Queen Glaciana Frostborne Alpineglow's Arc

Chapter 1 of 33

At nineteen, Glaciana wanted a partner to build a kingdom with, and she was sure she would not find him at a ball. She stood at the edge of the ice castle's great hall, watching couples turn under the blue banners. Her parents had brought her here to be seen. She wore a white gown that made her look like part of the frozen walls. Silver hair fell in a braid over one shoulder. She counted the dancers instead of joining them. She had learned to read a room the way her father taught her to read a machine. He had been an engineer before he wore a crown, and he trained her to find the weak joint in any structure. Tonight the weak joint was her. Every noble mother in the hall watched her, waiting for her to choose. She did not want to choose from a lineup. She wanted someone who saw her before the crown. A young man crossed the whole length of the floor toward her. He was blonde, grey-eyed, close to her own age. His crown held a single sapphire that caught the candlelight. He stopped in front of her and swallowed hard, and she watched his nerve nearly fail. "Victor," he said. "I'm Victor. I'm nineteen." He paused. "That was more than you asked." She almost smiled. "You crossed a very large room to tell me your age." "I crossed it to ask for a dance." He held out his hand. "You've been counting people all night. I counted you first." That stopped her. No one else had noticed she was working, not resting. She looked at his open hand, then at the mothers watching from the walls, then back at him. He waited without filling the silence. He did not sell himself or promise her anything. "Most men lead with their titles," she said. "I don't explain myself," he answered. "I'd rather dance." She took his hand. His grip was steady, his palm warm against hers. They stepped onto the floor and the other couples made room. He danced plainly, no tricks, his grey eyes fixed on her face. She felt the room shift around them. The watching mothers went quiet. Her parents, near the far wall, stopped talking. "You rule cold lands," he said as they turned. "So do I." "Then you know what it costs." "I do." When the music ended, he did not let go at once. He held her hand one beat longer, then bowed. "I'd like to see you again," he said. "Not at a ball." Glaciana had come to be looked at. She left having chosen. She knew his name, his kingdom, and the shape of the future she wanted to build with him. The lineup at the wall no longer mattered. There was only one man she meant to see again, and she had already decided to say yes.