Aurelie's head spun. She turned to the voice but found no one there. The wind was chilling and penetrated the thick fur of her coat. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. The spinning worsened, and she toppled over. She landed on her back, in the snow, with her hands behind her and felt puddle form below each hand as the ice melted at her touch. Her fingers, up to the bone, ached. Never before had she been that cold. Surely, if she stayed in one place long enough she would freeze.
"Help her up!" said a woman. Where exactly she was, Aurelie couldn't tell as turning her head was rather difficult without becoming sick.
Hands gripped her from behind and lifted her until her feet dangled above the ground. A silver carriage stood to the right of her. Thick furred, white dogs sat and waited in front of the carriage in rows so long that they disappeared into the mist. Lastly, a woman wearing a giant, clear crystal crown, stood before her. The sharp edges resembled icicles. Whoever held Aurelie set her back down gently.
The queen bowed keeping her light blue eyes on Aurelie. A vibration traveled through her stomach as if to signal a premonition of sorts, telling her that there was no way out of fate's grip now.
Aurelie bowed her own head, careful not to let her crown fall. She could not get the queens eyes out of her mind. They were striking, but there was an emptiness to them that took away from their beauty and left them like the rest of her land; cold and lifeless.
"Good day," Aurelie said, unable to think of anything else. No one had given her the rules of proper etiquette in a royal presence. The whole situation was uncomfortable and she was still trying to rid herself of the confusion caused by the journey. It had not happened the previous time that she used the portal, but now even her eyes were struggling to see what happened around her.
"Princess Aurelie, we are humbled to have you visiting us," Alorah said. One side of her lips curved up and that was the only change in her ice-like expression.
Great, so titles are required. "Your Majesty, a pleasure." Aurelie bowed again, cringing at her words.
Aurelie turned to see who had picked her up and found a short man standing at her side. His white mustache ended in sharp edges, passing both his cheeks. He reached for her hand and leaned down to kiss it.
"Such a pleasure, indeed," he said before his hair tickled her hand, and his lips left moisture on it. "Gregor Hempson, your highness," he added, and let go of her hand.
Aurelie wondered how he was able to lift her. He was barely her height and had a belly that he'd struggled to reach around.
Two sets of footprints stood on either side of him, both of different sizes. The path they'd walked had mostly been covered with snow. She blinked a few times and tried to focus again. Nothing, not even a shadow was present. She lifted her hand to point, but Gregor caught her fingers mid-point and walked to the side to cover the trail.
"If you would please follow, Princess." His lips formed a smile, but his eyes were dead of any emotion. "Your fingers are turning blue. We shouldn't keep you in the cold for so long."
His quick reaction to her almost inquiry didn't sit well. However, the snow below her had completely melted, and her heels dug into the ground. Her toes had lost their feeling, and snow gathered on her lashes. She should have put on the stockings; two or three pairs, for that matter.
"Your Highness, please." He turned to his queen and held out a hand. She gave it one quick glance and turned back to the carriage. Alorah lifted her dress, and stepped inside, her heels clicking against the steel carriage.
Gregor rubbed his hands together, eyeing the queen as she took her seat, and held his hand out for Aurelie.
"Thank you," she said and pressed her weight into it as she walked up the carriage steps.
Gregor climbed in last. Looking around the carriage, his eyes rested on Aurelie's dress that had taken up all the room, and to the queen who turned away at his glance. Her dress had taken barely any space. In fact, it was so tight that it could have been painted on. Gregor climbed back out. His movements were swift and his eyes almost black with rage. This was the first time Aurelie saw any of them show true emotion. She didn't know why he was so upset; someone had to drive the carriage.
The queen crossed her legs as the door closed and wrapped both hands around her knee. The crystals attached to her dress glittered with her movement. Aurelie heard two clinks sound against the carriage, and they sped off, making a sharp turn. Aurelie held on you're the side, attempting not to fall to the floor, while the queen remained unaffected in the center.
Frost covered the windows in fern-like patterns. It was difficult to see out of but Gregor's frame and his blue coat were slightly visible outside. Aurelie wanted to press her head to the window and see who it was that was driving since she hadn't seen anyone at the front of the carriage before she entered but refrained and looked at the queen, who had, up until now, not taken her eyes off Aurelie.
"Safe journey, I hope." Alorah straightened her neck, lifting her head.
"So far, yes."
The queen's eyes sparkled at the response but she said nothing. Aurelie realized what it sounded like but hadn't intended it in the slightest. Alorah didn't seem like an easy person to converse with. She reminded Aurelie of a bird or rather the crow on Marianne's roof who would not take its gaze off her as she walked. Her movements were birdlike too, quick at sharp. Perhaps, it was the ice that caused it.
"I hope you didn't wait too long," Aurelie said and smiled. Her skin was tight from the cold, any movement was a great effort.
"Not long."
Aurelie nodded and pulled the sides of her coat tighter just to find something to do.
"Cold?"
Aurelie let go of her coat and shifted in her seat. "A little, but it's nothing to worry about."
"Yes, well, we're all hoping that you've come to rid us of it."
Aurelie frowned and attempted to find a sign in her expression. "I don't think I understand," she said after finding none.
"I assume they've told you what you are to do here?"
Aurelie raised a brow. "No one has told me anything other than the fact that you are willing to help us." The King was attempting to breach her land. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that their meeting would be mutually beneficial.
Alorah's lip twitched at the side. "Help, I suppose." She nodded slowly and turned her head to the side to decide whether that was the right word.
"That is why I'm here, isn't it?"
So far, she had been on her best behavior and that was in her best interest, but she would not let the Queen take her for a fool. She'd fall down onto her knees and beg for an army if that is what she wanted, but if the reason for the meeting was to humiliate Aurelie without the slightest intention to help, there'd be a fire in the Icelands larger that even the first Dragon King could conjure. In fact, the magic already pulsed through her veins as she looked at the smug expression on Alorah's face.
Alorah burst into a fit laugher. Aurelie placed her hands under her coat and formed tight fists, all the while keeping her expression blank. "Of course! Dear girl," Aurelie bit into the tip of her tongue, and felt a painful crack, followed by a metallic taste, "we're going to help each other." It was the way she said it that made all of Aurelie's rage warm her from the cold.
Don't spoil this. A true test of her power awaited her. The magic pulsed, as did her desperation, and neither could be shown. There was a space between her magic and her existence in that moment. The two were fighting each other desperately. It was a feeling that she had almost forgotten. Aurelie relaxed her fists and placed her hands on her knees. "I need an army."
"And it awaits your actions." It felt as if Alorah dropped her own theatrics, and let things settle between them. Though, Aurelie couldn't tell for sure.
"Which are?" She chose to exclude that she would do whatever was asked of her for now. Even though her fire made her feel as if she could conquer anything, the truth was that after the battle any shred of confidence she had in her abilities vanished. She was a dandelion seed at the mercy of the wind. Whichever way itâshe blew, that is where Aurelie would grow or disappear.
"That information will come with trust."
"So this is a test?"
"Everything you do here is a test."
There was a gap below the door of the carriage. A small, yet potent, draft of wind brought chills to Aurelie's feet. She tampered with the skirt of her dress and pulled it forward so that it would cover her toes. "What do I have to do?"
"Hand over the portal."
A twinge of shock traveled through Aurelie's chest. She took the portal out of her pocket and stared at it for a moment. It was her most precious possession. Kirin stood on the other side of it and all she had to do was make it turn. There were two sides to the portal in her mind. She could keep it and fail Alorah's test or she could hand it over and lose her own life. No mention had been made of whether Alorah had good intentions. The Dragon King was on the verge of overpowering the cold division, but who knew whether or not that was something that Alorah was concerned about. A greater revenge could perhaps be killing his only heir. How would she know that Aurelie meant nothing to the King other than an increase in power? Perhaps, she even wanted to put a stop to the King being able to siphon magic from her when the inevitable happened and he caught her.
She took a deep breath, shook her head in disbelief of what she was about to do and then held out her hand and felt the portal roll down to her fingers. There it went; her way back and only defense.
Alorah shook her head and smiled. "Not now." She reached out and closed Aurelie's palm, folding her freezing fingers around Aurelie's. "Trust goes both ways. If I take it before you're comfortable, you won't trust me."
Aurelie, quite happily, put the portal back into her pocket. There was a time limit in place for when she had to return it. Aurelie didn't intend to stay in the Icelands for months to truly get to know Alorah and her subjects. A war loomed. The very fact that Alorah wanted the portal back in her possession was suspicious. It wasn't a token of trust, but rather Aurelie's freedom.
The carriage took a turn and the texture of the ground hardened, making the ride inside the carriage feel bumpier. "We're home," Alorah said and slid toward the door.
They stopped after another minute. The door swung open. A man in a blue and gold uniform stood next to it, with his chin raised and his eyes pointed forward.
Alorah stood and took a step toward the door. Her dress was longer at the back and remained in its place until she took someone's hand and stepped out.
"Mother," she heard a man say.
Aurelie followed Alorah but received no helping hand. She held onto the door at the top, trying to force her dress through the small gap the carriage provided as an exit. When she first climbed in she had Gregor assist her, but now she had to drag all the fabric through on her own. The dress seemed sillier now than before. Alorah could have made twenty of hers out of the material that draped Aurelie. Though she wasn't quite in line with the fashion, she was comforted by the thought of Nick and his father being awfully wrong about what people wore. It meant that they didn't truly deal with anyone from the Icelands directly.
"Mother, you won't believe what he did!" A thin woman, about Aurelie and Alorah's age, ran down crystal steps that looked to have been carved out of ice. She passed Aurelie as if she hadn't existed. A young man stood at the side with a wicked grin on his face. They all shared the same features, white hair, clear eyes and skin that had never been exposed to the sun.
Alorah held out her hand to silence the girl. "Lena, we have a guest," Alorah said between clenched teeth.
Lena turned her head toward Aurelie, not touched by her presence in the slightest. "So, you're the Princess. I expected someone prettier. Good day," she said and turned to Alorah. "Happy, mother?"
Aurelie forgot all about the rudeness at the word mother. She had heard about the immortality curse but somehow it had slipped her mind until now. They looked like sisters, in fact, Alorah looked younger than Lena.
Alorah closed her eyes and pointed at the man that stood near the carriage. She gestured for him to come to her side with the bend of her pointing finger. "Take her inside, and make sure that they send dinner to her room. I don't want her dining with us this evening."
While Alorah spoke the man, who Aurelie assumed was Lena's brother, walked to her side and extended his hand. She slipped hers his way and he leaned down to kiss it.
"Lukas." He bowed his head, keeping his eyes on Aurelie, and then stepped away. "A pleasure."
Aurelie was wrong, they didn't quite share the same features. His eyes were three times as potent as Alorah's. While hers made Aurelie feel cold, his felt as if he saw right through her mind. "My sister likes a bit of trouble," he winked, "don't worry, the others are far better."
"How many are there?" Aurelie asked. Lukas didn't answer. He grinned and walked up the castle steps.
Lena and her mother were preoccupied in a row of whispers. Once Alorah saw Lukas move past her, she silenced Lena once more and turned to Aurelie. "Let's explore, shall we?"
The terrace was surrounded by crystal columns, icicles hung between every gap. Around the castle, snags stood, white from fallen snow, with glowing balls of light, tied to silver strings, circling the dead trees. The door to the castle was four time's Aurelie's size, with a dragon carved into a dark transparent material. It stood open for them with servants at the ready. They stepped into a hall where giant columns held white arches. Aurelie thought that the ceiling was painted white until she realized that it had been snow that had covered either glass or ice. The door slammed just, making Aurelie jump at the sudden noise.
And so it begins, she thought.