Beyond the clouds, alone with the vast sky, Kat had made a decision.

The people of Iride didn't deserve her mercy or her pity. She knew they were brainwashed. She also knew they were full of hatred and prejudice. So if they claimed she was a monster and yet they weren't afraid of her, she would force them to change their minds.

She was to be feared.

The frost had spread out towards the main square of the village, climbing up the walls of unsuspecting houses. From her vantage point on the roof of the house furthest from the square, Kat observed the surroundings.

They were nearly in Darkwood and their progress had been swift, so this village hadn't been evacuated, leaving behind murder and insults. It was the first time she could see people milling about. It was obvious that they were preparing to leave, most of them carrying large sacks to carts, the women and children huddling together in waiting.

A few men were strutting around the village, stopping next to walls, filling them with the message she had seen plastered in every abandoned settlement.

We are not afraid of you

Iride claimed it was not afraid of magic after decades of shunning it, of being terrified by it. Kat knew it was a lie. War hadn't made the people braver. Maybe only the few who dared scribble such messages on wornout wood. But they were not fighting. Just using words to spew hatred her people couldn't read or understand anyway. She wondered whether they knew who she was, that she was the only one who could read their aversion.

"Kat!"

She glanced down, over her shoulder. Jinx stood there, her hands on her hips.

"Did Keith send you?" Kat asked, bored. "Is he afraid my head would fall to these peasants?"

"No, Keith didn't send me. I just want to make sure you don't do something idiotic."

This got her attention, so she turned to properly look down at the other woman. "Your lack of manners continues to astound me."

Jinx crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, if you want someone to kiss your ass, you have your entire army right over there. That's not my purpose."

"What do you want?"

"I already told you what I want."

Kat sneered. "Are you afraid for the lives of these peasants? Since when do you care?"

"I know you want to fight fire with fire, or in your case, no magic with ice, but this won't help."

She let out a laugh. "Help? Do you think I'm attempting to fix something?"

Jinx frowned at her affirmation. "I'm not sure what the point of all this is if you're not trying to improve things."

"I'm trying to give our people a chance."

"And you think that hatred would fix anything? Hatred is two-sided. It needs to be extinguished from both sides."

Kat's skin crawled at her words. They reminded them too much of the King of Iride and his claims. It chipped away at the ice she'd conjured to shield her heart from pain and disappointment.

"They can learn to love me or perish."

"What? You can't kill the entire population of Iride!"

"You don't get to tell me what I can and cannot do." Kat turned her back on Jinx and walked to the edge of the rooftop.

Most of the villagers had gathered in the main square, ready to leave, their hatred scribbled on the walls for them to find. What they hadn't counted on was facing the consequences of their hatred themselves.

She floated off the roof, levitating towards the square, her magic gently guiding her towards the ground. By the time she was close to landing, many of the peasants had spotted her.

Gasps and cries greeted her presence. Her boots hit the ground and frost swallowed the dirt. Women and children scurried behind their men, unaware that they couldn't protect them.

Kat tilted her head. "I thought you were not afraid."

Wide eyes gawked at her from all directions. One large man in front of the crowd pointed a shaking finger.

"You speak our language."

"Oh yes. And I understand the writing on your walls." She narrowed her eyes. "Or did you think I would not? Then what was the point of the messages?"

The terrified peasants didn't answer, their eyes on the crown on her head. She couldn't blame them. It was hard to believe that the very queen of Endir had decided to descend in their midst.

"Not so brave now, are you?" she asked, stepping forward. The ground froze under her feet.

"The Witch Queen," someone whispered.

The words flitted on the lips of every soul there. They were drenched in terror and ignorance. Just like their souls were swimming in cruelty.

"I rather prefer the Ice Queen."

Her words only had the effect of sending the people fleeing further away. A few men stood their ground, most likely after noticing that she was alone.

"You are not our queen," one of them spat out, straightening his shoulders.

"Obviously," she said. "I am the queen of Endir."

"Endirian scum should keep to their own lands over the mountains!" another one yelled to general agreement.

Kat squinted and the men took a step back. "There is an issue there. You see, you greedy Iridians are hoarding all the resources, refusing to share. That is very rude."

"Our resources are our own. We don't ask anything of Endir, so leave us be!"

"Oh, you don't ask. Because you take."

"Leave, vile woman! Be gone." The man made an intricate symbol with his pinched fingers in the air before her.

She'd seen it before, when she was a little girl. It was a symbol old women used when trying to ward off evil magic. It made her huff with laughter.

"I thought you weren't afraid of me." She glared at all of them. "Well, you should be!"

Ice spread out from under her feet, reaching out towards the villagers. Yells filled the air as they tried to run from her. They were not quicker than magic. The frost crawled up their feet, their hips, their chests, encapsulating them in a thick icy prison.

"No, what are you doing?"

Kat ignored the outraged voice, watching her power punishing those who hated her, who insulted her. Who stood against her.

"Stop it!" Jinx reached her and thrust her hands forward. Fire flickered between her fingers.

"Do you want to kill them yourself?" Kat inquired.

Jinx stopped, her flames barely licking the surface of the ice. Water drops slid down the frozen bodies and she seemed to notice that she was melting the person inside as well. With an angry grunt, she closed her palms and drew her hands back.

"You can't do this."

"Oh, but them killing refugees was fine?" Kat strode forward, down the road leading out of the village.

It sloped into the valley below. Darkwood stretched from the edge of the woods to the distant shore. The water looked grey and foreboding under the cloudy sky. Something inside Kat stirred, but she pushed it back. There was no room for feelings, for her past, not in a kingdom that hated her. Not in a kingdom that killed innocents.

"Kat, this is an exaggeration."

"Why? Do you enjoy the murders? Would you do it? For your beloved king?"

Jinx gritted her teeth and her green eyes flashed as if a sudden shadow had passed behind them.

"Cage would never do what you did."

"He allows his soldiers to slaughter women and children!"

"I bet anything he doesn't."

"Oh, I'm sure they're only doing it because they enjoy it."

"Why would that surprise you seeing as your own soldiers murder every Iridian they can find? When you yourself just killed women and children?" Jinx shot back.

"They're not dead."

"Oh? Will they thaw on their own?"

Kat wasn't sure, but she didn't want to think about that either. Instead, she headed down the hill, through the woods. By now the army knew they had to follow her, and no matter how much Jinx huffed and puffed, she did, too.

"What are you expecting to get out of this?" Her voice was like a growl as she hurried to catch up.

"There's nothing to be gained from this," Kat retorted. "I'm merely fighting fire with fire. I thought you, out of all people, would appreciate that."

"I don't appreciate any of this. This isn't even war!"

"I was not aware you fought in many wars."

Jinx grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. Kat immediately stiffened and pulled out of her grasp.

"I did not stay with you instead of my own husband for this bullshit. You're only proving Iride right with what you're doing."

"I can't be proving Iride right, because they're not right. I might enforce their prejudice, but I don't care about that."

"You can't rule over people who hate you!"

"I guess that remains to be seen." And Kat turned her back on Jinx and continued her way.

In the distance, she could hear the sound of her army moving again. It was only a matter of time until they all met in Darkwood. Then, they could hold the front line there and continue southward, taking over the farms and ensuring the resources for their army before heading for Valona.

If that conceited king refused to give her half of the country, she would take all of it. And once that was done, she could start work on educating the people and eliminating hatred and prejudice. Jinx was wrong. People could be reeducated, no matter how hard they opposed.

"This is not the way to make Endir better," Jinx continued, not getting the hint that her presence was no longer welcomed.

"What is, then?"

"Trade, collaboration!"

"Because that has worked so well in the past."

"Cage was right! It would have been different for you!"

This time it was Kat who stopped and wheeled to face Jinx. Her blood thundered in her ears."Why? Because of some past and some feelings that I can't remember? He didn't seem to be all over me either."

Jinx hesitated, as if she knew something but wasn't sure if she should share. "Lucille won't let you remember or feel. Cecille won't let Cage feel either."

"Ah, so there is no love lost between us!" Even if she played it off as nothing, the news was rather unsettling. Not only because she realized she hoped his feelings for her would give her an advantage, but because a fairy was involved.

High fairy. She is cheating!

Cheating at what, Kat wasn't exactly sure, so she shook the voice of magic off. It didn't matter either way. It didn't change her plans or her strategy. She turned back towards her destination and continued walking.

By that time, Keith had caught up and hurried to offer her a horse. Even if Kat wasn't particularly tired, she took it just to get away from Jinx faster. Plus, she would need her strength once she reached that town.

There was something about it buried deep in her memory, but she wasn't worried. If it was anything useful, it would make itself available in due course.

The rest of the way there was blissfully silent. Just like the previous village, the town had not been evacuated. By the looks of it, the citizens didn't even have such an intention, most of them going about their daily business. Seeing them at it was very familiar, and Kat realized she knew the place well.

It's where I used to live.

Information bombarded her regarding the layout of the town, the people in it. She hadn't been happy there. During that time, she was poor and her belly was perpetually empty. Her father was considered a deranged lunatic. She was to be married to a simpleton who only saw her as a pretty body.

Donnie, son of the local Baron. Donnie stabbing her in the stomach.

How was she not dead? The answer to that particular question was inaccessible at the moment and she wondered why. But the memories of how she and her father had been treated in that town only enraged her.

People stopped and stared as she passed. They were shocked, but there seemed to be no fear there, even if she was joined by an army and flying the Endirian flag. Did they even know what Endir's flag looked like?

But as she surveyed the curious faces, some of them slightly familiar, she realized why they weren't fleeing for the hills. They knew her. And because they did, they didn't take this for what it was. An invasion.

"Katherine?" someone asked.

"It's Kathy!" someone else called from the crowd. "She's back!"

"How's your father? He left a few weeks ago with the royal guard and hasn't returned."

"Is everything alright?"

Their words didn't stir any warm feelings inside her. If anything, they annoyed her. Yes, they still knew who she was, but that meant they watched her with expectation. It was odd, even beyond the obvious recognition. There was something there, a string attached that she couldn't see.

"Did the king send you?" someone asked.

The king... Flashes of memories danced before her eyes. A dusty library, a ballroom lit by a myriad of candles, an iron ring. An iron dagger, held between her fingers like a promise. A castle. She had a castle there.

No, he has a castle here.

And all these people thought that castle belonged to her as well. Because the king of Iride had made it so.

Cage.

"He must've sent her." A large man made his way through the crowd, his thinning brown hair floating above the masses. "Probably to take some more from us."

Kat glared down at him from the height of her horse. She knew exactly who he was. The Baron of Royce, apparently upset with the king. Her eyes traced across the crowd, searching for the man's son. It wasn't hard to spot him, tall and bulky as he was. He lingered next to the wall of the tavern, a deep frown on his face.

Even if she couldn't remember him too well, something told her he'd grown in size even more. The bitterness on his face made it clear that, whatever had happened between them, he hadn't forgotten it and it still irked him. The thought that that simple little man held a grudge against her almost made her laugh. She was so far removed from her past, all this was nothing but background noise.

She focused her attention on the disgruntled Baron instead. "Oh, do tell how he's taking things from you."

The man faltered, as if trying to discern whether Kat was drawing him into some sort of trap. "Well, he already took our army," he finally said, pushing out his barrel chest.

"He took your army. How interesting." She leaned further in the saddle, trying to keep the grin from spreading across your face. "So he practically left your fair city defenseless."

Her words seemed to only spur him on. "Yes, he did! Now if pirates attack our coast, we have no forces to defend ourselves."

"Pirates, you say?" She led her horse a little further and raised one hand to indicate she didn't want to be followed. The rest of her forces remained behind, only a few riders visible. "When's the last time you were attacked by pirates?"

"Well..." the Baron fumbled. "That is beside the point."

"I believe your king is fully aware of the fact that the royal navy has been protecting these shores for decades."

"Be that as it may..." the man babbled, looking away from Kat.

As if drawn by his father's embarrassment, Donnie pushed himself off the wall and headed towards them. The crowd parted to let him through, most of them confused. It was easy to guess why the atmosphere had shifted so much. Kat made no effort to show benevolence or any form of recognition. Her harsh and sarcastic tone could not be misinterpreted.

"What do you mean our king?"

A new voice rose from the crowd, that of a woman. Kat raised her gaze and settled on a blonde woman with a frown on her face. She was tall and slender and wore a brown cloak over her shoulders. Her blue eyes shot daggers at Kat and her soldiers.

Keleigh.

But the name came with no further information. Yet, Kat's heart constricted, as if the name was somehow linked to pain. A pain she could not feel, part of a past which still eluded her.

"Oh, look," she said, keeping the disdain in her voice. "Someone with half a brain."

Murmurs swept the crowd as most people understood they were being insulted.

"That's not an answer." Keleigh marched forward, parting the crowd as well. The townsfolk got out of her way, but not in the same manner in which they made room for Donnie.

While the son of their Baron was met with respect, this woman was met with fear and distrust.

"Are you Endirian?" Kat asked.

The woman faltered to a halt. "You don't know who I am?"

"I don't care who you are. Are you or are you not Endirian?"

"You know I'm not," Keleigh said between her teeth. "You know exactly who I am, and I have no idea what's wrong with you, but--"

"Does she, though?" Donnie pushed Keleigh aside and placed himself in front of Kat's horse. "Does she know who we are? You come riding in here like a pampered princess just because your lover is now king. That doesn't make you anything!"

"Donnie," the Baron hissed before letting out a nervous laugh. "Don't mind him your... um, Highness, is it?"

"Please, father. This woman was betrothed to me! I was the only one generous enough to take her when she was nothing but a lowly peasant girl. The fact that she has found a better match doesn't bring her any additional worth. She is still nothing more than the daughter of the town weirdo."

Kat gritted her teeth together, fighting back the impulse to freeze Donnie from the inside out. Instead, she let her magic slither on the ground and entwine around his ankles. The simpleton didn't seem to notice.

"Oh, but I beg to differ," she said, her voice like honey. "I do remember well who you are. Son of the Baron, never amounting to anything yourself. Drawn to me for my beauty and nothing else."

The ice continued its way up his shins, to his knees. Once it reached his thighs, he finally seemed to notice because he glanced down and his eyes widened. He tried to step back, but he couldn't. His legs were not part of the frozen ground.

"You always thought I was nothing more," she continued, her voice just as smooth. "And now, you believe that my worth is once again tied to a man."

"No, stop! What are you doing? What are you--" His wide, terrified eyes settled on her for a moment before he pointed an accusing finger at her. "Witch!"

The crowd screamed and most people pulled away, noticing the magic flowing around the Baron's son.

"Now, now, Donnie. I thought I was nothing. After all, a witch is actually something." She raised her hand and indicated that the rest of her forces could draw nearer. "And to answer your question, Baron, your king didn't send me. And to answer your question as well, Keleigh, he is not my king." She lifted her chin. "I answer to no one in this pathetic kingdom."

Keleigh took a step back, too, her gaze cold and calculated. Donnie was struggling, trying to pull himself out of the magic's hold as the ice encased his hips and sneaked its way up his chest.

"No! Let me go! Release me at once!"

"I don't take orders from simpletons," she said between his teeth.

"There's a crown on your head," Keleigh said, drawing her attention back to her. "And yet you claim Cage is not your king."

"Astute observation."

"Who are you?" The Baron asked.

The crowd went deathly silent and they all seemed to be waiting for the answer. Kat could only grin.

"Why, I am the queen of Endir. And your lands are now mine."

It took a few moments for everyone to start screaming and scurrying away. The Baron hurried to Donnie, digging his fat fingers into the ice as though hoping to free him. There was no use. The ice kept spreading.

Keleigh didn't move, watching the approaching army with defiance. Something stirred inside Kat and somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered that the other woman used to be a friend.

"Are you sure about what you're doing?" Jinx drove her horse next to hers and nodded towards Donnie.

"Why? Do you have a soft spot for morons?" Kat replied, not looking at her.

"You're murdering him. Slowly."

"He stabbed me in the stomach and nearly killed me." That memory was now crystal clear. Why she was not dead was still locked away.

"Fair enough, then." Jinx focused her attention on Keleigh. "What about her?"

"I used to be Kat's friend," the woman answered. "But I'm obviously not hers."

Jinx turned to Kat again, her brows furrowed. "Kat, what are you going to do to these people? You grew up here. You know them."

"I used to know them. But I won't kill them all in case you're wondering that. Just those who oppose me." She raised her voice to make sure she was heard even above the ruckus.

Her soldiers had already spread out, rounding up the people and forcing them into the town's main square.

"You won't get away with this!" the Baron of Royce yelled. "You will not--"

Kat raised her hand and the man's throat froze instantly. His eyes bulged and his fingers clutched at his neck, but the damage was on the inside, so there was nothing he could do. She watched his face swelling and turning purple before he finally succumbed and dropped to the icy ground.

"No! You evil bitch! What have you done?" Donnie yelled. "I knew it! Knew you were a monster!"

She ignored him because the ice reached his neck and silenced him. He too began to struggle with breath. In a matter of seconds, his eyes rolled into his head and the final bits of magic engulfed him, turning him into a statue.

"Is this how it's going to be?" Keleigh asked. "Are you going to freeze anyone who dares speak against you?"

"Yes, essentially," Kat said.

"How about you pick on someone your own size instead?"

A shiver ran up Kat's spine at the voice and she twisted to her right. The entrance into town from the north was swarming with soldiers carrying black and violet banners. It was obvious that the town was still a no man's land, both armies just beginning their advance.

But just like her, the king of Iride had made his way inside, flanked by Jazz and Trix. His dark blue eyes flared and lightning coiled around his forearms.

⚜⚜⚜

As promised, here we are with full chapters since I actually finished writing this book. And things are definitely escalating. War is near! And the two armies are now in the same place.

Hope you're enjoying the story and that you're ready to see it through.