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On the Hook
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Nathaniel awoke early the next morning, as was his routine. Careful not to wake his wife, he only gently brushed some tousled black hairs from her cheeks, before dressing, and leaving the tent. He assumed that pregnant women had every right to start the day late.
Outside, the sun already warmed the moist morning air, and birds chirped in the crowns of towering beech, oak, and maple trees. When he strained his ears, Nathaniel could also make out the cackle of the campfire that was held alive by the Nightwatch, accompanied by some quiet conversations.Just when his long legs started moving in that direction, he heard something else. Steps, coming from the woods. Warily, he peeked along the row of tents to the patrol team and saw one man raising his arm as a signal. Though it was not yet a sign of distress, Nathaniel's legs brought him in the direction of the newcomers, one hand wandering to the hilt of his sword.Reaching the patrol man's side, he could make out three fRelated chapters
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Nathaniel tilted his head, then took another step and sat beside her. "How do you feel today?" She blinked, and her one hand wandered to her stomach. "Nauseous. Anxious. Angry. Confused. I... I didn't get to tell you yet, because so much happened at once. It was inside the carriage, right before the attack, I... I think I tried to kill him." Nathaniel gave his best to hide his surprise. Besides his wife, there was just one other person inside the carriage, so there was no use asking who she meant. It made sense, in a way. She always said that she would kill her cousin. Still, he'd assumed it would take more than the opportunity for Katherine to resort to violence. "You think? Or you did?" "I..." Katherine blinked rapidly. There were no tears in her eyes, only a frown forming on her forehead. "I think I did. Yes, I did. I was so angry and annoyed that I just lashed out at him. I hit him right in the chest, again and again. I know how to fight now. The dagger should hav
How to Make the Ice Prince Fall His Worth
The situation outside was unchanged unless one counted the scratches and spit stains on the captured Duke. He didn't look up or react to the shaming in any way until the crowd had somewhat calmed down. Then he raised his head just enough to stare at the tent. An unholy glitter entered his muddy brown eyes when it remained unmoved for too long. The hands behind his back clenched."Where are you looking?" Frey's slap turned his face sideways and a red patch formed on his cheek.Instead of retaliating, the Duke licked his cracked lips and used the new head position to stare around his temporary holder, again at the tent."Hey!" Agitated, Frey reached out, about to grab the hair of the kneeling man and make him notice him. He deserved a response for all the years of torture and forced service. Yet, something made him hesitate, and he only huffed. "Why do I feel like the bad guy now? No fun. It should be different."Frey could see the exact moment when the tent opened
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"Why are you here?" The brows of the Duke of Sleipnir rose as the question was thrown at him like a dead, stinking fish. "That would be my question, my dearest cousin. You were the ones that captured and brought me here, to this... beautiful lonely island." He looked about as he said so, seeing that there was not even a tree and only three square meters of space. The island rested inside a small lake, the inflow of it being the water source of the camp. Newly appointed guards stood in call distance on the shoreline. Katherine, who sat in the boat that brought them here together with her husband, looked at Ethan with derision as she folded her arms. "If you want to play dumb, you can do so on your own. Tell me: Why are you here? And while you're at it, spit out some details about your dealings with the organization named Loki. Else - " "What, else?" Ethan broke her off with a curious face. It was hard to tell if the emotion was real or just mockery. "How will you
How to Make the Ice Prince Fall Does It Hurt
Thinking that he had the higher hand in the deal again, Ethan came to his feet and brushed off his clothes. They remained dirty nonetheless, earthen and ashen stains painting the beige shirt and brown overcoat down to the ornamented shoes. His face said that he was disappointed in the distrust that was shown him, but everyone in attendance knew that it was well-deserved. Well, maybe everyone but him. "What proof do you think I can get my hands on here? I can tell you that the leader calls himself Ve, but how will you confirm it? If you want to know where he is, you just need to trust me." Katherine exchanged a gaze with Nathaniel. Then, for the first time, it was the man who spoke. "No, thanks." And that was the only thing he uttered before he pushed the boat off the shore again, this time stronger and fast enough that the stunned Ethan couldn't react in time. Left behind on the island, Ethan was flabbergasted. Then he called after them: "Hey, what's with the deal? I
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In the Capital of the Icelands, the day of the coronation ceremony of Prince Emilian started with rare warmth. The trees and bushes all over the Capital already sported small buds that were bound to bloom soon. To the surprise of Princess Helmina, the troublesome nobles had finally agreed to her proposal of coronation and even pushed it further forward. Though she was suspicious of this development, she had no time to investigate the matter. Thanks to Ve's ultimatum, her hands were more than full with matters of the army, and preparations for the ceremony. She even had to bring some personnel back into the palace to manage the workload. On the morning of the ceremonial day, her eye bags were unconcealable with all the makeup in the world. She looked into the mirror, and tears threatened to roll down her cheeks. Even her skin seemed pale and yellowy, some hairs turning white despite her young age. Gripping one of them, she blinked rapidly, then gritted her teeth. "It i
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When the trumpets sounded from the high balconies, Emilian entered the hall of the goddess clad in the blue and silver of his family name. His coat of snow wolf's fur brushed the floor as he walked, the ceremonial sword sheathed by his side and a smile on his bloodless lips. The nobles who had secured the places on both sides of the aisle lowered their heads. Finally, the Crown Prince stood in front of the altar of the goddess. Sitting on one of the balconies, Helmina looked at her brother with a fixated stare and tried to ignore the muffled sounds to her left. There, on a higher chair much like a throne, sat the Queen. The older woman wore a green veil below her widely-opened eyes. If she was not so far away, the people might have seen wet streaks on the veil as well as strange, jerky movements of her muscles beneath her long dress while she outwardly didn't move. Since she sat on the balcony, however, the people below never noticed, and the guards and maids by her side a
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The coronation was canceled. Emilian, Helmina, and Layla Icefall were taken into custody. The strongest driving forces behind this were Old Lady Finley and Duke Deverell, better known as the Duke of the West. The former king William Icefall was not seen or spoken of much if it was not to pity him that he raised two cuckoo children."Did you always know that they were not yours? Why didn't you warn me?" Aston demanded to know as he sat opposite William on a table filled to the brim with documents, complaints, and requests from the nobles.William chuckled, his blue eyes squinting with pleasure. Overall, he looked more satisfied in his simple white shirt and trousers than he ever did with a crown on his head. "It was more amusing to see your panicked face when you stormed after me. Besides, I could not have passed him the throne if he was not accepted as my son, right? In the beginning, that was my intention. After all, the blood ceremony is only mandatory if the former king
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Katherine groaned. "Oh, come on, it worked just fine last time. You know I did not mean we need to - "A kiss landed on her lips, effectively shutting her up. Her power was already active around their upper bodies, even before his tongue dived into her mouth. As always, one kiss sufficed to stop her thoughts and drive her annoyance away. When Nathaniel pulled back, she was almost purring.He, meanwhile, took advantage of her relaxed vigilance to strike the hot iron. "Didn't you want to break up tents today? I just don't want you all exhausted on the first day of travel. That's also why I made you treat the poison yesterday, you know."His arm securely around her waist, he looked at her with so much gentleness and concern that Katherine could not help but falter. She let her head fall sideways onto the pillow with a deep sigh. Then, as if on afterthought, she ruffled his hair with one hand until it stood in all directions. He furrowed his brows until he heard her follo
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How to Make the Ice Prince Fall Epilogue
Five years later"Your Holiness - Uh, ah, Majesty, I mean!"Leaning on the newly-built rails atop the dome of the palace, with the view of the Capital in the background, Katherine scolded lightly: "Shht, Hazel, she just fell asleep."In her arms rested a baby, maybe a few months old, with a tuft of black hair and fair white skin. If she opened her lids, angelic blue eyes would blink up innocently at the viewer.Hazel's head appeared at the end of the staircase leading to the roof. Apologetically, she bit her lip and whispered. "I'm sorry, your Majesty. A letter arrived from Dragsa, and Prince Patrick hurt his knee while playing. He's on his way here.""Dragsa...," Katherine muttered and stretched out a hand to take it. "I wonder what they want. They were very quiet in the latter years."Lowering her head, she took a glance at the paper. Instantly, her brows furrowed, later followed by a deep sigh. "I almost expected it. What a shame."Her gaze wandered to the west, in the direction of
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For once, the third wall belonging to the palace let nobles and commoners alike pass. They flooded in in masses and coagulated on the streets and the grass field before the dome. Everywhere, where they could hope to catch a little glimpse of what was about to happen in the throne hall.In front of the dome, Nathaniel dismounted and reached his hand out to Katherine to help her off as well. For a second, Katherine remembered how Pete helped her when she mounted Bell for the first time, and her smile grew shaky. Pete and Jack. One retired after suffering grievous wounds, and the other fell in battle when the undead attacked the palace to free the Queen, Emilian, and Helmina.The burial was in the time of Katherine's long travel back but she and Nathaniel visited the grave two days ago. Still, she could not believe that her funny, one-eyed companion was truly gone. It was delusional but she could not shake the thought that if only she'd been at the Capital, her power might have saved him
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Weeks later, the couple reached the Capital and was welcomed with much tom-tom. Aston, it seemed, was back on his feet. The new scar parting his right brow even suggested that his exaggerated description of a battle with the best undead swordsman in history might be more than just bragging. Infuriatingly, however, the scar made him even more handsome, and he confidently put it on display at any opportunity he got. Especially in front of the ladies.Shortly after their return, King William officially announced his retirement in favor of his nephew. Though the commoners were confused at Nathaniel's sudden emergence, the prepared aristocrats soon placated them, and the rumors of his activities as the illusive sixth General did the rest.Katherine was surprised to hear that word of her ability had elevated her picture in the icelandic society to somewhat of a saintess. King William obviously prepared on this end as well, and thus nobody dared suggest that a dragsean noble was unfit to be
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The ship of the king of the Glaciar Coast was a gigantic vessel with a kind of lofty wretchedness to it. In fact, Katherine thought that the silver ornaments on the dark wood looked like bones, and if the sail had been a bit more tattered, the "Charon" would've been the perfect ghost ship. When she mentioned it to Lady Brandon in jest, the sister of said king laughed out loud."Oh, he'd love to hear that! If his crew wasn't ridiculously superstitious, I bet he'd search the whole ocean floor for a sunken vessel to serve him!""Is that so?" Katherine lifted her brows, perplexed. "Isn't it already enough that it can fly?"Granted, the hovering of the gigantic vessel wasn't completely 'flight' as the ship was only lifted by the water the Glaciar Coast's mages manipulated with much afford. It could also only be implemented for short periods close to a water source. For the unsuspecting viewer, however, it looked exactly as if the ship was flying.It was this practical fea
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Katherine woke up feeling fresh and well-rested. The plush cushions under her head were like soft clouds, and the blanket bore just the right amount of heat. The air smelled of salt and herbs, an unusual but welcoming combination."Hmmm." With a blissful sigh, Katherine stretched. She didn't feel so good since they resided in the hut in the Icelands with King William, his mistress, and son. Did she only dream of that long, arduous journey to a mountain in Dragsa?"You're awake." Her eyes snapped open when she heard that voice. It was undoubtedly the deep timbre of her husband, Nathaniel. And there he was, sitting next to the bed in a cushioned chair, a gentle gaze in his eyes.Eyes that rested strangely deep in his pale face. A face that was bare of the slight smile that sometimes tugged on the corners of his mouth when he looked at her. Instead, he seemed solemn, exhausted, plagued by a deeply hidden sadness that he maybe wanted to hide. Yet to her eyes, his feelings were an open
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Deep satisfaction brought some power to Katherine's exhausted body, yet she did not like the feeling at all. The guilt over hitting an innocent civilian clouded her mind, together with the question if it was the right thing to do. Trapping Ethan in the other dimension was too easy. It didn't feel right.Days and nights she'd dreamed of how to take her revenge, how she would torture him and finally look into his eyes when he died. Now, she'd acted impulsively, and the results were anything but what she imagined. Yet, should she have let the chance slip by?When she'd heard him giving orders, she'd finally stopped in her path because she felt like a coward who ran from the only real battle she'd sworn herself to fight. At first, she only wanted to observe and hid where the canyon's wall stood out a bit, just in earshot of Ethan. But the opportunity was too good. She didn't know how her smart and cunning cousin could act so dumb. It didn't match his usual approach, yet maybe
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It was Ethan. He stood just outside the rift, his usual harmless smile on his face, and the hands hidden in the pockets of his dark trousers. "Kitty. Fancy meeting you here."If Katherine had been raised in any lower class than aristocracy, she would've spit in front of his feet. Even so, her face soured as if she'd bitten into a raw lemon. "I don't... fancy it at all."Stepping aside to give the rest of the dark stream free access to the rift, she noticed that Ethan'd brought two helpers who lingered in the back nervously. The white lab coats outed them as researchers. She glanced them up and down and decided not to ask where Ve was. After all that happened today and with her magic nearly depleted, she wanted nothing more than walk away from this whole mess.So, she did just that. Turned around and walked along the canyon that was now almost free of the dark substance.After a second of surprise, Ethan called after her: "Hey, don't you want to know what I'll do with this? Aren't
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Meanwhile, the Duke of Sleipnir got comfortable on the edge of the cave. Shortly after he'd disposed of the corpses by sending them into the rolling dark river below, some of Loki's staff came over. They were shocked to see only one person left in the cave. "Um, your Excellency, where... where is the leader?""Hm?" Ethan turned and blinked. "Oh... he... how should I put this? He was too enthusiasistic when he saw his experiment finally succeed. Look, the brilliant result of all his hard work is below this cliff. He didn't want to wait anymore and took everyone to follow him down. Which might have been the wrong decision, so to say."The staff carefully crept closer to the cliff, and when he saw the darkness below, though it was more a creek than a mighty river now, his eyes widened. "Do you mean to say the leader is...?""Dead." Ethan nodded unemphathetically. "Most likely."Unexpectedly swiftly, the staff got over his shock. For a moment, he pondered, then asked: "But the experiment
How to Make the Ice Prince Fall In the Moonlight
"Ahhh! It hurts! It hurts! You're tearing me apart!" Nathaniel felt the unusual urge to roll his eyes. He never knew that his magic was such a sissy. First, it asked for his help, and now it screamed like a pig on the slaughter bench because of a little pain. And why could it even feel pain? Its body was nothing but insidious black smoke that appeared like a black liquid in its compressed form. There were no tendons, no bones, no flesh, and no nerves - in short, nothing that could hurt. "Shall I stop pulling then?", Nathaniel asked sarcastically in his mind. Well, if that magic of his wanted to go by itself, all the better for him. "No, no, no! Please don't let go! Don't let goo-oo-ouuuuuuch!" It felt like mentally pulling on an elastic band, Nathaniel decided. Somewhere where he couldn't see, something else was pulling the other end, turning the band longer and longer. It got harder for him to hold on with each passing second. Then, with a last loud howl fr
