Court of Winter (Fae of Snow & Ice, #1)(69)

My mouth opened and closed like a fish as the prince bought the gloves before I could stop him. The vendor held them out to me in a beautiful sack. Even the bags one received here were luxurious.

I took it automatically as I tried to comprehend what I’d just heard. “You’re going to pay me?”

“Of course.”

“But I thought I had to do as you said since you’re”—I lowered my voice so I wouldn’t blow his disguise—“the crown prince.”

His lips twitched. “You do have to do as I say.”

“Then why are you paying me?”

“Because it’s the proper thing to do. Nobody works for free.”

“But that’s something a gentlefae would do. I thought you weren’t a gentlefae.”

He coughed, muffling a laugh. “That’s not something a gentlefae would do. That’s something an honest fae would do.”

“So you’re honest?”

“I try to be.”

Blessed Mother. I truly was losing my mind because I actually found myself believing him. My frown deepened as we strolled to a food stall.

“What’s changed between us?” I asked when he stopped to study the menu.

Fried pastries dipped in honey and sugar were visible in their display. Something that decadent couldn’t be found in Firlim’s harvest market. Of course, the prince purchased two of them, then held one out to me.

“Nothing’s changed.” He bit into his, his strong jaw working the pastry. “It’s simply become apparent that you’re going to be working at my side for the foreseeable future. Therefore, I need to put you on the court’s payroll.”

“But you’re acting . . . nicer now.”

He gave a wicked grin. “Shall I go back to being a bastard?”

I laughed, unable to help myself, then realized I was laughing with the male who’d murdered my family.

But even that realization didn’t sober my enjoyment.

Ock. It was official. I was either certifiably insane, or his regret at what he’d done to my family was thawing my resolve to hate him.

The prince held out his arm. “Come. I’ll show you the ice caves before it gets too dark.”





The prince flew us north of Pentlebim, to the coast of the Brashier Sea. Tangy salt nipped the tip of my tongue as the rich air grew denser the lower the prince flew.

Icy waves crested the shores as ice caps floated in the frigid water. My new beautiful leather gloves covered my hands, and I didn’t think my fingers had ever felt so warm.

“Thank you for the gloves,” I said softly just as he touched down, his booted feet hitting the snow-covered sand. “I didn’t properly thank you back at the market.”

“You’re welcome.” He released me and held on to my waist until I was steady.

My breaths increased, but I made myself step away, anything to stop these strange reactions I was having to him.

Ahead, a looming mountain rose right at the coast’s edge. Jagged ice crystals covered the entire base as snow blanketed its peak.

“It’s so big.” My head tilted back and back and back. It was as though the peak touched the stars.

“And unusual. This area is well known simply because a mountain of this size at the sea’s surface is geographically rare. Some say the God Xerious built it as his temple, and the ice caves within it were his private chambers.”

He gestured for me to walk at his side, and within minutes we reached the entrance to an enormous cave. Blue ice with veins of silver and white running through it made up the entire exterior. As we walked inside, I shuffled my feet along the cave’s slippery floor so I wouldn’t fall.

A hum of magic washed over me the farther we went, and amazingly, it didn’t grow dark—just dim—as we ventured more inside. When we rounded a corner, a light shone from farther in the cave’s belly.

“What’s that?”

The prince smiled, and with a start, I realized he’d been watching me the entire time we’d been walking in the cave. “You’ll see.”

When we rounded the next turn, I gasped.

Millions of sparkling gems poked out from the ice, not only above us but all around us. The cave’s ceiling, sides, floor, continuing tunnel, all of it. It was as though light illuminated the precious gems from behind them. Like the sun itself lived in the belly of this mountain.

I gazed in awe, turning slowly in a circle as a grin stretched across my face. It looked as if a galaxy of stars lit up the cavern, and that I was suspended in the midst of it. But there were so many colors and shimmering textures here, even more so than one saw in our great universe’s sky.

“So this is why fae believe this mountain belongs to the gods.” Tears formed in my eyes, and my breathing stuttered. For a moment, I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t take a breath. I never thought I’d witness beauty like this. My life in Mervalee was so small. So insignificant compared to something like this.

An ache formed in my chest. If only my parents and brother were here. My mother had loved beautiful things. She had always kept a patch of our garden reserved for flowers—pretty little petals that in no way helped feed us—but their vibrant colors and enchanting fragrances had always made her smile even on our darkest days.

When I finally found my voice again, I whispered, “It’s so beautiful. Possibly the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”