Recovery of an Ice Queen

*Angel had insisted that she be moved from the stark white rooms of the clinical infirmary, to her own more comfortable chambers. They had cleaned her and her white hair was combed straight, resting around her shoulders. Angel wore a soft cotton white chimese with long and loose sleeves, her outer robe tied losely around her waist.

The pillows were fluffed against the bed and she leaned back against them, sighing but also wincing a little from the pain. Her hand went to her stomach, and she felt the scars of where the Ursine had ripped through her flesh. She tried not to think about it, or she'd be sick. Outside, snow began to fall, and this caught her attention briefly. Angel watched from her bed, blinking a little.

A nurse approached the four poster bed and brought the blankets up to make her more comfortable. Angel felt lonely, even though she knew Catona and Timmy couldn't possibly be far. She wondered what had happened to Kinsen and where Jaric was. Her mind was still in shock, but that too, had been healing.

"Allow visitors.." she ordered, thinking it was better than sleep, unsure if it was the best of ideas.*

=The doors opened to admit Kinsen, and a palpable wave of cold entered with him. Before her stood a man changed: His skin had gone a pale white, with the slight blue tinge of cold throughout. His lips were a more obvious blue. In place of the crimson crescent on his cheek, there now was a single silver-white symmetrical snowflake, which upon closer inspection was comprised of small ancient runes etched into his flesh. The tips of his fingers, thought hidden by guantlets, now had a blackness that spoke of frostbite.

In place of the jet black armor of a dragon knight, he was wearing pure white plate, the breastplate etched with the same runed snowflake. Down his back fell a sble cloak, the jet black fabric drinking in the light around it in stark contrast to his armor. Sheathed at his hip was the blade of ice, and across his back was strapped his family blade. He looked at Angel, and a smile graced his features as he put a fist to his chest in salute. Steam seemed to rise from him, as the warmer air met the coldness around him, and frost covered his armor and sparkled in his hair.

"It is good to see you well, My Queen."

As he spoke, the slight accentuation of his canines was more visible than usual. He reached up, and in a habitual expression, brushed stray hair from his eyes.=

*The doors opened, and Angel instantly felt the temperature drop. Instead of shivering at the cold, she welcomed it and instantly sat up, placing her hands by her sides and using the bed to prop herself up. It was the first time she noticed a change in herself, her eyes alert and sharp - yet she couldn't have been prepared for what was to come next.

Kinsen. Knight of Winter - and she knew it. Angel's face was pale before, yet now she felt the blood drain. Catching sight of him she drew a breath. What HAD he done?! Yet even though she already knew, there was a strange element of denial. Now, seeing him like this, her heart beat was a little faster.

She couldn't say anything at first. It was the snowflake on his cheek, the color of his pale skin - the way his lips looked blue..then the canines. It was too much of a change at first. "Oh..." she uttered, putting a hand to her mouth, remembering her own pale skin, white hair, the mist of white to her own breath. Her stomach churned with sickness and so Angel put her hand there to steady herself.

As Kinsen smiled and said it was good to have her back, Angel saw that side of him that she loved and remembered well. This quickly put her ease. "Look at you.." Her eyes swelled up with tears, she wasn't sure if they were happy and full of relief, or sorrow for what price had to be paid and what Kinsen had sacrificed for her to live.

"My Gods..look at you.." She repeated, quickly wiping some more tears away.*

=Kinsen offers a soft smile, walking closer and patting her shoulder gently in a friendly gesture. "Aye, I've done something to my hair. I'm glad you noticed."

There was obvious tension and a hint of pain in his voice, emotion pent up in him, now that he saw she was well. "How are you feeling? Somewhat like you were mauled by a bear, I imagine." the joke was light, and she would feel the cold of his touch through his frosted steel guantlets.=

*Angel's cool blue eyes glanced from his smile to his hair and she managed a small smile - yet it was hidden with heartache and inner pain. She wanted to say more than she was, but instead, Angel swallowed hard, her throat feeling dry.
"A life for a life - we are even now, my friend."

She reached out, taking the hand he had patted her shoulder with and giving it a reassuring, weak squeeze. She smiled faintly "I really should just stay away from bears.." it was a pathetic joke in reply to his own, and she half shrugged, her breath still a mist.

"However..." she began, reaching out for a glass of water that turned to ice in the glass. "I've discovered some interesting tricks..." Her lips danced into a small smile as she watched it. Then, turning the glass upside down, she turned the water to liquid form, and allowed it to swirl in front of her, turning it into a snowball which she playfully threw in his direction.*

=Kinsen nods solemnly as she speaks of the cost. "I made a promise." was his only reply. He offers a sad sort of smile and squeezes her hand back reassuringly.

As she speaks of her "new tricks" and works with the water, he watches, fascinated in spite of himself. As she throws the snowball at him, he raises a hand to deflect it, instead watching as it turns to ice and shatters before it reaches him, the sharp ice shards dancing in the air a moment, hovering under his hand before falling inert to the ground. Raising his hand incredulously, he moves his fingers before looking ast them to Angel with a disbelieving chuckle.=

*Angel watched Kinsen's sad smile, and his reply of "I made a promise" and she nodded in silent understanding. "A promise? I see..yes, I know..I remember." She paused briefly, and glanced down for a moment in reflection. "You have forever been loyal, Kinsen.." She let go of his hand slowly as her thoughts wondered, noticing the ice cool temperatures of his guntlet.

"Consider your debt paid, to the realm, to me - but dear god, I wish it didn't have to be like this, I wish that things were different." She took a deep breath, continuing "Kinsen you have to know of my sincere gratitude, to you and Jaric..and now Mother Winter herself. Without all of you..I would be stranded in obilivion - my sprit was trapped..I couldn't.." She stopped herself from continuing the conversation, shaking her head. "I thought Angelfire would save me...but he walked away, the bastard turned around and left me."

She had to close her mind from the pain of it all, she didn't want to think of her loss, yet there she was, looking at Kinsens new physical traits. Her brand new, winter knight, Kinsen was serving the realm, he did what he had to - she knew that. But what of him now? Deep down, she knew he could take care of himself but that did not take away the feelings of guilt that she had.

When he deflected the snowball she instantly reached out with an upturned palm, her arm outstretched as the snowball falls to pieces and into shards of ice. Angel focused her mind to simply think of the action that quickly became a reality, the shards of glass picked up and became a clear, crystal rose in front of him. "Well, look at that!" She exclaimed, rather impressed with herself, her tone rising. She laughed a little "Can you change the shape of it? Turn the object into something else!"*

=Kinsen looks at Angel a long moment, a sad smile tracing his lips. "You are my friend, Angel, and my Queen. What less could I do for you?" he gestures to himself. "This? This is a price paid gladly. It was not so much to debt, though that too I think I owe you, for the cost. It was for honor, and duty. No more so than it was for friendship, and the love of my friend."

He nods, more solemn. "We did what we could, and we both played our parts. Blood for blood, and now we are bound once again it seems." he gives a soft laugh. "Will I never be rid of you? It seems I've only had trouble since that first day I tried to save you from Jaric's horse."

Kinsen looks at the crystal rose in the air, frowning as he turned inside himself: he wasn't sure how he'd done what he had before, let alone how to go about altering it consciously. He looked at the ice rose, willing it to change.

Nothing.

He stared a moment longer, trying to grasp some latent force within himself.

Nothing.

His slight excitement at creating the ice turned to disappointment as he flicked his wrist at the rose, pointed, gestured; all to no avail. After several moments he let go a frustrated sigh clenching his hand and gesturing dismissively.

With that, the ice rose burst asunder again, spraying razor shards of ice in the direction he'd gestured, shards shattering off of cold stone and imbedding themselves in wooden furnishings. He looked after them, uncomprehending for a moment, and then back at Angel before bursting into a low, incredulous laugh.=

*Angel nodded with a small and sad smile that matched one of his own. Angel reached out for his cold and steel gauntlets and patted his hand. Her blue eyes were cool as they looked into his own, her voice certain and unwavering as she spoke. "Know that I love you, Kinsen." She truly did, in her heart. It was impossible not to, given all they had been through together. "You are the brother I always wanted and never had. What you have done for me has earnt my gratitude even more than before - understand that it is your honor and duty that I hold in the highest regard. I respect it more than you'll ever know." She paused briefly, smiled faintly and concluded "You are a good and loyal friend to have, and for that, I am grateful you are here."

It was Kinsen's turn to speak, and so she patiently listened, laughing and nodding in agreement at his comment that they were both bound to each other and that he could never get rid of her. She tucked some of her stark white and straight hair behind her ear before she answered him with a light, jovial tone. "No, you'll never get rid of me, whether I'm Jaric's Squire or Queen." To which, she laughed again at the memory of it, so many moons ago. There she was, new to Icehold and the Aurorans as a young girl, mucking out the stall as a squire but being unable to tame Shadow."Perhaps next time you'll think twice about being so helpful to others?" Angel was smiling now as she teased him and she shook her head at the memories with a small smile.

After a few seconds of silence, Angel took a deep breath growing more serious as she turned her attentions to the rose once more whilst Kinsen attempted to change it into another object. Nothing. "Hmm.." she wondered out loud, ready to change the ice rose infront of him to something else - until the thing flew and shattered loudly against the stone wall. Knowing that she hadn't personally done that her brow raised in surprise and Angel walked over slowly, examining the shards stuck into the wood furnishing.

"Well look at that! How fascinating? How....how did you do that?!" Angel turned to look at the damage and began to laugh at the same time Kinsen did. She couldn't wait to tell Jaric.*

=Kinsen smiles. "Aye, my compassion only seems to get me into trouble."

Surveying the mess, he smiles sheepishly. "That was unexpected. Very much so." he looks at his guantleted hands, and shrugs. "Yet something else to get used to." He shakes his head in wonderment. "A new life, a new blade, new experiences. I was just getting used to life again, and it gets thrown all in a mix." clenching one hand, his smile falters. "Already I know that what is now expected of me is something I may not have the ability to give. And we both know the price of failure. She is unforgiving, this mistress of ours."

"The order is to be restored though, and so it shall." he looks to the door, to where he knew Catona stood beyond. "What cost then, to do our duty?" his words were rhetorical. He made a mental note to speak with Catona. "I regret nothing of my decision, though I may lose part of myself." He looks at Angel, and smiles faintly. "I suppose, in some way, it is our respnsibility to make it worth it, still."=

*Angel rolled her blue eyes, her lips dancing into a small smile as Kinsen touched upon the word "compassion". She looked at him and laughed a little, biting her lip. "Compassion, Kinsen? Aside from myself, you must be the only one in Aurora who has it - but who can say how good a virtue it really is? How many times have we both died for such a cause? Aurora needs compassion and friendship." Angel paused briefly "Sadly, you are right it does only lead to trouble - but that will never stop me from following my heart just as it has never stopped you. We're a different kind of creature." She paused, looking down at herself, and then back to him, laughing a little "Especially now."

Angel paused and looked at Kinsen as he spoke about the physical changes Mother Winter had granted the both of them, she looked down at herself again, noting the strangeness of the white silver hair. "Does it suit me?" She wondered aloud for a moment before continuing the conversation "Yes..we both know of failure." she repeated, adding "This new order, however, will be far from it. Lord Jaric and our Winter Mistress has given you instructions, it is up to you now what you can make of it. I have faith in you." She no doubt knew he already knew that, but she felt it was worth saying.

Angel moved slowly towards a comfortable overstuffed seat by the window and sat down, summoning a servant for a fur blanket. One was quickly brought over and placed gently over her knee's before the servant stepped away. She wasn't cold, but she wanted to just feel the comfort of it. Peacefully, Angel rested, placing her hands into her lap. She relaxed and inhaled deeply, her chest rising and falling.

"Give me another day or two, that's all this healing will surely take - I hope." She closed her eyes and sighed, knowing it would probably be longer than that. "I want to be up..doing something. I want to don my armor and ride into battle."*

{{ Jaric's armor clad figure blocks the door as Angle speaks of putting her armor on once agains}}

There will be several more days beyond this one before I will permit you to once more take up a blade. We have yet to find out how extensive the damage was to you physically depsite your recoverry, and there is still the question of what exactly was the cost of your return to us.

{{ He scans his eyes over Kinsen's armor. Nodding at the new design in approval}}

You will need to wary of who you speak to regarding your new duties. There are some old famillies that still recall the hatred for your order and their servants.

*Angel looks up and smiles upon the sight of Jaric, nodding her head in warm welcome to him and gesturing with her arm for him to come closer into the room. She spoke calmly, but her voice wavered.

"Jaric, please - I have to support the war effort, you above all others must understand that. Sitting here does not put me at use. Sewing is for handmaidens, I have been trained well enough, I should be with the troops and people. They need my support. I need a few days at best, not even that." She put her arm across her abdomen, not even wincing, despite the pain being unbareable.

Taking a deep breath, Angel continued, smiling faintly as she leaned her head back against the steady chair and looked up at him. "It is good to see you, Jaric..I am sorry I had everyone so worried - it shall not happen again."*

=Kinsen turns and snaps a fist to his chest. "I understand. Just as many families have not forgotten the old ways. There will be enemies made." He nods, and looks between the two as they speak.=

{{ Jaric Nods in Kinsen's direction before responding to Angel}}

You are in no condition to lead men into battle against other men, let alone against the beasts the Stag will bring to bear. What we faced in that room was one of his monstrosities, granted one of his most powerful, but when next we face him, there will be thousands. They will not come at us one at a time in single combat, they will swarm us. You will be a in a crowded formation, in the full roar of battle, under constant physical, mentla and emotional strain, and watching your own men die around you.

You are not ready for true war yet. I have seen seasoned captains fall to their knees at the charge of a squad of pantera soldiers, I have seen hardened squads of veteran warriors decimated by a single battle ready ursine.

We have sacrificed much to prevent your loss on this one encounter, we will not risk it again.

As for your place in this war. You are right, you are more than one to knit socks and play at handmaid. Your skills and compassion will be needed for those who survive our encounters. When I have decided you are ready and healed, you will take command of the field hospitals and healers. Tend to the men as they heal, we will tend to them in the fight.

Resting her arm on the chair, Angel's eyes flickered a little as Jaric mentioned she was in no condition to lead the men into battle. Sitting up straight, she began to speak out "I..." Angel began, her mouth opened to protest, glancing quickly at Kinsen for support. Yet, she paused before speaking any further -Jaric's tone was none wavering, she knew he'd already made up his mind. Especially as he mentioned the sacrifices that had been made for her continued presence.

Leaning her head back on the chair, and closing her eyes briefly, Angel took a deep breath. Jaric's talk of the war was already devasting her, and the memories of the vicious Ursine came flooding back. She shook her head of them and moved on, her blue eyes glancing back up to Jaric. She managed a smile as he spoke of her new place in battle.

"I know my position on the field will be of risk to everyone else, but I have to feel I am contributing I want to help the best I can. I will roll up my sleeves and serve in the infirmary and where needed when I am ready and able - despite how difficult and emotionally devastating the work will be."

Angel looked from both the Knight of Winter, and her Lord Husband. "First blood has been shed and so now we will have our time in battle. Make them pay dearly for the price of any death that they cause."

~hurries through the halls to Angel's chambers. She never expected to feel grateful to Vladamir, but right now, she truly does. His behavior back in Meriddia has her very worried, and she's a little breathless by the time she stops in front of the guards. She'd sealed her water away in its bottle as soon as she saw the portal really did take her to Icehold, and she holds her arms out from her sides to show the guards she's unarmed~

Amarra Crimsonflame, Lady in Waiting to Queen Angel. Please may I enter to see her?

(( Will be NPCing new character here for the time being, will mark with CAPS the name of each before the action and posts are made.))

TIMMY: ~ As Amarra approaches, arms outstretched the small figure of a boy standing beside Catona at the door raises his hand. In it is a ball of snow, which he throws out in front of him, the ball rapidly expanding to a pile nearly eight feet in height, and then rises into the shape of a large humanoid, fangs and claws of ice glistening in the light.~


JARIC: " So we shall my Queen. For now though, we need to make preparations, reports have the Beast's given as already launched to sea, while the trip is long, the time it will give us is vital."

{{ Turns to Kinsen}}

" How many iron vessles do we have ready for this fight?"

=Kinsen thinks a moment. "We have two operational, and one in the final stages... she is perhaps two weeks out of full function. The new weapons crews are all trained and prepared."=

~stares in shock at the snow monster and raises both arms toward it, her first thought that the queen could be in danger. But something about it looks familiar and she pauses to actually look at the guards on duty outside Angel's door. She recognizes the boy and smiles, though still wary, and anxious to see the queen. She speaks quietly, in a conversational tone~

I remember you. Timmy, right? I met you one day with ~hiccup~ Queen Angel. Do you remember? We did this that day, too. You're stronger with snow than I am. Maybe you could help me practice when your duties permit? But I need to see the queen right now. I'm very worried about her. Would you ask her if I can enter?

~nods also to Catona, very familiar with how protective he is of the queen, and grateful for it. If Vladamir was as concerned as he seemed in Meriddia, she knows there has to be something wrong. Every moment of delay makes her feel a bit closer to panic, though she mostly contains herself. Still, she keeps a watchful eye on the snow creature, ready to defend herself if Timmy sends it at her~

=Catona lifts one hand to Timmy, giving a subtle signal to him, that he had been teahing him; the silent signal of the home guard that this was no threat. It was also to signal Amarra to stand her ground and wait a moment. Even still, his intricately detailed crossbow was aimed almost casually at Amarra, instinct putting the aim centered over her heart. He MLs Angel: "My Queen, I apologize for the interruption, but the Lady Amarra is requesting entry."

His eyes never leave Amarra as this is done, and he waits, crossbow not waivering.=

TIMMY: ~ At the signal from Catona his hand drops, the snow beast dropping back into a ball of snow, rolling back to the boy's feet. With his foot he flips the snowball into the air, catching it easily. He never takes his eyes from Amarra, nor does he speak.~


JARIC: {{ He nods to Kinsen}} " They will have to suffice. Use them as a vanguard for the fleet. They will fair better against the ice and beasts. For this operation I am giving you full use of the Black Rose, use her to full advantage. While slow, the trebuchet should be more than sufficient to crack the monster's frozen vessle."

*Angel closed her eyes and sighed deeply, leaning her head back against the overstuffed leather armchair. A shiver went down her spine as Kinsen and Jaric talked, and so she pulled up the fur blanket - yet the cold didn't bother her. She felt tired - exhausted.

Catona's mind link brought her eyes open in a startle and Angel found herself leaning forward as she looked from the Admiral to the King. "Excuse me, gentlemen...it appears Lady Amarra is outside and wishes to join us. Perhaps she has news of Meriddia and Aegis.." Angel wanted to know, had the stag already struck? What of Margaritte? After the Ursine, who knew what to expect? Quickly, she mindlinked a message to Catona to let Amarra through and eagerly awaited her entrance.*

=Catona lowers the crossbow as he receives Angel's orders, though his eyes never leave Amarra. "You may enter."=

=Kinsen nods. "The fast Aegen ships have been sent ahead to scout the location of the enemy vessels, such as they are. Thought their sails will pose a risk from the flying beasts, they are best suited to the speedy retreat once the enemy is spotted. We'll catch them on the sea, and we'll throw them back as best we can."=