The Frosted Files:Open Eyes

// Chapter 17 \\

    I stumbled into the throne room, coldness creeping through even my newly enchanted coat.
    The throne room had walls of the dark stone I saw earlier, from the castle. Maybe it was the castle's throne room, actually. The floor had a detailed pattern made of alternating light and dark woods, in the shape of overlapping diamonds. There was no castle ceiling, but instead the multicoloured ice stretched across the top of the walls, letting in filtered sunlight that came out as the various colours in the ice.
    The throne itself was made of the same ice, but instead of freeform ice crystals, the throne had been sculpted to look like an actual throne, severely detailed. It was bathed in a dark purple light, from the ceiling above, and upon it sat one of the most terrifyingly beautiful people I've ever seen. Or maybe she was beautifully terrifying. Either way, she was beautiful and terrifying, more so than anyone I've met.
    She had white hair that went down to her chest, mostly straight with a very slight curl. She wore a thin dress that hid no curves at all, showcasing every part that may appeal to anyone and everyone. As I moved, the dress shimmered through various colours, shifting through the same colours that were in the ice. She sat with absolute regality, straight backed and properly positioned, as one would expect from a monarch.
    She also had a white blindfold on, made of what looked to be silk; and she was staring right at me, the smile of a killer, or maybe a lion, on her face.
    "Fate Frost, finally you come. Welcome to my domain. You may approach my throne." Her voice felt like walking through snow barefoot - cold, sharp, and painful if left in it for too long.
    I slowly walked forward, keeping my eyes on the Queen, and knelt in front of the throne, lowering my head in a bow.
    "Now rise," she said, after a moment.
    I rose, and brought my eyes back to her face.
    "My young Queen tells me that you have performed well, in comparison to your relative newness to the domain of the arcane. For this, I congratulate you, and offer you compensation for this achievement, on behalf of Summer, due to their rogue creatures." She looked - or, well turned her face towards - a smaller door in the side of the room, a servant's door, perhaps. I don't know if she can see or not, but I would assume so, as she doesn't act like any blind I've met.
    From the side door came the same lovely purple haired person I met earlier. They carried a tray, one of those big silver trays with the dome overtop, and quietly walked over to stand beside the Queen. She reached over, the action feeling like it should be as monumental as a glacier moving, and lifted the domed lid.
    On the tray were two things. One was a pile of metal and dark purple crystal, maybe put together in some way or another; I couldn't tell from here. The other was a small blue box with a green ribbon. The queen grabbed the pile of junk first, the pieces sticking together, though I saw no bolts, and held it in her hand. It was roughly the size of Thief, who had stayed outside the throne room with Scarlett and Karma. She set it on the ground, and muttered a small word, and the purple crystals lit up. A moment later, the pile of junk began to move and shift, letting off a quiet whining sound.
    After a moment, before me stood a small fox made of metal and crystal. It looked at me and tilted its head, letting out a quiet sound.
    "This is slutter aldri med teknologi, which translates to 'never ending with technology', or N.E.W.T.. He is effectively immortal, and will serve as a companion along your travels."
    I don't know if I could have declined Newt, even if I was allowed to. He was entirely too cute, built to look mostly realistic, but still cuter than an actual fox. He seemed sweeter, too, no nasty snarls, no snippy bites, just curiosity and cuteness. I knelt again, after briefly looking up from the fox at the Queen to show I meant no disrespect, and Newt immediately bounded over, sniffing at my outstretched hand.
    "Your second item of compensation is known as a bindende, and serves as a connection between you and your companion."
    Eden opened the box, revealing three small snowflakes made of some metal that my glasses couldn't identify.
    "Frost."
    I looked up from Newt, to the Queen.
    "Call in your familiar, if you would."
    I hesitated, then looked back behind me at the door. "Um. Thief? C'mere buddy, come say hi," I said hesitantly.
    The door did not open, and Thief did not show up.
    "Not with words, Frost. Use your connection."
    "Oh, right."
    I closed my eyes and thought back to when I saved the little cat, the memory coming to me in perfectly clear, crisp detail. Thief. I need you.
    I opened my eyes, and the door was still shut.
    But I saw a little vine working its way under the door, through the small space between the door and floor. More and more vines and plant pieces came through, and formed into Thief, who came to me quickly. I scratched behind her ears as she came over, and turned back to the Queen.
    "Eden, if you would."
    Eden nodded, and approached me, Thief, and Newt. They moved from standing with the tray held in both hands, to their knees in one fluid motion, sinking smoother than any ship.
    They took out the three snowflakes, fixing one to Newt's ear.
    "Your familiar, Frost, have her come over."
    Thief did so on her own, sniffing at Eden, who took another snowflake into their hand.
    I realized what they had intended, and Thief stiffened up, and started backing away.
    Eden lowered their hands. "Frost, the tag doesn't hurt, please have her come back."
    Thief hesitantly started back towards Eden, still on edge.
    I looked between Newt and Thief. "If you hurt my cat, I'll hurt you."
    Eden looked stunned, and then turned towards the Queen, who did something downright terrifying.
    She laughed.
    She let out two whole laughs, hitting my ears like an icepick. I winced, and Thief winced, and Eden winced, and I'd bet all of the fae in the halls winced. The ice was very echo prone, unfortunately.
    "Threats need not be made so lightly, Frost." She said, unmoving.
    "It's less a threat than a promise, your highness." I said, looking at her.
    Thief came over, sniffing at my hand. I instinctually went to pet her, and felt the snowflake on her ear, near the base.
    Well, I guess Eden was right. Painless.
    "Your turn," they said softly, maybe a tad shaken. I turned back to them, and scooted my way over beside them. They laid one hand on my cheek, tilting my head. Their touch was cold, like a frozen soda forgotten in the freezer, and I shivered a little bit. They took my ear in their other hand, and let go a moment later. I felt the snowflake on my ear, and my hand came away bloody. Looking over at Thief, I saw the cat's green sap-like blood on her ear.
    I brought my eyes back to Eden, who still had their hand on my face, and found myself but two inches from their face.
    I'm sure a Soul Stare would have happened, had they been looking at my eyes. Instead, they were looking down, though I couldn't track their line of sight due to our closeness.
    A moment later, they looked up, met my eyes, and shook their head, looking away and drawing back.
    When they pulled their hand away, my face felt a whole lot warmer, despite their cold touch.
    I stood as Eden returned to the Queen's side, still looking down, and bent down to pick up Thief.
    Both Thief and Newt were gone.
    A moment later, Thief walked out from behind my head, onto my shoulders.
    "These earrings allow your familiars to move through your shadow, from any other shadow."
    I looked down as Newt walked out from behind my legs, and looked up at me, his cute little metal ears tilted in different directions. "And what's the purpose of the fox?"
    "The fox shall act as a reporter, should you get into trouble beyond what you may be able to handle."
    "And if I do?"
    "We will offer help."
    "Just like that?"
    "Offers come with two sides, Frost."
    Sounds dangerous, boss. Destiny sent through our neurolink.
    I barely kept myself from jumping, again. I was half tempted to disable Destiny, but they were still proving useful.
    It sure does, buddy. I'll be careful.
    "That's to be expected. I will keep that in mind for the coming future."
    "Very well. One more thing, before you're dismissed."
    She stood, and stepped down from the raised ice throne, slowly walking towards me. Her steps echoed through the otherwise silent room, and she stopped in front of me, nearly a foot shorter than me. My glasses guessed her height at roughly five-four, maybe five-five, putting her between ten and eleven inches shorter than me.
    Nevertheless, I felt myself tense up, and my danger sense started going off.
    The Queen is obviously a predator, that much is clear.
    Which made me the prey, right now.
    I really didn't like being on this end of the stick.
    She reached up and straightened my coat, so that it was even.
    "For the past few years, Winter has been without a Champion, causing an imbalance of power between the Cohorts. This has allowed Summer and Spring to grow in ego, and subsequently lose control of some of their creatures, minions, people, and power. Outside sources have been tapping into the Seelie's power, stealing from nobels, and corrupting their creatures."
    She reached down, and grabbed my nanotech hand, entwining her fingers in my own.
    "Join us, Frost. Balance this out, and you will have the backing of the Unseelie Cohort, the safety of power. Should you not, I would have no reason to not report the location of the Seelie Champion's missing ring set." She pulled my hand up, and the chain bound rings chimed as the chain moved.
    "Meaning I'd get hunted down again, wouldn't it?"
    "Most likely."
    That sounds like a lose-lose, boss. Sell your soul, metaphorically, or fight more monsters. Probably stronger ones. She said that the Summer folk themselves don't know the ring's location, meaning the plant creatures, the corrupted cats, were sent by someone else. You've got at least one enemy gunning for you, boss.
    Thanks, Destiny. That was a fast analysis.
    That's what I'm for.
    "And this is an offer, right? Not a necessity? Not a 'do this or I'll kill you'?"
    "Correct. No harm will come to you from me or those under my affiliation due to this transaction, regardless of your choice."
    I looked back at the door, thinking of my group of friends.
    It's been a day or two since I saw them.
    "Queen..."
    "Mab. Queen Mab."
    "Mab. With all due respect, I will have to decline."
    Mab stood frozen for a moment, and then suddenly she was back on her throne, as if she had never left. "You will likely regret that choice, Frost."
    "Hey, no lightly made threats."
    "That is not a threat, only a promise. Should you change your mind, speak to slutter aldri med teknologi. I will see you again soon, my Frostburn. Dismissed."
    Eden led me out of the throne room, Thief and Newt on our tails.
    "Farewell, Fate Frost. Keep yourself safe, okay?" Eden said, closing the throne room door with me outside, and them inside.
    Karma and Scarlett were waiting outside, as they said they would. They sat awfully close together, on a stone bench made of the same dark stone as the castle.
    I cleared my throat, and Scarlett jumped, her tail and ears bristling as she practically leapt away from Karma.
    "I lived," I said, sitting between them. Newt hopped up onto Scarlett's lap, and curled up like any lap animal would.
    "And?" Karma asked. Scarlett was busy with Newt, so I scooted closer to Karma.
    "I got a fox, an earring, and that's about it. Oh, and she gave me an offer to be the next 'Champion', whatever that means, but I declined."
    "You declined?" Scarlett cut in.
    "Yeah, it felt like a trap, and I want to see my friends and family again."
    "Fate, that's not something you just decline, I'm surprised you're still standing. The Queen-"
    "Queen Mab." I offered.
    "Do not say her name without reason; it draws her attention. She must see something really special in you, to not smite you then and there."
    "Well that would be quite rude, I think. What do we do now?"
    "It's rude to decline such a generous offer, Fate. And now, we leave, before the others catch wind that the Queen was denied."
    "Why?"
    "Unless you want to experience The Purge, I'd suggest leaving."
    "Fair enough. Lead the way, young Queen."
    Scarlett got up, gently setting Newt on the ground, and stalked out. We went through the gates, through the field, and back to the ruins without incident.
    As we neared the Gateway between the realms, Scarlett stopped. "You two go on, I'll likely be needed by the Queen soon."
    Karma shrugged and went through, and I stayed behind for a moment. "You stay safe, okay Scarlett? I'll see you soon."
    And we left. Scarlet and I went back to the bar she had brought me to before, and Alister slid us some swirling blue drink. Karma sipped hers, so I tried mine.
    The best way to describe it was liquid determination. Just the small sip I had made some of my aches lessen, and I felt energy return to my system.
    I looked up to ask what it was, and Karma answered before I could ask. "Potion, his specialty. This one is commonly ordered."
    I nodded and sipped mine some more.
    We talked a bit, small talk, just to pass the time, and the topic of family came up.
    "My dad was a hellspawn, a much darker red than me. My mom, well, I only met her a few times. I don't remember her much - what I do remember is her golden hair, like sunshine bound to thread. That, and her laugh that lit the room like opening a window on a sunny day. Her name started with an F, I think. Frankie? No, no. Fran? No. Oh! I know, it was Fre-"
    "Game starting soon, d'you wanna play, Frost?" Alister cut in, giving Karma a stern look.
    "What game?"
    He looked over at the table. "Thieves' Ante. I heard you won a championship a while back."
    Thieves' Ante was a lot like poker, except you used a different set of cards - three suits instead of four, with seventeen cards per suit.
    "Sure, sure. Count me in. I'll get a few hundred in chips, and wipe the floor with these patrons of yours. Respectfully, of course."