Queen vs. Ice Princess

image [https://i.ibb.co/9gP5RS6/toppng-com-line-dividers-png-1000x200.png]

The Queen of Shadows, with all the elegance of a swan, landed on the torture device disguised as a mattress. Her damp towel became a blur as it rocketed across the room, landing with pinpoint accuracy on the coat hanger by her desk.

Disappearing acts weren't the only thing she'd perfected, darling.

Honestly, she couldn’t recall the last time she'd graced this particular peasant's hovel. Rolling onto her side, she surveyed the less-than-royal bed. Goose down it wasn't, but a queen adapts. Besides, her muscles were rebelling. At this point, even a sack of rocks sounded appealing.

This sigil business was proving a pain in the… well, everywhere. Not just her pride, but her very bones. She needed to figure out how to contain the dark essence fast, to practise indoors. Cultivating mana at night on the cricket grounds, a place patrolled by both the ever-vigilant Gifted students and her unfortunate mosquito allergy, wasn't exactly conducive to mastering this crucial skill.

Summoning and binding? Childhood breeze. Everything else? Well, who needs pesky things like Rejuvenation spells or Mana Sigils when you're a walking nuclear power plant (humility wasn’t her strong suit, haven’t you been reading her inner monologue at all?), right?

Wrong.

Apparently, the answer was everyone. Apparently. At least the eviction notice had finally been served on those traitorous blemishes plaguing her forehead.

"Sleep, oh elusive slumber," Eydis sighed, the regal air she projected slipping a notch as she burrowed into the scratchy pillow. Even a Queen couldn't conquer exhaustion. The words trailed off, dissolving into a hushed whisper as sleep finally claimed her.

A creak at the door shattered Eydis' restless sleep sometime later. Disoriented, she blinked at the moonlight outlining Astra's silhouette. Her silver hair, as if defying the damp night air, flowed down her back. Eydis' elusive roommate had returned.

A month in this bizarre reality had yielded one undeniable truth: Astra possessed a beauty that could leave lesser beings gasping for air (emphasis very much on the 'lesser beings'). The Queen, of course, wouldn't be caught dead admitting such a pedestrian observation.

Dignity had its limits, but not that low.

Perhaps another session of "shadow strangling" with the sneaky snake was in order. Must have been its lingering influence. Then again, even in her own realm, ethereal beauty like Astra's was a rare treasure. Damien, with his impressive Neanderthal physique, could only hold a flickering candle in comparison.

As if on cue, Astra spoke, startling Eydis. "You're staring."

"Just admiring the decor," Eydis mumbled into the pillow. "The existential angst of beige is truly a sight to behold. A colour that whispers, 'Where dreams go to die.'"

Astra's lips twitched, a ghost of a smile threatening to erupt. "Careful, Eydis. Staring with such intensity, the ‘beige’ might file a restraining order."

Eydis blinked, momentarily stunned. A genuine smile. On Astra's face? Sleep deprivation was a powerful hallucinogen, apparently.

"Well, well, Astra,” Eydis purred, regaining her composure. “Twice in one day you've surprised me with actual sentences. Did the esteemed academy institute a course in Basic Conversation?”

Astra, a playful glint in her eyes, countered with a dry wit that surprised Eydis even further. "Applies to both of us. Some might require a dictionary and a healthy dose of patience to decipher your riddles. Even then, mild bewilderment is the best I can guarantee."

Her gaze swept over Eydis. “At least you don't look like you're about to crack a cold case with that intense stare."

"You remind me of a certain someone, actually," Eydis said, changing the subject before Astra could dissect her. "A delightfully irritating fellow with flowing silver locks, wouldn't you know it?"

Astra scowled. "A compliment so backhanded, it circles back to being an insult. Thank you?"

Eydis chuckled. It was strangely disarming to find someone so seemingly aloof engaging in such a playful exchange.

"Just the hair, really," Eydis said, waving a dismissive hand. "My nemesis, shall we say, was a source of amusement. An inconvenience, at best."

Astra's eyes sparkled with a newfound curiosity. "Nemesis, you say? So those who bullied you were also a mere… inconvenience?"

"The academy seems content to view them as such. Bullying? A minor hiccup in their grand scheme, it seems."

Astra resumed drying her hair, her face hidden from view. "Everyone was afraid," she said softly. "Even you, weren't you? Until you decided to fight back."

Eydis, sensing a shift, rose from her bed, her muscles groaning in protest. Planting her hands on either side of Astra on the bed, Eydis murmured, "The Student Council President's gaze is far-reaching, wouldn't you agree? If she truly wished to see, nothing would escape her notice."

"That's a question for her," Astra didn't flinch, but a barely perceptible hitch in her breath betrayed her outward calm. "Do you think it's unfair, the way they treated you?"

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Eydis, her breath warm against Astra's ear, countered, "Fairness is a concept for lesser beings, Astra. Weakness, however, is something I will never tolerate. Tell me, roomie, why did the pre-amnesia Eydis let them walk all over her?"

Astra's eyes became unreadable. "We never really talked. Except for—" she began, then stopped abruptly.

"That one love poem," Eydis finished with a sigh. Teenage emotions, an enigma she may never solve. It seemed not even her roommate knew the true Eydis back then. "Do you still have it?"

Astra mumbled a negative, her gaze dropping to the floor.

An unsettling curiosity, a compulsion she couldn't explain, warred within Eydis. With a slow, deliberate movement, she reached out and tilted Astra's chin with a single finger, forcing their eyes to meet. A jolt passed between them as their gazes locked. The air grew thick with the scent of darkwood from Astra's hair.

Eydis saw her own reflection in Astra's crimson eyes, fierce yet strangely clear. In their depths, there was no hatred, nor even annoyance.

It was... almost warmth? Then a realisation hit her. Could Astra's earlier gesture this morning have been something other than an accusation? But why?

"Do you care about me, Astra?" The words tumbled out of Eydis's lips before she could stop them, the question surprising even herself. Blame the intoxicating fragrance, perhaps.

They were no friends, barely acquaintances. Surrounded by embodied sins, Eydis had almost forgotten such emotions could exist, especially from a stranger.

Astra tried to remain impassive, but a tremor in her lips betrayed her. Curious, Eydis's fingers trailed down her sculpted jawline, lingering on the erratic pulse throbbing beneath the delicate skin. The rhythm pulsed a strange counterpoint to the disquiet fluttering in Eydis's stomach.

Intriguing. But why, though, did it matter?

To her surprise, Astra held her ground, her voice a husky whisper. "Trouble seems to cling to you like a shadow.”

"Shadows," Eydis corrected subtly with a knowing grin, her voice mirroring Astra's hushed tone, “is that an admission, Ice Princess?"

“Ice Princess? You're getting creative, Shadows."

Eydis’s grin widened. She leaned forward, their faces mere inches apart. The violet flecks within Astra's eyes seemed to hold a galaxy of secrets.

"Unaware, were you?"

“No,” Astra rasped, the closeness making her words almost inaudible. "Couldn't care less what everyone think of me."

“Everyone?” Eydis countered, her thumb absentmindedly tracing a circle on Astra's pulse point. “Absolution poised for a logical fallacy, wouldn't you agree?”

Astra remained silent, the pulse beneath Eydis's fingertips thrumming even faster. Ignoring the unfamiliar heat threatening to distract her, Eydis pulled back. Information. That's what she was here for.

"You care," she said, her voice softer than intended, "about Natalia, about the others. Speaking of concerns, you mentioned missing students. Who are they?"

Astra, momentarily caught off guard, responded in her usual cool voice. "Elites. Four from Tiffany's circle. Vanished."

"The ones with the trust funds and political connections?" Eydis pressed, remembering Natalia's briefing.

Astra gave a curt nod. Before she could elaborate, Eydis cut her off again. "Not exactly the company I keep. Maybe this danger you mentioned doesn't apply to me after all."

Her roommate opened her mouth to respond, but Eydis's mind was already racing. Envy hadn't detected anything amiss within the academy walls... yet. The culprit had to be causing chaos outside then.

Fantastic. Just perfect. This investigation was off to a stellar, information-free start. Narrowed down to anywhere but here.

“—Safer.” Astra murmured.

Lost in thought, Eydis missed it. "What was that?"

Astra sighed. "Stay within the academy grounds."

Eydis's eyes narrowed. Was that a confirmation? Disappearances outside? Her mind spun, possibilities forming and discarding themselves. Home visits? An excursion gone wrong? Their frequent town centre visits?

"Interesting.” A dangerous thrill shot through Eydis. “Perhaps being around you isn't such a bad thing, Lady Knight. Protection for...entertainment? A trade?"

"What are you, royalty?" Astra countered playfully. "Though, some space would be appreciated... Your Majesty." The last words were delivered with a teasing lilt. "You're practically on top of me."

Eydis's grin faltered for a beat. She recovered quickly. "Probably my poor eyesight. Can't seem to judge distances accurately anymore. And these muscles…" she gestured vaguely, "are clearly rebelling."

An unexpected amusement danced in Astra's eyes. In a swift movement, she surprised Eydis further by wrapping her arms around the Queen's back.

"What are you—?" Eydis's question turned into a startled gasp as Astra's hands, strong and sure, dug into specific pressure points on her back, slowly easing the tension that had built throughout the week.

The sudden closeness sent a jolt through Eydis, making her acutely aware of the heat radiating from Astra's body. Instinctively, her hands shot out and braced themselves on Astra's shoulders, more for balance than anything else.

Astra worked in a focused silence, her gaze seemingly glued to a particularly fascinating cobweb clinging to the far corner of the ceiling. Yet, Eydis couldn't shake the feeling those piercing eyes were occasionally straying downwards to witness her rather… expressive response to Astra's ministrations.

A satisfied sound, half sigh, half moan, escaped the Queen’s lips before she could entirely stifle it. "Uh…," Eydis breathed, a touch speechless.

Astra, ever the Ice Princess (with perhaps the faintest tinge of pink creeping up her neck), mumbled, "That certainly quieted you down. A public service, really," she mumbled.

“Now, move.” With a final press, she released Eydis.

Eydis stretched, released a contented sigh. Rising to her feet, a delayed blush heated her cheeks as the compromising truth dawned on her – enthroned, quite literally, on Astra's lap.

"A persuasive manoeuvre, Astra,” she conceded. “Though perhaps next time, a warning before resorting to such… unorthodox methods of maintaining the peace?"

Astra met her gaze, a teasing glint sparking in her darkened eyes. "Someone has to silence you for a change. A record-breaking two whole minutes, no less."

The Queen raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps I should strive to be even more insufferable, wouldn't that keep your hands delightfully occupied, Lady Knight?"

Her light and melodic chuckle sent another wave of heat spreading across Astra's face. Flustered, Astra yanked a hoodie over her head and practically bolted from the room.

"Perimeter check!" she mumbled over her shoulder.

Eydis watched Astra go, a feeling of unexpected warmth blooming in her own stomach. As she settled back onto her bed, the ghost of Astra's touch seemed to linger on her skin.

"Sneaky Ice Princess," she murmured. But patrol? Didn't Astra just return?

Burying her face back in the pillow, Eydis inhaled sharply. The scent of her lavender shampoo clashed with an exotic woodsy aroma that stubbornly persisted. Pushing the strange thoughts away, Eydis focused on the task at hand.

Pushing the strange thoughts away, Eydis focused on the task at hand. Luring Gluttony. Missing Elites. A trip to the town center might reveal the culprit. But even if it didn't, her shopping list couldn't wait any longer. Those meager magical supplies wouldn't restock themselves, after all.

Taking out her notebook, Eydis started drafting new sigils. The arcane languages from the library book flooded back to her. It was a matter of crafting them with mathematical precision. Ideas poured out onto the page, her pencil a blur.

Sleep could wait for another night.