A bridge led to the road from the main iron gate, towering over the lake, and two wide arches were underneath, allowing boats passage. The northern lights danced in vibrant colors in the sky, even during the day, and the lake reflected their radiance.
Tears prickled my eyes, and I gasped when Jack’s palm slid against mine. “Jack, it’s—” Pausing, I squeezed his hands, fumbling in my mind for the right word. “—breathtaking.”
“And now, it’s your home, Sylvaria.” Jack kissed my cheek while swirling an arm around us, conjuring our outfits from the solstice ball. “Can’t have the queen arrive at her castle for the first time naked now, can we?”
Blushing, the new warmth pooled in my cheeks. “If you hadyourway.” I arched a wicked brow at my mate.
Jack chuckled and pulled me to his side by my hip. “I’m far too jealous of a male for all that business.”
“At least you admit it,” I said with a sparkling grin.
Patting my waist, he took my hand and tugged me. “Let me show you where the ceremony will take place and your coronation quarters.”
“Coronation quarters?”
Dragging his knuckles lightly over my cheek, he gave me a warm smile like he kept forgetting I didn’t come from the same walk of life as him. “It’s where you’ll bathe, dress, and have your hair and wings prepped.”
My wings perked at that before flapping. “My wings?”
“Of course. They deserve to be dolled up like the rest of you for your coronation because much like you—” Jack reached behind me, dragging a finger down the seam separating my wings and making me moan. “—they’re gorgeous.”
With a grin, I turned to face him, encircling my arms around his neck. “Why don’t you make it faster andtakeus there?”
“Whatever you desire, my queen.” Jack gave a flash of canine.
My life was already a fairy tale, considering I lived in a magical town full of mystical monsters, creatures, and beings. The Winter Kingdom, I now realized, was mytruefairy tale, and Jack was my king on a snow-white horse.
In a flurry of snow, we appeared in a vast hallway. Snow piles lined the walls, edging up near each stained-glass window. Crystal chandeliers with hanging beads and gold accents hung between each window. Ornate grey archways hung down the length of the hallway with Nordic scrolling carved into the stone. The floor was shiny azure marble, with the same intricate carvings etched within it.
“Is this where the coronation will be?” Jack let me slip from his grasp, and I turned circles, my skirt twirling with me as I marveled at it.
“No. This would be the main hallway. Hardly a spot for a ceremony.” Jack watched me for a beat, folding his muscular arms over his chest, his glacial eyes glinting at the sight of me.
Gliding toward him, I pressed my hands to his chest and beamed. “Show me.”
Jack kissed my knuckles and led us through several more hallways. We passed several people, all with the same fae-pointed ears like me and Jack. They were dressed in the same color schemes of white, silver, and pale blue. No one wore the midnight blue of Jack’s royal ensemble, and I assumed that shade was reserved for the king alone. The people smiled and whispered to each other, bowing whenever we passed them and returning straight back to chattering.
Leaning closer to Jack, I whispered, “I assume all the chatter surrounds my arrival?”
“Yes, Snowflake. Not only have they never seen a future queen, but also never a winter faerie.” Jack trailed his finger around the top edges of one wing, making them vibrate in response.
Stifling a groan from the zing of pleasure swirling in my core from that one fleeting touch, I tightened my grip on his hand. “If you wish me to keep on ceremony, you’d better stop touching my wings like that,Jakzair.”
“You’re right,” he responded, pressing his lips to my ear. “That’s for later.”
His chilly breath, mingling with the minty, snowy scent of him, drew another groan from my throat. All of it whooshed away; no sooner had we stepped into an enormous room. An altar stood at the back, with a dozen white marble stairs leading up to it and a single silver throne at its center. White Corinthian columns circled the throne area, accented with gold. More sapphire-stained-glass windows served as a backdrop, extending to the ceiling. Larger Corinthian columns bordered the room, the leaves at the top interlaced with metallic gold. A swooping archway hung over the stairs at the front of the altar, and the floor was like cerulean glass—transparent and glossy with those same Nordic knot patterns.
“I-I don’t know what to say,” I breathed out, staring at the ethereal surroundings.
Jack pressed a hand to the small of my back, guiding me forward. “I’m glad you like it. I know there’s only one throne, but I wanted to surprise you with yours during the coronation. It’ll be right beside mine, bothcentered.”
“Surprise me?” I asked, my voice cracking.
Jack brushed a tear that had started to fall down my cheek with his thumb. “I can’t thank you enough for making such an important decision so quickly. It would have taken centuries to overcome the ache of losing you after finding you. To know you were out there, and I could never be with you.”
“Jack.” Tracing my fingers through his beard, I stroked the tip of his ear. He nuzzled his cheek against my palm. “You don’t need to thank me. I’m thankful fate brought me to the Cove. I not only got a new family and new friends, but ones who finally accepted me. And best of all?” Rising to my tiptoes to bring our faces closer, I pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. “It brought me mymate. Something I never thought I’d ever have.”
Jack rested his forehead against mine, his nose drifting through my hair, inhaling me. A guttural growl bubbled in his chest, bits of his ice creature poking through his forehead. The icy cold of it alerted me, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.
