She sighed loudly, wondering if she was truly ready to rule over Tyndil. She knew that her stepmother wouldn’t simply step down from the throne.
“Snow White, we’re alone at last,” said the voice that sent a cold shiver down her spine. “I have waited long enough and tonight I would like to invite you to join me for dinner.”
Yanni didn’t make much of an effort today, and she was more than surprised to see James in the dining room. She wore a white dress and her hair was tied up in a messy bun.
“Are you asking me out on a date, my lord?” she asked. The Ice King didn’t ask. If he wanted to kiss a woman or spend a night with her, he just went for it. His eyes flickered with desire.
“Yes, it’s a dinner date. We have wasted enough time chasing each other and I finally sent everyone away to have you all to myself.”
“What about Sarah? Don’t you think she’ll mind that we’ll be alone together?” Yanni asked, certain that her stepmother wouldn’t just give up.
The Ice King lost his smile for a second, then smoothed his jaw. He didn’t even notice that he was most likely still under her spell.
Ruth must have been impersonating more than one person.
“She left during the early hours of the morning, so you don’t have to worry about her. She had something that she needed to take care of,” the King explained, sounding unsure, but then added. “Be ready around five. The carriage will take us somewhere special. I don’t like dining in the castle and the nearest town I know of is small and has a very cozy restaurant that serves delicious meat.”
Yanni eventually agreed. Maybe James was finally getting the message that he needed to make more of an effort with her. Yanni watched him walk away, greeting other people. He seemed to be in a good mood.
She finished her food and went back to her chamber, thinking that maybe she should have left the castle days ago before she was love-struck. Now, it was too late.
11
At five p.m. sharp, Yanni was rushing downstairs to the carriage, anxious not to be late. She was going out on a date with the Ice King—notorious womaniser who had changed his tune tonight. Her stepmother used magic to make him believe that she was someone else and then possibly seduced him. Yanni couldn’t be sure that they slept together a few nights ago, but it was a strong possibility.
No one apart from Yanni knew that Ruth had taken the identity of the beautiful woman from Farrington. Yanni was certain that her stepmother was planning a new intrigue. She was obsessed with James and willing to do anything to become his wife.
The magical mirror on the wall had vanished in the morning, but Yanni was still worried about Ruth and her magic. Even James had been influenced by her and Yanni had no idea what else to expect.
The carriage was waiting for her outside, and Yanni’s heart pounded in her chest ridiculously fast. The coachman smiled at her and gestured for her to get inside. Tonight, Yanni wanted to enjoy herself and she didn’t want to worry about the future. She was finally forming a real connection with James, trying to get to know him. She made an effort tonight, wanting to look beautiful. James sent a new dress to her chamber: this one was lilac and Yanni had never touched such soft, luxurious fabric in her life. Her mind was racing away and her body reminded her that soon enough she would have an opportunity to share her fantasies with him. She just needed to be patient.
Since the party, she had been careful and stayed away from alcohol. Things had always gone wrong at the worst possible moment, but tonight she was planning to be on her best behaviour. She didn’t blame the dwarfs; they just wanted to have fun and Yanni had played cards for years. In Tyndil, she spent every spare moment away from the castle with them and they always looked after her when she drank too much.
Now she understood why people like spreading gossip about her. Yanni was hanging around a crowd that wasn’t suitable for a princess, let alone a queen. She was looking forward to proving all her naysayers wrong.
“Good evening, my dear. You look beautiful. Are you ready for an adventure?” the Ice King asked, stepping into the carriage a second later. He wore his blue uniform and had trimmed his beard close to his skin. Yanni thought that he looked really handsome and the smell of his cologne instantly made her wet and needy. She needed to stay calm, but the excitement of spending a whole evening alone with him was making her nervous.
“Yes, of course, James,” she replied, smiling. Seconds later, James shouted at the coachman to start moving. The carriage jerked as the horses pulled it forward. This was it, she thought. Her final and most likely only chance to steal the Ice King’s heart.
They left the castle and began moving through the winter land. James was telling Yanni about the history of his land. Yanni learnt that his father and grandfather before him were good leaders. They taught him how to rule fairly and what it meant to be a true leader—being king was more than just a title. Now, his people respected him just as they had respected his family before him. James always found time to take care of his kingdom matters. Yanni listened, asking valid questions now and again. She was also aware that James kept touching her, attempting to make it appear to be an accident. Whenever his thighs touched hers, a tingle of warmth shot through her whole body.
She was certain that most of the time he was doing it purposely to see if she would react. Yanni was aroused and kept thinking about her erotic dream, wondering if it would ever turn into reality. She hoped that since he was taking her out for dinner, he was done inviting other women to the castle—done with sleeping around.
“I think I have talked enough about me. Tell me about your life in Tyndil as a princess. We have to return at some point. Your stepmother must be worried about you,” he said and Yanni wondered how to answer. She didn’t want to tell him that Ruth was an evil woman, ready to use black magic to end her. She didn’t want to come across as jealous and spoil their evening together.
At some point, she would confront her and tell her that she had no right to the throne. She was done messing around, done being a pushover.
“I was happy. My stepmother had been away, and I looked after the kingdom during her absence,” Yanni admitted, knowing that she wasn’t being very forthcoming. She sighed loudly and added. “But to be honest, I haven’t been a good princess. I’ve been partying way too often and have lost the respect of many of my people because of it.”
James laughed, shaking his head like he didn’t want to believe her.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re still young and people shouldn’t judge you just because you want to have a bit of fun.”
“True, the dwarves did like when I played cards with them. I was the best in the tavern and I used to outplay everyone there. They hated me, but couldn’t ban me because I was a princess.” She laughed.
“What about any men in your life? There must have been interested parties?” James kept pressing and Yanni was a little taken aback by the fact that he suddenly wanted to know so much about her.
“Well, I dated a few men, but nothing serious or worth talking about. I was having too much fun to even think about settling down,” she explained, a little embarrassed about her past. “What about you, my lord? I know you don’t like talking about the past, but I’m curious about your wife, Luciano’s mother. What happened to her?”
James looked away, and she was certain that he would dismiss her question. The carriage was moving quite fast and Sybil town wasn’t very far away from the Ice Castle. Silence filled the space between them and tension was parallel. Yanni didn’t think that James was ready to share his troubled past with her. Yanni was eager to get to know him, if only to understand him a bit better.
“No one really knows this story. It was a long time ago and I was only twenty years of age,” he finally explained. “My wife was very beautiful and she had a kind heart. Many asked for her hand, and many men tried to move past her father, but I was the one that she chose to marry. It was love at first sight for both of us.”
His voice
changed, it was filled with sorrow and anguish. Sometimes, Yanni dreamed about this kind of life—real love. She imagined James and his wife together. They must have been very happy when they got married.
“You mentioned that her name was Camila?” she whispered, unsure if she wanted him to remember how much he suffered in the past.
“Yes, she was everything to me and then she gave me a child, a boy. Luciano was perfect and brought us closer. We were one big happy family,” James explained. “Until my cousin broke into the castle and murdered her with his bare hands.”
Yanni gasped, staring back at James in shock. She never thought that something so terrible could have happened to him. No one told her that Camila was killed; now Yanni regretted that she asked.
“What? Your cousin killed your wife? Why? I don’t understand.”
She felt a little sick to her stomach, but now the truth was out and she needed to understand what happened that day.
James inhaled deeply, and then he scratched his beard. She was aware that he was attempting to stay composed.
“I never found out why he murdered her in such a cruel way. He loved her I suppose. They were friends for a while, but I can only suspect that he couldn’t take the fact that she chose me instead of him,” James stated and Yanni felt like she was beginning to understand his pain.
He had been through a lot, and this trauma must have changed him. Then his other two engagements didn’t work out, and another woman betrayed him. She could see why James was afraid of getting hurt again.
Yanni wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to worry, because she would never hurt him. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with a kind and warmhearted man. She thought that James could be the perfect partner.
“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry. I had no idea that your life was ruined in such a way,” she said.
“Don’t worry about it. I have learned to live with it. Seventeen years is a very long time. I killed my cousin straight after I gained my magical abilities. I turned him into an ice statue, but I never accepted that my wife was gone forever.”
Yanni was frozen with shock, but she couldn’t ask any more questions because the carriage stopped suddenly and it seemed their conversation was over. The king got out first and then walked around and opened the door for her. He looked fully composed and her heart was beating frantically in her chest.
She was a little disappointed that they had already arrived in Sybil. The Ice King was finally opening up to her and she wanted to tell him about her insecurities. It was all too much for her and she wished she could find a way to ease his pain.
They were walking through the busy street and Yanni was aware that people were staring at her. Word must have already spread that the Ice King was in town. It was cold and started snowing again. Yanni noticed that James was greeting a lot of people who were passing by, smiling as if their previous conversation didn’t even happen.
Yanni was happy that he was holding her hand; his touch was spreading heat throughout her already feverish body. They crossed the road when James began telling her about the time when he went hunting with a few of his friends.
“James, you old git. What are you doing out here?” a voice interrupted them. James smiled, suddenly shaking hands with a shorter man with a large stomach. He was bald too, and had a kind smile.
“I’m on a date, taking this beautiful creature out for a meal. It’s brisk and she isn’t used to the cold weather, so we must get going,” the Ice King said. “This is Baron Chester, by the way. He worked for me for years. A very loyal man indeed.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, dear, and James is right. You’re very beautiful,” the baron said, introducing himself and kissing Yanni’s hand. Heat infused her ears and she returned a smile. People didn’t pay her compliments often, but she thought this man was very well mannered.
“Thank you,” she replied. “I will walk ahead so the two of you can catch up for a bit. I would love to explore this charming little town,” she told them and James seemed happy with that arrangement. He explained to her where they were going to meet. The restaurant wasn’t far from the main square and Yanni was happy to be on her own for a bit.
She wrapped her scarf around her neck and started walking. The town was delightful, and there were Christmas decorations all around with colourful lights adorning nearly every shop. Peasants and other people were selling all sorts of things by the side of the road, and everyone was trying to get her attention.
Yanni kept going until she reached the back stables. She didn’t want to get lost, and was ready to return toward the busy road, when she saw two girls maybe around eight years old. They were sitting close to each other in the cold, and Yanni noticed that they were shivering. This wasn’t a good sign and she knew that they couldn’t have been in town all alone. Yanni wasn’t prepared to leave these poor children without anyone to help them.
She quickly turned around and headed back to the bakery. She bought several loaves of bread, then returned to the girls. She didn’t think that they were beggars, but she was concerned that there were sitting by themselves in such harsh weather. Yanni didn’t like seeing anyone cold and hungry.
The girls were just about to run away when she approached them.
“No, wait. Please don’t go. I have food for you,” she said, smiling and showing them the bags. The girls were a little dirty, but Yanni noticed their incredible brown eyes were filled with warmth. They licked their lips and Yanni suddenly forgot about her date and focused on the children that needed her more than James.
James was a growing concerned about Yanni. He had been standing outside for good twenty minutes talking to Chester. That man never shut up, but James always enjoyed catching up with him. It had been years since they had seen each other, but now Yanni was most likely waiting for him. He was walking through the streets of Sybil trying to locate her. She wasn’t in the restaurant and James had no idea where she had gone.
He didn’t know what he was doing taking this girl out for dinner. James didn’t date. And he wasn’t supposed to get involved with an innocent and beautiful, much younger version of his ex-fiancé, but the truth was that he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Even after spending every night with different women, Snow White was still on his mind. He had told himself countless times that after being married and engaged twice, he was done with relationships. People kept telling him that he was still young, that he hadn’t even reached forty yet, but James believed that he was cursed.
He could control ice and the weather, but he couldn’t control his love life. His heart had been broken too many times and he made too many mistakes trusting the wrong women. He tried to push Snow White away. He even insinuated that she leave his castle, but she stayed. James was love-struck yet again, and he refused to accept it.
Now he was angry because he couldn’t find her anywhere. Finally, after passing a few back alleys he saw her standing alongside two little girls. One of them had Yanni’s scarf around her neck. James frowned and approached them.
“Snow White, there you are. I was worried. I have been looking for you everywhere,” he said, as the children hid behind her, staring at him with fear in their eyes.
Then Yanni began to explain to him that she saw these girls sitting alone by the stables and they were freezing. Apparently, they lost their parents at the market, so Yanni bought them some bread.
“All right, I know where we can take them. I’ll get Tom to locate their parents. No one should be out in this cold tonight,” he said, and they headed back to the king’s carriage.
An hour later, they finally arrived at the restaurant. The girls were under the care of someone that he trusted and his people were trying to locate their parents. The tiny voice in his head kept whispering to him that he needed to trust his instinct. Yanni had just proven to him that she wasn’t like any other woman that he had been with in the past. She had impressed him, and he realised that he wanted to stay with her for much longer than one n
ight.
12
Yanni was so relieved when James showed up and told her that he knew someone who could help the lost girls. She thought that they were so sweet and innocent. Yanni had to admit to herself that she had forgotten about her duties—she used to visit people in her kingdom with her father. She felt a little ashamed that she hadn’t continued that tradition.
Now, she was sitting in the restaurant with James looking over the menu. She sensed that the Ice King was on edge. She was a little nervous herself, not knowing how this whole date would turn out.
When she was just about to ask him what was wrong, the waiter brought them a bottle of red wine. And it was Yanni’s favourite. She always enjoyed it, but kept reminding herself that it was better if she didn’t touch any wine at all tonight. After all, she had no self-control. This was how her trouble normally started—one glass, then it was two and before she knew it, she was swaying around the tavern completely wasted.
James opened the bottle, poured her a glass before she could say anything and said, “To us. I know you said that you weren’t going to drink, but this is just for a little toast. Besides, the food here is delicious and with wine, your palate will taste something extraordinary,” he told her and then Yanni felt him gently touch her calf with his foot. She inhaled deeply, smiling, and grabbed the glass. He was right. It was just a toast and she needed to relax.
They toasted their date and Yanni took a few sips. James smiled at her, and she thought that the wine was absolutely delicious. She could always deal with her stepmother tomorrow. Ruth wasn’there right now and Yanni didn’t want to worry about her.
James talked about the restaurant for a bit, and admitted to Yanni that he never used to bring anyone here. It was the place where he liked to escape alone. Moments later, the door to the restaurant opened and musicians came in playing various instruments. The guests began clapping and James encouraged Yanni to join.
The Ice King: Snow White Page 9