Page 15 of Gifted to the Frost King

Glimmer and the King have both alluded to secrets buried deep. Whatever that means. If I can get back to my family by uncovering whatever this sorceress did here, I must try.

Even if I have no clue where to begin.

10

THE FROST KING

It was foolish to let the other part of him out.

Almost as foolish as the dinner. He knows the end is coming, and nothing can prevent it. The cold in his body is growing more intense—settling into the marrow of his bones and turning his blood to ice. Soon, there will be nothing left, not even the beast.

Bringing her here was a mistake. He never should’ve given in to the weak male inside of him.

Indeed, she will turn from him now. Why did he even want her in the first place?

The beast does not know, nor does he care.

At least, that’s what he tells himself as he stands outside her door. She is not asleep. He can hear her uneven breaths and the sound of her rustling sheets. The thought of going into her room is fleeting. One that is not unpleasant but all the same unwelcome.

Her rejection will come swiftly, leaving him to his dreadful future—the one of his own making.

Inhaling her lovely scent one last time, he turns from her door and vows never to find himself outside of it again.

11

DOVE

Sleep eludes me after that tumultuous dinner.

I still feel on edge after my confusing exchanges with the King. More than that, the sun never seems to set here. As I lay tucked under ridiculously soft sheets with dozens of cloudlike pillows resting behind me, bright light streams under the heavy curtains covering the window.

All concepts of time are lost in this place. If I am not careful and remain dedicated to my desire to escape, I may lose myself to the strangeness of this land.

My only small comfort this evening is the King’s promise to keep my family safe. While I have no reason to trust him, I believe he was telling the truth. He seems to need me for whatever reason, and with my family safe, I’m more amenable to his cause than an escape attempt.

At least for the time being.

His words were not lost on me—my family is safe for now as long as I remain here and try to undo whatever foul magic is afoot.I cannot lie to you, it is one of my many punishments, he had said, but what was he being punished for? If I can uncover the reason, perhaps I’ll be one step closer to getting out of here.

That may be easier said than done, seeing as no one here can give a straight answer to save their life. Whatever spell this sorceress cast upon all of them is binding. Annoyingly so. My head continues to throb.

With a deep sigh, I rise from the bed, hissing as my feet touch the icy floor. I quickly shove them into warm, fur-lined slippers. I find a heavy wool robe inside the wardrobe and belt it over my silk nightgown. The room is bright enough that I don’t need candlelight to guide me.

Gently closing the doors to the wardrobe, I make my way over to the far wall. The curtains had been drawn when I arrived as the same magical force from before prepared me for bed. Now, I grip the heavy fabric and wrench it back in my hands.

Staggering light pours into the room. The snow-packed evergreen trees and small buildings dotting the edge of the palace grounds shimmer below. Only it’s not sunlight causing them to glow. Where the large orb of white light had once sat nestled between wispy clouds has been replaced by a large blue moon. With the curtains no longer obscuring it, the light inside my room takes on a blue-ish hue.

It is magnificent. Usually, the clouds in my village are too thick to see the moon, let alone the stars. Here, both are on full display. Countless stars twinkle down from their resting spots in the dark sky. It’s easy to forget where I am for a moment—to allow myself to absorb the sky’s simple beauty.

Taking a few steps back from the window to enjoy the view better, I’m struck again by how still everything seems here. There is no movement, no hum of life. In my village, even as remote as our cottage was, there were signs of life all around me. Neither Mama, Sophia, nor I could sit still for long, and there was always work to be done. Our town was the same whenever we would venture into it. People hustling from one job to thenext or those with extra coin could enjoy a hot meal and mug of mulled wine at the tavern.

On this side of the mountain, there is none of that. There is no indication that anyone besides myself draws breath here. For the first time, I feel totally and utterly alone. No amount of fine clothes, food, or bedding can make up this feeling of complete isolation.

My heart pangs, and even though I owe him nothing, and he is the one who brought me to this desolate place, I can’t help but feel bad for the King. Being left to live in a place like this, it’s no mystery how he’s acquired his peculiar personality.

Despite believing him to be the one who cursed us, my village knows very little of the Frost King. Stories have been changed throughout generations. Once, he had been a disgraced farmer who made a deal with theMother of the Snowfor untold riches and, in his greed, cursed the land to attain it. In others, he was a beast, roaming the snowy peaks of the mountain, cursing our village on a whim for not offering him enough meat to feast on.

The heart of each of the stories remains the same. The Frost King can control the weather, and due to some slight by a member of our village, he doomed our land to endure an eternal winter, each year becoming more brutal than the last. Annually, he comes to select a tribute, and if one is chosen, he will release the land from his magic.

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