The Summer King and His Winter Bride-Chapter 28: Abduction

The atmosphere in the palace was wrought with tension as the horrendous incident of the previous night cut like a blade across Caroline’s soul, imprinting onto her the scar of a deadly secret harbored by Casimir.

The morning sun seemed to greet her with its golden rays through the arched windows but she barely noticed it. Her mind was reeling from the events of last night that she barely noticed the hushed whispers and the sidelong glances thrown in her direction by the palace staff.

A sudden gust of wind howled through her chamber, rattling the heavy doors as if a storm had burst into the palace. The wind snuffed out all the torches, plunging the room into darkness. An unseen force that was undeniably powerful snatched the breath from her lungs making it difficult for her to make a sound.

This was the work of magic.

A sharp chill ran down her spine as the air pulsed with something ancient and alive. Then they appeared curling vines through the air like live serpents with the shimmering deep green glow of the Spring Court enchantment. Before she could scream they struck.

They bound her wrists and legs coiling tightly around her to prevent her from moving. She fought, twisting and yanking but the magic held firm. Her pulse pounded as she felt like invisible hands clamping her throat preventing her from screaming.

A whisper brushed against her ear, though no one stood near her. It was no ordinary voice it carried weight and a command that coiled around her.

"Forgive me, Caroline."

A sharp pull and her world turned upside down as the wind roared in her ears the room dissolved into darkness. As shadows swallowed her whole.

When Caroline woke up, she found herself lying on something soft, her limbs were no longer bound but everything was wrong to the senses.

The horrid smell of smoke was gone replaced by a fragrance of damp earth and fresh apple blossoms. A gentle cool breeze brushed the hair away from her face. It took only a moment for her instincts to scream where she was.

The Springlands.

Her eyes snapped open as she looked in horror at the ceiling arched high above with vines curling along its carved edges. Sunlight filtered in through emerald curtains casting the room in shifting shades of gold and jade. Tapestries adorned the walls with embroidered twisting vines and white blooming flowers all Spring Court sigils in their intricate beauty.

She took in a breath and forced herself upright, ignoring the dull ache that was at the base of her skull. The bed she was on was draped in green silk but she shoved them aside like it burned her. Her body tensed as her muscles coiled ready to fight or run if she had to when the door creaked open.

A tall figure of a man stepped inside moving with grace as though he had expected her to awaken when she did. Gold colored hair the color of wheat, eyes a captive piercing green, he was a vision of effortless power. It was eyes that arrested her vibrant as the forest still as water quietly assessing her intently.

This man was very likely to be King Cyrus of the Spring Court, she thought to herself and her guess was right when he introduced himself.

"You were in danger, Caroline, I rescued you. You may thank me later."

"Cyrus is it?"

"It is, my lady."

Her heart pounded in her ears as she clenched her fists forcing herself to stay calm.

A sharp scoff left her lips before she could stop it.

"And you thought abducting me will keep me safe here?"

He did not even flinch. "Yes", was his calm reply.

Caroline’s mind frantically pieced together the fragments of what had happened to her. If Cyrus had wanted her dead, she would not be here, waking up in a silk draped bed. He had a reason for all of this, one she would have to uncover.

She lifted her chin and refused to show any fear. "Then tell me Your Majesty, what exactly am I in danger from?"

"Your enemies," he said simply as though that answer were enough for her.

"And you are not one of them?" She asked as she did her best to keep the sneer from showing on her face.

His jaw tightened before he replied, "that remains to be seen."

Caroline refused to show him just how much that remark made her heart pump blood faster.

She knew she was in his clutches but she also knew he needed her alive and well.

How would the Winter Court respond to this? How would the Summer Court? More importantly what would Casimir do in retaliation?

These questions raged inside of her as she did her best to quell the fear and the anxiety that came with it.

"When will you tell me the reason for my being here?" She asked him a little too forcefully.

"When you learn to ask nicely," was all he replied before he left her chambers.

"Cyrus, be serious do you know this could be interpreted as an act of war on your court?" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

She asked after his retreating figure.

"Then we will fight Caroline, with you on our side." Came his cool reply with a hint of amusement in it.

Getting angrier by the second she froze him in place just before he could make a turn at a corridor.

"If you do not give me the answers I need I will keep you in place to stand there for as long as need be."

He felt the ice cold frost turn his feet stone cold before he could see the snow and frost that had gathered where he stood.

"Caroline, I promise to give you answers in the evening can you wait till then? I must go and eat, I am famished!" He argued a little desperate, she thought as she let him go.

"Thank you," came his curt reply before he disappeared out of her sight for good.

"I hope you do not do anything too rash, darling," she whispered to the wind as though it would somehow carry her message to Casimir.