Oh shit. I was supposed to curtsy.
Crap.
I dropped into an awkward curtsy, seeing as I was doing it on a step which was deep but not deep enough to execute a curtsy, something I’d never done before in my life. I pulled it off, thankfully, without falling over or something equally embarrassing and I bowed my head.
“Rise, my daughter and new son,” Dad muttered, Frey straightened and his hand held mine firmly so I could use the strength of his arm to pull myself up.
I tilted my head back to look at my parents while my nerves jangled but before anyone could say a word, Frey spoke.
“My Ice Bride has been travelling long and she is chill. We must get her inside.”
Then he didn’t wait but led us up another step, I saw both my mother and father jerk in some surprise then when Frey kept right on going and was about to bowl through them, they turned toward the doors. One of the people standing around rushed to them and pushed both open and Mom and Dad strode through, Frey and I following close and some of the people from outside followed us in while others disappeared to places unknown.
The doors barely closed behind us when Frey let my hand go and turned to my Dad.
“Atticus, we must talk. Now.”
Dad blinked up at him then I turned my head to blink up at him too. His voice sounded firm, fierce and maybe a little ticked off. I didn’t get that. He didn’t seem ticked off while we rode.
Dad rallied and replied, “Of course, Drakkar. My study.”
Frey turned to my mother and ordered, “The princess does not leave the Palace unless she has my leave.”
I blinked again.
Uh… what?
Mom looked up at him and nodded.
Frey wasn’t done. “You will attend my conversation with my king.”
Mom’s eyes flashed to me then to Frey and she nodded again.
Frey turned to the four girls hovering close. “See to your princess.”
Then, without looking at me, he stalked away.
I stared at his back, stunned at his tone, behavior and more bossy than his normal bossy commands.
Dad followed Frey.
Mom came straight to me, her fingers curled around my arm tight and she leaned into my ear to hiss, “Now what have you done?”
I didn’t get to say a word before she let me go and hurried off in the direction Frey and Dad had disappeared.
What on earth?
Before I could ask, the four girls surrounded me and started herding me toward the carved stairs.
One who was close to my side and had her hand on me, peered at me and whispered, “Sjofn?”
I looked at her, shook off that strange, weirdly troubling scene and whispered back, “No. Finnie.”
She blinked then she smiled slightly and pulled me up the steps as she introduced herself, “I’m Alyssa.”
The girl walking close at my other side grabbed my hand and squeezed.
“Jocelyn,” she whispered.
“Esther,” one of the girls at our backs said and, still mounting the stairs, I turned to smile at her.
“Bess,” the last one peeped and I smiled at her too.
“Gods,” Jocelyn breathed, giving my hand another squeeze as I turned to face forward because even though they were guiding me, I was climbing stairs and I didn’t want to fall flat on my face. “We’re so glad you’re back.”
We alighted the stairs and they started leading me swiftly down the hall.
Alyssa got even closer to my other side and whispered, “We’ve been so worried.”
“Yes, we didn’t have time to tell you a thing,” Bess said quietly from behind and another glance back showed she and Esther were right on our heels.
“We’re so sorry about that,” Alyssa stated, “but the switch was supposed to happen ten minutes earlier. I don’t know what caused the delay but whatever it was, we lost our opportunity to warn you what was to come.”
Hmm. Seems it was not so good that Claudia and I prattled on when I should have been transporting. If we hadn’t, things might have gone better for me, apparently.
Crap.
We stopped at a door but just barely before it was opened, we were through it and I was back in the room where I’d started my adventure. It was again lit up, it now had a roaring fire in the grate and it was still freaking gorgeous.
I barely got a chance to take it in and definitely didn’t get a chance to open my mouth before my hat and cloak were gone as were my gloves.
And while they did this with practiced ease and uncanny quickness, they kept talking.
“We wanted to send a messenger but no one knew where you’d gone.” This was Esther.
“Everyone was abuzz that The Drakkar rode into the night with you right after the ceremony. They’re still talking about it. I mean, obviously, you’re beautiful and equally obviously, he’s The Drakkar, so they think he couldn’t wait to get his hands on you, especially after your conjugal kiss which everyone is also still talking about.” This was Alyssa and she went on to state, “But your mother was livid. She’d spent months planning the celebration that was to happen after the wedding ceremony. She didn’t get over The Drakkar hauling you away for weeks.”