Over the course of the journey, three days had passed. Aileen had two maids with her who refreshed her look when they made stops.
Aileen felt it made no sense to keep all this get up on for so long. By now she had reached the Icelandic Nation. It was cold, no room for sweat now, though she was glad about that.
That night while her maids slept across from her, Aileen propped her head against the window and looked up at the stars instead of overflowing amounts of snow.
She already felt incredibly homesick, and this unfamiliar view around her wasn't helping. Part of her hoped that maybe she'd wake up, back in her bed, back in the warmth, back in her home.
Unfortunately for her that wasn't the case.
The next day had arrived and Aileen was about a half hour from the palace now. It was absolutely freezing the deeper they went into the Ice Kingdom.
She appteciated the made that had given her a robe, but perhaps they had all underestimated exactly how cold it was, because the robe wasn't doing much for her now.
At last Aileen saw the gleaming castle in the distance. It looked as if it was made of Ice from the outside. She knew she had seen it once before, but for some reason it felt different this time, maybe because this was about to be her home.
At last they had finally reached the castle.
As Aileen was helped climbing out she could only see her future in-laws who seemed to stare at her in that same sickingly-sweet way her parents had.
Daniel wasn't there... But of course he wasn't. He had made it clear from her last visit that he didn't like her, and that he wanted nothing to do with her. She was twelve back then, he was fifteen, of course he thought about their marriage differently than she did. But now she was older, and it had been seven years since she's seen him face to face.
After greeting her in-laws, and the awkward apologies of their son not being there, Aileen was led to her room.
The princess suite which was separated from the prince's suite by a marriage suite in the middle that they were supposed to share after they were married.
After bringing in her luggage, Aileen was left alone to settle in her new room. She sat on the edge of the Ice cold bed.
She let out a exasperated laugh.
She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.
However she didn't want to let herself get into a depressive mood, so after looking at herself in the mirror and deciding she still looked nice. She decided to go and walk around the castle. She still remembered the way to some of the places she had visited, like the garden and the library.
She made her way down the long, cold, marble floors.
It was incredible to her, how did they enjoy the cold, how could anyone be comfortable living here. And of course it was more beneficial for her to come here rather than for him to come to her, but he was the man, and the soon to be king, so she had no choice.
Daniel had no siblings, Aileen did, their were other heirs for the throne. The Ice Kingdom needed Daniel.
Aileen turned her way into a ginormous hallway, and with a huge glass chandelier in the middle of it.
She decided to go to the library for now. Maybe she'd visit the garden tomorrow when it wasn't getting so late and still early in the day.
She entered through the grandiose doors, the handle like ice. She couldn't take it anymore, all of the cold. Her parents told her she would get used to it, but she just missed home.
Aileen tried to hold back her tears.
She walked through the large library, her heels clicking on the marble floors.
She found a seat near a big window. But it seemed the view outside was the last straw for her.
She groaned in frustration and tears slipped out her eyes, she hated seeing all that snow. She missed the sun shining, and the green grass. It was dark here already, it would have been bright out back home.
Then she heard a voice ring out.
"Do you hate it that much?"
Aileen turned her head.
It was Daniel. She could instantly tell. That blonde-almost-white hair. Those piercing blue eyes, pale skin, sharp jaw, thin nose. She knew it was him.
Aileen turned her head and wiped her tears before turning back around and standing up.
His looks had changed, but the way he stared at her was the same, even from back then. That same sharp glare, like he was trying to stab her with his eyes.
Aileen was silent. Daniel approached her, getting closer, able to see her more clearly.
His eyes seemed to do a once over of her. She was still covered in her robe, and she had on a pair of lace gloves she had acquired upon arriving. Her hair was tucked under the robe.
His sneer made her feel self conscious.
He stared her down.
"Well are you going to speak?"
He seemed to snap her back to reality.
"Ah, right, I'm sorry. Greeting your highness." Aileen curtisied.
As she was about to introduce herself like she had been instructed, Daniel cut her off.
"No need to explain, I know who you are. And if you're so upset you can always go home, I promise you I wouldn't be opposed, I don't really want you here either."
That kind of hurt her, she didn't understand why he hated her, she had done nothing to him, and here he was so shamelessly being rude.
Now it was her turn to glare at him. She did for a few seconds and then walked passed him, stalking off, and not saying a word.
She found her way back up to her room, and once it was time for dinner, she asked to be served in her room as she wasn't feeling well.
That wasn't a lie though, it was making her sick to know she had to sleep so close to such a vile person, and soon she'd have to be sleeping next to him.
The wedding was in two weeks. Aileen doubted they'd be on any kinds of good terms before then.
The next day she didn't see Daniel at all, really she didn't see much, she was busy being fitted for her wedding gown. It was off the shoulder and embroidered with crystal flowers on the bodice
Her veil was a material so thin and shimmery it could be considered a sheen of ice, and her heels of course were glass.
Tomorrow they'd work on the hair and the makeup, and eventually her nails.