Fire vs Snow (FvS)

Not the Same

Ciara sits down on her bed. She reaches a hand up to her hair, "What does silver hair mean?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" Mirana asks her.

Ciara nods, "I want to know."

"What do you know about hair color's effect on magic?" Mirana asks.

"What-"

"Just answer the question," Mirana persists.

Ciara pauses, "All I know is that golden hair is bad. That's all."

"Golden hair means that the person will have a lot of magic usually tied to their emotions," Mirana explains, "but people with golden hair can just as easily lose their magic."

"So there's a possibility that Katherine is powerless right now?" Ciara asks.

Mirana hesitates, "That I don't know. The curse must have taken a lot, but I wouldn't say powerless. Otherwise she wouldn't have any control over that dragon."

"Alright," Ciara nods to show her understanding, "What about silver hair?"

"It's the same as golden," Mirana says, "Only the power never goes away. It always increases until it hits a limit. And that limit is very high."

"So, in a way, silver hair is actually worse than gold hair?" Ciara asks.

Mirana nods, "Yes. In a way."

Ciara takes hold of her hair again, "That's why they hid it from me?"

Mirana nods, "While stained, your magic can only get to half its power. And then the mark completely took it away. They did everything in their power to keep your power from you."

Ciara falls silent. She goes back to the window and looks out, "Do you think I can beat Katherine?"

"I wouldn't recommend going up against her," Mirana moves to the window, "Violence is no way to solve any problems."

"But I can maybe convince her to take the curse off," Ciara protests, "Then I won't have any need to worry about it anymore!"

Ciara runs out of the room and Mirana follows after.

"I really don't think you should!" Mirana shouts after her.

*-.-*-.-*-.-*

Katherine looks out of the window in her throne room. She opens it and feels the rush of warm air on her cheeks. No matter how much she tries, she can't feel the colder air of Dramanio. It's the same heat as it's ever been. 

She puts her hand out and lets the warmth fill it. She opens her hand and concentrates. She can start to see the air above her hair smoke, but no fireball. Katherine grunts and angrily tries another time. A fireball appears and it flickers before going away. She gives a deep sigh and closes the stained glass window.

A servant walks into the room. She's out of breath.

"Calm down," Katherine tells her, "What's the rush?"

"You've been...summoned," the servant says in between breathes, "By Ciara of...Catora."

Katherine pauses, "To where?"

"The ice rink," the servant replies.

The ice rink is the only place in Dramanio that is cold. It's a small patch of ice next to the forest dividing Dramanio and Catora. Many meetings between the two royal families meet there. There hasn't been a meeting since the curse. Katherine takes a look at her hand and closes it into a fist. She shakes her head, "I don't think I want to come."

"Why not?" the servant asks her.

"I don't want to talk about it," Katherine says, "Just send the message that I won't meet up with her.

A loud bang then echos throughout the castle. Katherine gives a confused look, "What was that?"

The servant shrugs, "Maybe it came from Reina."

Katherine quickly runs out of the throne room and enters Reina's stables.

Reina is pulling hard on her chains. She sees a servant attempting to calm her down. A whistle hangs from his neck as well. He must be the one that makes sure Reina is properly taken care of.

"What's going on?" Katherine screams out.

The servant turns to look at her, "She's going crazy! She's not listening to the whistle!"

"Is your magic too low?" Katherine asks him.

The servant shakes his head, "No, I think it's something with Reina."

Katherine pulls out her own whistle and brings it to her lips. She plays the same lullaby from the other day. The one that saved Ciara the first time.

Reina stares at her for a while. Katherine continues to play. Suddenly, Reina lunges toward Katherine and takes a swipe at her. The whistle falls out of her fingers and breaks off the chain it hangs on. The fragile whistle shatters on the ground.

Katherine stares at Reina, "Who are you?"

The servant struggles more against Reina, "What now?"

Katherine looks at the servant, "Take out your dagger. Stab her in the foot or the wing."

"But-"

"I don't care about the law!" Katherine snaps, "She'll kill Ciara if we don't!"

The servant takes a look at Reina and pulls out his dagger. He walks up to her, "You're not the dragon I found in the garden."

He presses the dagger into Reina's foot. Reina screams out. The servant backs away from Reina leaving his dagger in her foot.

"You're the one that gave her to me?" Katherine asks him.

The servant nods, "I did. But that's not her. I've helped you raise her and that's not the happy-go-lucky girl I know."

Katherine points to the chains holding Reina back, "Do your best to hold those chains down. You won't be able to stop her, but you need to try and slow her down."

The servant nods and runs towards Reina. He takes hold of the chains and keeps an eye on Reina's actions. Katherine begins to feel her stomach tie itself into knots. She knows what she needs to do. She has to warn Ciara. The fastest way she can do it is if she meets up with Ciara in the ice rink.

Katherine begins to head of the door before a question comes to her head. She turns to the servant, "What's your name?"

The servant look up from the chains, "Why?"

"I'd like to know the person who gave her to me," Katherine explains, "And in case she kills you."

The servant grabs hold of Reina's chains, "Xolani."

Katherine nods, "Try your best to keep her here, Xolani. I've got to meet my cousin again."

Katherine exits the stables as Xolani struggles hard with the chains.