Page 34 of Winter Gods & Serpents

We both sat down on the bench just outside the training pits. Grunts, heavy thunder, and restless neighs from the stables nearby drowned our conversation.

“A dozen, all my own, trained from my hands since they were barely old enough to hold a wooden sword,” he said, looking around the pits before handing me a list of his chosen team that was to be my own.

“Be careful Snow, your father is not happy about this, he is aware you played unfair, he doesn’t like to be tricked. Others too will soon know you have returned, to be travelling the kingdom as a captain could put you in the line of danger.” His eyes darted down to the ground. “They have looked for you before, a few times, not given up on what they had thought then, they still hunt you as if you truly are that monster,” he added somewhat distressed, but I was already aware.

I grabbed his hand between mine. “Maybe I am. I ran from danger once and it became my biggest regret. I am no longer that eleven-year-old of that night, to their misfortune they will have to try really hard to get rid of me this time.” I wanted them to come to me, so I can unleash the pent-up vengefulness that circled my flesh and bones, the more to hurt the merrier.

“What stance have the Venzors taken on the agreement with Adriata?” I asked.

He narrowed his eyes at my question. “The usual, against it. Whatever your father requests they are usually on the wrong end of his scale. They think the deal will be useless and too much is being put at stake. Remember, Venzor is the city that lost the most that night, they attacked there first, drawing our guards to them. Half the city was in flames before we could come to aid, if someone would disagree to the deal it would be them and within good reason.”

So I might be right, Elias could well be a distraction from Lord of Venzor, he would profit greatly from having the deal fail, it would be a good opportunity to use it against my father as well.

“Are his eyes still on the throne?” I wanted to know if he might also make this an opportunity to gather somewhat of an opposing group to overthrow my father.

Sam huffed a laugh. “Ever since your grandfather was on the throne they have been open about their greed.” He interrupted himself to assess me and my oddness. “What is going on, Snow? Are you thinking what my conclusions are bringing?”

I shook my head to deny his thoughts. “Believe me, I would rather have my father than those thorny arses on the throne, at least I know what type of serpent my father is. I cannot wrap my head around another unfamiliar one, who from what I have heard could be as bad as lovely Silas.” What I wanted to know was whether that oar was already loose, compromisable, or loyal to my father.

“Ah, so this is about Elias then?” he asked, and my eyes widened. How did he know?

He laughed and put a hand on my shoulder. “Words spread fast with a thousand servants and walls have ears, gardens too. Elias is a good boy, but just as you are fearing, he is still his father’s son and worse, your father’s soldier. I know you will be careful, but you are what my daughter would have been, so I have to warn you that he is one lady’s player,” he added lightly patting my cheek.

“Worry not, I am a man's player as well,” I reassured, greeting him goodbye with another hug.

He shut his eyes shaking his head at my words. “Exactly what a father wants to hear.”

* * *

I rubbed my palms together for warmth. “If you wished to kill me without anyone knowing, I’d given you better choices than this,” I said to Elias, dismounting from Memphis in god knows where he’d brought us. It was freezing cold, I couldn’t see anything without squeezing my eyes and there was a trailing howl behind us since we’d left the castle. Perhaps I’d been rash to think I could use Elias. Perhaps he wished to use me, for murder practice.

“The castle has you all agitated. The further away, perhaps the nicer you will behave to me,” he said, tying his horse to a tree.

Elias had dragged the two of us somewhere in the outskirt of Tenebrose borders by a small village. Scarce wooden houses scattered nearby each other, thick smoke coming out of their chimneys and in its middle a little tavern filled with heat and laughter.

“You should have not worried about me being nice when you brought a royal in the midst of wolves.” I said, pulling the hood of my coat over my head and covering my scar with a scarf. “Your king will have your head.”

Elias took notice and pulled my hood down. “There is no need to hide princess, they take very little interest in new faces, northern passers-by stop here on their way home every day.”

Surely no northern passer-by had a black head and a long scar in the middle of their face, but I raised my brows and nodded, I was freezing.

Elias was right, no one turned their attention to us as we took a seat in front of each other at a corner. I looked around uncomfortably shifting in my seat when I got distracted by Elias’s hand that flew in to drag my scarf away.

My jaw tightened as I bit in threat, “You really wish to provoke your death out of me?”

“Relax princess, plus I do not wish to lose precious time having you so near me and not seeing your face,” he said as a young barmaid approached us.

Her eyes lit in recognition and she planted a fist in her hip facing him. “Look what the snowstorm brought my way. We haven’t seen you here in months and here you are all frilly with a girl in front of you, who I dearly hope it’s the one you are to marry,” she said turning to face me and I snorted.

It didn’t surprise me that they knew each other. He was a captain and a player by looks and reputation, wouldn’t shock me if they had been more than acquainted and they were close enough to know he was betrothed. Had he come to cry here when he had been arranged to the snow spirit? A thought that made me burst in giggles.

I shook my head to deny her claims and she clicked her tongue at Elias.

“Trust me,” I said between laughs, “you would not be able to mistake me with her.”

“I have missed you too Lori, this is Snowlin,” he introduced. He then instructed Lori to bring us warm drinks and food for which I was impatiently waiting.

Music sounded around the tavern and several old and young stood and danced to the cheery jig.