Icebound (Legends of the Shifters Book 2) (11 page)

Instead,
I fumed silently until the red cleared from my vision, and I saw the way Sir Lochlan
almost trembled with rage, his face ashen.

“Do
you think it wasn’t painful to see my dead brother like that?” he demanded,
eyes blinking rapidly. “Do you think I would dishonor him in such a way?” The
muscle in his temple pulsed as he clenched his jaw. “There’s an enemy among us.
Perhaps a team of them.”

Grix
pushed me back by the shoulders and looked into my eyes. “We need to get to
safety. Now.”

-Chapter Seventeen-

Sir
Lochlan, Grix, and I hurried out of the arena, forgoing the carriage to travel
with the swifter alternative—horseback.

Sir
Lochlan led us down a steep hill, away from the raucous crowd, and kicked his
horse into a gallop when he reached the field below. Grix and I raced after
him, but he’d set a hard pace. Pretty soon, the horses beneath us snorted and
panted with the effort.

After
we crested the highest hill, the road and the front gate came into view. The
guards opened it for us without question, so either a messenger had been sent
ahead or they recognized Sir Lochlan from afar.

We
pushed our tired, sweating horses past the wrought iron opening, slowing only
once we reached the front doors, where we dismounted and passed the reigns on
to a stable hand. Grix and Sir Lochlan hurried up the steps.

I
started to follow them, but stopped when the stable hand asked, “What’s the
rush?”

I
turned and shielded my eyes from the sun this time so that I could study his
face. “Ayon?”

He
flashed white teeth in a smile. “Surprised?”

“How
did you get here so fast? I thought the wedding—”

“Ivy!”
Sir Lochlan interrupted from the door. “We need to get inside!”

I
gave Ayon an apologetic glance as I continued up the steps. “I’m sorry. We’ll
have to talk later.”

“Oh…
That’s fine,” said Ayon, but his smile had turned into a frown as he looked up
at Sir Lochlan.

I
hurried up the steps and through the door, which Sir Lochlan shut behind me.

“I
advise you to stay in the castle until all of this is over. And I’ll be
appointing guards to stay at your door every day,” he said

I
twisted toward him sharply. “You know how I feel about guards.”

He
wouldn’t look at me. “You have no say. Grix will be your day guard, and I’ll
think about it some more before I decide who I trust enough to be your night
guard.”

I
bent my head to stare at my feet. If I had to have guards, at least Grix was
one of them.

When
we reached my door, Sir Lochlan continued walking past it. “Keep watch outside
while she cleans up, Grix,” he called over his shoulder. “The king will
probably send a messenger as soon as he gets back.”

“Yes,
sir,” Grix replied as I entered my room.

Once
I was through, he shut the door behind me, leaving me completely alone. I
sighed and walked to the washbasin, where a pitcher had been set.

After
washing up, I sat on my bed and waited for the king’s messenger to come. When
the minutes started to drag by, I grew restless. To occupy my mind, I began to
shuffle through the drawers of my nightstand. I almost shut the first empty
drawer when something caught my eye. In the very back, a small piece of
parchment was folded up and shoved into a crevice. I pulled it out and unfolded
it, smoothing down the wrinkles. It read:

Dearest
Cecile,

My
heart grows colder each day I am forced to go without seeing your beautiful
face.

You
move with the grace of a gazelle. Your eyes are the color of twilight clouds.
Your lips are like springtime blossoms, full and perfectly pink. I look forward
to the day when I can meet those lips with my own.

Please
visit soon, or I may be have to forget my duties here just to be by your side.

Yours forever and always,

Matthias

I
was torn between laughing at the lovesick letter and heaving up the lunch that
was sent to my room before we left for the arena. Princess Cecile must have
meant for me to find Prince Matthias’s message. She thought that I meant to
replace her.

Not
in a million years.

A
knock sounded on the door, startling me from my thoughts. The king’s messenger.

I
set the letter down on the nightstand, and hurried to open the door to find not
the messenger, but the king himself. As soon as I had the door open, he pushed
past me. “Lady Ivy, I hope you’ll forgive my intrusion,” he said as he closed
the door behind himself. “But we have important matters to discuss.” He clasped
his hands behind his back. “I’ve decided that your stay here should be
extended.”

I
narrowed my eyebrows. “Extended? Is this because of the attack at the arena?”

“Not
exactly,” he answered. “But I’ve been thinking about this for a long time,
waiting for this day to come.”

I
raised an eyebrow. “Waiting for what?”

He
hesitated, looking past me out the window. “Ivy, I find you to be a fascinating
creature. You have the rawest power that I’ve ever seen in a shifter, let alone
in a female…”

I
waited for him to continue, clueless to where he was
going.                                

“You
see, tomorrow will not be a mere ceremony. It will be your wedding.”

My
entire world spun to a stop. “W-what do you mean? Wedding?”

He
placed his hand on my back and guided me over to the sitting area. “I’ll
explain myself to you. The royal line is weakening. I was the only one that
survived of my siblings, and my boys were the only ones that survived out of
the eight that my wife bore over the years. The six that died were healthy
babes, but not one of them lived past the age of two in the end. Matthias and
Edwin got sick often as children, but when they grew into men, they were
strong. Strong enough to hide it when their bodies succumbed to sickness
again.”

I
shook my head and backed away, fighting off the urge to clamp my hands over my
ears.

“You
see, you may be right where you need to be. Right in the place where you’re
needed most. To marry Matthias and strengthen the royal line in our time of need,
when the shadows are longest and the sun is at its peak.”

I
shook my head. “No. That can’t be my purpose.”

“Maybe
you have multiple purposes,” the king rumbled. “This sacrifice will save your
kingdom from eventual ruin. You
are
on Leviatha’s side, aren’t you?

I
sat there, stunned for a moment before I stood and walked to the nightstand,
where the letter still lay, unfolded. “Why don’t you explain this?”

The
king took the letter out of my hand and began to read it. By the end, he was
chuckling and shaking his head. “This does not sound like Matthias at all. In
fact, it rather sounds like Prince Edwin’s writing style. But, if this is
indeed something that Matthias sent on purpose, it was probably when he was
very sick. He may have wanted a pretty little hand to hold on his deathbed.”

I
cringed. I certainly didn’t want to be that pretty little hand.

I
shook my head. “I’m sorry,
Your
Majesty, but I’m
afraid you’ve asked the wrong girl to be the wife of your son. I’m simply not
cut out for—”

“Nonsense,”
he said in a severe tone, narrowing his eyes. “I didn’t ask.” He took a step
forward and stuck a thick, calloused finger in my face. “This is your duty, and
you
will
do it. To strengthen the royal line and to save your kingdom
from ruin.”

“But—”

 He
waved his hand away and clenched his jaw. “I will hear no more about it.
Matthias is on his way now to talk and plan with us.”

Sure
enough, not three seconds later, a knock came at the door.

The
king had his mouth open, ready to scold some more, but snapped it shut to
answer the knock instead. Prince Matthias walked through, avoiding my gaze.

“About
time,” said King Giddon. “Let’s all sit down.” Prince Matthias followed his
father back to the sitting area.
Maybe I should run,
I thought, eyeing the
door longingly. In the end, I trailed reluctantly after the prince.

“The
wedding will be tomorrow, at the exact time that the ceremony to make you a
lady was planned,” the king began. “That way, we haven’t wasted good money and
food on a celebration that never happens.”

“I
can’t—”

The
king cut me off with a look.

“I’ll
have our best event planners on the job, and of course, I already told Dame
Guthrie to include a lot of white in the dress design.”

By
the sound of it, it was never his plan to make me a lady. Just a princess. And
Dame Guthrie had known.

“You
knew that this would be a wedding,” I accused.

The
king shrugged. “Maybe. I’m glad you proved yourself powerful enough to gain the
role of princess, soon to be queen, and mother of future kings.”

He
continued on into his planning. “We’ll inform the closest noblemen and women
around to see if they can make it. I know it will be very short notice, so
there shouldn’t be much of a crowd.” The king continued on and on until the
words just faded into the background. I felt dizzy and rested my head on my
palm to calm the sensation.

I
was brought out of my stupor when a boot came into view, and then a knee. I
looked up to find Prince Matthias kneeling in front of me, a ring with several
small diamonds pinched between his thumb and forefinger. “Ivy…will you do me
the honor of becoming my bride?”

This
was the second proposal this year, and it felt just as unexpected and
unpleasant as the first, if not more so. I prayed that I wouldn’t throw up. I
shook my head once, but one look at the king behind him made me reconsider.
There was a warning in his eyes, and I knew that I would be in danger if I said
no.

Instead,
I looked back down and said, “It’s too soon. I can’t marry you so soon.”

Prince
Matthias paused and looked back at his father. The king sighed heavily. “Then
you have one week,” he conceded.

The
prince looked back at me as he slid the ring on my finger and glanced up with
shadowed gray eyes. Underneath his stare and the king’s, I finally cracked. I
gave a slight nod. “Okay,” I whispered.

Prince
Matthias didn’t smile as he stood. He leaned forward awkwardly and gave me a
peck on the cheek while holding my hands. I looked over Prince Matthias’s
shoulder at that moment to see the king’s smug smile. He gave me an approving
nod, and it was all I could do to hold on to my lunch.

When
Matthias finally backed away, the king patted his back and led him out of the
room. The door clicked shut behind them, leaving my mind reeling.

What
just happened?
What have I done?

-Chapter Eighteen-

I
waited a few minutes after the prince and the king had left, and then followed
them out the door. Grix looked around in surprise.

“What
was all that about?” he asked.

I
glanced down the hallway, making sure King Giddon and his son were nowhere in
sight. Seeing no one, I turned back to Grix. “I’m engaged to Prince Matthias.”

His
eyebrows shot up, and for a moment, his mouth opened and closed like a fish.
“How was that decided?” he finally got out.

I
pinched the bridge of my nose. “It was all a blur. I was pressured into it.”

Confusion
clouded his features. “But…why?”

I
was about to answer, but a servant rounded the corner at the end of the
hallway. I stepped back into the room and waved for Grix to follow.

Safe
behind the door, I continued. “The king told me that the royal line was
weakening. He believes that part of the prophecy is about saving the Leviathan
kingdom by bearing his son’s children.”

Grix
rubbed his stubbly chin. “When is the wedding supposed to happen?”

“In
a week,” I said, dread seeping into my voice.

“A
week?!” Grix said loudly. I looked at the door, hoping no one heard. Grix
lowered his voice. “Just a week?”

“It
was going to be tomorrow.”

“That’s
not right. A week is far too short of a time to plan a wedding, let alone a
single day. Why must it be so soon?”

I
shrugged. “I have no idea…but it doesn’t matter. I won’t be here.”

His
eyes widened. “You mean you’re going to—”

“Run.
Like I always do,” I finished for him.

“The
king will send men after you. He’ll search far and wide until he gets you back.
Are you sure you want to chance that rather than refusing the offer directly?”

“Of
course I don’t want to,” I retorted. “But it wasn’t exactly an offer. I tried
to say no. The king forced me.”

Grix
ran a hand through his hair. “Well, at least you’ve got a few days to make an
escape plan.”

“And
to say goodbye,” I added.

Grix
shook his head. “Not to everyone. If you’re leaving, Alyss and I will come with
you. We already decided we would.”

“No,”
I said firmly. “I need you both to stay here. I don’t want you to be in trouble
because of me, not to mention I’ll be able to cover more ground on my own.”

Grix
paused to think about it. “What about King Ciaran’s men? Aren’t they searching
for you, too?”

“They’ll
have a tough time catching up with me in the air.”

Grix
frowned, eyebrows pulled down into a line. “Are you sure?”

“I
am.”

He
gave a nod. “When will you leave?”

I
paused to think about it. “Maybe the day after tomorrow. I want enough time to
say goodbye, while sparing the servants unnecessary work.”

“That
sounds about right,” he said. “You will be missed.”

We
both swiveled to the door when a sudden knock rang through the room. Grix
glanced at me, and then stepped forward to answer it.

“Alyss,”
he said, in obvious relief. He pulled her in and shut the door.

She
looked at me, eyes wide. “I heard the news. This must be what the king had been
planning.”

“It
seems that it was,” I replied.

“I’m
so sorry. I only wish I had known…”

“How
could you? Unless you’re capable of reading minds.”

She
gave me a thin smile. “If only I could.”

I
stepped toward the door. “I’m going to let Grix explain everything to you.
There’s someone I need to see.”

“Wait,”
Grix said. “I have to come with you.”

I
paused with my hand on the doorknob. “Stand outside the door as if you’re still
guarding me. If I’m caught, I’ll tell them I escaped from my window.”

Grix
looked uncertain. “I don’t know—” he said, but before he could protest further,
I was already out the door and halfway down the hall.

When
I rounded the corner, a crowd came into view, all gathered around a man who
read words off a piece of parchment. My feet faltered.

“The
royal wedding is in a week’s time,” he said over the noise of the crowd. “All
servants are expected to help in the setting up of the ceremony and the dinner
afterward, in one way or another.”

Everyone
seemed confused.

“Didn’t
she just get here?”

“A
commoner princess!”

“Only
a week?”

They
were so absorbed in their conversations that I was sure I could get away…until I
felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Did
you think you would sneak off without anyone noticing?”

At
just the sound of his voice, my shoulders lost their tension. I turned to Ayon,
and smiled with relief. “Thank goodness it’s you.”

He
didn’t reply, but instead looked at the crowd and pushed me forward gently. “I
think we need to talk.”

“That’s
why I was headed to the stables,” I replied as he led the way out. “I wanted to
find you.”

After
descending several steps, Ayon stopped and turned to me, eyebrows shadowing his
deep blue eyes. “Is all of that true? You’re going to marry the prince?”

I
looked around. Along with the guards stationed at the door, there were also a
few people wandering along the gravel path. I kept my voice down to make sure
no one heard. “I had no choice,” I finally answered. “The king wouldn’t take
anything other than a yes.”

He
clenched his jaw. “Is that what I should have done? Bullied you until you said
yes?” He winced after the words came out.

Even
though I knew he regretted saying them, they still stung.

I
tightened my hands into fists, and hissed, “No, it’s not. Because I’m leaving.”

“Leaving?
To go where?”

I
shrugged. “Onwin, I guess. That’s where I’ll learn the entire prophecy. I’ll
learn what my destiny really is instead of what King Giddon thinks it is.”

“What
are you saying? Destiny?”

“There’s
a prophecy written about a phoenix,” I explained. “Everyone seems to think I’m
that phoenix.”

He
rubbed his forehead, eyes pressed closed. “I’m supposed to believe that there’s
a prophecy about you?” He looked up. “I grew up with you, Ivy. I’ve known you
since you were a little girl, and now you’re supposed to save the world?”

I
couldn’t hold back a smile. “You’re the first one to think about it like I do.”

A
sad look passed over his face as he dropped his hand back down to his side. “I
just wish things were back the way they were before all this happened.”

“Believe
me, I do too,” I replied.

We
paused when the door behind us opened and a handful of servants came out, deep
in conversation. When they saw me, they lowered their voices, but I could still
hear them.

“Is
that her?” one whispered.

“I
think so,” replied the other. “I heard she had red hair like that and green
eyes.”

Even
after they’d descended the steps, they kept shooting looks at me.

“I
don’t envy you,” Ayon said after they’d gone. “If the entire kingdom wasn’t
talking about you before, they certainly are now.”

“Great,”
I said under my breath. I leaned against the wall, and shook my head, ready for
a change of subject. “How’s Emillia?”

“She’s
settling in. It’ll be an adjustment to get used to castle life.”

I
nodded. “When did you get here? I expected it to be a lot longer before your
arrival.”

He
shoved his hands into his coat pockets and shrugged. “As soon as I got back to
Emillia with the news, we saw no reason to delay the wedding any further than
the next morning. Neither of us know many people and we couldn’t afford a big,
fancy wedding anyway. I promised my mother I would visit and then we left.” He
gestured up to the castle with a jerk of his head. “And now we’re here.”

“Did
Emillia handle all the traveling well?”

“She’s
surprisingly a good traveler. Being a horse, I was our main transportation. I
carried us each day as long and as fast as I could. Didn’t want to get caught
by bandits, you know?”

Like
the ones I’d run into.

He
continued. “Luckily, the only trouble we had was pulling together enough money
to afford a ship to get to each island, and eventually, the mainland.”

“Looks
like you did a pretty good job.”

He
smiled. “Mother lent me some money. Anyway, what about you? Anything happen
after I left?”

I
opened my mouth to reply just as the door opened again. Princess Cecile stepped
out, seemingly in deep thought. She didn’t even look up from the ground until
she was only a few feet away.

She
paused for a moment, her face pleasant at first. Then, her mouth pinched into a
frown and her eyes darkened in anger. “You,” she hissed.

She
glanced at Ayon and struggled to smooth over her features again. She plastered
on a fake smile and said, “Lady Ivy, would you accompany me to my quarters?”
Then, without another word, she started back up the steps.

I
don’t know why I did it—perhaps because of curiosity—but I gave Ayon a nod and
followed the princess back through the door.

We
skirted around the few remaining servants in the hall and turned a corner. Her
door was the first on the right, painted red. She turned the handle and stepped
inside, her purple-
ish
eyes glinting as she waited
for me to follow her.

Hesitantly,
I did, but I never turned my back on her as she shut the door behind us.

With
the door closed, she rounded on me. “What are you thinking? Didn’t I tell you
that the prince and I are the only way Onwin and Leviatha can form an
alliance?”

I
crossed my arms. “I was under the impression that our kingdoms were already
allied. Is Onwin planning on joining sides with Ginsey now?”

She
glared at me. “We’d rather side with Ginsey than be obliterated by them.”

I
let her steep in her anger for a moment before I said, “You’ll be happy to hear
that I’m not going to go through with the wedding.”

Her
face morphed from angry to
surprised
to disbelieving. “What do you mean? I thought—”

“King
Giddon forced me into the betrothal. So I’m going to run away the day after
tomorrow.”

She
lifted her delicate eyebrows. “Run? Where?”

“To
Onwin, I guess. I’m tired of hearing about a prophecy I still don’t know.”

She
stared at me for a moment. “Really?”

I
nodded.

She
played with her sleeve, her face screwed up in concentration. “You’ll have a
hard time getting into the Black Fortress… I’ll have to come with you.”

“I
can’t be slowed down—”

“My
second form is a swan. We’ll be able to fly out of here in the middle of the
night and get about a seven or eight hour head start. Even Leviatha’s best
flyers won’t be able to catch up before we cross the border.”

I
raised my eyebrows. “What about your mission to marry the prince?”

“That
can wait until his father stops obsessing about you,” she said. “If the king
doesn’t like our union, it won’t happen.”

“Should
we meet somewhere?”

“The
palace gate. Midnight. Don’t be late.”

I
nodded and stepped toward the door, but she caught my wrist as I reached for
the handle.

“This
better not be some joke,” she said, her eyes narrowed.

I pulled
out of her grasp, cold dislike coiling in my stomach. “Believe me. It’s not.”