Danny knocked on the massive throne room door. It creaked open slightly and Mariah's messenger stuck her head out. She gave him a toothy smile and stepped to one side allowing him inside.
"You look serious," she commented in her hissing voice.
"I want to ask Queen Mariah something," Danny informed her softly as they walked towards the occupied throne. The messenger floated in front of Danny and stared at him.
"The queen isn't in a good mood. You should probably wait," the messenger advised him. He nodded to her.
"I know that. But this is important to me. It won't take long and it isn't a big request," Danny reassured her with a small smile. He then gently pushed past her.
He stopped in front of Mariah and dipped his head to her. She smiled to him and sat up straighter.
"Danny, what brings you here? You said you wanted to take a walk and try to clear your headache," Mariah asked brightly. Danny smiled back at her and nodded.
"I did take a walk. And I… recalled a name. Frostbite. Would it be possible for me to meet with him? Things about my past still don't make sense to me," Danny requested politely. For some reason he wanted to keep the intruders out of this conversation at all costs. He knew mentioning them would anger Mariah but he had an absurd feeling that the intruders needed to be protected.
Mariah's smile faded into a tight line.
"Where did you hear that name?" Mariah whispered.
"I… I just remembered it is all," Danny attempted. It wasn't a complete lie. After he'd heard the name, his mind had fitted together a kindly white creature in a snowy tundra somewhere in the Ghost Zone. Danny liked to think that given time he would've recalled the ghost on his own.
"Don't lie to me Danny! Who told you that name?" Mariah growled dangerously.
"No one told me," Danny replied sternly. Mariah leapt to her feet furiously.
"Danny, where did you hear that name? Who told you about Frostbite?!" Mariah shouted.
Danny took an involuntary step back and held up his hands, trying to calm the queen down.
"No one told me Queen Mariah. I overheard a conversation and the name was mentioned. He's a friend of mine right? I just want to speak with him. I could take a trip out into the Ghost Zone and meet with him," Danny explained. Mariah calmed down slightly but remained standing.
"He was, a long time ago. He betrayed us Danny. You can't trust that ghost. Besides travelling through the Ghost Zone is too dangerous for you," Mariah answered. Danny scowled in annoyance. That comment felt a little too familiar.
"You said that I am a powerful ghost. Surely there are no ghosts out there that would dare attack me. Also with me becoming the future Ghost King, any that did would be foolish. Please Mariah, I really feel that I should speak with Frostbite. I'll take a couple of skeleton guards if it makes you feel better. I'll be careful, but this is something I need to do," Danny replied, angrily at first but dropping into a pleading tone, hoping that Mariah would allow him. Technically he didn't need to ask Mariah for permission. He could simply take a couple of skeleton guards and order them to show him the way. But he felt that he should ask Mariah first, they were partners after all. He hoped that Mariah understood that.
Mariah folded her arms and narrowed her eyes.
"What conversation were you eavesdropping on Danny?" She asked softly. Danny bit his lip and hoped that Mariah wouldn't press for an answer. Mariah raised an eyebrow.
"Well? Who were you eavesdropping on?" Mariah pressed. Danny sighed, he had no choice.
"You're not going to like it," Danny warned before standing a little straighter.
"I was listening in on the intruders. I was invisible, they didn't know I was there. I was curious to see what they would say when they believed themselves to be alone," Danny admitted and held his breath as he waited for Mariah's reaction.
"You did what?" Mariah muttered angrily.
"I eavesdropped on the prisoners," Danny repeated clearly. Mariah scowled and looked at the messenger hovering off to one side.
"Bring them here," Mariah ordered quietly. Danny resisted the urge to look behind him as he heard the door creak open and thud shut.
"You shouldn't have done that Danny. They are dangerous," Mariah informed him in a forced calm tone. Danny frowned.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think they are. I think they're a little confused. They never attacked and they did seem to know me," Danny contradicted boldly.
Mariah glowered at him.
"You don't," she repeated in a whisper. Danny nodded to her.
"I don't. Some of the things they said… it got me thinking. If I'm a halfa, that must mean that I didn't form like most ghosts, right? Do you know how I was formed? Was I a ghost that changed into a halfa or was I a human first?" Danny asked slowly. Mariah shook her head.
"That doesn't matter," she replied quickly. Danny scowled.
"It matters to me Queen Mariah. If I was human first before I became a halfa, then did I have a family? If I did, where are they? How long have I been a halfa?" Danny questioned, asking questions he didn't realise he had before he could stop himself.
Mariah shook her head slowly.
"That doesn't matter. What matters is who you are now, not how you became what you are," Mariah decided firmly. Danny frowned at her.
"I disagree. If I want to understand who I am, I need to understand what I am first," Danny retorted firmly. They stared at each other. Neither wanted to break the tense silence that had fallen between them. Suddenly the door creaked open again and Danny heard a scuffle. He turned and saw a small group of skeleton guards dragging the four intruders into the throne room.
"What are you doing?" he asked Mariah softly.
"Something I should have done in the first place," she answered stiffly.
And things have escalated. Danny is going to be forced to choose between Mariah and his family and friends… Which he chooses…
Until the next chapter.