Hearts of Fire and Ice

Chapter Twelve~ Snowdrift

With a thump, I landed on the rock ledge of the mountain. All I had to do was wait for Jasper to arrive. I was dying to see him.

 After the incident with Crimson, I felt terrible for not only Jasper, but Icecap. My sister must feel awful as well. She was kicked out of Glacier's palace, murdered my boyfriend's sister... But it was all for me. She stood up to Glacier to defend me, saying that the way she treated me was unfair. And, she only killed Crimson because Crimson was trying to kill me. She was trying to protect me. 

"You okay?" A voice I knew said.

"Jasper, you came... I thought you wouldn't. I thought you wouldn't be able to make it out of the palace in time to get here," I looked up.

"I almost didn't make it. Mother has only increased the number of the guards since Icecap killed Crimson. I had to be quick. And speaking of Icecap... I know where she is." Jasper looked at his talons.

"You do? Where? Is she okay?" My eyes widened. 

"No Snow, I'm afraid not. The SkyWing guards found her and captured her. She's been chained to the floor and they put a gag over her mouth. Of course, the chains are covered in frost and they get very brittle very quickly... So the guards are constantly monitoring her. They took her to the prisons. I have a feeling Mother knows that Icecap is too powerful to fight in the arena... So it'll be instant death for her if we don't come to her rescue." Jasper sighed. "I'm so sorry Snowdrift, but I don't know what we can do."

"Icecap... I feel so bad. She was protecting me, she doesn't deserve this!" I cried. 

Jasper took my talons in his. "Relax, Snow. I'm trying my best to persuade Mother not to kill her."

"I know, but...  What if it's too late?" I sighed. 

"It's never too late, Snow. You've still got me," Jasper twined his tail around mine. 

"It's just not the same! I love you Jasper, but you're just not the same as my twin.... It's like loosing the other half of me!" 

I cried for a little, Jasper sitting beside me. He cared for me, and that was a good feeling. 

"Snowdrift, sit up. Relax," he said. "I'm sure it will all be fine in the end," 

"I can count on you, right?" I sniffed. 

"I've got a new idea we might be able to try, although it requires both of us to help Icecap escape,"Jasper looked off into the distance. 

"Whatever I have to do for her, even if I had to fly to the ends of Pyrrhia, I would do it for Icecap, and I would do it for you as well, Jasper," I gave a small smile.

"Good," Jasper nodded, "It will take a while to plan out, though. I presume you can meet me here tomorrow night as well, being that you are your own queen?" He gave a small laugh. 

I laughed along with him, "Yup! I'm Queen Snowdrift and I can do as I please!" 

"So you will meet me here tomorrow evening?" Jasper asked.

"Of course," I responded. 

There was a pause. Jasper gazed off into the distance. 

"Well, would you look at that sunset..." He murmured just so I could hear him. 

"It is beautiful..." I sighed. 

"You're beautiful..." He murmured again. 

"What?" I asked.

"You look beautiful tonight, Snow," He ran a talon along my cheek. 

I blushed a little. "You really think so?" 

His deep brown eyes gazed into my own azure ones. "I know so, Queen Snowdrift." 

"Queen?" I questioned.

"You are Queen Snowdrift, you said so yourself," Jasper smiled. 

"That's different. I guess it's just a fancier way of saying that I live alone. That I'm my own ruler. That I'm an outcast..." I lowered my head. 

"You're not alone, Snow. I'm right here. We could rule together. We could rule all of Pyrrhia." 

"Queen Snowdrift and King Jasper..." I trailed off.

"Exactly. You'll be my queen, I'll be your king." Jasper smiled. 

I smiled back. "We'll rule together." 

Jasper reached behind one of his massive wings with his talons and plucked a flower from a patch that was growing behind him. It was a white flower with beautiful symmetrical petals, and it almost reminded me of a snowflake. He reached out and tucked the flower behind my ear. 

"There's your crown, Queen Snowdrift," he grinned. 

I reached up to feel the flower. "It's so pretty..." I smiled. 

"That's a symbol of our love. Promise me you'll wear it forever and always?" Jasper asked. 

"Promise! Forever!" I laughed. 

"It looks beautiful against your scales as well," Jasper smiled and took my talons in his again. "You are the most beautiful dragon I've ever seen. I want to spend the rest of my life with you," 

"Really? Well then, King Jasper, I will say the same." I laughed. 

The sun started to dip below the horizon. The sky was turning dark as Jasper and I watched from the mountain ledge. The shades of orange and yellow and pink were turning to inky purple, blue, and black, and the first stars of the night were beginning to twinkle up above. 

Jasper pulled me in closer. We laughed and smiled, telling each other about how perfect a world would be if it was him and me ruling together. And as the last orange glow of the sun disappeared below the horizon of what would become the tundra in the north, he kissed me.