Crowns of Flame and Ice - Book One

(20) Miss Eliana Stovbeck 🔥

We'd arrived back at the small tavern a few hours ago after deciding it wasn't best to turn up to the meal drenched in blood. It likely wasn't safe to visit the manor now anyway, not now we knew there were people out to get us. Quilo had suggested that perhaps they'd learnt of what we were planning to do and thought that if the fae gained more power the humans would be at a severe disadvantage. I disagreed however, I didn't see how it would've been possible for anyone to learn of our plans. I had a feeling it most likely had something to do with either wanting to get vengeance on two greatly hated families or, wanting to kidnap us and demand ransom from the crown. I doubted they'd respond.

Tomorrow we'd travel west to the forest and then continue south, hopefully reaching the Zaith mountains in a little over a week. In three days we'd be attending a ball at one of the large estates that sat on the east side of the forest. Apparently, it was a celebration that occurred every year to celebrate the Solstice, I had a suspicion that it was just an opportunity for wealthy people to get drunk. I had to admit I was slightly looking forward to it, the dancing and the food. Amongst the royals, it was always an unspoken battle as to who had the grandest decorated house. Year after year the decorations grew in extravagance. Most houses were decorated for this holiday, no matter the wealth of the family, I looked forward to seeing the glittering slights. What I was not looking forward to however was spending the day of the Solstice in the cold forest, alone, with a particularly grumpy prince. I doubted we'd stop for the day and I presumed it'd be a really fun day of trudging through snow and ice, again.

My thoughts again tumbled to Quilo, did he celebrate the winter solstice with his family? I knew they held grand celebrations throughout their land, much like we did, but did he actually celebrate it? I wondered if his mother ever returned from her travels to spend time with her family. My mother always hosted grand balls and feasts, spending a fortune on food and decorations. I was never told I couldn't attend, but I'd never been asked to sit at the family table or upon the dais. I wondered what it'd be like to laugh and share presents with your family, cosying up under a warm blanket in front of a fire with a book after consuming a large meal. I often imagined I was sitting up there with them, laughing and raising bubbling glasses to the new year. I'd never even received a present from anyone but James and Rosie during the festivities, this year likely wasn't going to be any different.

I'd been laying in bed for a few hours now, unable to sleep. Snow drifted lazily down outside the foggy window, eventually coming to rest on the street below. Occasionally I heard shouts, amongst other noises, coming from the floors below. I wondered what would happen if they knew a princess and prince lay above them, whether they'd care. Occasionally drunken slurred words would travel to me too, often followed by a cascading shatter as a bottle hit the floor. I did not blame the people of Vauxhaven for running to alcohol and other means of escape, not when there was very little they could do to fight the hunger and desperation that was slowly sucking the life from the kingdom. I only hoped people were safe and not taking what they could not control out on one another. The argument I'd had with Quilo kept repeating in my mind. I didn't particularly like how we'd ended things but I doubted we could ever come to an agreement on this, not with the number of differences between us. It had unnerved me seeing him... rattled. I wondered what it was that he couldn't or wouldn't say. He'd always been like that though, saying what he had to and never anything more. I sighed skyward, sleep was never going to come. Tonight was different I realised, I couldn't relax in this unfamiliar space. At least when we'd been outside the wind had soothed me. The windows in here were all sealed, not even a wisp of cool air slithered under the doormat. I'd worn Quilo's t-shirt he'd given me all those days ago most nights now, it'd been the warmest thing I'd brought.

A thought flickered into my mind and I reached down the side of my bed towards where I knew I'd find my bag. I blindly reached around inside it, fingers latching onto the cool leather book. Tugging it free and sliding comfortably back into bed I opened it to where I'd placed the note Quilo had written inside as a bookmark. I placed the piece of paper on the table next to me. "The first time I touched myself had been a strange experience. I did not yet know what I liked and what I didn't so it took me some time to find my rhythm". My cheeks warmed again and decided it was unavoidable when it came to this dammed book, I continued reading. "I first started by trailing my hand down my stomach and touching the bundle of nerves at the apex of my thighs. I found the tension built rapidly there." A thrill shot down my spine as another thought hit me. I slid my hand down to my inner thigh, to the already bare skin there. I made lazy circles on the inside of my leg, slowly trailing them closer to my centre. James had gone slowly when he'd touched me but I'd wanted him to go faster, push down harder. So I did. A moan escaped my lips as I pushed down on the sensitive nerves Eliana had instructed I find, and I gasped as I stroked the area. Perhaps I wasn't supposed to do that, perhaps it was supposed to be slow and soft. Like James, he'd always been sweet and he seemed like he'd known what to do. I slowed the movements my fingers made, my breaths coming in soft pants. I hated that he was still in my head at a moment like this.