Page 60 of Winter's Scorching Kisses
Chapter 15
Adorra shot awake in the tub, water sloshing around her at the sudden movement. Raising a hand to her eyes, she rubbed them vigorously. The journey through the mountains had taken a lot out of her, and she’d closed her eyes just for a brief second, which had turned out to last a little longer than she meant for it to last.
The cold water caused her to shiver, and she leaped out of the tub. The air in the room had chilled, the fire long dead. She had no idea how long she’d been asleep, but she was ready to find her sister again and slowly chip away on Jasmine’s resolve until she convinced her to come back to Arcaern.
Dashing over to a towel, she ran it over her body quickly gathering the droplets of water on her skin. Goosebumps raced over her skin as the cool air caressed her with icy fingertips.
Adorra glanced over at the fur dress her sister had left out earlier. It wasn’t a material she was used to, but when she reached out a hand and stroked it, the soft fur appealed to her. It was nothing like the pressed dresses and tight corsets the court had made popular.
Maybe there were some parts of ice giant life that weren’t so horrible.
She slipped the dress over her head and marveled about the ease of putting it on. There were no strings to tightened or tie. Then she saw the matching shoes laying on the floor and slipped her feet into them. The cold melted away as the fur warmed her. She ran her hands down the supple dress, and she was amazed by how it flowed. It felt and acted like the material of her dress, but it wasn’t the same.
Glancing around, Adorra found the chamber lacked a mirror. She’d need to remember to ask Jasmine for one the next time she saw her sister.
Quickly, she ran her fingers through her hair, dislodging any knots. Using a spare ribbon that she’d had in her possession, she quickly tied her long hair up into a ponytail at the base of her neck. It would do for now, but she was going to need a maid if she was going to get her hair into anything fancy.
Hoping she looked decent, Adorra strode over to the door of her chamber and ventured out into the hall. When she saw there was no one around to ask directions, she picked a direction and headed that way.
In no time, she’d gotten herself all sorts of lost.
“Why can’t my life be simple?” Adorra muttered as she tried to get herself back to her chamber, but that too appeared to be a lost cause. “Where is everyone?” With how large the castle was, she would’ve expected it to be overflowing with ice giants.
She’d lost track of how many stairs and corridors she’d gone through. She wasn’t even certain she’d be able to get back to her room.
“Are you lost?” A soft voice growled from behind her.
Adorra twisted around on a heel and relief washed through her when her eyes landed on the ice giant woman standing before her.
“Yes. I was trying to reunite with my sister.”
“Ah, yes, Jasmine.” The woman said kindly as she smiled at Adorra. “She’s probably in the great hall having dinner with the rest of the castle.”
“Dinner?” Had she really slept that long in her tub?
The ice giant woman nodded. “Would you like me to show you the way?”
“Yes, please.” Adorra may not like the idea of living here for long or trust the ice giants, but that didn’t mean she was going to be rude. Honey always attracted other people better than vinegar, and right now she needed help on navigating the massive fortress.
“Don’t feel too bad about getting lost. We all get lost every once in a while despite living here for most of our lives.” The woman said kindly as she began to lead the way.
Adorra followed after the woman quickly. The woman was about a head taller than her, and her stride was a lot longer, and she’d nearly left Adorra in the dust with a couple of steps.
In just a couple of minutes, she heard the sounds of people having a jolly good time. They had to be nearing the great hall, and her stomach eagerly growled at her at the thought of some good food. Mathar had been kind enough to share his dried meat on their journey, but she wanted to eat some real food.
The soup and porridge Lisag had given them had been a good start, but she wanted some meat, cheese, wine, and perhaps any desserts the ice giants might make.
“Here we are.” The woman waved her forward as she dropped back.
Adorra walked forward and peeked out of the doorway into the great hall. Candles and fireplaces lit up the room, and the heat was once again welcome.
Taking a deep breath, she held her chin high and strode into the hall. There were so many giants wandering around and a lot of exposed skin and muscle. It was definitely a bit intimidating, and she found her feet faltering every once in a while. Especially when a barely dressed ice giant man strode past, nearly brushing up against her.
As Adorra walked into the great hall, her eyes sought out the familiar face of her sister. It didn’t take her long to find Jasmine sitting across the hall in deep conversation with the fierce-looking ice giant king.
Pausing, she took a moment to take in the sight Jasmine and Dryden presented. The king leaned in and whispered something into Jasmine’s ear. Her sister hid a smile behind a hand and patted his hand lovingly.
Adorra pursed her lips. She couldn’t understand why her sister believed she was in love. These people would never accept her as their queen. It had to be a lie. She just wasn’t sure why the ice giants would tell her sister such a falsehood. It wouldn’t gain them anything and bewildered her.
