An Eternal Wintre

Part 2: Sufferance Chapter 19

General Jackson smokes outside the castle's training shed, his back up against the strong wood. Blowing smoke through thin lips, he sees a bird fly overhead. He throws the cigar to the ground and snuffs it under his heel.

Clashing swords, singing arrows, quivering bows. All these sounds radiate throughout the training yard for days. All of Lutenia's best fighters train day and night in preparation for the coronation and the battle with the shape shifters, awaiting the arrival of Ulikar's army.

Jackson eyes the prince among his men fighting just as good as the rest of them. He'll make a fine leader, thinks the General.

Prince Mal has sweat dripping down his face and back, making it glisten under the sun's rays. He's barefoot with just trousers on as he fights hand-to-hand with one of Jackson's men. They're almost equal in strength and speed but the prince is still noticeably better in both and beats the man quickly, slamming him into the dirt. "Match!" calls out the spectators.

Prince Mal helps his opponent to his feet and wipes his face with a rag. He smiles when he sees the general. "Hello there General Jackon!" he calls out. All the men return to their work, the beaten man does laps. "How is it?"

General Jackson looks over the boy that will soon be their king. Such a kind, good heart but a strong will. Already has an entire kingdom and a wife as cold as ice who is just as strong as he is. The general trembles but smiles. "It's swell, thank you sir. I see you've been beating up my men." Prince Mal laughs.

"Oh, no nothing of the sort. I just want to be prepared for the battle." Neither says what they're thinking. To be ready for the ball in case of ambush. "By the way," the prince tucks the rag in his waistline, "will you be there? At the ball?"

"Of course sir. I'll be there along with several of my men to keep close watch over all the participants and their comings and goings." His head bows slightly and the prince nods, a hard look on his face.

"Good, then I am asking you to assign your best man to watch over my fiancée. She's been worried and skittish ever since we've rescued her from the shape shifters." The general notices the prince saying 'we' when it was just him who found the lost girl. Such kindness from a naïve boy.

"I will assign my best and if you don't mind if I assign myself to you and your father."

"I mind none. Thank you for your service." The prince leaves, leaving General Jackson worried over the prince, the king, the girl, and the shifters.

***

She's curled up in a pile of broken glass for several hours until she hears people rousing. Worried they'd wonder what took her so long that morning, she hurriedly cleans up the mess she made and pushes it under the floorboards where the medicine dust is.

Hours before, she turned back to normal; all the sharp points not smooth and rounded once more. Her skin is fair, no longer blue and her body feels heavy again, not light like droplets of water.

Her hands still shake somewhat as she places the wooden floorboard back into its place but as she dresses in a dark, crimson dress her hands still and her heart is still as if encased in ice.

Anai looks at the broken mirror and cocks her head, pondering a thought. Grinning, she positions her hand towards the now empty vanity mirror frame and flicks her wrist in a circular motion. Trails of snowy droplets flow through the air and spin to form a new mirror, fitted perfectly into the frame. Her grin never leaves her face as she leaves the room, and walks down the hallway for breakfast. Her teeth seemingly sharper than normal.