Half edited, sorry about that. I hope it's worthy. Dedicated to Monica for various reasons that I have seem to have forgotten, couch potato syndrome and all.
Cold, Inconsiderate Winter
The air was cold and crisp as snow crunched underfoot. There were six of us travelling in a group through the thick blanket of snow. Abigail was at the front, leading us and there were two guards on either side of us, flanking us while keeping an eye on the frozen forest.
We were heading to the Winter Court. Abigail was taking us since she’s been there before, although with lingering haunting memories.
The forest surrounding the Winter Court was just that; Winter. The Winter Queen obviously wanted people to freeze to death before they even reached her house so she wouldn’t have to face them. There was a blanket of snow so thick my skirt was drenched up to my knees and I couldn’t feel my toes anymore.
I remember I asked Desmond about the Winter Court once.
“What’s the Winter Court like?” I asked. I was sitting up in my bed, still moping around after seeing my aunt, before being told I had to take a long trip.
Desmond was walking around the room, inspecting various objects. He looked at me before answering. “Well for starters, it’s cold. Freezing actually, but that’s how Winter likes it. They have a Queen instead of a king and she is the embodiment of Winter.”
“So does that mean she’s cold?”
He laughed heartily. “No, Ella. It means she’s reserved and can be very chilling. But like winter she has kindness.”
“Winter has kindness?”
“Yes, it does. It’s not completely unforgiving you know. Have you ever wondered why we have winter?”
“Doesn’t it have something to do with the Greek gods?”
“Persephone and Hades? Yes and No, we have Winter because it balances out Summer. If we didn’t have it, all we would have is the devastating heat. Winter allows for the place in-between, it gives us a break from the heat and frost can actually preserve certain pieces of nature, keeps it alive. Winter isn’t all that bad, it can be chilling to begin with but in the end it is truly wonderful. Children always marvel at the wonders of the snowflake, that’s what Winter is. So don’t speak badly of it.”
“You’ve met the Winter fey haven’t you?” He nodded, “Well are they what you say they are?”
“Indeed they are. They also don’t take well to being insulted.” He looked down at his shoes as if in slight shame.
“What did you do?”
“I accidentally insulted a Frost Fey and was frozen completely for a week. It took a further week for me to thaw out too,” He frowned while I hid giggles behind my hand. “So, my warning for you is, be careful when dealing with Winter.”
I didn’t think I would actually need his advice, but I do and I hope I can actually use it. I was told by Caterine that Winter Fey can be very tricky since, you know, they’re cold.
“Not too far now!” Abigail shouted from up front.
Snow was swirling around us in a whirlwind now, blowing my hair around my face. We wore thick coats with fur inlays and snow boots with thick soles. Still we were cold; I could even hear the guards’ teeth chattering. I smiled as I imagined Desmond out here, freezing.
“Desmond-” I started but couldn’t seem to finish.
“You know you can ask me anything, Princess,” He replied and grinned when I scowled at him.
I sighed. “How old are you, really?”
“I am 98 years old.”
“Are you serious!?”
He grinned at me. “Of course I am, no faery can stay your age for long. Mind you, Dalsa is 92 years old.”
“Why are fey so old?” I groaned.
“Because we are almost immortal.”
“So, what have you been doing in all of your 98 years?”
“When I was 13 years old I left home and started travelling, I learnt anything anyone was willing to teach me. For years I learnt different lessons, stayed with different clans, learned nearly every language under the sun. Then when my parents let her, Dalsa joined me and we travelled from clan to clan under the Light court before settling back down with our family again. Then five years ago I was asked to become an advisor since I knew more than any 200 year old knew. And that, Ella, is what I have done with my life. What about you?”
“Oh you know, became an orphan at a young age, had to live with humans, got picked on by everyone and got kidnapped by various bad Fey before being told I’m a Queen.”
“Being a Queen isn’t as bad as it seems, but getting there will be hard. And remember, never give up.”
“You’re starting to sound like the people at the old folk’s home.”
“Did they tell you that?”
“All the time.”
“Then they were very wise.”
I sighed, I missed them. I missed Regina, I missed Lulu and I even missed my old room. But I had to do this, for the faeries that gave me hope as a child, even though they’re nothing like those fairies.
Abigail had stopped and I walked up beside her. She pointed to a gate hidden by snow. “That’s the Winter Queen’s house. I can’t go any further and at the gate you’ll have to leave the guards, only the strongest fey can enter the Winter Queen’s domain.” I could see the hidden memories filled with fear behind her eyes, so I knew I had to leave her.
“Okay, so this is it,” I mumbled into the howling wind and swirling snow.
“Princess, we can’t let you go in there alone,” The guards protested.
“You have to stay out here, that’s an order. I have to do this alone,” I didn’t like giving orders, but I had to do this for them, “I have to.”
The guards weren’t very happy about it but they walked me to the gate with long faces. I looked up to see a mansion loom out of the swirling snow. It looked intimidating but I couldn’t let the fear of Winter surface. I was afraid, but I had to do this. It was something a Queen would do.
“We’ll wait out here for you, and if we hear you scream we won’t hesitate to disobey your orders,” One of the guards told me, but once he realised what he said his eyes widened.
“It’s okay, just try not to freeze to death out here, I can’t very well find my way around the hallways of the castle so how am I supposed to find my way back there?” I smiled at them, I wouldn’t be like all those other rulers, and I wanted them to be happy I rule them, instead of them fear me.
I took one last look at the smiling Light guards and stepped through the gate and surrendered myself to Winter. I was on my own now.
As I walked towards the door the wind swirled and it felt like it was gently caressing me, but that was creepy so I pulled my hood tighter. I focused more on the crunch underfoot than the door I was walking toward.
The door had a symbol on it, the same one that the Summer Court had. The difference though was that at the Summer Court the circle was the more dominant part of the symbol, while at the Winter Court the crescent was more dominant.
I took a deep breath of the biting air and went inside.
I was greeted with two tall and willowy-looking guards. They didn’t look very impressed.
“Looking for the Queen?” One of them asked with a voice that sounded like cracking glass. His breathe fanned across my face and I swear it gave me frostbite then and there.
“Indeed I am, will you take me to her?” I replied, remembering all of the lessons Desmond gave me on speaking proper and with respect.
They nodded stiffly before leading me down countless hallways. I won’t be escaping anytime soon, that’s for sure.
Finally I was shown through a big wooden double door covered in frosty swirls. The frost looked beautiful but what the doors hid was even more so. I was shown to a sort of throne room with everything made out of dark wood or glass. Then there was the throne on the far side of the room, right in the middle. It looked as if it was made out of frost and snow and I swear I saw the swirls move.
Upon it though was the Winter Queen in all her glory. She had long inky black hair and wore a long flowing blue-white gown. She had frost on her spidery eyelashes and her lips were blood red. Her crown was just like her throne; all moving frost and snow with glittering gems.
I hesitantly walked towards her, after a faery covered in frosted thistles took my coat from me. The air around me was chilling to the bone, especially since I was in a half drenched dress with no sleeves. I had to walk confidently though, I had to win her over.
“I was wondering when the little Light Queen would visit me,” The Winter Queen spoke much like the guard did but with more confidence, force and authority.
“I’m not the Light Queen yet, more like in training,” I brought back my old snapping behaviour but kept it civilised. It was the only way I knew to get through this.
She smiled, thin lipped and crudely, but she smiled. “I see you have sass.”
“Oh I suppose. I love what you’ve done to the place by the way.”
“Well thank you, I did it myself.”
“Wow, it must have taken you ages.”
“You underestimate me.” It was a warning, that much was clear.
“Never. I merely thought with the amount of rooms here that it would’ve taken you ages, but that’s coming from somebody who gets lost in her own castle.”
She laughed loudly, melodiously. The Winter Queen actually laughed, because of me. It wasn’t fake either, it was as real as the ground beneath our feet.
“What’s your name, Light Queen in Training?” She slowly got out of her throne and walked towards me.
I lifted my chin the slightest bit more before replying, “My name is Arabella Diademn, but please, I prefer being called Ella.”
“Well Ella, I know why you’re here, you want me to join your side, don’t you?”
“It will be my honour if you could join us.”
She stopped and narrowed her eyes at me. “You are from the Human World, I doubt you came up with that on your own. Now, do me a favour and express why I should join you in your own words, not words in your mouth put there by advisors. Trust me, I know the feeling.” She seemed almost like an older sister talking like that.
I took a deep breath and chose my words carefully. “I was only doing what would as they said ‘assure’ that you would choose our side. Honestly, all of what they told me made no sense whatsoever. I think that you should join our side is because although you guys are supposed to be cold you are also said to be kind, since winter can preserve certain plants. Plus Winter’s colours are similar to ours. Also, so many people want me to succeed, to be their queen and countless other things, it would be nice if somebody else who kinda knew what I am going through would be there to help. And you seem really nice and all of my friends want you to join us, they actually fear what will happen if you don’t.”
“And you?”
“They’ve been around longer than I have and I trust them, so yeah, I fear it.”
“You know, you remind me of somebody I knew.”
“How?”
“A girl I knew was just like you, she was afraid, she was still confident though, she was always trying to do what was right even if it didn’t seem that way. Tell me one thing Ella, do you fear the upcoming war? Speak your own words, tell me the truth and don’t deny that a war is coming.”
She was right in front of me, scrutinising me. I looked in right in the eyes and said, “Yes.”
She smiled gently. “The girl you reminded me of was me, my name is Alexia, I was Human once so I know how you feel, which is why I will help you. I cannot help right at this moment though, in a week I will travel to your castle with my most trusted advisors to help you.”
I let out the breath I was holding. The Winter Queen was actually helping me. “Thank you.”
“I’ll only keep helping if you keep your sass though, it’s the only entertaining thing that’s occurred in months.”
I let out a breathy laugh. I think I had just become friends with the Winter Queen, or should I say Alexia.
Alexia had given me a warmer fur coat for the trip back and had done a cool trick with my wet skirt. She drained it of water just by flicking her hand and told me that the water fey specialises in that trick and she learnt it from one.
I had to go back to the Light Court now. I shut the door behind me and the cold air rushed at my face. I snuggled into my hood more as I walked towards the gate.
Through the snow I could see the hunched figures of the guards, but something didn’t look right. I ran over to them to see the snow around them was stained red. They were dead.
“Ella!” I looked up as I heard my name screamed desperately. Abigail was held by a Dark Court Fey with a knife to her throat.
“Abigail!” I yelled and ploughed through the gate just to be hit round the back of the head with what was probably a hilt of a sword. I fell face first into the snow and a dreamless sleep.