She read a book for a bit and then got herself ready. Her wardrobe was filled with plenty of warm and furry coats. When she went back downstairs, the guards directed her to the outside gate where most of the other guests were already waiting. There were several sleighs, all being pulled by husky dogs that were barking loudly. James was petting one while talking to an older man. The ground was covered with snow and Yanni loved the white landscape. All the women seemed very excited about this trip and Yanni was looking forward to exploring this new territory. There were a few women already sitting in the sleighs, chatting amongst other. Sarah was standing a few meters away from James, trying to spark a conversation with him, but he was much more interested in the dog than her.
Seconds later, he spotted Yanni, handed the lead to the older man and approached her. Yanni could see daggers shooting from Sarah’s eyes.
“Come on, everyone, let’s get ready. And you, my dear, will ride with me in the front,” James told her. She already opened her mouth to tell him that she was happy being in the back, when he joined Sarah too. “I hope you don’t mind sharing me for now?”
The woman quickly fixed her sour expression and laughed, lightly smacking the king over his shoulder.
“Of course not, I played with you all last night, my dear,” she whispered to him, but she said it loud enough for Yanni to hear.
James frowned, and gently pushed Yanni toward the sleighs. Snow White was angry with herself, but she shouldn’t have expected anymore from him. James spent the night with Sarah after he met her in the local tavern. She tried not to show that this was bothering her, but deep down, she started doubting herself again.
She sat in silence in the first sled along with James. He wrapped another furry blanket around her and then whistled at the dogs. The sleigh pulled abruptly and Yanni had to grab his hand to keep her balance.
“The old manor used to belong to my late wife, Camila. Her father built it for us so we could get away from the castle for a bit,” James admitted, staring away, looking lost in his thoughts.
“Camila? Was she Luciano’s mother?” Yanni asked, not trying to be too intrusive, but she was curious. The maids, people in town and everyone else knew what happened to his wife. Yanni never liked listening to the gossips, but after spending some time in the castle, she suspected that James didn’t like being on his own.
“Yes, we were so young when we got married and were madly in love,” he said, still looking straight ahead in the distance at the snow-covered hills and valleys.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to her? She passed away, leaving you alone with Luciano?” Yanni pressed gently, convinced that he was going to open up to her. This was the moment that she had been waiting for. They were finally forming a connection.
“I don’t like bringing it up. Let me explain more about the history—” James then changed the subject and started telling her about the conflict with King Cori from the Edge Kingdom in the south. Yanni was a little disappointed, but she had to give him time.
She was really enjoying their trip on the sleighs. An hour later, the dogs had to stop for a bit to rest. James started showing everyone the mountains. He told the tale about the Ice Man who turned travellers into ice statues. He felt lonely and jealous when they were rushing through his land to get back to their families.
“In the end, he couldn’t deal with being surrounded by so many ice formations, so he turned himself into one. I know it’s just a story, but I have been trying to find his home. Each time, I always get caught by a severe storm. Maybe he just doesn’t want to be discovered,” James said, looking ahead. “Come on, ladies, let’s get back to the sleigh. We have a party to attend.”
“Ohh, this is so exciting, James. I heard so much about your Manor House in the mountain,” Sarah said approaching, giving Yanni the same fake smile.
“Yes, it’s another surprise. Come on, Yanni,” he said, helping her back to her seat. The flashbacks about the dream were bothering her again and despite the cold weather, she felt heat rushing through her system.
She really needed to stop daydreaming like that. James wanted her, but she had to keep him on a tight leash for now.
The rest of the trip through the winter land passed quickly, and Yanni was amazed at the beautiful landscape. James was silent for a change, lost in his own thoughts for a while. Yanni was confused too. She was torn about wanting him and spending the night with him. She wanted James and the attraction between them was sizzling away. Deep down, she hoped to change him so he would stop sleeping around and be at peace with himself.
A few hours later, the sleighs stopped in front of a large old Manor House with a view of the mountains. James’s staff was already waiting outside to attend to his guests. James was directing everyone inside where the food stations had been set up.
Yanni realised that she lost one of her gloves. They were a gift from her father and held sentimental value to her. She went back to the stables, convinced that she must have left it in the sleigh. She indicated to the staff that she would be back in a second.
She was struggling to walk through the masses of snow. Her gloves weren’t in the sleighs and the dogs were making a hell of a racket, barking away. She turned around, ready to head back to the manor when a pair of strong hands caught her from behind.
“Come here, flower,” a raspy voice muttered, then warm lips crushed hers. She recognised that it was James. She smelled his delicious scent, reminding her a lot of red wine and wild flowers. She wanted to push him away, tell him that his guests were waiting, but instead she kissed him back.
10
Yanni lost her head as a wave of heat pooled into her stomach. She began to realise that her dream was slowly becoming a reality. James clutched her face with his hands, kissing her passionately. His tongue was in her mouth, and Yanni’s heart pounded in her chest. Her nipples hardened, and the ache between her legs reminded her that last night she was drenched for him.
He pulled her bottom lip with his teeth and then started devouring her neck. She struggled to remain on her feet, aware that the warmth from his body was disrupting all her senses. A shocking wave of heat seemed to be invading her veins, spreading all the way down to her toes. There was nothing soft or tentative about the Ice King’s touch. His body felt cold and warm at the same time. Then he pressed his mouth against hers again, boldly parting her lips. He was kissing her like he was starving for his last meal, while her heart was rocketing in her chest. Then the voice of reason reminded her that she wasn’t supposed to be doing this.
In the sleighs she was distant, she didn’t let him touch her, and now she was melting away like the snow on a warm spring day. Everything was failing apart. James was transparent when he was all over Sarah in the tavern, he even touched her in front of everyone in the dining room and yet now, he and Yanni were hiding away.
Seconds later, she managed to pull away from him—her lips were swollen and her breathing was erratic. James looked shocked, but fire filled his eyes and Yanni could have sworn that he was almost radiating with energy.
“No, please, James. I thought that I made myself clear earlier on. I’m not like the other women that you’re used to. Maybe I should leave and get—”
“I’m sorry, Yanni. I lost my head. Please don’t leave, not yet. I won’t lose control like that again,” he told her, dragging his hand through his hair.
Her whole body felt feverish, and she was trying to stay calm. Then awkward silence stretched between them. A moment later, before Yanni knew what was happening, James lifted her off the ground and started carrying her back to the manor.
She shouted at him to put her down, but he laughed.
“Please, James, you cannot do this. I’m perfectly capable of walking on my own!”
“No, darling, you’re soaking wet, and you weigh almost nothing. Now, you’re all right,” he said, when he finally put her down just outside the entrance to the manor.
Yanni shook her head and then saw
that Sarah was approaching. She must have been waiting for James, probably wondering where he was. All the other women were already inside the main room. Yanni could hear her talking and laughing. The servants were running around with trays filled with delicious canapés.
Yanni quickly went inside, passing Sarah who still looked furious. Something must have happened to James that he suddenly wanted to have some alone time with her. She grabbed a glass of champagne, joining the other ladies and trying to blend into the surroundings. Her heart was still pounding loudly in her chest. Several minutes later, the Ice King and Sarah joined the party too. The dark beauty looked displeased that he wasn’t paying much attention to her. Yanni was trying to keep busy. She conversed with other ladies, discussing politics in Tyndil and other social matters. Every time she glanced at James, she noticed that he was constantly watching her. A shiver moved down her spine, and flashbacks from her dreams returned. She was flustered and hot.
Her father had brought her up well, but over the years she had forgotten how she was supposed to behave. Parties and drinking with the dwarves entertained her, but this wasn’t her life. Now she truly wanted to become Queen and to keep her father’s legacy alive.
Yanni decided to keep her distance for the rest of the evening. She needed space to figure out how to behave around him. She explored the manor, walking through each floor and exploring the rooms filled with beautiful antiques. James had many paintings of Camila, and Yanni thought that Luciano looked a lot like his mother. Yanni knew that she died several years ago, but James must still miss her.
She kept tabs on her drinks, taking only small sips now and again. Yanni wanted to make sure that things didn’t get out of control so she wouldn’t embarrass herself again. Then later on, after sunset, James invited everyone to taste his roast pig on the terrace. Yanni noticed that he didn’t flirt with any other women the entire day.
His eyes never left hers, and even Sarah failed to get his attention. Around midnight, Yanni was tired, and she noticed that James was immersed in conversation with some of his other guests. He was telling them about the history of the manor. A lot of women gathered around them, listening in and Yanni thought that this was her opportunity to sneak upstairs for a bit. She had a headache and noticed that some of the guests had already retired to their rooms too.
One of the maids had told her that she had to head over to the top floor. Apparently, James told his staff that he wanted Yanni close to him. She thought that it was sweet, but nothing had changed. She still wouldn’t sleep with him just because he gave her attention.
Yanni climbed the beautiful staircases, admiring other paintings that were hanging on the walls, until she reached the top floor. The maid explained that her room was at the end of the corridor. Yanni was amazed how the top floor was immersed in silence. The party downstairs was still going and she knew that some women weren’t planning to go to sleep at all.
Yanni didn’t get much sleep the night before and she was still pretty aroused. She couldn’t stop thinking about her earlier encounter with James.
She walked past several doors when she heard deep laughter to her right. She stopped, passing the ajar door to the large open-plan bedroom. Sudden waves of energy lifted the hairs on the back of her neck. Normally, Yanni didn’t snoop around, but she sensed some sort of strange magic.
She approached the door on her tiptoes, and peeked through the darkness, seeing someone standing further down. A heartbeat of silence passed, and for a second, Yanni was convinced that she was hallucinating. Inside the room was her stepmother, Ruth. She stood in front of a large mirror, looking furious.
Yanni swallowed hard, unable to move, as if time itself had been stopped. She didn’t expect to see her stepmother in the manor at all. James was adamant that all guests arrive together and apart from staff, no one else had access to the manor. Yanni didn’t understand any of it. Her heart skipped a beat. Ruth seemed engrossed in her own reflection in the mirror. Then a misty fog started evaporating, changing into a thick purple smoke when Ruth’s voice commanded…
“Mirror, mirror on the wall. You must tell me; will James ever be mine?”
Yanni parted her lips, trying to understand what was going on. The magical energy rushed down her spine. The moonlight was streaming into her room, and Yanni told herself to remain still. Suddenly, her stepmother’s reflection in the mirror vanished. Yanni had never seen anything like it, then the mirror filled with smoke and another woman’s voice spoke.
“Oh, darling sister, just cut the crap. We both know that Snow White is much more beautiful than you. She has youth working to her advantage and you were never able to compete with her.”
Ruth clenched her fists and started pacing around the room. Yanni backed away towards the wall, her heart was pounding. She didn’t understand how Ruth could be speaking to a mirror. It was some sort of magic—she was a witch.
A moment later, Ruth lifted a goblet like she was ready to smash her mirror. Yanni glanced around the remote corridor, making sure that there was no one else around. Maybe her stepmother had lost her mind. She couldn’t have slipped inside, passing all the maids and servants.
“We both know what will happen once you destroy the mirror, sister. Your magic will be lost forever,” the voice in the mirror added, laughing out loud. The woman’s voice was very similar to Ruth’s, but a little deeper. Yanni tried to remember if her stepmother had a sister, but her mind was blank. She didn’t know much about Ruth’s family and she’d never introduced anyone to her father. Then she remembered what Ruth had said after she slaughtered the deer.
Over the years, Yanni had suspected that her stepmother practised witchcraft, but she always told herself magic wasn’t real. Now, she knew better, and that night in the forest only confirmed it. Once, long ago, she walked into her chamber with an armload of spell books and several different flasks. Yanni never asked Ruth about it, but now everything was beginning to make sense. Yanni suspected that her stepmother must have impersonated one of the guests, and that’s how she was able to get inside the manor.
“Shut up, Mary. Snow White is just a little girl. We both know that she can’t compete with me. I’m the Queen and I’ll remain one forever!” her stepmother shouted. “I don’t even know what that little brat is doing here. James is mine. We belong together and I will be his wife.”
The mirror laughed and fear lanced through her. She thought about Ruth planning to poison her, but now her obsession with James worried Yanni even more.
“I’m sorry, Sis, but according to my inner eye, James III is going to marry Yanni. I can see how their connection is forming already. Snow White is the legitimate Queen of Tyndil. You’re no one,” the mirror shouted back, laughing.
Her stepmother was now trembling with anger, and the vein in her neck pulsated dangerously fast. Yanni was surprised that she was so reckless, but she must have forgotten to lock her door. She should have been glad. The Ice King was going to end up with her, but the mirror’s prophecy didn’t make her feel any better.
Ruth’s appearance could complicate things and now she knew that Yanni had been there for days.
“Your inner eye is wrong. Go away. I need some time to think about what to do next,” Ruth barked and the fog filled the reflection in the mirror. A moment later, Ruth was staring at her own reflection.
Yanni wanted to leave, but then she noticed that her stepmother began to change. Her hair colour turned into a dark brown, and the shape of her face transformed. It was longer and broader along the sides. Ruth changed into Sarah—the woman that the Ice King met in the tavern. Now everything was crystal clear. Ruth must have done something to the poor girl, and used her magic to take on her appearance. Then she went away to meet the Ice King in the tavern.
Anger lashed out through Yanni’s system. She quickly left corridor near her stepmother’s room and finally located her bedroom.
She paced around, wondering what to do. James would show up on this floor at any second and Yanni di
dn’t want him to be trapped under Ruth’s spell. His magic couldn’t have protected him because she had deceived him once before.
Maybe in the past, she had been blind thinking that Ruth was on her side. Obviously, that was never the case. Her stepmother wanted her dead and she had always been in love with James.
She heard someone’s steps in the corridor and then placed her ear next to the door. It looked like Ruth decided to go back downstairs, taking back Sarah’s appearance. Yanni was still in shock, but she was too exhausted to worry about her stepmother. Her father had always told her if she was worried about something, to sleep on it and the next morning her mind would be fresh with new ideas. That’s exactly what she planned to do. She took off her large dress, stepped into the nighty that one of the maids had left on her bed and slipped under the covers.
Her thoughts were racing, but Yanni was so exhausted that she fell asleep pretty much straight away, dreaming about James and her wild fantasies.
The next morning, the entire party returned to the castle, but without Sarah or Ruth. She didn’t show up during breakfast and Yanni asked around, but no one seemed to know what happened to her. The room upstairs was empty and the magical mirror on the wall was missing.
Yanni didn’t ask James, suspecting that he must have been under Ruth’s charm too. The next day, most of the guests were gone and few others were arranging transport back to their kingdom. Yanni was still unsure about what to do. She wanted to head back to Tyndil, but things with James were still unresolved.
The Ice King had been busy lately, and no one had seen him during meals. Two days after their steamy encounter in the stables, Yanni was sitting alone reading a book. Luciano had mentioned a few hours earlier that James had several official visitors and he had to take some time out to take care of matters within his kingdom.