Waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, Incendia falls back into the bed with a groan. It is always the same dream, the dream of when she ventures into the summer kingdom, Phice. And just as the stories they've been told as a child, she dies. Fire and ice don't mix. When ice is put on fire it melts. We are ice, they are fire. They feel the same as the Winter kingdom, stay out of each other's way and don' trust each other. You can't trust fire.
Dozing back off to sleep, Incendia realizes that she left her shoe in her father's study. She debates on not getting the other slipper, but the thought of wearing one of the other shoes that constantly pinches her feet, encourages her to swing her feet from her warm, soft bed and step onto the hard, icy floor.
Taking care not to wake Vidar, Incendia lights a candle and slips out of her chamber and into the hallways. As stands outside the door to her father's study she hears murmered voiced coming from the staircase on her left.
Strange, it must be around three AM, who would be up this late? Incendia begins slowly making her way up the stairs when one of the steps creaks loudly and the murmering voices waver to a halt. Incendia blows her candle out and presses herself against the wall by the staircase, leaving herself in utter darkness.
The darkness is soon broken, when the door above the staricase open, with her brother, Matteo looking out for the source of the creak. Incendia stays completely still until her brother looks over his shoulder and shakes his head and shuts the door behind him. Incendia waits a few more beats before continuing silently up the stairs towards the room, where her brother left the door open just a crack. Leaning in, Incendia sees a map of the different lands spread out on a table, where five men, including her father and eldest brother are gathered around.
"Where are the opposing troops entering from?" Her brother, heir to the throne asks. His voice ringing with authority.
"Right here sir, and our troops plan to enter this way." A short balding man nervously answers.
Troops? Opposing sides? What is happening in this land and how has it gone unnoticed?
"When will our men be ready to fight?" My father asks this time, directing his question towards a lanky boy not much older than Incendia.
"Our troops can fight at any time, but if wewait until after Princess Incendia's ball, our flanks will be stronger and faster." He says in a reedy voice.
"Then it is settled, the day following Icendia's party, we will go to war against Pharor." Her Father says with a nod of confrimation from his heir.
Incendia stiffles a gasp and runs as quickly and silenty as she can back to her room, where she lies in bed letting what she heard run through her mind.
Kalel hasn't been at war for years, the last one was fifty two years ago completely severing ties with the Summer Kingdom. But war with the Pharorians will be savage, they are the outsiders. They only destroy, and take. The wars fought between the kingdoms look like get togethers or tea time compared to a war with the outsiders.
Incendia spends another hour imagining the horrible and graphic images that will ensue when this war takes place. Eventually she falls into a fretful sleep where blood is all she dreams about.
********************
The next two weeks fly by between dance lessons, and learning about all the eligible bachelors that will be attending the ball, in addition to Incendia sneaking off after dark to practice her other "skills". Skills that were meant for a man, like the bow and arrows, swordsmanship and riding her raven black hourse, Kai.
However, although she was kept occupied, it didn't stop Incendia from replaying the conversation she overheard that night. She is almost positive that her brother is aware she knows something, he has caught her staring at him one too many times for far too long. She can only avoid him forever, but she doesn't need forever, only enough time to sort out her feelings and thoughts. She is concerned for their well being, she is confused about why there is a war happening and mainly she is outraged that no one has told her. Nearly two weeks since they have begun finalizing the war plans, and nothing not a mention, not even a whisper. Was she not to be trusted? Did her youngest brother Elijahh know? Was he aware because he did what father asked, because he is gentle and hates conflict? Just thinking about it, gets her fuming again. Her mother always jokingly said that if it wasn't for Incendia's vivid scarlet red hair, she wouldn't have such a temper. Her mother always said that her gray eyes always looked as though a storm was coming when she is upset, the angrier Incendia is the darker the eyes; one always knows when she isn't angry anymore because they turn into a clear gray, just like a storm that has past.
"Incendia Naveen Salazar!" A voice behind Incendia says causing her to tense up.
"Hello, Grandmother!" Incendia says with false cheer, pretending as though she hadn't been avoiding her since she arrived three days ago.
"Incendia, why are you not in your chambers getting ready? The ball begins in a mere five hours!" Claduia asks her voice going up in pitch.
Incendia resists the urge to scoff. "I was Vidar some excersise since he won't be getting much for the rest of the day." She says indicating to the large cat at her elbows, contently licking himself clean.
"Oh, I do not know why you insist on keeping that...thing with you all the time. He is just so - Oh! Is that mud all over you? You need to go clean yourself right now!" Her grandmother practically shrieks.
"Okay Grandmama, I'll see you tonight." Incendia says as sweetly as possible since Claduia looks as though she will faint.
"Coming in here and tracking mud everywhere. Her hair's a mess. She will probably spit on the suitors tonight." Her grandmother beings muttering frantically to herself.
Incendia laughs under her breath as she races up the grand staircase in a most unlady like fashion soley for her grandmother's benefit.
**************************
"Oh Miss Incendia! You look beautiful!" Elloise, a young maid helping Paloma dress her gasps out, her brown eyes wide in awe. Paloma nods in agreement besides Elloise.
Incendia begins to laugh because beautiful has never been a word used to describe herself, but she stops mid laugh when she looks into the gold encrusted mirror. She doesn't even recongnize the girl-no woman staring back at her. Beautiful isn't the right word, no it's something else. The bodice of her gown, appears to be made entirely out of ice, the blues and silver catch the light as ice would in the sun. The skirt of her dress looks like a rushing stream that froze, smooth, frozen and powerful. Her eyes look dark and mighty in contrast to her pale, porcealin skin. The ice tiarra looks simple, yet stunning sitting atop her vivid red hair, which has been been pinned up in elaborate curls. No she doesn't look beautiful, she looks striking, she doesn't look like a little doll ready to be played with. She looks like someone to be beheld, almost fear. She looks like an ice princess.
Paloma moves behind her in the mirror, with her blue eyes shining with pride. " Are you ready to go, your highness?" She asks Incendia. Usually formal titles like that makes Incendia cringe, but today it felt right.
Giving Paloma a determined smile, Incendia throws her shoulders back, with her head held high and says, "Lead the way."
As they descend down the stair case, towards the pure silver doors that lead to the ballroom, they can hear the music already playing and the announcer, announcing the names of the guests. As they stand outside the heavy doors that look so much like a block of ice, Incendia begins to feel nervous, although she'd never admit to anyone.
As the doors begin to open for her grand entrance, Incendia wants to bolt back up to her room, change in an old dress, or a pair of her brother's trousers and run amock on the grounds with Vidar. But no, if she is to live her own life she must first play their games which is exactly what she intends to do. So instead of running away like a small child, she plasters on a dazzling smile and enters the room as the announcer says, "Presenting Miss Incendia Naveen Salazer, daughter of Bardrick and Princess of Kalel."
Stepping in the ball room, and standing on the balcony that overlooks the floor, Incendia is momentarily blinded. The thirty-six foot chandler made to look like icle droplets shins directly in her eyes, however after a few moments of blinking she is able to see. What she sees is at least one hundred people loooking up at her smiling, as though they are looking at a fascinating animal on display. Incendia just widens her false smile and begins descending down the staircase to meet the suitors her family has lined up for her.
Her brothers Matteo and Elijahh meet her at the foot of the stairs. Matteo looks handsome and regal as always. He inherited their mother's chesnut, way hair and their father's vine green eyes, the only thing to two of them have in common looks wise is the dimple on their right side. Elijahh is skinny and lanky in comparison to Matteo due to his illness. Yet, despite this he still looks handsome with his light brown hair and green eyes.
Matteo gives Incendia his signature smile, showing off his dimples, and despite the anger she feels towards him, she can't help but return it. As children, Matteo and Incendia were inseperable, it has only been the past year or so that has ruined their bond.
"My, my,my, who knew a wild girl could look so pretty." Matteo says throwing a wink at Incendia.
"I know! You due look absoluetly stunning my dear sister." Incendia fires back , earning a light laugh from their silent and studious brother.
"Oh, you think that is funny Elijahh, we will see who is laughing when she steps on your toes when it is your turn to dance with her! I've spied on her dancing lessons and lets just say, your toes are in for a world of pain!" Matteo tells Elijahh with a fake shudder, causing all the Salazar siblings to laugh in unison, drawing the attention of their father.
"Children! It is time for you to converse the guests, not make a spectacle of yourselves in the middle of the dance floor!" He reprimands them. Immediately, Elijahh jumps at his father's words and makes his way to converse the guests causing Incendia to roll her eyes at her weak willed brother.
"Oh and Incendia, you look pretty." Their father says off handidly, before giving them another warning look to behave themselves and then busying himself by talking to the duke of Farell, a small little plot of land on the edge of the Winter kingdom.
Incendia lets out a small sigh, as she watches her father lead the duke away, talking antimately to him in a way he could never speak to his own daughter. Matteo gives her a rueful smile and says, "He was right you know."
Incendia looks up at him in surprise, did he think they were making fools of themselves as well by just laughing?
Matteo leans into whisper, "You do look very pretty." With that, he leads his sister to the dance floor to claim the first dance, not caring about his "poor" toes.
*********
Three hours later into the dance, and Incendia is surprised to find that she is actually enjoying herself. Sure, many of the suitors, were just prety faces full of dull conversation, but yet it was still more fun than she anticipated. As she twirls to the last beat of the song with one of her suitor, Tristan....something, she excuses herself to go find a drink.
Sipping a glass of punch from a silver golblet, Incendia finds herself smiling looking at all the happy faces. This is the first time the palace has felt alive since before her mother first fell ill, five years ago. She spies her brother Matteo predictably dancing with a very beautiful and charming dark haired girl; while Elijahh dances with a robust, elderly lady who looks too happy to be in his arms. Matteo and Incendia both share a smile at Elijahh's pained expression, when suddenly Matteo's face becomes pained and his dark haired dance partner lets out a panicked scream. As the dark haired girl steps back, Incendia too screams as she sees blood pouring out of MAtteo's chest before he crumples to the ground.
Incendia rushes forward, as hot tears begin to fall on her checks when suddenly a hand jerks her back roughly. With all the chaos and commotion no one notices, the hand who puts a strong smelling rag over Incendia's nose and mouth. The last thing Incendia sees before her world turns black, is her captor has blond hair. Blonde? She thinks as she begins towards utter darkness, she has never seen blonde hair except for the dull history books she has to read, no one in the Winter kingdom has blonde hair.
DA DUM DAHHHH!!!!
It's slowly getting there! I still have tons of ideas for this book! I am currently on spring break in sunny sunny Arizona so I am getting some time to just lay out in the sun and write, except it's going to be 93 degress today =O so different from the snowy weather of Vermont! I will try to post pictures of what her dress kind of looks like and her tiarra.
Thanks so much for reading, please rate, comment and vote. It'll really help me improve my writing style!