Chapter 14: An Icy Welcome

The landscape shifts as the carriage trundled north. Saffron is heavily bundled in furs as the temperature drops the closer they get to the border. What began as soft flurries of snow has increased to heavy, damp clumps that smack the carriage wetly.
She had drifted into an uneasy doze but was startled awake by a strange dream. The feeling of unease lingered even while she is awake. Elric pulled her closer to him, giving her some of his warmth. “We are nearly there. Thank the gods we aren’t going to the King’s castle. It would be another week of traveling in this. Not to mention he built his castle into the side of a cliff. Dreadful place,” he said to her, his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder.
Saffron was intrigued. She wanted to see this treacherously placed castle. It sounded like something from the fairytales her grandmother had read to her when she was a child. She pushed past Elric a bit to glance out of the window. The terrain was rugged and rocky; the trees wiry and stunted. The plains ahead of them were nearly flat, buried beneath inches of snow and ice. It was beautiful in a desolate, terrifying manner.
“You can see her castle from here,” he murmured and pointed. Saffron squinted and a sharp spire poked through the snow-laden sky. She couldn’t imagine a princess living here. It looked more fitting for an evil queen. The carriage trudged up the steep path towards the princess’s castle. Large gargoyles covered the roof’s edge, glaring down at them.
The castle had been built from a slick black rock that was only mined in Udril. It gave the castle an even more ominous presence. A grim-faced servant waited for them near the front doors, clothed in heavy white furs. The carriage slid to a halt and their door was opened.
Elric held his hand out for her and he helped her up the icy path. They stepped inside of the castle but the temperate seemed to remain the same, but it did provide a respite from the wind that howled outside. Saffron looked around at the entrance. It was narrow and unwelcoming. The walls painted a plain grey, the floors a matching shade. There were no portraits or any other decorations upon the wall, only dimly lit scones lined the hall.
To their left, a sharp, black stairwell led to the floor above. Closed doors on either side of them announced other rooms but they were shut tightly. “Homey,” Saffron murmured to Elric. He chuckled before turning it into a cough when the servant returned, directing the others where to place their luggage.
“Princess Mira will receive you in the drawing-room,” he drawled, his skin sallow and stretched tightly across his skull. Saffron would have believed he were a living skeleton if not for his beady dark eyes that glared at them.
“Thank you,” Elric said and grabbed Saffron’s hand. He led her to the first door on the right. He pushed it open and she was enveloped with a wave of warmth. A fire burned in the large iron hearth across from them. Thick drapes were drawn most of the way across the windows, to keep the chill out. Only a lone beam of light shone between them. The rest of the room was lit by scones.
A lone tufted bench set across from the hearth, covered in black fabric. Two matching chairs sat abreast of it. Elric helped Saffron with her cloak and hung it on a peg near the door. A nameless servant swept into the room and sat a tray on the table near the bench. It bore a dark purple wine and three heavy crystal goblets.
“I suppose we are to make ourselves comfortable?” Saffron whispered, not trusting the viscous liquid.
“There is no getting comfortable in this place,” Elric replied under his breath grimly. Saffron shot him a worried look. He shook his head once, nearly imperceptibly. They stood awkwardly near the bench, neither wanting to sit.
The doors opened again and in swept a beautiful woman who appeared to be of similar age to Saffron. Her hair was a shocking red, the color of fresh blood. Her skin was pale, nearly the same hue as the snow falling outside. She was nearly as tall as Elric but much more slender. She was clothed in a black velvet gown that trailed behind her as she stalked into the room. Her waist was cinched by a tight-fitted bodice that her bosom nearly spilled from.
Saffron eyed her warily. She didn’t like the way that the woman stared at Elric as she came nearer to them. She gazed at him as if he were a meal to be had. Her eyes were a light green which was offset nicely by her white skin and red hair. There was something predatory in the way this woman moved. Saffron hated her on sight.
The woman had a smile on her face until she saw the familiar way that Elric’s hand held Saffron’s. She quickly recovered; the smile now forced.
“Elric, darling,” she said, her accent thick and halting. She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, lingering longer than necessary. Saffron could smell her cloying perfume from where she stood. She fought to keep the grimace off of her face.
“It’s been too long,” she chided him and then turned to look at Saffron. “And you are?” her thick red eyebrow arched in a disapproving manner as if Saffron had stepped in something unpleasant.
“Princess Mira, may I present you my fiancée, Saffron,” Elric said, a smile growing on his face as surprise registered in Mira’s eyes.
“I see. Lovely to meet you,” she said and didn’t extend her hand to Saffron. She spun and splayed herself on the bench, snatching a goblet of wine as she did so. Saffron looked worried at Elric. His eyes were dark and irritated. He motioned for them to sit in the chairs facing the Princess.
“So, you are here for negotiations,” she drawled, running the tip of one long pale finger along the rim of her glass, staring at Elric.
“That is what I was told. Are you to be a representative?” Elric asked, his tone polite and distant.
“Pssh, no. I have no interest in politics. You should know this,” she replied and threw Saffron a pointed look.
“Ah yes. That is right. Will your father be joining us?”
“No, he sent his Chancellor instead. He believes this matter should be settled quickly so he saw no need to travel,” she replied, licking a drop of wine from her lips, all the while looking at Elric through her lashes.
Saffron had contemplated how much of a mess it would make to bludgeon the princess with her goblet. She wagered it would be quite a lot and soon lost herself in the fantasy of this woman’s demise. After a moment she realized they were both looking at her.
“I apologize. What was that?” she asked, blushing slightly.
“Mira asked if we would like to be shown to our rooms. The Chancellor will not be arriving until morning so negotiations will not be until then.” Elric replied, looking at her quizzically.
“That would be lovely, thank you,” Saffron said as graciously as she could muster. Elric took her elbow as they followed the unnerving Princess from the drawing-room. She grabbed a candelabra from the bottom of the steps before leading them up the cold, dark stairwell.
They were led to the very end of the hall on what was the third floor. Saffron could hear the wind buffering against the harsh stone of the castle. She could swear that it was worming its way in between the cracks, licking at her skin.
“These rooms should suffice,” Mira said, her eyes glinting in the candlelight.
“Rooms?” Saffron asked. Mira smiled wickedly.
“Yes. Rooms. You are not yet married. It would be improper to place you in one room,” she replied, nearly vibrating with glee.
“Oh yes, we wouldn’t want to snub our noses at the impropriety,” Saffron replied, glaring at the nearly exposed breasts that were threatening to burst from the Princess’s bodice. Elric snorted. Mira eyed him darkly.
“Enjoy your evening,” Mira said and swept away, taking the candelabra with her, plunging the hall into the late afternoon gloom.
Elric opened the door to Saffron’s room. It wasn’t nearly as bad as she had been expecting, just cold. He started a quick fire in the hearth for her. “It should warm up soon,” he said, his hands on her shoulders.
“Unlike the Princess,” Saffron remarked. He laughed and shook his head at her.
“We will be out of here soon enough. Why don’t you get some rest? I have some parchment I must get into order before the evening meal. I’ll come to collect you soon,” he said and kissed her. She kissed him back fiercely. There was something unsettling about the way that Mira had looked at Elric. It was as if she had not only believed that he belonged to her but that at one time, he did.