The Diamond Winglet: Frostbite's Power

Chapter 5

I lashed my tail, lip curled angrily. "What do you mean, 'real mate?'"

Clearly seeing my growl, my father looked me in the eye, knowing full well what he was about to say would anger me.

"What? I didn't really love your mother... very much." Chill smirked, and then stomped his hind leg on the ground slightly, as though throwing a slight tantrum. "Whiteout should have died. You should have let her die. She really was the most useless dragonet in the palace. So clumsy, like a seal on it's hind legs. We can't even send her out to war, because she might cause problems for the rest of the good soldiers who are risking their lives to fight, like you will."

I glared at him. "Everyone deserves a chance. How old is she, anyway?" I asked, and Chill shook his head. "Young, maybe about five. But I've seen how long dragonets like her last; not very long. They end up falling off a cliff. She flies and talks in her sleep. Really annoying when you hear her yelling in the night. If only we knew where her parents were, so we could take her back."

I looked up at him in confusion. "Where are her parents?" I asked.

My father rolled his eyes. "What kind of stupid dragonet are you? Are your brains as frozen as your scales? I just said that we don't know where her parents are. Maybe dead. We kind of... found her." He explained, sighing heavily.

He suddenly took off, and my exhausted siblings followed. Mid-air, my father turned his head. "Come on, snow-lizard. You must meet Queen Crystal. She'll be so... thrilled to meet a dragonet like you." He said, grinning evilly.

I whacked my tail against a passing ice-tower. Ugghhh, it would be so satisfying to just freeze Chill's arm off. I flew faster, folding my wings so I could try and keep up. My father led us for a little longer, maybe twenty minutes, and then landed at the large doors of the palace.

He opened the doors, and motioned for us to walk in. My siblings went first, and I watched as Frost puffed out her chest and Icestorm did the same. They looked so... mature. I followed them, hitting my tail against the ground once in a while, just to get rid of the sound of silence.

We arrived at a throne room just when my talons were beginning to hurt. Before I could wander in, my father stopped me, eyes now just a liiiiitle bit caring. "Frostbite, whatever you do, do not anger Queen Crystal. I don't want to waste my soul on animus enchanting her. And she's already angry enough that I had another mate, although I can smooth that over." He warned, and I nodded.

He nodded back, seemingly satisfied, and walked in with me.

The throne room was huge! There were icy columns holding up the roof, which was also made of ice. The only thing I could think of here, where everything was made of ice, was 'If a fire-breathing dragon invaded here, we'd be in big trouble.'

There was a throne made of what looked like some sort of scaly material, with furs covering it.

Gagging, I realized that the stuff was made of dragon skin. No, worse, IceWing skin. I gulped in fear. I guess it could've been worse. At least the skin looked clean, and there wasn't any blood on it. I thought the fur on top might've been polar bear, or something. I recognized it, but couldn't place it.

Sitting on top of the grisly, shiny throne, sat an IceWing who looked to be without a care in the world.

I shook with fear at the IceWing, who must've been Queen Crystal. Her claws gleamed dangerously, like she could rip me open without even a thought. I noticed my wings were shuddering, and I stilled them, although it took all my will not to start crying. 'Make a good impression. Don't ever let them see that they get to you. You aren't scared. You aren't...'