Chapter 7 – Reflections of Greed
Harry paced restlessly up and down his room. There were no windows, yet the room was lit as bright as day. The walls were made of hard, grey stone and there was no fireplace, yet it was warm, toasty warm even. A wide, comfortable bed took up one whole side of the room, and in front of it was a table with a high-backed chair. Plates and bowls of fruit and meat were piled up on the table, next to them bulbous jugs of steaming drinks. As if by magic, the food and drink had been exchanged during the night without Harry noticing. Not that he cared.
Seven days and nights had passed since the events in the throne room. Seven days and nights since Daphne had been led away by some servants. He had not seen her since. He himself had been taken to that wondrous room.
It was not that he was locked up. He was allowed to move about freely in the Castle of the Eternal Frost, which he did plenty; that is, except for the smaller courtyard adjoining the large castle courtyard, which was guarded by warriors around the clock. Apart from that, however, he had already explored the entire castle from top to bottom several times. He had quickly realised that the castle was far too big for the few people living here, who consisted not only of humans but also of strange animal and mixed creatures, among them Rudolphus, a huge reindeer and captain of the Guard of Everfrost. Altogether, only a few hundred souls might live in this place at the end of the world. It seemed that indeed all the inhabitants of Everfrost had gathered in the throne room after Daphne's transformation, when she had been proclaimed as the new queen.
Only one had been missing. Servant Rupert. The monster in Santa Claus' service had not been present in the throne room. However, Harry had seen him several times in the last few days, from a distance, where he was quietly watching with his eerie yellow eyes. He never seemed to speak a word, to anyone. Harry wondered if he had any idea that Daphne and he had fought and killed him in another time. He didn't want to rule it out, after all, according to Santa Claus' tales, he seemed to be a Darkalb, the last one even. But Harry did not think about it too long. His worries were different.
Inevitably, his thoughts revolved around Daphne. Where had she gone? No matter whom he asked about her, he was either evaded or answered with a shrug. She was not far away. She had not left the castle. He could feel that she was near. Every night he dreamt of her.
Agitated, Harry left his room to go in search of her again. His feet led him through deserted corridors and halls, up long staircases, and even through the cooking rooms, where several servants were busy baking deliciously smelling bread. Finally, his feet led him to the castle courtyard. The large gate through which Daphne and he had sneaked in a week ago was now firmly closed.
Harry ran his hand over several icicles hanging from an eave. The air was filled with the joyful shouts of several reindeer children in the sky, their parents just teaching them to fly. It was cold, and it seemed to Harry that it was getting colder with each passing day. Even though it was supposed to be summer.
His gaze slid to the archway to the adjoining courtyard, from which such an icy breeze had emanated on the day of their arrival. Three guards stood in front of the gate. A human woman with one of the wooden sticks that functioned as wands here, a reindeer with sharpened antlers, and a hybrid of human and billy goat with a silver spear.
It was the only place Daphne could be.
Harry strode resolutely towards the guards. They tightened and put their hands on their weapons – in the case of the reindeer, this meant that he lowered his head threateningly. The woman gave Harry a look that was somewhere between suspicion and commiseration. It was a rehearsed ritual by now.
"We still can't let you through," she said to him when he had reached them.
Harry now put his hand on his wand as well. He measured the three guards with a sizing up look. They might be trying to look threatening, but they didn't exude the quiet confidence of seasoned warriors. He doubted they had seen more blood than he had. However, they clearly outnumbered him.
"I cannot put up with this any longer," he said in a sharp voice. "Tell me, what hides behind that archway? Is Daphne there?"
"As we have told you many times, we cannot answer your questions."
"And who can?"
"We can't tell you that. Only the Queen could –"
"AND WHERE IS SHE?" cried Harry. He had been growing more and more angry during the exchange of words they had been having every day for the past week. Hot surges gripped his body. His fingers closed around his wand.
The woman's eyes widened. She opened her mouth, but then suddenly the thud of hooves on the frosty ground sounded behind Harry, followed by a stern voice.
"Stop this nonsense!"
Harry turned and saw that Rudolphus had landed behind him. The captain's animalistic features were marked with displeasure. As always, he wore heavy armour.
"I have watched this travesty long enough," Rudolphus said. "The guards stand here at my command, boy. And they will stand here and they will let no one pass, just as I have ordered. There's nothing you can do about it."
"What's going on there? Where is Daphne?" asked Harry.
"Will you finally stop when I answer your questions?"
"...That depends on the answers."
Rudolphus heaved a sigh that sounded almost human. "Then follow me, boy."
He then led Harry through the courtyard back to the castle. The captain would probably have liked to leave the guarded archway even further behind, but at the landing to the throne room, Harry stopped.
"Enough! Now tell me what is going on there. Or I will fight my way through, I promise you."
Rudolphus turned to him, narrowing his eyes. "You can try, boy."
"I've faced scarier warriors," Harry said.
Rudolphus eyed him for several seconds before shaking his head. The metal spikes on his antlers gleamed in the light of the torches as he did so. "Our queen is fighting for Everfrost as we speak, just as our king did before."
"You mean..."
"Yes, boy. Beyond the archway is the cave of which His Majesty and Mistress Liv spoke. The place of the curse upon this land, a punishment for sins long past and scourge of the royal bloodline. Our new queen fights for the redemption of us all. I will not allow you to undo the sacrifices that have been made."
"The sacrifices?" said Harry, upset. "You mean Daphne's family members, including her mother, who were cursed and killed by Santa Claus and Liv in cold blood?"
Rudolphus nodded. "The same."
Harry had to pull himself together not to cry out angrily. With all the self-control he could muster, he said, "And Daphne is now supposed to hold back this Great Cold, this wound in the magic of the world? What Santa Claus himself could not do. How can you say you serve the Queen when –"
"Careful, boy," said Rudolphus with a growl. "We grant you our hospitality because you have come with our queen and seem to be important to her. But do not overdo it. Our queen must not be bothered. She cannot leave the cave. To try would be like tearing the keystone out of an archway. Everything would come crashing down. I won't let that happen. So if you try to get into the cave again, I'll kill you."
You can try, Harry thought. But he did not speak the words.
The two men looked at each other resolutely for several moments before Rudolphus let out another long sigh.
"I like you, boy," he said, and this time the salutation from Rudolphus' mouth sounded almost caring and not disparaging. "You are a warrior like me and you know the price one must be willing to pay to do one's duty to those one loves. But this land is not for you. Return to your home. Leave all this behind. Do this final service for our Queen, for Daphne."
Harry did not dignify his words with a reply. He turned and walked away, his hands clenched into fists.
How could the captain suggest such a thing? He would never leave his friends behind and certainly not Daphne. But what should he do now? Should he really fight his way into the cave? But then what? What if Daphne wanted to stay there? And however calmly Rudolphus had delivered his threat, something told him not to take it lightly...
Meanwhile, without Harry noticing, his feet had led him into the throne room of the castle, the very place where he had last seen Daphne. The sunlight shining in through windows under the roof made the ice-blue pillars glisten, as did the eerie ice sculptures scattered everywhere.
Harry eyed the sculptures. Had Ron also been turned into one in the other future? When he had tried to find them? At least he would be spared that fate now that Santa Claus was history.
The sounds of hoof on stone heralded the ominous creature even before the rancid stench hit Harry's nose. Harry turned and caught sight of the black figure of Servant Rupert.
"Pity, son of man?" his voice rang in his head. "Do you truly feel pity for these miserable folks?"
Returning his gaze, Harry said, "Why shouldn't I? You called our lives pitiful when you led us here with the Muggles, too, didn't you?"
Servant Rupert pursed his lips and pointed yellow fangs appeared. "Those words were not meant for you!"
A twitch went through the beast's clawed hands, and for a moment Harry actually began to worry. However, then Servant Rupert let his hands hang down again calmly, as if nothing had happened. He averted his eyes from Harry and instead looked at the ice sculptures around them.
"Then you've found out the truth?"
Harry nodded. After everything he had seen, and after everything Santa Claus and Liv had told them, there could only be one conclusion. "You bring the Muggles here to become this ice crystal."
"My lord's brilliant idea," said Servant Rupert in a manner as if he were speaking to himself rather than Harry. "Not using his own life force, but that of others, who, however, are consumed by the wound like candles in a winter storm. More and more life he needed. And when his realm no longer yielded enough life, he settled for a bargain with you despicable wizards."
The Norwegians, Harry realised. At least a group of them.
"Human lives and some food in exchange for the crystal they use to make their mirrors, of which they are so proud and for which they get so much gold." Servant Rupert emitted a low growl, making Harry's hackles stand on end. "Greed is a cheap vice. To satisfy it required nothing more than more and more crowds of miserable folk, robbed of their will and herded here. And I was their shepherd. That was my task for centuries."
"Is it no longer?" asked Harry quietly.
Servant Rupert turned back to him. His yellow eyes twinkled in a way Harry would almost have called affection if he didn't know the cruel nature of the beast. Servant Rupert seemed to peer through him. He was looking at the empty throne behind him, Harry realised. For a moment the air was filled with the smell of roses, but as quickly as the smell had come, it was gone again.
"Your beloved, our new ruler, is more merciful than my previous lord, son of man," Servant Rupert spoke. "She no longer uses the life force of others to fight the flood. She uses her own power, which has been bequeathed to her by my lord."
Harry's eyes widened, but he should have known already. Daphne, who had abandoned her own father because he had enriched himself from the suffering of others, would never sacrifice someone else. Of course she would make the sacrifice herself.
"Greed and power are the sources of all our actions. Greed causes the voluntary ones, power, whether it is one's own or someone else's, the involuntary ones." Servant Rupert turned to him, now looking him straight in the face. "And both greed and power will lead to our downfall. Prepare for battle, son of man."
"What ... what do you mean?"
With inhuman speed, the beast jerked his clawed hands upwards. Harry could not react at all. He felt the deadly claws at his throat. One move from Servant Rupert and he would be dead.
"You are an even bigger fool than I believed. How do you think your human friends will react when we reject their offerings and they no longer receive ice crystal? When they can no longer satisfy their greed with bloodstained gold?"
And then, all at once, it all became clear to Harry. He swallowed and gave Servant Rupert a slow nod. "I'll be ready."
He would be ready to take Daphne as far away as possible from this godforsaken place.
AN:
So, that was the shortest chapter so far and also the first in which Daphne did not appear. In my original outline of the story, the chapter would have gone on, but I thought it was good to cut here and then move on to the next events in the next chapter.
I also have two story announcements. Pairing will be Haphne in both (how could it be otherwise).
1) "Everything for You": Finished; Oneshot, which will be released shortly before Halloween (yes, I've taken a liking to the annual Halloween story).
2) "Two Unbowed Crows": In planning; multi-chapter story that will start in the first Hogwarts year; release of the first chapter probably towards the end of the year.
