Dorsey's POV

  I sat at the edge of the pale blue walls that encased me, the familiar silence my only companion. But now, even silence deserted me. Screams echoed through the dungeon, rising and falling like the tide of chaos breaking over the palace above. My heart tightened as I stood, gripping the cold, unyielding metal bars that defined my existence.

  "The Ice King is dead—and the Ice Princess too!" a royal guard’s voice boomed, sharp and clear.

  Impossible. That couldn’t be true. Arie couldn’t be dead. Not her, and not that arrogant brother of hers. I haven’t had my revenge yet. I haven’t made them suffer for framing me for a crime I never committed. Aerol’s death? I could live with that. But Arie? She must be alive. That wicked princess will answer for her sins.

  I pressed my face against the bars, watching the commotion as guards rushed to and fro, unlocking cells and freeing prisoners. My gaze landed on a royal guard who sprinted toward me, his face etched with panic.

  "Princess Dorsey!" he shouted, breathless. "You must get out of here now—the palace is burning, and soon this dungeon will too!"

  His desperation grated on me. "Do not dare shout when you're this close to me," I snapped, my voice sharp as ice.

  “I refuse to leave,” I said coldly, my sky-blue eyes glaring into his soul.

  His expression twisted with disbelief. “B-but we need to move you to safety! You’re a royal—we can’t afford to lose you.”

  Another guard appeared, his face familiar—the one assigned to guard my cell. "Come on, Princess!" he pleaded. "You’ll die here if you don’t come with us!"

  I scowled. "You didn’t believe me when I spoke the truth, and now you want me to come out? I’d rather burn than spend another second of my life rotting in this place."

  Before their hands could reach me, I willed a shimmering barrier of ice to encase the bars, blocking out their persistent faces. Finally, peace. Let the flames come—I will embrace them. My name is already tarnished, my dignity shattered, all thanks to that so-called Ice Princess.

  The heat began creeping in, wrapping itself around my skin like an unwelcome intruder. Sweat dripped onto the icy cement beneath me, but I stood my ground. I was ready—to perish and join my parents once more.

  A sudden crash rang out behind me, the sharp sound of shattering ice. I turned just as fragments scattered across the floor. Through the haze of melting frost stood a man dressed in regal elegance—General Sterling. His deep blue eyes locked onto mine with quiet intensity.

  "I apologize for your stay here," he said coolly, "but you must leave now, Princess."

  I arched a brow, defiance bubbling in my chest. "Tell me first—what is happening in the palace?"

  "Two days here, and you’ve already forgotten your manners," he remarked dryly. "But yes, you already know—the Ice King is dead."

  My glare bore into him, but my attention snagged on the glint of a golden chain in his pocket. Something about it gnawed at me.

  “He was never a competent king,” Sterling continued, his voice devoid of emotion. “He carried a crown too dangerous for any man. His end was inevitable.”

  A dark realization settled over me. "So you're a traitor to the royal family," I hissed, my fists clenching. "I should’ve known."

  Before he could react, I lashed out, summoning a storm of ice spikes aimed at his chest. But they never reached him—each shard evaporated in a burst of searing heat. My breath hitched as I turned to face the source of the flames.

  A figure emerged from the shadows, his crimson eyes glowing like embers. The wildfires of Snowdoom Forest clung to his aura, flickering in the dim light.

  “Dorsey Glaciouso,” he greeted, his voice both smooth and sinister.

  I swallowed hard. "Lord Alaric...? No, it can’t be."

  A smirk curled his lips. “Not exactly. That man is dead.”

  The weight of his words crushed the air from my lungs. His presence was suffocating, his power undeniable. Felipe Viciouso. The name reverberated in my mind like a curse. It screams the ruthless, dangerous Wolf King.

  “You needn’t worry about another dungeon,” Felipe said, stepping closer. “I’m offering you complete freedom—in exchange for your loyalty to me.”

  His words lingered, venomous and tempting. He leaned in, his voice a low murmur. "And we both know the truth, don’t we? Arie is no innocent princess—she’s a concealed witch. You should thank me for ridding the world of her and her brother.”

  My mind reeled. Arie dead? No. That witch has Dreamer’s Magic—rare, elusive, and nearly impossible to defeat. I doubted her death as much as I doubted my sanity. Yet, despite every warning screaming in my head, my hand moved on its own, reaching for his outstretched palm.

  And in that moment, a fallen princess made a pact with the devil.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  ***

  Skymint's POV

  Sitting comfortably against the smooth wooden surface of my boat, I rowed across the vast ocean, the rhythmic splash of oars cutting through the silence. My destination was clear—the border of the Glacia Kingdom, where my modest livelihood awaited me. Fish here, fish there, and fish everywhere—that was the simple, repetitive cadence of my life. I glanced at the metal bucket beside me, brimming with silvery scales, their sheen catching the morning light.

  Almost there. These fish would fetch me enough ice bills to get by, thanks to the merchant in the village who paid a decent price for my daily hauls. But enough was never quite enough. Fishing had always been a game of chance, and today I decided to test my luck once more.

  Gripping my fishing rod, I cast the line, the hook vanishing into the deep blue. The ocean was serene, a mirror reflecting the endless sky above. Seconds passed. Then, a sharp tug. The reel stopped spinning.

  My heart leapt. "This fish must be huge!" I muttered, gripping the rod tighter as I began to pull. Whatever it was, it resisted, heavier than anything I'd caught before. I braced my feet against the edge of the boat and heaved with all my might.

  "Hopefully, it's an extremely large tuna!" I exclaimed, a grin spreading across my face.

  The tension in the line grew unbearable. I had to act fast. "Ice Rod!"

  Frost coursed through my hands, coating the wooden rod with a shimmering layer of ice. The sunlight caught its crystalline surface, a radiant sky-blue hue dancing across the water. With renewed strength, I pulled—but then disaster struck.

  The line snapped.

  "No!" My shout echoed across the open sea. Desperation gripped me as I stared at the frayed cord. That rod had been with me since I first joined the workforce, my most trusted companion in this unyielding trade.

  Without hesitation, I plunged into the icy depths, the chill biting at my skin as I swam after the sinking line. The water grew darker as I descended, the abyss below stretching endlessly. Then, something caught my eye—a glint of light.

  Curiosity tugged at me like the lost fishing line. Swimming closer, I saw it: a massive iceberg, its surface glittering like fractured starlight. But it wasn’t the iceberg that stole my breath. Encased within the frozen mass was a girl.

  Her face was pale, her expression frozen in a mask of horror. My heart thudded against my ribs. From her regal features, it was clear—this wasn’t just anyone. This was Princess Arie Glaciouso, the Ice Princess herself.

  I couldn't leave her here.

  Wrapping my arms around the iceberg, I surged upward, breaking through the ocean’s surface. The weight was staggering, but I pushed on, icy water streaming from the frozen mass. As I approached my boat, realization struck: landing her on the fragile vessel would sink it instantly.

  "Ice Floor!"

  A shimmering platform formed beneath me, solid as steel. I landed hard, the impact vibrating through my body. Setting the iceberg down, I inspected it more closely. The ice was dense, far too thick for my fishing rod to have lifted it.

  "Reversed freezing," I whispered, pressing my palms against the ice. Cold magic coursed from my hands, thinning the layer encasing her.

  "Please be alive," I murmured, my breath fogging the air. "I don’t want to be the one who finds you only to see you slip away."

  The ice began to crack, shattering into shards that fell around us. At last, the princess was free. I caught her as she collapsed into my arms, her body trembling violently.

  Her lips parted, her voice faint. "I... I’m dying..."

  "You are safe now," I muttered, gathering her into my arms and carrying her toward the boat. The icy wind bit at us both, but I kept my grip steady, shielding her as best I could from the cold.

  Then I saw it—a flash of terror in her eyes, raw and sudden, as though my words had struck some hidden nerve. As though I'd said something terribly wrong.

  I grabbed my thick wool coat and wrapped it around her frail figure, her shivering barely abating.

  She blinked up at me, her pale eyes clouded with confusion. Then, to my utter disbelief, she gasped.

  "Woah! You’re a talking polar bear!"

  I stiffened, biting back my irritation. "I’m a Polarman," I corrected, keeping my tone as respectful as I could muster. "Not a polar bear, or anything of the sort."

  "Oh," she said sheepishly. "Pardon me—"

  "There’s no need," I interrupted, scratching the back of my head. "If I may ask, though... how did you end up down there?"

  Her face tightened, uncertainty flickering in her gaze. "I... I’m not ready to talk about it," she admitted, her voice trembling. "But you’d be better off without me. They probably think I’m dead by now. You shouldn’t be here with me. You’ll only get yourself in trouble."

  I crouched down to meet her eyes. "I promise, that won’t happen," I said firmly. "I’ll keep you hidden."

  The horizon stretched endlessly before us, the muddy shore of the Glacia Kingdom just within reach. My boat creaked as it swayed gently in the water, the bucket of fish untouched.

  Leaving her alone, even for a moment, wasn’t an option. Not again.

  She stared toward the west, her gaze fixed on the far-off village. Her expression was guarded, her fear almost palpable, as though she expected something—or someone—to emerge from the sunlight.

  I tightened my grip on the oar and began rowing back toward my village. The risks were immense, but my course was clear. Whatever danger awaited, I couldn’t abandon her. Not this time.

  ***

  Arie's POV

  I watched the ocean waves ripple endlessly as the boat glided past scattered ice plates of varying sizes, their jagged edges glinting under the rays of sunlight. The light kissed my skin with an unfamiliar warmth, a reminder that the sun had indeed moved closer to the outer village of our kingdom—a strange phenomenon I couldn’t bring myself to ignore.

  My gaze shifted to the Polarman seated at the front of the boat. His broad shoulders flexed with each steady stroke of the oar, his white fur glowing faintly in the daylight. His rounded ears twitched slightly atop his head, and his high cheekbones—eerily reminiscent of the average human in Glacia—made his face strikingly familiar yet distinctly otherworldly. His physique was impressive, no doubt honed by years in the workforce.

  He was a sight I had only dreamed of seeing. A Polarman, a living legend I had longed to encounter my entire life. But wonder quickly gave way to suspicion, a thorn digging deep into the fragile fabric of my trust. Could I really believe in him? After everything that had happened?

  My mind replayed Skadar’s cutting words, his sharp voice echoing like a ghost: "It was all part of the plan." The phrase refused to leave me, wrapping around my thoughts like a cold chain. I couldn’t help but wonder if this Polarman—Skymint, as he called himself—was merely another piece of Skadar’s twisted game.

  I tucked the hood of the winter wool coat snugly around my face, shielding myself not just from the biting wind but also from the lingering doubt clawing at my resolve. He had saved me, yes, but at what cost? What intentions truly lay behind those kind eyes? Were they as innocent as they appeared, or was there a darker purpose hidden beneath?

  For now, I would play along. I would follow the rhythm of his oars, let him guide me to safety—or so he claimed. But I wasn’t foolish enough to let my guard down. Not after betrayal had sunk its icy fangs into me so deeply.

  I turned my gaze back to the horizon, the endless expanse of ocean stretching into oblivion. The cold, once my solace, now felt like a threat.