Chapter 12: What Lies Beneath
By Joy Daud
The war never came.
No blood was spilled. No swords unsheathed.
The foreign kingdom that marched toward the borders came not with flame, but with flags—white, embroidered with golden leaves of peace. Their envoys bowed deeply, offering trade, alliance, and tribute.
A misunderstanding, they called it.
A test, perhaps, to see how the Frozen Kingdom would respond.
Prince Kimo had ridden to the gates without hesitation, ready to protect a kingdom that never protected him. He returned, silent, his cloak soaked from mountain rain and heart cold as ever.
Yet, the palace buzzed.
"He didn't even hesitate."
"He stood at the front. No shield."
"He's not the monster they painted him to be…"
Whispers rustled like wind through the palace halls. Guilt began to settle like dust on every tongue that once called him cursed.
But Kimo… didn't care.
Their words never mattered. Their praise now was no more real than their scorn before.
Still, their change of heart twisted the queen's lips in private fury.
---
That night, the queen summoned Oki under the pretense of needing extra help in her garden.
But as Oki walked between the glowing green flowers—enchanted, no doubt—the queen turned to her, voice syrupy smooth.
"You've grown… strange, maid."
Oki paused. "Your Grace?"
The queen smiled thinly. "I've seen the way you hover around the prince. As if you're something more. As if you have something to protect."
Oki lowered her gaze. "He is the crown prince. It is my duty to serve."
The queen stepped closer.
"But what are you, Oki?"
For a moment, the flowers trembled. A faint shimmer pulsed around Oki's feet—but she buried it quickly.
"Just a maid," she said, and turned to leave.
The queen's eyes followed her like a snake ready to strike.
---
Elsewhere, alone in his chamber, King Ryon sat before a fire long turned to ash.
A golden ring—Elira's—rested in his palm.
"She left me…" he whispered.
He looked up at the mirror, his eyes tired.
"She left him. And now he looks at me like I'm the villain."
He wiped a tear before it could fall. "I'm only trying to be strong. A perfect king. A father worthy of this crown…"
But far below, deep within the castle's secret chamber, the queen watched him through her enchanted mirror. Her laughter echoed through the room.
"Elira… Elira… after all these years, and still he weeps for you?"
Her expression twisted. "Why couldn't you just die like the rest? No. You had to leave your cursed son behind."
She laughed again. This time louder. Wilder.
"Don't worry, dear Elira. Soon, even your name will be ash."
---
That same night, Kimo passed Oki in the hall. She smiled at a passing guard, thanking him for fixing the lanterns.
Kimo's eyes darkened.
He stopped, turning back.
"Oki."
She turned. "Yes, Prince?"
He stepped close—closer than usual. His voice dropped.
"You don't have to smile at everyone."
Her brows rose. "Why not?"
"Because you belong here," he said, his tone sharper than he meant.
"Here?" she asked softly. "With you?"
Silence.
Then—"You know what I mean."
"I don't think I do."
Kimo clenched his jaw, the wind around him shifting subtly. Magic buzzed faintly beneath his skin. He didn't notice.
But Oki did.
"Are you jealous?" she asked.
He looked away.
"No."
But she saw it in his hands. The way they trembled when she spoke too kindly to others. The way he looked at her like she was the only thing holding him together—and tearing him apart.
"You don't have to be," she whispered, stepping past him. "No one else sees you the way I do."
And she walked on, leaving Kimo frozen in the corridor—his heart pounding harder than it ever had on a battlefield.
---
To be continued…