Page 80 of Enchanted By a Pirate
She raised her eyes to the high columns and dome, which was decorated with carved ice reliefs. The ice was colored or painted so that she could clearly see the sequence of images despite how high up they were. The crowning feature was a woman with long white hair and the outline of a country illuminated by the sun — was it the Kingdom of Winter? There was also a depiction of a festival where young and old celebrated together.
There were windows set into the high walls that tapered toward the top. The frames alone exhibited the finest craftsmanship — unless they too had been created by magic. The pure ice floor gleamed, as did the steps and railing that led to thesecond floor. Still, it wasn't freezing cold, as Anna had expected. It didn't occur to her for a moment to wrap her coat more tightly around herself, but perhaps she was distracted by such splendor, the likes of which she had never seen before.
"Close your pretty mouth, madam, or it will be obvious that we are strangers."
Caught in the act, she pressed her lips together and glanced at the captain, who grinned at her as she stepped onto the wide staircase next to him.
"Don't touch the railing, it's incredibly cold," he warned, so she linked arms with him, keeping her hands away from the shimmering work of art.
Every step made their hearts beat faster. And with every step, she gripped Chris's arm tighter. What awaited them? Or rather, what were they walking into? What lay ahead?
When they reached the second floor, a wide hall opened up before them. It had several corridors and doors leading off it. They followed the whispering crowd as it streamed deeper into the palace down a long hallway.
"Let's follow them. Maybe they'll lead us to our destination."
Anna nodded. Her excitement was growing, so she didn't trust her voice. Chris sensed her restlessness and stroked her hand. "Calm down, Ani. I am with you and always will be, I promise you that."
Grateful, she peered up at him. She focused on his proximity, his warmth, his familiar smell of salt, wind, and freedom before her confidence finally returned. Every step became more powerful, her gait more confident, and as they passed through an ornate door behind the other people into an anteroom, Anna no longer doubted for a moment that they were doing the right thing.
The room was packed with people. Countless merchants and residents of the realm were waiting to be admitted throughanother door to see the Snow Queen. There were chairs, but nobody was sitting in them. The guards next to the door didn't seem to care about order and just randomly allowed a few people in, one at a time.
Anna stood on her tiptoes so she could peer over their heads into the queen's room, but she wasn't tall enough.
"I would lift you up, madam, to satisfy your endless curiosity, but I think it would draw too much attention to us."
She heard the smile in his voice and nudged him jokingly. "I can wait for our turn."
"You can?"
Grinning, she turned away and stretched upward on her tiptoes. She heard his soft chuckle but ignored it. There had to be an opening somewhere through which she could see the queen.
Without noticing, they inched closer to the door and as soon as Anna found a gap she could peer through into the receiving room, they were beckoned to enter.
Anna's mouth gaped open, but she immediately closed it. Ignoring the splendor that loomed over her, she focused on the magnificently dressed lady sitting on a throne made entirely of ice. It was on a dais so that despite her seated position, the queen could look down on her — even on Chris, who was one of the tallest men in the room.
She raised her head as majestically as if she had done nothing else all her life, and yet , miraculously, the tower her white hair was styled into did not totter. A diadem sparkled above her forehead, competing with the numerous ice crystals stuck into her hair. Her skin was almost white and her lips were extremely pale. She was a distinctive type of beauty.
She wore a light blue silk gown trimmed in white taffeta. There were ice crystals adorning the full skirt and the ruffles along the hem, with a pearl belt around her slender waist to match her necklace and earrings.
Everything about her embodied power and stately splendor, even her bearing and the contemptuous gaze she cast over those present. She nodded patronizingly, whereupon two men came forward and bowed deeply before her. Was this the queen the innkeeper in Frost Home had raved about? The picture before them reminded Anna of the stories she'd heard from Anton, who had warned her about the powerful sorceress.
"What is your desire?"
The voice was deep, which made Anna sit up and take notice. But it was not the queen herself who had spoken, but rather a servant dressed in a white robe standing next to her.
Once again, the supplicants who stood before her bowed, then humbly raised their heads to look at the queen. "Thank you for granting us an audience. We ask for your help. It's about our vines. We need magic to make them grow. It's so extraordinarily cold and without the fairies…"
The queen nodded graciously and the servant beckoned the men closer. "You will be granted support."
The Snow Queen took one of the ice crystals from her skirt and blew on it, causing it to sparkle as if it were… Chris and Anna exchanged a quick glance… as if it were covered in fairy dust. Could it be? Was the source of fairy dust bubbling up somewhere inside the palace and the Snow Queen was using its magic?
While more petitioners were admitted, the Snow Queen repeatedly reached for the crystals, made them glitter using only her breath, and then handed them out to the men and women. Sooner than they expected, it was their turn and Anna instinctively sank into a deep curtsy next to Chris.
"What is your request?" the servant asked, and they rose. Anna glanced at the captain, who bowed discreetly to the queen and spoke without hesitation.
"Our farm is near the giants' realm. One of them crossed the border and destroyed our crops with several kicks. It's soextraordinarily cold and as long as the fairies aren't there…" He left the sentence hanging just as the first petitioner had. Apparently, Chris also wanted to get to one of the crystals so that they could get a closer look at the magic.
The queen nodded graciously to them like the other residents before, took one of the ice flowers from her robe, and blew on it, whereupon the ice was covered in glittering particles. She handed it to Chris and they bowed a second time.
