Her stare met his. Such darkness, a brown so dark the hue was near black. A darkness like that could swallow someone if they weren’t careful. “About what?” Frost asked, her voice a bare whisper. Talking louder to Hale just didn’t feel right.
“You’re not pretty,” he said, and just as her heart started to ache with something she’d never felt before, he added, “you’re beautiful.”
Beautiful. It was not the first time Frost had been called that. Growing up, being a princess, came hand in hand with loads of compliments at all hours of the day, along with insane standards to live up to. This, however, was the first time the compliment had affected her. Something swelled inside her chest, blooming and growing until she had to turn away from Hale.
She liked being called beautiful. She liked it more than she could say, and for some odd reason, it meant more coming from Hale. The quiet one. Being so quiet, he always chose his words carefully, and Frost knew he would never say something he did not mean.
Frost knelt near Blue, running her hands through his soft fur. The feelings rushing inside of her were new, and she didn’t want them, even if they felt good. Her magic always acted up when her emotions were strong. The first step was a strong emotion, the second step was losing control, and the third…the third step was waiting for it to be over.
Noel flicked his hood up as Douglas appeared, fixing the belt around his waist. “We’ve got a long journey ahead of us.” To Frost, he said, “When you need a break, tell us, otherwise we’ll keep going.”
Nodding once, Frost watched as he grabbed the face cloth and pulled it up, over his nose and cheeks, effectively hiding his face from the elements. The others had fur-rimmed hoods and jackets. She was the only one who wore a single layer of clothing.
“Are you ready to get going?” Noel asked her, his voice muffled.
Behind her, Hale stood, dark eyes on her. His words rang through her head. Beautiful. A compliment she wasn’t expecting, and one that would remain with her long after these men left her life.
Because that’s what would happen, what had to happen. She was a job, and these guys would move onto the next as soon as she helped her sister. They would leave her, and once again, Frost would be alone, and as much as she didn’t want to be alone, it was for the best.
Chapter Four
If anyone was a strange assortment of characters, it was Hale and the others. They didn’t look alike, didn’t have the same skillset, but they were closer than friends. Almost like family. They worked for the same people, before being hired by Queen Amara. They weren’t exactly assassins, but sometimes sneaking in the shadows, like Noel liked to do, didn’t quite get the job done. Sometimes a job required a strong hand, which was where Douglas came in, and sometimes it required never stepping foot near the target, which was Hale’s specialty. Oh, yes—they were each very good at some things.
The one thing Hale was not particularly good at was handling women, especially princesses. Granted, he’d never before met a princess prior to meeting Eliora—or Frost, which she preferred to be called—so he didn’t have much to compare it to. Still, he knew most princesses were used to being waited on hand and foot, having dozens of servants at their beck and call at all hours of the day and night. Spoiled. Haughty. Usually pretty, from the stories that get told about them.
That’s what Hale had thought, however. Then he’d met Queen Amara, who used to be a princess of Wysteria herself. She did not act spoiled or haughty, but she was pretty. Queen Amara had wed the eldest son of the King of Springvale after running from the chaos of Wysteria, and she’d become queen not too many years after that. The previous monarchs had caught the plague and died, unfortunately. But that was neither here nor there.
Queen Amara was respected by her subjects. Some would even go so far as to say she was a better ruler than her husband, King Robin Whiteman himself. From what Hale had seen, King Robin often deferred to his wife’s judgment anyway, almost as if he wanted her to rule in his stead.
And then, of course, there was the job. Find Princess Eliora in the cold wastes of Wysteria, bring her to Queen Amara, make her see that the kingdom of Springvale needed her help. No one could just walk into the heart of Wysteria without her. The icy temperatures, the snow, the magical beings of ice…some of the scouts hadn’t returned back, which was why Queen Amara had hired Hale, Douglas, and Noel to track her down.
They’d found her days ago now, and Hale still could not believe it. Princess Eliora—Frost was not at all what he’d been expecting. She’d been living in the wilderness for so long, Hale assumed she would’ve taken on the demeanor of a loner, but she hadn’t. She was still just as regal as she probably was when she was in Wysteria’s castle. She walked with her head held high and her nose upturned, with a purpose.
Frost was quiet, usually. The one holding up whatever conversation traveling through camp was usually Noel, no shocker there. That man enjoyed hearing his own voice. Douglas contributed every so often, though when they were walking, hiking it through the snow and the cold, Douglas kept quiet, focusing on beating back the wind that assailed his face.
Hale spent most of his time watching her, learning her mannerisms, her expressions. He could tell she tried to keep her emotions locked away, but to do so was impossible. One might fight to keep emotions down, but sooner or later they always found a way to surface, usually violently. She should learn that not all emotions were bad.
Her wolf, Blue, was a steady travel companion. He trotted beside her while they walked, hunted when night fell, which freed Hale to linger around camp. Being the archer and the best tracker in the group, it was oftentimes his job to do the hunting when they were traveling.
It was one particularly dark night when Hale and Douglas sat near the fire, their hoods off, their gloves off. They warmed their fingers near the flames while Blue was away, hunting. Frost had swept the snow and ice away, making a decent-size clearing free of the stuff. Blue ended up catching a small deer, which was now skinned and roasting.
“All I’m saying is,” Hale went on, “it would be easier and much faster if we had horses.”
“You can’t expect horses to travel through this shit,” Douglas remarked. Beside him, his long, giant sword was stuck in the ground. “I don’t want to travel through this shit,” he muttered in a huff, rubbing his short beard.
As they spoke, Hale surveyed the area outside the camp. A true wasteland of snow. The moon overhead touched everything with a hue of silver, tiny sparkles reflecting off the snowbanks. He heard the cracking of a stick, and he turned his head, watching as Frost and Blue played a game of fetch just outside the camp.
Frost stood in the snow, wearing only a single layer of clothing, like it was nothing. Hale supposed it made sense. Why would the snow bother her? Why would the cold? Was she not the one that brought this upon the kingdom?
And then Hale had a terrible thought. A truly terrible thought. It was a thought many others might’ve had: would the eternal winter over Wysteria end when Frost breathed her last breath?
It was not something Hale should’ve thought, because it was a terrible thought. Killing a princess, even a princess with a kingdom full of snow, was wrong. They were a step above commoners, and they always required a more delicate hand. One of the rules of the guild was to never harm royalty, unless absolutely necessary. Influencing them was always a better thing to try.
After Blue retrieved the latest thrown stick, the wolf ran right past Frost, who huffed and set her hands on her sides, running to Hale, dropping the stick at his feet.
Hale felt himself smiling as he bent to pick it up, tossing it as far as he could out into the snow. Blue darted for it, a white blur among the sparkly snow and ice, completely at home in the tundra.
Frost was near him in a moment, her arms crossed over her chest. “He likes you,” she muttered, not sounding too thrilled about it. “He likes all of you.” She added that last part as an afterthought, and Hale stared at her, wondering why it was such a h
uge deal if her pet wolf liked them. “I just don’t want him to get used to you guys, because after I help my sister, you won’t be around anymore.”
Ah. So she did not want her pet to get attached to them because she didn’t want him to be sad later on. It made sense, Hale supposed, although at the current moment, he could not imagine leaving Frost’s side—mostly because they had a job to do.
Hale and his companions never left a job unfinished. It simply wasn’t done.
Blue rushed back, dropping the stick before Frost, whose expression softened considerably. She cared for the blue-eyed wolf; she probably cared for the wolf more than she cared for people, since she’d been people-less for however many years. Hale himself could not imagine living alone for so long. He might’ve been quiet, but it was comforting to know others were nearby.
Hale’s eyes fell on Frost. She was tall for a woman, taller than her sister. She stood only a few inches less than his height, although perhaps he could credit that to the way she squared her shoulders and tilted her head up. Her hair, a blonde so light it was near white, was only a shade or two darker than his. His hair was white, and combined with his dark eyes, it made him look rather ghostly.
But on her? On her, with her brilliant sapphire gaze? She looked…she looked beautiful. More than that. She looked ethereal, a goddess among men. And Hale supposed she was, with her magic. Men and women, humans, did not have magic. Not naturally. Her case was strange all around.
“Would you move to Springvale, if your sister invited you?” Hale asked quietly, studying her.
Frost turned her eyes to him, her eyebrows coming together. “Why would you ask that?” Her breath caught in her throat, and she closed her eyes for a moment, visibly calming herself. After another moment, she said, “No. This is where I belong.” A heaviness lingered in her voice, something Hale could not place. She threw the stick for Blue.
Maybe Hale should drop it, leave it alone, but he simply couldn’t. Knowing she was alone for all of these years, with no one but Blue at her side, he didn’t like it. For someone he’d met days ago, he felt strangely protective of her. Not that she needed protecting, not with her magic.
“Still,” Hale whispered, “I imagine it’s lonely.”
“I am more than fine with being alone,” Frost replied, shooting him a glare. This time, when Blue dropped the stick between them, neither of them made a move to get it. It was as if they both dared the other to make the move first.
“Are you really?” The question felt heavy on his tongue, and the moment he asked it, he regretted it. He did not want to overstep, did not wish for Frost to dislike him for trying to poke and prod where he didn’t belong. After a moment, he bent down for the stick, unable to keep looking into her annoyed stare.
She must’ve had the same idea, for the exact same time he bent, she did, too. They both reached for the stick at the same time, their hands brushing against each other’s, lingering for a few moments. Heat crept up his arm, a sensation he did not expect.
Frost was the one who pulled away first, straightening herself out before frowning and moving away from him, deeper into camp near the fire. Hale watched her go, feeling the loss of her fingers under his immediately. An odd, hollow feeling, something he didn’t anticipate from a single touch.
He looked at Blue, who stood nearby, wagging his tail, his eyes heavy on the stick. Hale sighed as he threw it, trying to ignore the lingering feeling.
Near the fire, Noel had made room for her. “You okay, Princess?” he asked. He always called her that, and she usually wasted a breath trying to correct him. Wasting the breath because once Noel was on something, he rarely let it go.
“I’m fine,” she said, short.
“You look a bit fiery,” Douglas said, his eyes glancing to Hale across the camp. Hale acted like he didn’t see it, putting most of his attention on Blue and the stick. “Did Hale say something to you? I’ve never known the man to be inappropriate, but if I have to knock his head, I’ll gladly do it for you.”
Knock his head? Hale’s mind echoed. Douglas had never offered to do anything like that before, even for other women he had his eye on. Frost…she was affecting them all, somehow, whether they knew it or not.
Frost took her time in answering, “No. It’s nothing, really. I appreciate the thought, though.”
While Douglas looked pleased with himself, Noel leaned closer to her. Over his shoulder, Hale couldn’t help but watch after he tossed the stick again. Noel spoke, “We were just talking about horses. Do you think you could whip up some horses made of snow?”
“I…” Frost was startled by the question, clearly. For once, she was at a loss for words. Hale knew something like that did not happen too often. “I don’t think so, but to be fair, I’ve never tried.” Quieter, she said, “I don’t like using my magic. Only if I have to.” An uncomfortable air settled around her, and Hale sighed as he tossed the stick one last time before moving toward the fire.
“That’s okay,” Noel said, glancing at Hale as he sat beside him, the farthest one from Frost. “It just means we’ll get to know each other very well.” He…he then winked. He really, truly winked at her.
Hale stared at him. Was he flirting with her? Sure, she’d been alone all this time, but she was still a princess. Royalty. There was no possible way she’d ever fall for Noel’s shenanigans. Other women rarely did.
Frost studied Noel. “Do you have something in your eye?”
“What? No, I…” Noel fumbled as a slight, almost imperceptible smile crossed Frost’s face. While Noel was busy trying to backtrack, Hale noticed it, and he felt himself start to grin.
She leaned closer to Noel, whispering, “The next time you think to wink at me, you’ll have an icicle in your eye.” Her tone was deadly, serious, which made it all the more amusing. Douglas chuckled quietly, while Hale continued to smile.
“You…” Noel was aghast. “You can be very scary, when you want to be. Definitely an ice queen.”
Something changed inside Frost, and she looked away, muttering, “Yes. That’s me, the ice queen.” She was not happy about being called an ice queen, and it was more than obvious Noel wanted to take back his words the moment he said them. But such was the thing with words: once spoken, one could not take them back. “I’m going to bed,” she whispered, getting up and moving away from the fire. She whistled, calling Blue to her side, and curled with her wolf on the ground, as far away from them as she could get.
Quietly, Noel said, “I didn’t mean to upset her.”
Douglas sat with one leg bent and propped up, the other fully extended on the ground. His scarred face watched the fire, its orange hue reflected in his blue eyes. “It must be hard, having powers like that. I can’t imagine what it’s like.”
“I can,” Hale spoke, causing both Noel and Douglas to look at him. Every time he interjected himself into a conversation, it was like the end of the world with the way the other two acted. So what if he was usually quiet? It wasn’t a crime. “The only human with magic,” he went on. “Some want to use her, some want to kill her, but the majority of people fear her. No one in the kingdom probably trusted her.”
The fire cackled, and Noel was silent until he whispered, “I can’t imagine growing up like that.”
Douglas harrumphed. “I’m sure her childhood was full of lessons, about being royalty and having magic.”
“Or,” Hale said, watching the flames dance before him, “everyone told her to keep it in.” If no one had tried to help her, if everyone in her life had simply told her to not use her magic, to hide it away from the world…it was only a matter of time before she exploded. Or imploded.
What kind of a life was that to live? Did her parents even love her? Being royalty, Hale was sure her relationship with the King and Queen of Wysteria had been different than most kids and parents, but still. Parents should love their children unconditionally, right? Strange magic or not.
Douglas shook his head. “Shit. That’s rough.
”
Noel nodded, glancing over his shoulder at Frost and Blue. Frost was twenty feet away, her face buried in Blue’s back. “At least she’s got that wolf. At least she has somebody.”
A wolf and a person were two vastly different things. Blue might’ve offered Frost companionship, but it was worlds different than what another human could offer her—friendship, compassion, love.
As Hale thought that last one, his hand tingled in memory of touching hers. Hmm. Perhaps he should not be thinking about that beast called love.
Chapter Five
They neared Springvale. Another day or two, and they’d arrive at the forward camp. Frost would never admit it aloud, but she’d started to like the men accompanying her. They weren’t nearly as intimidating as their appearances suggested; they were all rather nice, actually. Such a switch from what she’d expected that first day.
Douglas was a stern-looking fellow, but he really was kind. His demeanor did not match his body at all. He was the most muscular man she’d ever seen, with the scars to prove his warrior finesse. There was nothing about him she would change.
Hale was…Hale was the quiet one, and every time he opened his mouth, it was usually to say something meaningful. If she was honest, she hadn’t forgotten how he’d called her beautiful. She thought about it far too much. It was, in all probability, the last time in her life she’d be called beautiful. After she helped Amara, she’d be back to being alone.
No, she wouldn’t think of it now.
And last but certainly not least, there was Noel. Noel was the most talkative of the group, the most outgoing. When his hood was down and the facial cloth hung around his neck, he was usually grinning when he was looking at her. Frost wasn’t sure if she liked being on the receiving end of his smiles or not.
Okay, maybe she did. Maybe she liked his smiles more than she could put into words. Maybe Frost liked them all more than she could say, mostly because she hadn’t been expecting to. And it was beyond stupid, because she was just a job to them. Simply a job and nothing more. They were getting paid to travel with her. Of course they would be amiable to her.
Ice Queen Page 4