DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN WINGS OF FIRE OR THE CHARACTERS IN THIS FANFICTION FROM THE WINGS OF FIRE SERIES; THEY BELONG TO THE WONDERFUL TUI T. SUTHERLAND. SNOWDROP IS AN OC, BUT YOU MAY USE HER. (just give credit and all dat good stuff :) PRINCESS NORTH IS ALSO AN OC, BUT I RETAIN RIGHTS TO HER.

Ch 10

The days went by quickly following Snowfall's death. There was a grand party held in North's honor, with many queens sending gifts to congratulate her. North pardoned Snowdrop and Winter, although he decided not to stay in the Ice Kingdom. Snowdrop wasn't sure yet, but he knew she would stay. Why would she have any reason to go with him?

It surprised him how much the thought stung.

North was sitting in the center of the room examining her mother's statue when he entered on his final day there. She looked up and gave him a small nod, then turned her attention back on Snowfall's icy visage.

"This is excellent work, Winter," she said after a minute. "It's amazing how you took your frostbreath and made a living out of it."

"Thank you, your Highness," he replied, heavily emphasizing the "Highness" and bowing so that his snout touched the floor.

North giggled. "Oh, stop, you're making me laugh." As soon as the words escaped her mouth she frowned.

Silence fell upon them.

"Do you miss her?" Winter asked. "I mean, Snowfall might not have been my ideal choice of a mother. And she did do such horrible things – No offense, I just –" He trailed off.

"It's fine." North's voice came out softly. "She was my mother, so I just felt obliged to love her, but she never really loved me back. It was just little things. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just being paranoid, like maybe all Icewing parents were like that." She frowned. "When I was younger, Her Majesty – Mother," she corrected, "Mother wouldn't let me go outside the walls. I thought it was fine then, but then I got older and then there were so many rules. I wasn't allowed to speak to her unless she spoke to me first. I couldn't call her mother, only Her Majesty. I used to not have a throne, and when I did, it was always much smaller than hers. My chambers were on the other side of the palace. I couldn't tell her anything. I wasn't allowed to laugh, wasn't allowed to smile, wasn't allowed to have fun." A silent tear rolled down her cheek. "And I just – I just went along with it. I thought there was nothing wrong. It was like – It was like I wasn't even her daughter. Like I just shared her palace, and one day I would take her place. She didn't even act like I would take her place. It always felt like she would rule forever."

It was another long silence before she spoke again. "But it'll get better now. I'm sure of it." With those words North drew herself up, tears still sparkling on her cheeks, like fresh snow. "Snowfall can't hurt me anymore." The queen smiled wide. "I will never make the same mistake with my dragonets." She lifted up the statue of Snowfall. "Now, is there any way to melt this?"

Winter smiled despite himself. "Well, no. Frostbreath lasts forever. Remember the old Nightwing queen, Battlewinner? She had to stay in lava all the time, or else she'd freeze. Frostbreath doesn't come undone or anything. I can scrape it down until there's nothing left, but that takes too much effort."

North nodded. "Would you mind if you just took it back to Sanctuary?"

"Snowdrop wouldn't like that." The words were out of his mouth before he knew it. "I mean – she won't be coming home with me anyways, so I guess I could do that."

North frowned. She turned to look back at the window. Outside, dragonets were playing in the fresh snow. "You love her. And she loves you too, more than you know. If you tell her, she'll go." She turned to look back at him. "So why don't you ask?"

Snowdrop was standing at the foot of the Tree of Light. Her face was illuminated by the soft, warm light of the globes that hung there. In the midst of the falling snow, her expression peaceful and serene as she looked up at the spheres of light, she looked like an angel. She didn't seem to notice Winter as he came and sat by her.

Winter usually never liked silence. It made him uneasy. Jade Mountain was loud and he liked it, although he hated the noise at first. The hustle and bustle of the markets in Sanctuary made him feel at peace with himself. On days where his shop was busy, he was content to chat with the customers. But as he sat there with Snowdrop, watching her wistful smile, the silence was comforting for the first time in a long time.

"Snowdrop," he said softly. "Will you come back to Sanctuary with me?" And suddenly the words tumbled out of his mouth as he tried to reassure himself. "I mean, if you don't, I totally understand, because this is your home and I barely know you and you probably have a business to run after your parents died and I'm really sorry about that and if you can't we can just –"

"Winter," Snowdrop interrupted, looking at him for the first time. Her talons took his and squeezed them tight. "I'd love to."

Yay Northie :3

With my insane-Snowfall, I also tried to play on a suppressed North. Her mother in her paranoia was overly controlling and manipulative, if one read between the lines (I made it really subtle tho, so nobody's gonna tell :( For example, North is dismissed when she asks about her statue, Snowfall doesn't really acknowledge that North was the one who figured out who Jasmine was. This led to a very angsty little princess who I will love and cherish forever.