Shadow and Snow

Chapter Six | Winds of Change

"Isla, the King's little Bride, soon though he'll be standing by my side." the spirit whispered, baring its teeth in a wicked grin. Laughing maniacally, it reached out and yanked one of the curls from Isla's head.

Isla's eyes flew open, heart racing. She had been having nightmares for weeks, ever since she and the prince decided to begin trying to produce an heir. Glancing at Paxton, who was lightly snoring, she moved his arm from her thigh and slipped out of bed. Her bare feet whispered over the lush carpet of their bedroom. Walking to the bathroom, she splashed cool water on her face, already feeling a migraine beginning to reach its claws into her brain. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, revealing deep bags under her eyes, her hair becoming thin. I look like a monster. Sighing, she made her way back to bed, her husband stretched out on the mattress. I don't even love him, and I'm trying to get pregnant. What has my life become? Collapsing in exhaustion, she drifted into a deep sleep

Isla woke up the next morning to sunshine streaming into the room, Paxton gazing at her with a small smile. "What is it?" she mumbled, embarrassed by her appearance. "I always dreamed of what it would be like when I was married, but I never knew it would be like this. Knowing that however long the day was, trying to rule the kingdom, that I would have a stunning wife waiting on me to come back." Isla's heart wrenched in guilt as he continued, "Trying to start a family, knowing that the children we'll have will have the best mother in the world, who will love them and spoil them rotten, to my chagrin." She felt as if she would throw up, with so much guilt roiling in her stomach. This man truly loves me and is so happy to spend time with me, and I'm only pretending to reciprocate his feelings. "I feel the same way." She lied, feeling bile rise in her throat. "I've noticed you've been looking tired, is everything okay?" he asked, his face etched with concern. "I'm fine." "You always say that and not once have you actually been fine." "Well, I've been having nightmares lately." she murmured, as Paxton began rubbing her back, "What are they about?" "I'm not sure, but there's always a solid white figure in them, chanting about my imminent doom." she shivered, as his hand stopped its motion suddenly. Sitting up, he took her hand, his voice laced in urgency, "How long have you been having these dreams?" "Ever since we started trying for a baby. So maybe a month or so?" Jumping to his feet, Paxton began pulling on clothes, racing to the door. "Stay here, love, everything will be okay."

What the skies was that supposed to mean? How does he expect me to stay still when he goes running like a mad man after I tell him about my nightmares? Isla wondered as she rang for breakfast. Her best friend, Jade, came in a few minutes later carrying a platter of fresh fruits and pastries. "Good morning, Is!" she chirped, twirling around the room. She stopped in her tracks when she saw her friend's face. Rushing towards her, she swore. "What's wrong? You look pale. Is something wrong with the prince?" "No, Jade, Pax is fine, I think. He just ran out of the room in a craze and it just made me nervous." "I heard some of the guards gossiping about it, they said he looked like he had seen a ghost." He looked like he had seen a ghost, had he? "Jade, I need something to wear, I'm going to find out what's been going on." "Are you sure, Is? He seemed pretty upset." "Exactly, so as his wife it's my responsibility to look after him."

Dressed in a velvet dress with black thigh high boots, Isla marched to her husband's office, preparing to see him surrounded by legislation that needed his approval. She was taken back when she opened the door and saw his council of advisors huddled around a map, furiously whispering. "A month or more?" "She could be here any day now!" "What are we going to do?" "There's no time to start an enlistment, we need to gather the reserves immediately." Isla met her husband's eyes as he said, "We prepare for the worst, so I expect double the number of armed guards on watch at every hour." Dismissing everyone with a wave of his hand, he rushed over to her. "What is it? Is there something wrong?" He breathed, scanning her face for any signs of hurt. "I don't know, you ran out of the room and frightened me, I came to see what was going on." Taking a deep breath, Paxton massaged his temples. "It's a long story, but apparently it wasn't finished like we thought it was. As I told you when we first married, the kingdom of Arrida was been ruled by my family for thousands of years. They were adored by their subjects and assisted in teaching them how to use their magic for good, like teaching the fae with power over water to irrigate crops for more efficient production of food. But a few years before I was born, one faery began to cause problems. Over the course of a few years, she began seducing the men in my father's council and conceived children with each of them. She was arrested several months after for prostitution, and she used the bastard children of the council as leverage." "That's awful, why did she go to those lengths? What was her motive?" "She had grown up in the castle, her parents worked in the stables. She fell in love with one of my mother's handmaidens, but at that time people were close-minded. She was found with her lover in a servant's hallway and was put on trial. My father and mother wanted to grant her clemency and give her a cottage on the outskirts of town so she could live with the handmaiden in peace, but the council members forbade it. They had the handmaiden executed and threw her into prison. She escaped after a few months and used her magic to manipulate her face, making her unrecognizable. She then proceeded to seduce the councilmen and made their lives a living nightmare." "So why would she come back? I'm sure all the councilmen are dead by now." "She periodically tries to take the throne, attempting assassinations, claiming that the people of Arrida deserve reformation." Isla sat back, astonished. "So she's going to try to take the throne?" "Yes, and she'll do whatever she can to make it happen."

Their hushed discussion was interrupted by a loud knock. "Your Highness, guards have seen a figure robed in white on the outskirts of town."
Isla and Paxton glanced at each other, "Prepare the breaches and put the castle on lockdown, she's here."