Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

NICK

K nowing the Frost Queen probably still had her leopards hunting us, Helka sent us back home via a secret path protected by the Ice Fairies. She handed me an ancient-looking gold coin, one I had to place on a particular stone at the entrance of the path which would grant us safe passage through the Winter Wood. The route was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Twisting paths lined with glowing faery lights and knobby trees made the dark forest seem alive. The faery folk were watching us, and while they remained hidden, I felt their presence in the hum of the air, the flickers of light darting just out of sight.

Though the trip back home was shorter due to the shortcut through the Winter Wood, the tension between Alva and me made the trip feel excruciatingly long. The awkwardness left in the wake of our intimate moment settled over us like a blanket of lead. I’d wanted to take away all her worries, to ease some of that tension that was coiled around her like a constricting snake all the time. She carried too much responsibility on her shoulders, and I couldn’t shake the feeling I had added to that burden.

And for a few moments of blissful abandon, she was able to find peace. Watching her come undone under my touch was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen— she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Yet, as turned-on as it had made me to have her naked body under my control, I’d been able to restrain myself from doing what I did best, taking my fill and moving on.

I simply wasn’t capable of doing that to her. She didn’t deserve it. Alva deserved better, but apparently, that wasn’t me. She’d made that perfectly clear when I tried to tell her I had no interest in any of the suitresses because I was interested in her . She’d refused me before I even had a chance to prove myself to her.

She hadn’t said a word since we’d left, and a part of me feared why. Alva was in her head, probably silently panicking about everything that could go wrong, about how if Christmas failed, it would be on her watch, and that would put a stain not just on her and her reputation, but on her entire family. She’d be seen as a disgrace.

Relief settled in my bones when the looming towers of Nilfhall Castle came into view. The sooner I told my father everything, the quicker we could get to fortifying the borders. The Crimson Guards patrolled the gates, their silhouettes barely visible through the cold mist. The storm had eased, but that sentient malice still lingered, a reminder of the Frost Queen’s growing threat.

We rushed into the castle, shaking off the snow and heading straight for the great hall where dinner service had just ended. My father sat by the roaring hearth, enjoying a post-dinner drink, his red robes bright. My mother, serene as always, sat beside him, her sharp eyes assessing us the moment we entered.

“Nick,” my mother said, eyeing the way I held Alva’s hand as we neared the hearth. “We missed you at dinner.” I hadn’t realized I’d grabbed Alva’s hand until my mother’s gaze widened at the gesture. Alva immediately untangled her fingers from mine, then clasped her hands behind her back, straightening her spine, her shoulders squared.

She was back to being head elf.

“Is something the matter?” my father asked.

I shoved a strand of snow-wet hair from my eyes. “There’s something you need to know.”

My father’s brow furrowed, the raging fire making his cheeks rosier than usual and his white beard glow. “Go on…” he said cautiously, as if already anticipating that the only thing I could deliver was bad news.

I took a deep breath and recounted everything: the sick reindeer, the Frost Queen’s attack, and Helka’s warning about the poisoned forest, the queen’s ultimate plan to overthrow the North Pole, and the need to find the Heart of Yule. Alva stood beside me, silent, though I could almost feel the tension coiled around her, vibrating off her body in ripples of energy.

By the time I finished, my father’s face was the canvas of a raging storm. Gone was the jolly old Saint Nick everyone knew and loved, replaced by the face of a king whose kingdom had just been threatened. This version of him would make even the most powerful of men cower before him. “You knew about the reindeer, and you didn’t tell me?”

“I thought we could handle it,” I admitted. “I didn’t want to cause panic?—”

“That wasn’t your decision to make!” he roared, slamming his hand on the armrest of his chair. “This is bigger than you, Nicholas. This isn’t just about the reindeer; the entire realm is at risk, and you withheld information that could have allowed me to act sooner.”

Alva stepped forward. “Your Majesty, if I may?—”

“You may not,” my mother snapped, surprising even my father. Her glare pinned Alva in place like an arrow had been shot through her chest. “You are head elf. You should have brought this to our attention immediately. It was your responsibility to ensure we were informed, and instead, you allowed my son to drag you on this reckless endeavor… to go visit that witch.”

“It wasn’t her fault,” I said quickly, stepping in to shield her from my mother’s wrath. “I asked her to come. I thought?—”

“And there’s your problem, Nick,” my father interrupted. “You think, but you don’t act. You’ve spent your life running from responsibility, and now, when it matters most, you’ve proven me right. Your refusal to accept your role as prince has led to poor decisions. You’ve put the realm in greater danger.”

My fists clenched at my sides. “I’ll make it right. Let me accompany you and the Crimson Guard to the borders. I can use my magic to help fortify the shields. Or I can put a team together and go after the Heart.”

“No,” he said sharply, rising to his full, imposing height. “You’re not fully into your powers; you’ll only be in my way. And I’m not entertaining this fool’s quest for a relic that’s been lost for centuries. Especially when that witch is the one suggesting we go in search of it. For all we know, she could be working with the queen. I should’ve had her put in the dungeons ages ago, instead of allowing her to roam free in the woods.”

Rage burned in my blood. “Helka is not like that, and you know it, Father. She saved me once, or did you forget?”

“How can I forget about your childhood mistakes when even as a grown male you keep making them?”

“Majesty,” Alva said, trying to defuse the situation. “Nick fought off the Frost Queen using his powers. What I witnessed was short of a miracle. He’s more than capable of assisting you. And Helka, she meant us no harm. She wants to help the realm. I can assure you?—"

“Silence, elf. You can assure me of nothing. Especially when you also abdicated your own responsibilities.”

My heart clenched at the way he addressed her, and I took a step forward. He could direct his wrath at me all he wanted, but I would not let him speak to her that way. “Leave her out of this, Father. She was doing her job by wanting to heal Comet and Blitzen. If you need to be angry at anyone, then let it be me. But don’t be rash in your decisions. My magic is stronger than you think. Let me help.”

He puffed his chest, his eyes assessing me like a lion showing a cub its place. “ You will remain here. And you will continue the courtship as planned. Find a wife. Play the role you know best—most eligible bachelor.”

“You can’t be serious!” I spat, my frustration boiling over. “How can you expect me to focus on finding a wife when the realm is in danger?”

“When have you ever cared about the realm?” my father shot back, his eyes blazing. “All you’ve ever cared about is your own pleasure, your own indulgence. Right now, our greatest priority is ensuring the safety of our people and making sure Christmas goes on as planned. The kingdom is already weakened, and without the magic of the holiday, we will lose against the Frost Queen. I can’t have the elves distracted by this, so we will go on with the normal pre-Christmas celebrations, including the courtship competition.”

His gaze shifted to where Alva stood, his eyes softening over her, though his gaze still carried authority—the kind of look a father would give a daughter when she’s done something to disappoint. “Alva…” he said, his voice almost sad. “I expected this type of reckless behavior from my son, but you? This would be enough to cost you your position.”

I didn’t need to look at her to know the maelstrom of emotions running amuck in her heart; I could feel the anxiety seeping from her pores. But I glanced anyway, only to see her throat bob as she held back tears.

My father took another step toward her, his hands behind his back, his massive form practically dwarfing her. “But,” he continued, “I know how important this job is for you, for your entire family. And despite this mistake, there is no one more equipped to ensure we are ready for dispatch on Christmas Eve than you.”

“I promise I won’t let you down, sir.”

My father’s gaze shifted toward me. “And you, son. If you want to prove me wrong, then you will do what I’ve asked of you. Finish the courtship. Find a wife. Show me you can handle even the smallest shred of responsibility.”

His words hit me like a slap, and for a moment, I couldn’t respond. It seemed I, too, had to bite back my emotions. My father dismissed us both with a wave of his hand, his disappointment following us out the door like a shadow.

I stopped just beyond the doors, the weight of my father’s words pressing down on me. Alva stood beside me, her face pale as she gently wiped a tear, though she managed to keep herself composed.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this,” I said. “I risked your position, your reputation. I should’ve handled this better.”

“You were trying to help,” she said softly, but I could hear the uncertainty in her tone. “Your heart was in the right place.”

“Was it?” I laughed bitterly, running a hand through my hair. “All I’ve done is prove him right. I’m an idiot, an incompetent loser. Maybe I’m not fit to be Santa after all.”

She reached out, her fingers brushing against my arm. “ Nick?—”

I stepped back, her touch cutting deeper than I wanted to admit. “Don’t. I just… I need to be alone.”

She hesitated, her lips parting as if to argue, but she seemed to think better of it. After the way my father had just handed both of us our asses, right now was not the time to address whatever was happening between us.

I went to walk away, when she said, as if just remembering, “The potion, Nick. The reindeer need it.”

I shook my head. There I was again, proving my father right. How could I have forgotten about Comet and Blitzen? I knew why. “Apparently, I can’t stop fucking up. And my only job, according to my father, is to play the bachelor and find a wife. You handle the potion.”

Without waiting for her response, I pulled the bottle out of my coat and handed it to her, then walked away, leaving her standing alone in the corridor. Shame burned in my chest, but I couldn’t face her—not after everything I’d done.