Chapter 5 The Ice Queen

Upon marrying Princess Edwina led by Mermaid queen Bryn caused a small issue. An exiled prince had little to offer other than a shipping empire that really belonged to his mother. Only one ship The Larissa was owned outright by Ilio. His aunt Lexie relented in his banishment upon completing a task for her, and then he could return home to his family. Prince Jax is of age for a betrothal to a goddess. If Ilio gained a betrothal to Ice goddess Ymira’s daughter, he then would be given the Lordship of Blue Island, the court island of Queen Lexie guarded by a lake monster. Ilio had to take up the mission for his new bride and earn respect of her family. Neither family knew this marriage was taking place.

To reach the ice world to the far north, he needed fire horses to go that distance or it would take him years to walk there and impossible to sail there. He asked rainbow goddess Amalia by sending a magic letter to use hers who pull her golden chariot. She summoned him to her palace in clouds. He explained his mission and Amalia demonstrated caring for the fire horses. They drink from clouds creating steam with their hooves and eat charcoal from burnt offerings made to the goddess. They need grooming with pumice rock and mane and tail washed in water. Most importantly, they need rest or they will rebel against your control. Ilio understood the instructions perfectly. The golden chariot was polished and magic leather reins oiled. The wheels were replaced and axles greased. Ilio practiced the commands with Amalia and drew out his journey to Iceland where Ymira’s palace is. Prepared for his mission, he ordered the fire horses to fly north. They rode the winds all day and rested upon a cloud. He looked down at Dacia and wondered where King Demetrius’s tent was. He finds an encampment and peeks through a smoothed crystal used to enlarge the stars in the sky. The encampment had the banners of Demetrius so he decided to pay him a visit. He ate a cherry in his food bag and tossed the stone in the air to change it into a white dove. He instructed the bird to tell Demetrius he would pick him up at nightfall outside the camp. The bird returned later to tell him the king will be waiting for his chariot. Since the fire horses flew so far in a single day, he needed to feed them soon. He guided the horses down to a glen and found bushes for them to eat. The fire from the horses burnt the bushes into charcoal and next they waded into the stream to drink the steam rising from their hooves. Soon, they had company. A Blythan nomad scout viewed them and promptly got down from his mount to lay flat on the ground at Ilio’s feet.

“Fire god Devon, please do not kill me with your steeds. I have a wife and newborn child I have never seen.” prayed the scout.

“Rise, please. I am not the fire god Devon. I am Ilio, Prince of The Mermaid Islands.” replied Ilio.

“A prince. Drive a god chariot?” questioned the scout.

“Yes, my mother is a goddess as many of my relations. Tell me if my great-grandfather The Wizard is at this camp.” answered Ilio.

“Yes, Your Holiness. He is advising the king on tomorrow’s battle plan for attacking a supply train running through the forest.” spoke the scout amazed at this godly prince.

“Thank you, you may tell the king and my great-grandfather I will be there shortly.” instructed Ilio.

“Yes, Your Holiness.” bowed the scout before taking his leave.

Ilio finished with the grooming with pumice stones and water to hitch the fire horses back up to collect King Demetrius. He waited by the outer edge of the camp for the king delayed by dispatches from home. He took Demetrius up into the clouds and explained his wedding plans to Edwina. Naturally furious marrying his sister without her family’s approval, Demetrius relented when told of her pregnancy and the future prince will be born part wolf. He promised to succeed in his mission to give Edwina a home not too far away to visit her family. Demetrius confessed of his own son brought joy to family as the heir, but The Wizard predicted he will die as a child. It is said his wife grew sick after the birth and may not be able to carry more children. He also stated Lucius will never get his wife pregnant because he spends too much time with his soldiers. Phoebe who married a Blythan nomad sent to the palace to be educated under The Wizard has yet to have children. Ilio assured Demetrius he will take care of his sister and any children they may have. Demetrius consented to the marriage contract giving the dowry for his mother to decide since the last one sunk to the bottom of the sea. Ilio agreed to that. He returned Demetrius to his camp and took off again to the north ice lands. He observed the mountains and rivers of Dacia before hitting vast hilly Teutonic forests and a rocky sea coastline. There he saw the narwhals with giant tusks, walruses, spotted seals, whales, giant squids, sharks, sea cows, and dolphins. His father sent a priest and his apprentice with a ship tracing the coastline for his king to the far north.

They returned after the war with Nubia had finished telling wild tales of hunts, midnight suns, daily blue twilights, and a king who loved the map made of faraway lands. King Dracon sent out ships to colonize Kassia on the other side of Vinland and further north bordering the Teutonic Forests. This coast tracing king encouraged the smelting of any metal to be found to trade with this artist of weapons and linen. He vastly traded with the colonies King Dracon set up. Ilio in the middle of this seawater found an island with large brown bears (not white like he expected). He rested the fire horses along a river complete with grooming and feeding. Soon, animals came out of the trees and bowed to the godlike figures. A second look later, Ilio realized these were people in sealskin clothes. Using his magic, he spoke in their Kodiak language to amaze the islanders further. They welcomed the god to rest on their island explaining the great white bears and reindeer are further north. They trade with the map questing king to the northeast called Lachlann. They give fish, berries, and honey wine to the god next to their log houses with wood shingles. They present pine tree branches for the fire horses. It was late summer and the Kodiak Islanders were busy gathering what plants they could before winter. They also are busy hunting in the sea waters for narwhals, seals, sea otters, whales, and fish. Soon, the god Ilio had to leave giving the island people his turquoise bead necklace from southern Titania as payment for their kindness. He continued on through Lachlann and finally saw his first white owl knowing he was close to Iceland. He saw fields of oat grass, boats in lakes, and herds of sheep and cattle on mountain sides. He saw the leather tent hunters and reindeers walking in a treeless shrub along the rocky northern coast of Lachlann. Mosses, lichens, and short shrubs grew in this cool summer. Further north was the Ice Sea where moving islands of ice float in the springtime. At this time of year, the Ice Sea begins to expand until it reaches the coast allowing the great white bears return.

Now he reached the true Iceland of endless snow banks and freezing winds. The fire horses rested on the ice and no water came out from underneath. He feeds the horses charcoal from his magic bag from Amalia. Steam rose from the hooves of the fire horses burning giant holes in the Ice Sea. Ilio used his magic to create a tent for them to rest in. He ate reindeer slices from hunters along the Lachlann coast. They were most happy to meet a god hoping he would bless their bone tipped harpoons and soapstone tipped spears. What stories he had tell of green sky lights the Lachlann people believe hold their ancestors. White wolves being pestered by little brown foxes turning white in winter. White owls and sea eagles catch brown rabbits that turn white in winter and feisty brown rodent called a lemming that burrows in the ice. He found a reindeer eating mushrooms and so entranced, he let it live another day. He studied this treeless rocky landscape where driftwood from rivers flowing into the Ice Sea makes any bone or soapstone tool possible. He imagined the Ice Sea spreading in winter melting into floating ice islands in springtime where white bears and seals rest. Black whales are said to create sea waves to make the seal slide off these ice islands. He sent a message to the ice goddess Ymira to announce his arrival onto her land. Not excited about fire horses upon her Iceland, she guided the fire horses into a stone stable where her sled pulling white bears rest.

Ilio groomed the fire horses and fed charcoal from his bag. Offerings to the ice goddess magically appeared and quickly eaten by the white bears. The midnight sun sunk in the horizon giving way to the daily blue twilight in the coming winter months. Ymira greeted her guest and gave him seal meat to eat. Her daughters eagerly awaited to hear tales of this Prince Jax of the North Sea who was looking for a betrothal. Ilio explained Jax is coming of age under his mother Lexie’s instruction and adventure to the Amazons to obtain gold for mermaid weapons. Jax often visits his cousin Ishtar, Ilio’s mother. He is a good friend and persistent hunter whom Ilio highly respects. In a silver mirror, he created a reflection of this prince. They watch the sky lights from a sled pulled by reindeer that can fly too. Ymira’s husband is not to be seen. Tyree is under the ice and taking care of the animals living there. Her sons were busy playing with the white bears that love the ice and search for seal holes to capture their meals. Her daughters use their magic to create fur clothing and blanket for their guest. The gods returned and goddesses had the evening meal prepared. Ilio spent the days grooming and feeding the fire horses while Ymira decided on a betrothal. Her daughters seemed eager to be betrothed to the future King of the North Sea mermaids. Half merfish and half god would make an interesting spouse. It was finally decided Anya, the youngest, would marry the young god. But first, a task must be completed.

“Great, another task.” thought Ilio.

It was not difficult one. To win the betrothal, he must spell the word “freedom” using pieces of ice, using the holy god and goddess language. If he gets it wrong, he loses the betrothal and must live in Iceland forever. Ilio had to think long and hard for that one. There is no holy word for freedom. Gods and goddesses are masters of the earth, they bow to none, and are worshipped by mortals. Why would they need a word for freedom when they are slaves to nobody? So he needed words for the opposite of servant and defined freedom of choices. Let’s see now. In the beginning, the great creator god Alano bathes the created god or goddess in the Pool of Immortality. They are given a magic crystal to give them holy powers over their domain they are appointed to. Limited choices in those things. They are betrothed or find one of their many spouses that often die to become auras. Love is a choice they make as well as auras. His father was aura for Queen Layla. That was strange since his great love was for his mother. His father barely knew Layla for she often was with Lexie while he was apprenticed to The Hermit Wizard. Why would his father choose a mermaid with a vengeful heart married to an elf from Nubia. Shortly after his father’s funeral, Lexie made Layla Queen Mermaid of Lara Island. The answer must be aura. A god or goddess has freedom of choice in that. Now, to spell in ice pieces the holy word for aura. He doesn’t write in holy language very often, just when sending magic messages. He spent days working on his word when Anya came by to check on his progress. Anya moved a few ice pieces and smiled. Ilio was so close.

He finally announced to the ice queen, he was finished with his word for freedom. Ymira was aghast and angry upon staring on what was spelled in ice crystals. Someone must have cheated in telling him what was the answer was. Nobody could guess it by themselves. The word that lay spelled out on the ice cave floor was “Aura”, which translates into elf writing as “Anastia”. The once fate goddess made the choices of fate that beheld all mortal and immortal beings woven into the night stars. Ilio was elated and impatient to return home. But first the dowry had to be agreed upon. They negotiated furs, jewels, magic weapons, and gold tableware into the betrothal contract. As time passed, the Ice Sea grew as it froze the waters surrounding it. The coming of autumn was at hand. He magically sent the betrothal agreement to Lexie in a puff of smoke. It returned in another puff of fire and billow of smoke. Lexie disapproved of the agreement. More bargaining was needed before Lexie accepted the contract. Anya was given three islands to rule with Jax with her court to be on Oyster Isle across from Blue Island to the east. Eires Isle and Skye Isle to the north of Blue Island would need to be prepared to be ruled by an ice princess. An agreement was reached and betrothal contract signed in magic ink. Granted the lordship of Blue Island by Lexie as his mission was complete, he returned home on fire horses, delighting the Lachlann and Kodiak Island people he met before. King Demetrius started settling into the conquered city for the winter reaping whatever food his soldiers could find. Ilio promises to settle into a home on Blue Island with Edwina. Demetrius discovered farmers fail to plant crops in the spring out of fear battles will destroy them. Demetrius dismisses his allies to return in the spring since he cannot feed them all on the plants and animals his soldiers find in the surrounding wilderness. His allies promise to send supplies and deliver messages for those who stay. Dark Mountain elves use the Masha River to bring supplies and elf warriors up into Dacia.