Frost Bite

Chapter Eleven.

Blythe.

I was curled up underneath the sheets of my bed in the castle, my body freshly scrubbed with salt and oils and covered in a silk, silver gown that watched the color of my hair. The curtains were drawn shut and I was staring at the far wall as I listened to my wolf whimpering, curled into a tight ball at the back of my mind, her body trembling and limp, barely able to move as she squeezed her eyes shut. I gripped the pillow beside my head and closed my eyes to try and get some sleep when a light knock came from my door. I sat up, the sheets dropping down to my waist as I looked towards the black door where Mila was stood "Pardon my Lady but Prince Zaniel has requested your presence in his chambers" my eyes drooped at the thought of him, his question echoing through my mind over and over again along with his last words as he left me laying in the snow a few hours prior. I knew I had to face him eventually, being the Ninth Commander but that didn't stop me from wanting to stay in bed. I sighed and tossed my legs over the side of the bed, my feet carrying me towards the closet. It was a walk in wardrobe with everything a woman could desire, fancy dresses, shoes, jewels, coats and bags however none of them caught my eye apart from the coat Zane had given me. I slipped out of my gown as Mila stood by the closet doors, watching me tug the coat onto my shoulders, taking the time to button up every button down to just below my core. I removed my hair from the collar of it then glanced over the shoes, all heels, all perfectly detailed and extravagant. I was a Commander, not a Princess. I turned and strode past Mila, pausing halfway out the door to glance back at her "Please call me a shoe maker in the morning" with that I left, my feet carrying me further down the hall, deeper into the heart of the west wing where the Prince's resided unlike Nixon who stayed in the east wing. I knew the way to their chambers, a floor above mine with a hallway similar to the one below it. I headed for the door, furthest down the hall and raised my fist to knock, a light sound that made my stomach twist and turn with nerves. There was no reply, only the door opening to reveal a half naked Zane. He was stood with a black towel draped around his hips, using another to dry his golden hair. Droplets of water were making their way down his skin, over his chest, down to his stomach and the defined V that dipped down between his legs. I averted my eyes, instead staring at the floor below which he caught onto and only then seemed to notice the state he was in. He cleared his throat and stepped to the side, holding the door open for me "Come in" he insisted, motioning to the room and the sitting area with the hand that clutched the towel. I nodded, my legs moving, guiding me inside where the room seemed to be far grander than mine. Nixon's was larger but Zane's felt more like home, like it had been lived in and wasn't just a place to rest but a place to feel safe and secure in. The bed was a King size, covered in golden sheets and decorated with blue pillows, it looked like it had been slept in with a navy blanket tossed carelessly across it. There was a living area with grey couches and armchairs, a coffee table sat close to the fireplace, rings of wine had stained it in a few places as open books and written pieces lay splattered across it. Above the fireplace was a mirror that had a gold frame and on top of the mantel were various white, silver and gold candles along with a vase that had blue roses spilling from the top of it, the petals having started to fall down onto the all grey marble flooring. There was a balcony that overlooked the city, a dark brown table sat outside, old and damaged from the summer rains with warn chairs and a large golden, blue teacup that had been hand painted that sat in the center of the table, lavender had been placed inside but the purple color was starting to fade to brown. The bathroom was off to the side, the double doors left open to let the steam out into the rest of the room and beside that was a wardrobe, similar to mine, lined with suits, coats, dress shoes, formal shirts, rings and ties "I'll be right with you" came Zane's voice from behind me as he shut the door with a soft click. I had been running my hand along the back of one of the couches but my hand stilled when I turned my attention to him. He stepped into the wardrobe, closing the doors that were lined with gold, blue and black stained glass, making it possible for me to see the outline of his figure as he moved inside. The towels dropped to the floor which he later replaced with a pair of grey trousers, hurriedly tugged onto his legs. When he exited the closet, that was all he wore, running a hand through his wet hair with little care as to what happened to the abandoned towels. I had to remind myself that he was a member of the Royal family, a Prince even though he felt like just another man, someone I felt comfortable around despite what had transpired that morning "You wanted to see me?" I asked, turning my attention back to the detailing of the sofa, blue roses embroidered into the grey material with sapphire thread. My fingertips ran over the images, feeling the texture beneath them as Zane made his way over to the bar that sat next to the balcony doors "It would seem a rebel force is advancing on the Capital" his words caused my hand to still, my eyes to slightly widen then harden at the thought of an enemy heading for Vixten, for Nixtoni. Zane glanced back at me from over his shoulder, momentarily stilling in his movements to pour two glasses of red wine "The Nobles?" I questioned, my mind instantly going to the Nobility that was scattered across the continent, tasked with the safety of their individual areas with a small army at their disposal, given to them by the prior Kings. Zane raised his glass to his lips, his back to me as he took a sip then swallowed "They're traveling on the back roads, by the time the Royal Guard arrives, it's already too late" his explanation was accompanied by a shake of his head. He took both glasses in hand and moved towards me, his feet bare when he stopped on the other side of the couch, holding my glass out for me to take "Too late?" I took the glass, my eyes meeting his with a worried glint but the way he turned away to take a seat on the sofa was enough to tell me that the enemy were dangerous. He took another swing of the red substance then leaned his head back against the couch "They're leaving towns and villages in ruin" my back muscles stiffened at the news, the thought of someone being able to destroy an entire village or town was enough to send chills down the back of my spine. I moved around the couch so that I was stood in front of it, my eyes searching Zane's features "And the people?" his eyes closed at my question, his hand resting on the arm rest with the glass clutched between his fingers. Buildings and structures were nothing in comparison to the lives of hundreds "Murdered in cold blood" it was a shock to my system, my hand lowering down to my side, fingers gripping the edges of the glass as my lips parted, the bottom one trembling as my eyes grew wide with realization. His eyes opened, head turning to look up at me when he was greeted with nothing but silence. I slumped down onto the couch beside him, my legs feeling weak and my hands starting to shake. I set my glass down on the coffee table to refrain from spilling the wine, my eyes starring down at the floor by my feet "How could someone do such a thing?" I breathed, my mind searching for some reason why but there was nothing, no excuse for the murder of so many people. Zane stayed quiet, his eyes watching me as I processed the information. Whoever these people were, they were heading for the Capital where most of Myres's population resided, where the King resided. My jaw clenched at the thought "They can't be allowed to reach the Capital" I concluded, my eyes moving to meet his from across the length of the soda. He leaned forward, moving so that his elbows rested on his parted knees, hands both gripping his glass. His gaze moved to the fire that danced in the fireplace "I have already sent Knights South both to question the Nobles and to reside in the town of Catos where they are most likely to attack next" he agreed, lifting the edge of the glass to his pink lips, staining them red by taking another sip. I nodded in agreement to his actions, feeling that they were the best that could've been taken regarding the situation "They will report back once they have required the necessary information" he added, swirling the wine in his glass and staring down at it. I watched him, the cold, grim expression on his face one of sorrow and frustration but I could tell it wasn't just as a result of the attacks, there was something else clawing at the back of his mind "Until then, I want for you to train them, to up the patrol counts around the Capital" I stood, my fists balling at my sides as I straightened my shoulders and bowed my head in Zane's direction. He looked up at me from the sudden movement, his hand tightening around the stem of his wine glass "As you wish, my Prince" I was about to turn to leave and head for the Courtyard where I would get started on training with the younger Knights but I was brought to a stop by a hand reaching out to grab hold of my forearm. Zane had set down his glass and stood, his hand firm yet gentle around my wrist "Blythe-." he began, his voice a low whisper that caused the nervousness in the pit of my stomach to return. I stared ahead, at the far wall instead of turning to face him, to look at him. His tone had gone from serious and demanding to serious and tentative. I could feel the skin of my arm starting to tingle from his touch, the cause of him being related to my mate. My wolf stirred in the back of my mind but I didn't want to stay, didn't want to hear what I knew I would if I was to stay but I couldn't move, couldn't pull away from him no matter how hard I tried.

Blythe.

"I want to apologize" my eyes widened at his words, my body stiffening as I turned to face him, my eyes meeting his. I didn't want to stay but those words were not what I had been expecting. He didn't let go of my wrist despite by lowering my arm back to my side. My lips parted but no words would come out as the flames from the fireplace caused a slight orange glow to surround his stature "I care about you, deeply-." it was like my entire world came to a sudden halt, his eyes locked onto me with worry and determination hidden in their crystal blue depths. My heart fluttered in my chest, a side effect from the fact that he looked and smelt exactly like Nixon "When I had asked whether you wanted me, I wanted to know if all of you wanted me" there was something dangerous in the way he spoke, dangerous because he was saying exactly what I wanted to hear, he knew exactly how to get both me and my wolf to react to him in certain ways "I don't just want you or your wolf, I want both, I want you, exactly as you are" my breathing escaped my lips in ragged sessions, my chest falling as I looked at him, my eyes searching his, pupils dilating as the tingling from my arm shot up higher to my shoulder and neck. His smell was so intoxicating that it made my canines ache with a need for him, the same need that I had for Nixtoni "But I had no right to react the way I did, and for that I apologize" he let his hand drop away from my arm, causing the tingles to retract as well, he looked away from me, sad eyes locked onto the books on the coffee table, books of wolf history and documentation of wolves. My eyes searched the topics, realizing that he was trying to understand me, understand what I was going through to an extent that no one ever has. For a brief moment there was no more pain in my chest, no more agony as my wolf grew happier in his presence "Zaniel-." I breathed, the name rolling off my tongue like a song. I moved, taking a step forward so that I was stood directly in front of him, my head slightly tilted back to search his features. My mind took me back to the night before when he had cradled me to him, his voice whispering to me, his lips pressing against the top of my head. I reached up, my hand cupping the side of his face and slipping down to his shoulder, using it as a way to hoist myself up onto the tips of my toes, pressing my lips to his in a soft, gentle kiss. His body stiffened beneath me, his eyes momentarily widening before drooping shut, his hand moving to my waist, tenderly holding onto my hip when I pulled away from him to smile "Thank you" I uttered, his hand letting go of my waist as mine slipped away from his shoulder. I should've left it at that, should've turned and walked away but I couldn't, I felt my wolf wanting him but not only that, my own heart began to squeeze at the thought of him. I was about to kiss him, to drown myself in everything that was him when the sound of running, feet slapping against the stone flooring reached my ears. Urgent breathing and a fearful rush drew me away from Zane and to the bedroom door that I flung open to find a servant girl rushing past, her arms carrying various bandages and a bucket of water that had a cloth in it "You there, what's happening?" she stopped at my words, her eyes going from me to Zane who know stood behind me, his bare chest pressing up against my back as his hand braced himself against the wall beside the door. Her face turned red almost as red as her hair when she noticed the state the Prince was in. I wanted to object to her thoughts of what we had been up to when she beat me to it, speaking first "Lord Aronis, he is wounded, my Lady" my breath caught in my throat, my hand tightening on the door frame as the words registered in the back of my mind. I had seen him only hours before and he had looked to be fine. I didn't bother with Zane as I pushed off the door and began running in the direction of the Courtyard, my feet carrying me down the halls, stairs and around corners. The servant girl was hot on my heels, doing her best not to drop anything as she continued to explain the situation "He said that a white bear had ambushed him" a white bear, the Royal symbol. I didn't think that it was a coincidence as I broke through the doors to the Courtyard, able to hear the strangled cries of a man coming from the armory. People stopped working to glance in the direction, turning their sights onto me when I rushed past, my hands fumbling for the armory door to slid it open and stumble inside. Aron was in the back of the armory where he was lying on top of an old, straw mattress, his chest exposed to reveal various claw marks that ran deep, so deep that his skin was stained almost completely red. His father loomed over him, applying pressure to one of the deeper wounds, his hands also painted red "I've brought the bandages" the girl informed setting everything on a small table beside the bed. The elder man looked to her then met my gaze with desperation and fear in his eyes, he was like a wild animal, worried about his kin yet still feral and unpredictable. I felt like crying, my eyes stinging from the grunts and screams that came from Aron's lips, the smell of blood causing my stomach to flip, nausea creeping up my throat. I had to do something, I couldn't just stand there and watch as he bled to death "Bring me a needle and tread, ask the kitchen for Satin's breath and get me some towels" I ordered the girl, my eyes cutting through her as I rolled up the sleeves to my coat and moved towards Aron, I pushed his father out of the way and took over the job of applying pressure to his wound, blood having seeped out and already coating my hands in the sticky substance "Right away, Lady Redwood" the servant muttered, on her way out the door as I searched the room, my eyes coming to a stop on a collection of belts that hung on the far wall. I turned to the older man, my head nodding in the direction of the belts when I spoke "Get those, cut off the blood flow in his arms" he nodded, doing as told as I inspected Aron's body, his chest and arms covered in deep gashes but his face was what shocked me most, three large slashes ran across one side of his face, over his left eye and almost all the way down to his cheek. His father worked, tying the belts near the shoulder as tight as he could to stop more blood from gushing out of his wounds "I need another" I said, glancing at the belts. He nodded and retrieved one made of brown leather. He held it in his hands, not sure what to do as I leaned forward, my chest pressing down onto the back of my hands as I rested on my knees on the ground beside the mattress "Fold it in half" I instructed just as the servant girl came rushing back with everything I had asked for. She looked exhausted, her breathing rushed as she fell to her knees at my side. I removed one of my hands from the rag that I used to press down on his chest and reached for a clean towel, replacing the rag as I continued pressing down "Prepare the needle and threat" she nodded, her hands trembling as she tried getting the twine through the small hole, her eyes filled with shock and uncertainty "Ale and wine!" I snapped at the man, grabbing the belt from his hands and stuffing it in between my legs. The servant girl finished tying the thread and held it out for me. I shook my head in protest, looking down at the grains of Satin's breath "Mix those with milk" she rushed off, her legs almost slipping out from underneath her as she fled out of the room. Aron looked at me, his right eye the only one that would open as he gritted his teeth, grunts coming from him. I watched his lips, there was no blood coming from them which meant that his vital organs hadn't been damaged. His father returned, unscrewing the caps of the bottles and setting them down on the table beside me. Seconds later the girl came back with a cup of what looked like regular milk "Support his head and let him drink it" both of them worked to help Aron drink the mixture, a natural pain killer that would reduce his pain to a certain extent but it wouldn't take away all of it. Once done, I stuffed the folded belt in between his teeth and instructed him to bite down hard. He was responsive, able to understand what I was saying and do as I said. I looked at the girl who took over from me, applying pressure to his chest wound which seemed to be the largest of them all as I grabbed the ale and the wet cloth from the bucket of water "Let go" I said and she pulled away, taking the soaked towel with her. I poured some ale onto the wound, causing Aron to tense up, his eye widening and screams coming out past the belt. His hands gripped the sheets of the mattress as I dabbed at the wound, four great slashes that ran deeper than the others. I set the ale aside then took the wine. The ale would burn away any bacteria but it would also prevent the sells from healing which is why I had to use wine that would help the healing process. Once the wine was dabbed away and the bleeding stopped, I hurriedly cleaned the rest of the blood with the wet cloth, wringing it out a few times until I could stitch up the wounds with the needle and thread. Aron's screams and cries echoed in my ears as I moved from his chest to his arms and then on to his face. My eyes hovered above his, the girl seated on the bed beside him, her shoulders slumped and her chest rapidly falling and rising. The risk of him dying had passed and his father was seated in a chair near the window where the sun had started setting over the horizon. The belts he had used to tie Aron's arms laying across his lap "I need to take a look at your eye" I whispered, my eyes searching his single one as he nodded his head weakly. His body was covered in a layer of sweat, exhausted from the pain and only half awake. I reached up with both hands to pull back the eyelid only to flinch, turning my head away as my body began to wrench. I had finished cleaning his face wound but nothing could prepare me for the sight of his split eye. I vomited into the bucket of rust red water, my body feeling like it would collapse at any moment. The girl held my hair back as I gasped for breath, my lips parted, hands trembling as I gripped the sides of the bucket, the smell of blood causing me to heave even more. I sat up on my knees and pulled myself onto my feet, sitting down beside Aron as I ran the back of my hand across my lips, rubbing blood along my chin and cheek, not that I wasn't already covered in blood from head to toe. I met the elder man's eyes from across the room "His eye, there's-there's nothing we can do" I muttered, feeling Aron stiffen next to me. My hand instinctively went to grip his, laying palm down beside his body on the mattress. His father looked from me to him then nodded, a grim look overcoming him when he asked "Must I?" I could see that he was defeated. He was a strong man but he was tired, afraid and fearful for his son, having thought that he would die only a few hours prior. The thought of loosing his son had left him almost paralyzed once the adrenaline had warn off. I shook my head then turned to the servant girl "Could you...fetch me knife?" she swallowed hard but nodded and disappeared out the door. I stared down at the wooden flooring beneath me, my head swirling with thoughts like, if I had stayed with him, maybe I could've prevented him from getting hurt. A bear would be no match for me or my wolf but for a human man, it was a miracle that he was still alive. When she returned, she held the knife out for me to take and once I did, she left with the bucket to clean it and fetch me some more water. I held the knife in one hand "Do you mind?" I asked, motioning to Aron's head. His father stood from his seat, the belts cluttering to the floor as he approached us, one hand gripping Aron's chin while the other gripped the top of his head, pinning his head down and in place so that I could work without the risk of harming him when he would jerk from the pain. I let go of his hand and leaned across his chest, placing my hand over his face to stabilize myself, leaving room for him to look up at me with his right eye. I neared his left eye and began cutting it out of its socket, he began screaming as I worked and I couldn't stop myself from bursting out in tears, placing my forehead to his as I cried, squeezing my eyes shut with my body trembling. Aron breathed hard, raising his hand to grip the thigh of the knee resting beside him on the mattress, giving it a reassuring squeeze as if to tell me that it was alright. I managed to collect myself, tears dripping down onto his face as I worked past my wet eyes to remove his damaged eye, setting it aside on one of the towels along with the knife when the servant girl returned with the bucket, placing it down on the ground beside me. I told her that she had done enough and could go and rest. I also thanked her for her help which had her eyes tearing up at the sight of me. She bowed towards both me and the older male then took the knife and eye to go dispose of them for me. I breathed out, dipping the cloth into the water to wring it out a few times, then started dabbing at his eye. When the room grew dark, Aron's father began to lite the candles around us. He then left to go make something to eat, muttering to himself how his son was most likely starving. I felt sorry for him, sorry for the toll that Aron's attack would most likely take on him. I moved on to stitching up the last three cuts on his face, including stitching his eyelid shut then bit off the thread, letting the needle drop into the bucket as I slid down the side of the mattress and onto the ground below, my legs and arms limp from exhaustion, eyes empty and emotionless as I stared at the wall ahead of me. The belt slipped from his mouth and cluttered to the floor, drawing my attention onto him. I turned, leaning my head against the side of the mattress as I looked up at him, my hand moving to grip his as I wept, my wolf clawing at the back of my mind, wanting her mate and not him but I ignored her, I needed to be with him, needed to stay right there, at his side until I knew he was going to be alright. I closed my eyes, tears streaming down my face and the last thing I heard before falling into a deep sleep was my name "Bl-ythe" it was spoken by a scratchy, broken voice that I knew all to well as to belong to Aron. His hand tightened around mine before he too fell asleep.

Zane.

She left without so much as a second thought at the mention of his name, running down the hall to get to him as fast as she possibly could. I watched her go, her hair bouncing behind her as her hand ran along the wall when she took the corner. I gripped the door frame, knuckles turning white at the thought of her face, the small smile painted across her lips after she had kissed me. She had moved to grip the sides of my face, throwing herself into my arms when she had heard the commotion and something inside of her had yelled for her to see what was going on. I shut the door and glanced down at her full glass of mine, moving to scoop it up from the coffee table, tossing my head back and allowing the liquid to slid down my throat until the glass was empty and I once again sat down on the couch, burying my face in my hand as the other clung to the empty glass. I ran it through my damp hair and looked to the fire, eyes hard as I thought of him, the Huntsman who had managed to capture her heart in less than a day. How he had achieved such a feat was beyond me but the way she had looked at me, kissed me so gently made me realize that she was starting to feel something for me as well no matter how small it was. My arm dropped down to my leg, elbow resting on my knee as my hand dangled down in between my legs, smiling when a thought crossed my mind. The man I used to be was one who only desired pleasure from a woman, only saw them as tools to relieve my lust yet here I was, apologizing because of something so small, so afraid to push her away. I breathed a laugh, shaking my head "I've fallen in love" it was hard to believe. In the beginning I had wanted her because of my lust for her body but in that moment it was far more than that, I wanted to know everything about her, to simply watch her as she moved, satisfied as long as she could bare to smile. My lust was no longer just lust, it was love. I leaned back against the sofa, my head tilted back and eyes staring up at the ceiling as the feeling of her soft lips on mine coursed through me. She had kissed me twice, never one in hunger, instead in small, loving pecks that continue on for what felt like hours. It would be a lie to say that I didn't want her to kiss me with passion and a fierce desire for me to devour her. I turned my head to the side, eyeing the rest of my own glass of wine, replacing it with the empty one in my hand to down the remainder of it. I closed my eyes and let the glass slip from my fingers down to the ground where it cluttered but did not break. I wanted to sleep but her face was all I could see, pale, ivory skin as flawless as an untouched canvass, her plump pink lips that were slightly parted, her big navy blue eyes that gazed up at me with a desperate need hidden in their swirling waters, her small button nose that was slightly upturned at the front and finally her silver strands of hair that framed that beautiful face perfectly, parted down the middle without any fringe. I didn't want to open my eyes and loose sight of her so instead I eventually slipped away into a light slumber.