Princess of the Phrost (the miniseries): Creation

Fast Friends

The two just stared at one another, both smiling, intrigued and surprisingly calm.

"You're from the Phrost but you're like me" Aymon whispered, slowly coming closer. Aymon was a tall skinny child with his mother's deep brown skin, reddish-brown hair and soft features, he came off fragile and meek.

"I'm not like you" Safri said softly. Safri was shocked when Aymon reached out and grabbed her hand, completely unafraid.

"You are exactly like me. Being from the Frost does not make you a different species, you are simply from a different place. Like Drynians" he smiled at her. When Aymon learned that Safri couldn't read he volunteered to help.

"You cannot tell anyone about this Aymon. Not your father, Ryo, and certainly not Kailu" Takiia made him promise once their day was over and Safri ran back to jump home.

"Are the wards down now?" he asked innocently. Takiia explained that only Safri could pass between the wards and that she believed her eyes allowed her to do it. Worried that the loophole worked both ways, Takiia also made him promise to never attempt to visit the Phrost.

"I've seen her before, in a dream," Aymon told his mother. Aymon said he often dreamed about the girl in the darkness, said he could only ever see her eyes, but he was happy around her as she was him.

"Just now she made me happy on the inside. I can feel that she is happy too" Aymon smiled. The interaction left his mother both excited and afraid. Takiia could feel the joy radiating from the two when they were near one another, the world around them responded which would make hiding the pair very difficult. Needing guidance, again the queen sought out the help of Nabeh who like her was afraid. Ryo knew about Safri, had known for some time but said nothing and LuVon while being stubborn, power hungry and without mercy wasn't stupid. He would have figured out something was going on if he hadn't already.

"LuVon has to know your grace. Safri is disappearing every other day for sometimes whole days, he may be that blind, but Ratha is not" Nabeh began thinking out loud. He knew Queen Ratha well before she married LuVon.

******

Nabeh had lived more lifetimes than anyone could imagine, he'd seen the rise and falls of the Lesserworld. He'd seen humanity at its lowest and in his need for adventure, he'd portaled to the Phrost. To make matters worse, the power it took to do so weakened him, preventing him from leaving right away. He spent a year in the Phrost under LuVon's nose and it was then that he realized that both the Phrost and Zelaria could be saved. It was he who whispered into the Zelarian king's ear and encouraged the freeing of the phrostlings.

Ratha was a good ally in the Frost, her family was poor, but she shared what she had. They'd lost touch when her family all but sold her to the Phrost king in exchange for a bit of comfort. It had been years since they had spoken but given the situation Nabeh felt the need to reach out to her.

"Leave them be for now my queen. Safri and Aymon will be our salvation" Nabeh proclaimed before saying his goodbye. Takiia paced her study pondering how she would keep it all to herself. She and Mytho shared everything and if indeed this was some plot, they'd need to be prepared but she would wait; at least until Nabeh checked back.

******

Ratha sat wide eyed listening to Safri's new tale, another child bore the mark of the first dark king. A child born in Zelaria. Ratha was sure to always remind Safri that her father could not know about Fwl'Qudm, Oni or Takiia

"And certainly never speak of Aymon, we can't even say his name aloud. Don't tell anyone my love" Ratha pleaded before sending Safri off to training. LuVon per his usual sat watching his only child with a tiny smile. He had been watching more carefully and in the last few weeks he noticed Safri trained longer, pushed harder and ran faster than he had ever seen. LuVon wanted to be proud, but his pride wouldn't let him, why couldn't she be a boy. One thing was certain to the dark king as he continued watching, Ryo would fall and Safri would rule. The Frost would rule.

As promised Aymon joined his mother to teach Safri to read and during their lunch breaks he always took her to his favorite place. Glla Libwru was the royal's private library dedicated to the Lesserworld housing not only books but artifacts that had been donated by those who had traveled there and returned. The public was welcomed to visit Yshuuna University's collection.

"I want to go there one day, to the Lesserworld" Aymon smiled showing her his favorite things. If not the library, Aymon showed Safri the ins and outs of the castle, they enjoyed sneaking away to the top of the south tower. When the sun was at its peak, a spectrum of colors danced across the sky once its rays caressed the sharp edges of Dimynd'Cit, the Diamond City, they later found that this substance was far stronger than diamonds. After going through every tool, potion and warlock, the Zelarian's found that the only thing capable of manipulating the material in any way was sound. Their only issue was that the required frequency was so high it caused the blood vessels to burst, followed by intense pain as the veins follow and the subject bleeds from every orifice. The land was currently being inhabited and mined by the Fae who could not only withstand but sing at said frequencies.

"We make our armor and weapons from Drerion mined in Dimynd'Cit, it even cuts through the Drynian's dragon scales" Aymon rambled as he often did.

"Our forces are armed by the shards of Frii that collect at the base of the castle's waterfall" Safri revealed about her home. Qudm'Ashe closely bordered the Friiylnds but where the ward divided them, the Phrost's icy waters collected and froze, it's substance the hardest in their lands. They believed that the magic surrounding the wards was responsible for its solidity.

"I want to tell stories and make books like these" he smiled running his fingertips along their spines. Safri took in the art, shaking her head when asked if she painted or could draw.

"If you've never tried, how do you know you aren't good at it?" Aymon asked. Even as a child Aymon tried his best to make everyone happy, Safri was no exception so he promised her they would paint together the next time she visited. Takiia found Safri to be a very quick learner, she absorbed information like a sponge and every day spent with Oni, Aymon and Gmel made the light inside the young princess shine a little brighter. They also found that she was an extraordinary artist. Takiia even kept a painting the young princess gifted her in her study. The portrait of Takiia and Aymon perfectly captured their likeness, and both could feel the effort and love put into the piece. It took weeks since painting at home was difficult but Kwi, Safri's current handmaiden, helped her hide her supplies and such in the floorboards under her bed. The first time her father caught her drawing she was punished, anything that interfered with LuVon's plans for the remainder of her life were confiscated. Fun didn't exist in the Frost, neither did learning, free time or peace in her father's presence. The Frost king detested everything she'd come to love, including herself. Her time in Zelaria had done exactly what Nabeh had hoped, she longed for the light, for Aymon.