The Queen and Her Consort

“Send the troops up north. I wish to see nothing but complete annihilation of the Blitzen army.” a woman commanded. The man in front of her bowed and gave a short nod before leaving the Queen alone in her chamber, the woman donning a long, silvery-blue dress that graced the floor as she walked. Her white blond hair reached her back and was in a rather messy braid; scepter in her hands the same color as her pointed crown. “If she thinks she can lead the uprising, then she’s wrong,” she muttered to herself, rising from the throne and walking to the window, gazing down with a look containing nothing but sheer cold.

The whole kingdom was engulfed in battle. For the past years, tensions had been rising and the Queen had been trying to sate it. As of late, a new rebellion rose, and she wanted to stop it. Battles came and men from her side were lost, agitating her and lighting a spark within that would set the icy flames.

For the first time since many decades ago, a war was going to occur once more. The excitement of it set her blood on fire and sang to the high heavens. She was a warrior, a fighter, a ruler. She was a woman who successfully reigned with no man by her side, who sent soldiers fighting like pawns on a chessboard littered black and white.

This, however, wasn’t a battle of black and white.

It was a fight of grey against many others.

“She won’t see it coming," she murmured quietly, feeling the scepter grow colder.

“But she will, Eridani.”

Eridani Schnee raised a brow and turned around, seeing someone else.

“I don’t remember asking the guard to let you in.”

The man ignored her.

“You are a Queen. Not a sadist.”

“Those are two different things,” she argued, trying to keep her cool. “A sadist enjoys other’s pain. A Queen does things for her people.”

“Is this war really for your people?”

She stopped.

“I have lost men and women and children for years and have done nothing to stop them. When I finally decide to act, you barge in and go against it,” the Queen growled. “Do you have any better ideas? Or would you like the crown on my head?”

He stepped forward, she meeting his gaze. Her steel eyes locked into his and she did not blink, smaller than him by an inch or two or three, but her current bravado making her seem feet taller.

“I am Queen. You are not.”

“This isn’t a matter of who reigns, Eridani. This is about humanity-”

Her eyes blazed and her voice went higher, “To hell with humanity! I don’t remember you fighting for the damned thing when you went against the Boden. I still remember the battles, Kälte. I remember you asking for worthy men, and I gave them to you. And you fought for the longest time, and won.” She smiled coldly, gripping her scepter even tighter. “Where was the humanity in that? The longest rivalry between the Boden and Kälte settled over a bloody, worthless battle. Arthur’s still out there looking for blood and revenge.”

“Arthur and I are a completely different issue, Eridani,” he spoke in a tight voice. “What you and Amaya Blitzen had is a completely different matter-”

The silver staff glowed and so did she, the woman pointing it at him. Her next words came out in a nearly inaudible hiss.

“Don’t you dare mention Amaya Blitzen to me!”

Silver spikes shot out and the man staggered back, one of the spikes tearing his sleeve and causing his skin to bleed almost immediately. Scarlet flowed out and he stared at her, pressing a ripped cloth against the wound on his upper arm. Frost formed on the white marble floor and the two stood away from each other, the Queen horrified at what she had done and the other with only discontent on his face.

“I – I just…” her words died down and she struggled to speak, only resuming when she felt she was ready. Eridani turned away from him and faced the window, refusing to look at him and focusing her gaze on her Kingdom. “Get a medic to help you. Mona Lisa might be nearby.”

She could hear his retreating footsteps and clutched the scepter a bit harder. The door closed and Eridani was left alone in her chamber, each second passing slowly.

With a heavy heart, she closed the windows and retreated, a heavy snow storm beginning to form up in the scarlet sky. 

"I never intended to hurt you, Mail Kälte." 

She let the words carry themselves into the wind.

With that, the Queen sat back on her throne and closed her eyes, letting the cold slowly sweep her away.