Adorned in Ice

By Kylie Wiggins

Fear was not for the weak but for the intelligent who knew they were up against an unpredictable foe.

Eliza Hawke, the ice-wielding Princess of Keruna, has been married off to Will, the earth-wielding Prince of Mineros. The cruel and unfeeling place that is Mineros cares about power over anything else. As Eliza's days of forced betrothal go by, Will leaves his mark with bruises and veiled threats. Yet, through Eliza's misery, she finds solace within the Princess of Mineros, Nissa.

Nissa, is a beam of light even on Eliza's darkest days. It is not until Will's coronation is almost in his grasp, Eliza and Nissa hatch a daring plan of escape. If the Prince is allowed control over the largest army in Catalina, then all will surely be lost.

As the two fight desperately to unite the kingdoms in their war against the Prince, a tale of danger and betrayal unfolds every step of the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Conquest Publishing
• Release date: May 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9781962739108

Book preview

Chapter One

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Keruna

Fire crackled in the hearth to the left of Eliza’s reading chair. She sunk into the upholstered velvet as the flames danced in an array of oranges, reds, and yellows. The years of use had made it slightly rough. Lost within the pages of a book was all she could think of to distract herself from the war just outside the palace walls. The coarse pages of a tome beneath her fingertips usually quelled her worries in an instant, but in that moment, it did nothing to calm the anxiety roiling in her belly like the sea in a hurricane.

It was all too close for comfort.

She couldn’t help but think of the townspeople who hadn’t made it within the gates in time. Did they have somewhere to hide? Did they have any means of protection? Her father had kept the palace open for as long as possible, but was it enough? 

Eliza closed her eyes as she remembered the unbridled terror she felt when she saw the enemy soldiers marching over the horizon. All of Catalina knew about the Poison Queen of Mineros. Those who became her enemy were wiped from the face of the earth within a few short weeks. And she was often in search of enemies simply for the sake of fighting. 

In a way, Eliza pitied her. How awful did someone’s upbringing have to be if they found joy from war? She simply could not fathom how horrid it had to be inside her mind if needless slaughter was what brought her ultimate happiness. 

Eliza stood, sliding her feet into her slippers lined with cushiony rabbit fur. The Princess hugged her arms around herself, feeling as though she should be in armor instead of a nightgown thinner than the parchment of her beloved books. She tugged at the bottom hem of her gown, the pesky thing insisting on riding up her thighs. Her body mirrored that of her mother’s. Where Queen Armina was blessed with a bosom that had Princes fawning over her at Eliza’s age, the Princess had been given a lower half that made dress fittings incredibly tedious. 

As she made her way to bed, the floor shook beneath her feet. Gray dust fell from the

ceiling and coated the many cheery, yellow decorations in her room. As she shook the layer of grime from her white hair, her lungs began to burn. In moments, her safespace had been reduced to a battle zone. Her father had warned her about the possibility of enemies infiltrating the castle. 

His warning rang clear in her mind, "As my heir, I will never lie to you. The walls could be breached. If such happens, I trust you to keep your sister safe."

Although she might’ve been young, Eliza was far from naive. She knew what she had to do. Her entire body shook as she shuffled to the door of her room. The once serene firelight emanating from the stone fireplace now reminded her of the fiery pits of the underworld. With a trembling hand, the cold iron of the arched handle bit into her palm like the tiny fangs of a snake. She pulled it open only slightly, heart pounding in her ears, as she listened for any sign of the enemy. 

The clinking of armor inched closer by the second, so Eliza waited. 

I have to get to Dina. I won't let them hurt her. 

She felt as if she had waited for hours, her palm growing sweaty on the handle. Finally, two soldiers jogged past her door, their armor a sickly shade of green.

Eliza’s eyes rounded, her chest heaving with fear. As soon as they turned the corner out of sight, she made a break for it. The setting sun cascaded through frosted windows as she ran. Every few seconds her face was bathed in the fiery light of battle. As a child, she believed bad things only occurred when the sun fell and the moon had taken its place. She believed nightmares could only happen when she was sleeping.

This nightmare was all too real. 

The Princess furiously pumped her arms as she sprinted toward her sister's room. Her feet slipped out of her shoes causing her to stumble. She squeezed her hands around the rough stone of the nearest door frame for support, taking only a second to catch her breath. 

On any other day, their rooms never seemed so far apart. But as she willed herself back into motion, she couldn’t get there fast enough. 

What if they’ve already found her? 

The thought gave her the energy to keep going. Her feet stung as they struck the floor, the salt lining her raw soles. Not long after, she skidded to a stop in front of her sister’s door. Eliza’s body ached as she heaved open the door to find Dina hunched over a drawing on her desk. At ten years old there was still so much innocence in her. Eliza’s sudden intrusion startled her, causing Dina to jump in her seat. 

Dina’s eyes widened, the brown of her irises favoring their mother. 

What are you—

She was cut short when Eliza kneeled before her, embracing her in a hug so tight it constricted her breathing. Eliza leaned back, her hands still firmly grasping Dina’s shoulders. How could she tell her sister their lives may never be okay again? At eighteen, Eliza had a hard time remembering that she, herself, was no longer a child. It was time for her to grow up. 

I need you to listen to me. Can you do that? Her expression and tone offered no room for argument. Dina nodded, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. We have to go hide in the crypt. Do you remember the talk Mommy had with you?

Her sister nodded, face slackening as the realization dawned on her. 

The bad guys, Dina whispered, as if they might’ve heard her through the walls. 

Eliza’s heart shattered as silver lined Dina’s eyes. As the bigger sister, Eliza was supposed to be the protector. As she sucked in a breath, she prepared herself for what she may have to do if they came across any enemies. 

We have to go now. She grabbed the small, woolen coat hanging from Dina’s bedframe and guided her sister’s arms into it. I think we could move faster if I carry you. 

She kneeled down into the feathery carpet that laid at the foot of Dina’s large, four poster bed. Her sister’s small hands quivered as she wrapped her arms around Eliza’s neck. The eldest Kerunian Princess was exhausted, her legs shook as she hoisted Dina up. 

Close your eyes, okay? Eliza cracked open the door as she listened for enemies once again. 

She could hear the wind’s whistle through the open windows, usually a comforting sound akin to the wails of death. She listened for a moment longer then broke into the hall at a sprint. 

The crypt laid beneath the castle and housed their ancestors dating thousands of years back. And the only entrance to the damned thing resided on the other side of the castle. 

Gooseflesh rose on Eliza’s skin as she ran, teeth chattering as if she had been locked on the highest peak of the Grand Mountains. Cold had never been something that bothered her but fear chilled her blood to a slow crawl.

A scream pierced the air from around the corner. The sound was laced with so much agony that bile rose in Eliza’s throat. 

The Princesses. Where are they? A gruff, male voice bellowed.

I don’t know! The woman sobbed. 

Eliza knew the voice to be that of one of the handmaidens who commonly attended to her. There was no other way, Eliza had to press on. 

Eyes shut, Dina, her voice quivered as she turned the corner. 

Immediately, the enemy soldier turned to face her. He wore no helmet, revealing a scarred, deathly pale face. On the floor, the handmaiden had been brutalized. Her hands were pierced to the wall with a gleaming, silver dagger protruding from each of her palms. Black blood ran between the mortar grooves of the limestone in thin rivulets. The poor woman looked as if she had sprouted wings made from midnight serpents.

Why? Was all Eliza could muster. 

The skin had been flayed from each of her handmaiden’s forearms and the revealed sinew glistened in the dying sunlight like ghastly, unearthed gems. The ambulatory had a rounded ceiling made of pure glass allowing more than enough light for the scene to ring clear. It became obvious to the Princess, this soldier chose this location because he wanted others to see his work.

 Eliza had never been religious, her mother praised Veroldin enough for the both of them. But this seemed to be a direct affront to the Gods, wanton violence taking place in direct light. Monsters such as him should be banished to the shadows. 

Looks like all of this— he gestured to the dying woman on the floor, a dagger still clenched in his grasp, was for nothing. 

You have no power. 

Eliza hadn’t meant to say it outloud. Her skin was clammy as she struggled to look away from one of the women who had taken such good care of her. Each of her breaths became farther and farther apart until her chest failed to rise again.

When Eliza finally met the soldier’s gaze, the icy fingers of fear clenching her heart had been melted away by wrath. Strings of white hair fell before her vision as her entire body tingled with rage. As a royal woman, she had been taught to hone her mind, to smile, and always have perfect manners. 

Eliza had never been allowed the freedom to simply be angry. 

You’re nothing but two, pampered, little girls. I don't need power to carry out my orders. He took a step toward them, blade running parallel to his forearm. 

The air filled with the sound of tinkling ice as flurries of power surrounded the eldest 

Princess of Keruna. The Minerosi soldier didn’t deserve to die by something as pure as ice but it would be his end nonetheless. Eliza didn't have the time to inflict the pain he so deserved. Spikes of ice formed above the Princesses in a jagged crown and the temperature had dropped so suddenly the dead handmaid's blood froze to the stone floor.

"C’mon, Princess, the soldier spat her title as if it were a curse. Don't fight the inevitable."

You’re right. I am a Princess, and you, she cocked her head to the side, surveying the soldier in a purely predatory motion, you are nothing.  

Without so much as moving a muscle, Eliza sent her conjured weapons whistling toward the soldier. To his credit, he was fast. A tinge of panic crawled up Eliza’s spine as he cut down two of the spikes. 

Within seconds, the other five hit their mark. The sickening screech of ice penetrating the torso of Minerosi armor was followed by a distinct, wet thump as his body fell to the floor in a dying heap of useless flesh. Eliza had never killed anyone, but as she sprinted past his body, she felt nothing. 

Is there something wrong with me? 

Eliza’s father told the story of the first time he killed a man more times than she cared to remember. He was younger than her, sixteen if memory served. It was a small skirmish at the Kerunian border with Aspian flesh traders. While brothels weren’t outlawed in Keruna, the Aspians had an ugly reputation for selling the unwilling into sexual servitude. One of the men had snuck up on her father, a ball of fire ready to "boil his brain" as her father liked to tell it.  Even though the man deserved the fate he wrought, her father became sick after feeling the man’s blood on his hands.

Eliza didn’t quite understand why the story played in her mind. Their two situations didn’t seem remotely similar. Where a month ago she would’ve rolled her eyes and groaned at hearing the story, now she would give anything to hear it fall from her father’s lips, a smile alighting his face. To look around and see a room filled with those who loved her. As she neared the crypt, she couldn't help but feel like she’d never be safe again. 

Like Dina would never be safe again.

The distant sounds of fighting echoed within the empty halls and devolved into the pitiful wails of the dying. Eliza could only hope it was the enemy left in agony. The entrance to the crypt rose before them, merely a stone arch encompassing the darkness below. 

We’re almost there, she whispered to Dina. 

Eliza’s entire body ached as she pushed herself across the final few feet between them and possible safety. When the darkness of the crypt swallowed them, Eliza released a jagged sigh of relief. She wriggled Dina from her back and navigated the darkness by trial and error. Her sister held tightly to her right hand as Eliza reached with her left. More than a few times she winced as her hip grazed the rough stone of a tomb. The earthy smell mixed with the underlying sweetness of rot was pungent enough to make Eliza’s nose curl. They kept walking until Eliza’s hand found the back wall of the vast room. 

She turned them right and kept walking until they found a snug corner to hide behind their great-grandmother’s tomb. The cool dirt beneath her slightly eased the burning of her raw feet. For once in her eighteen years, Eliza was thankful their mother forced them to pay tribute to their ancestors every holiday and birthday. Eliza could only hope their years of honoring them would offer her and Dina a blanket of protection.

Chapter Two

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Keruna

Black smoke billowed above the kingdom like the fingers of a great and vengeful beast. Even the snow capped mountains, a once natural barrier of protection, had not been spared destruction wrought by the Poison Queen. The fighting that seemingly went on forever came to a skittering halt. Soldiers who had not received the order to back down still fought with the utmost ferocity. Where a month ago, families would gather for local entertainment, soldiers slaughtered each other by use of power or blade.

 A fountain once stood in the middle of the square, as old as the Kerunian castle itself, its crystal shards spouting icy water were now sullied with the blood of Keruna’s soldiers. On each of the jagged edges, a corpse had been impaled and put on display for all to see.

Kerunian villages were reduced to slaughterhouses. The bodies of soldiers and townspeople alike littered the cobblestone streets. Corpses ranged in degrees of decomposition, some of the dead had already begun to bloat while others had taken their last breaths mere moments before. 

Only a god could destroy someone so thoroughly. 

Despite the pain lacing her every step, Xena smiled. For there was no sweeter taste than victory. 

Even if that victory would spell her demise.

The Queen of Mineros hobbled into the Kerunian throne room clutching a wound to her ribs, Where are your daughters? she choked out. 

She pointed her blood-soaked blade at the royals in a promise of death, the room smelling distinctly of must. A sheet of debris had knocked loose from the ceiling and covered the floor. Each step Xena took crunched beneath her feet, her boots leaving footprints in the layers of grit.

The Kerunian monarchs had been reduced to prisoners. Bound by the soldiers who infiltrated the castle, they struggled on the grimy floor. It took a whole squadron to subdue them but even still the fight had not left their eyes.

WHERE ARE YOUR DAUGHTERS! Xena screamed, half driven to madness. 

The iron tang of blood sat heavy on her tongue as she uttered threats she knew she’d never make good on.Vines shot from beneath the limestone floor, slowly constricting the necks of the defeated royals. Xena’s hands shook as she clenched them into fists. The crawling, green weapons of death surely heralded a slow and painful end. The Poison Queen of Mineros stayed true to her name as she seethed with unabated rage. 

You will NEVER find them, Armina croaked as she feebly thrashed against her bindings. Her neck craned upward from her spot on the floor. Eyes narrowed on Xena, fury dripped from Armina’s gaze like a poison tipped blade. 

Xena crouched before her fellow queen. You think your pathetic little kingdom to have that many allies? If your daughters are not found in this castle, I have commanded my soldiers to raid your minor kingdom. If they are not found there, then it leaves your home doesn’t it? Are they safe and sound with your dear, old sister in her kingdom on the sea?

Xena basked in the horror streaked across her prisoners’ faces. At that moment she knew she had truly won. Her smile was a thing of nightmares, blood staining each and every one of her teeth as the crimson liquid trickled down her chin, soaking the velvet lining of her war-torn armor. 

If you don’t want the rest of your kingdom destroyed, furthermore, if you don’t want your minor territory and your sister’s kingdom destroyed, your eldest daughter will be promised to my son.

Daniel choked as he sputtered a strained retort, What good would marrying our Eliza off to Mineros do? If memory serves, we’re fighting a war over a band of your soldiers killed by brigands who happened to be of Kerunian descent. He gasped for air, the vines crawling toward his jawline. "Might I remind you again, my family had nothing to do with it. Your blood lust has clouded your judgment."

I’m sure you’ve surmised that this wound— she lifted her hand to show a gash revealing her ribs, will eventually get the better of me. With my husband on his deathbed as well, Will is next in line for the throne. Tethering your daughter to him would ensure no retaliation from you lot. She loosened a shaky breath, I will leave behind orders the assault on your kingdom should cease if you agree to my terms. 

She released the vines from their necks in a feigned gesture of good will and signaled for her soldiers to do the same. Armina and Daniel gasped as air flooded their lungs once again. 

What’s stopping us from killing you right now? The Queen of Keruna coughed as she spoke, peering through a curtain of black hair. 

Xena knew she was in no position to fight. But, she didn’t need to fight when she had leverage.

Xena’s laugh was wet, causing her to choke, You think yourself in a position to utter threats? This carnage stops on my order and my order ONLY. If you kill me, my army will bathe the streets of Keruna in the blood of the innocents. The Minerosi Queen’s eyes were arrows of wild emeralds darting between the two royals who now rose to their feet.

Daniel gazed out the window behind him. His brow furrowed as the earth shook and walls of ice were raised by the still-warring foot soldiers. 

What assurances can you give us if we agree to these terms? His voice was strained, barely raised above a whisper.

It always pleased Xena to win. To see her enemies crushed into a state of such hopelessness one last time was truly a gift. She motioned to the stony faced captain of her guard, every slight movement nearly brought the Poison Queen to her knees. 

Tell the men to stand down. If these two do not give a suitable answer in the next few minutes, command them to resume their slaughter. There are to be no survivors. Xena looked back toward Daniel and Armina

Eliza, is it? She will be given a room in the palace and treated as any royal would. When our children are wed, she will be held in her full authority as the Queen of Mineros.

Armina walked hurriedly to the King as they exchanged a few quiet, yet heated, words. They turned toward Xena in unison, If our daughters and our kingdom will be safe then— he hugged his wife tightly, the gleam of tears shining in his eyes, we agree to your terms. 

Where are they hiding? She spoke to Daniel as if he were no more a child. Her feral smile made it clear she was being anything but tender. Tell me. Or our little deal is off. 

Daniel seemed to be in physical pain as he forced the answer through his lips, Most likely the crypt.

At that, Xena nodded to her soldiers, Bring them to me. She clenched a hand to her side, hiding her wince of pain with a manic giggle.

Chapter Three

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Mineros

The Prince of Mineros supplicated himself before Bruier as he had for days. He kneeled in the chapel on the lowest step of the altar, the wood steadily biting through his breeches. The wall before him was made of pure glass and the very trees seemed to watch him as he prayed.

Most revered Bruier, I ask that you lay your hand over my mother. Protect her from those who would harm her. Strike them down before they can lay a wretched hand upon her skin. He rested his elbows on the highest step, allowing the ones in between to press uncomfortably into his ribs. Will’s lip quivered as he imagined any harm coming to his beloved mother, the revered Queen of Mineros.

Allow her to cleanse Catalina of the Kerunian filth that would hope to threaten her rule. I need her. I tear rolled down his cheek, the salty liquid finding its way into his mouth. If I am to properly honor you with my rule, I need you to keep her alive. 

His hands shook as he clasped them together, fingers laced. My mother has spent eighteen years molding me into a suitable successor. Who am I if she is not with me? It had been nearly a week with no word from the Kerunian front and the silence had nearly driven Will to madness. The door creaked open at the front of the Chapel, the tinkling glass and silverware making it clear another servant had come to disrupt him.

Do you want your Queen to die? Will growled as he leapt to his