Page 117 of The Tsarina's Favorite
“Go on,” said the initial guard, gesturing for us to head into the building of ice, hand on the hilt of his sword in case we did not comply.
Alaina took the lead, our hands still clasped.Together, we entered the building.We turned to look upon the crowd one last time.
The carriage, now at the gates ready to leave, had the curtains drawn back.I met the tsarina’s empty gaze.Never breaking the stare, I pressed Alaina’s hand to my chest and put my other hand over it.
The tsarina’s Allemandian companion looked out over her shoulder.
Guards swung the double doors shut.A bolt fell moments after.
“At least we’re out of the wind,” Alaina said, releasing me, her breath fogging the air.“Are your wings all right?”
They hurt beyond expression, and my back cried out with shooting pain, but the sensations would be temporary.The cold, however, burned my feet and my fingers.I puffed up as much as I could and stuffed my hands under my arms to keep them functional.
“They will manage,” I assured her.
Alaina surveyed the palace interior with a scowl.She crossed the room and disappeared into a doorway.A few moments later, she came back through the foyer, crossed to the other side, and again disappeared into the other doorway.
“Some palace!”she cried when she returned to me.“There are three rooms.”
“Any windows?”
“None.”
I stamped my feet to maintain circulation.
Alaina glared at the entry hall table, also carefully carved from ice, with three playing cards frozen into the table top.
“I hate her,” she said.She grabbed the table and threw it against the wall with all the rage her little frame had bottled up.“I hate her!I hate her so much!”
Alaina then went off and proceeded to smash ice chairs, ice birds, ice console tables, ice curtains, and every other decoration that came into view until the foyer was littered with ice debris from once carefully sculpted ornaments.
I did not discourage her.Her fury and activity would help keep her warm.I hoped her rage would last all night, although if it did, she would run out of things to destroy before much longer.
“There’s a bedroom,” she spat as she came toward me, pointing in the direction of a doorway.“She thought of everything.Even little ice caps and ice nightshirts and ice quilts.Ice everything.”She grabbed my hand and tugged me in that direction.“You need to see it.You need to see what she thinks of us.”
I didn’t need more proof of the tsarina’s resentment, but I let Alaina bring me into the room designated as the bedroom.When I just stood there and gazed upon the artifacts Alaina pointed out, she screamed and threw another side table against the wall.
“See?”she shouted.
“She hates us.I know.”
“Why are you so calm?”Alaina crossed back over to me.“This is a nightmare.”
“This is a wonder tale.”
“An Allemandian one, maybe,” she grumbled.“How can you be so calm?”
“I’m not calm.I hate her more than you could know.”
Alaina grabbed one of the ice nightcaps and thrust it at me.
“Throw it,” she instructed.“It will make you feel better.”
It didn’t even though the dramatic smash against the wall should have been satisfying.
Several more pieces from Alaina followed, and though her breath came out in puffs, her cheeks reddened with exertion.Her manic, raging glee offered me a measure of hope I did not have prior.In encouragement, I pointed out other decorative elements for her to destroy.By the time she was finished, nothing but what had been built into the walls had survived.And those not for lack of trying.
She screamed at the walls several more times for good measure, and then, drained of all her furious energy, she came back to me and buried herself against my chest.I wrapped her up in my arms and rubbed her back and shoulders.She gazed up at me after several long moments.
