East Kingdom, 4 years earlier
The sound of horse hooves against the dirt floor echoed through the entire East Kingdom forest the Ice Queen's army was returning to the castle just after completing their cunning and cruel mission. In the back of their carriages were hundreds of children from the villages they had looted and destroyed, children who would soon realize their terrible fate once they reached that castle. But among them all, there was one just one child who did not fear whatever her destiny might be, or what it might bring her.
Meanwhile, on the balcony of her castle, stood Freya. The queen awaited her army's arrival, her gaze fixed on the horizon, her mind filled with unpleasant thoughts and memories. This always happened on "recruitment" days it was inevitable, even for the cold Queen of the East, the feeling of guilt and disgust that consumed her when she thought of the many families and lives destroyed because of her.
— Stop being pathetic, Freya, — she whispered angrily to herself. — Losses are necessary to win a war. — she spoke firmly, repeating the phrase she always used to at least try to justify her cruel acts.
The queen straightened up and closed her eyes as she felt the icy wind hit her face, a long sigh escaping her lips. No matter how many times she repeated that phrase to herself, the guilt would never stop torturing her already tormented soul. Still, the hatred and bitterness inside her kept her from leaving this bloody war behind.
— Your Majesty... — Freya was pulled from her thoughts by the voice of her loyal soldier, and sometimes lover, Megan.
The queen took a deep breath, already knowing what was coming. Once she composed herself, she put on her well-known mask of indifference and turned toward her right hand.
— Speak, Megan, — she replied coldly, staring at her.
The young soldier swallowed dryly and cleared her throat before speaking.
— The army has just arrived, Your Majesty... — she began somewhat cautiously.
Megan, more than anyone, knew she had to be careful how she spoke to the queen. On recruitment days, she became more irritable and violent than usual.
— How many? — asked Freya, without showing any expression.
Megan allowed herself a small, proud smile. Freya was still surprised by how cruel and cold her general could be.
— About 150 children, Your Majesty, — Megan said proudly, as if announcing a great achievement on her part.
The queen simply nodded and turned back to the balcony. That news did not make her happy in fact, it made her stomach twist horribly.
— Why are you still here? — Freya demanded, irritated, as soon as she noticed her general's presence, even after she had dismissed her.
Megan flinched slightly at the rise in the queen's tone but quickly composed herself and prepared to deliver news that would certainly anger the ice-cold woman.
— Forgive me, Your Majesty, it's just that we have a small problem... — Megan held her breath as the queen turned her attention back to her. — There's a girl in one of the carriages, must be about 14. She caused us some trouble almost killed one of our soldiers and injured two others. We wanted to know if Your Majesty wished to "speak" with this girl. — Megan spoke directly she knew beating around the bush would only make the queen angrier.
Freya took a deep breath, feeling a strong pain in her temples from the stress overwhelming her.
— Are you telling me that one of my highly trained soldiers... — she began, her breath unsteady — almost let himself be killed by a child? — Freya shouted.
With her scream, ice spikes shot from one of her palms, heading straight for Megan. Luckily, the general managed to dodge them in time and quickly tried to explain herself.
— Forgive us, Your Majesty! We truly made a mistake, but this girl is different from the other children she knew how to fight very well for her age. If you meet her, you'll understand what we mean. — Megan pleaded.
Freya controlled her breathing until it returned to normal, then sighed.
— Take me to where this girl is, — the queen ordered coldly.
Somehow, she knew Megan wasn't lying, and as much as she wouldn't admit it, the fact that the girl had almost killed one of her most trained soldiers had piqued her curiosity.
Megan didn't think twice she simply agreed with her queen and gave a reverent bow before guiding her to where the girl was.
When they reached an isolated corner away from the other carriages, they saw a carriage more rusted than the others. Beside it stood two soldiers, and one lay on the ground struggling to breathe. Directing her gaze to the man on the ground, the queen noticed a deep cut on his abdomen, bleeding heavily one that would likely lead to the soldier's death.
Freya raised an eyebrow, thoughtful.
"How could a child have caused all this damage?" the ice-cold woman wondered.
— Open the cell, — Freya ordered.
She stared at the cell door, trying to catch a glimpse of the girl who had caused so much trouble. One of the soldiers didn't even question the queen's order he just took the padlock key and stood in front of the bars.
As soon as the bars opened, all that could be seen was a dark shadow leaping onto the soldier with impressive speed. The queen took a few steps back in surprise, her gaze falling on the girl still on top of the man. She was very thin, her clothes were worn, and on the exposed parts of her skin, like her arms and legs, there were bruises and dirt.
Where exactly had her men taken this girl from? Freya was curious to know the answer.
The queen was only pulled from her thoughts when she saw her general move toward the girl and try to pull her off the soldier. As soon as Megan grabbed the girl from behind, the child headbutted her the general staggered back, bringing her hands to her now-bleeding nose.
— You damn brat! — she shouted angrily, feeling her nose throb with pain.
The little girl smirked and got up from on top of the man, ready to run as far as her legs could take her. But when she took her first step, she frowned upon realizing her foot wouldn't lift off the ground. She looked down and grew even more confused seeing a layer of ice covering her feet, keeping them stuck to the ground.
— What the... — the girl whispered to herself as she tried to run again. It was useles she was trapped there.
The Queen of the East, who until then had remained still and quiet, slowly approached the little girl. Feeling someone approaching, the girl lifted her head, coming face to face with a pair of blue eyes that made her freeze not out of fear, as everyone who met that gaze did, but because she was hypnotized. She had only seen a look like that once in her life, when she stared at her own reflection in the edge of a river that gaze was intense, and few people could understand what lay within it. But the little girl knew exactly what was there.
Freya wondered what the girl saw in her eyes that she hadn't looked away even once. She decided to set that aside and took advantage of the girl having stopped fighting to study her more closely. The little girl was pretty, even in her current condition her eyes were light brown, her skin had a tanned tone, indicating she wasn't from the East Kingdom, her hair was brown and fell just below her shoulders, and her features were strong and striking.
— Where are you from, girl? — Freya asked seriously—after all, this girl was giving her quite a headache.
Hearing the question, the girl snapped out of her brief trance and stared at the woman in front of her, her gaze soon falling on the crown atop her head. The little girl sighed.
— That's none of your business, Your Majesty, — the girl said, sarcastically referring to Freya. She really wasn't happy about having to deal with royalty after so long.
The queen looked at the girl, somewhat surprised it had been a long time since anyone had challenged her like that. Freya bent down slightly until her face was level with the little girl's, using her most intimidating expression, which didn't seem to affect the child.
— Do you have any idea who I am, girl? You shouldn't speak to me like that, — Freya said, indignant at the girl's audacity.
The little girl let out a humorless laugh and kept her eyes on the queen's, fearlessly.
— Given the crown on your head, I'd guess you're the queen of this place, — she said, looking around for a moment. — But with all due respect, Majesty... — she brought their faces closer. — I don't care. — the girl said without a trace of fear.
— Aren't you afraid to die, you foolish child? — the queen asked, irritated.
The little girl smiled and shrugged carelessly.
— Sorry to disappoint you, Queen, but I'm not afraid of anything, — the girl replied, showing no remorse.
— Let's see if that's true, then, — Freya said sarcastically.
She grabbed the girl's left shoulder and used her magic to slowly freeze her from the inside out. Contrary to what the queen expected, the girl didn't scream or beg for mercy the ice had already formed a thin layer over half her body, and she just stared at Freya, still without fear in her eyes. As the ice took over her body, her eyes turned white Freya knew the girl would soon be dead, and she still couldn't believe the child truly seemed unafraid of death.
— You are brave, girl, — the queen said before removing her hand from the girl's shoulder.
The ice gradually disappeared until only the mark of the queen's hand and fingers remained on the girl's shoulder a mark that would never fade. Freya looked at the spot and smirked, knowing it would never let the girl forget the near-death sensation she had given her. As soon as her body thawed, the girl let out the breath she seemed to have been holding for a long time. She brought one of her hands to her left shoulder and clenched her jaw, irritated, as she felt with her fingertips the raised imprint of the queen's hand on her skin.
— Why don't you just kill me? You know I won't stop fighting as long as I can breathe! — the girl shouted, staring at the woman in front of her.
Freya gave a sadistic smile, looking at the girl.
— I'm counting on that, — she said sarcastically. — From today on, you will serve me. You will be raised and trained to be part of my army your strength, your loyalty, and your life belong to me. The one and only purpose of your miserable life will be to serve me. I hope you understand. — Freya said coldly before turning her back on the girl and starting to walk toward the castle.
— And who says I'll follow your orders? Your Majesty has already seen I don't even fear death, so why would I fear you? — the girl said reluctantly.
She still didn't fear the queen or death, but she knew the sensation of being frozen from the inside out wasn't exactly comfortable. Freya stopped in her tracks and turned to the girl again, staring into the girl's brown eyes with her well-known imposing and authoritative air.
— Do you think I don't recognize a gaze like yours? That expression on your face? Only those who have no reason to live don't fear death, girl. I'm giving you a purpose something to fill that emptiness inside you. It's simple: I'll give you shelter and food, and in return, you will fight in my name and dedicate your life to me. Or would you prefer to keep wandering aimlessly, just waiting and wishing for death? Think carefully this choice is yours. — Freya said before snapping her fingers and making the ice on the girl's feet disappear.
The girl remained standing in place, thinking about what decision to make. To many, it would seem insane that she needed to think about her choice instead of immediately running away but what the queen had said about her was true. She had no reason to live when Freya's soldiers found her, she was just wandering through the East woods, waiting, or even wishing, for death. Since she lost her kingdom and her family, she had nothing, and no matter how dirty and dishonorable that purpose the queen was offering might be, it was a purpose.
The girl then made her choice. She grabbed the nearly dead soldier's sword from the ground and walked quickly toward the queen. Megan, who was still focused on her broken nose, panicked when she saw the girl heading toward her queen with a sword in hand. Before she could do anything, the girl raised the sword and plunged it not into Freya, as everyone there expected, but into the ground, right behind the ice-cold woman. To everyone's surprise, the girl knelt before the sword and lowered her head, eyes on the ground. Freya turned around and looked at her, curious about this unexpected attitude.
— I accept your proposal, Queen, but I have one condition, — the girl said, lifting her gaze toward the queen.
Freya allowed herself an almost imperceptible smile at the girl's audacity—it amused her in a way, though she would never admit it.
— State your condition, girl, — the queen permitted.
Megan was stunned and irritated. Freya had never allowed anyone to impose conditions or rules on her so why was she letting this child challenge her like this instead of killing her outright?
— I will accept your proposal and dedicate my life to serving and protecting Your Majesty, — the girl said with a confident smile. — In return, I ask that you give me your word that you will no longer invade any village with the goal of taking children from their families. Promise me that the children your army kidnapped today will be the last you use as war machines. — the girl said firmly.
The queen stared at her, stunned. Of all the possibilities that had crossed her mind about what the girl's condition might be, this was the last one Freya would have guessed.
— So tell me, child... — she began in a mocking tone. — Why would I give up hundreds of soldiers for just one? — Freya asked, arching an eyebrow.
The girl smiled and shook her head as she stood up, facing the queen directly. Freya was still surprised that the girl wasn't afraid to stand up to her.
— With just a broken piece of stone and no training, I almost managed to kill one of your most trained soldiers. Wouldn't Your Majesty like to bet on what I can do with a real sword and real training? — the girl challenged.
Freya allowed herself to think for several long seconds before making her decision. No matter how reckless and foolish it might seem in her eyes, something told her she wouldn't regret her choice.
— Alright, girl, I'll take a chance on your loyalty. You have my word that no more kidnappings will be carried out by my men or under my command, — the queen said, giving her a provocative smile. — But if you fail your part of the agreement or try to get rid of me, the mark on your left shoulder will remind you of how dangerous I can be, — Freya said threateningly.
— Deal, Queen. My life belongs to you from now on, and as long as my heart beats, I won't let anyone threaten or harm you that's a promise, — the girl said, this time seriously.
Freya stared at her a while longer the queen wondered how it was possible for a girl so young to carry so much courage and determination. She didn't let herself think too long, because she knew that if she overthought it, she might go back on her decision, and that really wasn't like her.
— Very well, — she snapped out of her own trance and looked at the soldier still writhing on the ground. — Now I'll give you your first lesson... — Freya paused, waiting for the girl to tell her name.
— Camilly, my name is Camilly, — the girl replied.
— Camilly, — the queen repeated, unaware of the small smile playing on her lips she promptly erased it. — Well then, now I'll give you your first lesson, Camilly. This is what happens to those who disappoint me, — Freya said darkly.
She stretched out her arm and pointed the palm of her hand toward the bleeding soldier on the ground. Soon, a light blue and white power shot from her palm, hitting the soldier directly and freezing him instantly.
— Megan, throw the trash away, — the queen said, letting out a faint laugh.
She turned to Camilly, who was staring at the frozen man, still without reaction. All that went through the girl's mind was that just minutes ago, she had almost met the same end as that man. Before she and Freya turned their backs and left that place for the castle, Camilly caught a glimpse of Megan shattering the man with the hilt of her sword, turning him into small pieces of ice.
That certainly wouldn't leave her mind anytime soon she was sure of it.
The girl and the queen headed toward the castle's large main entrance. Freya looked at the girl as if warning her that from the moment she passed through that door, there would be no turning back ever. She would belong to Freya forever. Camilly looked back at her and nodded, making it clear she wouldn't go back on her choice. Freya then opened the castle doors and announced:
— Welcome to the East Kingdom, my kingdom.