Secret of the Snow Queen (Fire and Ice Book #1) *GOING THROUGH EDITS*

CH. 14 Whispers in the Wind 🔪❗

                                                                           Aurora

I woke up the following day and quickly got dressed. I headed down the stairs into the kitchen, where the castle cook was preparing breakfast. I grabbed an apple and a jelly-filled pastry from the counter and strode off towards the terrace to study my map. Everyone bobbed a curtsy as I marched through the halls and onto the terrace. I sat at the table alone while sipping my water and took out my Snow Queen book, notebook, and map. I studied them all carefully.

From what I had found out about the Kai-gons, they had been massacred after my mother had been executed. I wasn't sure whether or not the law about magic remained the same after that. I knew that the general opinion of magic wasn't a positive one.

"I'm not sure the council will be too keen on allowing magic to become legal again," I remembered Nigel's words during our private conversation after Kelvin had left us in the library.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned my head to see Richard smirking down at me from behind me. I inhaled slowly and looked behind him to see if anyone was there, but to my disappointment, it was just him.

"No, I didn't bring anyone with me. I thought we'd talk alone." He sat down, and I quickly put my things in my bag. I didn't trust him with the information regarding my quest; I knew he'd foil it all. Only the map remained with all the markings I made on it. He cocked a brow while taking the liberty to examine it.

"Interesting," he said; his tone was hard to read. He was trying to mess with my head to see how much he could squeeze out of me.

"Please give my map back." Without another word, he handed it to me, and I rolled it up and put it back in my bag. He then stared into my eyes.

"Why?" He asked as I furrowed my brows in confusion. "I thought you said you wanted to work it out; to be together. Then I was thrown out of the palace like a common criminal." I inhaled as he spat his words out in a whisper. He seemed very angry with me, and I knew I had to diffuse the situation or get out of it before it got worse.

"Luca has forbidden anyone to make advances on me while I take care of my son," I stated calmly.

"Ah, yes," he continued in a whisper. "But you aren't with our son right now, are you?"

"He's in safe hands. I'll return to him shortly." He narrowed his eyes.

"Lord Fitzgilbert is the one who should be thrown out, not me. I promised you I'd make it all better, and you flip the script on me." His nostrils flared. "You're a snake." I stood up, taking my satchel in my hand.

"I think the conversation has gone as far as it can. I have to go find Kelvin so we can leave." I strode back into the castle and through the halls; Richard was close behind, and he stopped right in front of me. He grabbed my upper arms like Kelvin had last night, except Richard's grip on me was tight. Was he even concerned about hurting me?

"I want to be your husband and a father to Nicolas. Why won't you let me?" I glared at him.

"You threw me out of your mansion for being a lazy servant girl. I had no choice but to wander the streets and make my own way. I've been in this alone since day one, and I didn't even have a choice in the matter." We both stared at each other in silence at the mention of the incident. "You could care less when I was just a girl off the streets. Now that I'm on the path to becoming Queen, you care all of a sudden. You don't love me, Richard, you wanted to be king, and when you didn't get that opportunity, it pissed you off, so you want to sweet talk me into marrying you. It isn't going to work." I saw genuine hurt in his eyes; I wanted my words to be untrue. Deep down, I wanted things to work out with Richard for him to love me like he said he did so Nicolas and I wouldn't be alone. From the anger burning in Richard's eyes, though, I knew I had to get out of there.