FOR MY LOVE | WINGS OF FIRE AU. ✓

01 - Love Me the Way You Love Her.

✶ CHAPTER 01 - QIBLI ✶

Qibli remembered the first time he saw Prince Winter.

It was a windy day in the Ice Kingdom, and it was Qibli's first arrival to the frozen kingdom. Upon entering the doors, he was greeted by guards with spears clasped in their hands. Then, his eyes landed on the most beautiful boy he had ever seen- the prince. He wore a black trench coat with fur lining, and a fur ushanka that sat upon his blond hair. It was a casual outfit, and Qibli felt better with himself that he hadn't dressed too fancy either.

The prince's eyes immediately met Qibli's. He found it hard to concentrate on the conversation around him when those gorgeous, stormy-blue eyes were staring at him. And then, after he had introduced himself, Winter had avoided eye-contact with Qibli. It was strange.

Queen Glacier had brought them to a quiet, rather cold room. It seemed to be some sort of sunroom, just without the sun. They were sheltered, yes, but there was no insulation or anything that could deter them from the harsh temperatures outside. As the group ate, Queen Glacier and Queen Thorn discussed the usual diplomatic talk. The atmosphere was casual and kind, and every now and then the queens would slip into casual conversation about their lives.

Qibli had been finishing his plate of fish (which was thankfully not raw, but was hastily cooked), when Prince Winter left his seat and sat down next to Qibli. He offered him a drink, and began to chat.

"So," Winter started, sipping his own glass. "What do you think of the Ice Kingdom?"

Qibli had thought for a moment, tapping his glass in thought. "Well, it certainly is beautiful," he mused, gazing out the windows to the snowy landscape. The sun was starting to shine through the clouds, causing the snow to glimmer with colour, like little shards of opal were sprinkled across the white. "The palace is amazing. I'm stunned over all the little details, you guys are so fancy." He smiled, hoping that Winter would take his joke. And to his relief, the prince gave a huff of laughter.

"How are you handling the temperature?" Winter asked. He tipped his head towards him, which was enough to make Qibli nervous. "I can see that you're cold. You've been shivering the entire time."

"And," Winter continued, reaching out to brush his fingers over his bare arm. Qibli could feel the heat radiating from his skin. "You've got goosebumps."

They were close. Qibli found it hard to breathe. He wasn't sure why. Before he could respond, Winter shrugged off his thick coat and wrapped it over Qibli's shoulders. "Here."

He was surprised into meeting Winter's gaze. "Oh," was all he could say for a while, then finally, he managed a, "Thank you. You didn't have to."

Winter smiled. "It's no big deal."

Ever since that day, Qibli's mind was always on Prince Winter. After enough meetings and parties and get-togethers, Qibli saw Winter more and more often. Each time he saw him, his fantasies only got more frequent.

Qibli remembered how one night, he awoke covered in sweat, disoriented, and frantically trying to brush off his dream. The memories of it lingered in his mind for weeks. Winter's hands trailing down his body, lips against his skin, the thrill burning hotly in his stomach.

And at the same time, Qibli would also awake from nightmares. The cold weight of a gun sitting heavily in his grasp, the muzzle pointed to Winter's temple, as the prince sobbed and begged for his life. Sometimes in his nightmares, Qibli would spare him. Sometimes, he wasn't so fortunate. The bang of the gun would remain in his head in the waking hours, haunting him.

It really made him feel like some sort of madman. An insane, creepy guy who has dreams about murdering an innocent man, who he was in love with.

What was wrong with him? How could he ever love Winter, but think about killing him?