The Ice Prince's Secret

Chapter 2: His Rules

Liora’s POV

‘’You’re late madam’’

I stood at the entrance of rink and stared at the man standing in front of me. He was really tall and he had a kind of expression that made me understand quickly why people always avoided him.

‘’I’m five minutes early’’ I said

His eyes immediately turned to the clock before looking back at me ‘’You’re still late’’

I frowned ‘’do you always greet people like this?’’

‘’Only the people who waste my time’’

‘’That was cold’’ I thought

I stared at him so this was the Nikolai Voss, the undefeated Ice Prince and apparently a cold asshole.

‘’I was told that you did not want me here’’

‘’I really don’t’’

‘’Then why were you waiting for me?’’

‘’Why would i? I was told to’’

I dropped my skating bags near the bench then said…’’Good, at least we have something in common’’

‘’What?’’

‘’I was told to be here too’’

For a moment, none of us spoke and the rink was unusually quiet. A few skaters moved around the ice with their blades scraping surfaces then Nikolai looked at my leg and it reminded me of several things. It had been months since the accident but I remembered the months of seeing doctors, painful exercises and months of watching other skate while I stayed at home.

My leg had healed for me to return to ice but my mind hadn’t… even Nikolai noticed my hesitation.

‘’You’re ready to skate?’’

‘’Yes’’

‘’Are you sure?’’

‘’Yes’’

‘’Then prove it’’

I looked at him ‘’excuse me?’’

‘’You wanted this opportunity’’

‘’What? I didn’t exactly ask for it, the academy did’’

‘’And you’re still trying to make everything difficult?’’

‘’I already told you, I don’t need a partner’’

I stared at him ‘’then you’re going to have to get used to disappointments’’

Something changed in his face and it looked like a smile but it disappeared quickly.

‘’Liora get your skates’’ I quickly picked up my bag.

‘’You could pretend to be nice atleast’’

‘’I could?’’

‘’And?’’

‘’I don’t want to’’

I rolled my eyes then walked towards my bag because he was the real definition of an asshole!

I spent several months telling myself that I wasn’t afraid anymore but now I was sitting here with the ice some few feet away and my chest felt tight. I could still remember everything, the fall, the pain, the sound of my skates scraping against a surface and the moment I realized something was wrong with my leg.

I took a slow breath, not today… I wasn’t going to let just a fall take everything from me so I stood up right with my head up seeing Nikolai waiting at the edge of the rink.

‘’Are you ready?’’

‘’Yes’’

He looked at me ‘’are you sure?’’

I frowned ‘’why won’t I be?’’

‘’Says the person who is currently shaking’’

I quickly looked at my hands and they were actually shaking ‘’It’s kinda cold’’

He looked at me like he didn’t believe me ‘’sure’’

I ignored him and stepped into the ice and I felt the cold move through my skates.

‘’One step at a time’’ I said in my mind

My heart pounded but I pushed forward slowly and nothing happened but I was still standing then Nikolai skated behind me.

‘’Faster’’

I looked at him ‘’I just got on the ice’’

‘’You’ve been skating since you were a child’’

‘’And I’ve also being injured since few months ago’’

‘’that was months ago’’

We both stopped skating ‘’You really don’t know when to stop talking, do you?’’

‘’No’’

‘’At least we agree on somethings’’

His mouth moved and this time I was sure I saw it, a tiny smile then he turned away.

‘’Follow me’’

I followed… then we started with simple movements like forward gliding, snowplough stop even forward swizzle. Nothing too difficult but trust Nikolai to make everything and anything difficult.

‘’Again’’

I repeated the movements.

‘’Again’’

I did it once more.

‘’Faster’’

I pushed even harder.

‘’Your right foot is too slow’’

I corrected it to please him.

‘’Your balance and posture’’

I adjusted to his rules

‘’Again’’

I stopped and looked at him already feeling pain in my legs ‘’don’t you have any other word in your vocabulary?’’

He looked at me without even thinking ‘’no’’

I sighed ‘’This is really going to be a long week’’

‘’Nope it doesn’t have to’’

‘’Meaning?’’

He hissed ‘’You could just quit you know…’’

I stared at him ‘’you really want me gone?’’

‘’Yes hasn’t it been that obvious since’’

I can’t lie that answer came so quick that it caught me off guard.

I looked away but for some reason, hearing that actually hurt but maybe because I had spent months trying to get back in or maybe because I had thought getting another chance would be exciting instead the person I was supposed to partner with couldn’t even stand the thought of having me beside him.

‘’Too bad’’ He frowned.

‘’What?’’

‘’I said too bad’’

I skated past him ‘’Obviously, I’m not quitting’’

‘’You’re really stubborn’’

‘’Oh you’ve noticed?’’

‘’That’s not a good thing’’

‘’Neither is your personality’’

‘’What is it?’’

For the first time, Nikolai actually smiled but it was brief and barely there but his face changed then boom… He went back to his usual cold attitude.

‘’Again’’

I laughed ‘’of course’’

We continued training and somehow, despite everything I kept up just not perfectly or not like I used to but enough. It was enough to make Nikolai stop correcting me every five seconds and enough to make him watch me differently.

We were practicing a basic movement when coach walked into the rink ‘’How is it going now?’’

‘’She’s slow’’ Nikolai said

I turned towards him ‘’And he’s annoying’’

‘’You two are going to have fun’’ coach said

Neither of us answered her then she looked at Nikolai ‘’Have you shown her the routine?’’

‘’Not yet’’

‘’You should’’

‘’We’re not ready’’ his expression changed

‘’You don’t decide that alone anymore’’

He looked quite irritated then coach turned to me ‘’Liora give him a chance’’

‘’I am’’ Nikolai looked away then coach walked away.

‘’So what’s the routine?’’

‘’Tomorrow’’

‘’Why?’’

‘’Because I said so’’

‘’You’re definitely going to be a problem’’

‘’You have no idea’’

I stared at him for some seconds but something felt very different about him. At first I had always thought his cold attitude was part of his personality but the more I watched him, the weirder he acted especially when coach mentioned his previous partner Elena.

Well… I didn’t know much about her except that she had been partnered with Nikolai before I was and that she suddenly disappeared from the academy. Everyone had their own version of the story but no one really talked about it and Nikolai did not even want to hear her name.

I picked up my bag and followed him ‘’Nikolai’’

He stopped but he didn’t turn. ‘’what?’’

I was scared to speak…

‘’What happened to Elena? Is she okay?’’

He stood still and remained silent so I thought he hadn’t heard me until he slowly turned.

‘’Don’t ask me about her’’

‘’Why?’’

‘’It is none of your business, please mind your business’’

‘’If I’m supposed to be your partner, shouldn’t I know what happened?’’

‘’You really don’t know what you’re getting yourself into’’

‘’What does that mean?’’

He didn’t answer, he just walked past me and I watched him leave without saying a word but something about everything bothered me maybe it was the feeling that everyone in the academy knew something that I didn’t know or maybe even that he refused to answer my question.

I finally picked up my bag and as I walked to the changing room, something kept ringing in my head.

‘’Elena had left the academy but if that was really true’’

So why did Nikola look like he was afraid that someone will find out about what happened to her?