Chapter 9

FREYA Everyone is quiet. Too quiet in fact as I look at the crown on my lap.   “Put it on!” Eliza hisses at me, “Now!”   I bite my lip and take the crown off the spade, which the Dark Knight takes away immediately. But he stays in front of our rows and I think he is watching what I will do next. The same as everyone else.   The crown in my hands seems heavy.    Huh, what a beautiful little thing. Looks like it is made out of real gold.    “i***t!” Eliza hisses again, “Stand up and put it on! Curtsy to him!”   I do as she says, standing up and putting my books on my seat. Then, looking around and swallowing hard, I carefully place the crown on my head and make a not too deep curtsy to the knight.   “Thank you,” I smile and see him bow his head to me slightly, noticing that my ribbon is still on his hands.   “Sir Drake has just chosen the Queen of today’s tournament!” the herald announces and weak applause breaks out around the arena.   From the corner of my eye, I notice that Troy is receiving his trophy for the second place, along with the knight who took the third. He throws an angry gaze at me, spins his horse, and swiftly leaves the arena.   I look back at the Dark Knight, who is still staring at me. Or at least, I think he is. It’s hard to tell when he is wearing a helmet. For a second it seems to me that his eyes glow red. But when I look again, I don’t see anything.    Without further hesitation, he removes his helmet and looks me in the eye, smirking.   My lips part at that smirk, but mostly because he is incredibly handsome. Twelve out of ten. Seriously gorgeous. Perfect straight lines, sharp jaw, full lips, a dimple on his chin, messy black hair, which he deftly combes with his hand to a side, making him look even…sexier. Yes, I said it. The guy is crazy hot!  His horse moves back and forth, but his eyes stay on me. And then he lifts up his hand with my ribbon and brings it closer to his face, sniffing it…   What the actual hell? Do they do that here? By the gasps erupting around me I guess they don’t. What is all this then?   He smirks once again and then spins his horse and leaves as well. I exhale heavily and land back in my seat. Only to jump again as I left my books there.   “We are leaving!” lady Beauforts almost shouts, “Now!”   I quickly take off the crown and asks, “Should I return it or…”   “i***t!” Kai rolls his eyes and follows his mother.   “Don’t you dare, Freya! This is yours now! Keep it!” aunt says with her voice trembling, “Back to our tents! And stay there at all times! Especially you, Freya!”   “But I need to find professor Arsene!” I exclaim.   “I will find him myself,” the woman grits through her teeth, “Go to your ice nonsense and stay there until I allow you to leave!”   “But…”   “Freya!” she hisses and I just nod, following her like the obedient little hostage that I am. Back in my igloo, I lie on my super uncomfortable bed, holding the golden crown and trying to process everything that happened today. But mostly wondering if I can sell that crown! It’s so much gold! It may be enough for a few treatments for Rickie! It will definitely be enough to get money back to Annika… and then buy what will be needed for the Academy. If I get there, of course. But after I have learned how rare my magical gift is, somehow I feel I have good chances now!   A knocking sound interrupts me and I stand up to see what is going on. A big figure is at my door, bigger than Kai and Troy. I come up to where he stands and touch the ice with my hand, changing it into millions of tiny snowflakes and creating a small window.    A man with light brown hair and blue eyes looks at me hesitantly. I recognize him, he was the one talking to that dark knight… Oh…   He doesn’t say anything for a while and just looks at me, clearly shocked with something.   “Can I help you?” I ask finally after the pause has dragged on for too long.   “Lady Freya Winter?” he asks.   “In the flesh,” I chuckle, “So?”   “Ghm”, he clears the throat, “My master sent me to find out what kind of gifts would you prefer.”   “Pardon me?” I lift up my brows, “I am afraid I don’t follow…”   “Erm, my Master is Sir Drake,” he says like it means something to me.   “The one who’s been wearing the dark armour?” I ask just to make sure that we are talking of the same person, “And also won today’s tournament?”   “Yes,” he says, looking at me strangely, “So what should I tell him? What should he prepare for you?”   Oh, I get it. I remember the Beauforts talking something about gifts. I think knights have to give good gifts to the ladies who gave them ribbons or something. A knight’s honour depends on it blah-blah-blah…   But he is probably a poor knight. That’s probably why everybody despises him. His armour was dark, almost black, while everybody else’s was golden or silver and shiny as a new coin… Asking something from him would be just cruel. And I know what it’s like not to have money and be humiliated. So…   “Oh, he doesn’t have to give me anything,” I smile, “He already gave me a lovely crown and I would cherish it.”   “But my lady,” the knight looks uncomfortable, “It’s a tradition for a lady of the tournament and her knight to accept and give gifts…”   Damn it! Really?   “Well,” I try to think of something inexpensive, “Well! If we really have to, I love books.”   “Books?” now the poor guy looks startled, “My lady, are you sure?”   “Of course,” I nod, “A book about magic would be preferable. Or one of the schoolbooks for the first year of the Royal Academy of Magical Arts would be great! Or anything on water magic. But to be honest, I would be happy to receive any of those. But “Magic for beginners” I already own, so not that one.”   His jaw is literally on the floor. And all I want to say: You are welcome. But I don’t, let’s not embarrass him with the fact that I kind of already got that his master was poor.    And yet after everything he doesn’t leave.   “I am sorry,” I ask finally, “What is your name?”   “Erm, Jason Leroy,” he answers.   “Nice to meet you, Jason, ” I smile, “Can I help you with anything else?”   “What is your favourite colour?” he asks after another lengthy pause.   “Hm, I like blue,” I snort. Honestly, what kind of conversation is that?   “What time?” Jason asks and I look at him questioningly.   “What time what?”   “What time should Sir Drake come to pick you up for the ball?”   “What ball?” I look at him dumbfoundedly.   “Tonight’s ball,” he thinks that it explains something, but it doesn’t and he adds, “The ball in honour of the winner. You accepted the crown, you have to go together.”   “Is that so?” I roll my eyes. I was kind of planning to go and look for professor Arsene. On the other hand, he and the headmaster will definitely be at an event like that. So, maybe it is for the best.   “It’s the tradition,” Jason runs his neck. And I take a mental note that he caves under pressure. Bad quality for a knight.   “Relax sir Leroy,” I chuckle, “What time is the ball?”   “As usual, my lady.”   “And what time is it usually?” this conversation starts to bore me.   “Six o’clock, my lady,” the poor guy looks exhausted.   “Then this would be the time for him to pick me up,” I wink at him, “Is that all?”   “Yes, my lady,” he bows and then swiftly leaves. I start to freeze my impromptu window again and I think I heard something like “I’ll be back soon!”  But I am not so sure about it.     Sir Drake… So that’s what his name is. He is handsome… but weird. What was it with sniffing my ribbon?   Anyway, I need to check if my dress is clean enough and redo my hair. I don’t have anything else appropriate to change into for a ball. And if something tells me that Sir Drake will survive to find out that I am also not a princess, professor Arsene and the headmaster better see me at my best.    I braid my hair and pin the braid up in an intricate pattern on my head neatly when I hear someone knock again.   Unfreezing a small window again, I see a stressed sir Jason Leroy.    “My lady, could you, please, open the door for us?” he asks.   “Us?” I raise a brow.   “Yeah, servants brought your gifts,” he says.   “Oh, you mean the books?” I chuckle, “Come in!” I unfreeze a door passage and two men bring in a chest. Wow, is that a chest full of books? Really? How did he afford it?   And that’s when the first two men leave and another two bring another chest. And then three more.    “Sir Leroy,” I hurry to the squire, “Is that really ok?”   “Ok?” he asks and I bite my lip for using a modern word.    “I mean all right,” I smile, “Five chests is so much! He shouldn’t have to…”   “It’s not five chests”, Jason says, “It’s twelve.”     Huh?