Page 37 of Wicked Prince of Frost

“With conversation, I mean,” I add, batting my lashes.

I think I will delight in perplexing him every chance I get.

His shoulders relax slightly.

I suppose he is not in the mood for teasing. As tempting as it is to ask him what he’s doing and why he must do something unpleasant, I keep my curiosity to myself.

“While I am gone, you may explore the grounds as you like. There are wards set up to keep wild demons from infiltrating the palace. Some still manage to slip past on occasion. For your safety, I ask that you be mindful to staywithin the covered areas after sunset, where there are additional wards.”

With that, he is on his feet in a single, fluid motion. He dips his chin then strides toward the door, pausing at the threshold to look back.

“If you wish, we can discuss the…” the prince hesitates before continuing, “extent of yourinvolvementwhen I return.”

It’s not long before I grow bored waiting for Iseul. She probably has more important things to do than babysit a human.

I pace the large room. There is a lack of personal and sentimental items in the open that could tell me more about the man I married. No tokens or souvenirs serve as reminders of cherished memories. Nothing that appears to be a gift of any kind from a loved one.

Snooping through his things would be wrong… although he did barge his way through my house without consideration of my privacy. Perhaps a closer look wouldn’t hurt—as long as I avoid anything too personal.

The room is separated into sections laid out identically to mine, though obviously larger. The side door to the right is a room with a long, low-leg desk for studying and shelves along two walls filled with handbound books.

Sitting down at the desk, I take a pen and write a short message on the corner of a piece of paper in small script. I make sure to put everything back where I found it before moving on to the other room opposite this one.

The prince’s sleeping chamber is as impersonal and cold as the other two rooms. His wardrobe is perfectly organized andpredictably boring. An oil lamp on the nightstand is the only thing close to a decorative item in the room.

The bed takes up a good portion of the space and is larger than any individual could possibly need. I flop onto the mattress. Even stretching my arms and legs as far as I can, I still can’t reach the edges.

And it’s comfortable too. Easily ten times more so than my own. It would be easy to close my eyes and sleep until morning.

If he complains, I’ll just say something about us being married,I think as I reach for a pillow to curl up.

The back of my hand bumps against a hard object. Lethargy leaves my body at the contact. Sitting up, I move the pillow aside and find a small, lacquered box made from black oak that fits in the palm of my hand. A dragon with a long body curling around every side is carved onto the surface.

I lift the lid. The inside is covered in padded silk, cradling a white pearl.

No, not a pearl. A stone.

How odd.Why in the Otherworld would he have this, and hidden under his pillow no less?

A prickle of unease dances along my spine. For some reason, I feel like I stumbled across something far more personal than I intended to find.

I carefully tuck it back under the pillow, then return to his desk. Helping myself to another piece of paper, I quickly scribble a note to Iseul, telling her that I’ll be wandering around the nearby covered areas, then leave it on the table in the sitting area so she can easily find it.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

VIOLET

The palace is sectionedoff into five areas. It’s far from the closed-off, dreary castle with high, looming towers of my imagination. The Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western, and Central Courts are separated by walls the height of an average fae man. From what I’ve seen, they have similar features.

Wide, windowed corridors connect buildings throughout each court. Outdoor paths meander between buildings, through gardens, and along a wending stream that passes through each court.

After a while, I end up in the Central Court. Those who pass either bow or nod in acknowledgment as they hurry along their way.

The massive Temple Tower, situated in the palace's very center, is the only structure that rises several stories above ground level.

Plants, manicured to perfection, grow along the outdoor paths. A stream flows through the grounds and under walkways. It connects the courts by passing below the walls that would otherwise keep them entirely separate.

Since arriving, I have caught glimpses of the extensive outdoor gardens, but only now, as I wander the wide, windowed corridors, do I notice the entrances to them in the spaces between buildings. They are covered in glass domes that become invisible as night falls. Lanterns have been strung up, bordering the footpaths and low stone bridges that hover inches over the water’s surface.