Glacier

Icicle shrunk under the majestic imperial's gaze. She shivered, not from the biting cold, but from the royal dragon's icy glare. Nevertheless, she wasn't about to give up what she worked so hard for. The nocturne wrapped her wings even tighter around her precious cargo. Hidden in a leather sack was stolen jewelry- pastel spinel on silver pendants, rings, and delicate loops of string. They were for Icicle's daughter. Her innocent, foolish daughter, who told her that she longed to have jewelry of her own. Glacier. Hatched in a cave of ice, hidden from the world.

The dragon spoke again. "It's mandatory to have your belongings checked by an official." This time her voice faltered. Orchidmoon was only beginning her training to be a queen. She was unsure of herself, not ready for the responsibility that would soon lie on her shoulders. "You... You know what could happen to your kin if you go against my mother's rules." Icicle snorted, starting to gain confidence. Orchidmoon didn't know about Oceanwatcher's history with Icicle. If she did, she would surely be treating her much worse. But for the time being, the banished nocturne was safe. Still, she knew not to make any stupid moves. Delicate, mild Glacier wouldn't stand a chance if she was taken away by the royal army. She hardly knew of violence or hatred. She was too pure. And her mother intended to keep it that way. Still, it was Glacier's birthday. And what she wanted, more than anything in the world, was some jewelry. Didn't she deserve that much? After being hidden from any other dragons, including her family, since she was born?

So Icicle took a risk. She clutched the leather bag of precious stones and soared away. Orchidmoon yelped and tried to stop her, but she wasn't fast enough. Soon Icicle had landed in the cave where she and her daughter lived. Glacier's eyes lit up as her mother opened the bag.

Glacier longed to leave the cave. She loved her mother. She learned to love her quiet, secluded life. But she couldn't help but wonder what lied beyond. So after a year, on her second hatching day, she asked her mother if she could finally see the kingdom where she once lived. With a sigh, Icicle agreed.

For reasons that Glacier didn't know, and couldn't have known at the time, Icicle insisted that Glacier go alone. "I wish I could go with you, and protect you. But you'd be much safer without me. The dragons at my old home... they don't like me. One day I'll tell you why. Until then, you'd better go by yourself." Icicle gave her daughter a healer's mantle to wear. "Here. Keep this on. Never lose it. This is what will keep you alive. No dragon in any kingdom would hurt a healer. If you wear it, you will be safe from them." Glacier wanted to ask why, but she simply obeyed. Putting on the odd cloak, she flew to Icicle's former home.

It wasn't particularly hot there, but it was hotter than what Glacier had ever known. She grew up in a cave of ice, after all. Forgetting Icicle's words, she took off the mantle. And Icicle's daughter never returned to her mother.

It had been months since Glacier left. She should've been back weeks ago at the very least. Icicle knew that her daughter's attention span was like that of a human toddler's. The kingdom couldn't have interested her long enough for her to stay for so much time. Something must've happened to her. Icicle waited longer, hoping that Glacier would come back, not wanting her daughter to return to an empty cave. But it soon became clear that she would never return. So Icicle did the only thing she could think to do. She certainly couldn't abandon who she thought was her only living offspring; she had to go find Glacier.

Of course, there was no guarantee that she was alive. But when Glacier was young, when Icicle held on still to the hope that one day her daughter could overthrow Oceanwatcher, Icicle taught her how to be a queen. Glacier hardly took it seriously, but she seemed to remember what she learned. For this reason, Icicle hoped that her daughter had survived in the Renegade Reef. This hope, of course, relied entirely on whether Glacier was taken as a prisoner... or killed on the spot.

Unbeknownst to Icicle, however, Glacier was completely fine. In fact, she was thriving. She had learned more and had encountered happier times than she ever had with her mother. Granted, she also had more horrific and distressing times than she ever could've had before. Glacier had experienced her all-time highs and her all-time lows in the Reef. Her life had moved at a breathtaking, relentless speed since she arrived at the Reef, with no time to stop and breathe. Still, she preferred it much to the repetitive, monotonous days with her mother- as safe, as constant, as unsurprising and sheltered as they were.

Glacier found a mate, a life, a purpose at the Reef. She learned the elation and joy of watching her first nest hatch. She learned the grief of sending her hatchlings off to war against the BeastClans. She had hardened, toughened. She learned responsibility. She learned how to fight. She learned how to survive in this new life. Most importantly, she learned to forget her past. It pained her at first, but she knew it had to be done. She had to focus on the present. She had to focus on her new family. Glacier abandoned all hope of seeing her mother again, but secretly she remembered the things icicle taught her: The things about kindness, and honesty, and respect, and the things about how to care for a kingdom of her own.

The Reef respected Glacier. They gave her a crown of ice. Behind Oceanwatcher's back, they called her the Ice Princess. The residents of the Reef came to her when they needed help or advice. Glacier did what she could; she wasn't a real queen and didn't have the resources to help most of the time. She didn't have access to the royal treasury. She didn't have chefs and advisors and armies to fight for her honor, but she helped in the little ways that she could. She spared food every once in a while for the starving families that Oceanwatcher neglected to help. She helped during egg-hatchings and secretly directed naming ceremonies. When eggs hatched, she did everything in her power to keep the hatchlings a secret from Oceanwatcher, who would send them to war as soon as she laid eyes on them. The Queen had excuses, of course. "No potential", "another mouth to feed", and other nonsense. Glacier disagreed. She thought every life had potential- but she did know that the lair didn't have enough space or food for new hatchlings sometimes. So despite Glacier's best efforts, when Oceanwatcher found out about a hatched nest and doomed the hatchlings to an early death, the Ice Princess knew that it was really for the best.

Glacier's life was good. Full of hardships, as any life in any lair was, but good nonetheless. Everything changed when Icicle arrived.