His Frozen Heart

Chapter 2

Although my father tried to start a pleasant conversation, I could sense the air was awkward. No one dared to say anything and so we all just kinda sat there, with the sounds of eating to fill the room.

I had to say, breakfast was much more tasteful today than any other meal. Probably to impress the Winter Kingdom with our foods. The Spring Kingdom was known for all fantastic herbs they had. I had learned that farmers off the coast of their lands took the food and sent them to a shed where the town's women cleaned them and sent them to the kingdom. Then the Kingdom divided the food. One-third of it would go to the castle and the other two-thirds to the villagers. It was fair. Everyone got food, even if it was high priced.

I took a sip of some warm, sweet, creamy liquid from his cup. When I looked up, I noticed  General Winter was staring at me. I put down my cup and wiped my mouth with my napkin that was currently set on my lap. I felt weird having a King of a distant land look at ME , even if I hated him.

"So, Prince Alfred, how old are you again?" General Winter asked. Icould  hear a rasp at the peak of his accented voice and I didn’t like it. It strained my ears somehow and it gave me an urge to cough. Despite that, I give a little smile and everyone looked at me.

"I am seventeen My Lord." I replied, feeling Ivan's stare. General Winter motioned toward his son.

"Ah yes, Ivan has just turned twenty himself." He said. Ivan gave a curt nod and I smiled.

"May I ask when?"

"Two months ago." Ivan says. General Winter snapped his attention back towards me with his snake eyes. "I was disappointed that I couldn't catch you at the party." he said. I gulped, and felt a lump form at my throat. How do I respond? I wasn't even aware there was a party!

My father spoke up.

"Ah yes, I'm afraid Alfred must stay in the Kingdom, it's what his mother wanted." he said. General Winter pursed his lips.

 

"So you are saying that your son will never be able to leave the castle grounds?" he asked.

 

Ivan looked straight back at me and then down at his food and continued to eat. I pretty much zoned out the others by this time and only focused on my  meal. Was I never allowed to leave? I remembered my mother had once said 'never is a long time' and it’s true. Never is a really damn long time, and I can’t do that! I already spent my life in this castle, the least I could do was see the gardens….real gardens! Like the ones from outside!

Ivan was looking at me by the time I glanced up. His purple eyes were scanning me and I blushed for some reason. Nobody had ever even taken the time to look at me, so what was I supposed to do? I smiled at him to be friendly, and he smiled back. We both just sat there smiling at eachother and I refused to stop. No way this guy was going to beat me! Then, Ivan stopped all of a sudden and he ate his food. I blinked and just sat there. Did Ivan just give up to me?
Well this was awkward.

My father slammed his hand on the table suddenly and I jumped, looking up. A huge smile was plastered on his face, and he was standing. I sent him a questioning look but he either didn’t notice or was too busy smiling his face off.

“Well, I do believe we are all done with our meals. Why don’t me and the King speak while Alfred shows Ivan around?” he asked. Everyone nodded and I found myself agreeing.

Servants came back in to pick up our plates and we all stood up. The King and the general walked off to a hallway, talking and conservating,
When Ivan was ready and set, I waved silently and took him to an instrument room. It was the closest anyway, and it was quite charming. Throughout the years, I learned to play three instruments it held, which was the piano, flute and violin.

“Quite a musical country.” I heard and turned to look at Ivan, who was running his fingers along a trumpet.

“Hmm yeah, we tend to celebrate that way.”I said and sat down at the piano. I looked over the keys and set my fingers onto them. Slowly I pressed down on the keys, earning sweet notes. I looked at Ivan.

“Do you know how to play?” I asked. Ivan nodded and walked over to me.

“Yes, move aside.”

Ivan sat next to me once I made space, and I watched him put his fingers on the keys. He played a couple of notes, and I could see him thinking. Ivan began to play a familiar tune slowly. The melody sounded beautifully, slow but happy and at rhythm. I watched his fingers dance at the keys quickly and that’s when I realized I knew this song.

I tried to think back on when I heard it, or better yet, how. Was I a child? Maybe my teacher? I bit my lip for a second at stared at Ivan’s face. His eyebrows were knotted and he playing at a very quick pace. I looked back to the piano then back to him. I knew it!

This was a song all royal children were supposed to learn at a young age. There are four Kingdoms, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Each of us learns our own version of the song, but when played together, they play at perfect harmony.  Now I felt stupid. It had taken me a long time to realize what song it was, while Ivan must know everything.

Despite that, I felt happy, because I knew we could play it together.  I was confident now, and set my own fingers on the key and began to play along. While Ivan knew the low part to it, I knew I high part. It was perfect. Together, our fingers skimmed and flew along in a little dance at such a pace of beauty and passion. My hand began to get sore and hurt, but I kept playing my part. i didn’t want to stop playing this harmonic melody ever. It was such magnificence to ear and I was just having so much fun.

After minutes of playing, I knew this is where the song began to end so I played my part in rhythm with Ivan’s and stopped playing where I knew it ended. Ivan continued to play however, but he also stopped at one key. We both sat there in silence thinking, and looking at the key. I felt a blush at my cheeks from the heat in the room, me being so tired at all.

“I knew you would catch on.”Ivan stated after moments. I smiled and looked at him.   

“”Me too.”

After a while we both decided to go the ballroom.

I waited for a second or two for Ivan to inspect the room, looking over every aspect of it. He looked at the black and yellow patterns on the floor, the statues, the designs on the wall and ceiling made of gold, and especially the painting on the ceiling.
I can’t remember exactly, but I always remembered me and my elder brother watching painters up on ropes, painting the ceiling.

“What is it?”I had  asked my brother. He would smile at me and reply with.
“A painting of memories Alfred.”

I never quite remembered how he looked like, it’s always been a blur to me. Father said he had greenish eyes and the best smile, and then we lost him in war. I had been so devastated, but now i’m confused.

Ivan looked over to me and whistled.

“What?” Alfred asked.

“It’s a very nice ballroom.”Ivan said. I blinked and smiled. Damn right it's nice!

“Would you care to dance then?”I asked.

“I do not know...how..”he said. His face looked very shameul, and i couldn't blame him for thinking that way. A Spring prince can dance, but he couldn't? I didn’t really mind, allot of princes didn’t know how, and I only happened to pick it up growing up! Well...more like my brother taught me. He used to say it was "a thing all royalty should know"

“That’s while I’ll show you, right?”I asked.

Ivan smiled and took my hand gently. I was surprised at how soft they where, knowing Ivan lived in a cold weather. Shouldn't they be dry and ashy?

“Sure.”

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Yeah, so I have no excuse for not unpdating except  for school.