House of Winter

Chapter 45, Part 1

Sanna's grief was a snowstorm, but she buried it deep down inside her and stood up. She sniffed once, wiped her face, and then turned to Ari. "We'll find Katja and Tom."

"We can't just leave her here," Ari said.

The queen's body lay on the floor, with her wolf beside her, howling towards the ceiling.

"We were never here," Sanna said. She removed all emotion from her voice.

She had once believed that being a queen meant being untouchable. It was the ultimate power, to live in a palace with servants to carry out every whim. There was always excess food and entertainment, and everyone fawned over the queen, desperate to be in her good graces. But a palace was no protection. A crown was no protection. Nothing would ever stop the hurt getting in. It leaked through every crack.

"Sanna," Ari said softly, and she reached out a hand, trying to touch Sanna's arm.

Sanna pulled away. "Don't," she said, and she turned away.

They walked through the halls of the palace and emerged to hear trumpets. The light starrlings of Lombardia had cleared the battle. Sanna searched the lawn for her mother, but didn't see her. She saw Tom and Katja, both walking through a crowd of Norrlish Wolfguard and Lombardian Garde.

The fire army had gone. They'd retreated, and as they had, the storm had retreated too. The suns were now visible, low in the Lothern sky, finally breaking through the clouds of the snowstorm. There was a rainbow. She squinted against the glare of sunlight on the snow.

"Lumi?" Tom yelled across the gardens, and his voice was amplified. He was an air starrling now.

"Where's Tai?" Ari asked. "And Virani?"

"They're gone," Katja said, walking over to them with a smile. She pulled her gloves off and then wiped her hair back from her face. A few strands of her blonde hair stuck to her forehead, with sweat or maybe melted snow. Her cheeks were flushed red, and she was grinning.

"Lumi stopped Tai's surging, and that made Virani's powers disappear. She couldn't even create much fire, in the end," Katja said. "But she fled before we were able to capture her. We've got a few fire soldier prisoners, I believe. They'll need to be questioned. I think it's important to understand whether Virani was acting alone or with orders from the Kaio Empress. Now, we'd better find King Matthias and my mother so we can get all of this down on paper."

"Where's Lumi?" Tom asked.

"There's Jinni," Ari pointed out, and Tom turned.

He ran towards the tiger, and the others followed him. The snow was deep now and it made their journey across the lawn slow, but they reached the watchtower where Jinni led them.

Sanna, Katja, Tom and Ari ascended the stairs in a rush. Tom was first, faster than any of them. Sanna had no idea where he got the energy. She felt exhausted, and she hadn't even been part of the real fighting.

"Lumi!" Tom cried out.

Sanna got to the top of the watchtower and saw Tom kneeling over Lumi's body. Her heart sank. Not Lumi, as well. This day was dark enough already. She couldn't see another loss today.

"She's breathing," Katja said, kneeling down beside her as well. "Look at her hands."

"She quelled him," Ari said. "She really quelled him. He has no magic anymore."

"Lumi," Tom murmured.

Lumi's eyes fluttered open, and Tom inhaled.

"Talk to me, Lumi," Tom said. "Are you okay?"

"I'll never be a kinncharging champion now," Lumi said weakly.

Katja let out a startled laugh.

Tom pulled Lumi up into his lap, and then lifted her easily. The stairs to the watchtower were so narrow, and Tom took one look at them and then decided it would be too difficult to carry Lumi down the tight staircase. Instead, before any of the girls could stop him, he launched himself over the balcony.

The three of them screamed, rushing to the balustrade to see Tom land neatly on the snow, as wind whipped up snow in a gale around him.

Katja choked out a sob, and Sanna knew she was reminded of Raphael. The way he'd jumped so gracefully, using the magic of air to land with ease.

They followed Tom back across the snow, to where King Matthias Stone was waiting for them with his lion Garde surrounding him. Tom yelled out for doctors, who were already swarming across the battlefield, and two of them appeared to take Lumi on a stretcher.

"Princess Katja," Matthias called out. "We'd like a good board room set out with fine meats and cheeses, and your best wine. We have a victory to celebrate, and many important things to discuss. There are new treaties to draw up, and I want your mother as witness on my latest political prisoner."

"Political prisoner?" Ari said, sounding alarmed.

Sanna stood in front of Ari, keeping her out of the king's sight, and then followed everyone into the palace. Katja led them through to one of the largest rooms, with a huge round dining table.

She found servants and instructed them on the preparations, and within moments, the palace was in a flurry of activity again. Sanna and Ari weren't invited to sit down, but they stood against the wall and watched as Matthias told Tom to sit down beside him, and slapped a hand across his back in a grin.

"My boy," he said jovially. "What a day. Those Kaio, eh? You put out one fire, and another springs up. But the girl's still alive, and she's here. It's not too late for us. A wedding between you and that little Lumiko girl, I can see it now. A fine pair, a very fine pair indeed. You'll do just nicely, my boy."

Tom stiffened, and Sanna looked down at her hands, disgusted.

She had always despised Matthias Stone. She hated the way he had made himself at home in this palace, in the middle of a war, where people's lives were at stake, and the only thing he cared about was his own hereditary and his vulgar commentary. How was it possible that someone as upstanding as Tom was the son of someone as horrible as this king?

Tom was proof that children needn't be anything like their parents. Perhaps Sanna could take some little relief from that knowledge, at least.

Servants came in with the royal stationery, ready for new treaties to be signed. There was a selection of fine feather quills displayed for the king, and he chose the largest one, with a feather from a falcon. He sipped wine, clearly enjoying the comforts of the Norrlish palace.

"What's taking her so long?" Matthias asked the room at large. "Where is she?"

As if in response to his question, another door to the room burst open, and two servants with terrified expressions ran into the room.

"Princess Katja!" they called out in distress.

Katja rose to her feet, alarmed.

"What is it?" Katja asked.

"The queen!" the first servant shouted. "You must come quickly!"

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elle