Page 15 of The Prince and the Ice King

Thank goodness.Reardon had worried he might be put on display.

That feeling reignited, however, once they reached the grand ballroom opposite the main entrance that had been turned into a banquet hall with tables to fit everyone in the castle. There didn’t seem to be any hierarchy to it, other than the lone table at the very back on a sort of stage with an intricate chair in the center and several smaller but elegant chairs framing it.

The king and his elementals were not yet there, but everyone else was, and all two hundred some pairs of eyes turned to look at Reardon as he and Barclay entered. Barclay hadn’t let go of his hand the entire way, and for that, Reardon was grateful, clinging tight as his friend led him to one of the center tables and they took two empty seats.

On Reardon’s other side was the dark-skinned woman who’d asked if he’d “buggered any boys,” and across from them was the half-elf with curiously bright and mismatched clothing.

“Aren’t we lucky you know our little fortune-teller,” the woman said, as everyone else murmured and continued to gawk at Reardon. “Shayla. Thieving. Forty-five years.” She held out a hand, sporting fingerless gloves and black-painted nails.

Reardon tried to accept the hand as he would a noble lady, to which she laughed and put her hand in his with a shake. “S-sorry,” he stammered. “But… thieving? Forty-five years?”

“It’s customary to introduce yourself with the crime that sent you here and how long you’ve been in the castle,” Barclay said.

“Oh.”

Forty-five?Shayla didn’t look any older than Reardon or Barclay, yet she’d been here for decades.

Widow Caitlin was there as well, beside the half-elf, giving Reardon a calculating stare.

“Nigel.” The half-elf waved. “Charlatanry. One hundred and seventy… oh who knows anymore. Two maybe? You’re a fun addition.” He laughed when Reardon held out a hand to him as well, and he stood to accept it—which showed the jeweled dagger on his belt.

“That’s mine.” Reardon reached for it, but Nigel pulled away to reclaim his seat.

“Ridiculous. I’ve had this dagger for ages.”

“You most certainly have not—”

A bell chimed, and the din of the room instantly quieted. An unseen door opened behind the head table, permitting the elementals in order—Liam, Zephyr, Branwen, Josie, and finally, the Ice King himself, who brought with him a wave of cool air that made everyone shudder.

Jack.

The names, so human, did not fit such mystical creatures.

The Ice King took his seat, frosting it ever so slightly, as if the control the others had with nonliving things was less possible with him. His sister and Branwen each sat next to him, with Liam and Zephyr in the chairs farther down. They were a sight all together, like something out of a storybook or fantastic dream.

That’s when Reardon realized that all the tables were laden with food—game, vegetables, cheeses, and bread. He was ravenous, but he’d been so distracted by the eyes on him, he hadn’t let his attention wander or his mouth salivate.

But unlike the feast before him, the head table had nothing.

“They can’t eat,” Barclay whispered. “Not like that.”

“Then how do they…?” Reardon started to ask but thought better of it. Everyone was waiting for the king to speak.

Once the room was still, the Ice King stood, large and looming above everyone. “Another year, another sacrifice,” he bellowed. “But as you know, we were robbed of that sacrifice today, for the prince of the Emerald Kingdom deemed usunworthyand released the offering to escape into the wilds.”

Reardon hadn’t deemed—

“Make no mistake,” the king continued before Reardon could protest, “he is not a replacement. He is not a guest. He is here by my grace alone, and it will not be lasting. He wishes to change your fates, and so I ask you now, so he can have part of his answer early.

“Would you return to the Emerald Kingdom if given the chance?”

“Never!”

“No, my king!”

“We serve you, always!”

A resounding chorus rose up, and Reardon shrank in on himself as the voices grew and more and more of them cried out to say the same.

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