The Cold Queen

Unexpected guest

Godfrey nodded and left the ballroom.

Who the hell could this be?

It was very uncommon for anyone to travel so far north to our kingdom... so this had to be someone with a reason, especially at this hour.

Slowly I rose to my feet, just as I had been trained all my life. Moving with grace and ease through the pain and sorrow with a soft gracious smile on my face, just like my mother taught me from a very young age.

She used to say that each of my moves was judged and watched. Moving too fast can be seen as something urgent and it would cause chaos, so I had to always move at a slow pace, even when all I wanted to do was run.

My mind was racing as to who this could be, but I managed to look calm until I turned the corner and was finally out of the public eye. Just as I walked through the door out of the ballroom I was met by my maid. I handed her all of my regalia, leaving only the crown on my head that was pinned in place and would take too long to take out... and walking in with it still on my head would give the right impression to whoever had the audacity to interrupt me.

“Please take them into storage. I won't be returning to the party today.”

She knew not to question me, so she made a small courtesy and nodded, turning in the opposite direction than the one I was walking in.

At as fast of a pace as my dress let me move in, it was so tight and heavy that it was very difficult to run in.

I stopped at the door, taking a moment to control my breathing and facial expression. Guards next to the door waited for me to give them the signal when I was ready. Taking a few deeper breaths and cursing the tight corset, I regained my composure and control.

With a little nod, I let them know that I was ready and the door in front of me was pushed open. I walked into my study only to find a tall bulky man standing in the middle of it.

There was this aura of power around him and I felt my stomach squeezed in a way that I never felt it do before.

My guards lowered their heads in respect as I walked past them and into the room.

The moment I stepped into the room, the man's scent hit me and I was so confused by my own reaction to it. He smelled of horse and sweat, a mixture that never had any effect on me... well other than a bit of disgust... but this time it was different... it hit something in me that I was not sure that I had.

Pushing those thoughts away, I reminded myself who I was and that I had no business feeling that. So, holding my head high at the most royal pace ever, I walked past him and stopped on the other side of my desk, giving me a safe distance between us. Feeling the need not to be too close to him.

My eyes now had a better angle to look at this man and my heart skipped a beat.

It was clear that under all that armour there was a body of pure muscle and power. He was not built like anyone I had ever seen.

Slowly, my eyes were eating away at his body on their own until they stopped on the crest on his chest.

The moment I saw it I knew where this soldier was from and I was pretty sure that there was only one person from that kingdom that had this level of audacity to force, their way into my kingdom as he did.… even if his motivation to be there was still a question to me.

“To what do we own the honour of your visitation, King Black?”

My eyes shot to his face as I stared into his eyes for the first time and they were just as dark as the stories about him tell.

His eyes narrowed in on me as a smile appeared on his lips.

“You know who I am, little queen?”

“I make it my duty to know all people who can cause threats to my kingdom, King Black. And you are one of the biggest threats to our safety that I have kept a very close eye on.”

An even wider smile formed on his lips as he met my gaze.

It felt a bit strange.

Most choose not to look me in the eyes, some out of respect, others out of fear.

My eyes were abnormally blue and it freaked people out, not to mention it would be considered a great disrespect to stare at me like that, but I am sure this man didn’t give a f**k about such a stupid thing as respect and manner.

“Good to know that I am famous.”

“I wouldn’t say famous, but well known enough. So I repeat my question, why are you here?”

He stared at me for a moment and then I felt his eyes travel down my body… lingering on the deep v of my dress and my breast that were pushed up by the corset.

His eyes were hungry and brave. There have been only a few that dared to look at me like that and all of them have lost their lives because of that type of disrespect.

“I’m here to collect a debt.”

Wait... what?

"A debt?"

“Yes, your predecessor made a deal with my father, in exchange for financial aid to your kingdom. My father gave enough gold to keep the country up and, in exchange, yours promised him the hand of his younger daughter.”

I blinked a few times, trying to process what he just said.

“You are saying that my father sold my sister to your family, for freaking financial aid? I don’t believe you. The kingdom has not had any economic disturbances for the last hundred years.”

My hands wrapped under my breast were drawing his attention back to them and his eyes immediately shot there.

The few times men looked at me like he is doing now, I felt disgusted... but this time it did not feel dirty.

His eyes narrowed as his smile got wider and he forced his eyes back into my face.

Slowly he reached into his shirt and slowly pulled out a piece of paper.

Even from standing on the other side of the room, I could clearly see that it had my father's seal on it.

Shit, father, what have you done?

He placed it on the table in front of me and I leaned forward to take it, forgetting how low my neckline was.

My eyes shot up only to catch him staring down at my breast with no remorse or shame… and for some reason that was not sickening as I thought it would be… it kinda felt a bit sexy.

Unintentionally…

Well, okay, maybe a bit intentionally… I leaned in a bit more, giving him an even better view.

I am not sure where this rebellious energy was coming from but I got distracted and stumbled a bit, almost falling down onto the table.

That is what I get for being too cocky and whoring myself out for an appreciative male gaze.

Feeling my cheeks go a bit pink, I took the paper and straightened my back.

Carefully not to alert anyone, I scanned the room and felt relief hit my body because no one else noticed me almost falling face down onto the table… well no one else noticed other than the dark king in front of me.

Great.

His eyes were still raking over my body without any remorse or shame even when he clearly came here to marry my sister.

Why don’t I find his gaze repulsive?

Shit.

I shook those thoughts out of my mind and concentrated on the paper in front of me.

It was indeed my father's signature at the end.

Shit.

I quickly scanned the text of the agreement and it seems my father requested an obscene amount of gold in exchange for my sister's hand in marriage. My eyes stopped on the date and, if my calculations are right, he sold her off when she was two years old.

Feeling frustrated and so tired, I turned to Godfrey. He, as always, was right there next to me, instantly taking the piece of paper from my hand.

“Please take it to the lawyers and let them look through it if you don’t mind. I want to be sure of the legitimacy of this if it's okay with you?"

I turned to the dark king with an innocent smile on my face.

“It’s fine with me, this is only a copy of the original treaty.”

Smart man.

I smiled to myself.

“Why don't you stay the night? We will discuss how it should be handled in the morning.”

With a smile that told me that he expected this to go this way, he nodded.

“Great. Godfrey will show you to a room you can stay in for tonight. Godfrey?”

“Yes, my queen. This way, sir.”