Her Ice

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Elisheva allowed herself to be dragged roughly into a small cell underneath the castle. She glared at Greta as her sister knelt before the cell bars. "There's no more running away, sister," Greta sneered. "You're death will be great. I'm planning a small ceremony, and you will be my guest."

Elisheva crossed her arms over her chest. "Planning on killing me then, huh sister?" She hoped Metcalf hadn't done anything to get himself hurt or killed. She hadn't seen him when the guards took her away in chains. The crowd gathered around them when they handcuffed them was tight and great. The people screamed obscenities at Greta and her guards as she was dragged away. Elisheva hadn't seen Metcalf's face or heard his voice. Aden must have done his part and kept him out of harm's way.

Greta shrugged as she stood up, straightening her black dress and brushing away any dirt on the fabric. "I'm not sure yet. Eventually, yes, you will die, but I haven't decided when." She picked at her nails. "I was thinking more about torture right now instead of death."

"How kind of you," Elisheva sneered. While torture wasn't what she had expected, it still gave her enough time to figure out how she would execute her plan. She needed a chance to get closer to her sister for her to deal damage. Elisheva took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Greta rolled her eyes. "I'm leaving to go plan my party." She turned away from Elisheva. "I will see you when it is time." Greta moved fast away from the cell.

Elisheva waited until she heard the dungeon door close before letting her body slump against the wall. She was ready for all of this to end. Her body slid down the wall as she brought her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly. Her only hope was that Metcalf was safe.

--

Metcalf sat at the kitchen table, his fingers tapping impatiently against the rough wood as Imelda worked on healing his wounds. He had fought hard against his brother in that alley. Aden was stronger than he had remembered. He was fuming inside and out. His blood felt like it was boiling with anger.

"I had to do it, Metcalf," Aden grumbled. He pressed a wet towel to his cheek. Metcalf had connected a few hard blows to his face before Aden knocked him out. "You know that this was her only choice."

Metcalf started to shake his head when Imelda roughly grabbed his chin, nails digging into his skin.

"I told you to stay still," she sighed impatiently.

"Sorry," Metcalf grumbled and forced himself to stay as still as possible. His eyes moved to glare at his brother. "I don't believe that it was her only choice. I can't protect her if I'm not with her."

"Do you think she is that weak, Metcalf?" Imelda spoke up.

Metcalf sighed. "No, she's not weak. However, she told me how powerful her sister is. I fear that she will be hurt."

Imelda nodded. "She will be."

"That's not helping," Metcalf growled.

Imelda rolled her eyes as she moved away from him and turned to Aden. "She will not be killed, Metcalf. Yes, she will be hurt but not killed." She turned to look at him, giving him a pointed look before turning her attention back to his brother. "The Princess is much stronger than any of us know. Great power flows through her blood. Powerful and ancient. She knows how to use her powers, does she not?"

Metcalf nodded. "She does. She was trained."

"Then you must have faith in your woman," Imelda spoke gently to him. "She doesn't always need you to protect her when she is more than capable of defending herself."

Metcalf closed his eyes and took a deep breath, working hard to regulate the anger inside of him. "I know that she could defend herself. It doesn't help me accept the idea that she could be hurt."

"It's natural to be protective of your woman, Metcalf," Imelda continued, not once looking away from Aden's wounds. "She will survive. She will win back her throne, and you will return to her side."

Metcalf took another deep breath as he stood up. "I will have to trust your word, Imelda."

"No, Metcalf," Imelda turned sharply to look at him. "Trust in your woman. Trust in your Princess. Trust in the true Queen."

A hurried knock sounded at the door, causing all three to stiffen at the sudden intrusion. Aden and Metcalf shared a look. Aden moved to stand in front of Imelda protectively as Metcalf moved to the door. He opened it slightly, peering through the slit to look at the intruder. A young woman was breathing hard as if working to catch her breath, looking at him with worried eyes.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Metcalf asked quickly.

The woman looked behind her quickly before turning her attention back to him. "It's about the Princess," the woman breathed out.

Metcalf's eyebrows furrowed together. "What are you talking about?" His body tensed.

"Let her inside, brother," Aden placed a hand on his shoulder.

Metcalf opened the door wider, letting the woman move through the door and into the house. Metcalf closed the door behind them. "Is there something wrong with the Princess?" Metcalf asked quickly.

The woman wrung her hands in front of her as she nodded. "The Queen has announced that she is having a party. Everyone in the capital is invited."

"What does this have to do with the Princess?" Aden asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"She will be there," the woman continued. She looked over at Metcalf quickly before returning her attention to Aden. "The Princess will be there as a special guest and entertainment."

"Entertainment?" Metcalf snapped. "What are you talking about?"

The woman shook her head as she shrugged. "She did not specify in her invitation what kind of entertainment the Princess will be, but I don't have a good feeling about it." She looked at Metcalf. "She will need you both. We've seen you two protecting her as you would walk through our streets. She will need you and have the people there to fight for her."

Aden stepped forward. "The Queen isn't an idiot. She will have every single one of her guards surrounding her and the Princess. No one will be able to touch her."

"Don't underestimate the people," the woman turned to him sharply, her eyes sharp with determination. "We can distract the Queen's guards long enough for someone to get close to the Princess. Once the Princess is free, she can finally destroy the Queen once and for all."

"When is this party?" Metcalf asked.

"In a couple of days," the woman answered.

Aden took a deep breath before turning to look at Metcalf. "Then there's time to prepare."