If there was a family in here, if there was a child…
What would it matter? She would have to face her demons today instead of tomorrow.
“Guys,” Noel’s voice rang through the house, and Frost felt her heart freeze. She stood, still gripping the teddy bear, meeting Douglas’s eyes before they both headed down the hall. Noel and Hale stood close together, staring inside one of the rooms.
If a family was huddled in there, if—
Frost saw it was only a wide bed as Noel went on, “A real bed. Haven’t had one of those in ages, feels like.” Beneath his hood, he winked at her, his facial mask muffling his voice a bit, “I know what I’ll be doing tonight, and I know where I’ll be doing it.” When both Hale and Douglas shot him a look, he said, “What? I’m just saying.”
As Hale and Douglas muttered to themselves about finding something to eat, Frost wandered into the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed. The teddy bear rested in her lap, a sign of what she did all those years ago. Blue whined as he sat before her, cocking his head.
“Hey,” Noel spoke, moving to sit beside her. “I was joking, you know.”
She looked at him. “It’s not that. It’s just…I never imagined being back here. I never wanted to come back here.” All around her sat remnants of a time long gone, furniture a family had once used and loved.
“It reminds you of your past,” Noel spoke, believing he knew it all. How could he? He hadn’t known her before, hadn’t been present when she’d made the one wish she wanted to take back. “None of us judge you for it. We’re here for you, and none of this changes that. We all make mistakes.” He set an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in.
Frost rested her cheek on his shoulder, closing her eyes. None of them judged her for what she’d done, but they didn’t know the whole truth. Soon enough they’d see. They would see what she’d done and call her a monster for it.
What she did…what she did was the worst thing anyone could’ve ever done. Even monstrous wasn’t a strong enough word.
She wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready for any of this. Today was the day she’d been prepping for for nearly her whole life, the day her father and mother handed her the crown for the future queen. It was not the same one her mother wore, for her mother was not descended through Wysterian royalty; her father’s bloodline was kingly. It meant she was accepting her role as the kingdom’s future queen.
She didn’t want to. It was too much. How could she rule the kingdom while trying to pretend she was normal? Why could her parents not give Amara the crown instead? Eliora would much rather be left alone, lock herself in the castle’s tallest tower until the day she died.
She wore a sparkling light blue gown that trailed a few feet behind her when she walked. Her blonde hair was done up, her pale skin lined with makeup to liven her appearance up. She was not allowed to wear her gloves, for it was seen as an insult to touch the royal crown, to accept the title of future queen, with anything but one’s hands. To touch it with a glove meant one was a liar, and those who had gathered themselves into the great hall to witness the event did not want to picture their future queen as a liar.
There were hundreds of people in the great hall, even more lining the bridge to the castle. So many of Wysteria’s inhabitants wanted to witness this moment. It was the first time in a few generations that the firstborn was not a son. They hadn’t had a true queen in ages.
Eliora was supposed to be that queen.
Her arms shook as she knelt before her father and mother, listened to them drone on and on about how important her role was. How Eliora would help the kingdom prosper, how she would be the queen everyone needed, the one the wondrous citizens deserved. Amara stood off to the side, silently cheering her on. She was the only one in the family who didn’t wear blue; since she would only be queen if something were to happen to Eliora, she was allowed to wear green.
Eliora’s breath grew short. Her fingers trembled near her stomach. Sixteen, yet she still felt like a child playing an adult’s game. She didn’t want this. She couldn’t have this. This was all a mistake.
She closed her eyes, and for a second, everything stopped. Her parents’ talking, her breathing, the sounds of shuffling citizens behind her. Everything froze, and in that moment, Eliora wished for something she knew she shouldn’t have.
She wished for all of this to stop, for this ceremony to be over and her responsibilities to disappear. Eliora wished to be alone.
Her emotions warred within her, and try as she might to keep them at bay, she could not. Her anger at her unfortunate life seeped out, tiny pinpricks of ice stabbing her fingertips, the sign her magic was free.
“Eliora, stop!”
Amara’s shouted words brought Eliora back into herself, and when her eyes opened, she found both her mother and father were frozen solid, thick blocks of ice. Her mother looked stern, an icy blue color, while her father had been caught in the middle of speaking. The ground around her had turned to ice, spreading outward at a rapid pace.
“Eliora!” Amara called out again.
“I can’t,” Eliora said, bringing her hands before her face. Her pale skin was tinted blue, as if the magic had taken on a life of its own. “I can’t stop it.” Tears formed in her eyes, and as they fell down her face, she turned her head toward her sister, whispering, “Run.” The tears froze halfway down, burning as they indented themselves into her flesh.
Amara knew better than to linger; she ran, sprinted at full speed, as much as her dress would allow, right down the center of the great hall, past the people who’d already turned to ice.
Closing her eyes again, Eliora muttered, “Not her. Anyone but her…everyone but her.” By the time she opened her eyes, she heard not a single sound in the great hall. She straightened herself out before turning to face the small army of frozen people, caught in terror. She surveyed them, not finding her sister among them.
It was too much to hope that Amara had escaped, too much to pray that her magic had let her free. Her magic was wild and destructive—there was no saving her now, no redeeming this situation. This was the end of it all.
Eliora walked through the great hall, exiting the giant room. The temperature of the air dropped tremendously, but the cold didn’t bother her one bit. It felt akin to the magic inside her. The cold felt like home. She headed out of the castle, finding the sky had clouded over instantly, no longer sunny and warm and breezy. After exiting the castle’s frozen courtyard, every single guardsman frozen solid, a sheer block of ice, she found herself on the bridge, where masses of people had gathered, hoping to somehow get a glimpse of her.
She hadn’t even taken the crown. It was in her father’s hands still, frozen solid along with him. She would never be a queen.
Every single person on the bridge, adults, elderly, and even children, were frozen. Everyone was ice. Snow pelted the side of her face as she felt her heart slow, but it did not stop. Even a broken heart kept beating, even the heart of a mass-murderer didn’t give out.
Eliora’s gaze lifted to the city across the lake, over the bridge. A part of her didn’t care if everyone else was turned to ice. If everyone was turned to ice, there would be no one to hold her to a standard she could not meet, no one to judge her for her mistakes.
She would be alone, but that’s what she wanted.
She stood there for a while, her head tilted up towards the sky, feeling the snowflakes falling onto her skin. Time was a blur. She had no idea whether or not Amara had escaped, and a selfish part of her didn’t care. She was free now, after all this time. Finally free to do whatever it was she wanted to do without fear of losing control.
This was beyond losing control. This was letting it go, letting everything go, despite the consequences. Letting go had never felt so good.
Of course, she hadn’t felt good forever. Eventually that good feeling dissipated, replaced by supreme self-loathing and a generous amount of self-hatred. Frost had been so stupid that day, foolish beyond
all measure. An entire kingdom had fallen, all because she threw a tantrum and let her emotions go wild. Out of everything she’d ever done, she regretted it the most.
All those people, dead because of her.
To finally reply to Noel’s statement that everyone made mistakes, Frost said, “I don’t think anyone’s mistakes are quite as horrible as mine.”
With his one arm still hugging her to him, Noel used his other to take down his hood and his face mask. He rested his cheek on the top of her head, whispering, “You’d be surprised, Princess. We’ve all done terrible things. You’re in good company with us.”
She wanted to argue with him, wanted to tell him that she was the worst out of all of them, because she knew damn well none of them had an entire kingdom’s destruction under their belt, but she kept quiet. Frost set the teddy bear aside, moving to grab his face and press her lips against his.
In this moment, she needed to feel normal, needed to feel loved and wanted. For purely selfish reasons, to make herself feel better, Frost needed to feel Noel’s skin on hers, with no clothes separating them.
As Noel finally got over the surprise of her sudden kiss, she worked to help him out of his coat. The air was chilly, but there were covers, for once, even if they were lined in dust. This would be more comfortable than any of their other previous times.
Yes, she needed this. Frost needed to get her mind off tomorrow. Everything was about to come full circle for her, and she needed to calm her nerves.
Blue let out a whine before getting up and trotting out of the room, giving them some semblance of privacy.
“Someone feeling bad about their mistakes?” Noel whispered, his breath hot on her face. “Alright. I’ll make you feel good. I’ll make you forget all about it, Princess.” With his coat off, he took charge, pinning her against the bed as he worked on taking off her leather clothes first.
Frost did not correct him; she’d grown used to him calling her Princess. If she was completely honest, she kind of liked it when he called her that. A pet name that had grown on her the more he used it.
Her body shivered as Noel helped her out of her clothes, tossing the ensemble to the floor. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and she surrendered herself to the carnal pleasures of the body, of two bodies joining.
Oh, Frost was certainly not a princess anymore.
Chapter Sixteen
Even after all this time, Noel could not get over how beautiful Frost was. When she wore clothes, when she was free of them—it didn’t matter. She took his breath away regardless. Right now, gazing down at her naked, flawless form, he felt his cock start to throb. It didn’t take much from her to get him excited. His arousal came as easily as a smile did from her.
Frost might’ve been using him to get her mind off tomorrow, but he didn’t care. She could use him however and whenever she wanted. Noel was hers, all the way, one hundred percent. He would always be hers.
And this woman, this ex-princess, would always be his.
He’d said he would make her forget, and he meant it. He meant every word of it.
Noel set his hands on her thighs, spreading them before him. His gaze ate her up, his cock hardening even more as he stared down at her puckered, pink folds. He would make them slick soon enough.
“Tell me if I go overboard,” Noel said, smirking as he lowered his face between her legs. When his tongue slipped out, circling her sensitive nub, she let out a soft sigh, a sound he needed more of. When he started sucking on her, well, those sounds turned into a sensual, erotic noise of sheer need.
Frost’s body writhed as he licked her, her moaning growing louder when he sucked. As he worked on her, he slipped off his gloves before bringing a few digits to her apex, running them down her wet folds as his tongue lapped at her. Her body started to shake, and Frost let out a cry of pleasure when she came, her skin flushed with heat.
It was her first orgasm of the day, but it would not be her last.
His mouth kept at her as he slid a finger inside of her, curling it upwards. He pumped it in and out as his tongue focused on her sweet apex. His finger needed no help, no extra lubrication to glide in and out of her; she was already wet with desire, her body ready for his. His cock throbbed in his pants, but his own pleasure would have to wait. Right now, it was all about her.
She came again the moment he inserted another finger, her inner walls clenching around him as she moaned and arched her back. Her fingers gripped the sheets around her, her head angled back, her eyes squeezed shut. Her second orgasm only made him work harder. His tongue circled her clit, his fingers moving in and out. He made her come twice more before he could no longer ignore the aching need in his cock and the lust in his balls.
Noel shrugged off his clothes, tossing them onto the floor near hers. His cock stood fully erect, bits of precum already oozing from the tip. He saw her eyes were open slits, the pupils dilated with a wanting he knew all too well. She needed him just as badly as he needed her. Whatever pain she held, whatever regret she felt over what she’d done, he’d make her forget all about it, even if it was the last thing he did.
He crawled onto the bed, his cock knowing where to go; his tip pushed against her entrance with no guidance. Their eyes locked, and he watched her squirm as he entered her in one fluid motion, her sex already wet and ready for him. Frost let out a low, breathy moan, arching her back, letting him push deeper. Noel held onto the back of her neck with a firm hand as he began to thrust, his balls slapping her ass every time he entered her fully.
When he felt himself start to lose it, he withdrew from her, letting the feeling pass as he flipped her onto her stomach, pulling her backside up. Frost was on her hands and knees before him, and never had Noel seen such a beautiful sight. Her skin was tinged pink, beads of sweat lining her spine. He drew a hand down her back, stopping only to part her cheeks and guide himself back into her lovely, wet hole.
Noel’s cock slid in with no problem, filling her up effortlessly, easily. He let out a deep moan, having never felt something so amazing, so right. This, them—it was right, and he would be damned if he’d ever give her up or let her go back to living alone in Wysteria. She would come with them, whether she was aware of it or not.
His fingers dug into her hips as he rocked back and forth, his cock pumping her wet sex harder than he was before. She swayed with the movement, her breasts bouncing back and forth. She took his cock eagerly, her fingers splaying in the sheets below her as the sounds of him sliding in and out rose through the air.
Noel felt his balls tighten, and he gripped her sides harder when the pleasure overtook him. His orgasm came to him in a rush, a wave of undeniable carnal heat and bodily ecstasy. His hips jerked hard and fast, his cock throbbing as it spewed its seed into her core, forever marking her as his. It was a strong one, forcing him to close his eyes and let out a groan. Even after it was over, he still held onto her, not wanting to pull out, not wanting this moment to end.
But, like all good moments, it had to end. All moments did eventually.
Noel pulled his hips back, his cock following suit. It was still hard, still raring to go, but he knew, if they continued like this, if they spent all night doing this, tomorrow would only be worse for her. She had to be able to walk; walking was kind of necessary to get to the castle.
He collapsed on the bed beside her, watching as she fell onto her stomach and turned her face towards him. She smiled a soft, gentle smile, and Noel leaned in to kiss her. A chaste kiss, considering what they just did, considering he was fairly sure his cum was currently dripping out of her core and onto her inner thighs.
“Everything will be alright,” Noel told her. He really wanted to run his fingers through her hair, but she kept its light golden lengths in that damned braid. Someday, maybe when all of this was over, he’d convince her to let her hair down.
She did nothing but smile back, though he could tell she didn’t believe him.
What could he say to get it through her thick head? Why
would she not believe him? Everything was going to be okay, and after, they would be together. They would all be together. He would do everything in his power to keep her by their sides.
Noel felt the need to tell her something he hadn’t yet told her, something he’d heard Hale and Douglas tell her through their whispers. “You know I love you, right?” he murmured, running his hand along the smooth curve of her back. She was cold, even with sweat on her skin, even after the heated passion that was lovemaking.
How could she still be so cold? Even now, laying there naked above the sheets, Noel wasn’t too cold. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, but he was mainly fine. They’d heated up the room pretty well.
Frost buried her face into the nearest pillow, giving him a quick, almost imperceptible nod.
“I do,” he added, pressing his lips against her shoulder. “I really do. I love you more than anything in the world. All of the chocolate cakes in Springvale couldn’t amount to it.” Against her skin, he grinned, his lips brushing against her with every word.
“Chocolate cakes, huh?” Frost spoke into the pillow, eventually turning her head to look at him. Her eyes sparkled with magic, an icy blueness that was purer than any other color. “Good to know I beat chocolate cake.”
“Hey, even Hale and Douglas put together don’t beat chocolate cake,” Noel mused, grabbing her chin and pulling her in for another kiss. He could feel her melt into him, his princess, his love, his life. Truly, he couldn’t imagine a life without her. Not anymore.
This was how it was meant to be.
Chapter Seventeen
Frost opened her eyes to a stone ceiling. A tall, grey stone ceiling she knew she hadn’t seen in years. She lay on her bed in the Wysterian castle, nestled away in a room she hadn’t been inside in what felt like ages. She propped herself up, glancing all around. No Noel, no Hale, no Douglas. She was alone in her old bedchamber.
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