I shot one last look over my shoulder before we left the throne room, and saw Charlotte standing in the crowd of Jotun, looking lost. Then I spotted Erik moving through the crowd toward her. Thank god, he could take her back to our room. I’m still not sure if I can remember all the twisting passages and corridors to get back there.

            We came to a split in passage before us, and the Queen led us to the right, the servants struggling to keep up with her and carry the heavy fur train. The procession stopped at a high arched doorway and the Queen turned to the servants and flicked a hand in dismissal.

            “Go get fresh tea ready for us.”

            They bowed and backed away, skirting around me. Queen Eira turned, “Come dear, I’ll show you the parlour.”

            I followed her into the spacious, high ceilinged room. It was about half the size of the training room, and still astonishingly huge for a parlour. The icy walls were decorated with colorful tapestries with woven depictions of pale warriors in battle against dark warriors. I moved closer to one, studying the faces of the light warriors, who were made to look almost angelic. Not so the dark ones. They had horrible grimaces on their faces and blood on their mouths. Obviously meant to show how evil they were.

            The Queen sat down on one of the white sofas, skirts rustling, “I see you admire the weaving. Beautiful work, is it not?”

            I nodded and made an appreciative noise in my throat, even though I didn’t think much of it. Queen Eira continued, “These are all depictions of the great battle,” her voice sounded sad, “there were so many lives lost. Including my daughter, Amora.”

            I turn around, heart in my throat. Would she tell me about Amora, the girl I was named for? I wanted to ask her a million questions. What had she been like? How did she die? But the open grief on the Queen’s face gave me pause. She didn’t seem one to indulge in a lot of emotions, so it obvious still effected her deeply.

            Her voice trembled a little, “The fire jotun took my daughter from me.” One gloved hand gripped the surface of her skirts, twisting the fabric, and her voice was tight. She looked up at me and her gaze softened a little, “and that’s why you and your friends are here. Why you are so important.”

            My voice is barely audible, “Why?”

            The Queen paused as the door opened and a pair of servants came in. They set down a silver tea pot and two cups and swept out of the room silently. She beckoned me to sit down, and I chose the straight backed chair in front of her, “I’m going to tell you something,” the Queen’s voice was low and urgent, “that you must not tell anyone right now. Not unless I tell you to. Especially don’t tell my son, Lief. He mustn’t know until the time is right.” She took a deep breath, looking as though she was steeling herself, and I leaned forward in my chair as she continued, “When I sent out those men to breed with the human females, I sent my husband, the king out as well.” She shut her eyes and rubbed her forehead, “you see, we both knew he was ill. He wasn’t going to live long. I’d already had Lief then, from…from a different man, a lover. But I knew of his temper, his rashness, and I wasn’t content to leave my kingdom to him. I needed another heir, but by then I was barren. Unable to conceive. So before my king died he went forth and mated with a human woman.”

            I could hardly hear her over the thrum of my heart in my ears.  The blood rushed to my face, and my cheeks prickled. My mind raced to catch up with the information, “you mean…”

            Queen Eira nodded, “your mother.”

            I sat back in the chair. It felt like the room was spinning, and it was hard to catch my breath. “I don’t…I can’t…” my tongue tripped over the words.

            Queen Eira leaned forward and clasped my hand. Again, I marveled at how cold her skin felt. Her fingers were long and thin, but surprisingly strong.

            “I know it’s hard to wrap your mind around, Amora. But this battle cannot be fought without you. You will lead our army into battle, and avenge the many soldiers we lost. You will take down the fire kingdom one black stone at a time.” Her aqua colored eyes were on mine, and there was a distant light in them. At that moment I realized she wasn’t seeing me anymore, she wasn’t talking to me anymore. I had become her dead daughter.

            Swallowing hard, I nodded. Not daring to contradict her. Her eyes, which I had thought were mesmerizing back in the throne room, now scared me. There was a mad light in them. Perhaps years of mourning her daughter had cracked her icy exterior and allowed for madness to creep in.

            Abruptly she let go of my hands, and the light in her eyes faded a little. She blinked and pressed one thin, white hand to her forehead. Then she sat up, ramrod straight on the sofa , eyes fixed on me again, “I have given orders already, tomorrow your training begins.”

            “Training?” I asked, feeling nervous, “what training?”

            She raised a brow and smiled tightly, “Your battle training of course. You will report to the training room at nine sharp tomorrow. Lief will be waiting for you.”

            “Lief…” a hard knot of dread was forming in my chest. Lief was going to train me to fight? He was more likely to stab me with a sword when I wasn’t looking. I hesitated, “I don’t think…I don’t think he likes me.”

            The Queen’s smile was hard, “he’ll have to get over it. He’ll be fine.” She waved her hand in curt dismissal, and I went silent. My mouth was dry and my stomach churned. Sure, Prince Lief would be okay. But would I?

            Queen Eira leaned forward and surprised me by brushing one finger over my cheek, “You look so much like her. Blood of my blood. I’m so glad you’re finally here.” She stood up, and her fur cape slid off the sofa and pooled onto the floor. “You may go now, child. Good luck with your training tomorrow. I will see you at the lunch banquet.”

            A clear dismissal. I thanked her hesitantly, dipping my head before turning - not sure if I was supposed to bow or not - and made my way out of the room. I shut the door behind me and leaned against it for a minute, shutting my eyes and breathing deeply, trying to control my queasy stomach. It was just training, it wasn’t like we would use real swords, and he was supposed to train me, not hurt me, so it would be fine. How bad could it be?

            I got lost a few times on the way to the room, but I finally found it, and shoved open one of the double doors to see Charlotte and Erik sitting on the bed. I stopped in the doorway for a second, shocked. They turned, Erik smiled and Charlotte gave me a cheerful wave, “Hey Megan!”

            I forced a smile and entered the room. It looked like they’d been on opposite sides of the bed. Just talking probably. Besides, even if I’d come in and found him on top of her, what did I care? I tried to tell myself I didn’t get a surge of jealousy thinking about Erik and Charlotte that way. There was nothing to be jealous of. He didn’t even look at me that way, and I had no right to be jealous.

            “So the Queen…” I paused, realizing that I couldn’t tell them what I was bursting to. The Queen had said not to tell anyone what she’d just told me. I wasn’t supposed to tell Charlotte that I was the descendant of the Frost king. So I find out I’m a princess and I can’t even tell anyone. How lame is that?

            “The Queen what?” Erik raised his brows, “what did she say?”

            “Um, just how much I looked like her daughter,” I shuffled my feet and tried not to look guilty. Man, I sucked at lying. “And…I have to train with Prince Lief.” The dread returned, dropping into my stomach like a rock.

            Erik grimaced, “Oh, that prick.”

            I couldn’t help grinning, “Yes, that’s exactly how I would describe him.”

            Charlotte folded her hands under her chin like she was praying, rolled her eyeballs up to the roof and did a perfect impression of Amy, “But he’s sooo hot. Isn’t he hot?”

            I laughed and came over to jump on the bed beside her, “He is good looking,” I admitted, “but I think his level of douchebaggery outweighs his hotness factor.”

            Erik made a face at me, “You actually think he’s hot?”

            I shrugged, “Well his features are perfectly symmetrical.”

            “I’d like to punch the symmetrical right out of them,” Erik growled, “I hate that guy.”

            Charlotte’s eyes were alight with amusement, “I’ve never seen you mad. What did he do to you?”

            “Nothing to me personally,” Erik glanced over at me, “he trains the younger jotun soldiers, and he’s very harsh with them. Every inch of that boy is as bitterly cold as frostbite.”

            I fidgeted with the hem of my dress, “I’m sort of…nervous. Do you think he’ll be really harsh on me?”

            Erik rubbed his chin. He tried to mask it, but his blue eyes were worried, “I don’t think so. At least, it would be foolish of him. You’re clearly the Queen’s favorite. “

            “Yeah,” I picked at the bedspread in front of me, “that’s why I’m worried. He wasn’t too happy when he accused me of being Amora.”

            Erik’s eyes widened, “He already talked to you?”

            I nodded, “In the training room, when Charlotte and I went with the other girls. He was a real treat.”

            “He was a dick,” Charlotte added helpfully. She frowned and bit her lip, and I could see she was thinking about the names he’d called her. I pictured myself going to training tomorrow and ripping Prince Lief’s throat out with my bare hands.

            “It’s okay Charlotte,” I said, forcing cheerfulness into my voice, “he’s an idiot.”

            Erik was looking from me to Charlotte, brow creased in irritation, “Obviously he said some things to you guys. Look, if he does it again, or tries anything during training, let me know. I have the Queen’s ear, and believe it or not, she doesn’t hold her bastard son in the highest regard.”

            I believed it. Remembering what Queen Eira had said about him being rash, and how she needed a different heir. Amora. Me….

            It still seemed surreal. I flopped back onto the comforter and stared at the canvas fabric of the canopy above me. Charlotte stretched a hand out and started playing with my hair, remarking idly to Erik about how white it had gotten, which set him on a long explanation about genetics, and how the frost jotun traits could take as you grew. I shut my eyes and let them talk. My mind was whirling, thinking about training tomorrow, trying to ignore the nervous butterflies in my stomach. Thinking about Queen Eira and her King. My real father.

            Did she really expect me to “inherit her kingdom” one day? Was I supposed to sit on some giant ice cube throne and yell “off with their heads”? I don’t think I could do that. I don’t think I’m capable of that. I can’t be the frost queen. I don't want to be.