Page 21 of Gifted to the Frost King

He breaks off in a fit of coughs, his powerful chest shaking with force.

“Because of the curse,” I offer.

His eyes fly open as his coughing subsides. The King fists his hands at his side.

“You know about the curse?” Disbelief colors each word.

“It’s obvious something is wrong here—things are not what they seem.” I take a deep breath. “In my village, I was taught you were the one who cursed us and our land. All of our bad fortunes landed squarely on your shoulders. It’s clear to me now that youmay have had a hand in why this curse happened, but you were not the one who cast it.”

The King nods. “You are right. I did not enact the foul magic that turned these lands into what they are now.”

“Do you have any idea how I could break it?” I ask.

“I did once—now I’ve forgotten. It’s been stolen away with most of my memories.” He grits his teeth. “Time is almost up. I can feel it. The five centuries I’ve been forced to endure are almost at an end.”

My mouth goes dry.

“Five centuries?”

The King’s lips pull into a smile, even if it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“I wasn’t always like this. Long ago, before the curse was laid, I was a powerful male fully in control of myself and this land. My only desire was to find—” He breaks off, eyes skimming over my face for a moment before shaking his head. “I can’t remember now. Regardless, most of my power was stripped away instantly, and I became this. Barely in control of my body—shackled to this beast while my memories fade each year.”

Stepping closer to me, our bodies nearly touch.

“The only thing I know is that I cannot help you break it. That was the one rule written into my bones when the curse was enacted. If it is to be broken, only you can do it. And if you don’t, this realm will be plunged into icy darkness, and everyone will freeze.”

I roll my eyes, huffing a laugh.

“No pressure.”

The King gently settles his large hands on my shoulders and gives me a soft squeeze. I feel his warmth through my layers of clothing. Pleasure washes over me at the brief touch. I should’ve experimented with men back in my village. Then maybe Iwouldn’t be so affected by the minor grazes of this male. I don’t push him away. I silently will him to pull me closer to him.

I am losing my mind, and I’ve only been here a day.

“When the sun is up, I will fight the beast to stay here with you. I want to show you the male I once was. Moreover, I want you to see my realm and why you may wish to save it. The more you learn, the more I can share with you.” His grip on me tightens as his eyes grow serious. “But I’ll have to let the beast out eventually. That is why you must promise me never to venture into my room on the third floor. I don’t know how he would respond to you after I’ve suppressed him for so long, and I won’t risk your safety.”

“I wouldn’t know how to get there even if I wanted to,” I grumble.

His lips twitch. “Promise me you won’t. No matter what.”

I incline my head. “I promise.”

Satisfied, he releases my shoulders, and I feel cold instantly. Turning my head, I gaze towards the window—the stone I used to guide me last night blends in with all the others.

“Do you think more secrets will be revealed in the hidden corridor?”

The King’s brows lower. “What corridor?”

I wave a hand towards the window.

“The riddle you told me last night—I figured it out. That stone in the center is a key to release a secret door that leads into a hidden passway. That’s where I found the necklace. Isn’t that what you were trying to tell me?”

Dark blue stains his cheeks. “Truthfully, I didn’t know the answer to the riddle. I could only remember that I needed to share it with you.”

I nod, feeling a sense of pity. How awful it must be to know you are cursed—to understand how to break it—but to have forgotten it after all this time. Walking over to the window, Ikneel before the stone. In the morning light it looks as ordinary as all the others.

“Here, let me show you,” I say, reaching behind the rock.

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