How To Make The Ice Prince Fall

It was obvious that Katherine was still unsure, reluctance lingering in the distance between them. Yet the hand on his told bounds about her heart. Despite everything she heard and the outbreak she had before, she wanted to soothe his pain.

A thin smile tugged on Nathaniel's lips, caused to same degrees by gratefulness and self-irony. His white lashes lowered as he wallowed in the warmth of her hand but didn't dare to take it firmly in fright she would pull away.

With a sigh, he continued his story. "Another reason why Princess Bellatrix was alive to the day of her ȧssassination, was a considerably strong recovery ability. Not as strong as yours and she couldn't use it on others, but she could not be killed instantly either. As long as she'd have had some seconds of life left in her, she could have destroyed everything in a wide radius around her."

"So, what did you do? Sacrifice the ȧssassin?" There was some sorrow for the unknown Princess in Katherine's voice, but mainly curiosity. Since she never met Princess Bellatrix personally - though same couldn't be said a selected few of the Dragsean King's innumerable other children - , it was more like a story from a book. Involuntarily, she wondered what she would've done to kill such a dangerous person... no, she would have tried to let her live instead!

"I considered doing that", Nathaniel acknowledged. "But I hate to use my people as sacrificial pawns. Luckily, I found another way and it worked out fine. Though, thinking back, this was very risky."

"Risky?", Katherine piqued up. "What was risky? Who was at risk? I thought it was mainly Ethan acting in the ȧssassination operation. Or were you in Dragsa as well?"

"Due to the enmity between the kingdoms, I never had the freedom to visit Dragsa's flowery hills and bustling streets. For a Prince, even an unknown one, it's considered rather dangerous. As for the risk in the operation, I'll come back to that later... What matters is that Princess Bellatrix was thoroughly annihilated by our method."

Strangely, despite his stony face, Katherine got the feeling that Nathaniel felt... she didn't know how to say it. Guilty? Embarrassed? Whatever it was, it didn't match his usual clear-headedness. But before she could drill into him more, he rapidly switched topics. And the more he said, the darker her face turned.

"Your cousin was the only stranger in the vicinity at the time of the Princess' death. The reports show that your parents were several miles away. Under these circumstances, the possibility that he was involved in her death was several times that of your parents'. That is why I say everyone knew. They knew that it was likely to be your cousin, but to the king of Dragsa as well as Loki, he was a far more valuable pawn than your parents. In fact, your parents refused to be anyone's pawns in the later years. They'd begun to stand up against Loki's ways, troubling them wherever they could. Since Loki and the king had an alliance, this was unnerving for both parties. Seen from their side, the death of Princess Bellatrix was a minor matter compared to the upheaval that brewed under your parents' wings.

So, they disposed of them when they had the chance to. If blaming the death of Princess Bellatrix on your parents was finally your cousin's idea, I can't tell, but one thing is for sure: even if it wasn't for the Princess' timely demise, Loki and the king would have found another reason. Your parents were a thorn in their side they badly wanted to remove."

Silence laid over the camp when Nathaniel finished. Katherine's fingers had turned into claws digging in Nathaniel's hand, yet he didn't protest. Her brows were furrowed deeply and eyes dark with anger and scorn. There was nothing left of the detachment she showed while the topic shifted to Princess Bellatrix. These were her people, her parents, and they were wrongly accused and murdered just because they were a thorn in someone's side. From the sound of it, they didn't even do anything yet.

"Despicable", she finally hissed out between her teeth. "The murderer is running free, and my parents are beheaded just because the higher ups feel like it. I doubt they would have rebelled against the king for real. They were nice people, helping everywhere they could. Their subjects were happier than anywhere else..."

Quietening down, remembered all the moments shared with her parents, the breakfasts and dinners, the rides through the woods, and this one time when she crafted a kite with her dad. Suddenly, she chuckled. "Hehe, what a joke. The king thought my harmless parents were dangerous, so he switched for a poisonous viper instead. How long will it take until Ethan is at his throat? And I doubt this 'Loki' will fare any better... Hehe, they really have no clue. This is too funny. Would be perfect if they could just tear each other apart like a band of hungry beasts! That's really what they are! Savage beasts! Devils without conscience only thirsting for this empty word - 'power'! They really are..."

"They are all...", she tried again, but stopped to tremblingly gasp for air. As if in support, warm hand gently landed at her back and stroked it, yet it only amplified the quiver like she was a glass repeatedly struck with spoon.

"All...", she croaked, stubbornly struggling against her weakness. But it was to no avail, as tears already rolled down her cheeks. Burying her head between her knees, she gasped, panted, and finally broke down.

Realizing that she was unable to talk anymore, just a rolled-up ball of pain, Nathaniel's gaze clouded with sorrow. Instinctively, he pulled her close and embraced her, pressing her head sideways against his ċhėst and rocking her gently as one would with a child. He had no words to alleviate her pain, but he knew as well that words could never be enough to make up for such a loss. Each death of someone dear would leave something hollow in the soul that could never be filled up. Yet, in time, the rests of the soul would grow bigger, and the holes would become inconspicuous in comparison. They were still there though. He felt it as well. Twenty years and he still missed his aunt.

As the night progressed and Katherine's sobs quietened down, he lifted her up in his arms and carried her to their tent. It was so dark inside that he could hardly see her face or confirm if she was still awake. Her breathing had eased.

Gently laying her down on the blankets, Nathaniel attempted to remove her arms from his neck, but she held on tightly.

"Don't you want to let go?", he murmured quietly. "I might be one of these beasts only thirsting for power as well."

There was no answer in the dark, but her arms didn't loosen. With a sigh, he sank down next to her, and, after a while, covered them with a few blankets against the cold. .

"I wonder if it was really the best for you to tell you all this...", he whispered into the night. "Just having revenge on your cousin might've been easier and more satisfying. But I don't want to lie anymore. And I wondered... I wondered if you could really accept me with all your heart if you thought I was involved in their death... or I could've done something about it... I'm too selfish again."

As the silence enveloped them, he turned onto the side and closed his eyes.. Feeling Katherine's warm breath on his collarbone, he succumbed to sleep.