The Ice Queen of Lessaenes (Book 5)

The Trio of Evil Awesomeness is Born

I ran away from Fenorel's lab, never looking back. My boots squelched in the mud as I emerged in the garden, only to find that fat, gray clouds hung overhead, pouring torrents of rain onto Glaisse. 

I plopped down on a bench and hung my head as little streams of water trailed through my perfect, new hair, and across my perfect, new skin. Soon, I couldn't tell anymore where the rain ended and my tears began. 

Note from Queen Saralee: Aww don't cry, teenage me! You're too AWESOME to cry!!!

What was the point of being so beautiful now? Fenorel was gone. He was never coming back. 

I heard the crack of thunder and knew that a storm was coming. Whether I liked it or not, I had to go inside. 

Trudging over to the nearest door, I entered the palace, rushing as fast as I could up to my room and shutting the door, relieved that the palace staff wasn't around much during the late afternoon. No one had seen me...yet. 

Looking into my closet, I found that now, all of my clothes were too small. I couldn't enlarge them all with my Aura, that would take forever! My tastes too had changed after the surgery. My tomboyish wardrobe of sweatpants and t-shirts no longer appealed to me. I was really in the mood for glitter. Lots of it.  

Note from Queen Saralee: And that's why Icehearts love blue glittery things! There's only one major side effect, but the Iceheart Serum also adds a bunch of little quirks to your personality...it's funny sometimes.

For now, I settled with a long, green dress with a slit that came up to my mid thigh. I washed the mud out of my hair and off my face, then dried myself off and changed into the dress. 

That'll teach Keilee, I grinned as I walked confidently away from the bathroom and down the stairs. 

"Hey, Princess Saralee, are you-WHOA!" Armetorius gasped when he saw me. "Where were you? We've been looking for you all day! And that is one serious extreme makeover. I could barely recognize you!" 

"It's called the Iceheart Surgery," I explained. "Fenorel invented it. It's totally awesome. All the nobles need to get it immediately! It improves your appearance and Aura so much, you wouldn't recognize yourself."

"Wait, wait, slow down," Armetorius gave me an incredulous look. "Is this Fenorel Soren we're talking about? The Keeper?" 

"It's a long story," I sighed. "But I have something to tell you. Let's go in my room before someone sees me. I really don't want people questioning my appearance right now, I have plans to make and things to do!" 

"So, Sara," Armetorius sat down cross legged on my bed and I plopped down next to him. "Spill." 

"It all started at Keilee's coronation ball last year," I began. "I met Fenorel there, and I kind of liked him, and he kind of liked me, so he basically showed me this experiment he was doing to enhance people's appearance and Aural abilities. We named his product the Iceheart Serum, and today, he told me I'd have to wait six months before I could have it. I got mad, so I...I kind of injected myself with it, apparently I almost died, and this happened." 

"You injected yourself with a random Serum...because you were mad?" Armetorius snorted. 

"Okay, okay, it was stupid and impulsive," I rolled my eyes. "But look what it did to me!" I pointed at my new body. "It can do that to you too! Fenorel had someone perform the surgery on me this morning, so there has to be someone who knows how to do the procedure in the area. I just have to find them..." 

"No thanks, I don't want any of your crazy Serum," Armetorius shook his head. 

"Fine," I sighed. "But maybe when I'm Queen, you'll change your mind." 

"Come on, Saralee, not this again," he rolled his eyes. 

"No, this time, I'm not fantasizing. I actually have a plan," I told him. "Tonight, before she sees me in my new form, I'm going to kill Keilee. And you're going to help me." 

"That is..." Armetorius trailed off, his eyes growing wide with revulsion, "absolutely brilliant!" His face instantly shifted into a smile. "Now you're talking like the future ruler of the universe!" 

"I'll stab her with an Aural icicle while you gag her, but we need a third person," I sighed. "Someone to act as a diversion, someone the media people can blame it on. Someone in black with a gun needs to flee the scene just as the Ice Guards arrive when I scream for help, yet, they need to be working with us so that they don't get caught at any cost." 

"Okay, you're a royal, you have an infinite supply of 'someones' just lying around," Armetorius shrugged. 

"I don't know if we can trust anybody else though," I shook my head. "What's to say they won't just turn us in to gain Queen Keilee's favor." 

"You can trust me, Your Highness," I heard a small but firm voice from the corner. Turning my head, I saw a young looking servant standing in the corner, a broom in her hand. 

"Forgive me for eavesdropping, Your Highness," she bowed in apology. "I couldn't help it. Any hope that you may replace the fool who currently serves as our Queen warrants attention." 

"I like you," I smiled thinly. "What's your name?" 

"Raliyel," she bobbed her head with respect. "Raliyel Novisty." 

"Will you be our diversion?" 

"With pleasure." 

"Good," I smiled. "In my new Empire, we will not be ruled by 'nobles' as such. Well, we will, but they will be called Icehearts instead." 

"Do you mean to say that-" Armetorius began.

"Yes," I interrupted him. "Those who have had the Surgery will be the upper class. If you do this, and you do it right, Raliyel Novisty, I will grant you Iceheart status." 

"What are you thinking?" Armetorius hissed. "She's a nobody! A maid!" 

"It doesn't matter," I shook my head vigorously. "She thinks like me, she seems smart, and I like her. That's what matters." 

"If you say so," Armetorius shrugged. 

"Really!?" Raliyel squealed. "I could be...a noble?" 

"Of course!" 

"This is the best early birthday present ever!" She beamed. 

"It's your birthday?" I asked. 

"Next week. The sixty third. I'm turning seventeen." 

"That's my birthday, and I'm turning seventeen too!" I gasped. "And it's also New Year's Eve. Armetorius was born on the sixty third of Deucwyn too, except five years before us. This is so perfect, like it was meant to be. We were born on the dawn of a new year, and we were born to be the dawn of a new age. The Iceheart Age. To the Icehearts!" I raised my fist into the air. 

"To the Icehearts!" Raliyel and Armetorius repeated. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at the fact that I was doing this without Fenorel, but I brushed it away. He had his chance, and he blew it. I was off to greatness now, and I wasn't waiting for anyone.