THE WINTER AND THE CROWN // Harry Styles (#TCTM2)

The North Mountain

THEY'RE BACKKKKKK!!!!

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"Are you sure, Your Majesty?"

"Yes," Reyna told Mary for the third and final time, hoping that she'd sounded determined even though her voice was wavering. She could feel Lance's eyes burning holes on the side of her face. He didn't want her to go through with this.

The throne room was utterly quiet. There were just the three of them and two guards standing by the door. Reyna hated how loud her heart was beating, as if even it could tell this was a bad idea.

"The journey won't be easy," Mary said, lacing her hands together in front of her crotch. "Many have tried to find the lake and those who returned had not even made it halfway to the top of the mountain."

"I know," Reyna said coolly.

Mary quickly looked from her to Lance as if expecting him to interrupt and convince Reyna that Harry wasn't worth all this danger. But Lance kept a straight face, as usual, masking what he truly felt inside.

Mary drew in a breath. Then, she took the silver ring with a black gemstone off her finger and wiped it clean with the sleeve of her dress. "When my sisters and I were born," she said, "each of us was given a ring like this. It was enchanted with our mother's blood, so as long as the stone was red, it meant all three of us were alive in this world. That was how I knew my sisters were gone. After I'd escaped from Egon's men, the stone faded to brown and eventually to black." She turned to Lance. "This ring will let you know if the Queen's in danger." And back to Reyna. "All it takes is a drop of your blood, Your Majesty."

Reyna met Lance's uneasy gaze. He sighed and drew out the dagger attached to his belt and handed it to her. She held it firmly, biting her lip and pressing the tip of the blade into her finger until blood oozed out of the cut. Mary took hold of Reyna's wrist and placed her finger above the ring. The red drop fell onto the stone and it glowed like a tiny flame before subsiding to a dimmer red.

"Blood calls to blood," Mary said, giving the red-stone ring to Lance. He put it on as Reyna put the finger into her mouth, tasting the iron sting of her own blood. "If the colour darkens, it means she's in danger. If it turns black, she's dead."

The way Mary said it, so assertively and pitifully, sent a chill down Reyna's spine. But for Harry and her kingdom, she must not be afraid.

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.

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Harry hadn't expected to see the Queen in the stable. Who would expect to see a Queen out here in the middle of the night?

"What are you doing here?" she asked, looking equally surprised to see him.

He flashed a beam and continued stroking the black horse. "I ran into Jo and she told me to go feed the horses."

"Feeding the horses isn't your job," Reyna said, arching an eyebrow.

Harry's eyes widened. "It's not?"

Reyna was speechless for a moment before she sighed. "Guide to surviving in my court: do not take orders from a maid."

Heat pooled at Harry's cheeks yet he managed to conceal his embarrassment with a grin. "Sorry. Your maid is pretty scary for a maid."

Reyna shook her head as she broke into a smile. And Harry felt that weird sensation in his chest again. She'd been cold and distant since the last time they'd spoken two weeks ago. He hoped she'd forgiven him for what he'd done. Even though he didn't know her, he felt a strong connection between them. He hadn't had any nightmare lately about her jumping off a cliff or bleeding out to death on the floor, but those scenes had been stuck on his mind ever since the last time. He wished he knew what they meant or if they meant anything at all. That was one of the reasons he'd agreed to join her on this impossible quest – to make sure his nightmares wouldn't come true.