Page 203 of Winter Gods & Serpents

“Mourn him, please, I beg of you, enough of this—enough of this terrifying silence. Just mourn him, the one you cared, and loved, and called family, please.”

“Close your eyes, Kil,” she almost whispered. “Today I am that monster again, it’s dark around me.”

I could not stop her. I had no right to do so, the only thing I could offer was to keep her safe. “I will be right beside you, I will not let anyone hurt you.”

“They can only try, for they will find there is not much worse they can do.”

She unravelled from me, giving me a short smile that never met those eyes that had now turned ice cold. It hurt me more to see her like this than anything else.

She had never let any of us enter with her before, had I not known her I would have thought she was scared. Her father was sat along with four others, a satisfied smirk in his face, had he enjoyed his generals death that much or had it been his daughters suffering he was feasting on?

I took a spot in the corner of the room along with two Isjordian soldiers all tense as I was, ready as if expecting a battle to emerge from within the room.

She bowed and sat to his side.

“Your presence pleases me, my bud, I did not know I had to go through such great lengths to acquire it. Rest assured, I now know for future reference,” he said, half laughing.

My chest heaved in anger, but she gave him a pleasant smile. Upon it her father’s shadows halted, became grimmer and frustrated. Not the reaction he had expected. Now I understood her behaviour, she would not give her father the satisfaction.

“Oh but no father, I only came because dear Moreen deeply begged for me to return, she mentioned something along the lines of a loving arse. Wait, how was it now again, crone?” she asked, turning to the older woman sitting opposite her. The soldiers next to me giggled silently shaking their heads, they must be used to her antics.

“Do not speak to my mother like that,” Reuben exclaimed. His shadows were all shades of angry, all intertwined in a deep fear, he was terrified of Snow.

“Hush half breed, you are to speak when requested, go fetch a bone or wag your tail at a guard. Moreen, as we were saying,” Snow silenced him and turned to her pray again.

Her father did not seem to mind the banter, he did not interrupt and only stared at her, probably trying to gather how she did not look an inch affected by what he had done. Snow looked like she knew what they all felt and played around with those emotions. She was in control, not the other way around, even her father was wrapped around her despite what he had done. I could see it in her stance this was her battle ground, they were all trapped in it.

The consort did not answer for a little while. “How was the Lord of Arynth, Snowlin? Did you leave him well?” she asked, avoiding the question. Similar to the rest she felt terrified of Snow, but she showed it the most and very plainly.

“Very well, I left him plump as an apple.” She took a bite from an apple and Moreen choked on her drink. “He was not the only one I left well in Arynth though, your half breeds betrothed had been there deliciously plump as well,” she said in a smirk.

I had missed the fact that her half-sister was betrothed to Elias.

“Elias was there as well? Did you meet with him, why?” the young blonde woman asked in angst. Snow looked satisfied with their reaction, licking her upper lip she winked at her, making the half-sister pale and her forehead crinkle in worried wrinkles.

“Father, how do you allow this?” she pleaded half crying in frustration, but her father did not answer.

Snow teased her back in a mocking pout and she began tearing up under a tissue.

This was the princess everyone knew, the one the Adriatians had seen and the one her father wanted to break to his will. I knew the princess as well, and I knew Snow. They were the same different, but she rarely displayed both at all times. In Brogmere she had been both, in here she was the princess, with Caiden and Nia she was always Snow. I wanted to know whom she had been with me because I wanted the whole of her, not the pieces that she chose to show.

“I was not aware you had grown so close with the captain,” her uncle said, eyeing her father in somewhat suspicion.

“Close is one thing, uncle dearest, I prefer other words, those like—”

Her father’s loud fist hit the table, interrupting her. “Have respect for your sister, Snowlin.”

She threw her head back in laughter. “My sister is dead, and bold of you to assume I care to respect any on this table,” Snow calmly added munching on a mouthful of grapes. She was such a wondrous sight when she ate. “And dead is the respect for the half breed, which by the way how have you been feeling lately, dear? All well?” she questioned in a terrifying amused grin towards her.

They all looked at each other in worry and panic, making Snow laugh. Caiden was right, she had planned something.

Her half-sister’s breathing suddenly went rapid as she turned in worry to her mother. Cough took her chance for air. She stood up terrified, blood now begun to drip from her nose. Her mother screamed and Rueben unsheathed his sword towards Snow in threat, who took much amusement for the action. She had poisoned her.

I did not move, didn’t even think about interrupting. Let her fight her own battles.

“What have you done?” Reuben shouted, waving his sword closer to her.

The consort barely managed to her feet, tears blanketing her hollow sea blue eyes. “I beg of you, undo what you did.”