Corinne's heart shifted as the maid begged him with his name. He hadn't heard someone call his name softly for a long time and the sudden mention almost made his heart flip.
Someone barged in and judging by the smell, he knew it was Ansel. Ansel came in quickly and shut the door behind him. "What are you doing?" He whispered. He had run towards his chamber and dismissed the other guards that tried to follow him when they felt a sudden cold gushing wind where they stood fifteen feet away from his chamber. Ansel knew the sudden chill was from Corinne's chamber. He knew immediately that Corinne was using his magic in the palace which he had never done because he didn't want people to know and star him as a monster. Only Ansel knew about it.
Corinne moved closer to her as his hair began to change back to black. He placed his hands on the ice and closed his eyes. Muttering some words, reddish orange light shimmered from his palms and into the ice. The crystalline soon became orange, melting the ice around her into cold water. The water splattered on the floor and Zora's wet frozen body immediately fell into the prince's arms.
"Bring me some maids to clean this up". He ordered Ansel before carrying Zora up in his arms. He walked towards the door that led into his private space. Where only he could go whenever he needed time to think without being distracted. Where most of his secrets were kept. Where no one could enter without his permission. It was small but it reminded him of his past life. It was his safe abode. He made many memories in this room. Memories he knew he could never forget.
Placing Zora on the mat, he moved over to the small box stuck between the two large golden lion vase and pulled it out.
He could have warmed Zora in his room and on his bed but he disliked having women on his bed. Even the women he slept with whenever he needed to let go off his release after getting worked up were always taken to the one of the royal guest rooms. He had never let any woman on his bed unlike his brother. Never let go off a day with hitting one of the pretty maids that worked for him. One of the reasons why every maid had always wished to work for his brother instead of him. He had never met anyone willing to work for him. No one.
A knock came on the door before the door shrieked open without his permission. Only Ansel could do it.
"I brought warm water".
Corinne nodded and Ansel turned to collect the water from the maid who stood outside the small room. He gently placed it on the floor with a cloth.
Corinne pulled the water close to himself and dipped the cloth in it. The warmness greeted his hands and he shivered slightly at the connection of his cold hands with the warm water. "You can leave". He told Ansel without looking up at him.
Ansel bowed and retracted, closing the door gently.
In many years, this was him first time treating a woman and a part of him seemed to be enjoying it. He took her palm in his palm and rubbed the warm cloth on it gently.
She was lucky she softened his heart. If she'd lasted one more minute, she'd have been frozen forever and die. His power was very dangerous and sometimes scare him. If he froze anyone, no one else, no heat, no fire would melt unless he himself melt the person.
Earlier, he had heard her speaking to him through her heart. That moment, he felt a strong bond connecting them together and for the first time in a while, he felt his mother's presence around. What were they trying to tell him?
He rarely heard people's minds and hearing hers was....
Zora suddenly shifted and grunted at the same time. Corinne withdrew the cloth from her feet and dropped it into the now cold water. Zora slowly peeled her eyes open and took in her surrounding before locking eyes with The prince who squatted next to her. Widening her eyes completely, she staggered to sit up and defend herself when she suddenly remembered the scene in his room. Her body felt heavy and she immediately fell back on the mat, shutting her eyes as she awaited the pain that'd struck her when her head hit the floor. But none came. Instead, her head fell on a rather soft palm. She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding as relieve rushed through her.
Corinne placed her head back on the mat and stood up on his feet. "You woke up quicker than I thought". He turned away from her and instead of hearing her retorting in response to his sentence, she kept quiet. Was she scared of him now?
"I'll leave now". She spoke out weakly as she tried to stand again. Why was she in hurry to leave?
"What happened a while ago?" The prince asked. He knew he was in trouble now that someone else knew his secret.
"You don't have to worry. I didn't see anything". She stood up and braced the wall to prevent her from falling.
"And why are you wet?"
"Because...Bec...."
"Because you were in the rain right?" He said. He wanted to make sure she had words to feed her friends when she gets back without mentioning the fact that she was frozen alive.
"Yes. I was in the rain". She replied wearily as she listened to the sound of the rain drops outside.
"Why were you late?"
She hesitated for a while, probably thinking before she replied. "I was talking with the prince".
"Are you alright?"
"Yes I am". She lied. He knew she was not alright. Who would?
"Good. I'm sure you'll know what to tell your friends when you are asked these questions....You can leave" He ordered and without sparing a second, she opened the door and walked out without glancing back at him.
A smile crept up Corinne's face. Maybe she would act with respect from now on.