Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow - Jessica Day George [81]
“Why does she toy with them this way? Why the year of being an isbjørn, and why were we there with them?”
“A good question,” Tova said. “It took me two years to find someone who could answer it. It seems that the first human prince she ever married extracted a promise from her, that she would give him and anyone who came after a way out. If the prince can find someone to stay with him as a beast by day and a silent, unseen man by night, to live that way for a whole year, then he can go free.”
“It seems almost crueler than just stealing them away and marrying them right off,” the lass said.
“That’s their nature,” Tova said simply. “I’m not allowed to speak to your prince. But I prepare his meal trays. I can hide a note on one and warn him not to drink any wine tonight. And I’ll see if I can’t find his parka. It was more luck than cleverness that I found your brother’s. He kept me awake, talking in his sleep, and as I paced one night I tripped over it.”
“But how did you know what this said?” The lass fingered the embroidery. “It wouldn’t have meant anything to me, except Hans Peter had taught me the troll symbols.”
“My father was the captain of the Sea Dragon,” Tova explained. “He had run afoul of trolls before, and had taught me the runes, as he calls them.”
“Did he teach Hans Peter?”
“Most likely. They were stuck in the ice for many days before the troll princess found them. Most of the crew were dead.” Tova’s face grew sad. “I visited my parents a few months after I went to live in the palace of ice. My father thought that Hans Peter had died as well.”
The lass put one hand over Tova’s to comfort her. “Of course,” Tova went on, “my father is now a rich merchant who owns many ships.” Her voice was bitter.
Before the lass could answer, both young women were startled to hear a troll calling from inside the palace. “Hey, you! Lackwit!”
“That’s me,” Tova said with a tight smile.
They embraced again. Tova scrambled up the bank of snow beneath the window and the lass gave her a push to help her back in. “Sorry,” she called, when Tova tumbled head over heels onto the floor of Princess Indæll’s sitting room.
With a laugh, Tova leaped to her feet and shook down her skirts. “I’m all right.” She looked around quickly. “I’ll leave this window open. Keep spinning so that you can make your bargain for tonight. If she doesn’t come by in the next few minutes, I’ll figure out a way to lure her. And I’ll get a note to the prince.” She bounded off to answer the ever-more-shrill summons. The lass sat back down and began to spin.
After a little while, Rollo came wandering over. “Are you still just sitting there? Hasn’t anything happened? It’s been hours!”
“Rollo!” The lass dropped her spinning and reached out to take hold of his ruff. She was so excited that she kissed him on the nose, which made him sneeze. “I can’t wait to tell you—”
“You can and will wait to tell him,” rasped a voice behind her. “For now, you will keep on spinning.”
The lass whirled, but the window behind her was still empty. She heard a cough like rock being rubbed on a steel file from above her head. Looking up, her whole body went numb. The windows of the second story were full of trolls. It seemed that the entire court, save only the princess herself, was gathered to watch the lass. The order, and the cough, had come from the queen herself. She pointed an imperious finger at the lass. “Continue. And face us, this time.”
Shaking, the lass did as she was bid. When the spindle was wound with a more or less even thread, the lass held it up for the court to admire. They applauded and began to drift away from the windows. When it looked like the queen might also leave, the lass gave a deep curtsy.
“Your Majesty, a favor?”
“What is this?” The queen scowled at her.
“Your Majesty is so wise,” the lass said carefully, “she surely knows that I have bartered my wealth and skill to spend the past two nights with Princess Indæll’s betrothed.”
“I had heard.” The queen’s red-lacquered nails tapped on the windowsill.
“I thought