Queen of Summer's Ice (Book 2)

Chapter 19

     I walk into the room with my head held high, and looked at my father - the King.

     "You risked your cousins life," he said as a way of greeting me.

     "You pronounced us dead," I retorted.

     I've never seen my father raise his voice, never seen this much emotion on his face when it came to me. He'd always make sure he chose the right words to say, but not this time. The tempers of the summer royals were finally showing on him. I guess I could see the silver lining in this, that there was no more pretending around us.

     Flames erupted from his palms as he slammed both his hands on the table and rose from his seat, "What was I suppose to think when I got word of a ship drowning, half of the crew members dead, the other injured. And it was lead by my daughter who was no where to be found. It was irresponsible of you to put other lives in danger-"

     "Would you have preferred it to just be my life that was taken instead of theirs?"

     He stumbled a bit, hardly anyone would have recognized it, but I did. "We are suppose to protect the lives of our people, not put them in harms way. You killed those men, you damaged their ship, all because you couldn't have stayed in one place like I commanded you too."

     I stepped right near the table and placed my hands on the wood, it left imprints as my blue flames slipped out. I was furious, how dare he put all this blame on me. How dare he!

     "I did not kill anyone, they went on their own will. Nazim went on his own will. So don't you ever put the blame on me, do you understand," I gritted slowly in between my teeth. I could taste the smoke on my tongue, taste the bitter anger of this moment. 

     My father stood with his shoulders high, "I am the King and you will not speak to me in that tone, with those words ever again."

     A wicked smile grew on my face - I know I must have looked like a monster, but I whispered, "Or what? Will you throw me in the cells?"

     The bells were still ringing in my ears, he wasn't telling me something. Elis was no where to be found, I'm sure word would have gotten to him by now, he should have been here.

     I didn't realize that in my anger, my fire had turned into ice, small traces of it remained where my hand prints burned on the table. White smoke smelling of wood disappeared into the thick air around us. And thats when I saw the look on my fathers face - disgust.

     "I'm going home, where my throne awaits me. Where I'll get a warmer homecoming in the land that's never warm."

     "No," My father said a little to quickly, "Stay in summer and fix the damage that you did. Tomorrow you will go to the village and buy the captain a new ship."

     My head tilted to the side, as I stood quietly, thinking it through. "No," I said carefully, and his nostrils flared, "The last time one of my parents sent me somewhere, it was a fools errand."

     The King took a few steps - slow steps - towards the head of the table, taking that time to think of what to say I'm sure.

     "Did you not tell Winter that you declared my death? Do my people think their Queen is dead."

      He looked at the wall instead of me, contemplating what he was going to say. But before he could even say anything, footsteps sounded by the open door. I thought it would be Elis and my heart picked up, yet when I turned around, the only two people behind me were Nazim and Alagan. 

     However, Alagan was holding a piece of letter paper. I didn't even realize that he snuck off, and apparently neither did anyone else.

     "Nazim arrest this man! Throw him in the cells!" My father roared and he sent his fire to burn the paper that Alagan held in his hands. Even trying to burn his fingertips, but he was quick to let go instead of holding onto something that would never return.