Page 29 of A Storm of Fire and Ice

As the Queen and King prepared the Fire Kingdom for potential war with the Ice Kingdom, a powerful and mysterious dark magic organization known as the Iron Circle invaded the Fire Castle in a surprise attack. King Tindris and his knights bravely fought to protect the royal family, but ultimately, the King lost his life in the battle.

Queen Scarlett and her eldest daughter, Aria, were never seen again. The Fire Kingdom was left to rebuild their kingdom, scared and grieving. The attack left the Fire Kingdom shattered, and it would take years to heal and recover under the governance of the Fire Council until the next monarch comes of age.

The rift between the Fire and Ice Kingdoms left a lasting impression on both kingdoms and still exists today. The fates of Queen Scarlett and Princess Aria also remain unknown.

“Shit,” I whispered, my eyes widening with every word. The silence of the library seemed to amplify my racing thoughts. First, the baby was murdered. Then, the king. And the queen and princess were still missing.

How could so much suffering befall one family?My eyes filled with tears as an unexpected wave of emotion swept over me, overwhelming in its intensity.

My fingers traced the edge of the crisp page before turning it, revealing an image of a painting with such rich, vibrant colors that it seemed to leap from the book. It was a formal portrait of the royal family, depicted in happier times, their expressions serene and regal.

Queen Scarlett’s fiery red hair cascaded down her back like a river of flame, her violet eyes piercing and powerful. King Tindris’s strong jawline and perfectly styled black hair framed his striking green eyes.

My gaze shifted to the two-year-old Aria, her shoulder-length ebony hair like her father’s and violet eyes so similar to her mother’s. But it was Baby Helia who made me gasp—her few wisps of bright red hair and emerald-green eyes . . . just like mine.

My breath caught in my throat as my fingers left the page to grasp my own red hair. I stared at the face of the baby who could’ve been my twin. Baby Helia had been born the same year as me, sharing my crimson hair and emerald eyes. “Helia” sounded a lot like “Helena” too. This couldn’t be a coincidence, could it?

Adorning the wall behind the family was a beautiful, ornate tapestry proudly embroidered with the royal crest—the same crest I recognized from my music box.

My heart ached and my hands trembled as I traced the portrait with tears streaming down my face.Was this my . . . family?

“Helena, are you crying?” Fannar rubbed my arm, concern evident in his voice.

“Look at this.” I gestured to the painting in the book, my hands still shaking. “What do you see?”

Fannar leaned closer, his brow furrowing as he studied the image. “The baby . . . She looks like you.” He looked back at me and then again at the portrait. “And so does the Queen, except for your eyes. Your eyes match the King’s.”

“Exactly! And the crest from my music box!”

“Babe,” Fannar whispered, placing a hand on my shoulder, “do you think . . . ?”

“I think I’m a fucking princess!”

Chapter Nine

Helena

AsFannarandIsat in front of her enormous mahogany desk, it was strange to see how Headmaster Moira’s office could remain spooky even with the midday sunlight streaming in. The book on Fire Kingdom history lay open to the image of the royal family, their faces eerily similar to my own. My wooden music box perched next to the book, emblazoned with the crest that matched the tapestry in the portrait.

Fannar held my hand tightly, his icy touch soothing the anxious heat within me. “It doesn’t make any sense, Headmaster,” he said. “Helena looks exactly like Baby Helia, along with her age and the crest. They can’tallbe a coincidence.”

Headmaster Moira leaned forward in her chair, her eyes scanning my face, the book, and my music box. “I have to admit, the resemblance is uncanny.” Her lips pursed to one side, as though she were piecing together a puzzle. “But Princess Helia was murdered as an infant.”

“Was she though?” Fannar asked. “I’ve known the Ice Kingdom ambassador that was accused of her murder since I was a baby. Jokull is practically my grandfather. He always swore he didn’t kill the princess. Could her death have been faked to hide her?”

“It’s very possible.” Headmaster Moira nodded slowly. “In fact, Queen Scarlett and the eldest princess, Aria, both survived.”

“What?” I gasped. “But how? The book said they were still missing and presumed dead.”

“That’s what they believed at the time the book was written,” Moira said gently. “But since then, there have been some developments regarding the Fire Kingdom’s lost royals.”

“Developments?” I asked urgently, desperate for more.

“Queen Scarlett and Princess Aria have been accounted for,” Headmaster Moira began. “It turns out that Queen Scarlett escaped with Princess Aria to the Unenchanted Realm in order to hide from the Iron Circle. Tragically, the Queen passed away six years later, leaving Aria unaware of either of their identities until her powers manifested two years ago.”

Grief and anger clawed at my heart as the loss of Queen Scarlett—my mother?—settled heavily upon me, mixing with a wave of relief knowing that at least Aria had survived. But the news left me reeling. I had a sister out there. I wasn’t alone.

“The book said the Iron Circle used dark magic,” Fannar recalled. “Could Obsidia be connected to the Iron Circle?”

---