A Winter's Tale

by WinterPony

2) Battles Fought and Questions Asked

Chapter Two

Winter returned to his castle, battling himself.

"Why? Why do I like him so much?" Winter muttered to himself. I know I do, though. I can feel it, he thought. He annoyed himself to the point of a migraine, and to Winter that meant time to drink. He called to his usual servant, Silver Smith, who had already made a glass, expecting this to happen.

Winter drank himself himself to sleep, each sip suppressing each thought, until all else faded and rest was his only reprieve. He dreamed of a strange darkness. It was all-encompassing, and Winter couldn't escape it. He just kept running from something. When Winter woke up the next morning he was drenched in sweat.

He got up, showered off, and decided to engage in one of his favorite activities: fencing. Winter found it was the most effective way to release his stress. As Winter suited up with his jacket, chest place and mask he continued to think of yesterday’s ordeal with Arch Angel. He went over what he decided must be the reasons for liking Arch. His soft voice, those lovely green eyes, the way his mane flowed like fire, Winter thought, but there’s something else. Some aura about him.

Winter walked up the narrow strip, sword in hand, and faced his opponent, the captain of the Winter Guards. The referee called for them to begin and the guard lunged forward, which Winter anticipated and parried, shoving his opponent’s blade to the side and striking the captain just above the heart. After a few more bouts, which Winter won two-thirds of, the king smiled and took off his mask.

“Another good run, Captain.”

The captain removed his own mask “Still not as good as you, your majesty.” They shook hooves and retreated to other sides of the gym. Winter beamed as he disrobed and wiped off his sweat with a towel. The mock sword-fight had indeed relieved some of his recent stress, but the thought of Arch Angel was still nagging in the back of his mind.

Winter needed to see him again.

He assembled the royal guards.

"You are to find and return with a pony named Arch Angel. He is deep purple with an orange mane, and has a gold wing for a cutie mark. I believe he must still be in the kingdom, but check the outskirts too."

Winter quickly mapped out the infrastructure of his kingdom in his head, calculating the odds of his guard finding Arch Angel if he hadn't yet left the area. The Ice Kingdom had a few resting stables on its outskirts, but outside of those it was at least a two day walk to the nearest town, and no trains were allowed into the kingdom. He wasn't deterred by his low odds.

"Now go!"

The royal guards awkwardly took their leave, confused as to why this was of such high importance.

Winter waited for news all day. He just kept fantasizing and thinking what he would say when Arch got there. He was still confused, but he at least submitted to the confusion now, instead of fighting it. The guards returned under the cover of Luna’s Night.

“We’re sorry, your grace, we could not find him.”

“You start your search again at sunrise. And same with the day after and so on, until you find him.” Winter said, motioning for them to leave.

He heard nothing for four agonizing days until he heard a familiar voice calling from the throne room door. A very agitated voice.

“You bastard! you aren't related to the king, you are the king!”

Winter swiveled his head to the door.

"Excuse me?!" He replied slightly angered by the rude remark.

"Would you mind explaining to me why I was forced out of my sleep and dragged through the cold?" Arch asked, peeved at his treatment. The guards were in no way gentle in their apprehension of him.

Winter motioned towards the door so his guards would leave them alone. They left. "I had some questions for you."

Arch raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

“What is your business in the Ice Kingdom, so far way from home?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“You are in my kingdom, and if you value your life you will answer me!”

Arch Angel sighed. “I am here to pick up some crops that only grow in the coldest climates. Now do you also want to know why the sky is blue and the grass is green or can I go?”

“Did you come here alone?”

Arch rolled his eyes impatiently. "Yes, no one else wanted to make the hike from Ponyville."

“So you’re just a do-pony? How cute,” Winter scoffed.

“I work for myself, you ass.”

This was nothing like what Winter had in mind for their conversation, but his kingly instincts wouldn't let him stop.

“Did you drag me here just to insult me?” Arch raised.

“You know, it seems odd that a stallion like you would travel alone.”

“And you don’t seem like a king who will ever have friends, so what?” That blow hurt Winter.

“And I’m sure you have a special somepony!” Winter retorted, drawing the conversation to the route he'd intended, not this sarcastic match of wits it had become.

"Are you asking if I'm single?"

"Yes."

Arch was awfully confused, but knowing what the King could do to someone he didn't like, he answered honestly, "Yes."

Winter hadn't thought about what to say once he got this far. "I..." Winter had nothing.

By this time Arch had caught on. "Sir, if this is going where it feels like-" he paused, "I-I'm straight."

Winter quickly switched to defense. “No no NO!”

Arch couldn't suppress a laugh.

“I like your...spark. I’ll let you stay here for a while if you like.”

“No, I really want to leave this frozen wasteland”

Winter mumbled. “Go if you want.” And Arch Angel left.

***

Winter went back to his room. He was tired of being like this. He was tired of being king. He was tired of fighting battles with himself. Most of all, he was tired of the loneliness. So he made a decision to change that.

Comments

[Commissar Holt]

4134565
A little of both

[WinterPony]

4134608 is mine okay?

[Commissar Holt]

4134617 it's alright

[ArcCreval]

"You are to find and return with a pony named Arch Angel. He is deep purple with an orange mane, and has a gold wing for a cutie mark. I believe he must still be in the kingdom, but check the outskirts too."

Wow okay desperate.

I like this a lot because I do
If only the chapters weren't so damned short ;p