Page 40 of Wicked Prince of Frost

“I’m sorry, I wanted to explore a bit… is that not allowed?”

She frowns. “You have been gone for two hours.”

The palace must be larger than I realized. How could so much time have passed?

“Anyway, now that I have found you, I will show you to your rooms.” Iseul gestures toward the south gate with both hands.

We don’t see another living being on the way to the Southern Court.

“Please don’t tell the prince or Mingi that I lost you tonight,” she pleads.

“Is Mingi your senior?”

She pulls a face, sticking out her tongue. “Demons, no!”Iseul makes a show of shuddering. “He’s my brother, and he would never let me live it down after I’ve begged him to pull some strings to help me get this position.”

My brows rise. “You did?”

She slaps a hand over her mouth before leaning in. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that… I know it’s terrible to abuse his position that way, I hate working in those stuffy kitchens. I want to do something I know I’m good at,” she rambles, everything coming out in a single breath. “Being the personal handmaid to the future queen is the most important job in the entire palace, and after what my brother said about you, I just know we will be best friends!” Iseul’s dark eyes shine with excitement as she talks.

I can’t help but smile at her cheerful nature. She appears to be close in age to me, but with the fae ability to glamour, it’s impossible to know for sure. Most of all, I am glad to know our positions here won’t have any bearing on our friendship, even if my marriage to Prince Joon was real.

“What did your brother say about me?”

“Well,” she says, pausing to look around before ushering me into the main room of my personal quarters and closing the door behind us. “He was irritatingly vague about it all, but did mention that the prince has been acting differently for several days before the Choosing and thinks it has something to do with how you don’t let him bully you.”

She might not think me brave if she knew the reason I feel safe enough to stand against a prince.

Iseul brings a hand up to the side of her face, even though we are alone, and whispers, “Mingi wasnotpleased to give me this assignment, so I think the prince personally requested me this time—that has to mean something, right?” By the end, she’s practically bouncing on her toes, giddy over whatever she thinks thatsomethinghappens to be.

In some ways, Iseul reminds me of Talya. It will be nice to have an ally here. She will undoubtedly bring a lot of cheer to everything.

“I should let you rest now, but if you need anything, I am staying in the rooms down the hall. Oh, and if you ever get hungry, the kitchen staff will gladly sneak you one of their delicious pastries,” she says on her way out the door.

Her absence leaves the room too quiet for my liking.

I startle and bolt upright in bed, wondering what woke me. Outside, the mournful howl of wind accompanies the patter of ice tapping against the window.

Another unseasonable winter storm?

I lower my legs off the edge of the mattress, feeling the familiar ache in every inch of my body that tells me that this is no natural squall.

I go to the window and pull back the curtains. Tiny shards of frozen rain whip through the air, while above, the stars twinkle free of the obstruction of clouds.

The large, pale body of a dragon rises into the sky, curling and weaving. The beast circles the capital city outside the palace walls, then turns inward and releases a roar so powerful I feel it down to my marrow.

Two glowing blue eyes land on me, and the Winter Dragon stills. I’m rooted in place. Gradually, the storm dies down, and I realize it’s coming closer. My chest tightens, squeezing painfully, the first warning sign of an episode.

I drop down and crouch below the window, pressing my back to the wall as I cover my ears and squeeze my eyes tight.

Breathe,Violet. Joon promised to keep me safe.Breathe. Just breathe.

I repeat the command over and over in my head, even after my pulse returns to normal.

CHAPTER TWELVE

VIOLET

A handon my knee shakes me awake, though I don’t remember falling asleep. I open my eyes in time to see Iseul shove Mingi to the side, sending him sprawling onto his side.