Princess of Frost - Mila Young Page 0,1

when I look at Warrick, I only see the frown of someone disappointed in me.

I glance behind him, and the other maids flee out of the kitchen before they catch his stare and get shouted at. Most of them tell lies about me regardless of what they see or hear. All because I sometimes let my happy emotions slip, then I cover them up with stupid excuses. So now they insist I’m broken. How I hate that word. Who would have thought that smiling too much would make you an outcast?

Warrick continues staring at me.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask.

"No, but I need you to take the meals to the guards in the stables. The other maids are useless and move too slow."

"I'm almost finished with the dishes and..." I glance up at the window where the sun is descending behind the mountains. It’s almost time to go home.

His gaze lifts to the window, then falls back to me. "Deliver the meal and finish the dishes, or don't come back tomorrow." He throws the kitchen towel in his hand over his shoulder, his eyes flashing with fierceness, and walks back to the stove.

Crap! That's the fourth day this week I've worked until night fell, and no one ever paid me extra coins for my time.

"Get a move on," he growls.

I want to toss something at him because this man has no heart, only a piece of coal in his chest.

Drying my hands, I move to the food trolley filled with plates of food on two levels, along with cutlery. Roasted rabbit with gravy, over boiled potato and carrots, fresh bread and lard.

Taking the trolley filled with covered plates of food, I head down the corridor and hurry toward the back door. This part of the castle is where the maids and servants mainly run around and work.

The floors are made of white marble in this part of the castle, the ceiling lofty with decorative cornices, but we don't have rugs or decorations on the walls. At least there’s warmth, which is more than I have at home.

I reach the rear door and drag it open so I can get the trolley through. A gale blows into me, its touch icy, snow crashing into my face, and I shiver against the freezing weather.

Trees cover the grounds, the path dusted in snow, but I duck my head low and push forward. The cold sinks its fangs into my skin and down to my bones, and my teeth chatter. My layered dress and thick stockings do nothing to keep the cold at bay. When another round of wind barrels into me, I stumble and the trolley shakes like it might tip over, the plates and cutlery rattling. The covers over the meals slide about.

Frantically, I grasp the trolley and steady it, because if I drop the meals, the chef will kick me out. And I can't lose this job. There are no jobs in town.

And I don’t want to be whipped for delivering cold food.

But the wind is relentless, never giving up, and frustration chews on my insides.

I glance behind me to the rear of the castle. The door is shut, the blinds drawn. Ahead of me, the curved path to the stables is concealed by trees ladened heavily with snow. No one else is around, so I lower my arms by my side and splay out my hands. Power ripples down my fingers, rolling over me like an ice cube sliding over my flesh.

White icy sparks erupt from my fingertips as I picture myself in a small bubble where the wind can't touch me or the trolley.

Energy pricks down my spine in an instant, and the wind dies while the snow stays away. Not everyone has powers in this world... Some say that those who possess abilities are meant to have been blessed by the Witch Queen who once ruled over all our world.

She possessed a magical mirror, but when it was stolen and shattered by hobgoblins, slivers of glass struck every living person and embedded themselves into their eyes. From then, a shadow fell over our world, and for some reason, a select few were gifted with power. That's something my neighbor tells me. When the mirror broke, I think it stole everyone’s positive emotions too because how can no one ever be happy or smile in this place except me?

Rather than being a blessing like my neighbor claims, carrying an ability makes you a target. If found, the prince