Sleeping Beauty [WMMAP Fanfiction]

Chapter Twenty Four: Ice Demon

Oh. Hello. My name's Alice.

I love my mommy. My mommy is pretty and a pushover. She's really, really nice. But I think you can be too nice. My mommy is.

My dad's controlling. I hear it's called being insecure. So he doesn't like my mommy talking to others, and she's okay with it because she's not able to speak up.

I want to do something for my mommy. But Ally doesn't really know what. But I don't want to live with dad. I just want mommy.

Dad doesn't like me. He always looks at me like I'm bad.

Mommy says she loves me. But she always manages to say she's sad without actually talking. I don't know what to do. But I know it's because of dad.

I want to take mommy away from dad. If I have mommy, Alice is happy.

. . .

The knight of Ice. That was the alias she had, in the past and present. But it was a name meant to soften her original title.

That is, the Ice Demon.

"I don't care if we're under fire," Alice declared with a biting voice, stuck behind a log with some other knights.

Among them was one with red hair, meant to be their leader as they faced off against a group who smuggled in illegal magic tools. Currently under fire, they took refuge behind a fallen log, with a forest behind them.

There was a strong flash of light striking right in front of them. And of the ones who refused to move, Alice pulled herself up. Standing on the log, with the light shining on her and casting a deep shadow, she faced the rebels head on.

"All you need to do is follow me."

A few years ago, Claude de Alger Obelia had taken the throne, through murdering the late devil-worshipping emperor, his older brother Anastacius. And though many forces supporting the late emperor have been eradicated, there remained groups unsatisfied, still loyal to the dead man. Dark magic users, illegal magic items, illegal smuggling and bands of violent supporters remained, and had to be removed.

In the midst of the thorough cleansing of the Obelian Empire, still hunting down the remnants always popping up, knights and magicians alike were sent out, to patrol, to combat them.

Alice Florus enlisted at the age of fifteen years old. Originally, she was distinguished from her graduating class for her bad behavior. With no respect to anyone, and a blunt tongue that insulted everyone, those who knew her had nothing good to say of her.

This eventually led to a duel, challenged by a senior royal guard, to put her in her place. But her name started spreading throughout the knights upon her victory.

After her show with the royal guard ― one from the lowest rank beating one from the top ― more attention gathered to her. Rather than being seen for her personality, her power became more known.

She was a girl, and a commoner from a bad background. Yet, she had an outstanding aptitude for magic, and her mana allowed her to command and control moisture in the air. To create streams of water, weapons of ice, and changing small atmospheric conditions, she was a ruthless warrior with a talent only for bloodshed.

That personality, that skill for carnage, the dangerous ice she made, it all gave birth to her alias: Ice Demon.

And despite negative connotations it may have held, she was someone who could not help but have everyone look at her, whether good or bad.

Gray eyes widened at the scene searing into his mind.

With her rapier in hand, twinkling and refined, her feet drifted over the still water like a figure skater. Even under fire, even as the water blew up around her, not once did she stagger, or lose her balance, or look surprised; never did she ever have anything like that made apparent. She never looked back, or down, or to the side. Her gaze laid ahead, on her assailants.