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Chapter 31
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Frozen Heart Chapter 32
King Rhobart Braveheart stood still as his onyx eyes looked at Ayla with such intensity that it made her question herself why she ever hated him. Despite everything that had happened between them and how she acted and defied him with every breath she took, he came for her when she most needed him. The King was breathing hard, and it seemed that his entire body was shaking. He started running, eating up the distance that separated him from her. Ayla stood and tried to meet him halfway, but her legs gave in, and she fell to her knees in the snow. She dropped the dagger next to her, and she waited for him to come to her so that she could tell him that even if he got angry and shouted at her, she would call him her king because he had earned that right. His eyes never left hers; he didn’t even blink, as if he was scared that she would disappear the moment he closed his eyes. He kneeled in front of her and gently, so gently, he cupped her face. His fingers trembled, and he wi
Frozen Heart Chapter 33
The King reached his hand to remove her cloak, but she stopped him. “Nixx first. He—he might be dead because of me. For helping me. Then Spirit and lastly my shoulder.” “I don’t know who Nixx or Spirit are, nor do I care, and while I am grateful they helped you, you will always come first, no matter what! Once I take a look at your shoulder, and if I decide you are well, we will begin to look for them.” He removed her cloak and jacket, leaving her in a tunic. “Kerra, distract Ayla while I take a look at her shoulder.” The snowcat put her head on Ayla’s lap and purred loudly while the King touched her shoulder. It hurt badly. She balled her fists and inhaled sharply. The King muttered an apology under his breath. “I have good news and bad news. The good news is that your shoulder is not broken. The bad news is that it is dislocated, and I have to put it back in place.” Ayla chewed her lip. “It’s going to hurt?” “Unfortunately.” He pulled out a pie
Frozen Heart Chapter 34
“But Nixx,” Ayla protested. “Is not here. We looked everywhere.” “We have to find him. He couldn’t have just disappeared into thin air.” “What I know is that the blizzard will be here soon. And we need to be in a safe place when that happens.” Ayla looked around one more time before saying, “Fine. But just so you know, I am not giving up on Nixx. I will keep looking after the blizzard passes.” The King nodded. “There’s a camp about five miles away from here. We will stay there until the blizzard passes.” As they rode to the camp, Ayla told the King about the shadowbeast and Star, how Scar found her, and how he treated her. She told him about how Nixx kept her safe from Scar. The King was silent as Ayla talked. When they stopped in front of the camp, he let out a growl. “That fucking bastard! I will find a way to bring him back, only to send him back to Beliar with my bare hands. Again and again. About the snowcat that attacked that shadowbeast, I am sure it was Kerra. She tracke
Frozen Heart Chapter 35
Ayla turned on her heels. “I don’t want to stay on my ass in a warm room doing nothing while you have to fight in a new war. I might not know how to fight, but I can be useful in other ways.” “When the war starts, you are going to be far away from it, safe, in the Fortress!” the King growled. “What Fortress?” asked Ayla. “I will tell you when the time comes.” She returned to chopping vegetables. “If you take me to the Royal Palace, I will run away and find a way to help without you knowing. I might even go look for Uzriel,” she said jokingly, remembering her dreams. He went to her and made her look at him. “Who the fuck is Uzriel?” he snarled. Ayla shrugged. “Ever since I arrived in Nordmar, I have started having strange dreams. I don’t know who Uzriel is, but without him, we can’t defeat the Orcs.” The King frowned and rubbed his chin with his fingers. “Uzriel was the name of the warrior that helped the first Paladin. While I don’t know much about dreams, one or two won’t make
Frozen Heart Chapter 36
Rhobart looked at the trees and then at the sky. “We need to leave. It will take us at least four hours to reach the next camp, and there are only three hours of light left,” he said before getting on top of his horse. Ayla nodded as she glanced at the river for the last time. She had never told Nixx that her father was King Amul, and he had been the first to treat her as if she was... normal and not royalty. He had suspected she was from a rich family, but she always denied it. When she didn’t know how to build a fire or make stew, he did not judge her. With patience, Nixx taught her not only how to make food and start a fire but also how to properly take care of a horse and how to set traps for rabbits. She was grateful for all the things he taught her, and she made a promise to herself that the next time she saw Nixx again, for she truly believed he was still alive, she would let him know how much their friendship meant to her. She made sure that the memories of Nixx were safe i
Frozen Heart Chapter 37
Ayla tried to aim for his chest, but he was strong and fast. Before she knew it, he had his stick at her neck. “And you are dead,” Rhobart concluded. “Again,” Ayla demanded. Rhobart took a step back. “We should work on your position first.” He moved behind her. “Move your dominant leg out a bit more.” He put his hands on her shoulders, and heat rose to her cheeks. It felt different from when Nixx or Milton touched her. “Next, we will work on your attack,” he said when he was certain she knew the right position for training. They practiced until Ayla got tired, and her muscles felt sore. Rhobart put away the sticks and sat on a log. “Time to sleep,” the King said. “I will stand guard, so you don’t need to worry about wild beasts attacking us.” Ayla put the kettle over the fire. “When you want to sleep, wake me. I will make some tea for you before I retire to my furs,” she said while taking a few leaves out of her messenger bag. She had found some medicinal plants in the foodshe
Frozen Heart Chapter 38
On the eighth day of traveling, Ayla and Rhobart crossed paths with a traveling merchant. He was heading to the Warrior Clan and other villages with his wagon full of sweets from all seven kingdoms, silks and furs, books, toys, and many other things. Two young men accompanied him. Rhobart made a sign for the merchant to stop. Ayla hadn’t seen a traveling merchant since she was a child. Her mother rarely left the Royal Palace of Myrthana. Traveling merchants would come to the palace at least once a week, and Queen Lavia and Lady Anza often bought expensive clothes or books, and for Ayla, toys or sweets made of marzipan, chocolate, and caramel. Once, when her mother was haggling with the merchant, Ayla went inside his wagon to look at some dresses when she saw an old book on a small table. It told the story of a young woman who ran away from her childhood sweetheart because she thought he was a monster. After hiding from him for many years, they were finally reunited, and Ayla never fo
Frozen Heart Chapter 39
Long ago, Tree Spirits lived all over the continent. They not only told stories of the first races but also blessed couples with health and prosperity. When the Second War with the Orcs started, the Tree Spirits used their magic to help the humans and other races defeat the Orcs and send them back into the Uncharted Lands. Soon after, the Dark Mages started killing Tree Spirits all over Aylarra until none remained. To hear that at least one was still alive brought great joy to Ayla. “Can I meet him?” she asked. “It’s a her, not a him. If she wants to be seen, then you will see her,” Rhobart said. They walked through a tunnel for about five minutes until they entered a large cave. Ayla stopped in her tracks. She had read about magic caves, but this was the first time she actually saw one. There was no other word to describe it. In the middle of the cave stood the biggest tree Ayla had ever seen. It was so thick that probably twenty men standing in a circle, with their arms outstre
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