A young girl, ten years
old, stood at attention as the crowd watched. She had short dark blue hair and
wore a dark blue dress with white fur covering her shoulders and her wrists.
The front of her dress was decorated with seven short icicles carved into
diamond shapes. Her round dark eyes met a dozen other eyes in front of her.
“Today,” announced
Frigid, a blonde general of the guards, “is a day of both celebration, and
mourning. His Majesty King Freeze led several of our strongest men into battle
against the Horde on the edge of the Kingdom of Snows. Their leader, Hordak had
attempted to invade our kingdom and steal our wealth and resources. King Freeze
held Hordark off…but gravely, didn’t make it.”
The crowd muttered in low
voices and several younger individuals gasped.
A tear threatened to fall
from Frosta’s eyes, but she held it in. She couldn’t afford to be seen as a
weak child during her coronation.
As an only child, Frosta
had always known that she would become a ruler someday. Both her parents had
taught her etiquette and rules early on. After observing weekly meetings with
the king and the council, she could recite the anthem and the names of the
other kingdoms with her eyes closed.
Despite all the
formalities, Frosta still had time to closely bond with her parents in the late
evening. She remembered the warm smile behind her father’s dark beard as he
watched her practice her ice magic in her bedroom. When she had accidently
froze a butler against the wall who had arrived to her room, her father showed
her how to melt the ice surrounding him.
“Frosty, you must always
be careful,” explained her father. Frosta rolled her eyes at her silly
nickname, but smiled all the same.
Frosta remembered the subtle
reassurances from Queen Iceis, her mother.
“Follow me,” she had said
to her daughter. The two royals entered a hidden passage that led to a dark
cave. They both stopped at a ledge.
A young Frosta pointed at
something glowing from above. “What’s that?”
“The Fractal Flake,” the
queen explained, the light briefly illuminating her long black hair. A large
snowflake-shaped crystal hummed with power and stayed in place. She could feel
the pulse from the gem similar to how she felt her heart beat.
“This gem has powered our
kingdom for hundreds of years,” said the queen. “Its power has been used by
kings and queens of the past to protect our land, as well as replenish their
power. There will come a time, when it will be your turn to assume the throne.
When you do, the crystal’s power will be transferred over to you, amplifying
your power.”
Frosta’s eyes filled with
both wonder and concern. “I know I’ll be able to do it…but what if I cannot?”
“You will,” said her
mother. “There is a reason why we have taught you how to stand your ground so
early. It is to best prepare you in case the inevitable comes.”
Frosta tried to pronounce
“inevitable” and asked what she meant.
“You’ll find out soon
enough,” said the queen. “Now, let’s be off to dinner. The food-tasters should
tell us reports on the food when we arrive.” Frosta wrapped her arms around her
mother in a hug. Shortly after, she returned the embrace.
Frosta didn’t know how
fast time could fly by, until now. How could her mother’s clear ice blue eyes
sparkle with happiness at her, only for them to roll back into her head, days
later. Iceis’ pale white skin became sheer white as her body struggled to fight
off a mysterious poison that had entered her veins. Medics and healers rushed
into the queen’s chambers, doing all they could to heal her. All the meanwhile,
Frosta looked on in fear from the distance, feeling ever so small and vulnerable.
“Definitely poison,
alright,” stated a food taster, lifting his nose up to the silver wine chalice
the queen had drunk out of. “The Horde must have slipped some in when they
arrived with barrels of wine and fish for us.”
“We gave away our weapons
to them for nothing,” spat a guard. “But surely, they would want us on their
side. It must have been a mistake.”
But the queen’s pained
gasps and coughs suggested otherwise. No longer able to stay in one place,
Frosta rushed over to her sick mother. Her mother’s hand was ice cold, yet the
young princess did not let go.
“My time is almost done,
Frosta…” she stuttered. “Remember all the things I have taught you…”
“Mother, please…I’m not
ready…”
“You are ready…you must be ready,” said her mother. “Make
sure that all your subjects are well cared for. Enforce the rules when
necessary. Be strong as a glacier, sharp as ice…but remember to be soft as snow
at times.”
“I…I will make you proud,
mother,” mumbled Frosta, her eyes turning red.
Iceis squeezed her hand
tighter. “Oh, Frosty…you already have…”
Her head turned to the
side and her hand went slack in Frosta’s.
“No! No! Mother!” cried
Frosta. One of the guards tried to pull her to the side, but she screamed and
sobbed loudly. It was the only time when she did not care when she acted like a
child. It was even harder to get back into her responsibilities the next day.
That was the day when the calls of war were heard.
It was the last time she
would ever see her father’s face.
Frosta’s thoughts were
interrupted when she felt something hard being put on her head. It was a small
ice crown.
Who would have imagined
Frosta being crowned on her birthday…and her feeling like the world was already
weighing down on her.
Another man with brown
hair stood by her side and spoke. “By the power vested in me, I hereby crown
you, Frosta, Princess of Snows.”
The crowd clapped
politely, while a few other people looked at her with pity and disbelief in
their eyes. Frosta stared at them icily, daring them to challenge her.
‘Don’t
underestimate me because of my age,’ she thought. ‘You have no idea what I can accomplish.’
“Happy Birthday, Your
Majesty!” called several teenagers as Frosta climbed down the stairs and walked
toward the snack bar. For the rest of the day, she was bombarded with gifts
from other kingdoms and endless requests of joining the Rebellion.
“BrightMoon needs you,
Your Majesty,” said a messenger of Queen Angella who had been sent to her
kingdom. He wore armor and the white garb of BrightMoon. A small insignia, a
crescent moon, was pinned to his chest over his heart. “The Horde have almost
destroyed the Whispering Woods and the Meadowlands. They could be up to
something else!”
Frosta ignored him and
popped a frost covered fish egg into her mouth. “Not interested. Being involved
with the rest of Etheria has only caused problems for our kingdom. It would be
beneficial if the Rebellion and the Horde could solve their problems like real
adults. I suggest you do the same.”
The messenger looked
aghast. “But the princesses…”
“Nope.”
Frosta walked away,
leaving a bewildered messenger behind.
A strong burly man walked
over to her later on while she was chewing a ball of dark chocolate candy. “The
Horde and I have the best technology in the land. With our people and your
kingdom ruling together, all of Etheria could be ours!”
“Not today,” Frosta
replied with a wave of her hand. “Have a nice evening.”
Desperate to get away
from the crowds and noise, Frosta headed back toward the council room.
“Scribe Chiller,” she
ordered. The black haired writer looked up from her seat. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
she asked.
“I want you to create a
new law for this kingdom. Call it the Neutrality Treaty. We will not be
involved with the Horde nor the Princess Alliance anymore.”
“Yes, Princess,” she
nodded, not daring to question Frosta’s orders.
For months afterward,
Frosta felt safer and more secure in her icy palace. The rules and regulations
that had formerly confused her, now served as a good way for her to escape her
troubling thoughts.
Soon enough, the hidden
pain of the loss of her parents and the ever increasing stress of her job made
her perfectionistic.
The rules had to be
followed by the book: no cracks were to be evident in the ice walls and floor.
All the beds had to be carefully made and smooth. The food had to be
meticulously decorated and prepared. And for Snows sake, nothing on the plate
could be touching each other!
Some people may have been
put off by Frosta’s perfectionism and her antisocial ways. The more traditional
nobles and several jokesters called her derogatory things like “youngster,”
“ADHD Autistic Anarchist” and “Lost Frost.” But she didn’t care much anymore.
How could she? Sharp comments weren’t going to penetrate her stone cold stance.
There was no point in pretending like everything was fine and dandy when she
still felt that hollow loneliness each and every day like a gaping hole.
Frosta lived by the rules
and her role, day by day, only letting her emotions flow freely in her bedroom
when she cried herself to sleep. In the back of her mind, she hoped to have her
father and mother appear by her side once more. She imagined them saying that
there hadn’t been a war. That they had made peace with the Horde and that they
would live safely in Snows for the rest of their lives. Certainly, she could
enjoy herself and become queen at 16, the traditional age where she would be
shown proper respect.
But just as quickly as
they came, her hopeful thoughts faded away in a cold blast.
It wasn’t long before
Frosta was almost twelve years old. Her kingdom had kept to itself for a long
time. They had more than enough resources to keep busy and stable.
The day came when
Princess Frosta put together a rule list for the Princess Prom event. The
sooner she got this event over with, the better. Already, the scribe was
working on dozens of other copies to send out across the land.
“All Princess Ball:
Winter Wonderland.” Was written in elaborate script at the top of the scroll. The
rules were listed below.
“Rules:
No weapons allowed in the
palace. Castle guards are the only ones permitted to carry weapons.
No use of magic powers
for harm or fist fighting. Any form of violence will not be permitted.
For the chefs: All food
must be prepared properly (fish and meat frozen with the right amount of ice
power).
All guests must wear
formal attire: (dresses, suits, ties, etc.)
Any princess may bring a
plus one individual with them to the event
Princess Frosta is eleven
and ¾ years old. No one is allowed to mock her or make any comment on her age
or experience.
The day of the prom
arrived. A guard stood by a table, confiscating weapons from the guests. Adora
was very reluctant to let go of her sword. Snow and icicles wrapped around the
columns in the hallway. On and above the double doors were stain glass
snowflake designs. The ballroom was shining with rows of icicles arranged in
rows. People from all walks of life were dancing under colored strobe lights
and pop music. A chandelier of long icicles hung from the high ceiling. A small
band of beautiful women were playing string instruments on top of some stairs
in a corner. An array of fruits and exotic food were positioned on ice covered
shelves, made to be preserved throughout the night. There were small
sandwiches, wrapped hotdogs, cookies, and cupcakes with wintery designs and
colors. A large jelly-like sculpture was positioned at the edge of one table.
A line of guests walked
up the steps to Frosta, who was sitting on her blue and white throne. The
people bowed and greeted her, and they were then escorted back down the stairs
by guards. Frosta didn’t particularly enjoy the moment; for her it was just
another chore, albeit a necessary part of the ancient traditions. It was then
that Adora and princess Glimmer arrived to the front. Adora bowed and Glimmer
curtsied.
“That’s Frosta?” Adora
whispered to Glimmer. “But she’s like…ten!”
A collective gasp came
from the crowd as they heard Frosta’s age mentioned out loud by Adora.
“I’m eleven and three
quarters,” said Frosta coldly. If she could, Frosta would have told her to shut
the hell up.
“Revered hostess,” said
Glimmer. “We come under the ancient rules of hospitality, bringing greetings
from BrightMoon.”
“And She-Ra” added Adora.
“You are welcome under
the rules of hospitality,” Frosta stated. “Leave conflict at the door. Enjoy
the ball.”
Glimmer tried to
remediate the situation and Adora started to say something about the Rebellion
but Frosta had enough. The two princesses were moved along by Frosta’s guards
down the steps.
Later on, during the
party, Frosta went over by the snack bar, wanting to be left alone. She
observed the light orange jelly and the fruit on the table. However, she
noticed out of the corner of her eye, Adora walking over to her from her right.
Chatting with this
disrespectful blonde stranger was the last thing on Frosta’s mind.
“Revered hostess,” said
Adora with a bow. “I’ve come to apologize. I was so rude.”
“Yes, you were,” Frosta
replied bluntly.
Then she turned back to
Adora. “But you’re only an honorary princess. You can’t be expected to know
better.”
Changing the subject,
Adora looked around at the magnificent walls of ice and the vast architecture
of the place.
“Your kingdom is
beautiful. I’m honored to be here.”
“Thank you,” said Frosta,
not looking at Adora.
Frosta sighed in
annoyance, knowing why Adora had decided to speak with her. “You’re gonna ask
me to join your Rebellion?”
“You know about that?”
asked Adora.
“Of course I do,” Frosta
replied.
Just then, one of
Frosta’s guards came over with a tray of food. He offered some to the
princesses.
Frosta looked at the tray
with disapproval. “The snow peas and the cookies are touching. Do it right.”
The guard left.
“Princess Frosta, the
Rebellion needs you,” Adora pleaded. “Your kingdom is powerful. Your alliance
could defeat the Horde.”
“The Horde isn’t a
threat,” stated Frosta. Despite several mishaps, the Horde had kept to
themselves thanks to the Neutrality Treaty. Not even the Horde soldiers could
get into the kingdom back when she lost her parents.
“Because the Kingdom of
Snows is so out of the way,” Frosta added.
“Joining the Rebellion is
your best bet,” said Adora.
At this point, the ice
princess was getting frustrated at the sight of a stranger telling her what her
best choices were.
She had heard comments
like that quite often in the castle, especially after the death of her parents.
“Are
you sure you know what’s best for you?”
“You’re
too little to run a kingdom! Do you even know what you are doing?”
“Maybe
she’s too scared to associate herself with the outside world. Not doing what is
best.”
The truth was, no one
knew what was best for her…except herself. She certainly wasn’t going to let
another person test her like that.
Frosta spoke. “The
Kingdom of Snows has defended itself well for thousands of years. We do not
need your help or your rebellion.”
She turned to Adora.
“Please enjoy the ball.” She left with her guards by her side.
Frosta was sitting back
on her throne, doing her usual routine of meeting and greeting her guests. She
was about to go into another state of boredom when she saw two guests that
stood out from the crowd: Catra and Scorpia from the Horde. Catra was wearing a
fancy maroon suit, while Scorpia was wearing an elegant black dress and red gem
earrings.
“Revered hostess!” called
Adora in concern.
‘Not
this again,’ thought Frosta.
“They’re from the Horde!”
Adora yelled, pointing at the two villains.
‘So
what?’
“Hostess,” said Catra.
“Princess Scorpia was invited per the rules of this ball. Rules which I personally
have utmost respect for.”
“You do not!” shouted
Adora to Catra.
“Princess Adora,” said
Frosta sternly. “The rules clearly state that all princesses are welcome.”
“They’re up to something.
I can feel it!”
“Enough,” Frosta said.
“You see a child, but I have worked too hard to gain respect, only to throw
away because you feel they’re up to something.”
It was quite clear that
Adora had no evidence to back up her statement.
“The All-Princess Ball is
neutral. I will not dishonor that legacy,” finished Frosta. “Scorpia is a
princess. Princesses get plus ones. They Stay.”
Adora grumbled in defeat
and deviance.
After the guests left,
Frosta grumbled, “Teenagers.”
The guests were all
scattered around the ballroom now, eating food, and chatting with their
friends. With no more people to greet and the time drawing near, Frosta stood
up and announced, “It is my duty as hostess to announce, it is time for the
first dance.”
The crowd flooded toward
the dance floor, laughing and pairing up in couples. Frosta watched and saw
Adora and Catra dancing…and arguing at the same time. The dancing remained
uninterrupted…until Adora suddenly pushed Catra into an ice structure, breaking
it. The music stopped and the crowd gasped.
‘I
knew Adora was trouble,’ thought Frosta.
Frosta stomped over and
with a raise of her hands, entrapped Adora in a cage of ice.
Frosta glared at Adora.
“The Princess Ball is a ceremony of unity. Violence is forbidden.”
“You don’t understand…”
started Adora.
“I understand perfectly,”
spat Frosta. “In accordance with the rules over the centuries, I hereby revoke
your invitation. You are to leave my kingdom and never, ever…”
A sudden loud explosion
interrupted Frosta’s reprimand. Then a series of crystal bombs went off one after
the other. Guests screamed and ran away in a panic. The food and plates crashed
to the ground and crack appeared in the walls.
“Remain calm!” ordered
Frosta to the crowd. Frosta knew what she had to do next. There was no time to
stop the mysterious intruders. She had to keep her kingdom safe. She ran off,
flanked by two of her guards.
Frista raced down the
hall toward the secret passageway.
“Help get everyone out of
here. If you see the intruders, freeze and restrain them.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” said
the guards.
Frosta opened the ice
covered door, which blended in well with the rest of the ice wall from a
distance. Heart pounding, Frosta ran in the dark, searching for the beacon of
light. Finally she found it: the Fractal Flake. She stopped, took a deep breath
and raised both of her hands.
In several seconds, the
falling debris that had threatened to fall on the guests froze in mid fall.
Slowly, the castle started to amend itself. The roof closed back together, a
light fixture flew back up into place and the large star structure outside the
palace was fitting itself back together. Frosta strained herself and grunted
with effort. If she was going to risk collapsing or even death protecting her
kingdom, then that’s what she would do.
Once the palace was fully
repaired, Frosta gasped for breath and fell to her knees on the cold ground.
How did all of this
happen? Here was an event that only happened once a decade, which was supposed
to be harmonious and secure. Seeing the two sides in harmony would have
strengthened Frosta’s confidence of her rule.
Now, everything had
fallen apart.
Frosta had lost her
parents. She had lost her sense of security and safety.
And now…though she was
reluctant to admit it, she had lost her trust in the Horde.
She wiped away some tears
that had fallen down her face.
‘I
have failed you, mother, father,’ she stuttered through her
sobs. ‘I almost failed my kingdom. What
am I supposed to do now?’
She clenched her fists
and stood up. “I…I must go back outside. Tend to those who may be wounded.
Reassure the public.” She remembered some advice from her father: “Professional
in public, playful in private.”
Maybe…perhaps maybe…this
Adora person was right after all.
But would joining the
Rebellion really be her best bet? Even if it meant going against her centuries
long tradition of neutrality? Her Neutrality Law was, in fact, nothing new. Her
parents made a similar law, as did her grandparents and the ones before them.
It was expected of a ruler to be partial and logical…never to fight unless the
enemy invaded first.
Which of course, they
had.
With one last surge of
energy, Frosta stood up and raised her hands once more. This time, huge towers
of ice rose up from the outside and encased the palace like a triangular
shield. Now her kingdom was more isolated and insulated than ever.
She now felt safe…but
never had she felt more alone.
She made her way out of
the chamber and was met with one of her messengers, a young man named Frigid.
“Your Majesty, no one appears to be hurt after the bombs went off. There were
reports of two men in blue coats taking away Princess Adora’s comrades.”
Another messenger came
over, this time a woman with dark hair, Glace.
“We think that Bow and
Glimmer have been taken away by spies. They disguised themselves as our guard!”
“And the Horde must have
set off the bombs. That scorpion princess was suspiciously nowhere to be seen…”
“Alright, I understand,”
said Frosta holding up her hands.
She cleared her throat. “Strengthen
the defenses. Search the castle for any other intruders. See to it that all
weapons are observed and stored away.
“Yes Princess,” said
Glace. The two messengers wandered off to their duties.
Days and weeks passed. Frosta
sat in with the council, going over document after document. She wore her usual
blue coat, tan pants, and blue boots. She was about to sign a Treaty from the
Horde when she felt a strange uncomfortable feeling in her stomach.
It wasn’t from hunger nor
was it cramps. It was the everlasting feeling of fear and dread. Even her hands
had begun to shake of their own accord.
“Excuse me for a moment,”
she said. Frosta walked fast out of the room, leaving the council members in
confusion.
When Frosta felt the
Fractal Flakes power diminish, she knew that something was not right.
It felt like another,
much darker power was trying to corrupt it. Although it felt far away, she knew
that the force could grow increasingly closer. It was a feeling of dread that
she couldn’t seem to let go of.
Her fears were further
confirmed when she saw a pale blue light shine up into the dark sky. She knew
what it was: a distress beacon from BrightMoon!
Perhaps it was the time
for her to do something different.
Perhaps it was the time
for her to take action and go outside her comfort zone.
Making her way into her
office, she came across the Neutrality Treaty that she had meticulously put
together…and threw it out of a nearby open window.
The wind blew away the
documents and Frosta felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Her previous life
of rules and solitude had blown away.
If the Rebellion truly
needed her help, than that is what she would have to do.
“Princess?” asked one of
two guards, who were standing outside her door. “Are you alright?”
“Go back to your
positions. Don’t let anyone know I’m gone. If I don’t come back…”
“You’re leaving?” asked
one of the guards.
“To help save the
Rebellion. I sense that something bad is happening.”
“But the Neutrality Treaty…”
“Is henceforth
disregarded!” she declared. Frosta never believed that those words would ever
leave her lips.
Her guards stood in
frozen shock. They wondered if Frosta had lost her mind.
Which, due to the events,
she most likely had.
“If I don’t make it, tell
the people that I left this world with honor,” she finished, managing to make
her face emotionless.
“Princess, wait!” the
guards called with concern.
But Frosta jumped out the
window and shot long sheets of ice from her hands as she fell.
The ice rose from the
ground and created an icy path that Frosta slid down and across. She moved
gracefully as if she were wearing ice skates instead of her blue boots.
Red lightning flashed
across the sky, lighting the world in a blood red glow. The sight made Frosta’s
hair stand on end.
‘No
time to back away now. I must do what is right for my kingdom.’
She slipped over the
Whispering Woods…or what was left of them. The majority of the ground was
frozen below. As she came up to the palace of BrightMoon, she saw quite a
sight.
Horde tanks were firing
green blasts at the castle. One of the blasts fired by Catra made impact with
the large stand that held the Moonstone upright. It stared to crack in half and
threatened to fall, bringing the Moonstone to its doom under the lake. With a
quick flick of her wrist, the stand holding the gem was encased in ice.
She proceeded to blast
more Horde soldiers away with her powers.
Adora and the other
princesses looked happy to see her.
Frosta flipped through
the air and landed in front of She-Ra. “I hope I’m not too late,” she stated.
“No, you’re right on
time,” said Adora.
For the first time in a
long time, Frosta smiled. Then feeling impatient with Glimmer teleporting again
and the group reuniting, she said, “Let’s do this already,” holding her staff
in front of her.
Feeling a new energy within her, Frosta fought
alongside the other princesses, forcing the Horde to retreat. She shot blasts
of ice from a long staff she carried in her left hand.
Soon, the Moonstone
brightened up the world, healed Glimmer and made things right again. When
Frosta joined the other group of princesses who gave She-Ra extra power in
rainbow waves, Frosta had never felt such happiness before. She glowed in a
blue aura, with Perfuma and Glimmer on either side of her.
With victory for the
Rebellion, Glimmer shook Frosta hard with glee, which she did not expect nor
appreciate. Later, Frosta found herself cheering with Perfuma after the rainbow
of power had been unleashed. “We did it!” both of them cheered. “We defeated
them together! Isn’t this wonderful?” She happily hugged Perfuma and she hugged
her back.
‘So
this is what friendship is like,’ Frosta thought. For the
first time in a while, Frosta truly felt like a kid again.
‘Mother and Father would be proud of me. If
only they could see me now!’
As Frosta said her
goodbyes and skated back to her kingdom, she did not know what the future would
hold for her. In the back of her mind, she knew that the Horde was still out
there. They would stop at nothing to conquer the land of Etheria along with the
whole world. Now, she realized that her kingdom would be included on their
list.
Her visit back was met
with celebration and some apprehension. There were still people who could not
accept a mere child ruling their kingdom but they were few and far between. The
castle was now fully cleaned, repaired, and routines were set back in order. It
was the same as it usually was.
Only this time, Frosta
made plans to interact and travel with the Princess Alliance and help out in
any way possible. Even though at times, she still had high expectations of
other people.
No matter what the future
would bring, Frosta would meet it head on like an unyielding glacier. To
herself, she had the audacity to thank the Horde for what they had done. For
without their involvement, Frosta would not have grown stronger and more
resilient. Their attack at the Princess Prom made her want to defeat them more
than ever before. It was a peculiar surge of adrenaline that she formerly, was
not allowed to feel.
Being with her friends
was…freeing. Weird, no doubt, but also freeing.
Deep down inside herself,
Frosta knew she had made the right decision. She would not just honor tradition…she
would expand upon it, alter it to better her kingdom for the good of her
people. It was a daunting task for such a young girl who was so used to
routine…but then again, she was one not to be underestimated.
One thing was for
sure…her memories of her new friends would stay frozen in her mind for a long
time.
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