Wings Of Fire Oneshots

Cold as Ice (Lynxfall)

Not many dragons in this world have the fortune to be a queen. Even less have the ability or talent of being a great one. It takes confidence, courage, control, and concentration.

Concentration. Concentrate! Snowfall gripped the sides of her head and clenched her teeth. Queens have so many things they need to focus on at all times of the day, scouting missions, messages from other queens, the pleas of her tribe, threats from outside the kingdom, threats from inside the kingdom. It was a lot even when there wasn't a pretty, intelligent, maddeningly interesting-

"Stop!" Snowfall growled at herself and the hollow ice chamber she slept in. "Stop thinking about her! What's wrong with me?" She grabbed a throw pillow from the bed and clutched it with her talons, digging into the fabric with serrated claws until it started to rip. Snowfall relished the sound and ripped the pillow more, covering herself and the room with particles of fluff.

"Um, Your Majesty?" She turned to the IceWing standing at the doorway, staring at her incredulously.

"What?" She spat. "I'm busy."

"I see." The IceWing said. "You have a visitor."

"Oh forget this." Another dragon pushed past the messenger. "I know her personally, you don't need to announce me like that." She said cheekily. The dragon was grey-silver-blue with darker spots and speckles on her scales. She seemed to be laughing at Snowfall with her eyes. "You can go." She waved off the messenger.

"Lynx." Snowfall moaned into the remains of the pillow. The dragon she most and least wanted to see right now.

"Snowfall." The pretty dragon moaned back. "What are you doing? Destroying things without me?" She sauntered to her side and started brushing fluff and fabric scraps off of her wings. Lynx's touch gave Snowfall an involuntary shiver. Stop liking her! Stop enjoying this!

"It's none of your business." Snowfall tried hardening herself to make Lynx leave, but she should've known that wouldn't work.

"Ooh. Secret Queen Business? Shredding furniture does seem high on the list of queenly duties. You show that pillow who the real queen is around here!" Lynx took a talonful of pillow and tore it apart. "You dare mock my Queen's authority? I'll show you!"

Snowfall suppressed a smirk. My Queen. Lynx's pet name for Snowfall that she liked way too much. Lots of dragons said "My Queen", but not the way Lynx said it. Only Lynx would dare say it with the teasing grin and the friend-like devotion in her voice and the, dare she think it, flirtatious look in her eyes.

"What do you want?" Snowfall drawled, trying to act nonchalant. I don't care. I don't care. I don't care.

"Your company, if you aren't too busy." Lynx gestured her wing to the messy room.

"I'm always busy." I make myself busy. Too busy to think about you. Too busy to get distracted.

"That's my point! Your always busy. You need a break. You need to hang out with me." Lynx tilted her head slightly and smiled. She opened her wings to try and hug Snowfall. Snowfall pulled away instinctively, closing her wings around herself. She knew if she fell into that embrace she might never get out.

"I have no time for this!" She snapped.

"But I do." Lynx said. Her face fell into concern and she spoke softly. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Her voice was impossible to ignore or push away. Snowfall refused to cry. She wanted nothing more then to dump all her worries on Lynx. But how could she tell her? What she thought about? How she feels?

Lynx didn't say anything, she just looked at her, kind eyes inviting Snowfall out of her shell. Lynx leaned forward and wrapped her wings around Snowfall's trembling body. She didn't resist this time. She cried silently into Lynx's shoulder, the stress and worry she felt rushing out from inside her in an uncontrollable flow.

"It's okay, I'm here." Lynx said quietly. This only made Snowfall cry more. She wrapped her tail around Lynx's, and curled farther into her wings. She wasn't a queen when she was with Lynx. She certainly didn't feel like one. Sniveling and pathetic, dependent on her like a dragonet is dependent on her mother.

Lynx gently pulled Snowfall's face up to meet her's, not touching, but just barely. "Snowfall, I will always be here for you. I know you don't always like it, but I will never leave your side. You know that, right?" Snowfall felt something welling inside her. She needed to say it. After hiding all these years, she tried to pull it out.

"Lynx," she murmured. "Lynx, I, I-"

Lynx finished what Snowfall couldn't. "I love you, too." Lynx pressed her snout to Snowfall's and kissed her. Snowfall felt everything stop around her, nothing else mattered, just the dragon in front of her and the love between them.

When Snowfall was with Lynx, she wasn't a queen. She was loved.

Entree for Conch888's writing competition. Hope you liked it.