Cold Queen - K Webster Page 0,10

in these conditions,” Fayden mimics in a huffy tone.

“Shall I remind him whom he works for, your highness?” Jorshi growls, always eager to punish.

A chuckle escapes me. My personal chef is quite a princess himself. Being a king, you can never be too careful. I trust the portly man who always complains about as much as I trust Danser. If he ever wished to have harmed me, he would’ve done it long ago. Yashka, despite being fussy, will do his job. He prides himself on making the best meals no matter the circumstances. Even on the battlefield, I am served delicious meals to keep me strong.

“Yashka will figure it out,” I assure Jorshi. “Once he does, bring me something to eat this morning. Enough for the queen, too.”

“Still alive, yeah?” Fayden questions. “Rumor was she was barely standing yesterday.”

His comment grates on me. “Report back to Cavon she is alive and well. And whomever is starting rumors is playing with fire,” I growl, my eyes narrowing on him. “Keep the rumors squashed. The queen is well and we’re working out a deal for me to marry the princess. Understood?”

Fayden nods quickly, chastised. “Of course, sir. Anything else?”

“I’ll be by later to see Danser. Make sure the princess remains secured. I need to speak with him about something rather important.”

I dismiss both men with a wave of my hand and then slip back inside the room. The queen has rolled on the bed, now facing the door. Her blue eyes are trained on me. She doesn’t try to attack me or escape. I’m not sure she has the strength to try.

“My sister?” she croaks out.

“Safe. Cared for. If anything, she’s driving Danser mad with all her ranting about protecting you.”

A smile ghosts over her lips. “She looks after me.”

I walk over to the bed and sit on the end near her feet. “Queens don’t usually need looking after. Why is it that you do?”

She presses her full, bluish lips together. “None of your concern.”

“Of course it is,” I say with a snort. “I am the Truth Seeker. Everything is of my concern. Just as cutting down The Damned is your concern. Although…”

Her eyes narrow at me. “Although what? Spit it out, Volc.”

So fiery this weak, dying queen is.

It makes me want to stoke that inner fire.

My cock jolts in response to the images that flood my mind.

“If you’re sitting up in your tower, slowly freezing to death, who eliminates The Damned, Punisher? Do you send your boys to slay them on your behalf? How many die protecting you, hmmm?”

Her nostrils flare. “The Eyes of the White are trained well. They’d destroy your useless Volcs at the snap of my fingers. Do not ever insult me and my army. Because I am not out there with them doesn’t mean they aren’t winning the continual war we have with The Damned.” She disparages me. “For centuries we’ve cleaned up the Volcs’ messes. You damn those souls and drive them from your lands. Right into ours. And we have to eliminate them. Tell me where the power lies, Ryke.”

My name on her lips has me taking pause for a moment. I wish she’d say it again.

“Perhaps we’ve been secretly hoping The Damned would overtake you all. That, at some point, you’d all become crazed like them. Then, it’d be my army who comes through and cleans up at the end. Some moves are strategic enough they take centuries to carry through.”

“Are you always this arrogant and disgusting?” she snaps, her blue eyes seemingly glowing brighter.

“My consorts back home don’t think I’m disgusting at all.” I wink at her. “Now focus, your frostiness. I want the true story. What happened to you? Why are you in this tower feeling sorry for yourself?”

She launches herself up from the bed to claw her nails across my face. I hiss at the cold pain as my flesh opens up under her attack. Her fury is short-lived, as I easily pin her body back down on the bed beneath my stronger one.

“Did you not learn the first time, Queen?” I snarl, snagging both her wrists with my large hand. “You can’t hurt me.”

She struggles and curses at me, but she’s going nowhere.

“Let me go,” she shrieks. “Now!”

Ignoring her, I hold up my hand in front of her. As I summon my fires, I watch her eyes. The blues glimmer as she becomes transfixed on the way my fingertips glow orangy-red. Slowly, I drag them along my scratches, sealing the