MARRIED TO THE ICE KING

The first time I heard that I was going to marry the ice king, I was hiding beneath the palace staircase. I wasn’t spying.I was simply trying to avoid another lesson about how a princess should smile, speak, and breathe. “…there is no other choice.” My father’s voice echoed through the empty hallway. “The treaty demands a royal bride.” A heavy silence followed. Then my stepmother spoke. “Then send Elara.” My heart stopped. I held my breath, hoping I had heard wrong. “She is the perfect choice,” Queen Selene continued calmly. “No one will question it. She is your daughter.” “She is also my youngest child,” my father replied. “Exactly.” Another silence. “I cannot send Livia,” Selene whispered. “She is the future of the Fire Kingdom.” Of course, Princess Livia. My beautiful older stepsister.The daughter everyone adored. The daughter everyone protected.And me? I was simply… there. The forgotten princess.The one servants barely greeted. The one noble ladies pretended not to see. I pressed my hand over my mouth as tears filled my eyes. Please…Please say no. Please. “I understand,” Father finally said. Three words… three simple words, yet they shattered my world. The meeting ended. Footsteps echoed toward the door. I quickly slipped away before anyone could find me, my legs shaking so badly I nearly fell down the stairs. I ran through the palace gardens without caring who saw me. The roses blurred before my eyes. Everything blurred. I had always known Father loved the kingdom more than me. I just never thought he would prove it like this. Everyone knew the stories of the Ice King. Children whispered his name to frighten one another. Mothers warned their daughters never to speak it after sunset. King Kael.The ruler of the Northern Kingdom. A man whose heart was said to be colder than the endless snow surrounding his palace. They said rivers froze beneath his feet. That flowers died wherever his shadow passed. That every bride sent to him disappeared before the first winter ended.Some believed he killed them. Others claimed the palace itself swallowed them whole. No one knew the truth.No one ever returned. And now…I was going to be the next bride. ⸻ That evening, a servant knocked softly on my bedroom door. “His Majesty requests your presence.” I almost laughed. Requests? Since when did anyone ask what I wanted? The royal council was already waiting when I entered. Father stood at the center. Queen Selene smiled as though she had won a battle. Livia looked away the moment our eyes met. “I’m sorry,” Father said quietly. Those were the first words he spoke. Not, “How are you?” Not, “Are you afraid?” Just…“I’m sorry.” He couldn’t even look at me. “The treaty must be honored.”I stared at him. “So you’ve already decided.” His silence answered me. Queen Selene folded her hands gracefully. “The marriage will protect our kingdom from war.” I looked at her. “Or protect your daughter?” Her smile disappeared. “Watch your tongue.” “No.” The word surprised even me. Years of swallowing my pain suddenly burst free. “I have watched my tongue my whole life.” “I stayed quiet when everyone ignored me.” “I stayed quiet when my mother was erased from this palace.” “I stayed quiet while your daughter was treated like the only princess.” “But I will not stay quiet while you send me to die.” The room fell silent. Father closed his eyes. “You are brave,” he murmured. “I don’t want to be brave.” My voice cracked. “I want to live.” For the first time in years…He looked ashamed. “I cannot change this.” I nodded slowly. “I know.” Because kings rarely chose their daughters. They always chose their kingdoms. ⸻ The wedding was announced the next morning. No celebrations filled the palace. No music echoed through the halls. No one congratulated me. The servants only lowered their heads with pity, as if I had already died. By sunset, my belongings had been packed into a single wooden chest. One dress.A few books. A silver necklace that had belonged to my late mother. Nothing more.That was all my life was worth. The royal carriage waited outside the palace gates before dawn. Snow had already begun to fall, even though winter was still weeks away. People whispered it was a sign. “The Ice King’s power is reaching farther south.” I climbed into the carriage without looking back. There was nothing left for me to miss. The heavy doors closed behind me. The horses started moving. Every turn of the wheels carried me farther from the only home I had ever known… …and closer to a husband I had never met. A man the world called a monster. I wrapped my mother’s necklace tightly around my fingers and whispered the only prayer I could think of. “Please…let me survive long enough to learn if the stories are true.” Outside, the wind howled across the frozen road. Far away in the North, someone was waiting. Not for a wife, but for the next royal sacrifice.