“Then we’ll show him there’s more than one way to secure a crown.”
We stand there for a beat, the weight of what’s coming pressing down so heavily that even the snow beneath my boots feels fragile.
Sapphire exhales slowly and reaches for her dagger. “All right,” she says. “Let’s do this.”
The moment the words leave her lips, Ghost moves to my left and Nebula moves to Sapphire’s right, both familiars eerily silent, their bodies tense and alert.
We slip around the side of the palace until the main gates loom—towering pillars of ice and steel, with a small army of soldiers who once obeyed me without question stationed there.
“They’ve doubled security since we left,” I say softly, glancing at Sapphire. “Stay close.”
Her water magic swirls in response to my frost, our powers intertwining in the space between us.
As we approach, I recognize one of my father’s most loyal soldiers—Valerian. His beard is white with frost, his eyes narrowing as he takes in our approach.
“My Lord Prince,” he says, carefully neutral. “We received word of your... departure from the Winter Court. Your return is unexpected.”
“I’m sure it is,” I reply, keeping my voice level despite the ice forming at my fingertips. “We require an immediate audience with the king.”
Valerian’s jaw tightens, and he glances uneasily at the five guards beside him. “There are specific orders regarding your return, my lord,” he says, inching a hand toward the hilt of his sword.
He’s welcome to try, but he should know better than to attack. After all, he knows what I was before I left—cold, calculated, and deadly. As for now… the extent of the magic I have with my soul bound to Sapphire’s would terrify him.
“We invoke royal protocol to have an audience with King Nivian,” I say, letting the ice in my tone match the frost curling around my boots. “Stand aside, Captain.”
Ghost lets out a low growl, the sound vibrating through the frozen air. Beside him, Nebula’s muscles tense, her golden coat almost glowing against the snow.
Valerian’s gaze flicks to my sword, to Ghost, to Sapphire, then back at me, calculating his odds. “And the escaped summer fae?” he asks. “The one who you were supposed to havekilledin your trials? Along with her…” He trails off, glancing at Nebula. “Summer familiar?”
“The Summer Princess ismy wife,”I state, lifting my chin. “Now, if you have any sense of self preservation, you’ll let us pass.”
Fear crosses Valerian’s eyes as he looks back and forth between me and Sapphire. The other guards straighten, not daring to meet our gazes, their breath crystallizing in the air.
Finally, he steps back, his jaw clenched.
“I’m sure the king will be interested to hear of this recent development,” he says, and then he and the others escort us past the gates, through the halls of the palace, and into the throne room.
