I didn’t know what to think.
Moving toward the window, I gazed up at the sky through the glass, amazed at what I saw. It was almost funny; the sky looked the same here as it did over mine.
I turned away from the window at the exact moment my brother appeared. He stood near his throne, having transported himself there, just as I had. Again, I found it odd, because my brother often went on and on about how he did not like using those powers.
Abner stood, his silvery stare meeting mine with a short nod of his head. His shoulders were squared, his back straight, his person wearing a regal outfit, clothes befitting a king, all light blue and white, not a speck of dirt anywhere on him. His white hair was combed to the side, not a strand out of place. He appeared more kingly than he ever had before, and I could not help but wonder if he owed his newfound demeanor to Morana.
“Brother,” I started, moving away from the window, holding out my hands as I walked toward him, studying his appearance. “You look well.” Well was actually an understatement, I think. He looked good.
“Thank you,” Abner spoke. He glanced over his shoulder, at the long room before us, probably to make sure we were alone, that Morana had not suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Unlike us, she did not have that power, though. “I actually feel well, too.” He returned those eyes to me, sizing me up, as if he knew why I was here. “You’ve come to see her, haven’t you? To see if she’s made her decision?”
I dared to nod. “I did. What can I say? I miss her. Her smile, her fiery spirit—everything that makes Morana who she is.”
The corners of his mouth quirked upward into a smirk. “She is not like anyone else, isn’t she?” I noticed my brother had a bit of color in his cheeks. He was still the pale god of Winter, but there was something different about him.
“She is not.”
“I never thought…” Abner stopped himself from saying whatever it was he was about to.
I took yet another step closer to my brother, cocking my head as I asked, “You never thought what?” There were many things he could’ve said, but somehow I knew it all boiled down to Morana, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he would take back what he’d decided. If he had a change of heart and would want to wed her after all.
Not on my watch.
Instead of telling me what he’d meant to say, Abner simply said, “Go to her. She’s in her room, I think. She spends most of her time there, thinking.” He gave me a soft smile before turning away, walking away before I had the chance to respond.
That was fine. I could always deal with my brother and his possible change of heart later. For now, I had to see her.
In the blink of an eye, I appeared in her room, finding she sat near the window, gazing out at the blue sky, her expression light and happy. Her body wore a silvery dress, its fabric covering all but her arms and her feet, and she turned her head toward me, blue eyes lighting up as she saw me.
“Ishan,” she said, slow to stand. I noticed she wore no shoes, her bare toes poking out from beneath the dress. “I thought I asked for one month? Surely it hasn’t been a month yet.” As she spoke, a smile was plastered to her lips. Morana might sound as if she had an attitude, but she looked thrilled to see me all the same.
“It hasn’t,” I admitted, holding my hands behind my back as I moved to the window, leaning on its frame. If I did not hold my hands back, I feared I would try to touch her, and then… then it would all be over. I doubted I’d be able to hold back if I touched that soft, warm skin again.
It was so hard to respect her wishes, to let her think everything over and not just toss her over my shoulder, transport us to my castle, and have her become mine in every way possible.
“Then why are you here?” Morana asked, her blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders.
“I missed you,” I told her the truth. “I don’t like not seeing you. Plus, I had to make sure my brother didn’t do anything foolish.” Such as turn you to ice. Morana wasn’t stupid; she hadn’t forgotten what I’d showed her all those nights ago.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss you, too.” She turned her head to the side, letting out a loud sigh. “Can I be honest with you, Ishan?”
My heart beat strangely in my chest at that, and it took me a moment to say, “Of course.” She could be honest. She could be brutal. Morana could be whatever she wanted, and I would gladly take it.
She moved toward me, still wearing a smile. “I’ve thought about you so much,” Morana whispered. “I’ve dreamt of you, of your touch…” There was a pause before she added, “Your body and your smile. Everything you are I desperately want.”
The hands I held behind my back fell to my sides, itching to reach for her, to pull her close to me, but I held back. I held back, and never had something been so difficult for me.
“But at the same time, I’ve thought a lot about Abner. I dreamt of him, too,” she admitted, her voice quieting even more. “I feel torn between you, forced to make a decision I don’t want to make.”
Her words caught me off-guard, and I didn’t know what to say at first. The first part of what she’d told me filled me with satisfaction, but then the part about Abner… how could she feel anything for him, while knowing what he did to his other brides?
Morana stepped closer to me, standing half a foot away. I could feel her breath as she reached up and touched my face, running her fingers along my smooth jaw as she said, “I feel connected to you. I feel your warmth inside of me even when you’re not near.” That hand fell to her side, though she did not pull herself away before adding, “But there is a connection to Abner too, and that is why I feel so confused.”
Well, she definitely was honest.
I spoke, “Abner has frozen every single one of his past brides. Even if he did not mean to, he has. Surely you—”
“I am not afraid of whatever is to come,” she cut in with a short shake of her head. “What I am afraid of, however, is making the wrong decision. My heart is torn, and I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.”
A sigh left me, and I breathed out her name, “Morana, is there nothing I can do, nothing I can say, to make this easier for you?” In other words, to help open her eyes. If she thought I would accept her decision to be with my brother, to let her walk to her own demise, she was wrong. I would fight for her. I would fight for her until the end.
The way she gazed up at me, the smile she wore right then… it made my heart skip a beat. “I don’t know,” she answered. “I just don’t know. Clearly, I’ve never done anything like this before.” She chuckled at that, and I grinned at her.
This girl… she had no idea the things she made me feel. I needed her to know how badly I wanted her, that I would do anything for her. Absolutely anything.
“Then let me speak,” I said, reaching for a hand, weaving my fingers through hers. She still felt warm, but I detected a slight chill to her, as if she’d spent too much time with Abner. “Let me tell you all about how you make me feel, Morana.”
She said nothing, gazing up at me expectantly.
“You are everything to me. I used to walk through life, perfectly content in being separate from everyone else, being invisible to any human who passed me by. I never wondered what it was like to have a family or someone to share your life with,” I told her. “I was perfectly fine with it all. I was content in watching over you, in sharing my blessing with you… but then you took your sister’s place, and I was faced with the fact that you would die at my brother’s side.”