Iron Frost - Clan of the Rim Chronicles #1

10

"I WILL PROTECT YOU with every ounce of my life, My Queen."

"I want to keep you safe."

"It's okay, Eerika. You're safe now. You're safe."

My eyelids broke open and pulled me out of the dream, and I slowly sat up from under my covers.

It was the same one again, but now with Calder as the faceless blur of the man who'd joined the dream the morning everything began.

I assumed now that the screams were coming from my subjects and the people in the castle, the culprit of the queen wreaking havoc on them.

I rubbed my hands over my face and let out a sigh. After everything that I had learned last night from Eeira, I honestly didn't feel the need to even get out of the bed or talk to anyone. Though some of those feelings changed when the dream poked at my memory and flittered Calder's face. I wanted to talk to him, even if he didn't want to talk to me. With his bipolar tendencies I never knew what he was going to choose, the kindness or the silence.

After sitting frozen for a few more minutes I decided to get up from the bed, and walked over to the window. I pulled back the curtains to get a glimpse outside and decipher what time it was. Snowflakes were falling down like a beautiful movie scene, covering the pointed icy turrets as if they were shingles.

But in the reflection of the window glass I could faintly see something protruding from my hair, and went to touch it. Feeling skin I let a small gasp escape me, and rushed over to the mirror on the far side of the room. There where my two normal, human ears used to be were now replaced with the ones of a faery.

There was dried blood in certain areas of my ears that must've been caused from stretching into their points, and when I attempted bending their flexibility a pain shot through them. Giving myself a long gaze in the mirror I viewed over this look.

I felt so changed now. It was like I wasn't the same person I used to be in the ephemeral world. In all aspects that was true. I had been living an unknown lie all that time, and I was disgusted by it.

Even my face, my body already seemed less human, more like the otherworldly perfection of Calder or Eeira. They were like porcelain dolls--their skin flawless silk, their eyes clear as glass, and their cheekbones and lips sculpted like heaven made them itself.

Thinking on it now I always did have those characteristics as well. I never resembled anyone in my school or my neighborhood apart from the human ears, I guessed. I never had acne or dry skin, and I was always told I had doll-like eyes and nice facial bone structure. I just assumed it was all from genetics in my family, and considering Hanir and Linnea had those qualities too it turned out I was right. I just never would have thought it was all because I was a faery.

There was suddenly a knock on my door that made me jump, and it opened to reveal my smiling maid Astrid.

"Good morning Your Majesty, are we feeling better today?" she asked me in her sprite-like voice.

I wasn't really sure I could answer with what she and probably Eeira wanted to hear, so I added another lie to the list. "Uh, yes, Astrid. Thank you."

She opened the door further and pulled in a rolling cart that held a tray of what must've been my breakfast, and another maid followed in line carrying clothes for the day. It was another dress, and I couldn't help but lightly scoff under my breath. By the look on Astrid's face I knew she had heard me, and I awkwardly cleared my throat to speak.

"What am I doing today?"

"Um, pardon, Your Majesty?" Astrid questioned, looking up from her task of making the bed.