Dancing On Ice

Smiles on The Ice

~~~ Double Upload: make sure you read the one before this ~~~

"Why did you do that?"

Cole looked down at Kazimir who sat on the stone bench he stood beside, head bowed as he did up the laces of his ice-skates, hair trailing over his shoulder and hiding his face.

"Do what?" Cole asked.

"Present the queen with that narwhal tusk," Kazimir said.

Cole laughed. "You knew what it was?"

"On sight. Did you ever really believe it was a unicorn horn?"

"Heck no, unicorns don't exists. I stole it was another pirate ship I sank some months back and brought it with me because it's the perfect type of gift to present to the queen – pretending it's from her husband."

"And again, why?"

"Because if she's seen to receive such dramatic gifts from the king, her position is safer and she's happier."

"What do you care of her happiness, I thought you didn't like her."

"I don't. But Dalton asks me to do such things and I love Dalton."

Kazimir straightened up, pushing his hair back from his face, "And why should Dalton care if she's happy or not. She's horrible to him."

"Because he wants a mother," Cole said, as if it were obvious, taking a seat beside Kazimir.

Kazimir looked at him, surprised the thought hadn't occurred to him.

"He wants a mother who loves him, as any son would. I want such a thing – thankfully I have it. I love and adore my own mother, what about you?"

Kazimir was silent for a moment, before nodding slowly. Of course he adored his mother; she had always been there for him. Naturally Dalton might wish for the same thing.

"So he does what he can to make her happy," Dalton continued, leaning back on his hand and looking out over the lake.

It had frozen as he had predicted. The ice was like opal, glittering in the dusk of the setting sun and the fiery torches that lined almost the entire lake, set up earlier that day by servants under Dalton's orders. The stone benches had been cleared of snow and the half dozen pavilions and gazebos around the lake were cleared and done up with blankets and cushions and hot drinks.

Kazimir and Cole had been the first to arrive at the lake.

Kazimir had found skates that fitted well and were worn in enough as to not destroy his feet and set out without waiting for the others. Cole had followed almost instantly, a pair of black battered skates slung over his shoulder.

"So you make Dalton happy by making his mother happy," Kazimir summarised.

"That's about it," Cole said.

Kazimir was quiet, looking down at his skates, wriggling his toes, making sure he really was going to be comfortable.

"Who is your mother?" he suddenly asked, looking at Cole.

Cole blinked, startled by the question before looking at Kazimir. "A whore from the Northern Quarter of the city – I wouldn't recommend going there. Someone as pretty as you will scream 'target'."

Kazimir stared at him, simply stunned that he could refer to his mother – who he claimed he adored – in such brazen words.

Catching Kazimir's thoughts, Cole shrugged. "It's true," he said, "There's no denying what she is. She certainly won't pretend to be anything more than she is. She's done well for herself. Used to be a street girl but His Majesty took a shine to her and she was one of his ladies for a time."