Chap:4

Elements of peace

Disclaimer: I only own the plot

Warnings: Language maybe, not sure what else, but I'll keep you posted.

Thank you to all who reviewed! It really makes me happy that people read my stories and like them too!

So this one is for all of you!!!

HAPPY READING!!1!!

Nyx listened as Cein and Gammey flirted with their favorite guards. Nick and Lei, Nick was just as hot-headded as Gammey was, while Lei was a bit more laid back than the energy bomb known as Cein. Currently, they were outside in the courts, watching Eitri and the other guards train with each other. Nyx put her book down and watched more intently on the battle. Eitri was a good prince, he was acutally friends with them. He gave them tips, and actually smiled and complemented them when they landed a good hit on him.

She felt a little bad that she couldn't get closer like Cein and Gammey was, the sun was too much today, so Eitri had some servants put up a little place for her to relax. It was appreciated though, since the spots were almost everywhere. She snapped out of her thoughts when Eitri began to make his way over to her, she tired to busy herself with her book again, but all he did was chuckle and snatched it out of her hand.

"Give it back!" She cried standing. Eitri held his hand out of her reach, using his size agasint her own. Nyx pouted, making Eitri laugh a bit more. She resembled a frazzled kitten instead of an upset Ice princess. "Why should I give it back?" He asked looking at the title. He rose a brow.

"The art of Icesculpting?" He read. He saw her cheeks color as she snatched back the book and looked down to her feet. "I-I was going to make a couple and send them to my parents. I am not that good since, well, the ice likes me too much. It clings too me and I feel bad when I tell it to get off." She mumbled. Eitri laughed softly and patted her back.

"Then how about this, there's a festival later on tonight, it was going to be a secret, but I think you should tell your friends." Eitri winked. Nyx blinked in response, "We're sneaking out?" She whispered softly, eyes darting around, "Aren't we going to get in trouble?" She asked. Eitri put a finger to her lips, "A little fun now and again won't hurt anyone. Plus, it'll be just a few off us since my parents are going to a meeting in the Autumnvallys." And with that, he playfully tackled Nick who let out a shout before they started to tumble around.

Nyx felt her lips tingle slightly as she sat back down. She giggled a bit before smiling.

Yeah, a little fun never hurt anyone.

"EITRI!!"

Nyx wanted to bash her head in agasint the nearest tree. Rossa came bounding out, her short summer dress following her. Some guards stopped to bow and stare at her, Rossa winked at all of them before nearing Eitri. "Eitri! I am going to the Summer festival with my father, do you wish to accompany me?" Rossa asked abtting her lashes. Behind her back, Cein coped her motions making Lei laugh softly at her. Nyx stood and pulled her hood over her head walking over to Rossa and Eitri.

"Hello Rossa." Though they were rare, Nyx did hold grudges. What Rossa did could have ruined the whole treaty the Icelands and the Summerplains had. Rossa stiffened but smiled anyway. "H-Hello Nyx. No har feelings, I was only watching out for Eitri." Rossa tried. Her only anwser was Nyx blinking and the air gained a few snow flakes. Eitri never really seen Nyx angry, upset yes, but never angry. "Now, now Nixie, let's not get upset." Eitri used the nickname he heard her friends use countless numbers of times. It seemed to work seeing as Nyx looked to him before she turned back to Rossa.

"Yes, no hard feelings." Nyx's said silently. Her tone was hard and unforgiving. Not like her usual soft and clear one. Rossa nodded and looked away from them, before making eye contact with Draven, "Perhaps...you would like to come with me." Rossa was used to men stepping up to her as soon as she adressed them, but this one did not. His head piece sheilded his eyes from her, but his jaw didn't even tense of any form of hesitation when he gave a flat, "No."

Guards looked at him as if he just declared his love for a slug. Nyx looked up at Draven and felt a shiver run up her spine, she went closer to Eitri who looked down at her surprised. Nyx shivered?!

"I can't anyways. I am taking Nyx and her friends out around until dark." Eitri said smoothly. Nyx looked up at him with a small smile, so he was on her side. Just as friends should be. ROssa nodded to herself, glanced at Nyx one last time before she ran away. Nyx felt a little bad for her, but it quickly melted away as her more frosty side pointed out that she deserved what ever the Season gods had planned for her.

Suddenly, a thought hit her as she looked up at Eitri.

"I have to re-spell my cloaks, they're not strong enough if I--

"That's not a problem because your not wearing your cloaks. You are going with no hood today!" He chirpped. Nyx frowned, "Why? I always go out with a hood--

She stopped in her sentence when Eitri clutched her chin and brought her close to his face. Nyx felt a natural lock in all of her bones, thus making her immobile."From friend to friend, you look more beautiful without the hood." Nyx finally gained more control over her body and she took her chin away, "If that's the case, you should let your hair down more often. Friend to friend that is." Nyx saw his eyes widened before he blushed as he pulled out his band.

Nyx heistently reached out and smoothed down a spring of hair on the top of his head. She laughed softly when it popped back up. Eitri growled a bit and ran his hand threw his hair roughly.

"Stupid sprig." He mumbled. When Nyx tilted her head to the side, he began to explain himself. "I call the hairs that won't stay down sprigs. Like the weeds that comes back every week." He explained. Nyx nodded to herself before she reached up and gently patted the hair back in place.

Eitri expected it to pop back up, but he was surprised when it actually stayed down. "You just have to be patient with certain things." She siad softly. Eitri bit his lip when he saw her smile. He returned it and patted her head again.

"Be ready, I'll be ready to leave when I am done bathing after the training." He stated. Nyx nodded and ignored the stares as she went back to her seat. Cein and Gammey giggled at their friend.

. : Later : .

Nyx looked over to Gammey and Nick who were whispering to each other and giggling. Cein and Lei was cuddled together, but they spoke in hushed tones. Nyx saw Cein's cheeks color when Lei laid his head on her shoulder.

"It's wonderful how kingdoms let anyone become a couple." Nyx stated. Eitri nodded and loosley held onto the reins of the horse. They all decided to get seprate carriges and take time to get the know the opposite gender. Nyx wasn't as snugged up with Eitri as the other girls were, but they sat close enough for their legs to touch. They sat in a comfortble silence as Eitri let the horse wander around. He knew the Summerplains like he knew how many flowers were in the kingdom, where ever they were, he could lead them back with no problem.

Nyx, meanwhile, was lost in her mind. Daydreaming of course, the Summer's air did that to her. It was so diffrent from the Icelands, she was almost afraid that she couldn't see her breath. She jolted out of her world when Eitri playfully bumped her. She returned the bump meekly, but relaxed when she saw Eitri's repressed smile.

She looked up at the sky and noted how clear it was, the sun was beaming merrily down on her skin. Nyx could only feel it a little bit though, she was still afraid of what would happen if she ever let down her ice skin fully. She yelped when the cart jerked a bit before it returned to it's smooth gliding. "What was that?" She asked. Eitri grumbled something and hide his face from her. The one moment she had to look stunning had to be when he was driving over a bridge. Nyx laid back again when she didn't get a response.

'He's in one of those moods.' She thought amused in her head. Eitri had so many diffrent moods, one, he could be happy then threaten to rip someone's head of the next. Another was when he was upset about something, but let his mother give him a cupcake or some other type of sweet and he'll be off to the races. Nyx listened in to the gossip her friends brought in and Eitri was famous for his tantrums. The most biggest tantrum he threw was over another suiter who surprised him with getting his ends clipped....He burned down a whole setion of the kingdom that day.

'Never mess with Eitri's hair.'

His father's secret advice rang threw her hair. So, when he let her play in it the other night....was that his way of accepting her? Suddenly, her whole inside fluttered with butterflies. She was the only girl who touched Eitri's hair and lived to tell about it!

"What are you thinking about?"

Nyx snapped her head up to look over at him, he had an confused, yet amused tone to his face. Nyx shrugged. "This and that. Nothing important." Nyx was never to big about sharing her thoughts, thinking that others would only agree not to upset her since she was royalty. The worse was when they nodded along, but turned around and told her parents that she maybe wasn't well enough to go to public outings with them. Eitri pouted a bit, and Nyx laughed softly.

"C'mon now Nixie, we're friends remember? Friends let their friends know what their thinking about." Eitri whined. Nyx rolled her eyes but took a deep breath. "You confuse me a bit."

Silence.

Nyx fidgeted around, had she said the wrong thing? Then Eitri looked over at her. "Well, you not the quickest puzzle in the toychest your self." Eitri haulted the horse in front of a small lake and folded his arms behind his head. Nyx glared lightly at him when he plopped down into her lap. Eitri saw the color in her cheeks when she looked away. He snuggled into her lap and closed his eyes. "What were you like when you were a child?" He asked. Nyx thought for a minute. Her parents told her she didn't like people at all. She didn't like to be touched by others, talk to others, play with other children. So they had her home schooled until she was old enough to understand she didn't have to talk to others.

"I was...difficult. I refused to talk to anyone that wasn't my parents. I even gave a few others frostbitten fingers." Nyx chuckled. Eitri laughed softly, "The same with me. I was more...violent though. I set dresses and pants on fire and laughed at them. My mother told me that I even set my father's hair on fire because I am a mother's boy." Eitri snickered. Nyx smiled.

"I can see that." Nyx stated casually. Eitri pouted up at her before his face cleared of all emotion. Nyx noted his silence and saw he was staring at her. "What?" She asked softly. Eitri shook his head and sat up.

"Give me your hand." He ordered. Nyx shrunk back a bit. "No." She said sharply. Eitri rolled his hands and took her hand. Nyx quickly pulled away. A light coding of frost came over his hand and he inspected it idily. "Your afraid you'll freeze me?" he asked mildly. His tone was dull and uncaring, but his eyes were warm. Nyx looked away and played with her own fingers.

Eitri smiled a bit and took her hand, more gentle this time. He could tell she was holding in the frost that wanted to explore his warm surface. It was curious, it was alive. Eitri leaned in a bit, his breath across her cheeks like the night in the human's world. Nyx was drawn into his eyes and slowly she felt her ice escape from her power. It was that smell again, the smell of pure summer. The one that made her stop and wonder why it was so diffrent from winter's scent.

Eitri felt her relax and he felt the ice slowly creep up his arm, only to stop at his elbow. He pushed up her sleeve and noted how her bronze skin loose it's bluish color. He wanted to see more. Nyx's eyelids fluttered a bit as she felt more heat fill her body. Eitri panted a bit, feeling the ice on his skin was diffrent, not harmful or uncomfortble, almost like he was in the body of Nyx. Is this how she felt? All the time? "Nyx." His tone was husky and quiet making Nyx blink a bit in her daze. He raised a now freezing hand to her warm cheek, he was a little startled by the contrast. "It feels...diffrent." Nyx whispered. Her tone changed also, it was more livley, almost like a chime. Eitri took her other hand in his and turned to her.

"Aren't you cold?" She asked. Eitri shook his head and scooted closer to her. "Aren't you hot?" He asked back. Nyx shrugged. "It's...comfortble. But weird." She whispered. Eitri carassed her cheek gently. Her bronze skin shimmered along with her hair and her brown eyes sparkled like the best garnet in the kingdom.

"You look...beautiful." He whispred softly to her. He loved how Nyx's blushed showed up instantly. Nyx bowed her head in embarrassment. Eitri raised her chin and smirked at her. Nyx sighed a bit when she felt the warm leak out of her body and her cold returned. She shuddered heavily, not use to being warm and then cold. Nyx opened her eyes when she felt a plop on her lap. She looked down at Eitri and saw he was sleeping on her lap. Suddenly a feeling of exhust came into her and she felt her eyelids close.

Then Nyx feel into a deep sleep.

Nyx woke to someone shaking her shoulder, she yelped when she saw piercing green eyes looking back at her. She jolted up and clunked heads with the person, making her whimper softly.

"Ouch..." She whimpered again. She squinted a bit when she opened her eyes, her head was pounding heavily, maybe it was from the hit she did?

"Ow...I thought good people were suppose to have soft heads." Eitri mumbled rubbing his forehead. Behind him, Lei and Nick chuckled softly while Cein and Gammey laughed outright. The laughs died down when they recieved a glare from Nyx. Nyx looked around and saw it was dark out, the stars glinting and shinning. Maybe it was a few hours before midnight?

"We're still going to the festival right?" Cein asked. All eyes turned to Nyx who wordlessly nodded, but looked down at her clothes in question. "We can go in these?" She asked. Secretly, she wanted them to deem the festival too much trouble and just head back. Lei smirked--making Cein blushed--and held out a bag of clothes.

"Robes for the guys and gowns for the girls. We can buy masks when we get there. But for now, we have to bare-face it." He said smoothly, smile never leaving his face. Nyx pouted when Gammey and Cein choose before she could, already knowing she would have something she hated.

And, of course, she had the brightest gown she's ever seen. It was made of lace and had an lingering scent, one that reminded her of the Queen's flowers. "You got these from the Queen?" She asked taking the garmet out and dropping her cloak. Eitri rose a brow, he's never seen Nyx's attire without the long cloak, or jacket since he made her leave the cloak at the palace. She wore all dark colors--just as he thought-- the skirt that came to her knees were over pants and drapped over her shoes. She wore a midnight blue tunic, who's sleeves stopped at her elbow.

"What?" She asked annoyed. Eitri snapped out of his daze. "We got them from her tailor. When you were asleep, we headed back to the palace." He said. When the girls all looked to the boys, they all rolled their eyes and took their garments. Nyx turned back to her gown when the boys dissapeared into a thick batch of bushes. Quickly, she began to change.

"You and Eitri haven't been difficult with each other." Gammey stated pulling her hair out from under the gown. Nyx blushed softly and turned away. "You and Cein have Nick and Lei...you haven't been that difficult either." Nyx sighed and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Was everything in the Summerplains peach and orange? No...they had yellow and red too. Cein had a dark purple flowing dress that did her scales justice, also bringing out her eyes. Gammey had an light blue gown that was similar to Cein's but lace covered the edges.

"Are you ladies decent?" A voice came from the woods. Gammey giggled shrilly, "Yes Nicky!" She called. WHen Nyx heard the boys snickering at their friends expenense, she turned. They wore robes that started out like a tunic at the top, only to lightly flow at the bottom. Eitri's eyes lingered on her for a while before he smiled.

"Well, everyone bunch in." Eitri jerked his head to the horse who was itching to walk. Bunching in was easier said than done, Nyx wanted to slap Nick for suggesting the girls sit in their lap. Gammey slid into Nick's lap with a smoldering smile, while Cein launched herself in Lei's with a shy giggle. Nyx shook her head when Eitri winked at her.

"I'll walk." She mumbled. Eitri pouted, "I won't do anything terrible!" He sighed. Nyx narrowed her eyes at him and slowly slunk up to the carrige as if she was a defeated kitten. Eitri patted his lap and grabbed the reins from around her waist. Nyx was seated on his lap as if he was a chair, facing away to him with her back to his chest. Eitri lightly jolted the reins, making the horse pick up a trot. "We should make the festival by midnight." He seated his chin on her shoulder and murmured lightly in her ear. Nyx was relaxed by the song he hummed and leaned more into him.

Summer's air blows threw your hair, shimmering noise of the wind chimes

comes to carasse my ears. Lips so soft almost like the petals that dress your

feet, eyes so bright I can see the fire that burns so deep.

memories like dreams as the days go by, only with you do I create my

natural high.

Never say goodbye....(1)

Nyx wanted to look back at him, but he had his nose nustled deeply into her neck. She could feel the peace that came from him, it would be wrong to disturb him. Eitri scolded himself when he saw the dazed look in her face. "Want to hold the reins?" He asked softly, blowing into her ear. Nyx jumped and batted him away.

"Don't do that!" She blushed. Her ears rang lightly from the song that came and passed so much like the wind. Either way, she hesitently took the reins from him and held them awkwardly.

"Don't be so nervous." He whined. Nyx nodded but grew even more anxious.

"Nyx is real nervous around animals." Gammey stated playing in Nick's hair. Cein gave a huff of agreement not looking away from her conversation with Lei. Nyx glared at her friends before turning back to the horse. "I-I am perfectly fine." She insited.

Eitri rolled his eyes and nodded but didn't believe her. When the carrige made a bump, he grabbed the reins when Nyx let go of them out of reflex. He chuckled and continued to guide with his arms around around her waist. Nyx didn't mind that much, they were just really good friends now...

Right?

(1)-a little thing i made up! tell me if you liked it!

hope you liked this chapter! i'll try to have the next one up soon!

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!! AND NEW