The Frozen Beginning (Elemental Diamond Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

terrible nightmare. Glacier turns her head away, her eyes still clenched together tightly. The death surrounding her the last few days were returning to haunt her, taunting her soul.
    First Mr Michaels, and now her father.
    Who would be next? Mill? Castor?
    They are the only two left that Glacier cares about.
    “But he resisted the order I had sent with my Guard.” The Chancellor continues, “He was advised that any obstruction of my request would result in the most serious of punishments. He also attacked my personal guards, which itself is a crime punishable by death. He sealed his own fate.”
    His remorseless words torture her with the memory of her fathers’ execution.
    Still, Glacier remains silent, her head facing away in a disrespecting manner. She purses her lips as she tries to move her legs, finding them bound to the chair legs the same as her wrists.
    “Glacier – may I call you that?”
    Still, Glacier sits motionless and unresponsive.
    “I have a proposal for you.”
    The Chancellor now seems excited, despite referring to her fathers’ death seconds ago.
    “I am offering you the opportunity to be part of the Hydra team, in this year’s tournament.” The Chancellor says proudly as he mentions Hydren’s competing team.
    Glacier’s eyes stretch wide with surprise.
    The sixth participant in the tournament has never been chosen from the lower class citizens of any region. It is considered an immeasurable honour to be selected by the Chancellor to represent your region.
    After a moment of disbelief, Glacier’s eyes flash dangerously at the offending Chancellor.
    After what he did, he asks me to be a part of that stupid tournament!
    “Bloody oath, your eyes! How is that possible?” He says when he catches her gaze for the first time. His stare is perplexed, his lips opened in awe.
    Her eyes being two different colours has always been a quality that not many people are fond of. Something that no one has understood.
    Ignoring his reaction, Glacier gapes at his atrocity.
    “You have my father, my only family, executed for protecting me from your brutish men, and then expect me to accept your offer to be the sixth for that barbaric tournament?”
    Her tone is sour, her lips are chapped and her question is massively disrespectful, but Glacier doesn’t care. She is angry .
    “If so, then you can go drown yourself in the lake, because there isn’t any chance I will be doing you any favours.”
    The Chancellors’ ears blush a dark pink from anger at her remarks, but his features are controlled. He had expected this reaction from her. His impervious smirk morphs into a short laugh, before the smile is reclaimed.
    “Miss Wardgrave, when I say offer , that is an exaggeration of the truth. To be honest, you actually have no choice in the matter.” His confidence irks her enormously, but Glacier refuses to let it show. Instead, she raises an eyebrow at his assured statement.
    “You may be the Chancellor of Hydren, but you cannot force me into the tournament without my signature of acknowledgement.”
    Glacier is well aware that she has to sign a waiver before the first battle of the tournament, stating that she is wilfully entering the tournament with full knowledge that she may obtain various injuries whilst competing. If Glacier doesn’t sign it, then she cannot be considered a participant of the tournament.
    Staren’s smirk deepens, enhancing the wrinkles around his eyes as they narrow excitedly.
    “I have methods, Miss Wardgrave. Don’t you worry about that.”
    Her eyes narrow in return as she interprets his silent threat, interested in what ‘method’ he could possibly use that would persuade her decision.
    “I don’t understand why you want me on the team anyway. You would only be embarrassing yourself if you select a latent as your sixth for the tournament.”
    The same uncomfortable tickle she gets whenever she lies nags at her from inside, loudly throbbing with the truth.
    Not latent. I’m