Page 15 of A Tale of Ice and Ash
“Not fall for my charm? Niamh, you wound me.”
She glared at him, her gaze sliding down his clothes. “You’re a mess. Any point asking where you’ve been this time?”
Cole shook his head, grinning slyly. Niamh tutted, and held open the door to his room.
“In you go, Your Highness. I’ll have some hot water sent up for you.”
“You’re a star, Niamhy.”
Niamh stilled, just for a second. He didn’t often call her that. Snow did. Was it meeting her today that reminded him?
Niamh mourned her like a daughter. Niamh deserved to know. Niamh would never tell his mother– and he’d only promised to keep it secret from her, after all.
But… if there was any chance Snow was right, and his mother found out…
He bit down his impulse. It was not worth her life.
“I am far better than you deserve, it’s true,” she said stiffly, sweeping past him. “Go on, get yourself cleaned up before your mother sees you. She’ll have a fit.”
That probably isn’t far from the truth, he thought, stepping into his chambers. He tugged off his filth ridden boots and left them beside the door, pulling off the rest of his clothes. They were covered in muck and filth and a healthy coating of spiderwebs. It was just as well only Niamh got a good look at him.
He pulled on a new shirt, black trousers, and a short, midnight-blue tunic with a silver hem. He sometimes missed the colour of Florin, but the style and palette of this wintery kingdom certainly suited him.
Niamh knocked on the door, bringing a basin of hot water. He washed his hands and face and took the necklace out of his pocket.
“That’s lovely!” said Niamh. “Where did you get it?”
“A secret,” he said, winking. “Do you think mother will like it?”
Niamh’s face dropped. “Well, she does like shiny things.”
“Niamh? Did something happen while I was out?”
“She… dismissed another servant. Annie.”
Cole thought he knew her. Small, young, quiet. The sort frightened of her own shadow.
“What happened?”
“She said she didn’t like the way she looked at her.”
Cole sighed. They all looked at her that way. “I’ll… I’ll talk to her,” he said, clutching the necklace in his grasp. “I’ll dosomething.”
Niamh smiled faintly. “Thanks, Your Highness.”
She bobbed out of the room, and he tried not to dwell on the fact she used to call him Cole.
He cleaned and dried the necklace, and headed to his mother’s room. She was talking to someone inside, but he could not hear another voice. He was not surprised when he entered to find her alone. She was often talking to herself.
She stepped away from the mirror where she’d been admiring herself, her face breaking into a smile. She was a beautiful woman, with flawless, dewy skin far too young for a woman of her years. Her eyes were sharp and grey, her hair gold and fine, like spun silk. She looked nothing like him, a fact everyone was aware of, especially as his father hadn’t looked much like him either.
“Cole, darling,” she said, coming forward to embrace him. “Where have you been?”
“A secret.” He smiled. “But I have something for you.”
“A gift?”
“Yes. Perhaps you’re in need of one, after today?”
