But she was hissister.She couldn’t be evil…could she?
Though he pumped his nurse for more information than the dire warnings his parents gave him, she would say nothing on the matter.
For years, the only information he heard of his sister were whispers from gossiping servants when they didn’t know he was there.
When he was twelve, he finally learned her name—Rakel—and the shocking fact that she wasolderthan him.
Older.
It meantsheshould be the one to ascend the throne after Papa.
But she wouldn’t. She had been exiled to Ensom Peak, and Steinar knew he was being raised to rule. He had been told so as long as he could remember.
Suddenly, the stories from his childhood took on an ominous light. Did his sisterknowhe was going to rule? Did she resent him for it? On the far off day he would be crowned—when he was older and hopefully an established hero—would she break out of her prison and come swooping down the mountain to kill him?
But in spite of his fear, there was the nagging thought that she wouldn’t do such a thing. Older siblings were supposed to look out for the ones that come after them—he knew that much from his boring cousins.
Steinar spent late nights in the royal library, staring at the few dusty books that contained information on magic users with sputtering candlelight.
And though his parents rarely talked about Rakel, and when they did they spoke of her as if she were a creature to be feared, Steinar knew that they still loved her.
He saw it when he was fifteen. He was running late for his afternoon lessons with his father—who was teaching him the ins and outs of ruling—and paused outside his father’s study to straighten his tunic.
The door was open, allowing Steinar to peer inside and see his father and one of his advisors.
“But other magic users are stirring, my King,” the advisor said. “We’ve received news from other countries—whispers of a band of magic users. If they approach her, it will be disastrous. You must have her killed now to avoid such a thing.”
Steinar’s throat closed. They wouldkillRakel—kill hissister—when she hadn’t done a thing? Anxiously, he glanced at his father.
King Ingolfr was normally a serene man. Rarely did he lose his temper. As a child, Steinar always wished he would lose it more often because hehatedit when he did something wrong and his father spoke to him in a tone that said he had disappointed him. But now…he was furious.
King Ingolfr stood, his shoulders shaking with rage. He gripped the edge of his desk and said between clenched teeth. “You want me tokillmy child—tokillmy only daughter?” He was so angry he broke off and looked away. “If youeversay such a thing again—be it to me or anyone else—I will have you thrown from the palace before you take another breath.”
The advisor stammered an apology and hastily changed the topic, but Steinar had learned a valuable lesson.
Though his father feared Rakel and called her a monster…he still loved her.
Too few years later, Steinar was crowned King of Verglas.
With both of his parents gone, and feelinghorriblyyoung to rule, Steinar felt lost and alone. He forgot all about his magic/monster sister until a month after his coronation, when he received a report from Captain Halvor—the captain of the soldiers who guarded his sister on Ensom Peak.
He hadn’t even known his fatherreceivedreports on her, so he spent his nights combing through backlogs of supply lists and reports, letting his tired mind dwell on the mystery that was his sister rather than remember the gaping hole left by the death of his parents.
He still feared her. He didn’t think she was inherently evil, but the trials she had endured, the years of exile…surely that was enough to drive a person into bitterness and hatred.
But she didn’t move against him. He received report after report that recorded no change.
He wondered if he should have her brought back to the palace—back to civilization. He wanted to. He wanted to reach out to his last close family member…but he was still afraid. So he hid behind logical reasoning: if he did so, the courts would rebel, and surely the army would object. He was too young in his rule, too young to bekingto make such a risky move.
He promised himself that one day he would free her. He told himself that this was for the good of the country because he didn’t really know his sister, and it was quite possible all his daydreams were incorrect, and shewasa monster.
But, like his father who loved Rakel secretly in spite of his fear, so did Steinar.
He tripled the guard on Ensom Peak, partially because heknewhe was in the wrong and that she would be perfectly correct to seek out retaliation, but also because lately there had been cases of violence when civilians uncovered a magic user.
Rumors of magic users banding together stirred fear and unrest. There had even been a few cases of rioting mobs when enslaved magic users were seen.
And Steinar, though he had never seen her, loved his sister too much to risk such a mob coming for her.
