Terrin watched Elurra's desperate face vanish. She was replaced by the bleak landscape of the Land of Snow. Terrin blinked rapidly, the blinding white around him overwhelming his vision. He was shocked by the absolute lack of color. Nitiri appeared even paler than before, and she was unsteady on her feet. Her knees buckled, and she fell into the snow, clutching her head in her hands. Terrin stared at her, wondering what was happening. She groaned in pain and uttered a spell between clenched teeth.

Before his eyes, she aged. Her hair turned gray, and wrinkles appeared on her face; it was like watching a snake shed its skin. The transformation lasted only a few seconds, but Nitiri didn’t rise for what seemed like hours. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths until she was ready to stand again. When she finally stood, she gestured for him to follow her. He would have run right then if his limbs would let him, but no matter how much he urged his legs to sprint all the way back to Amora, they stiffly followed the evil woman instead.

His heart ached inside his chest. He was afraid, and he yearned to be a carefree child again. Back before his father’s murder and the prince’s assassination, when he and Elurra could roam the forest without a care in the world aside from his strict curfew.

Terrin and Nitiri made it to a frozen dirt road at the bottom of a sloping hill. The road itself was large enough for two wagons to pass by each other without causing any trouble, so he guessed they were close to a major city. Cone-shaped trees lined the lane, blocking what lay past the bend in the street. Snowflakes drifted down from the cloud-covered sky, landing on Terrin’s eyelashes and sprinkling through his hair. He knew he should be frozen stiff considering he was dressed for spring in Amora, but he couldn’t feel the biting chill. It took him only a second to assume it was the spider’s fault.

Suddenly, he remembered Elurra’s bracelet around his wrist, the snowflake charm gently bouncing against the back of his arm. So far, Nitiri hadn’t noticed it, but Terrin dreaded what would happen if she did. It was clear the bracelet was worth more than an indigent peasant like Terrin could afford, and the snowflake charm would give away its true origin. The thought of losing the bracelet made Terrin’s stomach twist painfully, and he hoped she would continue paying him little attention.

Nitiri told Terrin to stop. The old woman veered off the road and into the forest. Terrin noticed there was a well-hidden path she was following that he hadn’t initially seen. He heard a distant whinny, and Nitiri reappeared with two mares and a group of men on horseback. These horses were not like any he’d seen. They had thick legs and broad chests, like they were used to pulling heavy loads in poor weather. They were covered in a thick coat of long fur that differed from the shorthaired horses he knew. One of the mares pawed at the ground, leaving deep, uneven ruts in the snow. Terrin realized their horseshoes had spikes on them to help the beasts of burden find a grip on the ice. Nitiri guessed what he was thinking.

“You want to avoid getting kicked by a Lur Alavian horse. It normally proves to be fatal.”

Both horses were already saddled. Nitiri ordered him to mount, and his body obeyed. He had never ridden anything other than a donkey before, but thankfully, he didn’t have to do much in the way of directing. Nitiri handed the reins to one of her men.

I hope Elurra takes good care of Ramer’s donkey. He did care about the old thing, even if he insisted on not giving it a name, Terrin thought, his heart wrenching with grief.

Nitiri clicked her tongue, and the party trotted off down the road. Terrin guessed the entourage was mostly for show, but their silence unnerved him. Despite the spikes on their hooves, the horses moved with surprising silence. The snow absorbed the sound around them like a sponge in a bucket of water. Terrin found it eerie.

The men surrounding them were obviously soldiers, but they looked much different from Amorian men at arms. They wore thick leather instead of metal armor, and fur lined their helmets. After ten minutes of following the road, they trotted around a bend, and a town came into view. “Town” was probably not the best way to describe the large structures dotting the mountain ahead, but the small city was no comparison to the huge population surrounding the Amorian palace. The houses were all made from bricks of ice and stone. Fires made the frosty windows glow with warmth, and smoke curled out every chimney. People walking down the streets greeted Nitiri’s party with a bow.

Terrin was shocked the locals didn’t seem bothered by the weather. They carried on with their normal business, unaffected by the tons of snow surrounding them. Calls of merriment and greeting could be heard from people passing by, and the ring of hammers on metal echoed through the cobblestone streets, originating from an unseen blacksmith. Lur Alava was not good for much other than metal crafting when it came to trade. Ores mined from the outer islands first came through Lur Alava to be crafted into everything from candlesticks and pots to swords and armor.

After Terrin walked for half an hour, the castle came into view among the trees. He looked up at the breathtaking palace in awe. Its towers stretched into the frigid air like swans holding up their heads with pride. Gray stone obelisks reached up from the tops of its walls at measured intervals. Icy tendrils dangled down from the spires, and the cold sunlight glimmered off the frozen tracks, causing splotches of color to dance over exposed walls. It was not as majestic as the Amorian castle, but it radiated a dark, mysterious aura that drew Terrin in, as if it were a place of many secrets.

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This is Elurra’s home? he thought in awe.

The cobblestone walkway led up to monumental white stone walls, too tall even for a giant to climb. A pale gate made of metal and wood stood closed before them. Nitiri waved at the guards on either side.

They opened the gate immediately, shouting, “The queen has returned! The queen has returned!” Soon the call echoed around the courtyard beyond, and the imposing iron entrance swung open. Nitiri smiled grandly and dismounted from her horse as she ordered Terrin to do the same. Her soldiers descended from their mounts and led the horses away. Nitiri walked forward gracefully; Terrin followed behind her.

If only they knew their queen was a murderer, he thought morbidly.

Even though he was full of hatred for the queen, nothing could dampen his awe of the mystical palace. The courtyard was filled with ice sculptures of trees, flowers, and animals. The details were so intricate Terrin expected them to burst into life in front of him. A dragon slept at the base of a clear apple tree, and a phoenix in full frozen blaze was perched on a bench. A sea serpent swam through the chilled ground, and a fox hid under a bush as smooth as glass.

Terrin was so distracted by the sculptures he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going. If the spider hadn’t been controlling his movements, he probably would have fallen over. He climbed the colossal palace steps in wonder.

All that’s missing is the rightful heir.

He could imagine Elurra standing below the intricately carved archway of the palace doors, smiling at him. Her pale skin, deep blue eyes, and light blonde hair matched her homeland perfectly. She was born to be the queen of ice and snow. Thinking about her made his heart ache.

The guards saluted their queen as she entered. The wall also had a fortified gate, but it was drawn up because no calamity was befalling the castle. He could see there were multiple layers to the layout of the structure so if they were attacked, there would be places to fall back to. The ice sculpture courtyard was vast and surrounded the entire castle. It was large enough for all the townspeople to fit in if there was ever a siege. Towers were visible from the upper walls, giving soldiers ample places to shoot at opposing armies or dump vile substances on them.

They entered the castle, and Nitiri quickened her pace. Fires dotted the hallway, fighting the cold penetrating every corner of the kingdom. Nitiri led him through a doorway and a series of twisting corridors. Terrin tried to keep track, but their path kept zigging and zagging until he was completely lost. Nitiri finally opened a side door and led him down a dark flight of stairs. Even the spider struggled to regulate his body temperature as they descended.

If these are the temperatures Snow is used to, no wonder she is always hot in Amora, Terrin thought.

The dark hallway ran under the castle; the only heat and light came from a torch Nitiri retrieved from a wall mount. He wanted nothing more than to turn and flee back up the stairs. He tried again to convince his limbs to follow his desires. They wouldn’t even fumble in their unvaried decent. The hallway ahead opened into multiple gaping chambers. Torchlight flickered down each one, and on the side of the passage sat an old man smoking a pipe. Nitiri looked at him with apparent contempt.

“Where is the prisoner, Damond?” she demanded.

Damond looked at her with a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

“There are many prisoners down here, my queen,” he said scornfully. “Which one are you asking for, pray tell?”

She gave him a look that could melt lead, but his disdainful stare didn’t waver in the slightest. Terrin was uncomfortable with their tangible loathing. He felt like he should duck for cover before projectiles started flying.

“The prisoner I sent down here, you old oaf, or can’t you remember where he is?”

“Your Excellency, considering how you unceremoniously dumped him at my feet like an unconscious lump of potatoes with a note stuck to his chest, it would be an impressive feat to forget him.” His eyes bore into her like he was issuing a challenge.

Nitiri finally gave in, although Terrin could tell she wasn’t happy about it.

“I cannot wait for the day when you become senile, old man. Lead me to the prisoner now,” she ordered.

Damond sat there a minute longer, and Terrin thought he wasn't going to listen. Finally, he took a puff on his pipe and stood up. He walked down the hallway to the left. Afterward, there were a series of twists and turns. Damond skillfully led them through passage after passage. Every time the tunnels came to a crossing, split, or branch, he took to one without a thought. Terrin wondered how anyone could navigate the confusing maze so skillfully. Cells and prisoners flashed past him as his body struggled to keep up with Damond and Nitiri. Prisoners scowled at him or sneered as he passed. Some called out to him with pleas and others with jeers. The whole place gave him the creeps.

After what felt like an eternity, the passages opened into a dead-ended cave. The walls housed cell after cell carved into the rock with steel bars blocking the entrances. A single depressed soldier, who perked up when they entered, was guarding a cell to the right of the entrance. Terrin could hear the echoes of moaning prisoners from the darkness behind them. He couldn’t stay down here. He already missed the sun on his skin or a warm breath of wind. He desired anything resembling Amora. He begged his feet to reel against the spider’s control, but he couldn’t even coax a toe to twitch of his own volition. Nitiri walked toward the guarded prisoner.

“Terrin, I would like you to meet Kai, the prince of Amora.” She gestured toward the dim cell. “You are his servant. You will do everything in your power to make him comfortable inside his cell. You may not free him, and he may not free you or ask you to do anything outside of getting him necessities, such as food and warmer clothing. Any order my men hear and do not like will be reported to me immediately, and you both will be punished. Start by fetching him some food and a blanket."

Terrin stared at the figure in the cell, unable to comprehend what was happening. The green eyes from the dead body he saw in Amora an hour before stared at him from the huddled form sitting on the stone floor. Prince Kai was shivering violently, and his black hair was tousled.

This isn't possible. He's dead.