Note: If you see any reviews personally harassing me or spreading rumors here is what I want you to do.

1. Do NOT believe them.

2. Do NOT engage them. I don't want me readers fighting my battles and getting involved with a vindictive person.

If you must do something you can report the reviews though, but that is all I wish for you to do. This is my fight. I will not be driven into a hole again.

Cool facts on naginatas. They are a weapon whose origin is in Japan. It is usually considered a woman's weapon, and women of the Samurai Class were expected to know how to use one, and it was an expected part of her dowry.

But here is the thing during ,warfare the samurai actually used naginatas more than katanas. Katanas were used more for duels and ceremonial purposes.

Anime lied to you.

Or the Japanese can be as ignorant about their own history as Westerners can be.

Or Katanas are just "cooler"

Personally I think naginatas are cooler.

"Your Majesty, I beg you! Please reconsider what you are doing! We all know how much you love your husband, but this is an impossible task. The kingdom needs its queen and think of your children! Please, I beg you, Queen Gabrielle, do not do this!"

Gabrielle slipped on her thick mountain gloves, as she gave a sigh, feeling another headache coming on. Yes, she had been told this constantly along the voyage by everyone. But she couldn't stop. She couldn't live the rest of life knowing that Adrian's body was lying somewhere, cursed to be asleep for the rest of eternity. She couldn't bare the thought of never seeing him again...even if it meant risking everything.

"The Gods have blessed me many times." She stated, "I doubt they brought me this far for nothing."

"But your children, The Kingdom, the people! Think of them!"

The blonde bit her lip, she felt a tidal wave of guilt as she thought of all those people that depended on her. And she wondered if she was really choosing her husband over her children. But she gave the answer she had given herself.

"I am thinking of them. Adrian is their father and the king. My family will not be complete without Adrian, my children will not rest knowing their father is under a curse. The kingdom needs its king. Adrian is still feared, as the King of War, but I am known for my soft heart. The surrounding realms will see us as weak with only the Swan Queen in charge. This is for everyone. I am queen, and like the game of chest, the queen protects the king.

"And by saving the King I save everyone else." She finished slipping on the glove, feeling the ever small amount of confidence in herself. She could feel the servant's disappointed at this. But there was nothing she could do to reassure him.

She turned, taking her knapsack over her shoulder, and coming out of the cabin and into the icy winds that were at the foot of Jotun Mountain.

Jotun Mountain was a site of legends and heroes, or at least legends of those who returned. There were far more that went and never came back. The legends told of fearsome monsters, giants, Fae, and ice.

She knew at least two of those were true. She didn't meet the eyes of her guard, as she walked out. Gabrielle did not want to see the worry in their eyes, causing her guilt to become greater than it was. She pulled up the scarf to cover her mouth. She was already chilled to the bone, and she hadn't even started up the mountain. How was she really going to get through this. But she couldn't let any doubt show.

"Gabrielle." She heard the voice of her best friend, she turned to see Kianda with a naginata in hand. Her face expressed in the same concern as everyone else.

"I will not try to stop you. This is your husband, and you have the right to fight for him. I only wish I could go with you." Gabrielle gently placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Your support is enough. You cannot enter that mountain without being turned to ice. We all know that. Besides I have beaten the odds before, haven't I?"

The Duchess gave a nod, but it was weak. She was clearly worried for best friend and queen. It was another stab in Gabrielle's heart to know she was now causing another person to worry for her. But at the same time it didn't sway her mind one bit. Her resolve had not changed since Skadi first challenged her.

She was going to save her husband and father of her children, no matter what.

"Have you gotten the naginata blessed as I asked." The Duchess nodded and handed her the bladed staff.

"It is blessed by a Northern form of magic called Runes. They are carved symbols that represent the power of the Gods of the North, they can and will hurt the Snow Fae and their creatures." Gabrielle examined the blade to observe the small carvings in it.

Kianda continued her explanation.

"Shout Sowilo, which means sun, to make the blade be able to burn the creatures. Shout Raido, which means travel, to point you in the direction you need to go." She memorized the phrases to herself, repeating them in her head.

"Thank you, so much, Duchess Kianda."

"Thank me by making it back, Gabrielle." There was a moment of silence, as the women gazed into each others eyes. Then without warning, Gabrielle sprung forward and tightly hugged the dark skinned woman.

"You are my best friend, never forget that." The usually stoic woman was frozen for a moment in this outward display of affection before hugging her back.

"And so are you, my Queen."

Skadi watched in the mirror at this disgusting display of affection between the two friends. She had her arms folded across her bosom as she sneered at the site.

"Mortals, you all think friendship and promises are all you need. But your queen will barely make it past the entrance the foothills of my mountain." A cold smirk covered her face, as she watched the queen begin her ascent into her mountain.

"Raido!" Cried Gabrielle as she cast the blade forward and felt the direction it pulled her in, so far the direction magic seemed to be working. But she wondered about the blade magic. How will would it work?

Be careful what you wish for.

She heard the sound of snow crunching around her. Gabrielle immediately held her naginata in a defensive position.

Then they came. Creatures made of ice, their bodies with icicles hanging off them, their eyes a pure black, and their mouths open with icy teeth, that Gabrielle had no doubt that it wasn't just for show, along with claws. There were three of them, and she was surrounded. They were slightly shorter than she was

Gabrielle didn't move an inch, she kept her body tense, as she waited them to get closer, as their claws reached out to her. Soon they were in enough distance.

She ducked down to the snowy grown, and whipped her naginata at the ice creatures feet with a shout of

"Sowilo!" The creature was cut off from it's knees, as it gave a hiss, clearly indicating it was in pain, light wisps of smoke came from the severed lower legs. That answered the question about the second rune.

She sensed the other two behind her, and threw herself flat against the ground and rolled before their claws could strike her. In one swift motion she lifted her bladed staff, and swiped the head clean off the second's shoulders. Like the other it gave a hiss and light wisps of smoke.

She jumped to her feet, as she meet the last one. She looked into the black eyes of the creature and saw fear. The thing that came to kill now realized that he was likely to meet the fate of his fellow creatures. In another time, Gabrielle would have let him go. She wouldn't have bared to cut down a creature so distraught.

But she wasn't that Gabrielle anymore.

"Sowilo!" She gave a final cry, as she charged at the creature and sliced him in half. It died like the others.

Gabrielle looked around at her work. It seemed the Queen of the Snow Fae had attacked her already and she was barely into the mountain. What other dangers would she soon have to face?

Well, pondering and worry wouldn't get her anywhere. She turned forward and lifted her naginata into the air.

"Raido"

Skadi's ice blue eyes were wide open at the scene she had just watched. The Fae Queen gritted her teeth, as she clenched her fists.

Then she realized herself, and began to laugh.

"Ah, so it looks like this the warrior prowess of the Swan Queen wasn't just peasant talk. I admit, Mortal, even I am a little impressed. But you haven't even gotten a taste of my power, yet. Small Etten are child's play for my kind."

She tapped her chin. "I suppose I could sent a true Etten against you and just have you crushed. There is no way you could survive that, even with your little blade and rune magic. But that would be quite boring, and besides it has been a while since I have had a true challenge." She tapped her fingers against her chin.

"Eirwen!" She called, the mirror changed to reveal the spirit once more.

"What do you wish of me, your majesty."

"I am going to need your services to trap our little Swan Queen." Skadi then turned to the side with an evil glint in her eyes.

"She is going to lose easily. What can a Swan Queen do against the Snow Queen after all?"

It was nightfall, and Gabrielle had saw no further sign of any creatures. It was time to set up camp. It was something she was nervous about since she had never done such before. While she had spent years living as a scullery maid, she still had a roof over her head. She had never really "roughed" it, so to speak.

But Kianda had given her lessons, she found herself soon with a tent up, and a warm fire. She was so relieved at how easily she had done it. But she also had to rune set lines around the campsite to warn her of any possible attack.

She sat by the fire, and ate a piece of jerky. Without walking her mind began to wonder. Her mind turned to thoughts of Adrian and how she could save him with such odds stacked against her. She wondered about her guard that she had left behind and how they must be worried sick about her. Gabrielle also greatly missed her children. At this a pang of guilt went in her. She wasn't there to tuck them into bed, read them a story, or sing a lullaby.

Was she being selfish with her desire to rescue her husband at the expense of so many? Her children were without any parent and many people were expecting her not to make it back. Should she had stayed and just have been at least a mom.

In the end it wasn't what she should have, but what she couldn't do. Gabrielle couldn't live knowing that Adrian was alive, but out of her reach. Eventually, she would have come. Eventually she couldn't have been able to stand it.

She was being selfish.

"Gods forgive me. Please do not punish anyone, but me for my acts. But at least let me save my love. Then you can punish me in any manner you see fit." With these unhappy thoughts, she curled up under her covers and fell asleep.

She had been journeying half a day, when she rounded a corner and saw something she didn't expect: a tower. Gabrielle briefly wondered if this could be the Snow Queen's castle, but it was far too small to be one. She was about to go on her way, when she heard a voice.

"Help, somebody! Please help me!" She heard from the upper tower.

"Who are you!" Gabrielle shouted back.

"My name is Eirwen! I have been trapped by Queen Skadi. Please, you must help me out. I plead to you on behalf of all that is good and holy to release me from this prison."

Gabrielle wasn't a fool. She could see an obvious trap when it was there. But at the same time there was the chance she was wrong. What if she left the poor girl here for Skadi to do who knows what with her? She could be hurting an innocent.

"Mother, don't fall for it! It is a trap." Gabrielle's breath caught in her throat. She turned around to see none other than Atropos. She gasped.

"Atropos what are you doing here?" She questioned her again.

"Not enough time. We have to get away from here! This is a trap." Then a voice came from the tower.

"Don't listen to her! It is one of the Snow Queen's tricks! She casts illusions of what people love the most to lure them into traps."

"Mother, no it is me! Believe me!" Gabrielle had to force her mind into equilibrium. She was seeing two visions claiming different things. Once she steadied her mind, the answer became clear.

"You are not my daughter! Atropos didn't even come on the boat, and the Skadi made sure only I could enter this place."

"No, Mother!" The vision of Atropos reached out to grave her arm, but Gabrielle jumped back. She whirled around and went to the door of the tower, against protests of the vision of Atropos, and became to use her naginata combined with rune magic to break down the door. Once, it was big enough for her, she stepped inside and began to run up the steps. She could hear the imposter of her daughter behind her shouting for her to stop, but she paid no heed.

She entered the tower room and stopped.

There was a girl there, but she was in a mirror.

"But how?" Suddenly a familiar and scathing laugh filled the room. Gabrielle's green eyes narrowed.

"Skadi! What is the meaning of this!" She demanded. Then she heard a rumbling of rocks behind her and realized the path to the staircase was blocked.

"My what a treat. Not only do I get to kill the queen, but also the little princess."

"Princess?" The queen was barely breathing, she turned back to what she thought was a vision of Atropos.

"I told you it was me!" Shouted the little girl, "Why didn't you believe me?" Anger and hurt mingled in her voice. Before Gabrielle could even mutter an apology the roof began to rumble.

"Well, it is too late to believe her now. But at least you can be in comfort that you will be with your daughter forever in death." The girl in the mirror faded, and suddenly rocks began to fall from the ceiling.

There was only one path of escape: the window. She quickly turned to her daughter.

"Atropos, hurry, climb into my arms, and I will fall from the window with you and land on my back."

Atropos rushed up to her and graved the naginata.

"No, don't do something stupid!" She cried, amongst the destruction.

"Point out the naginata out the window and scream, Raido and focus with all your might."

"But how-"

"Just do it." At that moment, a stone fell from the roof, Atropos clutched onto her.

She did as she was told.

Pointing the weapon out with all her might she called.

"Raido!"

Forgive me for any grammar mistakes please.