Chapter 1
Daughter of Claus
“Mama, can I ask you a question?” The voice of a little girl echoed in the darkness.
“Of course, mi pequeña luna.” A woman’s voice rang back, “Ask away.”
“I read from a book that only one place in the world has snow. Is it the really tall mountain over there?” The child asked curiously.
“Yes, it is.” The woman answered softly. “We would have to move north to see it up close.”
“Have you ever seen it?”
“I have, and when it covers the mountains, it looks like a glittering wonderland under the moonlight. One day, I’ll bring you to see it.”
The child squealed excitedly. “Really!? You mean it!?”
“…I…omise…” The woman’s voice began to fade in and out, as though it was being pulled into the abyss.
“Mom?” The girl said, the worry in her voice rising.
“…Pro…se…” The woman’s voice flickered into silence, no words could be heard.
“MOM!”
Nyxis gasped for air sharply as she sprung up from the bed, her hair and back drenched in a cold sweat. She sat still with her hands gripping the sheets in a desperate attempt to catch her breath and steel her nerves.
‘Again…why is it happening again?’ She mused to herself. A dream, but it was always the same dream. One where she could never see and never talk, but she could only hear the familiar voices.
The elf tried to collect her breath and calm her thoughts with a mantra she learned from a friend.
‘Inner peace…be calm…’
She glanced over to her curtained windows and peered through the gap in between, noticing the wind whipping the air outside with snow, but just over her window. Not over the city or the vast mountains of which she would escape to for peace and quiet. The elf’s shoulders fell in defeat.
‘A message from the witch herself…’
Her face subconsciously scrunched at the mere thought of “her boss”. She moved her loose, curly hair back from her face and just sighed. Either from the immediate exhaustion of managing her boss, or just from being alive.
‘Off to work, I go…’, she thought as she pushed back her heavy blankets and carefully rose up from her bed, levitating above it.
Nyxis made the bed quickly, then floated over to her desk. She reached for her pocket watch that sat on the surface, which was already open to the time and a picture of a woman and little girl. She lifted the watch closer to her face and took a moment to carefully look over the picture again, something she had done every morning since starting the Military Academy.
The woman in the photo wore a tired smile with experienced, soft brown eyes. Her dress was cinched at the waist and adorned with pink and yellow flowers on the hem of a white base. The dress was old, but well kept in general. The excited child in the blue dress next to her was Nyxis herself, around 10 years old and eager to learn about this foreign world around her.
How blind and naive she was then.
How sentimental she was now of that decade of her life that she should have cherished longer.
‘Inner peace…Be calm…’
The elf was awoken from her trance by a curt, light rapping of knocks against her bedroom door.
“Come in.” Nyxis said aloud as she closed her watch and placed it back on the desk.
The door opened and another elf stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. This other elf stood taller than herself, yet young and donned in the House Claus red uniform with a white fur neck collar trim, a color that Nyxis couldn’t respect in good faith. His thick, snow white hair fell from his shoulder as he bowed respectfully.
“Good Morning, Commander. Did you sleep well?” His voice was deep and soothing to the ear, like a comforting warm hug.
“I regret going to sleep. I missed out on precious time doing the Witch’s bidding, it seems…” Nyxis lamented as she shrugged and floated over to her attached bathroom. She left the door cracked to hear the man, as she moved to her vanity.
Silver snowflakes lined the hexagonal border of the mirror, with two crystal sconces sitting towards the top, adding glittering light from the early morning sun into the room. She stood in front of the grand mirror, reflecting back her exhausted face and frame.
“I’m sorry. Good morning, Bast. I’m…already in a mood, so please don’t take it personally.”
“I see you got her message. I would be too if I were woken up like that.” The man called into the crack in the door. He knew that working with their boss was extremely difficult. He couldn’t fault her for getting a few more minutes of sleep. But only they can keep things running. “Sorry to make your day just that much brighter, but I have some public concerns that need clarifying and verifying.”
“Go ahead.” She called back. Nyxis stood in her vanity mirror, quickly plating and pinning her hair back into a neat bun. She was already fully dressed in her uniform of black trousers and blue waistcoat, a skill she learned from boot camp.
“The Herd are preparing for the Reindeer Games and Dasher requested the Commander to attend as a formality. The date is set for Novembris 15th. He wanted to confirm early with you to lock in the date.” Bast rattled off the first item quickly. He learned early on to keep his reports short for less delay and easier communication.
Nyxis placed the last pin to the bun before she grabbed her dark blue sleeves and slipped them on over her arms. “Confirmed. Winter knows she wouldn’t dare attend something so…“trivial and mundane.”” She then grabbed her cloak and closed her sapphire brooch around the front.
The man nodded his head towards the bathroom door in silent confirmation. She was not incorrect about the miniscule attendance rate of his boss, but he continued. “Then the Workshop wants to implement a new alteration to the gift wrapping center to extend the line to include 127 more seats for incoming volunteer helpers.”
The door to the bathroom opened fully to Nyxis, wrapped in her cloak and staring at her advisor, bemused. “Why would they wait to begin such substantial alterations so close to the Holiday Season? I could have pushed that through four months ago without hesitation. But now, I’m not sure the Witch will approve it.”
Bast shrugged and shook his head. “They couldn’t get the permit in time, but we can try to bypass the system and get it approved without her knowing.”
She sighed. ”She only cares about the results, not the process. Fine. See what you can do about that. Bring it up to Father Wynter if you have to, but only as a last resort. What else?” She floated back to desk and grabbed her pocket watch, tucking it into her cloak pocket and patting it down for reassurance.
“Some of the troops over in Frostlyn would like to schedule their holiday’s off.” He noted, green eyes peering up from his clipboard.
“Have Henry review them, and I’ll approve them later.” Nyxis confirmed.
“The next shipment of Amnis Powder and Glacier Petals for the Creation Station is still delayed and the townsfolk are worried that the decorations aren’t going to be ready in time.” Bast tapped his pen on the clipboard in his hands.
“Send a message to the Frostlyn Navy and tell them to check the radars for any merchant, trader, or harvesting boats coming from the north. If necessary, send one of the ships out for recon and potential rescue.” She flew over to where Bast was standing and lowered herself onto the ground. While her rank allows her to fly as high as 7 stories at maximum, her advisor was stuck to the earth beneath his feet. As such, she had taken to walking with him as they spoke, instead of pretending that her feet should not touch the ground.
Unlike some people.
Bast opened the door as Nyxis exited into the bright hallway, with the man closing the door behind them. They walked down the hall to the nearest staircase, but their conversation didn’t not waver for a moment. “The Moon-Lake Ballet Troupe arrived last night and are resting in the Crystal River Suite of the Valkyrie Hotel. They are ready to practice for the celebration and are asking for permission to use the Grand Ballroom as their practice room, to familiarize themselves with the space. This is their 4th request, as the reason approaches.”
The commander shook her head and huffed, exasperated. “Another request that could have been completed earlier in the year had she been approving these requests timely. What is the point of a review-and-approve system that she doesn’t even care to enforce?”
“Because why would she care about the mundane complaints from the common folk when she could just sit on her throne of deceit and abuse, carried by her favorite work mule?” Bast rolled his green eyes with disgust. His disdain for their ‘boss’ rivaled her own in measures only she could truly understand. Nyxis believed that reason alone sheltered the absolute trust the elves held in each other. The man in her shadow served as her family’s advisor for the past 8 years, her Personal Relations representative on social occasions and her therapist on hundreds of work-filled sleepless nights.
Her only brother-in-arms upon Mt. Wynter, trudging with her through a mental war of attrition.
Nyxis’s brow furrowed as they traveled down the staircase. “Quite spicy. Did we have an early, unexpected run-in?”
“I had a regular run-in, which is bad enough.” He frowned. “But I know for a fact that she is not in the mood to sign basic permit papers, and if we’re going to get anything done in time for Decembris, we’ll have to quickly finish ‘Cleaning the castle’, as well.
The woman's ice blue eyes rolled in annoyance. ‘Cleaning the castle’ was an elven code for forging the witch's signature on official documents. The process consisted usually of a particular group of scholars who are loyal to the citizens of Mt. Wynter, and were chosen personally by Bast. The group is casted into the Forgers to study handwriting from over the centuries. The most astute of the Forgers have the ability to replicate signatures for signed requests so minuscule in comparison to the thousands of important petitions of the Mt. Wynter citizens that the Witch herself wouldn't be able to remember signing it.
The fact that Nyxis even has to sign off on such executive decisions was stressful enough on the Tier 1 Spirit. She didn't have all of the tools to assist the city, but she had just enough time to set a plan for one of the busiest months of the year.
Even though the most she could do was help and support the citizens with what little resources then she had to share, it still wasn’t enough.
It infuriated Nyxis to her very core.
‘Inner peace…be calm…’
They moved along the grand staircase, quickly retreating from the West Wing to the landing of the main hall. Nyxis halted at the landing of the ground floor, with Bast right behind her. “‘At least the castle will be tidy’ enough for the guests.” The woman responded back briskly. “Is there anything else, Bast?” ‘Call the Forgers, get it done.’
The man slightly bowed his head, fluffy, white hair moving in kind. As silly as it was to use a secret code in the home they share, one could never be too careful. Under the Witch’s rule, she was the castle, and the castle was alive.
“I believe that covers everything. But we should pay the Valkyrie Hotel a visit at some point today, to welcome the dancers.” Bast checked off all the items of their meeting, tapping on the final unresolved item listed on his clipboard.
“About that.” Nyxis turned to him, worry stitched into her brow. A face she wore quite frequently in matters of Mt. Wynter that the man attended to daily. Her emotions were usually collected and controlled, rarely overreacting to even the smallest of issues. But there were times where even Bast would notice them; the little flashes of emotion in her eyes, ranging from contemplation and frustration, to a deep never-ending rage. He was always impressed with how Nyxis was able to control her emotions.
“I may not have time to go, depending on what my ‘duties’ are today. Adding insult to injury, there’s no guarantee that their request will be granted if her mood is that of Grim Grass, but they still need a venue to work out of. I’ll do my best to get them the access to the grand ballroom as early as I can, but in the meantime, can you make your way over to the West Library and ask Roza for help? I’m sure the troupe would love their first official greeting from Mt. Wynter Officials to be from the Prima Donna herself.”
“You know that’s going to be a favor, right?” He mused.
A deep sigh erupted from the woman. “First one of the week is free.”
Bast smiled lightly as he bowed to the Commander. “Of course. I’ll add that to the list and see to the preparations.”
The woman nodded to her advisor and gazed up at the main hall. The rays of light from the mid-morning sun shone through the cathedral-like high ceilings, glistening their path of glittered ice under a Christmas Red carpet. The scene was gorgeous, but then her gaze shifted from the glittering ceilings to the menacing air of the East Wing of the castle.
The Witch’s Suite.
With a sigh, she moved over to the other set of stairs, with Bast in tow, and walked up. They moved in silence up the stairs, passing one of the hurried seamstresses, her arms filled with reams of red and silver cloth.
”Good morning Lord Ringfeld, Commander Frost.” She said quickly in passing. The two elves watched the nymph move down the stairs without looking back then shared a look of confusion, suddenly hurrying themselves up to the third floor.
The sight was chaotic, more so than any other usual day. From servants quickly floating along the walls to others cleaning the various areas, the East Wing was crowded with castle staff.
And further down the high ceiling hallway, they heard enraged shouting, then the shattering of glass.
The entire hallway suddenly stood still with fear. The servants all craned their necks around to the last room at the end of the hall, but none of them dared to move.
Nyxis rolled her eyes and turned back to Bast, who’s expression matched her own.
Without losing a beat, they walked down the middle of the hallway, surprising the servants with their boldness to approach the room. Their gazes shifted hesitantly between each other until they ultimately dropped to their knees, either in a bow or a courtesy. Out of fear, the servants respected Mrs. Claus.
But out of complete and utter respect, the citizens of Mt. Wynter all adored Commander Frost.
The elves approached the room, with Nyxis knocking on the golden ornate door.
”Enter.” A snarky voice came from behind the door. With a deep breath, she opened it and walked into an enormous room with shelves of various books and scrolls stacked end to end and high to the stone ceilings. The windows were tall with dark red curtains pulled back to a glorious view overlooking the Capricorn Mountains and the Northern Lighthouse. But in the middle of the room stood an enraged woman with golden hair tied into a queenly high bun; in her very familiar crimson red day dress, her pale complexion marred red with rage.
Next to the woman sat a young girl, no older than 16 years old, silently crying holding her cheek. In between them sat a shattered ornate vase, the Glacial Roses it held now wilting into a puddle of muddy water on the red carpet.
Bast stilled as he took a quick scan of the situation. He moved to step forward, but Nyxis positioned her arm in front of him, pausing him. She cleared her throat and moved her gaze to the woman.
’Be calm’
“Good Morning, Mrs. Claus.” The Commander started, steeling her nerves. “I believe you wanted to discuss something with me?”
The woman switched her glare to her ‘Commanding Officer’. “About time you’ve arrived.” The woman jabbed, annoyed at her attendant’s tardiness. Her voice was stern and regal, and tone heavily condescending. “It would help if you could appear instantly when summoned, but 2 hours late is quite… negligent, don’t you think, Commander?”
”Ah, yes. You will have to forgive me. After a month of overseeing the majority of the preparations for the Holiday Season, even your graciousness can understand the ever-present need to rest. After all, not all of us are so magnificent as yourself to be able to stay awake for days on end, partying with the elites.”
The advisor tapped on the Commander’s shoulder twice with his clipboard in warning. ‘Calm down’
The red-dressed woman glared intensely at the elves in her presence then switched her gaze to the young girl on the floor. “Leave us.”
The nymph bowed to Mrs. Claus, Commander Frost, and Lord Ringfled respectfully, quickly gathered the many vase shards in her apron, and ran out the room, fresh and dried tears streaking her face as she passed. The male elf side-eyed the Commander; when she nodded curtly, he bowed to the ‘The Witch’ then exited the room as well, closing the door behind him.
The Commander had always tried her best to be civil in front of a room of people.
However, if left alone in a room with her “boss”, all bets were off.
Mrs. Claus turned around, sauntering over to her desk. “If I didn’t know any better, child, I would believe that you were trying to supersede me.”
“Now now, Rowena, why would you think-” Nyxis was cut off by the loud smack of a heavy book. The source of the noise was from Mrs. Claus’s desk, a Tome of Autumnal Ruin Traditions. She noticed it by the vibrant orange, red and yellow hues on the spine. That book did not belong in this country, and to possess it without explicit permission from the Rey de Los Muertos is strictly forbidden within the laws of the treaty.
For Mrs. Claus to possess the tome, her only solution would have been to steal it.
“Don’t play games with me, you little shit!” The woman sneered at the elf. “You had better watch your attitude and tone when you address me in front of those…troglodytes. Remember that any words of disrespect towards your Realm Leader is an act of defiance.”
Nyxis matched her boss’s glare, tapping her hands at her sides. “Stealing a text from a different country is also an act of treason, but you don’t see me traveling through country lines to obtain a book.”
“Just who do you believe you are speaking to, Frost? You of all people should know that the Jack Frost position is expendable and that I can find literally anyone to fill that position; Choose your next words very carefully.” Rowena loomed over her desk, her glare turning deadly.
“You would have to explain my termination to Father Wynter with a detailed report, and I have reason to believe that you haven’t touched a single request or petition since your extended ‘Summer Vacation’. The citizens need help starting the decorations for the Holidays-“ she tried to reason with the arrogant woman standing before her.
Another slam from the book. Damaging goods purposely is a crime.
“I don’t need you to remind me what my job is; you should focus on your own!!” The blonde lifted the book in her hand, waving it. “You’re two hours late and I don’t see anywhere on my desk the list of holidays I deem important enough to attend. What the hell have you been doing this whole time?!”
“Alabastor prepared you a list-” Once again, Nyxis was cut off.
“How many times must I emphasize that I don’t attend meager holiday celebrations! I do not care about intermingling with other nations! That is Father Wynter’s role as Elder, not mine!” Rowena’s glare intensified. “Tonight is an Autumnal Holiday, Dead Day, or whatever-“
“Día de Los Muertos.” Nyxis corrected her boss, tilting her head with a sneer. “You’d think by actually reading the book that you’d know how to pronounce it.”
‘Inner peace…be calm…’
“And you’d think, as Jack Frost, that you would actually complete a simple task for once. Now go make yourself useful for once and dust the world with snow for the Holiday Season.” Rowena bit back, lowering herself into her throne of a chair.
“When do I have time to do that, what with literally maintaining the livelihoods of the citizens and preparing Mt. Wynter for the season change? I’m trying to manage it all, but without the resources-“
“Haven’t I given you enough, Frost?” The woman shook her head in disbelief, her words seething. “You have a castle to live in, you have a job that many unfortunate people would kill for, you have a unit under your command, you have Legacy Ice Magicks in your very veins. You have the literal world at your fingertips, and yet you want more!?”
“I-”
‘I have nothing and you know that!’
‘Be calm.’
“I do not care about the needs of those people, that is why we have advisors! Managers! Supervisors! It’s called delegation, my dear! Mt. Wynter has tiers of control for the people to answer to, and it is not you!” Rowena gestured to the easternmost window overlooking the town before placing her elbows back on the desk. “Need I remind you that you are to only take orders from myself or Father Wynter!? And with that being said, my orders are as such; Go to the Autumnal Ruins tonight and start the snow showers early to end their meager festival early.”
“You want me to halt another country's holiday because…?” The elf huffed. There truly was no rhyme or reason for this type of infiltration.
But then again, there was.
“Because I said so! The first snowfall of the season can start as early as Novembris, as we had done for centuries past. You are to start in the Autumnal Ruins. Is there an issue with that order, Frost?” Rowena crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance, her face contorted with a sneer.
Every encounter, every debate with the Leader of Christmas was a war of attrition.
A war in which the Commander had to carefully pick and choose her battles.
A war she always ultimately lost.
With a firm shake of her head, Nyxis frowned. “No, Ma’am, no issues whatsoever.” She said with a low growl.
‘Inner Peace…Be calm’
Rowena smirked for the first time of the day, “Finally, a decent reply from an underwhelming dog of an assistant.”
Nyxis’s left eye twitched. She exhaled slowly, her blood boiling in her veins. She had to still try. Despite the constant berating, and despite the unwillingness to work with her boss, she had to still try, for her people.
“Before I leave, we received a request from the Moon-Lake Ballet Troupe. They wish to expedite the use of the grand ballroom for practice, but they are waiting for your approval.” She said through gritted teeth.
Rowena rolled her eyes, exasperated. “Well, that is just too unfortunate! If they wanted to begin working on their little dances, then they should have requested that earlier. They will have to wait until Decembris; denied. Now, if there is nothing else from you, then you may leave.”
Nyxis said nothing else and bowed curtly. She opened the door behind her, passed backwards through it, and closed it quickly without facing the woman further. She stood there for a moment, trying to get the blood pulsing in her ears to calm down.
Another battle lost. But on Mt. Wynter, the war rages on.
The Commander turned around to a group of servants in the hallway huddled near the entrance of the room, facing the now closed door. One of the nymphs stepped forward, wearing a simple red dress with a tan, raggedy apron and holding a newer, but equally gaudy silver vase with freshly placed Glacial Roses in her arms.
“Commander, is everything alright?” The woman questioned.
With a sigh, the elf gave an exhausted smile to the woman. “Yes, Arielle.” Then, she addressed the group, waving them over to speak quietly. She leaned in, careful not to speak loud. “Everyone, thank you for your concern, but please return to your duties. I won’t return to the castle until later tonight, so please try to keep heads low as you work and stay out of sight, if possible. She’s in a mood.”
The servants murmured quietly amongst themselves, then with various bows and courtesies, the group dispersed quickly, either returning to work or leaving the wing entirely. The nymph behind Nyxis pulled on the other woman’s heavy blue cloak, grabbing her attention.
“We really do appreciate you lending a hand in regards to ‘The Witch’, but you should probably take your own advice. The last thing you need is a target on your back.” Arielle whispered.
“I would love to, but our leader doesn’t care about the livelihoods of her servants, much less her people. If I can keep the heat off your backs for issues out of your control, it would be my pleasure.” Nyxis turned back to her, tapping her hand in reassurance. But the nymph was less than convinced. Arielle placed the decorated vase on a side hallway table and grabbed the elf's hands within her own, gripping them lightly.
“Ma'am, if I may speak candidly… You are an absolute boon to this country, and I just don't want to see you get fired, or worse, exiled. You and Bast work so hard for us, just for her to ruin centuries of celebrations out of spite!”
The elf tapped on her left hand twice with her thumb, before rubbing the spot softly.
‘Warning’
“Don't worry about me, I'll be alright. She can't fire me without approval from the Courts, and we both know well that Father Wynter will not accept that.”
Arielle huffed, blowing her light brown bangs out of her face to reveal a smirk. “I swear, you are so hard-headed.”
With a curt smile, Nyxis shook her head. “No, I'm just confident. Now, where’s Bast?”
The woman pointed further down the hall, to a set of ornate red and gaudy silver benches. Bast was crouched in front of the young servant that had run away from Rowena’s study, consoling the young nymph. The women moved back down the brightly lit hallway, and as they approached, Nyxis watched the girl twitch with hiccups, trying to catch her breath. The light taps of feet along solid ice floors alerted Bast, and he switched his gaze to the duo.
“How is she?” Nyxis questioned as they approached. The girl flinched, but the man sighed deeply and stood up straight, moving back a bit.
“Still a little shaken up. She said that she was cleaning the study, but was startled by a loud sound and accidently dropped the vase. The Witch suddenly got angry and slapped her. She doesn’t want to go back there.” The man put it simply.
Arielle shook her head, her face scrunched with a sneer. “I don't blame her; especially after what happened.” She reached for the girl’s hand and pulled carefully, signaling the young nymph to stand. With her face no longer shrouded by her hair or the dark corner, the young brunette stood, stricken with fear and donning a new bright red mark on her cheek in the shape of a handprint. Dried tears streaked her face and her brown eyes were red and puffy; the sight broke the older nymph’s heart.
“You did nothing wrong, Gemma.” She pulled the girl closer and hooked her arm carefully around shoulder, gently rubbing her back to soothe her. She looked between the advisor and the Commander, nodding assuredly. “Let me bring her down to the servants’ quarters first, then I’ll return and clean up the mess. The bitch will have to wait for me to return.”
Bast eyed the Head Housekeeper in stern warning. “Careful, the walls have ears.”
“We’ll walk you down.” Nyxis piped up.
She walked with nymphs, with Bast in tow, out of the darkness of the East Wing back into the safety of the glittering Main Hall. When they reached the Main Foyer, the older nymph bowed politely to the two, and floated with the girl past them down the stairs and towards the kitchen. Once they were out of view and earshot, Bast turned to Nyxis.
“I take it that you had a pleasant conversation?” He asked.
“Begrudgingly no. It was a regular dumpster fire, sprinkled with snark and cynicism.” The elf admitted. She started to move down the stairs, but the man grabbed a part of her cloak, tugging her back.
“How bad?”
“She denied the ballet troupe, so they need another venue to use until Decembris 1st.” Nyxis said swiftly.
“She would…” The man sighed. He quickly scribbled something down on his clipboard, which was floating next to him now. “Are you willing to pull another favor from Rozaliya?”
“If I truly have to.” She answered, watching him return his focus back to his board.
“And what does Mrs. Claus have planned for you today?”
“Snow Drop Duty, and the first stop is the Autumnal Ruins. Apparently, we’re starting early this year.” She turned back to the stairs.
“On Día de Los Muertos? One would almost assume that she is trying to break decorum by sending her Commander into a country that still holds a tentative relationship with Mt. Wynter.” He muttered.
“Well, she’s already in possession of stolen material, so I don’t think that she cares much about decorum. And it definitely won’t make relations better.” Nyxis shrugged. The man’s thoughts halted at the new revelation. To hold forbidden material from another country was treason, something he knew well. He looked sternly at the elf.
“How do you want me to proceed?”
The woman stood with crossed arms concealed under her blue cloak. She could not do much for them, and yet she was willing to somehow fix the impossible.
“Give her a finalized list of next year’s ‘worthy holidays to attend’. Make sure that the Elder Spirits from Verne Valley and Midsummer Cape are not attending. You’ll have to somehow try to coax the book away from her; if you can, please return it to my room.” She pointed briefly to the West Wing.” Before I leave, I’ll grab it from my room and bring it back to the Ruins before they realize it's gone. It’s on her desk, with a red, orange and yellow spine.”
“That is a steep plan. Are you certain it will work?” Bast’s brow furrowed with worry.
“Bast, she is trying to get rid of me.” The woman sighed deeply. “Every day is a fucking battle. She’s doing everything she can to keep me out of public affairs, and while I want to help the citizens, we still need more resources in order to start the Season off without a hitch. The citizens don’t have what they need, she doesn’t care to fix it, and I can’t do much of anything besides go drop 3 feet of snow on another struggling country’s doorstep for, what I can only describe as, either shits and giggles or out of pure fucking spite!!”
Two taps on the floor.
‘Warning’
‘Be calm…’
Bast stood quietly, allowing the woman to catch her breath and collect her thoughts. He saw the rage flash in her eyes for just a moment before returning to clear blue.
Nyxis shook her head, defeated. Stopping an international tragedy was not on her to-do list, and yet it still somehow became her problem. Like usual. “I doubt it will work, but I don’t have any other ideas. I don’t suppose you have one.” She muttered softly.
He released her cloak and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it softly.
“I don’t have a plan, but I’ll make one up as I go. We've been doing this for centuries, so believe it or not, you can rely on me. Let me handle the finer details; you go get ready to leave.”
Nyxis looked up to the man, and nodded slowly. “Yeah, I'll…go now. Thanks again.”
With a reassuring nod, Bast released his hold and watched as she floated away, down the main hall stairs. He understood the weight the woman was under.
The elf was the only one close enough to the Elders that could speak for the people, but even then, she could not bring reason to that frustrating woman.
Rowena never believed that the Commander was the real reason the citizens of Mt. Wynter received any help whatsoever. When a situation arose, the people went to their Commander for assistance and support. Lady Claus was a figurehead, just a glorious display of old money and even older lineage.
But nothing Commander Frost could do would make the Witch come to reason.
The night was cold and dark, and the skies were clear of the clouds.
Nyxis flew over the Autumnal Ruins, quietly admiring the architecture of the Gothic buildings, the beautifully designed dark buildings with sharp roofs and chimneys littered the streets. Although for a holiday, the normally bustling streets were scarce with people.
But Día de Los Muertos was a different holiday, one that was always held in the Forgotten City, Remisia. The Royal Family lead the citizens of All Hallows through the forest gate to the Other Side, where a grand festival is held with their family members that had already passed on. The party lasts for three days and three nights, so there would be no reason for the Royal Family to be home this evening.
The elf lowered herself on one of the balconies of the All Hallows Royal Castle and peaked into an open window. She scanned the room for people, before stepping in quietly.
The room was filled with dark wood shelves lined with colorful spines of books and tomes, with additional opened books strewn along the dark oak tables. They paled in comparison to the spiked black chandelier dangling from the high ceiling. The air was still with the silence of the night, a blessing from the bustling noise of her own castle.
She stepped in further, gazing in awe at the height of the bookshelves. Nyxis had always loved books, but more so learning. Any book she could get her hands on was studied carefully for new information about the world she was pulled into. At some point, her love of learning became a way to survive. As much as she would regret to say it, she yearned to open one of the numerous tomes to learn the secrets inside. But doing so carried a possible death sentence.
Nyxis shook her head, returning her focus to the book in her hand. She turned around to one of the many dark oak tables and placed it down under one of the vibrant tomes, hiding it among the other colorful book faces. With an exhausted sigh, she moved back towards the window, floating over the egde of the balcony.
Part of her job was complete. No one saw her arrive, the book was returned to its rightful place and no one will see her leave. International tragedy avoided.
And yet, there was still an emptiness that lingered in her. After all, she should have been in Remisia, as well, celebrating.
But not tonight. Another year missed.
‘I should be there….’
Nyxis was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice at first how low she was flying. She moved to another balcony and lowered herself towards the railing, overlooking the grand city. It was quite rare for her to visit any other country nowadays, especially after what happened years ago. It was a shame she couldn’t visit more, for its beauty could only truly be experienced at night. Now it was her job to ruin this solemn beauty?
Suddenly, the elf heard the opening twist of a doorknob. Without glancing back to see, she floated hastily to the left side of the window, out of view. The footsteps slowly moved closer to the balcony, then a man, donning orange and black ceremonial attire with a regal pumpkin orange sash, passed through the threshold of the window, continuing to the edge of the balcony. The blood drained from her face.
‘Shit shit shit shit shit! Not now!’
The elf watched the man sigh with exhaustion, overlooking the very city she was moments ago. Without making a sound, she floated upwards to the roof, focusing her eyes to the sky. She had to start the squall, before she was noticed. But then, a deep voice rang out in the quiet night air, in her direction.
“Now is not the time, Frost.” The voice was deep and warm, yet cold and distant. There was an air of exhaustion and frustration in his aura. Nyxis could feel the cautious glare on her face.
Enemy spotted.
‘Be calm…let's play this cool…’
“I never asked, Your Highness. I'm not here for you. I honestly didn’t expect you to be here tonight. Don’t you have a party to be attending?”, she watched as thick dark clouds moved over the city, cooling the atmosphere around them. The man clearly was not paying attention to the sky. Good.
“That’s none of your business. Why the hell are you at my castle?” He growled. She could feel his glare piercing at her skin.
“You know why. It’s the best view in the house to begin my path. I am doing my job, after all.” She stayed simply. Well, it wasn't a full lie.
“It's Día de Los Muertos. Can't you find another time to ‘do your job’? Let the people celebrate without the fear of pneumonia.” He projected above. Right then, she felt a sudden wave of hesitation.
Was that a plea? From a Prince??
The clouds were in place. Nyxis finally shifted her gaze from above to the Prince of All Hallows under her feet, anger filled emerald green eyes meeting calculated Glacier blue. “I think you and I both know I can't do that. Mrs. Claus wouldn't stand for it.”
“...Fine… If you have to do your job, then can you at least leave Remisia alone?”
He was pleading, a rare sight indeed.
“Hm…That will cost a favor, Your Highness. Are you willing to part with one?” She smugly coaxed.
The elf noticed the Prince's right eye twitch.
‘I'm really not supposed to be here, but maybe I can leverage this…’
“...What do you want?”
“A free favor, one that I can use on anything; anytime, anywhere.” The elf said.
His green eyes squinted in suspension. “Why extort a favor from me? Why not my father, or my uncle?” he questioned.
“I could, but I'm not talking to either of them right now, am I? I'm here, talking to you, and getting ready to do my job and lay the first snowfall of the season. But if there's a problem with that, then I-”
“Fine! One free favor from the Prince of All Hallows! Ya happy!?” The man screamed into the quiet night air. He was definitely riled up, but was it from her presence, or something else?
The elf felt a smirk form across her lips. A favor from the Crown Prince of All Hallows was unconventional for a Wynter Spirit, especially in the treaty's current state, but it was always a welcomed occurrence. “Ecstatic…That's more than enough. Good evening, Your Highness. Always fun to frustrate you.” As soon as she finished speaking, the air swirled around her frame with snow and hail before disappearing into loose snowflakes.
Before she knew it, Nyxis had arrived back at the Realm Gate to the Hall of Titles. She sighed softly, not even gazing at the miraculous display of architecture.
Tonight, she saw what could only be quiet desperation from her enemy. But was he really her enemy? The life she lived in Liliácea was nothing compared to the one she was living now. Her mother had always told her to give people second chances, even when they didn't deserve them.
‘But in truth, he did nothing wrong…’
Another exasperated sigh escaped her lips. She couldn't punish the citizens of a struggling country, not on one of their happiest holidays.
He owed her a favor, and after tonight, she decided that she would owe him one of her own.
An eye for an eye.
A favor for a favor.
‘Tomorrow is another fucking day…’
