“Lady Enchantress,” he greeted. He stood too close to her, invading her personalspace.
Rather than shrink, Angelique laughed airily and tossed her long hair over her shoulder, flicking the tips into his face. “You honor me, King Torgen, for as I said in my greeting, I am only an enchantress-in-training—anapprentice.”
King Torgen’s eyes had a mad, feverish light to them. “Oh, I amperfectlyaware of who you are.” He gestured into the castle. “Come.”
Angelique followed him inside, ignoring her sense of self-preservation that screamed she was entering enemy territory. “Though officially I am here to give you my congratulations, I was wondering if I could bother you to see the royal throne room? I have heard the lore that it possesses a decorative glass throne that was originally forged for the SnowQueen.”
“Is that why you are really here?” King Torgen said, his voice a throaty growl. “I imagined it was because you intended to poke your nose into my country’s business.Again.”
Angelique blinked in genuine confusion. “I’m certain I don’t know what you’re talkingabout.”
King Torgen led the way through the wide, spacious halls of his castle. “I am well aware it was you who sent the cursed Arcainian princes and princess here lastyear.”
“Yes, I did.” Angelique slightly furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to discern the king’s bodylanguage.
He walked quickly, as if he was jerked along on strings, and whenever he smiled at her, something inside of hercurdled.
“They came here to seek sanctuary from dark magic, but I don’t understand how that meddles in your business,” Angelique said.Besides the fact that you almost burned the princess alive because you’re amadman.
“It affects me because I meant to find whoever sent them here and have them pay arestitution,” King Torgen said. “But I can’t very well order the capture and torture of a mage, can I? Particularly when that magic user possesses warmagic.”
Angelique’s magic flooded her body unbidden, and for once she was grateful for the cool blast of power. The way the king paced and eyed her was starting to increasingly remind her of a rabidanimal.
The king marched for a set of double doors without pausing, and two servants standing just outside them scrambled to pull them open before the king barreled straight intothem.
Angelique glanced back over her shoulder, and as Stil had predicted, more and more squads of soldiers slunk into the hallway, remaining on hand to protect their mad king ifnecessary.
You better make this plan worth it,Stil.
Angelique smiled at the soldiers, then followed King Torgen into the throneroom.
Though the Verglas Palace tended to be more beautiful in its practicality, the one exception was the throne room. It was located on one of the highest floors of the castle so it could overlook Lake Sno the glacier-fed lake that abutted the palace. One wall of the throne room was made almost entirely of glass, allowing the beautiful view of the lake, while the opposite wall contained silver-glass and gold-work crafted to resemble a Verglas winterscene.
King Torgen’s throne was carved of wood and placed on a marble dais, but there was a second throne crafted of glass that had been shaped to resemble a chair made of ice. This second throne was located farther back in the room, and instead of facing the entrance of the throne room, it was positioned to take advantage of the giantwindow.
If she hadn’t been overly aware of the king stalking back and forth behind her, Angelique might have enjoyed themoment.
“It is beautiful.” Angelique broke the silence as she studied the glass throne. “And a proper monument to the Snow Queen. Its purity reflects her unflinching desire for justice and to do what wasright.”
King Torgen snorted as he passed her and strolled up to his throne, plopping down in it with a generaldisregard.
Angelique risked another peek over her shoulder. Only a few of the guards had entered the throne room.I want them all inside, rather than out and listening for any odd noise Stil might make. I guess it’s time to poke thebear.
She tried to adopt an air of sternness as she looked out through the window, at the beautiful Lake Sno which reflected the orange rays of the rising sun. “I know you have taken Gemma Kielland against her will and are forcing her to marry you.” She turned around to stare down King Torgen, taking care to keep her expression and body languageunflinching.
A cruel smile edged its way onto King Torgen’s lips, and he leaned forward almost eagerly. “Oh?”
He twitched his fingers, and Angelique could hear the quiet footfalls of more soldiers filing into the throne room behindher.
Got him—well, I’ve got the distractionanyway.
She licked her lips and refused to drag her gaze away from the mad king, even though her spine shivered from the many eyes fastened on her back. “You should releaseher.”
“No.”
“It is an abuse of yourposition.”
King Torgen laughed—a high-pitched, unhinged sound. “So says a mage,hmm?”
