An Inferno of Ice

An Inferno of Ice - Part 12

Doing my best to conceal my trembling, I leave the dining room through the same door that I had entered. As promised, Prince Damon is standing there, waiting for me. He politely offers his arm again, and I take it as we start to walk in the direction of the opposite wing of the palace. Despite having done countless things far more dangerous on too many other missions to count, this still somehow manages to feel surreal, almost dreamlike. Although I am no longer in the actual presence of the king, it feels like he's still watching me, his eyes boring into the back of my neck to observe my every move. It's almost like part of him knows exactly what I am here to do, even if he doesn't consciously know it. Could the pure darkness I sensed radiating off of the crown somehow be aware of the biggest threat to its existence very close by? "He knows, doesn't he?" The prince's words startle me out of my thoughts, and are so soft that I'm not entirely sure I hear correctly at first. I give a hesitant nod of confirmation once I've processed his inquiry. "He won't figure it out," Damon says confidently. "Not with so little time left before the gala." he adds at my skeptical look. "It's tomorrow night. He's got a kingdom to run, he can't simply sit and ponder what one strange person is doing here. He's not going to uncover your heritage and your reason for being here in that time. At most, he'll assume you're someone from a lower than acceptable class and wanted to conceal that so we can continue being friends." At this, he grins over at me. I shake my head. "I hope you're right," I say finally, deciding to trust him. It hasn't seemed to be the wrong choice thus far. "I am." he assures. "This way, you don't have to waste time staying undercover. All you have to do now is figure out your next move." This time, the smile I give him is genuine. this plan certainly isn't something I would have gone through with on my own, but I can't truthfully say it doesn't bring me some semblance of relief not having to focus on concealment. "Does your father ever take that crown off?" Alyssa passes us, going in the opposite direction. I give her a small wave, and she returns it with a slightly surprised look. "Not until he bathes and goes to sleep." Damon replies once we are alone again. "But there are guards posted both inside and outside of his chambers at all times, so that option is out. as long as I've lived here and explored every inch of this place, I haven't managed to find any secret passageways that lead into his quarters either. You'll have to take it from him." We briefly fall silent as I contemplate just how I will do this. I cannot and will not harm the king himself. I simply have to destroy what is corrupting him, and he should return to the perfectly normal ruler he was before. It'll be the retrieval of the crown that'll pose the biggest challenge. But I'm no stranger to difficult predicaments. It's only when I'm gently tugged to a stop that I realize we're standing outside the door to my rooms. "Thank you." I tell the crown prince of Frostglimmer, really meaning it. There's no way I would be anywhere near this far if it hadn't been for his help. "Of course," he answers. "This is a job for you, but I want my father back. I'll do whatever has to be done to make that happen. I figured out what the problem was a long time ago, but that crown is resistant to all forms of force. It won't break under pressure or even if it's dropped from a great height. I've tried. The only thing that will affect it is heat. That's why Father banned the use of fire in any situation not completely supervised by members of his trusted guard. If anyone figured it out, that would be the end of it." Grinning, I let a small flame pop into existence on the index finger of my free hand and watch it dance between my fingertips for a moment. "You're breaking the law," Damon says, his attention just as transfixed as my own on the tiny bright spark. "Guess you'll just have to arrest me." I tease with a laugh, extinguishing it quickly. As we say goodnight, the prince reaches out and touches my shoulder to prevent me from moving. "I should be the one thanking you." And just like that, he's gone and I am left standing there trying to remember how to breathe. I get very little sleep that night. It's not for the lack of comfort, more like too much of it. I keep expecting something to happen, some unknown threat to come for me, and the complete absence of danger makes me restless. I spend the first half of the next day observing King Rudolph without his knowledge, following him through his daily routine from within the palace's abundance of secret passages. It hadn't occurred to me to wonder just how bad the corruption could be, but just seeing how cold and aloof the king is has a lump rising in my throat more than once. How can this man possibly be the father of two children? But then I remind myself that he is being influenced. He won't be for much longer, though. The crown had already been perched on his head when he'd first appeared, and Damon had been correct when he'd said it never left its position. Perhaps the best chance of successfully taking it from him truly would be at the gala. I check my list of instructions from the Infernal Court one more time, just to make sure I haven't missed anything. But once I succeed in taking the crown, the assignment is simple. Keep people out of danger, evacuate the palace, and destroy the dark source of evil. At last, there's no more time to delay. I have to get ready. Once I have bathed, I return to my room to find tonight's outfit already laid out for me, just like yesterday. This, however, is even more stunning. The gown itself is deep red, but the cloth is patterned with silver snowflakes, delicate and incredibly detailed. They look so real that I'm almost hesitant to touch them. The accompanying jewelry consists of teardrop shaped earrings, a necklace whose stone is so vividly read that it almost appears to contain fire, and a matching bracelet. Just as I am slipping into my shoes, I am surprised by a knock at the door. I open it to find the attendant Alyssa. She gives me a smile and a curtsy. "I have been asked to help you with your hair, Lady Ember." she informs me, so I let her in. I've never had anyone do my hair before, but I can tell that Alyssa is incredibly skilled at it. By the time she's done, my dark brown waves are more glossy than I ever remember them being, half up and half down in a waterfall cascade down my back with glittering silver pins to hold everything in place. I meet the amber eyes of my reflection before I leave my room, and it's almost hard to believe that the person I see is me. The girl who looks back could fool anyone into believing that she is going to attend this royal gala to have fun and spend time as an honored guest of the prince. No one would ever begin to suspect her real purpose for being there. I smile. Just as it should be. I can do this, I tell myself. For the Frost family. For the kingdom of Frostglimmer. For Icelandia.