Page 5 of Of Snow and Sapphire

“Not tonight.” Zimyn waved them off. He needed to rest. The next month would be full of preparation for the Undertaking, and he had to stay focused.

Like the rest of the court, no one knew what Ludelle would face as Queen. It would all be revealed the day of the Undertaking to her and the rest of the court, meaning Ludelle needed to be ready for anything. Only the minister Sveta was privy to that knowledge, as she served as an agent to the Weather Gods. The information would be brought down to her in a dream. She loved to speak about how she was “the hand that did their bidding”—whatever that meant. Her turquoise eyes shined brighter on the days after the dreams, as if the Gods rewarded her for her work with even more beauty, as if they hadn’t already blessed her with such commanding beauty already. Ultimately, people respected Balvan more, since he had political power that directly impacted the court.

“Come on, Zi. You’re as tense as a bowstring,” Novus said.

“I really shouldn’t.”

Another one of his guards, Flix, came up from behind him, practically pushing him down into a chair and a cold drink into his hand. It made his mouth water. Not because of the taste, but because of how it could numb his mind.

“I need to speak with you, Flix,” Zimyn said as he shoved the drink back to his friend and pointed toward his room. Flix nodded, setting the drink aside, where another guard swiped it up and gulped it down before Zimyn could even blink.

Zimyn’s room was nothing special. A bed, a desk, a dresser. His belongings were minimal, but he liked it that way. It would mean less to carry once he started traveling.

He had made the decision to finally leave months ago. Naive, he thought he could handle being Ludelle’s secret lover, but as the Undertaking approached and as Balvan pushed her to wed one of the nobles, Zimyn couldn’t take it. He would be stepping down.

Flix flopped back onto Zimyn’s bed and crossed his arms behind his head. “What can I do for you?”

Zimyn sat down and kicked his feet up on his desk, the icy furniture not even denting under the pressure.

“I have a favor.”

“Oh?” Flix straightened. “I hope it comes with lots of ale.”

The opposite, Zimyn thought. “It’s a promotion. I want you to take over as Captain.”

Flix stopped smiling. The blur of alcohol must have worn out. “I’m lost. You’re Captain already.”

“I’m leaving after Lud—Queen Ludelle’s Undertaking. I need a replacement.”

“Why?”

Zimyn shrugged. “I have my reasons. Ones that I rather keep to myself.”

“Then why me?” Flix pushed.

“You’ve known the Queen as long as me. You two have your own bond, and I know you’ll keep her safe.”

Zimyn picked up his mother’s ring from the drawer of his desk. The silver band was simple, the inside engraved with his name. It was a way to always have him with her, she would say. He always hid it in his room because he was scared of losing it if he carried it on him. But now, he would give it to Ludelle when he left, so she would still always have a piece of him with her.

“I accept.”

Zimyn whipped his head up. He expected more of a fight from Flix, but perhaps he understood why Zimyn needed to go; and from the way Flix’s eyes caught on the ring, it was evident he did.

“One condition,” Flix said. Zimyn quirked one of his brows. “You have a drink with us tonight—to celebrate.”

“All right,” he relented after a moment’s hesitation. “Just this one.”

They exited Zimyn’s room and the guards cheered when he chugged down his first ale, the bitter liquid sliding smoothly down his throat. Already, he could feel the effects on his brain, the way the world was just a bit fuzzier. For one night, he could forget about responsibility. Forget about Ludelle’s white eyes, the way they beckoned him closer—even as they were the very reason he had to leave. And most important of all, forget that he would never be able to be hers.

“Rough night?”

“What?” he barely babbled out, shaking his head in the process as his vision cleared.

“You are turning green.” Ludelle said, cutting her poached egg. The yolk ran down her bread, and the sight churned his stomach.

“I slept poorly is all.”

Ludelle leaned back in her chair. It was just the two of them in the small private dining room connected to her room, with maids coming in and out to serve her breakfast. Balvan would be joining her later to badger her about her Undertaking again, Zimyn supposed.

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