Princess of Frost - Mila Young Page 0,2

will either use you as a puppet for your power or eliminate you so no one is stronger than him.

I tilt my head to the lofty wall surrounding the castle, the thorny vines curling around the stone surface. Any plant the prince touches is poisonous, especially this one. One prick and you die, courtesy of the prince’s power to ensure no hobgoblins enter his kingdom. The only way to walk onto the grounds is through the guards at the gate.

I rush down the bumpy path, swerving around trees until the stables come into view. Snow covers the stone building, and smoke curls out of the chimney. A handful of the prince’s cavalry spent all day in the stables training new recruits and breaking in horses they captured in the wild.

With a snap of my hand and a thought of removing the bubble protecting me, I reach for the door handle.

Wind crashes into me instantly, as if paying me back for evading its touch earlier. Nature has a funny sense of humor.

Hastily, I wrench open the door and wrestle to hold it while dragging the trolley over the threshold. I stumble inside, and the door bangs shut behind me. My hair is all over the place as I come face-to-face with half a dozen guards sitting around the fireplace. The room is large and has several wooden chairs arced in front of the blaze, keeping them warm. Tapestries of armies in war cover the stone walls to help keep the heat indoors.

None of the men get up to help because that would be too much to ask. These guards are grubby things who would walk over anyone, and there's a reason most maids hate delivering their meals.

"About fucking time. What the hell is going on in that kitchen?" A bald man spits the words, while the one next to him with a scar-detailed face sneers at me.

Well, I don't like them either, so I don't say a word. Engage and they'll make my life hell.

Head low, I start to uncover the food, then I pick up plates and begin delivering them to the men.

Don't look them in the eyes, Veren always tells me about men. Give them no excuse to think you have any other intentions. They are weak things, she'd say. Unable to differentiate between a female doing her job and one who wants their dicks.

When she talks that way to me, I always want to make a joke. I don't know why she hates men so much, but she makes it very obvious to everyone that she can't stand them.

With the last of the plates delivered, I turn to leave when a slap across my ass makes me freeze. The rest of the men break into fake laughter filled with menace, as they can’t really experience true joy.

My heart races and my cheeks heat. I clench my fists and march toward the trolley.

"Hey, we never said you could leave."

I stiffen. "Would you like more food?" I murmur, keeping my back to them.

"I want something else," one of them groans, and his words sicken me.

"They are waiting for me in the kitchen. I need to go." When I step forward, someone grabs my wrist and forces me to swing around to face them.

A cry slides past my lips.

The guy with the scar leers over me, staring at me with darkness in his eyes. "Are you denying a royal guard?"

My stomach clenches so tight that bile climbs to the back of my throat. I've heard stories of the guards in this castle taking what they want, and most of the time it's from the maids because we have no rights. Not when the guards stick together. Many maids have lost their jobs after being assaulted by these assholes.

He shoves me in the shoulder. "Did you hear me?"

I stumble backward until I hit the wall and look over to the other guards for a thread of sympathy, but I find only starved men looking to lose themselves between my legs and forget the plight of their life. Darkness rises within me, swallowing me in a storm of fear.

Everyone is replaceable. No one matters to the prince running this kingdom. Only the damn war between him and the hobgoblins and ensuring he wins.

I hope all the hobgoblins and power-hungry men perish from this world, as we'd all be better off without them.

The guard drags the back of his knuckles down my cheek. "Such a pretty little thing. Why haven't we seen you out