Page 20 of Frozen Hearts and Death Magic

“Wow, he truly is handsome,” Mariana said.

Leah felt her stomach getting cold, annoyed that someone else was admiring Fel.

Her cousin then added, “But they say he vowed never to marry again.”

That made no sense. “What?”

“The Umbraar king never married after his wife died. You didn’t know that?”

The king, oh. He had an elegant figure, but his hair was brown, and he didn’t look much like his children, who likely resembled their mother, except for the skin tone, perhaps, or maybe Fel’s eyes, but then they were a different green. Leah relaxed knowing that her cousin was talking about the king, but then was overcome by revulsion. “Yuck. He’s old enough to be our father.”

Her cousin shrugged. “But he isn’t. And it’s a chance for a crown. Plus, he’s not even forty. That’s not old. But I’m just saying.”

Leah found it extremely awkward. “How did you even know it was him?”

“The gathering was in Greenstone last time, and he was there. I didn’t get to see anyone, but some of the waiting women spent a lot of time describing him. Green eyes, dark skin, messy brown hair, a small scar on his right cheek.”

Scar, yes, only then she noticed it. All Leah could think was that he was Fel’s father, and the idea of finding him attractive filled her with revulsion. Then she realized that her cousin would soon notice that there was another potential king right there. Despite Kasim’s warnings, the truth was that many people would consider Fel an excellent match.

And then it was as if Mariana heard her thoughts. “Wait. Is that his son? He looks like the Great Smith.”

Most of Aluria worshipped gods related to iron and smelting, the Great Smith the king of them all. Frostlake still worshiped deities related to cold, birth, and death, even if more and more the beliefs from the rest of the land were bleeding through. But what Leah hated was her cousin comparing Fel to a god. Or noticing him.

“Let’s go downstairs.” Leah pulled her cousin’s hand. “I’m sure we’ll have to enter the ballroom soon.”

As soon as she got to the bottom floor, Leah heard the first chords of Summer Dreams. She’d loved this song as a child, and this time it would be even better, since there was a full string set and percussion for the ball. She wanted to mention this to Mariana, but her cousin had already walked away. Perhaps they would talk more later, but then, it was true that the girl wasn’t exactly like Leah had imagined. But then, nobody was perfect.

Still, Leah wanted to listen to the music, so she slipped into a side door to hear it better. From across the room, her eyes met Fel’s. To her surprise, he got up and advanced toward her. Her hands felt sweaty, the room felt hot, and her heart was definitely speeding up, that stupid heart she wasn’t supposed to listen to.

He smiled when he got near her. “Good to see you.”

“I’m…” What was she even going to say? Perhaps the truth. “Happy to see you too.”

“Do you dance?”

She sucked in a breath, wondering if he was going to ask her. “Yes.”

He cocked his head, gesturing to the dance floor. “Would you like to?”

“I’d love to.”

Like that, he was holding her hand, then they were standing in front of each other and she was looking into his eyes up close. Well, a lot more up than close. Up, up, up, as he was much taller than her. His eyes were a much brighter green than his father’s, a shade she’d never seen before, but then it was true that she hadn’t seen many people from outside Frostlake. It was unfair that she wasn’t allowed to have any romantic thoughts for him, when he was obviously the best-looking prince of all kingdoms. Sure, she hadn’t seen them all, but she didn’t have to. Didn’t want to.

“Something bothering you?” he asked.

“No. Random thoughts.”

“What do I need to do to bring you here, to this moment?”

“Nothing. I am here. Glad to be dancing with you.” Perhaps it was a bold confession, but she didn’t want him thinking she was ignoring him or something.

His smile lit up his whole face, especially his already bright eyes, which were luminous and entrancing. “Then that’s another confirmation that our tastes match, Leah.”

She tried to return the smile, except that she was having trouble breathing, and she didn’t think her own smile would match his.

A hint of worry crossed his face. “Are you going to present your magic in the introduction? Is that what you’re worried about?”

“No. I mean, yes, I’m going to do it, but I wasn’t even thinking about it.” In fact, she wasn’t thinking much at that moment. She managed to laugh. “With everything that happened, I had forgotten it.” More like she couldn’t have coherent thoughts and stand in front of him at the same time.

---