I've slowly left my former mindset of each chapter needing to be a specific length. I'll just let them be as long as they should be for that specific story bit.
Time had lost most of its meaning to Icicle. Being imprisoned for two years with little time for social interactions did that to you. She guessed it had to have been at least three days since her talk with Lynx and with each hour that passed Icicle felt the hole in her chest grow. Inside the darkness was a small ember that threatened to grow. Lynx said it would only take a day or two.
"Lynx lied. She isn't coming to get me out. She's probably laughing with Snowfall and my mother." The ember gathered some friends and bounced along the abyss, spreading the harsh, orange light even to its dark corners. "I shouldn't have ever put even an ounce of trust in her. She's just an ice sucking, Queen pleasin-"
Icicle turned away from her pillow to the light blue door. On the other side she could hear the shaking and jiggling of the latch, Icicle's heart beating twice as fast. She kept her face bored and uncaring but when the smaller Icewing's face popped in she could feel the embers dying down.
"So I might have overestimated my amazing charm and charisma but after five days of negotiations, I finally got some good news." She waited for a minute with the smile on her face starting to fall when Icicle didn't say anything in response. "You sure look happy about it."
Icicle uncurled herself and stood up, licking her teeth. "I'm not a very happy person." She grumbled back then remembered Lynx's warning and swallowed back her pride. "So who's supposed to make sure I don't leap at random, unsuspecting dragons because that's something I totally do?"
Lynx snickered, her laugh echoing through the cell like a bird's morning call. "Don't worry. This dragon was BORN to keep our ultimate prisoners in check. Not that there is much competition for you. Either way, I think you'll like him as long as you don't scare people. Though given how scary you look, that may be more dangerous than I thought."
Whatever Icewing Lynx chose, Icicle was sure she could take them. What was one Icewing guard compared to her training? She could take on anyone. "Well, anyone but Snowfall because of the stupid 'cousin's can't challenge' rule." Icicle tried to ignore the resentful stare the portrait of her mother was giving her. "Are you going to let me out?" She asked bluntly.
Lynx gave a mock sneer then approached the cell bars holding a dark blue key. She held it up to the bars and the ice cylinders sank into the ground, allowing Icicle to finally leave her small room. "Let's hope I don't regret this." She said though Lynx didn't look or sound all that worried about what Icicle was capable of.
Icicle took her first steps outside of her room and stretched her front claws, opening her mouth to release a yawn while showing off her very sharp and very deadly teeth. Icicle glared down at Lynx and frowned even deeper than before. "What's stopping me from killing you now?"
To Icicle's annoyance, Lynx still didn't look worried for her safety. "Because if you do, Queen Snowfall will have you executed. Not like you can get away with it either so why don't we drop the threats and head outside? I have to help a student at the school who wants to intern at the castle later."
Icicle followed Lynx out of the room and into white walled hallway of the dungeons that lurked in the Icewing castle. The two dragons positioned to guard her cell eyed her up with suspicion but didn't say anything as she passed them. Each room was similar to Icicle's but as she was the only prisoner, the other doors were all opened showing the same blue rooms.
Lynx was quiet as they passed the final pair of cell doors. At the end of the hallway was a set of stairs that took them up and into the back part of the castle. There was only one way out of the castle at this point and it was just as heavily guarded as the front of the castle, that is to say, two guards. Though they were much more open to voicing their opinions.
"I still say this is a stupid idea." The guard on the left had a sky blue shimmering stomach that stretched out to the bottom of her neck while the rest of her body was snow white. Her fellow guard, a younger looking male who looked a little bit like Winter, nodded his head then stopped himself from looking at Snowfall's scarred claws.
Snowfall's advisor put a claw on Icicle's shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Oh come on, Flinx. When have I ever been wrong?" Icicle guessed by the younger guards' curled mouth and trying to stare at anything that wasn't Icicle or Lynx, probably an amount that didn't reassure them. "Where's Ridge? I told him to be here at sunrise."
Flinx pointed outside of the dome that covered the back of the castle. "He said he wanted to watch the sunrise himself. I told you he was an odd dragon."
"Watching the sunrise isn't odd. Come on, Icicle." Despite saying this, Lynx dropped her self assured composure for just a second. They walked past the guards and Icicle was finally out of the castle's shadow.
Even this deep in the kingdom of ice, the orange sky that the sun of Pyrrhia cast was a wonder to behold. A wonder that Icicle hadn't seen in so long. The portraits were no longer staring at her and the dark hole was barely noticeable to Icicle as she watched the beauty of the coming light. She closed her eyes and shook her head, growling at the floor. "Don't get distracted. It's just the sun." She thought and when she looked back up she was staring at who she assumed was Ridge.
On second thought, Icicle may have overestimated herself. Ridge was almost twice her size and his claws dug into the ice from simply taking a step. His tail was raised and ready to swing in defense. "This is Icicle?" He asked with a gruff, stoney tone.
Before Icicle could berate him for not knowing his royal history, Lynx nodded. "Yep. Think you can keep her from doing super awful stuff that she probably won't do?" RIdge's eyes were the only thing to turn from Lynx to Icicle, casting an awful glare that radiated heat like the desert sun before turning back to Lynx and nodding. "Good. Let's get going! First stop, food. I am starving! What about you two?"
Ridge let out a low rumble which Icicle took as a no. She followed Lynx around to the front of the castle where the kingdom of ice could be seen in all of its glory. The sun peaking out over the horizon made the homes made of solid ice gleam brightly. Icicle had to stop and stare at the beauty that was her tribe's home. Lynx had to clear her throat to get Icicle's attention.
They walked down the steps of the castle and proceeded to make their way through the snowy homes of the nobles that lived near the castle. Icicle always liked walking down the upper part of the kingdom with her friends to admire the wonderful sculptures and architecture of the Icewing builders. Her personal favorite was still the sculpture of the Icewing princess. It wasn't meant to be any dragon in particular but she would imagine that it was her. A perfect image of the future Queen.
Now she was being watched by a giant Icewing that looked capable of destroying said buildings with ease. Lynx pointed down the path that was in between the two rows of houses at a sign that Icicle couldn't make out from their distance. "Some dragons petitioned for a new library to be made for the school and Queen Snowfall accepted the proposal. Not that you'd like it. You don't like libraries, right?"
Icicle glared at the sign as they headed closer to it. "I learn better with my ears." She said simply and Lynx dropped the subject. They took a right between two twisting towers which led them into the marketplace. The smell of winter vegetables and freshly caught prey filled Icicle's nostrils with the alluring scent of the wintery landscape.
"Eesh, what happened to you?" A snarky young Icewing voice said by one of the prey stands. He had a star shaped necklace that symbolized he was a noble of some sort but without a ranking system, Icicle wouldn't be able to figure out where he was supposed to be. "It looks like your claws got mistaken for a penguin."
The princess felt the embers bounce in the abyss, attempting to leap out and burn the Icewing's face. She let out a low growl, baring her fangs. "It won't be anything compared to what I'll do to you if you don't shut up. Go stick your snout in a lion's den."
The noble hunched down and lashed his tail, trying not to back away from the threat. "I'm just asking why a new Icewing came into this place looking like that. I guess if you're new then you wouldn't know so I'll let it slide this once." He tried to sound intimidating but when Icicle dug her claws viciously into the ice before her, he jumped back with a yelp.
"I'm not new." Icicle spoke through raging breaths that pushed her chest in and out matching the fire in her scales. "I've walked down these roads longer than you've been alive so I suggest you scamper off before I MAKE you leave."
He looked ready to do it but then squinted at the prisoner. "I've never seen you before. You have to be ne-" He looked over to see Lynx then turned back to Icicle with a frozen look as if he was looking at a fabled monster in a dragonet bedtime story. "Y-you're the d-dragon that helped S-Scarlet?" He asked, backing away with his tail looped under his chest.
That wasn't the first thing Icicle would like people to say as a reminder of who she was. But the look of horror on the snobbish brats face did make her feel better. She felt the ends of her mouth curve down to match the raging wildfire in her heart while the Icewing bumped into a wall that blocked off the marketplace from the noble houses. "My name is PRINCESS Icicle." She took a single step forward, hoping to make sure the noble jerk would learn his lesson. "Don't forg-ACK!"
The air was taken out of her lungs as her head was met with the sky blue icey floor being pinned down by a force as strong as a full body dragon. Icicle's tail slammed onto the ground then swung wildly to try and find her attacker but couldn't reach anything. She tried to shake off Ridge but he knew just where to stand so he could keep her down while staying out of range.
She glared harshly at the noble but it was Ridge that spoke for her. He stared at the Icewing with a haughty but reserved stance. "Stop bothering her." The Icewing scowled at Ridge then Icicle and quickly ducked under Ridge's wings and took off, trying to get as far away from Icicle as possible.
"You can get off of me." Icicle hissed, still being pinned below Ridge's claw. She couldn't get a good look at him from her position but she didn't need it to feel the unsure ripple that was sent down from his scales. "Well?" Now she wished that fire could hit Ridge instead.
Icicle could feel Lynx nudge Ridge but he shook his head softly. "Take a deep breath." After she struggled once more under his claw, he let out a deep sigh that could have been mistaken for harsh winds blowing into a cave. "You will just lash out at the next dragon that looks at you funny. Take a breath to calm down and then I'll let you up."
"I don't need to BREATHE. I need to sharpen my claws against your neck and stuff you with penguin fur!" Icicle could imagine portrait Tundra baring her teeth at her daughter for letting herself get defeated by a guard that she didn't know existed until a minute ago. "Just another thing to add to the list." She grimaced and sucked in some air then released it through her nose. A few Icewings nearby stopped to see what the commotion was all about which made the fire burn brighter, yet it wasn't able to completely consume the abyss. She did it one more time. "Done, now get OFF!"
Ridge slowly raised his claw after seeing that her breathing had steadied. Icicle scrambled back up and stood in defiance to Ridge. The fire inside didn't disappear but it wasn't quite as out of control. Lynx stepped in between the two, brushing her wings against them. "Ok you two, let's finally get some food. How about ice cream? I am really in the mood for some ice cream."
The large Icewing waited for Icicle to go first and the three walked a little bit further to a small stall with a cloth decorated like an ice cream symbol. Icicle was entranced by the smell of the soft dessert that she hadn't gotten to experience in so long. To be fair, anything that wasn't prison food tasted good to her.
The vendor was a female Icewing with light blue streaks on the top of her head but the rest was white. She looked away quickly from the claw scarred Icewing to Lynx with an annoyed and worried expression. "What would you like today?" She sounded familiar but Icicle couldn't pinpoint exactly why.
Lynx held up three of her talons. "Just three regulars. Oh, two, sorry Ridge." The older Icewing nodded respectfully and Icicle grabbed her ice cream. As she held it up, she got a better look at her claws and now that the sun's light could shine on it, she could see just how deep the cuts went. The lava burned her scales and the constant tripping against the sharp rocks didn't help. The markings ran up halfway before what was left of her beautiful white scales connected to her chest. Just looking at the blue gashes filled her nostrils with ash and smoke. She could practically hear the bubbling orange liquid that kept her safe from Scarlet's nightmare inducing chats.
"Well are you going to eat it?" The voice of Lynx made Icicle close her eyes for a second then open them to see she was still in the Ice kingdom, in front of the Ice cream vendor. No ash, no lava, no Scarlet. "Icicle?"
Snowfall shook her head and ran her tongue up the sweet treat. It was like tasting the happy memories of her time as a dragonet, a taste that made her not have to worry about killing Glacier. Back when Narwhal would happily take her to the coliseum to watch the guards battle for entertainment. She knew they were staged but just the spectacle and cheering crowds made her forget about it each time. Before she realized, Icicle had already finished her dessert.
"I'll take that as a yes." Lynx said and finished off her own food. Now done, Lynx gestured for the two to follow and Icicle was happy to get out of view from the vendor who couldn't keep herself from glowering at that Icewing whenever she thought Icicle wasn't looking. They walked past many of the different vendors that each featured a unique item on display. "Any places you want to go before we reach our destination?"
Icicle shook her head, turning back to glare at the Icewing guard who looked stupidly interested in a miniature sculpture of a butterfly. They walked down another set of stairs which led them to the outer circle of the more important Icewings of the kingdom. Many of the buildings Icicle once knew either got redesigned or in the case of the war victory map, removed entirely.
Icicle was busy staring at what used to be a neat little set of tables where she and her friends would talk about their current rankings. (And Icicle having to explain why her brother got lowered…again) There were more tables now but her favorite set was taken away. When she tried to turn back she could hear the sound of two running dragons moving very quickly towards her. She only got a glimpse of them before one crashed into her.
"Watch where you're running!" Icicle hissed, shoving the first dragon off of her while Lynx tried to help her up. Icicle shrugged her off and looked down at the Icewing, her eyes shooting wide open as the dragon that rammed into her was none other than Pasque. Icicle's chest flared as the coals in her heart threatened to burst out and engulf her former 'friend' in their blast.
Pasque had been bigger than Icicle their whole lives yet her clumsiness and lack of ever putting effort into anything that wasn't writing made sure that Icicle was never threatened by that. She was easy to scare with a simple threat of going down in the rankings so Icicle could always count on her doing anything the princess asked. Even now, seeing her old friend's face was enough to get her to shiver in her scales and scramble to get up. "S-sorr-Icicle?" She asked worriedly.
The second Icewing gapped at the claw-scarred prisoner and tugged weakly on Pasque's shoulder. "Come on Pasque. We're going to be late!" She was obviously just trying to get out of Icicle's cold stare.
Lupine was Icicle's other friend and where Pasque was large and clumsy, Lupine was small and graceful. She was a master sculptor even at a young age. The only thing Icicle didn't like about her was that she seemed to prefer the ice brain over her when she was given the choice. Icicle showed her teeth at her old friend as she pulled Pasque away. "What? No hello from an old pal?" Icicle asked with scorching venom in her words.
Pasque mumbled out nonsense while Lupine finally got her to move away. "Sorry for bothering you, Lynx. Come on!" She said hastily.
Icicle narrowed her eyes at the fleeing Icewing and lashed her tail. They were too afraid to even LOOK at her! If she could get her claws on Lupine's stupid face, she'd make sure the ungrateful lizard would rememer wh-"WHAT?!" She felt a large, firm claw place itself on her back as if to tell her to stop before something worse happened.
Ridge looked down at her, tilting his head towards the plaza. "We're almost to where Lynx wants us to go. Don't start a scene." HIs voice spoke with years of experience handling more dangerous dragons than Icicle but if he wanted a challenge, she wasn't worried about giving him one. Especially if it closed that stupid empty void in her chest that just expanded.
Yet, if she DID attack him she'd probably end up in the cell once again. "Then I wouldn't get another chance to have some ice cream." Icicle growled quietly then shook him off, turning from her former friends and walking after Lynx who had done her best to not say anything. She brushed a comforting wing against Icicle who shoved it aside harshly. "So um, mind me asking why you want to see the coliseum?"
The massive guard twisted his neck to avoid Icicle or Lynx which did not sit well with the prisoner. Actually, Lynx had grown a dark shadow over herself that threatened to consume what bright joy of expectations she had. "Because I want to see it, now let's go before more distractions show up." Icicle hissed and walked forward.
Lynx tried to stay by Icicle's side as the princess knew the path by heart. She took a turn, a short cut that Lynx didn't seem to know about, through a community art building and hopped over a short wall that separated the plaza from the giant building area. (It probably had a more official name but Icicle never bothered to learn it) "I'm just curious, you know, just in case it…isn't the same. I mean it has been a few years…" Lynx's voice was small and rigged, not having her usual poised tone.
Icicle turned to grumble at Lynx. "What are you not telling me?" She questioned. Lynx shrinking back, not out of fear which was odd, but out of…was it doubt? Icicle guessed it was doubt which REALLY didn't sit well with her.
"Nothing, just curious. Like was it super important or is it just a place you sort of like or-"
"If you MUST know, I went there a lot before I was sent to that stupid school and I would like to see how much Snowfall has ruined it." She said through gritted teeth.
Lynx let out a fake pout and looked at the faraway buildings. "Queen Snowfall, and fine. I'm just saying that it might have gone through some changes. Oh quit scowling. It's still there."
"It better be." Icicle wanted to sound intimidating but the weak desperation of her thoughts escaped from her tongue. There were more memories of the coliseum then she was letting on and Icicle wanted to see it in all of its glory.
She could see the walls of ice that curved to make a giant half dome with the center open to the sky. On the side there were spikes that jutted out like a defense system for oncoming dragons as if they would fire out when given a threat to deal with. The coliseum had two floors and the bottom one was made of solid ice while the top was made of snow. The blue and white clashed really well in Icicle's mind. As they got closer she could see the entrance for the colosseum. It had different animal furs covering the side of it each with symbols of famous Icewing warriors that fought in the pit.
Yet there was no one inside. The place was usually bustling with excitement for the next match up. Even if there wasn't a fight for that day, an Icewing could go in to see the soldiers training. (Which usually gave Icicle a chance to look at new techniques she could use to beat Winter if they ever had to train together) But for the first time in her life, there weren't any dragons trying to get in. No line of peasants and nobles hoping to get a glimpse of their kingdom's warriors. There was just a single, really old looking Icewing standing at the entrance looking rather bored until she saw Lynx and her eyes lit up, drowning out the dull fog that clouded her eyes. "Lynx," She said happily, bowing in respect. (But not to Icicle which she noted) "A pleasure to see you again. Just go on in. Everyone already got Snowfall's letter so construction has stopped for the day."
"Construction?" Was Snowfall actually adding on to the coliseum? Why was Lynx nervous before? That sounded like a GOOD thing! "Maybe some better seats. Or a new arena set up? That would be interesting." Lynx shook her claw, telling the dragon that she was thankful. "Good to hear! Thank you, Fringe. Let's go, you two." Though her voice dropped once again at the last part. "She probably hates it. Lynx doesn't like fighting anyway." Icicle followed Lynx, ignoring the audible gasp from Fringe after she got a look at Icicle's claws, and she finally returned to her favorite place in the whole kingdom. Sure she wouldn't get to see any actual fights but just being here was enough for her.
Or at least it would be if half of the coliseum wasn't blocked off by a giant wall that was NOT there before. The chairs were removed and now the pit was three times its size with the outer sections completely removed to level out the area. There were different devices of all sorts and slabs of ice that were going to be used for building. No stands, no symbols of fighters, just…materials. The embers crackled gently in her heart as she got a better look at the inside. "What happened to it?!" She said in horror, turning rapidly to try and find a single familiar thing in the stupid place.
Lynx bristled behind her when Icicle met her gaze. She gave Icicle a weak smile that couldn't hide the apologetic look in her eyes. "Well…Snowfall thought, since people stopped coming here, it would be a good idea to change it into an actual soldier training facility. It was a pretty popular idea so it passed without any issue."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could they CHANGE the BEST place in the whole kingdom?! It was a huge moral booster and…"My father would have voted against it!" She said angrily. "Why didn't Snowfall take his voice into account?"
"He was actually the first one to agree with it." Lynx admitted though her words faltered as if they slipped on her tongue. "Also, she's still your Queen. Narwhal said that he found it better suited for our peace times."
How could he DO that?! This was THEIR place to hang out! "Of course he ditched it. I was the only one that liked going with him. Without me, he didn't have a reason to show up. He didn't even want to keep it for sentimental value." That sounded like him. If it wasn't useful to him, then there was no point in keeping it around. The embers laughed as they danced within her very scales, threatening to consume the dark abyss but not quite large enough to. "Stupid. People LOVED this place. Stupid, Stupid." She whispered heatidly.
Ridge stifled a groan, looking over one of the durable looking statues that seemed to have seen better days. "I like it. Never wanted to fight in here anyway."
Icicle whipped her head around so he could see the raging flames in her eyes. His voice ran hollow to her ears. They were as empty as the abyss. "You didn't see its value! It was a-it was-AGH!" She let out the icy blast at the snowy top layer. If she was a Skywing, she would burn this whole construction project to the ground where it belonged. Seeing the dome be brought down to a shriveling lump of snow would actually bring a smile to Icicle's face. A howl in the wind alerted Icicle to Lynx lowering her wings with a low look on her face. "Why didn't you tell me that Snowfall was ruining this place before we went here?"
Lynx stared at Icicle, waiting for the Icewing to do something that Icicle wasn't sure about. There was a distant look in her eyes that faded when she spoke. "I didn't think you'd care that much. I mean, if Narwhal didn't then why would you?" She asked quietly. "Also Queen Snowfall."
"B-because he-I just do, ok?!" "Because when I did something exceptional, this was my reward. He actually acknowledged my success. He actually CARED that I tried." She looked past Lynx at the half constructed wall. "At least he used to."
Lynx tried to rest a wing against Icicle but the prisoner hissed at her and walked towards what was left of the pit. The spot where her favorite fighters would clash, claws against armor, and a victor was determined by points by the judges based on technique and movement. It was barely even a shell of its former glory. "Maybe we can find something else to do? If you want to check out the school we can go on over an-"
"You, guard!" Icicle lashed her tail at Ridge before standing up and trying to stare him down. Which was hard when his head was twice as far off the ground as hers. "I bet you know how this place worked? I challenge to match." The venom spitting out of her mouth could rival that petulant Queen in the rainforest.
Lynx looked alarmed and turned her head from Icicle to Ridge. The addressed Icewing remained in his spot as if he didn't have a care in the world. "No. My job isn't to fight you, it's to keep others safe."
Each step Icicle made towards the guard was met with her claws stabbing into the ice. "Are you scared?" She asked, trying to goad him into accepting. She needed SOMETHING to get rid of the growing abyss in her chest and giving Ridge a few scratches sounded like a good way to do that. Then her mother's portrait could see just how weak Icicle truly was. "I can take him. He wasn't even a dragon of importance until I learned his name."
Ridge growled solemnly at Icicle. "You are lashing out." Each word out of his mouth made him more frustrating to deal with than Lynx. "Take a second to breathe."
Icicle scowled at him and walked towards the exit. The flames burning brighter than ever. "Fine, whatever. Forget about it. Well? Let's GO!" She roared out at the two and Lynx shrunk down.
Lynx followed Icicle out and caught up to her. "Well, is there anywhere else you want to go? The school, the watchtower, the-"
"Nowhere. I'm done for the day." She said, her words empty. The one place that she was actually looking forward to seeing in all of this time was gone. What was the point in even staying in this stupid kingdom?
Ridge's steps were loud and threatened to crack the ice underneath him. He nudged Lynx forward who leered back at him before clearing her throat. "You sure there isn't anywhere else you want to go? We still have some time." She said, looking up at the sky. It was still only morning. They hadn't been out for very long.
So why did she feel so drained? An Icewing walked by and scowled at Icicle's scars before walking a little bit faster, away from her. She didn't even have any fire left in her to growl or express her fury. It was just a black void that loomed inside of her, sucking what little light she had left into itself and growing in size. "I just want to sleep."
Lynx brushed her wing against Icicle who for once, didn't shove her aside. They skipped out on the shortcut and Lynx led them on the outskirts of the plaza. Icicle hadn't moved this move much in so long that her claws were already aching. The sweet taste of Ice cream was beginning to sour her thoughts.
Before long, they were already at the back of the castle. Ridge was about to walk forward but Lynx gave him a self assured smile. "I can take it from here." He nodded and waited for the two to enter the stairway before Icicle could hear him walk off. She took one last look at the sunlight that was obscured by the roof and grimaced.
They walked down the stairs until the cell hall came into view. "At least this time I'm not chained claw to claw with half a dozen spear holding Icewings." Despite being an Icewing, she could feel the cold harsh memories of loneliness that kept surfacing as she stepped towards her cell. The thoughts made her wings shiver. She bared her fangs at the front guard who growled back while the second opened the door. Lynx was given another look of 'this it totally stupid' before the guards went back to their usual stoic composure.
Icicle didn't wait for Lynx to follow her and she walked back in, not missing the stupid mirror one bit. But the lack of real, physical, Icewings to stare and gawk at the lowest ranked Icewing was a little comforting. She sat down on her makeshift bed and shielded her body from the mirror with her wings. She didn't need to see her mothers smug look. Lynx fumbled with the key, twirling it in her talons. "Um, I had…well fun may not be the right word, but it…it didn't suck to see you again. Icicle?"
She let out a grunt and curled her tail forward. Waiting for Lynx to bring the cell bars back up and seal Icicle off from the rest of the world once more. Lynx tried to smile at her but Icicle didn't return it. She frowned and dragged her claw on the floor. "I'm sorry about your friends." She mumbled, glaring at the marking she just made.
"They aren't my friends." Icicle sneered.
Lynx sighed, taking a step forward and finally waving the key against where the bars should be, bringing them up. "I won't have much free time for the next few days. So, just-I don't know but I'll be back soon." When Icicle only returned a small 'hmm', she tried to smile at Icicle. "I'll talk to Queen Snowfall about changing the food schedule." And she slowly left the cell.
Icicle wished the enchantment on the prison didn't allow for her to hear what was going on outside of her cell. She couldn't stand hearing the guards anymore. The first voice was obviously the guard she glared at. "This isn't Snowfall's idea at all, is it? Lynx?"
"So what if it isn't? She gave the ok so it's fine." Lynx sounded like she had done this same argument too many times.
The second guard was more timid than his companion but he was still just as against the idea. "You can't possibly expect to see results. Icicle isn't Queen Snowfall! She's just-just cold. You don't hear what she says in her sleep! She can't be trusted."
"You can't judge a dragon based on what they say in their sleep!" Lynx said defensively. "She didn't do any-she only acted out once, maybe twice."
"I don't talk in my sleep." She thought angrily. The first guard spoke with more authority than she really had, at least in Icicle's mind. "She's still apologizing to Scarlet for not killing Starflight or Queen Glory. I'm sorry Lynx, but you can't talk your way through this dragon."
Icicle imagined the first guard boiling in a hot bucket of water. "It's just bad memories." Lynx seemed to wait for a second, probably to catch her breath. "I'll be fine. Just trust me, ok?"
There was a dead silence which didn't bode well for Lynx. The first guard let out a rather lough growl then stopped. "Fine, but promise you will always have someone with you so you aren't alone with her? I don't trust Icicle not to try and escape to do who knows what, especially if the only dragon stopping her is you."
"That's true. If I wanted to, I could snap Lynx like a twig." She thought darkly. "So why does that no longer sound appealing?" Actually, her desire to stretch her claws against the dragons that really annoyed her made the burn bright but it never was enough to consume the abyss. "So what will? How can I get rid of it…" Lynx didn't sound too excited at all. "I'll be fine." And Icicle could hear the dragon advisor leave.
Icicle lifted her head slightly to look at the mirror only to be met with Winter and Hailstorm avoiding her gaze. But not her parents. They seemed happy to let their frustration show against her. "I don't care what goal Lynx has for me. I won't be her little experiment." She hid her face behind her arm sadly. "Hm…like I even have a choice at this point."