Between the violent fights and the broken window in the grand hall, a group of people in unusual colorful gowns stood leisurely and looked onto the bloodshed with slight apathy.
"You know, little sis, I doubt father would have married you to the Icefalls if he saw with his own eyes what primitive monkeys they are. How is that even a sword style? It's just stupid slashing and jumping around. And they call themselves royal guards! They couldn't hold out against me for five seconds."
"Father's guards back in the Falumor royal court also wouldn't hold out five seconds against you, brother Kadir", the Queen of the Icelands reminded with a sour face. "If they were so easy, don't you think father would have long conquered these 'primitive' lands?" Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/how-to-make-the-iceprince-fall_13419077006806905/in-predicament_50707487518675011">/book/how-to-make-the-iceprince-fall_13419077006806905/in-predicament_50707487518675011</a> for visiting.
"True", the man called Kadir laughed. He wasn't tall but had long arms that were slung around a woman on each side. With his exotic dark complexion and the muscles of a dancer, he was easy to look at. However, his small, sly eyes showed a sadistic glee when watching the splatter in the hall. "Then maybe I should let my concubines play with those here for a bit instead. That would be funny. What do you think, my darlings?"
The concubines, two in his arms and another one by their side, glanced at the fights with disinterest. However, he still pushed them in the direction of the biggest one. "We need privacy over here. If you don't want to entertain me, you better don't come back."
This sparked the motivation in the three, making them pull out their weapons and join the fray. Kadir grinned. "Seems like I need to change them soon. A few Icelandic women would be interesting. Any recommendations, sister?"
"I don't care." Queen Layla waved her hand in disgust. "More importantly: how do you plan to help me hunt down this monster? You only have a limited number of warriors with you as I see it."
"The monster this, the monster that, you are talking about nothing else, but what threat is it right now? You promised me a good fight and all it did was run away. If it had such great power, it would have stayed and fought with me. Honestly, I am a bit disappointed." Kadir's tone was somewhere between lament and complain.
Then he laid his long arm around Layla's waist, since he was too small to reach her shoulder. The Queen stood stiff in his grip. They resembled each other only in the black color of their hair and the fullness of their lips, though the Queen's were colored in a much brighter red. "Let's first take care of the aristocrats, okay? You wanted your son to take over the kingdom safely, but as long as the King is still alive, it will be difficult. They will complain and won't accept him until this - what was his name again? - Willy something Icefall, is dead. Correct?"
Layla Icefall, former Bishara, one of many Princesses of Falumor, didn't answer. Her hands were fisted by her side, as her snake green eyes laid on the broad back of her son who just now charged after a team of wounded warriors. Corpses laid on the ground around them, while her daughter overviewed the situation from the sidelines. Queen Layla pursed her lips as Emilian entered a corridor and left her line of sight.
"You don't really need to kill him, do you?", she argued. "Milan is the Crown Prince anyway. As long as the King vanishes, isn't that enough? I never asked for you to kill my husband."
Kadir raised his hands. "That wasn't my decision. The organization we cooperated with - "
"Organization?", suddenly, Layla's eyes sparked with fury, and she freed herself of his grip to look him in the eyes. "What organization? I thought this was all done for Falumor! Don't tell me... you are working with Loki?!"
There was silence between them, then Kadir's expression hardened. He slowly revealed: "Working with them would be too much to say. Actually, we are only using them. Don't freak out, sister. As soon as they aren't useful anymore, we totally have the power to destroy them."
Layla's bosom heaved up and down. "You are working with - those bastards?! Don't you know what they did to me? They - "
"Now, now, sister, don't push your first husband's faults at the organization!", Kadir interrupted her. "They weren't even formed by then. And as I said, we're only using them to destabilize the kingdoms. As soon as Falumor is the Emperor of Dragsa and the Icelands, we don't need their schemes anymore."
"But I am the Queen, why does he - " Queen Layla swayed on her feet, and Kadir curled his arm around her waist again.
"Just relax, little sis. Your brother will handle all of this."
A wide grin formed on Kadir's lips as he took her up in his arms. "Did you really think father would let you be in charge of the situation here, sis? You and a boy that never saw the pyramids of Falumor once. Never ever would he place all his hopes on your puny little marriage."
When the guards of the kingdom neared him with suspicious faces, he smiled friendly. "My sister is in shock and exhausted. Can you take her for a rest? I will handle everything for her here."
.
Katherine woke up in a shaking carriage. Her stomach hurt. Slowly, she breathed in and out, before taking a look around. A boy around thirteen was in the carriage. He had black hair and tanned skin. His face with the pointy chin and nose was familiar. Her eyes widened.
"Frey?", she asked, and hastily sat up. She ignored the pain that shot through her belly when she moved. "Is it really you? But how? Where are we?"
The boy jolted as if he was shaken out of his sleep. His tone was just as sour. "Lady Katherine. Don't just start talking without warning."
Katherine didn't care. She remembered everything that happened before she fainted - and she needed answers. "How did I end up here? What is with the King? Is he dead?"
Frey looked out of the carriage, but Katherine saw his hands tremble as they clenched together. "I don't know. And what do I care? He is just another evil person as far as I'm concerned."
"Even if he is evil, many people will die if he's dead. So, bring me back right now!", Katherine demanded. The horror on Nathaniel's face was deeply engraved into her memory. This man was his father, she realized. Whoever he was and whatever he had done, Nathaniel would be hurt if he died. She didn't want that.
That the Icelands would fall into chaos if he died, was secondary. She would do everything within her power to sweep that look of horror of her husband's face. Husband. The term made her heart skip a beat.
"No." Frey's answer was uncooperative and a bit flippant. "I will bring you where you belong."
"Bring me where I..." Disbelieve painted Katherine's features. "You mean to Ethan?!"
The boy looked at her as if she was the dumb one. "Where else? It took much effort to bait you out of the organization's claws. But the Duke wants you back whatever the cost. So, here we are."