"What would you have my gift to the tribe be?" Prince Arctic asked icily, his rage barely suppressed. "I'm sure you have an idea." She KNEW he'd already used his magic – more than once. How could she possibly ask him to use it again?

"Leave us," Queen Diamond commanded the others in the room.

"Not Whiteout," Arctic said.

"Whiteout is yours," Queen Diamond replied. "You earned that right."

Arctic steamed inwardly. Yes, he certainly did earn the right to keep his own daughter safely by his side.

The door to the room snapped shut with an icy crack.

"The Darkstalker has a dagger that murders our troops while they sleep," Queen Diamond said without hesitation. "Do the same to him. Enchant a dagger to assassinate any enemy named by the queen and her council during wartime."

Arctic noted Queen Diamond's safeguards for the spell – it could only be used during wartime, and an entire council of IceWing leaders would need to agree on each individual use. So much more accountability for that proposed dagger than for Darkstalker's indiscriminate IceWing-killing one. Still, Arctic could feel the blood pulsing in his head as his rage continued to grow.

"I would need to speak with my wife before I use my magic to assassinate our son," Arctic said. He saw an opportunity. "You're the only one who knows where she is. Your challenge is tomorrow; you could be dead tomorrow, and the knowledge of her whereabouts would die with you. I need to know where you are keeping her."

"So you will make that dagger?"

Arctic paused. He sighed. "I won't. But I can help you end this war in almost any other way."

"So you will agree to use your power for the benefit of our tribe – tonight." It wasn't a question. Queen Diamond continued, "Very well. I will give you a map to your precious kidnapper." Foeslayer, Arctic translated to himself, "And you will give me your maps, information about the NightWing inner circle and military, their new usurper–" Darkstalker, Arctic translated again "-and provide a spell that will give us an undeniable advantage in this war."

Don't trust her, Whiteout's words echoed in Arctic's mind. But what else could he do?

"I will do anything to rescue her, short of murdering our dragonets," Arctic reiterated.

"How touching," Diamond sneered. "You will have your map to her. She is hidden far from here, and I have a royal challenge to prepare for tomorrow. So, you will have to get her yourself. You know I keep my word – I gave Whiteout back to you. I will give that NightWing back to you, too. So… if not the assassination dagger… several daggers to kill all the NightWing generals, perhaps?"

"You're just copying Darkstalker's dagger idea."

"DO YOU HAVE A BETTER ONE," Queen Diamond roared.

"Yes," Arctic answered. "Yes, I do."