Chapter four: Together At Last
"Ice King," she breathed, "Oh, how I've missed you!" He was standing there, seemingly in shock.
He had woken up and found himself sore and battered, lying prone at the base of a glacier in the middle of his kingdom. In a moment he remembered why he was there, so he leapt up and readied to fight.
But what he saw caused him to, ironically enough, freeze in place. All he could do was stare at the beautiful woman who was dancing on water, running on air... She was beautiful. She was regal! He found himself unable to speak, unable to move.
Then the fantastic vision of serene beauty before him took a step forward, and another, and then another. She stood still, a mere couple of yards away from her husband, searching his eyes for any sign that he recognized her. She was disappointed to see that he didn't; but then how could he? How she had changed...
"Ice King," she said, tilting her head ever so slightly- a gesture she had often made without conscious thought or effort when she had last occupied the body of Princess-Monster-Wife. "Husband, I know you don't know me now, but please believe me when I say that I have missed you more than words can express! I am still your loyal wife, and haven't stopped loving you for a moment of the tortuous time I have spent away from your side. Oh, my beloved husband! I am your wife!"
She was almost in tears, so distraught was she at the thought that he might not believe her. She clasped her hands over her rapidly beating heart, praying that the Ice King's heart would accept her as she now was.
"You... You're my... Wife?" The Ice King stuttered in shock. "Really?" She nodded, her frozen hair tinkling like wind chimes, making the most enchanting sound. Ice King watched as the beautiful princess gazed up at him shyly through snow veiled lashes, smiling uncertainly.
"Yes," she whispered. "My heart's sole purpose has only ever been to love you, but I had to leave you... I was a... A monster..." It was then that the Ice King knew. His precious darling had called herself a monster the day she left and gave up her body. He had thought she would be gone forever...
"I'm back now, Ice King," she walked slowly forward until she was an arm's length away from him. "And I will never leave you again. I promise. Just- please- tell me you still love me, that you'll let me stay with you! Oh, my husband! I couldn't bear it if... If you didn't..."
She began to cry, her tears turning into snowflakes as they dripped off of her cheeks. Ice King wiped them away gently with his trembling hands, then crushed his princess to his chest in a hug that warmed them both and theoretically melted their frozen hearts.
"Oh, my darling Princess!" He cried, kissing his wife tenderly on her now flushed cheek. "Of course I know you, my darling. And I love you too- I've never stopped loving you! I tried to forget you, but I just couldn't. And now you're back, and I'll never have to try to forget you again! Because you're here now!" She giggled as he spun her around, both of them happier than they had ever been before.
Then the Ice King shouted out to the world, his voice loud and clear: "MY PRINCESS HAS RETURNED!"
And it was true. The Ice King's Princess had returned, and she was so happy to finally be reunited with her husband after all the loneliness and sorrow. They were finally together again! The Ice King and his Ice Princess...
"My darling," he murmured, holding her hands as he fell to his knees. "I love you so much... And I am so happy that you're here, my princess... But you see, as King of the Ice and Snow, it would just make sense... I mean, if you... I guess...What I'm trying to say is... Would you do me the honor of becoming my Queen? Will you marry me- for real this time?" He gazed up at her, hope shining in his eyes for the first time in ages as he awaited her answer.
Ice Princess smiled at him, and kneeled down with him. She cupped his face in her delicate white hands, and pressed her forehead to his. And then, she spoke.
And what do you think she said?
"Yes," she said, kissing him full on the mouth, with all the passion that had lain dormant in her heart and soul for so long. And then she said it again. "Yes! I will marry you. My beloved Ice King, I would marry you a thousand times!" The Ice King and soon-to-be Queen laughed then, kissing each other again and again, so happy and so very much in love...
Together- finally, together- they cried happy tears, and held each other in love's tender embrace as fresh snow fell from the sky, blanketing their kingdom in pure white...
And the next day, if you were to walk along the shores of the Lake of Liquid Ice and look down at the ground, two sets of footprints could be seen, marking the path to a beautiful castle made of ice, in which a very happy King and his future Queen sit together, planning their wedding...
The very happy end... Or, shall we say, a very happy beginning?
Beginning, indeed! What do you think, folks? Is this story sequel-worthy? Let me know what you think, and if you have any ideas, I'm looking for a fantastic one to incorporate into my next fic... If there is to be a sequel to Magic in a Cold Room, that is... ;)
AdoniaAlma out! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone out there! I hope you enjoyed the Ice King and Ice Princess's love story!