To Melt A Frozen Heart | ONC 2024

Chapter 13 | The Duel

If I had thought my bones aching before, it was nothing compared to now.

Florence stood in the doorway, watching me fasten my cloak in the mirror. I held her gaze through the reflection with a smile. "There! How do I look?"

She offered me a tight-lipped smile of her own in return. "Beautiful, your highness."

Stepping back, I glanced at her again. "Oh! I think I saw your sister the other day. In one of the local villages."

The briefest flash of surprise crossed Florence's face. "Oh... You mean Felicity. Yes, she lives there. Along with my father and mother."

I studied Florence – she really wasn't that much older than me.

She adjusted the cap on her head. It shifted and just for a moment, I caught the smallest glimpse of black.

Yanking the cap sharply down, Florence stared at me. I held her gaze. Her blank expression faltered. "Whatever you saw. Forget it."

More secrets.

But at last one I had uncovered.

Florence's hair was black.

Not silver.

Black.

"You must not tell anyone, okay? You have to swear."

"But why? Why is your hair not silver? Everyone's hair here is silver."

I glanced down to my own hair. I hadn't failed to notice the gradual expansion of the silver streaks. "Even mine."

"It's complicated."

I threw my hands in the air, exasperated. "Isn't everything here?"

Florence moved forward, bracing both hands on my shoulders. "Please. Princess. You must keep this a secret," she implored.

The brown of her eyes bored into mine. She seemed genuinely afraid. But of what?

"I will. But won't you at least tell me why?"

"There are some things that must stay secret. All I can tell you is that my life would be in danger should anyone find out."

"From whom?" I asked.

But Florence was already gone.

Studying my reflection once more, I headed downstairs, plagued with troublesome thoughts.

***

"Aurelia. You seem tired. I trust you slept well." Cassian's comment caught me off guard as I entered the room.

Did he know I'd been up since the early hours of the morning sparring with Wrynn? Well, trying to spar would probably be a more accurate description. But no, he couldn't know. Could he?

"Yes. Thank you, Cassian. I am quite well."

Sneaking a glance at Wrynn I found he already had his gaze trained on me. "Wrynn." I acknowledged him.

A small smirk on his part. "Aure."

Cassian glanced between us a frown playing across his features. "Is something the matter?"

"No, no. Everything is well, your majesty."

Cassian's eyes flickered to mine – holding my gaze – I matched it.

Though it was my thoughts that betrayed me. My mind flicked back. Back to that morning. And back to that bed. The image of it still burned in my brain. I looked away.

But Cassian made no mention of it. No indication that he even recalled its existence. And so, neither did I.

We ate breakfast in silence.