How To Make The Ice Prince Fall

Outside the lounge, Nathaniel exhaled. This deception play was too difficult. How should he stay unaffected when she made such cute faces? He wanted to kiss this sweet dumb face all over!

Being affected this strongly took him unexpected, especially because cuteness had never been his preference. He liked beauty, elegance. Katherine was beautiful, too. He didn't know about elegant normally, but he could imagine her playing the elegant lady with a haughty face if he were to challenge her to it. A heavy bubbly feeling raised in his c.h.e.s.t. Now he was already feeling in paradoxes.

With a sigh, he rubbed his face. Why in the world was her cuteness able to affect him when cuteness in general couldn't? It had to be special because it was her. Because he knew her for a longer time now, had seen her vulnerable, unruly and courageous sides. They all had their own charm.

Letting her be my fake betrothed will be torture, he realized with regret. Was his health really worth this price? Maybe not. However, it was too late to take back now. He should have realized it sooner, however, he didn't think it was this bad. It seemed to only get worse as time progressed.

When Sam walked out of the lounge, Nathaniel straightened, and inspected the butler. Though Sam tried his best to be professional, the deep wrinkles around his eyes betrayed him.

"You are having too much fun seeing me in a plight.", Nathaniel commented.

The butler pursed his lips but didn't deny it. Instead he silently held out the ring box. The wrinkles around his eyes deepened even more. If it wasn't for his lord, he would have started laughing happily long ago. However, he had the inkling that he wouldn't have any time to enjoy it if he did.

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes, then he sighed and took the box. "Guess I will need to get accustomed to that disgusting smug look on your face from now on. How would anybody know a former top assassin had such a silly side." He paused, gazing at Sam seriously. "Whatever you do, don't encourage her."

"As you wish.", Sam nodded. In his eyes, Nathaniel's denial only proved that he felt something for the girl or else he would have ridiculed Sam for even thinking in this direction. Seeing that it was not the case, Sam was already very satisfied with the current development. The earl even learned to speak some more after being resurrected form the dead. Let him be for some time and he might drop that devil-facade in front of the lady. For now, Sam felt that he could focus on other things and let fate take it's course. Besides, his lords former instructions would take some time to fulfill.

.

The palace was no single building, Katherine noticed when the carriage passed the innermost city wall. One was bigger than the others, for sure, topped by the white marble dome she'd seen from far outside the city. However, there were several other buildings surrounding the highest one in their center.

Maybe it was because the dome was older, but unlike the noble houses, the pomp of the building was less blinding, giving off an reserved timeless splendor. The opulence showed only in the general grandness and the details of the statues and cravings. Every single door, every corridor looked like they'd been made for giants, letting visitors feel like they were tiny ants in comparison. Moonlight reflected on the dome, giving it a slight holy radiance.

As for the other buildings, due to them being less grand and not out of white stone like the dome, Katherine could only make out the shadows and some glittering ornaments in the dark of the night. They stood in a wide ring around the middle building with only small passages in between. She couldn't even be sure how many there were. Her conjecture was twelve, but maybe there hid a few more in the darkness of the night or out of her sight. The outline of every single one seemed bigger than the earl's mansion.

In the open space between the ring and the dome in the middle, a space big enough to fit all the noble houses of the second layer, she could vaguely make out some trees and the reflecting surfaces of lakes in the distance. The grass was graced over by frost, shimmering. It was a tranquil, but cold idyll.

The direction of the carriage changed, rolling onto the circular road connecting the ring buildings with each other. In regular distances roads would split off from the main road, either leading to the ring buildings or, in fewer cases, to the main building in the middle.

Pulling her coat closer, Katherine leaned back into the upholstery, and hid her icy nose in her fluffy white scarf. The more the night progressed, the more the temperature fell.

Hazel opposite her rubbed her hands together. In her case it was not because of the cold - she was used to the Iceland's cold weather already and wore as thick clothes as her lady. It was because of nervousness. When Katherine told her about their destination, Hazel very nearly had a mental breakdown. She never wanted to be in contact with the high society again, but now her lady was thrown right in the middle of it. For as long as a second, Hazel had wavered. Was she prepared to follow her lady back into this swamp of power abuse and intrigue? Into the society that had overlooked her bad treatment because she was a nobody?

"I can understand if you don't want to go there.", her lady had said and taken her hand. "I can help you get employed somewhere else if you prefer it. Somewhere you don't need to meet anyone noble, and can life a normal life. We could still meet once in a while."

The generousness of the lady's offer had ashamed Hazel. Her lady was always so good to her, helping her even against her own best interests. As a former slave, she always felt like she wasn't worth this kindness. She may even have a good life if she left her lady, as she could read and write fluently now. She could be a teacher or, if she preferred handicraft, she knew a bit from everything from seamstress over laundress and hairdresser up to the skills of a beautician. However, she didn't want that. If she left her lady when Katherine needed a trusted person the most, she would feel guilty for the rest of her life. Besides, this time she wasn't alone anymore. Her lady wouldn't let anyone abuse her.

So her answer had been: "I... want to go with you. Milady, I want to accompany you were ever you go."

Even now, when the grand buildings passed their carriage one by one, she knew it was the right decision. That didn't stop her from being nervous though. For the well-being of her lady, she hoped she wouldn't be too deeply involved into the power struggles of the upper class. She wished her as happy a life as possible.

Biting her lip, Hazel inspected the passing shadow houses warily. She knew it wouldn't be easy to life a happy life after entering the kings court. Here was were the center of power resided. Naturally, it was the center of corruption, too.