Since their visit was unannounced and Castle Freeze still about a half-hour run away—even at Battle Cat's pace-He-Man and Glimmer made camp that night and approached Castle Freeze in the morning. The early morning rays glinted off of the icy blue peaks and towers. He-Man only hoped the castle's ruler would not be as cold and foreboding.
"Welcome, Princess Glimmer," Queen Frosta greeted her upon their arrival, obviously having met Glimmer before. The queen's ice-blue hair fell down her back in silky waves, and her almond-shaped blue eyes zeroed in on He-Man almost immediately. "Who do we have here?"
"Queen Frosta, this is He-Man," Glimmer responded. "He has been helping the rebellion out for the last week or so, and it was his idea to come see you."
"Oh," Frosta purred, looking delighted and sexy at the same time. He-Man swallowed hard as she took his offered hand and then did a small spin that landed her square against him with his arm wrapped around her. "How wonderful." She drew the word out and rubbed against He-Man slightly.
"Ah, we're here to ask for your help," He-Man said, barely able to keep himself from stuttering at her obvious advances. No one on Eternia had ever come on to him like this. He had no idea how to handle it. He looked to Glimmer wide-eyed, silently pleading for her to intervene.
"Is that so?" Frosta asked. He-Man was keeping his head as high and straight as he could; as a result, her breathy words fluttered against his ear.
"Yes, we were hoping to speak to you about joining the rebellion against the Horde," Glimmer supplied, a jealous tone in her voice. Her face, however, was carefully controlled, a fact that surprised He-Man, given her tendency towards hot-headed decisions.
Glimmer's words re-directed Frosta's attention. She straightened up-much to He-Man's relief-and stared at Glimmer incredulously. "Join the rebellion? When the Horde hasn't dared to come this far north? Why would I risk provoking an attack?"
"I've seen evil tyrants like Hordak before," He-Man answered. He almost regretted speaking up as Frosta turned back to him and put on hand on his forearm. A glance at Glimmer's pleading face made him remain still and stay on topic, in spite of his desire to put Frosta in her place. The rebellion needed this alliance. He had to ignore Frosta's advances as best he could for now. More than likely, there would be plenty of time to deal with them later. "He won't stop until he has every single kingdom, castle, and person under his rule," He-Man continued. "It's only a matter of time. He failed to take Bright Moon a few days ago; he'll go for the kingdom he sees as being the next most vulnerable."
Frosta pursed her lips as she reflected on his words for a moment. "You must be hungry after your journey," she finally said. "I will have my servants prepare some food, and we can discuss this some more."
"You owe me for this one," He-Man muttered to Glimmer as they followed Frosta through the halls.
"I'm sorry," Glimmer whispered. "I've only met her a few times. I had no idea she was like this around handsome men!" He-Man felt his face flame at her seemingly accidental compliment. Battle Cat snickered quietly.
"Oh, He-Man, come here and let me show you the view from the balcony," Frosta suggested from just ahead of them, pausing before some curtains. "Your friends can go on to the banquet hall."
He-Man tossed Glimmer a pleading look, but she merely gave him a helpless shrug in reply. He reluctantly followed Frosta out to the balcony, where she promptly sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "He-Man, I've never been so attracted to someone in my life. Do you feel it too?"
It was hard not to feel it, the way she was pressing her sexy body against him, but He-Man firmly took her hands and disengaged them from around his neck, backing up a step at the same time. "Your Highness," he began, then stopped as a shimmer of light caught his eyes. He squinted, trying to see better through the blinding snow of the mountains.
"What is it?" Frosta asked, turning around to look in the same direction.
"I'm not sure," He-Man replied uneasily. He held a hand up to shield his eyes. "Maybe nothing…"
"Queen Frosta!" a guard shouted from out in the hallway.
"Out here!" she called back.
He ran in, the dark blue ties that held his long white hair flying out behind him. He bowed hurriedly. "Your Majesty, Horde flyers approaching in attack formation!"
"What?" cried Frosta, stiffening. She stepped away from He-Man and glared at him. "You set this up!"
"No!" he protested. "We had nothing to do with it!"
"Right. So the Horde just happens to attack at the same time you come to-" Frosta's words were cut off as a warning blast rocked the castle, knocking her back into He-Man's arms.
"Are you all right?" he asked, steadying her.
"I'm more than all right," she murmured huskily, batting her eyes at him.
"Your Highness!" the guard urged. "What are your orders?"
"We will fight with you," He-Man promised Frosta, holding her gaze. "Or, if you prefer, we will run and try to draw them away from you. It's your call."
Frosta straightened up, her eyes suddenly as hard and cold as her name. "No one's taking my home from me," she said, determination in her voice. "Colonel, tell everyone to get to their battle stations. The Horde's in for a chilly surprise."
He-Man leaned on a borrowed sword, trying to catch his breath. Battle Cat plopped down next to him, also panting heavily. The battle had lasted from late morning throughout the night. The Horde robots had no need of sleep, and sought to overcome their enemies by sheer numbers. Frosta's soldiers had rested in rotations. Glimmer's magic had given out around midnight; she had collapsed and was taken to a room to recover. Frosta had gone to grab a little rest herself only a few hours ago.
Adam felt as if that were not an option for him. Realistically he knew he couldn't fight on an ongoing basis forever, and that he would need some sleep. But until Castle Freeze fell or the Horde gave up the idea, sleep was something he simply couldn't afford.
For the moment, the assault had stopped. It wouldn't last; the Horde was merely regrouping. He-Man gazed out at the battle-torn ground below them, pieces of machinery scattered around. His heart was breaking for the Etherian people. That they should have to live out their lives in fear and under such oppression made him furious. His jaw tightened as the robots, now formed up, began marching towards the castle once more.
"We will not fail them," he vowed quietly, fiercely.
Battle Cat looked up at He-Man, then got to his feet and stared down at the approaching troops. He let out a loud roar just as the sun crested over the mountains and bathed them in its warm light.
He-Man watched as a chunk of snow broke loose from a ledge and slid down harmlessly towards the robots. His eyes narrowed as the first glimmer of an idea began to form in his mind.
"He-Man, look!" Battle Cat growled.
Following his partner's gaze, He-Man grinned. A small group of fighters were attacking the Hordesmen from the rear. Even from this distance, he could see Teela's head of red hair at the forefront. Reinforcements, however small in number, had arrived.
"Thank the Ancients," he breathed. Then he mounted up on Battle Cat and went once more to join in the fray.
The movement of the Horde troopers in the same direction in which He-Man, Battle Cat, and Glimmer had gone had not escaped the notice of those left in the Whispering Woods. It was too large a force to move covertly. As a result, Teela hadn't wasted any time in gathering up the rebels she felt would be able to best handle themselves in a real battle—which wasn't many, unfortunately. They numbered only about seven dozen men and women, in addition to herself, Bow, and Madam Razz. They had made their way up as quickly as they could, stopping only for a few hours' rest, reaching the backside of the Horde army at daybreak.
Teela fired her freeze ray at the troopers, hitting her targets almost constantly. Thankfully, the robot troopers were slow to adapt to a new type of attack. Beside her, Bow loaded his arrows and fired them as fast as he could, taking out a few of the Horde's tanks with a couple of explosive arrows. But Madam Razz was their wild card and best weapon, and Teela knew that their success in helping Frosta's kingdom lay in the old witch's ability to wipe out a large number of troops with magic.
A large section of the main force turned to face their attack. "Now, Madam Razz!" Teela cried, even as she continued firing.
"Oh, dearie my," the white-haired witch muttered. "Razzle dazzle, mizzle must, give these guys a bunch of…rust!" She wiggled her fingers triumphantly as she ended her incantation correctly. Immediately, water began sprinkling down from the otherwise clear sky, directly onto about a hundred troopers in front of them. Their suits of armor began rusting right away, and within moments, the majority of them were motionless.
"Yeah!" Teela and the others cheered. Hearing a loud roar, Teela caught sight of He-Man and Battle Cat rallying what she figured must be Frosta's troops. The men might not be his, but they responded to him anyway; the lift in their spirits was noticeable even from this distance. Her own stomach lurched slightly because she was so glad he was alright.
Teela frowned as she noted the movement of the Horde troopers. They evidently knew he was a huge threat; the majority of firepower seemed to be aimed in his general direction. Apparently also recognizing that, He-Man and Battle Cat leapt away from the men, straight towards a huge tanker.
Teela lost track of He-Man for the next hour as she and the others fought the troopers that were focusing in on them. The next time she caught a few seconds to find him, he was standing next to a blue-haired beauty, pointing up at the mountains. The woman had one arm wrapped around his waist and was resting her head on his chest.
Teela's mouth dropped open. They were in the middle of a battle, and this hussy had time to think about putting the moves on He-Man? And he was letting her? Suddenly furious, Teela turned her attention back to the battle with a renewed energy, muttering under her breath. She noticed Bow give her a few odd looks, but she ignored them.
"It's done," Frosta said wearily, lowering her hands at last. She staggered slightly, and He-Man grasped her by the shoulders to hold her up.
"Easy now," he said gently. He raised his head and glanced around. "Battle Cat!" he called. The great cat was beside him in one bound, and He-Man lifted Frosta into the saddle.
Frosta gave him a look that was probably intended to be sultry, but the dark rings under her eyes prevented her from pulling it off. "My hero," she said in a whispery voice, lacking any of the sexual desire that had accompanied every statement she had made since He-Man had met her.
"Go get some rest, Your Highness," He-Man ordered. "I'll take it from here."
Frosta shook her head stubbornly. "No. These are my soldiers, my people. I'm not going to rest until I have seen that this plan of yours worked."
He-Man gave her an appreciative look. "Very well. It won't take long." He glanced around, confirming that Teela had taken the small rebel contingent to higher ground. The Horde apparently thought she had retreated; the army was now heading back towards him. He-Man smirked. 'Perfect.'
As shots continued to fire around him, He-Man gathered up some of the scrap metal of the decimated robots around the front of the castle wall, crushing them into a large ball. Then he took careful aim and hurled it at a mountain—the one Frosta had just spent more than three hours covering in heavy snow.
As if in slow motion, the snow piled onto the side of the mountain began to slide downwards. A low rumble slowly built into a loud roar as a wall of solid white began hurtling down faster and faster, sending random sprays of snow into the air.
Madam Razz darted over the Horde troopers, watching for any sign that some of them might be live men rather than robots. But it seemed that just as he had attempted to do at Bright Moon, Hordak was trying to try to wear away at any resistance before sending in his top personnel to "clean up."
A few tanks well in the back of the ranks turned and sped away as fast as they could. A cheer went up from Frosta's soldiers and the rebels as the snow rushed down over the Horde robots, burying them within seconds.
"Whew," He-Man breathed. He glanced at the lowering sun. They had been fighting for about thirty hours straight, by his estimation. In that time, he and Battle Cat had not taken a rest of more than ten minutes, nor had they had much of a chance to eat. A few mouthfuls accompanied by a swallow or two of water had had to suffice. Not for the first time, He-Man was grateful for Grayskull's magic, which increased their stamina tremendously. Still, even with that he was beyond tired. If he were still transforming back into Adam, he'd have gladly slept for the next twelve hours.
"A job well done, He-Man," Frosta declared, her voice still lacking its normal playfulness. She slid off of Battle Cat's back and draped her hands on He-Man's shoulders. "Without you, we would have lost."
"Everyone played a part," He-Man countered, feeling his face redden. His gaze shifted to where Teela, Bow, and the rebels were approaching, carefully picking their way across the snow. Teela suddenly looked up and caught sight of him. She froze in her tracks for a second as their eyes locked. A wave of embarrassment and horror washed over He-Man; confused by the feelings, he forgot that Frosta was still clinging to him. The next thing he knew, Frosta's lips were on his.
Teela's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Frosta clinging to He-Man. She had not even had a chance to meet the blue-haired woman during all of the fighting—she had had to find out her name from Madam Razz-but Teela already didn't like her. She had never had much use for women who drooled over men the way this one was drooling over He-Man.
Suddenly Frosta threw her arms around He-Man and pressed her mouth to his. Teela's jaw dropped, and jealousy constricted her lungs. He-Man's hands went to Frosta's back; at first Teela thought he was about to draw Frosta closer, but his hands continued to move, settling on her shoulders and pushing her firmly back.
'Serves her right,' Teela thought smugly. But as they drew near, her thoughts came to a screeching halt.
"…here at Castle Freeze, He-Man," Frosta was suggesting in a seductive tone, her fingers of one hand tracing lazy circles on his chest while the other played with the hair on the back of his head. "I want to get to know you better."
"I'll just bet you do," Teela muttered under her breath.
"Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty, but I must decline," He-Man said politely, side-stepping out of Frosta's clutches. "I am in the area for a short time. Once my mission here is complete, I'll be on my way."
Teela was quite proud of herself for controlling the urge to stick her tongue out at Frosta in triumph as she came up alongside the two of them. 'She deserves it, throwing herself at him like that,' she thought, folding her arms. Then she thought of Adora, and that she was probably meant for He-Man. Sighing, Teela gave Frosta a sympathetic look; judging by the way Frosta's eyes narrowed, she didn't appreciate it at all.
Frosta gave all of the resistance fighters rooms in the castle so they could rest before returning to Whispering Woods. The majority of them went to sleep immediately; it was already close to dusk and they were exhausted beyond measure. A few of them, including He-Man and Teela, remained awake to keep watch for a while.
"You should get some rest," He-Man told Teela as they stood on a watchtower. There were low-level lights around, allowing them to see each other easily.
"I grabbed a few hours last night," Teela assured him. She studied him, noting the dark circles under his red-rimmed eyes. She crossed her arms, annoyed. "Did you get any rest, Adam?"
"He-Man," he corrected her automatically, glancing around. "Not yet. I will after Frosta's guards come to relieve us."
"You fought hard for a day and a half, with no rest," Teela said, struggling to keep her voice even. It wasn't easy. It irked her when men insisted she take care of herself, but did not do the same for themselves. Her father did it all the time, but He-Man was far worse than even Duncan. "Did you even eat? Drink?"
"A bit," He-Man answered nonchalantly. He put a finger to her mouth to silence her coming outburst, a small smirk on his face. "I'll be fine, Teela."
Thoughts of arguing with him flew out of her head as she felt a faint tremor in his finger. Reaching up, she grasped his large hand in both of hers, trying to still its shaking. She looked up into his eyes, which now appeared resigned in the bright moonlight.
It was the adrenaline withdrawal, Teela realized. She understood instinctively that he wouldn't be able to sleep until the symptoms of the withdrawal had passed. "Don't you think it would help?" she asked logically, keeping her voice neutral.
"What would help?" He-Man asked, still gazing into her eyes. It slowly dawned on Teela that he had raised his hand and one of her hands was now pinned between his hand and his chest, where his heart was pounding. Her own breathing quickened.
"Eating," she answered softly. He-Man's face drifted towards hers, and she lifted her face hesitantly, yet eagerly.
He-Man suddenly froze, his breath coming in short, harsh bursts. He slipped his hand out of hers and turned around, his fists clenched. "That's a good idea," he said tightly. "I'll go get us some food. What would you like?"
"Oh, um…" Teela blinked hard, trying to figure out what had just happened. "Whatever."
"Okay. I'll be back in a bit." Then he was gone.
Teela blew out a deep breath. 'Adam. He's Adam,' she reminded herself. 'You know, the guy you grew up with. The one destined to be king. The guy you said you'd never date.' She raised her now-shaking hands and smoothed her already-perfectly-in-place hair. 'Ancients, what is going on with me? With us?'
Frosta insisted on a celebration the next night, and asked the resistance fighters to join her people. Knowing that her people needed more rest before making the return trip to Whispering Woods, Glimmer agreed to remain for one additional night.
Special lights set around the castle lent a different color to each room. The ballroom was by far the most elaborately decorated, with a rainbow-colored vision of lights, sparkling icicles, and artfully crafted ice sculptures. After a grand feast, He-Man and Teela stood off to one side, watching the unfamiliar Etherian dances in appreciation. Teela tapped her foot in time with the music, wishing she knew the steps. She noticed Adam's eyes on the dancers, taking in the twists and turns. A furrow appeared on his face as he studied them.
During one dance that seemed to last forever, a handsome young man approached Teela, his vivid hazel eyes raking over her body in an appreciative, hungry manner.
"May I have the honor of your presence, my lady?" he asked, bowing before her.
"Oh," Teela said, looking helplessly at He-Man. His face darkened, causing a faint heat to rise in her cheeks. She turned back to her would-be suitor to accept just as another voice cut in.
"I'm afraid she's already spoken for, friend," Bow said firmly.
"Of course, Bow," the other returned. He bowed respectfully and turned about. Catching sight of Glimmer, he made his way towards her.
"You two should go sit down," Bow advised them, his brow furrowed. "I don't think this is a dance you want to participate in."
"Why not?" Teela demanded, her pride hurt. "Don't think we can handle it?"
"Not at all." Bow crossed his arms and regarded her steadily. "Because our ways are different than yours, Teela. This is a celebration of life. Tonight, the ladies and the men go home together, if you know what I mean."
"Go home…" Teela repeated, confused. Then understanding of his meaning sliced through her. "Oh!" Her face grew hot.
Next to her, He-Man cursed softly—something he very rarely did. Surprised, Teela followed his gaze, and discovered the reason quickly. Frosta was headed straight towards them. A mischievous spark ignited in Teela. She impulsively reached over and grabbed He-Man's hand, giving him a wink when he looked at her, obviously taken aback by her sudden movement. Bow raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
"Oh, Frosta, I'm so glad you've come over here," Teela purred when the other woman drew near. "I was hoping you could tell us what room is ours." She held her breath, hoping that her assumption was right, that because of the traditions of the culture and the added guests at the party, they would not be in the same rooms as the night before.
"Ou-" He-Man started to echo her, shock in his voice. Teela shoved her elbow into his ribs, effectively cutting him off.
"Your room?" Frosta repeated in dismay. She frowned darkly. "I see. Yes. Follow me."
Teela smirked triumphantly at He-Man as they followed Frosta up the stairs. "You can thank me later," she whispered.
He-Man gave her a slightly panicked look that said he wasn't sure he should be thanking her.
Frosta gestured to a door on their right. "Battle Cat is already inside," she said brightly. "I do hope that won't be a problem." Her tone implied that she hoped anything but that. She turned to leave and paused in front of He-Man, looking deep into his eyes. He-Man's face burned bright red, but he didn't break eye contact with her. "Let me know when you want a real woman," she said in a sultry tone, running her fingers up and down his chest.
Shock froze Teela for a moment as Frosta sauntered away. "A re-" He-Man's hand snaked around her head and covered her mouth before she could shriek her anger.
"Let her go, for Ancient's sake," he hissed in her ear.
Her fury dissipated as she turned to him and caught his desperate, pleading look. Instead, laughter threatened. Teela turned blindly for the door and burst in just as she started to guffaw. Battle Cat was on his feet, growling lowly, but relaxed when he saw them. Only when He-Man closed the door behind him did Teela allow her full laughter to explode into the air. She sat on the bed, clutching at her sides.
"What's so funny?" He-Man demanded indignantly.
"You!" Teela gasped, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I've never seen you so…so…so flustered around a woman!"
"That," He-Man said emphatically, "is not a woman. That is a sex-obsessed siren who walks on land and preys on men like a spider eats bugs."
His unkind description was so unlike him that it made Teela laugh all the harder, especially when Battle Cat began snickering as well. "Adam," she gasped, "that was the meanest thing I've ever heard you say!"
His face reddened again. "Sorry," he muttered. "But I have never come across someone like her. Ever." He crossed his arms and shifted his weight uncomfortably.
"Oh come on," Teela scoffed, wiping at her eyes. "You deal with them all the time. Doesn't matter whether you're charming them as Adam or awing them as He-Man, women fall at your feet on a daily basis."
"Fall at my-" He stared at her for a minute, as if trying to decide whether she was being critical or factual.
"Not that you're trying to make them," Teela amended. "You just can't help it. You walk into a room and they swoon. Surely you've noticed."
"I try not to," Adam admitted tightly, his face flaming. "Look, I'm tired. I'm going to grab a few blankets and crash on the floor, unless you have an objection."
Teela tilted her head. Had she hurt his feelings with her comments? "No, that's fine," she said, deliberately gentling her voice. She thought of offering to sleep on the floor, but knew he'd never agree to it.
They readied for bed in an uncomfortable silence, the intimacy of the regular routine seeming to build on the already-high tensions. A short yet intense time later, He-Man laid on the floor, using Battle Cat as a pillow, while Teela reclined on the bed, the soft mattress caressing her body. Still, she was too wound to sleep, due to the tension she sensed between she and He-Man. Unexpectedly, a memory sifted through her mind, and she grinned into the darkness. That might relax him.
"Addie?" she said, using a nickname for him from when they were barely out of diapers.
"Mmm?" He might not have opened his mouth enough to form words, but she could still hear the note of amusement in the response.
"I had fun today." A traditional line from their childhood, when they were in the hallway, saying good-bye at bedtime.
"Me too, Tee." His use of his old nickname for her made her feel warm all over.
"Can we do it again tomorrow?"
This time he chuckled. "We might have to study tomorrow, Tee."
Teela laughed silently. Another line from their chidlhood, yet in a way it held some truth. They would have to study the land around them on their return trip, and try to glean enough information from the rebels to anticipate Hordak's next move, all while trying to figure out how to reach Adora.
"Oh. Good night Addie."
"Good night, Tee."
Feeling more relaxed now that she had diffused some of the tension between them, Teela turned onto her side and snuggled further into the pillows, expecting to fall asleep quickly.
"Tee?" He-Man's voice, full of restrained laughter, broke into her fuzzy thoughts a moment later.
Teela forced her eyes open. "Yes Addie?"
"Thanks for saving me from her, Captain."
His reference brought to mind another conversation between them, one in which they were older, perhaps about six or seven. The memory flew through her mind.
"Joleen kissed me today, Teela. It was gross."
"Really? Well, I guess you gotta get used to it, being the prince and all. Father says the girls will all be after you, whatever that means."
Little Adam had shuddered. "When you're Captain of the Guard, you can keep them away from me though, right?"
Teela muffled her laughter into her pillow, but Adam heard her. He laughed hard, and she gave up the fight, joining in with peals ringing off the walls. Apparently she had kept them away from him after all—at least for tonight.