Free Spring Frost by Kailin Gow

love somewhere else.
     
              Was it hard for him, I wondered? Being among all these couples. Granted, Rose and Alistair hadn’t exactly verbalized their attraction – although I was pretty sure that what I saw in Alistair’s eyes was nothing short of puppy love – but they definitely had some serious tension between them. And Logan remained so noble, so solemn and strong, even as I knew his heart was breaking inside. My heart ached for him, for his pain. If only there was some way I could make it all go away. But I knew deep down that the only way to make it okay in his heart was to succumb to his love: a choice I could never make.
     
              We made our way into the palace. There, we were greeted by Silverwing, a young attendant whom I recognized from our visit with the Winter Queen some months ago.
     
              “Greetings, your Highness,” said Silverwing, bowing to me and to Kian.
     
              “How has the palace been getting on in our absence?” asked Kian brusquely. “Are the lands recovering?”
     
              Silverwing smiled broadly. “Yes, your Highness. The day the suns returned to the sky there was a great day of feasting – for we knew that our King and Queen had saved us!”
     
              “Not just us,” I cut in. “Rose and Rodney and Shasta and Alistair and…Logan. They were all part of the effort.”
     
              “The crops began to grow anew,” Silverwing looked overjoyed. “And for three days and nights we celebrated. Winter and Summer together took to the fields to begin sowing new seeds and reaping fruit and vegetables that grew overnight – the magic of the earth restored.”
     
              “Together?” Kian smiled wryly. “See what we have wrought, my darling? Who would have imagined it? A few years ago they would have called us mad to predict that Summer and Winter would harvest the same fields, reap the same crops. But now look! Can you not see it?” He kissed me and I did my best not to recoil. My body ached for him even as I feared his touch; the more I thought of the pain that would shudder through me, the more I desired it, for at least that pain meant that my love was near me. I knew too that Kian was trying to cheer me up – if these were to be my last days alive, I thought bitterly – then at least I’d want to know that I’d done something useful in my life.
     
              Perhaps I had. As I looked around at the courtiers, I couldn’t help but smile. One by one they brought sumptuous dishes forth – a breakfast even more lavish and luxurious than the one we had eaten the previous day in Autumn Springs. There was something vaguely comforting about being in the Winter Court, among friends at last. The good food warmed my spirit, if not my body. But more important still was the sight of my old friends and subjects – together at last. At least one third of the attendants at the Winter Court were people I recognized from the Summer Court, and seeing them working together, seeing Summer and Winter as friends at last, made me feel as if my life were worth something, after all. Even if I do die, I told myself, at least I’ve accomplished something. At least I’ve accomplished this. I didn’t want to die – I didn’t feel ready. But as I looked around me I knew that, whether or not I survived this, Feyland would. Whatever Clariss brought against us, whatever tactics she used – we would beat her together. Clariss may be strong, but the combined power of Feyland would be stronger. She would never overpower this great land.
     
              I looked over at Kian and his eyes were blazing with love. In his gaze I could see all of his pride, all of his happiness, at seeing his homeland reunited once more. “Come, my lady,” he whispered in my ear. “You’re looking distractingly lovely. Might I steal you away?”
     
              We looked around,