Snowflakes and Roses [[Ice]]

[Alaria]

Alaria walked along the court yard. In complete civilian attire today, the only weapon she had on her was her tongue. She is a smart mouth who never knows when to shutup. In a white gown with sleeves that ended in points at her fingers, she looked pretty nice. Diamonds encrusted the neckline, which was low cut, but did not reveal much of anything. The waistline matched the neckline.

Alaria's hair lay down today, no bun, no braid, just straight. It hung over her shoulders and almost touched the surface of the water she was hanging over. She was sitting on a fountain, looked at the fish that swam in it. Her finger traced a line in the water, leaving ripples that made the fish twitch and swim away. Smileing, she hummed a tune and watched her reflection. Battle scared was the only thing that came to mind. She had a long white scar that was barely visable on her plae complection. It was from a dagger that had found its way to bite into her skin. The scar went from her left eye to her collarbone. The owner of the dagger who did that lay in a grave now, never again to hurt a woman.

Alaria sat loosely, just humming a soft tune. No need to be tense and uptight right now. She was in the middle of her city. The war was far off. She could surely be dressed casually. Well, as casual as the Northerners got. Everyone was dressed like this. If someone were to come along and attack her, she could easily defeat them in hand to hand combat, but she wasn't counting on any assasins or trouble doers today.

Now laying on the side of the fountain, her white slippered feet propped her up. The fish finally swam back to her and she stuck her finger in the water. A trail of fish leaped from the water as she drew her finger back. Each on was bent on eating it, as they thought it a worm. Laughing, she did it once more, she splashed the fish away. Hopefully it would snow today.

[Ice]

"Fascinating, isn't it." Ice said, standing nearby, underneath a white tree, looking across the Frozen Park to Alaria sitting by the fountain. One of the few fountains with water still unfrozen.

Ice moved across the park in long strides to sit beside Alaria, watching the water below, where the fish were moving, somewhat slower than before. "These fish only live here, where water is more often than not frozen, and every time the water freezes, they simply slow down and stop living. Then, days, months or years down the track, when the ice turns back to water they will be alive again, preserved in their original state."

Ice watched them as they continued slowing, it was getting colder. He enjoyed it out here, where the troubles of being High Lord were lifted off his shoulders and he was able to be himself, not a politician with a shroud around his true nature.

[Alaria]

Alaria started and almost fell into the fountain. Catching herself, she turned around and then stood up, only to go into a curtsey. She wanted to dip her head, but did not, as she didn't want it to be completly obvious it was her Lord that was here.

High Lord Ice! She settled herself onto the side of the fountain. Indeed, the water was starting to freeze, leaving the fish in it unaware. Turning back to him, her silver eyes focused on him. He was sitting next to her, his own eyes focusing on the fish. A smile tugged on her lips, and she tucked hair behind her ears.

Yes, fascinating. I've never seen that before. It must be nice to be away from politics. Alaria speaks whats on her mind, even to her Lord. Most Lords or Ladys would have her killed, but Ice was tollerant. To the most part. Returning her gaze to the fish, they were finally frozen. Touching her finger to the ice, it was cool and wonderful underneath her fingertip. The nail on her finger traced along it, running alongside the fountain. Pulling her finger back, she set her palm on the side of the fountain.

Alaria turned back to her Lord, head cocked a little. Handsome for sure. Maybe thats why Cailen made peace between the two people. Maybe, maybe not. Staring is rude. Turning her head away, she looked around. The white tree he was standing under was heavy with snow on its branches. If he stood under it for a few seconds more, he would have been covered in the snow. And there it went. The snow fell to the ground in a puff of powder. She laughed.

How are you High Lord?

[Ice]

Ice sighed. "It's what I was born to do, I don't have a choice." He looked at her, and his eyes shone with a melancholy seriousness. Pale blue seas of acception. "We all have a place within out world." Ice said, turning his eyes back to the frozen water caught in time. "We just have to find it, and fulfil it." He smiled absently, surprised by what he had just said. Sometimes talking without worrying what he would say actually worked. Pity he couldn't do it when working. He had to be careful then, and always on guard.

Ice looked up just to see her turn her head the other way. He smiled, looking at her from his position sitting just next to her, on the cold stone of the frozen fountain. The light was shining on the ice, and reflecting across her face. It was as if the white light was attracted to her beauty. He was still tense, his back in a perfect posture, his shoulders back and his head hgh. It was how he had been taught to sit, and it was how he always would. In or out of court. First impressions were the impressions that counted, he figured. They were hard to undo and reform.

But she was looking across at the tree now, and the snow had fallen on the ground. Trees could be dangerous in the North like that sometimes. Ice often thought about it when walking in the Ice Forest. Fallen Angels must just have an ability to sense when it would occur. He wouldn't be surprised.

"I am good." Ice said.

And he believed it.

[Alaria]

Alaria could feel his eyes burning into her body. Not in a bad way, but more or less just watching. She turned her head, and watched him. He had incredible posture. He sat straight and tall, head up, shoulders back. Posture means everything. If you dont have good posture, then meeting someone is pointless. You need it for appearence. It makes you look either god or bad.

I agree. And I'm glad to know that you're well. She watched him, matching his posture with her own. Smileing, she watched the fish. They were frozen in place, not to be thawed out for a while. She blinked, and looked up. Snow was beginning to fall. It showered them, blanketing them with its warmth. Funny, most people dont think of snow as warm. But for the Notherners, it is pretty warm.

Do you want to walk High Lord? And by the way, if you dont know, my name is Alaria. She stood up and stretched, arms rising into the air. Lowering them, she pulled her boots from behind the fountain. Slipping her feet into the white deerskin, she watched her High Lord. Handsome.

[Ice]

Ice smiled, near the point of laughing somewhat affectionally as she matched his posture. He also became quite aware of her breasts when she straightened her back. He tried not to stare at them, he wasn't a perve. Never the less, he couldn't help but notice them. He was just a man, after all.

He nodded as she turned back to look at the fish, and the light began to dance across her features once more, and snow was falling around her. Surronding her in a veil that could not match her beauty. It settled upon her hair, and on the end of her nose. He smiled again before diverting his eyes, realising he'd been staring a tad too long. Snow settled in his hair and only his face, the only exposed skin, but he was not aware of it. He was only aware of Alaria. For some reason they were sitting closer now. Had he moved closer or had she? He wasn't sure. Did it make much difference?

"I would be glad to walk, Alaria." He said, standing up and offering his hand to her, looking down at her. Again aware of her body. He knew her from afar, but had never held a decent conversation with her. Now was the best time for it.

[Alaria]

Alaria blushed slightly. She had caught him looking at her. He stood up and offered his hand to her, which she lightly took. Her soft hand fell perfectly into his. Grinning, she stood.

Thank you. The snow is beautiful. I love it. If only the rest of the world could see it like us. Her boots made soft indents in the snow as she walked, which were much smaller in size than Ice's. There were now no people here, and she liked it that way. More time to get to know her Lord.

You should know, I barely made it out alive when I got you the stone. Dagwyn the Drifter caught my face with his blade in an attempt to behead me. But I'm much to fast for them. A sly grin fell on her face. MUCH to fast.

[Ice]

Ice was completely oblivious to the fact she had caught him looking at her. He did notice her blush though, and frowned slightly, trying to think of what it might have been that caused her cheeks to turn such a pretty pink. It was quite fetching, really.

"Someday it will." Ice said, looking around the deserted frozen park. The snow hung heavy over the picturesque moment, and Ice, dressed in his white clothing fitted into the scene perfectly, like he had been born as a part of the scenery of Svëna. Perhaps he had been, but he was not part of the background. Even if he had wished such. The foreground was his domain, a place of public viewing and judgement.

He smiled after she mentioned the Amethyst of Eternity. "Will there ever be a moment where conversations do not revert back to the war?" Ice asked lamentfully. He wanted a light conversation, a conversation devoid of the terrors of the world outside the park.

[Alaria]

Alaria stiffened, then relaxed. She hadn't even meant to mention the war, but had. As she walked, her fingers somehow found their way to the bushes near them, and she brushed the snow off the as the two walked.

I'm sorry High Lord. Please forgive me. It came out a little forced. She hated to say she was sorry. Her back was straight, her face set. These awkward silences killed her. The snow stopped falling, and she smiled. It was always like this.

Yes, someday the world will see what our wonderland looks like. A white fox ran out in front of her and she let it go by. But before it did, it stopped before them. Bending, she was able to lay her hand on its head, and pet it. It pushed its head against her hand and then took off. Standing, Alaria brushed her cold fingers to her dress.

Picking up her pace again, she was soon by his side. Looking up at him, she examined his features. Strong, prominent and handsome. As she walked, she lightly brushed his side and smiled. Her audacity could get her in trouble, but she wasn't one to run scared.

[Ice]

Ice laughed out loud, a merry laugh, joyful. After a while he turned to Alaria and said lightly, "you know you don't have to keep calling me High Lord." He laughed again. "It's Ice."

He stopped to watch her pet the Svënan Fox as it ran past. He had never known anyone to be able to do that to a fox before. She had a way with nature that was alien to him, even when she brushed the bush. She seemed so at peace around what the living world had to offer her. She was a beautiful woman, in a beautiful scene, and she blended together with it, like she had been there all along, just out of sight.

Ice felt her body brush against his, and couldn't hide a sly smile from creeping onto his face. He glanced at her for a moment before wrapping his hand around her, holding her hip as they walked, now not really thinking about the park around them, far more distracted as they were by things far closer.

[Alaria]

Alaria felt his warm embrace as he pulled her closer. Grining, she came. He laughed and said to not call him High Lord all the time. True, she hated calling him that. It always made her feel lower than he, even though the pair were the same age.

Okay. Ice it is. Laughing, she continued to walk, her white gown trailing behind them. Yes it was normal temperature in the North right now, but she had goosebumps rising all over her arms. Not from the cold, but from being so close to her Lord.

Alaria brought her thin hand to her face in though, her fingers wrapping around her chin. As they did, they stammered around the scar, startled by it. Gathering her bearings, she moved closer to him. He was handsome to boot. Whoever said that royalty weren't great was wrong. Ice has done many things for them. He brought them a victory. He brought her his presence. He brought her comfort.

Her head leaned on his shoulder and the metal headband she wore shuffled in its place. The small ruby in its center gleamed in the sun that was beginning to come out from behind the clouds.

Ice, dont you ever want to just go out and forget that you're a Lord for one day? Just be one of the people that occupy the North? To go ice skating, go on walks, hang around with your friends.... She trailed off, reminiscing in memories. Alaria thought about her own friends. What friends? She had Sampson, and Ice now, but who else? Cailen for sure. Snapping out of it, she looked up at him. Dazzling eyes. Got to love those eyes.

[Ice]

Ice had noticed her scar, it had stood out on her features when he had first met her. But now it was as if the scar was not there. It had been an imperfection so long ago, but now it no longer existed, she looked perfect. He noticed her fingers lightly trace the white line, but respectfully did not mention it, and suddenly it was invisible again. He felt her grow closer to him, and looked down at her, a sly smile growing across his face as her head rested against his shoulder. Her hair was soft, and a pale blond where most Ice Warriors had white hair. It was a beautiful colour, and made her stand out from the crowd slightly.

Ice smiled sadly as she spoke of forgetting. "Some things . . . cannot be forgotten." Ice said, stopping. The park was deserted, there was no one around watching them, seeing them, possible able to report them. He looked down to her eyes, and they shone with an innocent knowing. "I will always be High Lord, it's not something that can be escaped. I cannot be a background figure. But going ice skating sounds like a good plan. It might not be forgotten, but it can be . . . put aside for a time." Ice smiled, a crown weighed more than people would think it did, but one day alone with Alaria would do him good.

He raised her chin slightly and smiled as he leaned in to kiss her.

[Alaria]

She was slightly flustered and it started to show when he stopped. He turned her around and began to explain how he can't simply forget that he is High Lord. She was about to speak but decided not to. Good thing, because he was speaking again. Ice skating sounded fun? Grinning wryly, she watched him.

I understand perfectly. Maybe one day we can go skating together then. He tilted up her chin and his touch made her skin get even more goosebumps. Shivering, she leaned into him as he leaned into her, her hands finding his face. They lips met and she melted into him. Her body came to fit perfectly in his.

Alaria felt like she couldn't breath. It was all so wonderful. Pulling away a while later, she had a tiny blush in her face. Well, most girls would if they were in her position. She was kissing her High Lord. That was any girl's dream!

[Ice]

Ice looked down at her, a somewhat affectionate smile dancing across his face, breaking his normally solemn features. He looked down at her, and saw another light red blush across her pretty face. She was smiling, perhaps nervously, it was fetching, and made her look only more beautiful as snow danced around them, caught on wisps of wind that were unseen to the lovers, holding each other deep within the white frozen park, coated in a new blanket of snow bringing new life, and burying worries of the past. So far away they seemed now.

Ice wasted little time in leaning forward for a far longer-lasting, more passionate kiss.

Her lips tasted more sweet than anything that Ice had tasted, and her skin was colder than the snow itself. Her skin was smoother than a frozen lake, and her body was more beautifully shaped than any other woman he had ever seen. Her hair was a waterfall of liquid white-gold and her eyes were pools of pale blue light, loving and innocent.

He put one hand around her lower back, and the other was at her face. He drew her closer to his own body and they continued their embrace, cut off from time or the outside world.

[Alaria]

He didnt take long to kiss her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and came closer to him, her white dress touching his own white apparel. As they kissed her mind ran over a efw different things about him. He was like an addiction that she would never get over. His lips tasted like candy, his hands were strong yet gentle. He was perfect. The way his white hair was placed, the way he walked, talked. Everything.

One of his hands found its way to her lower back, then other to her face. She arched her back to come closer to him. Something she remember the most however, was his smile. It was so deliclious. As she pictured his smile again, she couldn't help but smile. It was contagious. Her thin fingers found themselves twirled around his white hair, and her eyelashes were coated with snow. His body heat radiated off them, and her only added to the warmth.

Ice truely was everything that you could ever want. Alaria felt the blush leaving her cheeks. In what seemed like forever they had walked, talked, and kissed. And now they were kissing again. Only this time, it was sweet. His hands were rough like a man's, but gentle in touch. His body was firm against hers, muscular from years of battle and such. Her hair was blown out to the side of them as the wind began to pick up, sending a flurry of snow spiraling around them. Each little snow flake seemd to dance in joy, just barely mimicking what Alaria was feeling right now.