FROST- Jotun Chronicles #1

Fireside Surprise

Lief looked angrier then I’d ever seen him, and I wanted to say no. Something told me he wasn’t going to fight fair. He might not kill me in front of a room full of people, but I could see him wounding me badly and passing it off as an accident. He clearly wasn’t in a rational mood at the moment.

                I looked up at the clock. It was just past noon, “I can’t, the Queen said to go meet Erik in the library for history lessons, he’ll be wondering where I am.” It was partially a lie. I was supposed to go to lunch first, then the library. Technically I could stay and fight, but I had no intention of letting him stab me.

                Lief strode forward and seized my shirt, twisting it, pulling me closer so he could hiss in my face. “You are disobeying my direct order?”

              Anger made me snap back at him,  “I am obeying the Queen, as you should be,” I was proud of how steady my voice was.

                Crack! His hand slammed into my cheek and my head whipped sideways with the impact. The only reason I didn’t stagger backwards was because of Lief’s grip on the front of my shirt. My cheek began to throb immediately, but I was too stunned to manage more than a strangled whimper at the pain. He had just slapped me! It was one thing to be clipped in our hand to hand combat, but he’d basically just bitch slapped me out of nowhere.  I tried to blink back tears, glaring at him. He loomed over me, his voice low and threatening,

                “Do not ever think to lecture me about the Queen. She is my mother, not yours. When her fascination with you fades you will cross the line and she will merely have you executed, a fate many have suffered before you. Do not be fooled by her kindness. She is colder than you think.” He released my shirt, shoving me backwards, and I barely managed to keep upright, still feeling dizzy from the blow.

                He turned away and shot back at me over his shoulder, “go on then, if you’re too much of a coward for a rematch.”

                I refused to take the bait, marching for the door instead. I shoved through it and into the hallway, nearly blind with tears of pain and fury. I hate him so much. I wish he would fall on his stupid sword and stab himself! Servants passed me as I hurried through the halls, but I kept my eyes straight ahead, not wanting to see if they’d noticed my tears. Something loomed in my path, forcing me to look up. A servant was standing there, taller than usual, studying me sullenly. Her face was smudged with dirt and her hair was in tangles, but I recognized the dark blue eyes and the regal way she still held herself.

                “Edda,” I halted and looked her over. She was barely recognizable from the proud noblewoman I’d first met, dressed in drab rags.

                “Amora,” she folded her arms over her chest and glowered at me, like she was trying to stare me down, “you look upset.”

                Like she cared. I gave her a suspicious look, “Right.”

                “Prince Lief is giving you a hard time, I heard.” She gave me a venomous smile, “the servants talk.”

                I regarded her silently, wondering if I should just brush past her.

                She continued, “It’s probably because he realizes you’re a freak.”

                I grimaced at her, “what, because I’m half human? You’re a servant now, how do you come off high and mighty?”