by Anna Santos
“Greetings,” they said with identical smiles.
Claire couldn’t help but open her mouth in awe by how beautiful and tiny the fairies were.
The pink-haired one flew closer to Claire’s face. “Welcome to the Diamond Palace, beautiful lady. What’s your name?”
“I’m Claire,” she said, relieved that they seemed friendly. Each shone a different bright color with delicate, intricate wings.
“I am Ming,” the sparkling pink fairy said.
“Pleasure to meet you, Ming,” Claire said.
“These are my sisters, Kara and Tasha.”
Claire waved with a shy smile. “Hi.”
Tasha flew to her side and circled around. “You are pretty.”
Claire felt dizzy. “Thank you.”
Kara flew in front of her face. “Are you scared of being here? A few are scared, others just want to know when they can meet the prince. Which one are you?”
“The first one, I guess.”
Kara and Tasha giggled and flew around in circles.
“Stop with the questions,” Ming ordered, placing her tiny hands on her waist. Her dress looked as if it was made of a large pink leaf and stitched with silver thread. Her words made Kara and Tasha stop, and they landed on Claire’s shoulders.
“At least, she’s not afraid of us,” Tasha said from one side of Claire’s shoulder to Kara on the other shoulder.
“She has pretty hair,” Kara said.
“You and your fixation with hair,” Tasha grumbled.
Ming flew closer. “We are here to set up your things and measure you for new clothes, Lady Claire.”
“Just Claire, Ming.” Claire looked around. “Do you take care of the entire palace?”
“Yes,” Ming replied.
Tasha pushed Claire’s hair away from her neck and sat on her shoulder. “We cook, clean, and take care of the maidens that are sent here.”
“Our master is picky with what he eats and whom he talks to. We are here to make you presentable. We noticed that you didn’t bring a lot of clothes,” Kara added.
Claire felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment.
“That’s good. Normally, we throw away what the humans bring,” Ming informed. “Making new clothes distracts us.”
Claire hugged her chest. “You can’t throw this away. It was my mother who made it.”
Ming flew around her as if she was judging the dress. “You can keep it if you’re attached to it. But we are still making new clothes for you.”
Tasha flew away. “Raise your arms, we are going to take your measurements.”
Claire looked at Kara, who yawned. Seconds later, the fairy left her shoulder, and Claire was able to raise her arms in the air.
For the next hour, the fairies measured and gushed about the beautiful dresses they were going to make. Claire listened to them while taking in the fact that she was in the presence of real fairies.
Once the measurements were done, she watched them put away Claire’s few belongings with care and curiosity as they listened to Claire talk about her mother and father. They seemed friendly, which led her to believe that the palace might be a lovely place to live in after all.
Deborah groaned as the trunk shook with her inside. Imagine, the Regent’s daughter reduced to hiding in a chest. But her father manipulated things so that the tacky girl would meet the prince instead of her. Deborah was meant to be queen, and the prince would realize that soon.
When the chariot finally stopped, she sighed in relief. Her body ached in places she never knew existed. Deborah heard the peasant exit. Peeking out, she watched Claire walk up the steps and enter the palace. After everything became quiet again, she slipped out and hid behind the frozen bushes in the garden. It was freezing up here, even if she wore her best coat. Once Deborah ended the curse, things would be better for everyone in the kingdom. Spring and summer would finally return forever, and the kingdom/land would be prosperous again.
After waiting several minutes, the Regent’s daughter decided it was safe to enter. She opened the door and walked into the very lap of luxury. All the decorations and furniture were in the best styles. A bit lifeless, but nothing a feminine touch could not fix. With exquisite paintings, crystal chandeliers on the high ceilings, and silver paneling, the rooms looked magnificent. She doubted that Claire would understand the high-class palace she had just entered. After all, she was raised in a barn and sold trinkets at the market.
Hearing voices, Deborah hid behind a hanging silvery tapestry. Getting discovered now would make all her efforts for naught. To her surprise, small creatures flew by, lighting the way. She wondered if they might be fairies but had only heard stories and never seen any up close. Deborah could not let them see her and get thrown out. They were beautiful to look at, though. Perhaps, when the prince picked her, she would be able to order them around and make them her friends.
Deborah took a deep breath and exited her hiding place once they were gone. She needed to find the prince, so he would realize that she was the one who should have been chosen. There was no way a man of his status wanted some wayward peasant as his future queen. Her father just might get in trouble for picking that unrefined girl, and it would serve him right. Her father had tried to take away what was rightfully hers and marry her off to a lesser noble.
I’ll never forgive him, and when I become queen, he will be lucky to keep his head.
Walking around, the young lady ended up climbing several staircases in search of the prince. She peeked through many doors and descended winding corridors. She was determined to keep searching until she found him. Her destiny awaited, and no one was going to steal her future.
I’m going to be the queen of this kingdom. He’ll fall in love as soon as he sees me.
Chapter 8
Hours later, a knock on the door caught Claire’s attention. Standing there was the butler and the three fairies.
The man’s face seemed slightly less cold as he looked her over. “Prince William is ready to see you now, milady. Please, follow me.”
Claire followed silently while the fairies flew behind her and giggled. She fought the urge to turn around and ask them why they seemed so cheerful. Her legs were trembling as she walked down the corridor to meet the prince. She had imagined what the prince would look like many times—handsome, ugly, scarred, foreboding. There were few clues to be sure. The stories from the girls who returned ranged from handsome but stoic to frightening and dreadful to look at.
Entering the throne room, Claire finally saw the man whose heart she was meant to melt to save the kingdom.
Prince William stared into the void from his elaborate throne. He was over six feet tall, pale as snow with wide blue eyes and short blond hair bordering on white. He was as frightening as he was handsome. The curse was definitely upon him since—if the rumors were to be believed—his heart was made of ice and nothing could move him.
Claire couldn’t stop staring. He was beautiful, like a perfect carved male statue. Plump, pale lips, high cheekbones, an oval face, and almond-shaped eyes. Her body quivered at the sight of him.
“Your Majesty, your guest is here to meet you,” the butler announced with a bow.
The prince turned his head to look at Claire.
She curtsied and lowered her eyes to the floor. Her chest felt heavy with his cold demeanor. She clasped her hands and dared to look back at him. His detached gaze received hers, only to turn away and stare into the void.
Claire gulped, unsure of what to do. “Your Highness, my name is Claire James and ... I was sent to ... keep you company for the next six months.”
She narrowed her eyes, waiting for him to acknowledge her existence.
Ming’s voice reached her ears. “It seems he’s in a foul mood today.”
Claire registered the moment Ming flew straight to the prince and stopped in front of his face. “Don’t you have anything to say to your guest?”
Turning his head, the prince focused his attention
on Claire, and a cold shiver ran down her spine. “Do I frighten you?”
“No.”
“Don’t I look like a monster to you?”
“No,” Claire voiced louder.
“Liar.”
Claire frowned at his accusation. She had no idea why he thought she was lying. He didn’t appear like a monster. He looked—
“I know what people say about me in my kingdom,” he continued, breaking her train of thought. “You should fear me.”
Her jaw clenched. “Even if I fear you, I have no other choice but to be here.”
His eyes narrowed slightly as if she had imagined it.
Ming flew back and landed on Claire’s shoulder. “He’s nicer after you get to know him.”
“I doubt it,” Claire mumbled. “Suddenly, the butler seems friendlier than him.”
Ming giggled.
“Silence.” The prince spoke without raising his voice as if it was beneath him to shout when he could simply look at someone and chill them to the bones. “I’ve called you here to set some ground rules.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t care what dream they sold you in the capital, but I have no interest in getting to know you. We aren’t going to be friends. Especially not lovers.”
Claire raised her hand. “Can I speak?” He waved his hand in a gesture that she assumed to grant her permission. “It seems, my presence here is unwelcoming to you.”
“You are smarter than you look.”
Forgetting she was in the presence of royalty, she glared. “You seem to believe that sarcasm is a form of insult. You don’t know me, yet you’re judging me. Do I look like a noble lady to you? I guess your fairies are really good at making even someone like me seem presentable to meet you. Still, the clothes I wear aren’t what I am. I’m not defined by them. I would rather be home with my parents than here if you have to know.”
“Yet you came,” he accused.
She balled her hands. “Do you think I had any other choice? They didn’t even let me say goodbye to my parents.”
The prince diverted his attention to the fairies behind her. “Is this true? Is the Regent forcing the women to come here?”
“I have no idea, my prince,” Ming replied, lowering her head. “They never complained before.”
He spoke to Claire. “I’ll discuss this with the Regent when he writes.” He waved his hand back and forth. “You can leave. I don’t want anyone here against their will.”
Claire’s heart fluttered with hope. “Are you serious?”
“She’s already here.” Ming flew to his side. “The people might take revenge on her if you send her back a few hours after her arrival.”
Claire staggered backward. The pink fairy was right. People wouldn’t understand if she was sent back. They would believe she did something wrong and that it would be her fault if the winter didn’t subside that year. “I was chosen to be here. I might not be happy about it, but I’ll try to make you happy and keep you company until it’s my time to leave.”
The prince focused on her as if he was seeing her for the first time. “Make me happy? Do you believe you can do that by fluttering your eyelashes at me and smiling?”
“It would be presumptuous of me if I thought that,” Claire replied. “I’ve worked all my life, and I’m not trained in the art of being shallow and flirting with men to secure myself a good marriage.”
His eyes on her made the blood freeze in her veins. “If you are here against your will, what I’m about to tell you won’t be hard to follow.”
Claire raised her chin. “I’m listening.”
He smirked, and the smile looked strange on his almost blue lips. “You don’t please me, and I have no wish for mindless conversation and seduction games. You stay away from me, and I’ll stay away from you. Let’s spare ourselves the deception of failure. Agreed?”
Claire clenched her teeth. Her pride felt wounded by his bluntness, but she knew better than to dwell on it. “Let’s get things straight.” She paused to make sure that she got his attention. “I don’t dream of being a queen, especially not your queen. But the fact is that your kingdom is freezing while you are here in your fancy palace, unaware of the struggles of your people. That is why I’m going to stay and try to bring a bit of happiness to your life. I’m not planning to seduce you by batting my eyelashes at you while pouting.” She folded her arms. “We need good weather, so your subjects don’t freeze to death. The least you can do is welcome me into your home and treat me like a friend.”
The prince raised a perfectly shaped brow but, before he could say anything, the door to the throne room was forced open.
Peeking inside after pushing back the doors, another maiden appeared. Claire was shocked to see that it was Deborah, the Regent’s daughter. How did this girl get to the castle?
Deborah stepped inside, her gaze aimed at the prince, and she stopped in her tracks as if her feet had been glued to the marble floor.
Prince William rose to his feet, his eyes flaring. The change in the atmosphere had the butler and the fairies scurrying several feet back. Claire could only stare, frozen where she stood.
A chilling cold took form and swept across the room as the prince’s face contorted. “I am Prince William Dracon. What is your business here? I never called upon anyone but the chosen.”
Deborah’s lips trembled, but she curtsied and stared at her feet. “I am sorry for the intrusion, sire. A grand deception has occurred. I should be the one at the palace to melt your heart. This pathetic peasant is not meant to be in your presence.” She raised her head and pointed at Claire.
Claire’s face reddened as her fists clenched. If not for her upbringing, she would have decked the noble brat without a second thought. “What nonsense are you saying?”
Deborah gave Claire a disgusted look. “The clothes you are wearing are an upgrade from the ones you were wearing yesterday, but it doesn’t hide the fact that you aren’t high-born like me.”
The prince spoke before Claire could. “Are you suggesting the girl present is an imposter? Were you chosen to come here instead of her?”
Deborah seemed taken aback. “N-no, but she is not good enough to be by your side. I am the one you want, Prince William. My father intentionally picked a poor girl to keep me out of the running. He fears me coming here, but I don’t. I want to be your queen.”
Prince William’s face darkened. “My queen?”
“If you let me stay, instead of her, I’m sure I can break your curse,” Deborah assured.
The prince sneered. “And you would break my curse with what? Your pretty face? Your fancy clothes? Your arrogance?”
“Milord…”
He raised his hand. “Quiet! You are a trespasser. You broke the law, arrived here uninvited, talked ill of my guest, and spouted madness. I have had enough of your prattling!”
Deborah shook where she stood. Her face filled with distress instead of the wonder and superiority that she had moments before.
The cold around them intensified, and Claire feared for the Regent’s daughter. The girl’s attitude was awful, but the prince looked ready to send Deborah to the dungeons or worse. Who knew what punishments happened here?
“Ming, take this intruder to the dungeons,” Prince William ordered. “She has committed a severe crime by entering my lands uninvited. When the time is right, I will render punishment. No status is exempt from disobeying our laws. Let her be an example to others who think they can ignore the rules.”
“W-what do you mean?” Deborah asked.
“What part of my speech didn’t you understand, unpleasant creature?” the prince questioned.
“But I’m prettier and… My father is the Regent. You can’t punish me.”
Claire knew that she could be insolent sometimes, but Deborah was on another level. The prince’s face was stern. He wasn’t letting Deborah’s words slide unpunished. What prince would?
The prince slowly descended the stair
s to the throne and moved with the subtleness of a white mountain tiger. “Prettier? The Regent’s daughter? Do you forget who I am? Have I been away for so long that you don’t recognize your ruler anymore?”
Deborah flinched. “I’m s-sorry.”
“How can someone so small be so arrogant?”
“Your Majesty,” Deborah wailed as a cold fog swirled around her body. “I-I…” She burst into tears. “Please, have mercy. I didn’t mean to break any laws. It’s freezing, and I don’t want to be locked away. At least, take me in as a guest. I promise not to anger you further. If you give me a chance, I could prove my worth.”
The prince brushed past Claire as Deborah whined for her life. He raised his hand, and an icy orb formed. Claire’s heart jumped in her chest. Without thinking, she grabbed his arm by his sleeve and put herself between him and Deborah. The orb on his palm disappeared, and his gaze locked with hers.
She trembled under his cold glare. Yet, as much as she disliked the Regent’s daughter, she didn’t want the naïve young lady to be turned into an ice statue.
“Prince William, I plead that you have mercy on this foolish girl. The celebration has become so popular that many want to see you up close. Please, don’t harm her. Just send her back to town with a warning against trespassers. Or if you wish to keep her, send me back instead,” she suggested.
“Claire, get out of the way,” Ming warned, flying in front of her with a distressed face.
Claire shook her head. “Deborah might be spoiled, but she doesn’t deserve to die.”
“Don’t kill me,” Deborah begged with her hands on Claire’s shoulders.
“Your Highness, have mercy,” Claire requested.
The Prince glared and waved Ming to move.
“Claire isn’t at fault,” Ming protested.
“She touched me,” the prince retorted.
Ming looked at Claire and then at the prince. “No harm done. She’s fine, and you are overreacting.”
The prince ignored the fairy and glared at Claire again. “Are you willing to die to protect the one who has insulted you?”
