Princess of Frost - Mila Young Page 0,20
mind like a web sticking to the insides of my skull. Damn him. Why can't he just leave me the hell alone?
Pacing up and down the room I’m locked in, my heart races, and it feels like my anger will burn a hole in my chest.
I keep picturing the amusement in his eyes at the sight of my shock. Bastard enjoyed watching me squirm. He loved to make me scared, and now I completely understand why people say he's the most hated prince. A few moments with him, and I’m ready to push him off the edge of a cliff.
No one deserves to be treated this way. He may be the reigning prince over this land, but to me, he's the enemy.
My thoughts swing back and forth between wanting to help because the hobgoblins terrify me, but also not intending to end up in the dungeon when the prince discovers my power isn't as extreme as his. I've heard he can poison an entire forest and not feel depleted. That right there is powerful magic... especially compared to mine that comes in bursts of only a few moments at a time.
I sigh, then crash down on the bed and flop onto my back. Eryk’s portrait over the bed looks down at me, seeming to mock me. Asshole.
What am I meant to do now? I wipe the tears spilling out at the corners of my eyes. I've lived long enough with feeling different because of my ability to feel sensations others don't experience, but this is a new level of unfairness. I'm already broken, so hasn't the universe been cruel to me long enough?
I lay there with no concept of time, growing tired of self-pity. I don't have much of an option but to escape, because how long before Eryk goes to my home and uses my friends as a bargaining tool? I put nothing beyond him.
I jerk upright in bed, my legs dangling over the edge, and decide I will escape before the prince returns. Outside, the midday sun sits high, so breaking out now won't work. But once night falls, I'm leaving. I shoot to my feet and move to the window to find the best way to break out. If I escape at the end of the day when the other maids stroll out of the court, I can hide within the group and sneak past the guards at the gate. Then I will run home and tell Rin and Cedar we need to pack and flee the village.
My thoughts revolve on whether to tell them about my power. It's the only way I can try to keep us safe if we encounter danger on our way to the next kingdom. We’ll go to a place where no one knows who we are, and we'll begin fresh.
I chew on my lip, which only hurts my bruise further, and I scold myself for constantly doing that.
I go grab the butter knife from the breakfast plates that haven’t yet been cleared away and return to the window, well-aware that there is always a way to open a window with a bit of ingenuity. And I've broken into my fair share of windows and doors growing up on the streets comes with some hard lessons.
Eryk
I will convince you.
"Eryk?" Kade interrupts my thoughts. "What do you need me to do?" He stands across the desk from me in my office, the light from the wrought iron chandelier illuminating his hazel blue eyes. "Licia's housemates know nothing about her ability, even though they grew up together living on the streets. The three of them are orphans."
I process his words, picturing Licia homeless, as I remember her stealing the loaf of bread. She's fought for food most of her life, and maybe pilfering is an instinct for her. I look up at my second in command who's been talking, yet I didn't hear half the conversation.
"...old lady next door insists she hardly spoke with Licia."
"Let them know Licia won’t be returning home any time soon." I'm not beyond using them as a bargaining chip, if needed, to get what I need for the greater good of the kingdom.
"Understood." He retreats and shuts the door behind him.
Turning toward the window, I watch the snow falling under the moonlight, and my mind stays on Licia. Her fighting instincts, wrestling against me at every chance. She is spectacular, wild, primal, passionate, and so fucking reckless.
I exhale loudly as I march onto the balcony and grip the railing