"What is so important that you need to disturb my resting time Hudson?"
"Well your majesty, I wanted to ask you if I can be your hand and apart of the royal winter court when all of this has washed over."
I was not expecting that at all from him.
"No," I said without even having to think it over.
I turned and started to walk away when he ran in front of me and opened his mouth again.
"Wait your majesty, give me a chance. I have herd your speeches and I have seen up close what kind of person you are. I know what you say is true and not just more words filled with false promise just to get what you want. And I stand by that, I have pledged my sword and life for you. I was the first to do so-"
"You have courage, I will give you that. But you are young. With no experience, and no knowledge on how to mend together this broken season."
I looked at him, his strong chest filled up with air as if he was about to speak but he knew better than to interrupt me. Although I replayed the first time I met him, his friend was crying and begging for mercy but he stayed put and held his ground, a true knight in training. And yes he was the first to pledge to me when we were in summer and because of that I know he will be true to his word.
"Despite that you have time to learn. And my instincts tell me that you'll learn fast."
"I will my Queen," his shoulders eased from the tension.
"When we leave tomorrow I want you and my knight to gather the rest of the men and send half of them to the east of me and the others to the west. Summer warriors will be in the center behind me. This will be the formation from now on. If there is a surprise attack then the knights are more equipped with handling it from escalating better than the warriors. Is that understood?"
"So we're shielding the warriors from harm when if it were the other way around they wouldn't take an arrow for us?" he asked uncertainly.
"And in there position right now why would they take anything for you? You have attacked their villages, raided their homes, burned their land and killed their innocent. Their emotions are still fresh, I would say they were stupid if they forgave you so easily. But right now they are pushing their hatred down because of me. I am trying to unite both seasons in order to defeat our common enemy. Right now they are our new alliances that we need to protect. They don't know winter, they don't know the land nor how to fight properly on it. And you need to get along with them, all of them. Is that understood?"
Hudson wore a serious face, not one of anger or frustration because I was not favoriting winter over summer, he understood that I was serious about my word. He didn't take more than a breath to reply his answer.
"Yes me Queen," he said with a bow. And then we went our separate ways. I saw him start to head to where Liam was resting. He raised his blonde eye brow as Hudson sat so casually beside him, but he didn't offer more than that. That boy sure does have confidence, it'll either get him killed - or punched in the face.
When I was back with my friends I let politics out of my head for the rest of the night and decided that I would enjoy myself, regardless of what was going on. Nuri felt extra affectionate tonight and didn't leave my side. Nor did he want me to stop petting his fur. It was really cute actually, feeling the rumble in his chest as we played and knowing he was happy this far from home. And I know he was adapting to winter climate just fine, he didn't mind being in the slow, from the looks of it he rather enjoyed it.
"How'd I get so lucky to have a man like you," I whispered to myself as his eye lids began to droop.
"Well we kind of just hit it off right away," Ray said next to me.
"Why aren't you asleep like your sister?" We both turned to see a very unconscious Zinnia huddling her body really, really close to Nazim. And as if she couldn't get closer to him at that very second we saw her bring her leg around wrapping my cousin like a blanket. We all figured they were enjoying each others company but never brought voice to it. And maybe we won't until after the battle, when everyone is sure they will have a future or not. That still didn't stop Ray from scrunching his face at his sister though.
"Psh, Zinnia is the only girl I know who's a really heavy sleeper. And from the guys too actually."
"Oh, so how many girls have you slept with to know this exactly?" I asked lightly.
Ray straightened up a little, "Oh come now my little star, is that jealously I hear?"
No. Maybe. Just slightly.
"Of course not, why would I be jealous-"
Ray leaned his face in and kissed me, and it wasn't gentle. He was leaving no room for argument with the way he moved his lips and guided mine.
And then he pulled away from me when things were getting too good, "I'm sorry your majesty what were you saying?"
"Well you didn't learn those tricks all by yourself. How much practice have you had exactly Ray?"
He had a boyish grin across his face while he ran his fingers through his curls, "Do you really want to know? It's kind of embarrassing."
"You know majority of my deepest darkest secrets Ray, I only think it's fair for me to know yours."
He sighed, "Okay, okay. Well I've kissed a lot of girls. But further than that... uhm... nothing."
"W-what?" I asked confused, "So you haven't...."
"No Evie," he kept his dark eyes on mine.
"But why? I mean you are handsome and strong, and funny, and smart-" Ray held up his hand.
"As much as I like hearing compliments about me," he chuckled, "Well I do wanna say it's because I haven't found a 'special' girl, but really it's because Zinnia and I have usually been on the run and I didn't want to involve anyone else into our mess."
"Wow you must have been the biggest tease to all the girls."
He laughed then, one that came from deep within his stomach and my heart fluttered hearing him do so. To hear him still laugh and smile with knowing that we were days away from my home.
"So... back in summer. When you had me pinned to the wall, would you have wanted to continue if..."
"If you didn't shove me off you?" He smirked, but then his face started to blush a bit as he grabbed my hand, "Yes."
"And you?" he changed the subject, clearing his throat.
"What about me?"
"I told you mine, now you tell me yours," Now I was hearing slight jealousy from him.
"No, you had nothing to tell me. It'll be sad to tell you mine," I said, "And plus I've been alive longer, so it's not fair."
"Oh just tell me Evie, I want to know what I'm up against. Are there any ex's that I'm going to see when we get to the castle, who just might still be in love with you and try to kill me in my sleep?"
Fine, if he wanted to know so badly then i'll tell him. But not without having a little fun with him.
"Well there's actually about ten of my old lovers here in camp."
"What?" Ray's face turned serious as he scanned the sleeping knights and then he turned back to me, " Which one of them are they? Was it Hudson? It's that slimy little-"
I couldn't hold my laugher in anymore,"I'm kidding Ray. Most of them are either dead or to old to hold a sword, let alone walk. And to be completely honest, after Logan I shielded my emotions from everyone really. I just used men for my own needs and then that was the end of it," I sighed, "There was a time when I was becoming like my mother. Not power hungry and evil, but senseless to others, to mortals."
I brought my left palm onto his cheek and caressed him with my thumb, "And since I'm being honest," I continued, "Being in summer, meeting everyone, meeting you, has humbled me down. I can still have my.... tempers, but I am also more intuitive with my emotions like compassion and love. The ones that I was scared to feel again."
Ray brought his face close to mine, but not close enough to kiss, just enough where I could still feel his warm breath on my lips, "Evie, stop."
"What?"
He closed his eyes and sighed, "Why does it sound like you're saying your goodbyes. You are not leaving this night, I won't let you."
"I'm not going anywhere Ray," I whispered into him.
"And you will beat your mother, you are stronger than her Evie, so much stronger."
"I know Ray, I know."
"Then what it is? Is it because of me?"
I closed my eyes, I couldn't - didn't - want to say it out loud, but I had to, "Yes. I don't want to lose you."
"I'm not going anywhere my little star," He brought his body closer, bringing his arms around my waist, "Just because I'm not a royal does not mean that I can't stand my ground against one. When I am out there fighting for you, I will not once ever give up, do you understand me Evie. I will not give up. You will not lose me."
"Can I just lock you safely away back in summer where I know my mother won't reach you?"
He didn't answer, instead he closed off our distant until our lips met. Within the kiss he was telling me to stop worrying, to stop thinking, to just relax. I sighed into him and pushed out all the negative outcomes and horrible scenarios of what could happen to the back of my head and enjoyed the moments I had with him.
The second the sun started to rise we took off and traveled almost two days straight and rested when we were a day and a half away. The closer we got to the castle the worse the weather proved to be for everyone, even my knights were having a hard time getting across the heavy snow that we added an extra day just to rest. I did my best to calm it down without using to much of my energy, but enough was enough.
I broke off from the group and stepped into the snow storm itself to put an end to the dramatic snow storm my mother kept sending our way. Our powers were fighting, ice and snow wavered up and down between the trees as she pushed her power down on me. But within minutes I felt her power go slack, she backed down. I tried to feel around for her, to see what game she was playing. Because my mother never gives up. Was this just another trick for me to get my confidence high only for her to crash it down that much harder, or was she finally realizing that I'm a worthy opponent.
Nevertheless the calm winter weather put us back onto our scheduled travels and within two days we were miles away from my home. From our spot on top of the many hills we could see the sharp frozen spikes of the tallest towers of the castle.
The closer we got the more tension there was in the air from the men and women around me. Today's the day, todays the day it's finally happening. And being this close I could feel the amount of bodies my mother is keeping hostage inside the castle, except they're not keeping still, nor are they in the dungeons, they're in the main ball room - dancing.
I can even hear the music coming from the different types of stringed instruments echoing through the mountains if I listened closely. But not laugher- definitely not any laughter.
The thousands of knights she has placed outside of the castle steps were armed from head to toe in shields and weapons, but that's not what caught my eye. It was the lawn, its missing two frozen statues that I desperately need.
I turn to Elis, "She's taken the Spring King and your brother inside the castle with her. And she's keeping them close."
Very close actually, one on the each side of her throne to be exact. And being this close, holding this much of my own power I can feel them now, not just sense their presence, but feel their heartbeats slowly, very slowly, pulse through their chest.
I could hear the leather from the horses rein as I gripped them with all my strength that my knuckles where turning white. Elis brought his horse closer to me until our legs touched and without hesitation he put his arm around my shoulder to bring me in close and kissed the temple of my head.
"Let's go," he said.
It didn't feel out of place for that moment, Elis and I both understood that we were family, whether we both hated each other in the beginning, this was the moment that counted. I swallowed the fear I was feeling and remembered that this was my home I was getting back, my land, my people I was saving.
I lead the way down the clear path to my winter castle.