Queen of Summer's Ice (Book 2)

Chapter 51

     If the lands could just give me a break, I would appreciate that heavily, but alas, it didn't. I looked at Elis with wide worried eyes and shook my head. He looked down to my pocket and realized that our main plan was ruined. The second plan was that Aunt Palma would find some way to talk sense into her brother, but call me crazy but I wasn't holding on to that to work. My third option was to knock my father unconscious and get him out of summer. On the ice horses I would be able to do that. And this would need to be the time to do so. We were out in public now, soldiers were gathering around and even some citizens, if we continued to fight then they could be injured. Flames were unpredictable and wild, just like my father at the moment. If he was willing to attack his own flesh and blood then what would hold him back from hurting his own people, even if it was an accident.

     Slator turned back to me quickly, like he was sure I was going to use this chance to attack. But when he turned he saw me just standing still, waiting. My father this time was looking at me, really looking at me. I could see his eyes shifting as he examined every inch of my face, and loudly judged my outfit.

     He looked around, once he was done, to the people - his people, and was hopefully thinking the same thoughts that I had about being in an open area.

     Aunt Palma was the closest to Slator, even as my father took a few steps towards me.

     "We need peace," he said with a sigh, but his words felt like they were more to the open wind than to me. 

      "After - who knows how many years- I believe it's time we finally give peace to the land," I still felt compelled to reply.

     My father had this look in his eyes that each and every step and word he was saying brought him enormous pain, but he still forced his lips to move, he still forced his legs to walk. He was was walking towards me.

     "I promise to the lands that I will bring peace," he said as he motioned to take me into his arms.

     Those bells that rang in my ear's when trouble rose started up once again, and I wasn't as much of a fool as he thought I was. This felt like it was all for show for the people, but they all knew the truth. The people who have been in this castle for the past couple of years, the people who have taken a care into noticing how things really have been, they knew. They knew.

     But still my father was here offering the peace I, and the lands, craved. He could have easily stormed back into the castle, or order a bounty on my head, but he was here swallowing his pride for something we both desperately agreed on.

     My father was close to me now, his arms were seconds away from surrounding themselves around me, and yet I still haven't lifted mine. Instead I looked at Aunt Palma, her expression was hopeful that her words seemed to have worked. When I looked at Elis he still looked skeptical, still looked at me like he was ready to attack his brother. And he probably was, if anything this was my perfect opportunity to pin him to the ground, knock him out and take him out of summer.

     But we had a crowd now, and the crowd could spin their story any which way they liked. Sure these people loved me just as I loved them, they were mine to protect, but how many of them still remember Glacia, how many of them feared her, how many of them still think I have an ulterior motive all these years.

     I felt the blade of fire burn a wide hole from my abdomen to the back of my spine first, before I saw it. And even as I was looking down at the fire, at the blood gushing out of my body, I was having the hardest time coming to terms with what was happening. I felt the blade, but I didn't feel the pain. I didn't feel even an inch of it.

     I didn't feel anything at all. Not the pain, not the feeling of wind on my skin, not the way my clothes touched my body, nothing.

     Not until my father pulled out the blade and the flames dispersed. He figured it out when he was looking at me, he knew I was pregnant, but because of him, I wasn't anymore.