The fumes were so strong it was almost toxic. Thirrin's eyes watered. "Are you sure it's edible?" Thirrin shouted to Oskan over the noise. It was Yule and this year Oskan had brought an enormous boar back from the forest.

"WHAT?" he yelled.

"I SAID ARE YOU SURE IT IS EDIBLE? IT SMELLS REALLY WEIRD!" Oskan nodded and pointed to the group of Snow Leopards munching happily in a rib or something. Thirrin gave him her "But they're Snow Leopards. They'll eat any kind of meat" look. He sighed and cut off a piece of the boar and stuck it in his mouth. He chewed, then spat it out.

"EWWW! THAT WAS DISGUSTING! WHAT DID THEY PUT ON IT? I SPECIFICLY TOLD THEM NOT TO PUT ANY SAUCE ON IT!" he bellowed. Thirrin giggled and handed him a loaf of bread. "Thanks" he mouthed. Oskan bit into the bread and then spat that out too.

"HOT!!!" And went running from the great hall. Oh so dignified.Thirrin thought. He came back a couple minutes later with stuffed cheeks. He walked back to the High Table and sat down. She raised her eyebrows.

"Mu." It sounded like. Thirrin looked at him. So he spat out an enormous piece of ice.

"Ice." And put it back.

Ew. Just ew.

She nodded, disgust clearly showing on her face. Oskan smiled, showing a row of perfectly white teeth and ice. She turned away.

How can one of my most trusted advisers be so... repulsive? How?

Thirrin turned to the crowd to avoid looking at Oskan. The everyone was talking and a juggler had lost a ball to the rafters and people were chucking food at it to see who could hit it. Eventually the juggler just gave up on getting his food splattered ball back. And started throwing food at it too.

What a waste of food.Thirrin thought, being the wonderful ruler that she is.

Then, out of the corner of her eye she saw Oskan throwing the rest of the loaf at the ball too! She just sat in dignified silence and watched her fellow subjects. But, soon enough she threw dignity aside, shrugged and cut off a piece of boar to throw at the ball too. She aimed and...

The little slice of pork sailed over the heads of many before landing straight on top of the ball. People gasped. Some even pretended to faint. Then the sound of roaring laughter and cheers filled the hall. Her cheeks turned red in a girlish blush. But out of nowhere the doors the the hall swung open and in filed ten of the Palace Guard with a girl being towed behind them. A warning shout rang out in the silent hall.

"What do you think your doing?" Thirrin shouted, outraged.

"Your Highness, if I may point out, she," the guard gestured to the girl, "has things sprouting out of her back." And they forced her around. There, she truly did have what resembled the wings of a bird protruding from her back. They were light brown speckled with darker brown. And they were huge.

"It's the wings, it's always the wings." The girl muttered under her breath. Thirrin was about to order the guards to set her free when Oskan whispered in her ear,

"Thirrin, how do you know she's not a spy? Look at how she's dressed, she isn't from the Land-of-Ghosts. Nor the Hub of the World. She may be trying to gain advantage of the Icemark."

It was true. She was wearing blue pants of seemingly coarse material and a blouse with no buttons or sleeves. Her feet were covered with shoes that were laced like boots, but they only went up to her ankles. Her hair was dirty blond with streaks of pink in it.

"Let her go. But," Thirrin glared at the girl, "I want some answers from you." She dismissed the guards. They marched away.

"Now stand." The girl purposefully sat down on the floor with a plop.

"I said, rise." Thirrin's voice cut through the air like a knife, echoing around the empty hall. The girl stayed seated.

What is she thinking, defying me? As she no sense of self preservation?

"I will speak with you after the meal. For now you shall remain there." Thirrin's voice was as hard as steel. A murmur swept through the crowd. Had someone finally come along that could rival Queen Thirrin Freer Strong-In-The-Arm Lindenshield, Wildcat of the North in stubbornness? Could it be? Was it even possible? The rest of the Yuletide feast was eaten in silence. Slowly, people wandered off to other activities once their share of mead was finished, and they had chewed through every last bite of food.

"What now?" Thirrin asked Oskan when the hall was finally empty.

"Well, first let the bloat wear off a bit. Then I can think." He leaned back in his chair and put his feet on the table. She cuffed him over the head.

"No one puts their feet on the High Table. You, lazybones, will think now. What do I say to her?" Thirrin sounded slightly panicked. Only slightly; She never looks or sounds fully panicked.

"You know, I'm right here." The girl spoke from her spot on the floor. She was laying on her side with a rather large loaf of bread for a pillow. Her piercing green eyes seemed to see right through them straight to their souls. Her wings were spread out behind her in a magnificent, feathery, heap.

"We could start with introductions. Since I'm gonna be stuck here a while, I might as well know the names of my tormenters." she suggested. Oskan nodded.

"Alright then. My name is Queen Thirrin Freer Strong-In-The-Arm Lindenshield, Wildcat of the North. He is Oskan Witch's Son. And you are..."

"Max."

"Max? That's it?"

"Yup. How about I just call you Queenie and call him Oskan? 'K? I mean seriously, what a mouthfull." And she got up and walked out of the room.

"Can you belive the nerve of that girl?" Thirrin muttered to Oskan.

Disclaimer:I do not own The Icemark Chronicles or Maximum Ride. Please click that green button down there and tell me what you think! I take well to the good, better to the bad, and not well at all to the ugly. I'm looking for improvement!