Page 49 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
I frown at his words. If they are locked away somewhere, they at least have to eat or go about their daily bodily functions. This is just not adding up.You are real, aren’t you?
I’m certain we are real, he says quietly.I’m just not sure if this is our true form, or a place in between where we can meet you.
My heart skips a beat.Give me something, anything.
Fire, he says tiredly.Fire and snow. And sometimes I can see a woman in white.
Wait a moment! A woman in white!?
I’m tired, Favian murmurs.I need to sleep.
Wait, I call out.Why me?
We are connected. He proclaims.The Princess of the Sun, the two sides of a coin, and the triplets without a fate. It’s the prophecy.
My body freezes at his words. Before I can ask more, though, he and Favia disappear into thin air and I jolt awake fully. The same throbbing headache as the last time accompanies me, and I allow myself a minute to recover my strength. There is a knock at my door. “It’s me,” Simin says. “I’m here to wake you up.”
“Come in,” I say while getting out of my bed.
Simin enters, smiling brightly at me. “Of course, you are already awake. Did you sleep well?”
“I was up too long,” I admit, feeling my cheeks warm a little. “I couldn’t sleep and then happened to stumble into Endellion.”
Simin smirks. “Oh, is that so?”
“Nothing happened,” I inform her, and to my surprise, her face falls.
“But you find him attractive, don’t you?”
“I… yes, of course, he is attractive.” I swallow thickly, as my cheeks warm up even further, my mind wandering to those enchanting silver eyes and his earnest yet beautiful face, the way his hand feels warm when he touches me. It’s not his undeniable beauty that gets me though, but the respect and kindness he shows to his siblings, even when they mess up, and with how much dignity he carries himself; how he just seems to understand. The way he talked to Kilah really struck something in me. I feel unusually insecure about my feelings, though. “I don’t know him well, yet.”
“And?” Simin shrugs. “Does it matter?”
I stare at her while she shoves me to the bathroom. Does it? Matter?
Endellion told me that there is no mate bond for him, but I’m sure he has his eyes set on a beautiful she-wolf already. I feel my anxiety growing again. Fortunately for me, there is no time to ponder too much, as I need to hurry to get ready. and have breakfast, and then meet the king.
Breakfast this time is just Simin, Nevyn, Royan and I. The triplets had to go and investigate the werebear attack that happened when we arrived. Eibhlin had to go to school while Alana and Kilah are preparing the masquerade. I’m not sure if the both of them reconciled, but it’s good to know that they are working together.
“Where is General Shayan?” Simin whispers.
“I don’t know.” I smile into my cup of tea. “I think it was a long night for him, too.”
“Next time you party, you need to invite me too,” Nevyn pouts. He has a particularly beautiful face with soft, almost feminine. features and silky black hair that he carries rather long.
“Does it help to know that I wasn’t invited, either?” Simin says with a grin.
“It wasn’t planned,” I insist. “I just couldn’t sleep, and Endellion, Caelan and Flinn were so kind to show me around while Alana was meeting with her friends. We just met coincidentally.”
“Really?” Nevyn asks hopefully.
“None of them would have excluded you,” I assure him. “And I wouldn’t have either.”
His eyes light up a bit, and he smiles. We all finish our breakfast quickly, as everyone has work to attend. Simin has always taken a liking to fashion and hair styling, so Alana set her up with the royal stylist, to take her under her wings and teach her whatever she wants to learn. She isn’t sure yet what she wants to do with her future, so she is trying several paths.
Nevyn hurries to his training, and Royan accompanies me as my own personal shadow, as he calls it.
King Gillean and Beta Quinn already await us in the king’s office. “Azadeh!” The king beams joyfully. “Come in.” He accidentally bumps into Quinn while he approaches me to lend me his arm. His beta just grumbles his annoyance and saves him from tripping. Gillean completely ignores him, though. “You are settling in well, I’ve heard.”
