The Ice Princess

Chapter 1

I woke up to the sound of something shattering. I opened my eyes, and saw blue and white. Where am I? What is this? I stood up from my spot on something hard and cold and stretched my stiff body.

I rubbed my eyes and glanced at my prison. I gasped at what was keeping me held for so long. It was a huge block of ice. The top half was shattered, but the bottom half was intact. I rubbed my suddenly chilly arms and shivered. My skin was covered in tiny shards of ice.

Weird. The ice doesn't seem to melt. But with the temperature in here, I doubt anything can melt.

A million questions rushed in my head. How and why was I asleep in an ice coffin?! Where am I? What's going on?

I tried to remember anything about me, and my head suddenly pounded with a rushing memory.

"Isabelle, honey, go to sleep now!"

I groaned. "Mom, don't talk to me like I'm five. I'm sixteen, for crying out loud!"

Mom and dad laughed.

"I'm your mother. I can do whatever I want," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Alright," I rolled my eyes and smiled a bit.

"Goodnight."

"'Night."

But I didn't go to sleep. I didn't have school tomorrow anyway. I stood discreetly at the top of the stairs, listening to my parents' conversation.

"What can we do?" My mother asked with a troubled voice.

"I don't know. Marie-Hale is going to come here anytime now."

Who's Marie-Hale? I thought.

"But Belle's too young." Mom argued.

"She's sixteen, for crying out loud!" A new voice, sharp and cold, interrupted. Hey, that was my line!

"Wha-Marie-Hale!" My mom and dad shouted.

"I came here to take her.The heiress."

"But-but," my mom stuttered. "Why her?"

"She's got the Mark that has been passed down for generations and generations! I cannot refuse!"

"Yes, you can!" My dad argued.

"Leave out of this, Philip," mom said quietly. "She's the boss. Go make sure Belle's asleep."

Uh-oh. I heard footsteps on the hard tile floor and I rushed to my room, pretending to sleep.

Dad sighed. "Goodnight, my angel."

I kept still. A few moments later, my door opened. I peeked out through my lashes. My mom and dad were with a stunning woman. She had icy gray eyes, a stark-white face, and white hair. But not the kind you see in old people. She had natural, white hair.

"I'll wait."

"Good." My mother sighed with relief.

"But she has to be frozen."

My mom opened her mouth to protest, but closed it instead.

She nodded her head sadly. My parents walked to me and planted a kiss on my forehead.

"Goodbye, angel." My dad said.

My mother was crying silently.

The woman, who I assumed was Marie-Hale, waved her hand and all was black.

I gasped. So that's why! I still had a few unanswered questions, but I walked to a much brighter place. Heiress?

Woah. The whole place was covered in ice and snow. I shivered again in my thin sweater and pants.

I admired the surroundings. White dunes, blue icicles, wow.

I looked around so much, I bumped into a young woman. She looked about the same age as me. She had brown hair and eyes.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized and helped her gather her what I assumed as groceries.

"It's okay," she said kindly.

"I'm Cora, by the way." She stretched out her hand and I shook it.

"Isabelle," I smiled.

Her eyes widened. "Isabelle?! As in, Isabelle Hunter?!"

I was taken aback by how she knew my name.

"Y-yeah."

She gasped and leaned closer to me. "Then run away! Don't look back! The Queen is expecting you!" And Cora proceeded to speed-walk away.

The Queen? Me? Expecting? What's going on?!

I walked, taking in the lonely, sad faces of the townspeople. It seems as if this place was a ghost town. Or maybe somebody horrible is running this place. That's why they're suffering from poverty and famine.

I walked further, a newspaper stand catching my eye. I looked at the fresh papers.

The date read February 16, 2112.

What?! I gasped. A hundred years?! I've been asleep for a hundred years?!

Woah, Aurora moment.

I ran, not knowing where I could go. Later on, I realized I was in the...City Square? I didn't know what to call it. There were a lot of people milling around a stage. Just a huge, elevated platform right in the middle of the town.

"...And today, we shall name our princess! Today is exactly one hundred years after the heiress has fallen asleep." A familiar voice declared into a mike.

"All hail the Queen Marie-Hale!" The townspeople shouted, not seeming very happy.

I pushed through people to get a better view.

As soon as I spotted Marie-Hale, a beautiful, diamond and blue-gem encrusted crown on her head she spotted me and grinned maliciously.

"And here she is!"

Claps and cheers sounded out. "Get up here, Isabelle."

"Um...I...uh..." I stuttered as some guards, I think, pushed me up the stage.

Marie-Hale took my hand and said to the crowd, "Here is your princess."

Princess?!

"Hold out your right palm, Isabelle." It took a few moments to register that Marie-Hale was talking to me.

I held out my right palm obediently. My heart is pounding.

The town is eerily quiet.

"Now say the words, 'I take your oath to the ends of the world.'".

I did. And I gasped for what seemed like the nth time that hour.

A replica of Marie-Hale's crown appeared, shimmering on my palm.

The audience gasped.

"Behold, the princess of Callia!" Marie-Hale declared.

A few servants placed a diamond tiara on my head.

Uh-oh.

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