Notice: This chapter takes place around the same time Celsius is on his mission.

Glacier

The night was fabulous, and was so the celebration. The decorations mother had placed across the courtyard made the celebration ten times more vibrant. The different colored moon globes (Glacier had no idea how the Queen got different colors) made the ground and the dragons on it boom with a gleeful mood.

Glacier could see and hear jewelry as she walked through the massive crowd of partying dragons. Most of jewelry worn was by the IceWing dragonesses, who were like jewels around the male IceWings, shining through the crowd with the utmost confidence and determination.

Glacier herself was wearing a silver and diamond necklace, two silver arm bracelets, and two sapphire and diamond earrings. Every IceWing she met complimented on how well she looked, and she accepted it gratefully, wanting to be seen as a queen who listens to her followers.

As she continued to stroll through the crowd, mingling with other dragons, she bumped into her friend. They both turned to meet each other's gazes and exchanged friendly expressions to one another after realizing who they ran into.

"Glacier!" Ptarmigan shouted, wrapping her friend into a hug. "It's good to see you! I didn't think we would've found each through this crowd." She unwrapped her wings and gestured to the massive crowd of dancing dragons.

"I guess destiny brought us together," Glacier joked, and Ptarmigan let out a laugh. The two dragonesses started talking to each, explaining how their day had gone. Ptarmagin explained how all she did today was shop and find the right jewelry to wear for the celebration.

Glacier then told her about what happened for her. She explained the talk she had with her mother. The IceWing Princess told her friend how her brother was actually impressed with Celsius in the way he fought.

Ptarmigan frowned, "Anyways, where is your boyfriend?"

"I haven't seen him- he's not my boyfriend!" Glacier growled at her friend, becoming annoyed at the sound of being in any relationship with the dragon that she despises. "Can you stop with that now!"

Ptarmigan only sighed before responding. "Why don't you just give him a chance? I mean moons, if your brother is okay with him, shouldn't you be, too?"

"I still have my suspicions about him. Think about it though-"

"Here we go again."

"-how does he just come out into the third circle after a week of attending the Advanced Academy." Ptarmigan shrugged to answer, only to make Glacier ponder on the question for a minute.

"Well," Glacier's friend began, "how about we leave that discussion to rest for now and go celebrate with our friends."

"How are we going to find them in this crowd?" Glacier asked.

"Follow me." Ptarmigan took off in a certain direction, and Glacier followed her lead, as much as she hated to follow. It was responsibility to lead her tribe, and this felt like it was mocking her.

Instantly, Glacier regretted thinking that; her friend was only trying to get them somewhere, and here she was, insulting her friend. The IceWing Princess didn't know why she hated being a follower just to have some guidance, but she knew it was totally unacceptable when it came to hurting her friends. Think of how grateful you are to have friends, Glacier scolded herself in her mind. Some dragons have completely lost trust from theirs.

It was only a few minutes of making their way through the crowd before the two dragonesses made it to the rest of their friends. The first dragon to greet Glacier was Iceflow, who just gave the IceWing Princess a toothy smile. Ridge was next, giving her a friendly hug followed by Reindeer shaking her claw. Glacier smiled at her four friends, who were already chatting how their experience with the celebration was going.

"If this is what it's like for a Welcoming Celebration," Reindeer began, "then I can't wait for graduation party."

"Reindeer! That's still four years away," Ridge exclaimed. "You might not be passing graduation!" This earned the laughs of the three female dragons and a chuckle from Reindeer.

"I can always dream, Ridge."

"I'm with Reindeer on this one," Iceflow said, staggering a bit. "I can't wait what will be at the graduation, especially drinks!" Glacier's friend held a cup, as if trying to get a toast from the four others.

"How much have you had," Ptarmigan asked curiously.

"Only a few," Iceflow responded.

"That's a load of dead scales," Ridge interjected, turning her head to Ptarmigan. "She's had about four or five."

"Iceflow!" Ptarmigan shouted at her friend, who also dropped her drink to the sudden noise. "I told you that too much alcohol isn't good for you!" In responds to this, Iceflow waved off her companion, taking another long gulp from her cup, making the group laugh.

"She's going to be drunk at this point," Glacier told Ridge, leaning over to him. "Who's going to take her home tonight?"

"Actually," Iceflow interrupted, clearly hearing their conversation. "I was thinking us girls could have an after party after this celebration." Ptarmigan rolled her eyes at the thought of that. Glacier, on the other claw, shivered at the thought of a drunken Iceflow continueing to party through the night.

"No," Glacier told her friend bluntly, shooting down the request. "However, you are welcome to stay overnight if you don't feel like flying home tonight."

"I agree with Glacier," Ptarmigan jumping in, agreeing with the IceWing Princess, "but, maybe we can do a little bit more partying, dancing perhaps?"

"I'm in!" Reindeer immediately shouted, grabbing Ptarmigans claws as he pulled her aside, starting to dance. Glacier looked at her two friends, who were having the times of their life: laughing and shouting in excitement and glee.

Glacier then turned back to her two friends, but noticed that Iceflow was gone (probably getting another drink). She met eyes with Ridge, who extended his claw out, waiting for an answer from the princess.

"Ridge, I have something to ask you," Glacier told her friend.

"Yes?"

"Have you seen the new dragon, um-what's his name again?"

"His name is Celsius, and I quite like him, myself," Ridge responded, surprising Glacier on accident, but she quickly covered it up before he could notice.

"Anyways, have you seen him since the celebration started?" Glacier asked, but Ridge shook his head. "Do you know where he could be?"

"I don't know exactly, but I believe he said that he was skipping the celebration and staying at his home. He told me that he felt like the other students took him as an outsider. He said that he would feel like an outcast if he showed up to the celebration tonight." I nodded to Ridge, thanking him for the answer. "Now, shall we dance?" He extended his claw once more, and Glacier took it without hesitation.

Immediately, they broke down into the dancing, taking a series of different dance steps as they joined several other IceWings at the celebration. Glacier followed Ridge's lead without her mind saying that she should be leading. They continued with a certain rythem, dancing together as if they were reading each other's minds.

I wonder what would happen if Celsius was here? Glacier's head began, but she shoved the thought, not wanting to worry about him tonight. He wasn't going to ruin the one thing she has been waiting for the past months.

Ridge then took Glacier's claws and spun in a circle, their tails twining during the process. The IceWing Princess let out a laugh of glee, and he did the same thing. Nothing could be much better than this.

(* * *)

They two dancing dragons decided to stop after a half hour, walking back to their friends, who welcomed them back into the huddle.

"I have to say," Ptarmagin began. "That was some impressive dancing, but I don't think it was as good as our's." She looked at Reindeer, who gave a toothy smile.

"Is that a challenge I hear? Hm?" Glacier responded, gazing into Ptarmagin's blue orbs as she returned the stare.

"I believe it is," Iceflow announced, slurring the words a little, giving a clear sign she was having too much to drink.

"Okay, enough alcohol for you," Ptarmagin said, snatching Iceflow's cup away from her.

Iceflow responded by protesting. "If this is a party, then I have the right to have as much as I want."

Then, out of nowhere, Ridge walked over to Iceflow and gave her a kiss on the cheek, getting a surprised reaction from all of us. Glacier felt a small twinge of jealously, but waved it off. She knew that the two of them were way better off together than she and Ridge in a relationship. "Can you stop, just for tonight?" Ridge asked as Iceflow began to form a blush across her snout and face.

"Well . . . I'll think about it," she responded, giggling as Ridge gave her a toothy grin. Glacier noticed Ptarmigan rolling her eyes at this, so she decided to ask her friend later. Right now, she wanted to compete with Ptarmigan with who was the better dancer. Glacier scanned the crowd of dragons, some tired from the recent celebrating while most continued to party on.

She then looked towards her mother, who wasn't that far from Glacier. She was standing on a stage that was rose a few feet off the ground, where she could look at all her subjects. Glacier saw her pristine pose, where she would stand, being a role model that every IceWing wanted to be.

Right now, though, Queen Aurora was chatting with one of her advisors, but Glacier couldn't see who it was. Behind the IceWing Queen were two of the elite guard, each holding a spear with a rifle on their back. The guard on her mother's right was standing at attention, surveying the crowd to notice any threats to the queen.

However, the guard on the left was looking suspicous, gazing around the mass of dragons as if he were afraid to show something to the public. Glaicer frowned at the dragon before he noticed one of his claws leaving his spear and going to his back leg, where the was a black band, holding a knife. . .

What is he doing?! Glacier's mind erupted in a fury of panicked thoughts. Was he ordered to take out his knife? Was their a threat?

Those two questions were quickly shot down when the IceWing princess saw the guard bring back the knife for a sideways thrust into his target. . . which was the Queen of the IceWings.

"No!" Glacier yelled, getting the attention of her friends. They barely had to time to process what was going on before a massive sound erupted the party, causing the music and singing to go to a eerie halt. Ridge knew what it was, however, because he wrapped his wings around Glacier, who was too focused on the stage.

The first thing she saw was blue blood spray into the air, horrifying Glacier. Immediately after that, she saw the left guard stumble back, falling off the back of the stage. There was then a roar of alarm coming from Queen Aurora's guard on the right, followed by three heavily armored dragons flying through the air, enclosing the IceWing Queen into a protective shell.

Soon, screaming and shouting began as the massive mob of IceWings fled from the courtyard, in fear of being the next target like the soldier who fell of the stage.

Glacier turned to Ridge. "Make sure our friend are safe and bring them inside the palace." She ordered her friend, who obeyed immediately, running back to their friends to ensure they were alright.

The IceWing Princess took up into the sky, flying quickly to her mother, who was still being protected by the four guards. She flapped her wings with determination to make to her goal as she picked up speed.

Within seconds, she was stopping to meet her mother, who finally managed to order her guards to break formation and into a new one: two guards in front and two in the back. The queen looked at her daughter in concern, before looking at the guard who fell off the stage. Glacier did the same thing, but instantly regretted at the sight of him.

It was Frost, who was a loyal guard to the queen, but Glacier was soon thinking otherwise. There was a big hole in his forehead with blood pooling around it. His eyes were open, staring up into the nightsky, as if waiting for something.

Glacier felt her stomach twist and almost threw up, due to it being the first time seeing a dead, bloody dragon in her life. She staggered away from the victim of the shooter, who was still unidentified. She then felt a wing being wrapped around her, and it was her mother. The queen looked down at her daughter with worry and fear, which Glacier couldn't understand.

"Glacier, do you have any idea what just happened?" Queen Aurora asked, getting the princess' attention.

"Y-yes, mother," Glacier answered. "He was going to stab you in the back." She pointed to Frost, and the queen eyes widened in alert. She motioned her guards to Glacier, who was going to protest. "What's going to happen now?"

"We are going to find the killer, and punish him," Queen Aurora growled confidently.

"But Frost tried to kill you!" Glacier exclaimed, before getting a look of worry from her mother. "I saw it with my own eyes! He brought out his knife, you can see it next to his body!"

"In due time, my daughter," the Queen of the IceWings said, "but right now, we need to find the shooter."

Glacier rolled her eyes, but noticed flashes of light coming from one of the skyscrapers while she looked up, followed by more faint gunshots. She stared at the scene as yellowish light flashed for a milisecond, before disappearing again. The process was repetitive as she watched for the past ten seconds.

More IceWings yelled and shrieked in fear, beginning to disperse, rushing back to the direction their dwellings were. Glacier just watched both them and the scene as her mind went into flurry of thoughts. She didn't notice her mother looking in the same place, before she acted on the scene.

"Moons . . . get the Elite Guard up there!" Aurora ordered, and a IceWing guard soared off into the palace, getting the group of special combat trained IceWings. "You," she pointed at her other guard, who listened intently to her, "get the IceWings civilians out of here in a orderly fashion."

"Yes, your majesty," the guard complied, before flying off to get his fellow comrades. Soon, two dozen IceWing soldiers flew off to their assign posts, Glacier watching four of the Elite Guard soar towards the buildings to stop whatever was going on up there.

But it was too late, for Glacier heard a faint shatter of glass, looking back up at the tower. What her eyes saw horrified her.

There was a IceWing, falling with his back to the ground. His arms and legs were flailing from what she could see, but nothing else she could see from such a long distance to get anymore description. However, she did know that the IceWing was falling to his death.

"Look! That IceWing is falling!" A dragon from the crowd shouted.

"He's going to die!"

"What's going on?!"

That same question was imprinted to Glacier's mind as she watched the IceWing fall, unable to flip himself to use his wings. Her vision of watching it then was blocked by one of the guards, who was urging her inside the palace.

"Wait, he's slowing down!"

"The dragon is using the wall to slow himself!"

"Who is that?"

That was all Glacier heard before being pulled inside, walking back to her room, being escorted by six of the guards, most likely requested from her mother. It was a quiet moment, Glacier's head in fury of thoughts and accusations she couldn't understand half the time.

Why did this happen?

Who is doing this?

Is the Royal Family is danger?

Is the new student involved in the assasination attempt?

Glacier's head stopped functioning after that question, but she couldn't get rid of it. When she made it to her room, she immediately went onto her bed, gathering all of her thoughts as she began to think of what just happened ten minutes ago.

Once she gathered all her thoughts, she started with the question about the new dragon being involved. Glacier assumed that it was possible, but most of her mind was denying it. Celsius couldn't be involved, he's too shy, antisocial, handsome, muscular-

Glacier shook her head in shock, before feeling herself blush at the thoughts. She then realized it was a inappropiate time to be doing such a thing. The IceWing Princess then wondered what part of her mentioned the last to characterisitics of Celsius. Was Iceflow right? Was she falling for this dragon?

No, Glacier thought to herself, I have to be strong and a independent leader to show all of my future subjects what I am capable of doing and completing. I will not be a dragon with a gushy love interest.

For some reason, after she kept on denying the fact that she wasn't having a crush on him, her body refused to have that as an answer. She decided to figure out this situation later because she had more important things to go over.

One of the things is wondering who that dragon was who took the shot.

Another is whether Glacier should fear for her life.

Her mother was the obvious target, because from where the bullet had entered Frost, it wasn't placed by the Elite Guard, but most likely by where the sniper was. This only meant that Glacier could be a target soon. It was the first time Glacier realized how scary her life was about to come.

Hello reader, if you are reading this, then you must of enjoyed the chapter.

I will be updating this Saturday, hopefully, it just depends on how the events on Saturday go. If I don't update on Saturday, then it will definetely be Sunday.

Cya guys soon,

Zmike