eight mornings Marchello rode down to town and back and reported to the king. He could see the tension ease out of him and the color return to his face as each day he brought better news than the last. But on the ninth day he feared to report to his king.

  Marchello smoothed his suit out and took a long, shaky breath before entering the king’s chambers.

  Valanka snapped his head up and demanded, “How is she today?”

  “She is well,” Marchello said quietly. “She was released.”

  The king froze. “And where is she?”

  Marchello’s heart thumped furiously in his chest. “I do not know, Your Majesty. She was gone before I arrived.”

  The king sat frozen for a long moment. Finally he gave a small sigh. “I see.”

  “Is there anything else, my lord?”

  The king shook his head and waved the man away.

  Abelina brought up his lunch and dinner tray and he left them both untouched. He stayed slumped in his desk chair, watching the diminishing sunlight create shadows in his room. It was almost full dark before a tiny knock came at his door.

  “Come,” the king said despairingly.

  Calia stepped through the door and his breath caught in his chest.

  She was thin and pale and he could see lines of weariness around her eyes. There were deep brackets around her mouth he knew were due to pain. She said nothing, just stood at the doorway.

  “You came back,” he finally said, slowly standing from his chair.

  “I did,” she said and
even her voice was weak.

  His chest was painfully tight and he struggled against all the emotions surging through him. “But I sent Marchello for you every day. Why did you not return with him this morning? Where have you been? Why did you come back?”

  Calia raised a shaky hand to stop his onslaught of questions. He was at her side in a second, ushering her into the room. “I’m sorry. Sit, sit, I will get you tea.”

  She fell into her chair and closed her eyes. He fumbled over the tea tray and finally pressed a warm mug into her hands. Her eyes fluttered open and he despaired to see the pain there.

  “Calia…” he did not know how to say what he meant.

  She waited while he struggled with his emotions. Finally he said, “I am so very sorry. You were right to stand up for the queen. My cruelty to you is inexcusable.” He could not make his eyes meet hers. “Why did you come back?”

  The corners of her mouth turned up in an imitation of a smile, deepening the lines around her mouth. “I didn’t really have anywhere else to go.” Her honest words pierced his heart but she wasn’t finished. “I begged my mother to take me in but she refused. She said it would look bad.” Calia gave a tiny, painful laugh. “So here I am.”

  The king had to force out his next response. “You must truly hate me.”

  Calia slid her hand over his. “I wish I could hate you.”

  Her hand was papery dry and cold and self-loathing filled him as he acknowledged that he was the cause for it, for everything.

  They said nothing else, merely sat with one another long into the night. When she fell asleep he carried her to her bed and tucked her in before leaving at the tenth bell for the same thing he did every night.

  Calia slept late the next day and woke to find a tray next to her bed. Her appetite had not yet returned and she rolled over to ignore the unappetizing food.

  “You need to eat.”

  She sat up in bed to find the king in a chair he had pulled over.

  Suddenly the improperness of the situation hit her and she pulled the covers up over her chest only to realize she was in the same gown she had worn the day before. Pain and exhaustion made her mind hazy but she remembered falling asleep in his rooms before the fire. Embarrassed and uncomfortable, she turned her eyes to the window.

  The king cleared his throat. “I put you to bed.”

  “Why? And what are you doing here?” The harshness of her tone made the king flinch but he answered gently.

  “I am making sure you recover fully. And in order to do that, you need to eat.”

  The tray of fruit and toast made her stomach turn. “I am not hungry.”

  The king frowned. “Iago says you must eat and rest or you won’t get your strength back.” He leaned forward to touch her hand and she looked up at him.

  Calia stared, taking in his cloth mask and unshaved jaw. His shirt was stained and rumpled and his hair stuck up on end. “Are you all right?” she asked.

  He gave a little smile. “I’ve been worried.”

  Her heart beat a little faster. “You needn’t be. I’ll be well and back to work tomorrow.”

  The chair creaked as he settled back into it and folded his arms over his chest. “I do not think so. You need food and rest. Now eat.”

  Calia picked at her tray while the king watched over her. She was amused and touched by his concern. She tried not to think about what he had done. There were two sides to him and while she seemed to bring out the best, the other did not just disappear.

  “How is the queen?” she asked when he finally decided she had had enough to eat. The plight of the pregnant woman had been on her mind the last several days.

  “She is well.” Calia stared at him, her eyes narrowing in a silent demand for more information. “After you… after… I put her up in a suite while I investigated her claims. I was also able to discover her brother is a much better man than her father or husband and sent her to him. He made mention of setting up a permanent residence for her and her child in his palace.”

  Some of the tension eased out of Calia’s neck and shoulders. She was glad for the queen but also glad for herself. The king’s actions proved there was a good man somewhere behind the mask. “I am glad to hear that. Did you learn anything regarding her accusations?”

  “Her claims were true; her father did seek to strike against me.”

  “What will you do?” Calia asked.

  The king gave a wicked grin. “I’ve already done it. I paid the town of Galston a wagon load of diamonds to withhold grain from all the kingdoms involved.”

  She frowned. “Why would a farming community take payment in diamonds for such a thing?”

  “The queen brought with her the knowledge of how they planned to strengthen their weapons. But not only weapons can be strengthened by diamonds but tools as well—farm tools. Imagine how much more profitable their crops will be when they do not have repair and replace tools every season.”

  Calia frowned. “But won’t the kingdoms retaliate and just take the grain anyway?”

  “It would very hard for them to raise an army from starving people. And even harder when all the starving people know exactly why it is they are starving.”

  Calia looked at him in wonder. “You sent messengers to tell the people all these plans?”

  “I did.”

  She smiled. “You are very clever.” Then her face fell. “But I fear for the women and children with no grain to make their bread.”

  “Do not worry. The kings will soon realize their folly and stand down. No one will actually need to starve. Just the threat has already thrown the people into a frenzied mob and the kings are frantic to calm them.”

  Calia laughed. “You are a very good king.”

  Her kindness chafed and he turned his face away. “I may be a good king but I am a terrible man.”

  Calia reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly but didn’t disagree with him.

  The king stayed with Calia for several days, only leaving for an hour at the tenth bell or when she wanted to bathe. When she was well enough, she returned to her duties despite his protests.

  “I must have something to do,” she complained.

  “You have several things to do! Sit, make your blankets, read a book.” If she had noticed her sewing basket had been replaced she hadn’t said so.

  Calia rolled her eyes. “I am your servant. Who will make sure you are fed and your rooms are clean and your shirts are made if I do not do it?”

  He clenched his jaw. “Perhaps one of the other servants can do it.”

  She shook her head. “They have their own work to do. But if you really want to lessen my burden…”

  “Anything,” he swore.

  “Come down for your meals.”

  He stared at her blankly and she sighed. “Having to lug all those heavy trays up here is a pain.”

  He nodded reluctantly but she held a finger up. “There’s more. Your servants work hard to keep your castle up and running and yet you spend all your time in here. Why do you not enjoy what you have? Eat in your fancy dining room, ride your horses, let your servants see you.”

  “No one wants to see me,” he said quietly and the pain in his voice cut her.

  “They care about you a great deal. I thought they were all hypnotized when I first got here. I could not believe they would defend you and speak so highly of you. I mean, you threw me in the dungeon five minutes after meeting me.” She trailed off as she realized she was getting painfully close to something they didn’t talk about. After a moment she asked, “Why do you do it? Lock all your new servants in the dungeon, I mean?”

  He gave a weak smile. “Believe it or not, it truly does make it easier. I did not do it at first, only to those that threatened to run away. But over time
I realized the ones I had locked up had an easier time transitioning here and did not try to leave later.” He glanced up, gaging her feelings. “I tried to get loyal servants in many ways. Over time I realized there were outcasts in the village. Either they didn’t want to be there and had nowhere else to go or they truly weren’t wanted. I began to collect those people for my servants and soon realized allowing the town to pick the next servant if no one offered was the easiest route. Even if the person was unhappy at first, they soon came to realize a life with me was better than a life in town with people that did not care for them at all.”

  “Like me,” Calia said quietly.

  “Like you,” he agreed sadly.

  He watched her face crumble as she thought about her family but she quickly forced a smile. “I suppose I would rather be here than anywhere else.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  The king began to go down for his meals. The other servants were surprised the first morning to see him sitting at the bare table but quickly accommodated to his new schedule. It wasn’t long before he began venturing into the kitchen to tell Cato how much he enjoyed his food and to make requests for his favorites. Abelina beamed when he complimented her on the upkeep of the palace and even Jos seemed happier when the king saw how unhappy he was as the maid and asked him to take on more care taking responsibilities.

  Klaribel was practically bouncing off the walls when the king came to visit her in the stable and she beamed with pride as she showed off the horses. Gentle Iago toured the gardens with the king and Marchello puffed up when he was asked to help with finances.

  There was peace and joy and everyone but Calia seemed to know she was the source of it.

  She and the king were inseparable. She was at his side for his meals and in the kitchen, she went with him to the barn and out to the gardens. The other servants noticed and spoke with quiet hope amongst themselves.