It was unlike anything he’d ever seen. The wedding ceremony for Lilian Bilt and Lord Gern Jorbert was going to begin tomorrow, and so today was the day the King received his guests on the King’s Hoverstone at Castle Strongwind, so named for its many years of standing proud against atmospheric currents. That wasn’t the only thing it stood against. There were a number of usurpers as well as Highlander and Flatlanders (though in his mind, really, they should have been lowlanders) who’d tried over the centuries to breach its walls. None had been successful. That is why it always amazed him that, during noble ceremonies such as weddings, the King let probable enemies right through the front gates.

 He stood in the shadows of the Great Hall--shadows were always best for men like him--watching as Noble Houses were called out and received. There were, of course, the Bilts, from the lowliest stone. House Halten, from the first hoverstone above the King’s Hoverstone was announced, strolled in. House Mileon from Castle Fieldswept, who was already on the King’s Hoverstone, was anyways announced--he strolled in glowering, still unhappy about the raids, no doubt. And then there was the display that shocked all in the Great Hall--courtesans', nobles, low-borns alike. Even he had no idea such a thing was possible.

 The doors to the Great Hall opened and announced Khara of Frostfight Castle. People craned their necks around to look, to catch a glimpse of this mostly unknown girl as she walked down the red carpet to give her thanks to the King for the invitation. But when the door opened, there was no one there.

 A small mumble went over the crowd as Lords and Ladies began to gossip, to wonder, to say oh I told you so. As they chattered, a wind blew up, a wind so cold it felt like a knife to the bone. Syrio had to readjust his robes just to conserve some of the heat beneath them, lest he run out. With the wind came snowflakes, which started to pile up on either side of the door, then on the side of the carpet, then on the carpet--how were they going to clean all that up? Syrio wondered the practical details.

 Then there she was, a beauty, dressed in a flowing blue and white dress that trailed behind her. Taller than most, paler than most, Syrio could not seem to take his eyes off her. She glittered. Even her skin in the sunlight. She walked graceful through the Hall until she reached a stone support for the ceiling. She stretched out a hand and raked a fingernail against it--he saw that her fingernails were blue.

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 Something happened when she did so. At first, it looked like she’d placed something on the wall, a small, circular, white banner of some kind. But then it began to spread. It turn blue. Then clear. Syrio backed away, frightened. He knew what it was. Ice.

 The ice began to spread quickly up the support and down it, flooding--though that is not the right word, Syrio thought it was more like crackling along like a glacier only at a faster speed--the red carpet, trailing all the way up to the King’s Throne. King Norman recoiled and pushed his feet up onto his seat. Khara laughed a bone-rattling laugh that froze Syrio’s gut.

 She started to walk on the ice, still graceful, dress still flowing. Her black hair shimmer as beautifully as the ice did; how she could remain so poised and elegant, Syrio didn’t know. He was sure, however, that if he stepped out onto the ice, he would surely fall and lose a tooth. Or worse. But it wasn’t the tooth that concerned him.

 She could do magic. How had Tero not told him? His own cousin? Not by blood, of course, but by trade. And their trade was information. Secrets. He had left it out of their communications. What did that mean? Surely he had not forsaken their relationship. But then...

 Who better to forsake him for than a woman, a Lady--Lordess?--who could do magic like that? Because, where one can freeze stone and carpet, one can almost certainly freeze men, could they not? And that she did not freeze the people of the Great Hall--it meant she had control over what she was doing. He shuddered as the ice and wind cut at him further; he shuddered at the idea that she had control over the elements.

 He backed away into the shadows. This was worse than he feared. She had these powers and she had an egg? It needed to be done, and fast. He just hoped the men he sent to Frostfight were able to secure the egg before Khara left and it was too late. For everyone.