Ice in Flames

Prologue

Prologue: A Queen You Shall Be

        Anastaia was walking down one of the longest halls in the castle, staring blankly out of the tall windows to her right. The longer she walked, the more tired she became, so she eventually seated herself on the ground in front of one of them, unaware it had been the one directly in the center of the hall. As she stared at the floating ice-montains of her terrain, on her planet, she heard a light roar. It was periodic, and she wondered what it was as she looked around out of the window. Suddenly, a dragon, almost as large as her castle, made of white and blue scales, flew out from under the castle. It was just as large as the castle, if not bigger, and she stared after it in amazement.

Anastatia opened her eyes, very unaware she had been dreaming. "Oh darling, Anastatia!" Her maid greeted her. Anastatia sat up, rubbing her eyes and internally pouting about her dream being flase. 

"Good morning, Kirimi." Anastatia greeted back. Ana watched as Kirimi bustled around the room, setting out clothes on Ana's silk sheets, and setting out tools to do Ana's hair. Once she was finished setting out everything it seemed she needed, Kirimi entered the marble bathroom, and a moment later, Kirimi rushed back out of the bathroom and stood by Ana's bed.

"Are you ready for your bath, your majesty?" Kirimi asked politely.

"Please stop calling me that." Ana droned as she moved from her bed, onto the cold marble floor, where she began stripping out of her clothes, then followed Kirimi to the Shower room. As Ana stepped into the marble tub, Kirimi opened the faucet, and over head of Ana, a rain like, cold drizzle ran over her skin. "When was this rain caught?" Ana asked through the water.

"Just this morning, your - uhm, I mean - Ana." Kirimi responded. After Ana's body was fully soaked, Kirimi began to clean it for her, washing her hair, cleaning her body, scrubbing her back, then let the rain-water wash away all the suds.

The far left wall was completely reflecting glass, and Ana gazed at her self, trying to think of something that wasn't what dully described her. Her skin was as pale as the white marble around her. Her hair was as white as the clouds in the sky. Her eyes were as chilling and desolate as the ice that surrounded her castle. Her ears more long and pointed than the ice sickles that hung from her high ceiling. As she looked away, Kirimi led her out of the bathroom, wrapping a towel around Ana's cold shoulders.

She led her to a pedestal in front of a three piece mirror, and held her arms out. Kirimi brought the ilk, billowing gown over to Anastatia. Her slim figure easily slipped into the gown, as Kirimi adjusted it around her, and zipped long zippers, as well as tied short bows. The dress was a pale grey, that hugged her chest and clung tightly off of her shoulders. From the center of her bicep, and just above her waist, the dress billowed out around her, covering half of her pale hands, leaving soft edges, and long white nails.

Kirimi then brought her over to a chair, and sat her down as she began working on Ana's hair. She first ran drying-oil through her long white hair, drying any dampness that remained, then brushed it, and loosely braided it, tieing it at the bottom with a grey band, then placing a detailed silver cuff over the band. Lastly she placed a thin silver crown, that fit perfectly on her head. Hanging from the downward pointed tip of the crown were a small, pale blue, ice-spike, that hung directly between her eyebrows.

Ana returned to the pedestal looking herself over. Even though all of her features were small and edgy, the soft billowing worked over her body. "I hate this damn thing." Ana complained, her brows furrowing and her eyes crossing to look at the ice spike that was trapped between her eyebrows.

"Oh Anastatia." Kirimi laughed. "My Ice Queen, it shall be replaced soon enough."

"I'm not a queen!" Ana sneered. She was a princess and she planned to stay a princess as long as she must. Her parents were the Ice-royalties, making Anastatia an ice princess which she hated; but not nearly as much as the title of a Queen. 

"Not yet!" Kirimi's small voiced giggled. "But soon, dear." Ana looked her over menacingly. Small, round, long brown hair pulled into a tight bun, long pointed ears, similar to Ana's, baby curls on the back of her neck, round face, and old happy eyes. As Ana watched her, she cleaned the room a bit, making the bed, putting her hair tools away, closing the wardrobe. "Oh yes!" Kirimi said, grabbing something from a small drawer and tossing it over Ana. "A nice smell for you dear." She explained.

Ana's aroma progressively turned sweeter as the air Kirimi had tossed over her worked its magick.

"Ok, Its time to go sweetness!" Kirimi took Ana's hand, and led her out of the door, and down the hall. Ana's natural born elegance, granted her took steadily keep with Kirimi. She led Ana through the white halls, full of tall ceilings, and tall windows.

In the largest hall, where many of the ice-towns folk came for politically unanswered questions, were the two largest doors in the castle. Fortunately the schedule for when the hall opened was not in session as Ana walked through it. As the approached the doors, Kirimi tied a long silver-sparkling cloak around Ana's shoulders, and they entered the room together. Ana's mother and father were sitting on their thrown's, talking peacefully as Ana approached. "Good morning dear." The queen greeted her, smiling at her.

"Good morning mother." Ana greeted her back. "Good morning father." She then greeted the king.

He nodded politely and also smiled. "I'm happy you could join us. The sun has been up for a bit of time now." Her father told her.

"I apologize, I was quite occupied by my dreams." Ana beamed, and smiled, remembering her dream of the dragon.

"Yes, well, please join us for breakfast." Her mother elegantly stood, her straight white hair flowing around her outfit that was extremely similar to Ana's. Ana followed her, as they all walked to the dining room, and sat at one end of the long table.

Ana looked down at their breakfast. Strictly vegetarian, a small piece of toast, and a few grapes bowled on her plate in lettuce. This was very similar to what the people of the air realm ate, but very unlike those of fire, earth realms; the neighboring monarchies. Mostly we all kept to ourselves, because if we did, the highest powers would come down from above the clouds, and replace whatever element started the war. The last recorded time that occurred was when the oil nation tried to over rule all of the other elements. Their legend was ended, and their portion of land was destroyed, replenished and distributed equally between the nations. 

Anastatia wasn't old enough to have witnessed any of the oil legacy, but she had read books, and heard stories of their legacy.

She stared at her food, eating the grapes very slowly, distracted by her array of mind. "Also," He father began, "We - as in your mother and I - have found someone we think is kingly enough to marry you."

Anastatia stopped chewing - so shocked that they had decided without her, and decided for her. She looked up first, then at her parents. "Who is he?" She asked nervously.

"Ulnas, from the Lavenhal family." My mother told me. Anastatia groaned internally. They'd met that family once, and Ana distinctly remembered Ulnas as a dull, slightly attractive, blonde haired, blue-eyed prick. As Anastatia walked in his company, he seemed obsessed with her, trying his hardest to impress her instead of being himself. He had thoroughly annoyed her, and she remembered hating him.

"I don't want to marry that stupid boy!" Anastatia complained.

"Well, you have to marry someone, sometime soon, so unless you have any ideas. . ." Her mother suggested.

"I don't have anyone in mind because you guys never let me out of this damned castle!" She protested.

"Well than I suppose, Ulnas it is. You marry him in two weeks to the day." Her father answered. She stood, offered his wife his hand, and they walked out of the dinning room together, leaving Anastatia to finish her breakfast and think over her decision.

Anastatia wasn't ready for marriage, or any other engagement, and she certainly wasn't ready to be a queen, and she wanted to make certain, her parents were aware of that. She angrily slammed her hands on the table, freezing the silk cloth just beyond her fingertips, and rushed out of the dinning room, back to her chambers.

After a bit of time staring out of her bedroom window at the floating islands, she decided she would leave, and find her own way through life.

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