When no one provides an answer, I growl, "What’s the purpose of today? To remind me of our shortcomings or to present me with a plan to eliminate those horned bastards?" I feel the nerve in my temple pulsing. The day started shitty enough with uncovering the dead body of a young girl inside the castle grounds. I discovered her on my walk at dawn. She lay frozen with iced blood tainting her slit throat, her skirt ripped off. Kade confirmed she isn't on my staff, which means someone brought her in here and had his way before killing her. She's the third victim I’ve found this month, and I'm seething that this is happening in my home. If my own team is murdering locals, how the fuck am I meant to protect the entire kingdom and surrounding villages?
Tielo spreads out a large map of our surrounding territory.
I sit forward in my seat. "Alright, continue."
I focus on the conversation and look over the maps at various attack strategies. Each is fraught with danger and a high risk of losing more men on our side, and that’s not going to work. But I listen and nod, because there is only so much my power can achieve, so many plants I can turn poisonous. My power alone isn’t enough to win against the hobgoblins, so I have to consider all options.
When the meeting concludes, I stand and address Tielo. "For each of your plans, send me a complete list of resources needed, along with projected casualties. And your suggested direction for my review."
"Of course, Your Highness." He stands up and bows. I get up and walk to the door, Kade’s footsteps moving close behind me.
As we leave the war room, our steps echo around us from the chilled silence.
"His plans have merit," Kade advises, his throaty rasp calling my attention. He is fifty-five this year. He used to work for my father, so I know he comes from a place where the well-being of the Midnight Court is his priority, unlike many in that room behind us who focus on growing their power and are too eager to dive into battle.
"Except we lack resources. And hiring townsfolk to fight is equivalent to sending them to their deaths. You know this." I run a hand down my face, too exhausted to keep arguing. "We will talk about it tomorrow. I need food and beer so I can think this through."
"Of course."
Around the next corner, a thumping noise from up ahead fills my ears. I pause, as does Kade. We stay within the shadows and look across the round hallway that connects many of the corridors in this castle.
Silence falls between us.
My gaze sweeps to a figure bending over to pick what looks like a loaf of bread from the floor. She glances behind her, then back around, her eyes wide and frozen. She doesn't see us as she rapidly stuffs the bread into her bag. She's the maid who fell over earlier after running into Kade. A petite thing whose evocative eyes bleed with emotions I've never seen on anyone before. She's goddamn beautiful, long chestnut hair tumbling to her waist in soft curls, and all I can picture are those eyes when she looked at me, icy pale blue like they were made of snowflakes.
But she stirs something unfamiliar in my chest, something that disturbs me. In reality, I remind myself she's like everyone else...Trouble is about to happen. She’s untrustworthy, and I can already tell if I do nothing about her, she'll keep stealing from the kingdom. It's a mistake I don't plan on overlooking. It's people like her who will sell me out to our enemies to benefit themselves. Just like the villages... I get the reasoning, but it's still betrayal, at the heart of it.
Yet those blue eyes never leave my thoughts.
Fear and desperation make people do stupid things, I tell myself.
My second’s shoulders curl as he steps forward to stop her, because we both know she stole the food. I snatch his arm and shake my head for him to stand down. I'm curious to see where she's going. Part of me hopes it's a mistake, because when we crossed paths, there was a vulnerability about her that left me wondering how someone ended up holding onto that innocence in this fucked-up world.
She scurries across the hallway and darts toward the corridor and outside. I loathe the feeling of being let down. Such disappointment. Toxin courses through my veins, the same one that comes with my poisonous touch. And right now I need to show everyone what happens if they work against me.
I swing to Kade. "Have the guards track her down. I want her hand cut off."
He gives a nod of approval and turns away, following her outside.
I brush away the darkness shimmering in my mind that she deserves death, and instead I march back to my room. I live in a dulled world while war ravages the land. And I have my wrists tied against the monsters out there who've already destroyed other kingdoms, who are winning battles every day, while I squabble over lack of fighting men. I don't know the answer, but I need a solution to come to me before the hobgoblins arrive on my doorstep.
Ever since the hobgoblins shattered the magical mirror created by the Witch Queen to keep us safe, our world plunged into an icy hell where the snow never relents. And things just don't feel right. I can't help but feel like I'm forgetting something and that it's just out of my grasp.
Recently, serpents fill my dreams, crawling over me as I lie on the ground unable to move. I know what it means...I'm trapped in a no-win situation and I can't find a way out. I haven’t come up with a solution that will stop the imminent war, but I can’t sit back and do nothing, either.
On my way back to my chamber, my thoughts sweep back to the maid and those blue eyes that seem to haunt me.
3
Licia
The snow falls fast tonight, while bruised clouds cloak the moon. Torches lining the path outside the castle walls lead me to my village. Lofty shrubs flank my walk, the bushes littered with thorns sharp enough to poke through my clothes and tear skin. Except, these are poisonous, spelled by the prince’s magical touch to keep away animals and hobgoblins if they ever get this close to the kingdom.
I keep thinking back to almost bumping into the prince in the castle today. He rarely visits the area near the kitchen, so to see him up close… I can't deny my breath caught in my chest. There are no exaggerations from the other maids on how irresistible the prince is, but he is also the most unattainable man in the world.
He denies any princesses who arrive at his door, which always makes me laugh, as it's meant to be the men courting the females. Apparently, Prince Eryk has ancient roots tied directly to the last witch, and many believe he holds the key to finally eliminating the hobgoblins. Rumors also talk about him possessing more magic than just a poisonous touch with plants. Though no one has mentioned what that could be, I suspect the stories are fabricated lies, because if he possesses such power, why hasn’t he used it?
Of what little I know of the prince, he is a man who keeps to himself. The select few maids who serve him meals are trained to speak with respect, be silent and unseen, and never look him in the eyes.
Well, I broke that rule today. When someone tells me not to do something, my body automatically does it. And this is why I’m kept on dishwasher duty.
I sigh and hold onto my torn bag, then hurry through the night.
Cold seeps under my clothes and I tremble, so I move faster.
The corner of my mouth stings, and I lick at the wound. It's bound to look puffy and bruised.