Page 49 of Winter Queen
“Were you…?” I ask and turn around, pretty sure the same just happened to him.
“I like your mind,” he says simply. “It’s so pure.”
I laugh. “You must have been in someone else’s head. My mind is the opposite of pure. And I have to say, I like what you were thinking.”
That’s when I notice I’m half-naked, he’s half-naked, and of course someone takes that exact moment to knock on the door.
“Princess, it’s time!” Tamara calls from the other side of the door. “Do you need help with your hair?”
I look into the mirror and take in my dishevelled look and flushed skin. I think there’s not much that can be done to make me presentable. At least I’ll be able to put on a different wig and have the perfect hairstyle within seconds.
“Five minutes!” I shout back and pull up my dress, turning around so Frost can zip me up. Maybe we’ll manage it this time without kisses and our hormones going wild.
As if.
Chapter Fifteen
Gods like to party.
I don’t.
Not like this, anyway. Not when I have to shake hands, exchange pleasantries with Gods I’ve never met and people bowing in front of me. My idea of a party is a gettogether in a pub with some friends. Not this.
A lot more Gods than expected have come.
“They want to see the Demigoddess,” Tamara whispers as she accompanies me on the way to the dais. “You were famous as soon as you were born. Now that you’ve returned to our world, they’re curious. Demigods are known for their powers and unpredictability. Half of them probably want to see you explode during the party while the other half are interested in matchmaking.”
I stop in my tracks and gape at her. “Matchmaking? Like… relationships?”
Tamara nods. “They assume that being with Beira’s daughter will give them influence and power.”
I shudder in disgust. “I’d rather explode and take them all with me into the abyss.”
She chuckles. “I wouldn’t have expected anything else from you. But please keep the exploding to a minimum. This is an important evening and we can’t afford to end up with dead Gods.”
I grimace. She’s right, sadly. We need their support.
When we reach the dais, I turn around and look at the assembled crowd. There must be at least fifty Gods and Goddesses, maybe more. All of them are wearing their finest clothes – or maybe not, who knows if they ever put on leisurely outfits. I can’t imagine Gods like Zeus in jeans. Not that he’s here. He’s one of the minor Gods, actually, and not worth our time. According to Tamara, he doesn’t even have his own Realm. No idea how he got so famous.
Tamara gives one of the servants the signal to blow a trumpet. Yes, an actual trumpet. It’s strange how medieval some things are here. They could have just clinked some glasses together or used their magic to get everyone’s attention.
Everybody falls quiet and looks up at me. My mind goes blank for a moment. What was I going to say?
“Her Royal Highness, Daughter of Winter, the Slayer of Demons, the Heir to the Throne, the Lady Wynter."
I huff in annoyance. I’ve told the herald several times to leave out the demon slayer bit. I’m sure most Guardians and even Gods in this room have killed demons before. It’s nothing special.
I raise my voice and smile at the crowd.
“Welcome to the Winter Realm. I’m so pleased you’ve all managed to come at such short notice. You all know what situation is facing the Realms, and I’m sure I’m going to have some enlightening conversations with many of you tonight. But for now, please enjoy the food and entertainment. I know many of you are curious about the place I grew up in, so I have personally chosen some Earth delicacies for you to try.”
No, I haven’t, that was all Arc’s idea. He told the cooks to make some British nibbles like sausage rolls and puff pastry pies. He then decided to add some fried haggis balls to the menu. The whisky sauce has mysteriously disappeared though, and I wonder if it’s ended up in Arc’s enormous stomach. I hope he and the others know not to get drunk tonight. They have an evil Goddess’s Realm to infiltrate.
Food appears on the long tables and the Gods take their places. There are Guardians among them as well, probably servants, assistants, protectors, lovers, that kind of thing.
I turn to Crispin, who’s taken a seat next to me.
“Maybe you and the others should start some conversations with the other Guardians. They might be willing to give out some information about their Gods.”
