Finding True Love

by Rakoon1

Cold Heart

In the castle of Canterlot, Ingrid was in her room getting ready in front of the mirror quite cheerfully. The bedroom door opened and Celestia entered and, seeing his sister getting ready, commented:

"What is all this? It seems you're going to someplace special."

"King Freeze Burn invited me to lunch with him at his castle" Ingrid replied. "I have to be at my best."

"I see" Celestia said, with a smile. "Things between you and Freeze Burn are going quite well."

"We're good friends and that's all" Ingrid said, realizing what his sister was thinking. "We share common interests and we like to talk with each other."

"Ingrid, I know you" Celestia said. "You like him and that is good. So, you can forget Day Glow and…"

"Celestia, please!" Ingrid exclaimed, getting nervous when Celestia mentioned the stallion that was the cause of their separation. "I have nothing with Freeze Burn, and I will never have, he is just my friend and nothing more. Understood?"

Celestia didn’t respond, only watching Ingrid. She was closing herself to love for what had happened in the past and that was not good.

Calming and realizing what she had said, Ingrid said:

"Sorry, Celestia, I didn't mean those things."

"To me, it looked like you wanted" Celestia said. "And I understand your motives."

"It's just..." Ingrid started. "You've been for centuries surrounded by ponies that you loved and so you could get over his death. But me? I treated ponies with cruelty because of my bitterness and I spent centuries closed in an urn planning my revenge. I think that it is impossible for me to deal with a broken heart."

Celestia couldn't help feeling sorry for his dear older sister. Despite both having loved and lost the same stallion, she could see that she was the most affected.

Ingrid composed herself and said:

"But now I can't mourn me. I have to go to Oldenmark. Freeze Burn is waiting."

And she left.

Despite knowing that her sister was still suffering for Day Glow, Celestia couldn't help but sense that the relationship between her and Freeze Burn still had a lot to talk about.

In Oldenmark, Freeze Burn was overseeing the preparation of the lunch table that was being prepared on the terrace of the castle, where there was a beautiful view to the kingdom.

"Do your best in the preparation of this lunch" he said to the servant. "After all, we will receive Princess Ingrid."

But he wanted perfection in the preparing of the lunch for another reason. During the time he was with Ingrid, he began to feel something more than mere admiration. It was a growing feeling and that made him even more fascinated by her. It wasn't just her beauty, but also her kindness and generosity. All that made Freeze Burn to fall in love with Ingrid.

"Everything is ready, Your Highness" the servant said, after finishing.

"What about the lunch?" Freeze Burn asked.

"The royal chef is preparing his best recipe" the servant said. "It's not going to delay until it is ready."

"Perfect" Freeze Burn said. "Now I just have to hope that Princess Ingrid arrives. You can go."

The servant then made him a bow and left.

Freeze Burn turned to the outside on the terrace and watched his Kingdom. He didn't know why, but at that time his kingdom was even more beautiful than ever. Maybe it was because it was shaped by Ingrid.

It was then that he saw something approaching by air and saw that it was Ingrid. He began to feel his heart beat faster at the sight of the mare he was fallen in love with getting close. Ingrid arrived to the castle and landed on the terrace and saw the table prepared.

"I see that I'm late" Ingrid said.

"No, you're not" Freeze Burn said, trying to avoid to blush. "I was the one who decided to have everything prepared before your arrival."

“Freeze Burn, you really like to surprise me" Ingrid said with a smile.

Seeing Ingrid smiling at him, Freeze Burn giggled nervous while turned his face so she couldn't see him blushing. After this, Freeze Burn turned to Ingrid and said to her:

"We'd better get our lunch."

The two sat at the table and, after the lunch arrived, they began to indulge in the delicious lunch that included traditional recipes from Oldenmark. While they ate, the two would talking about what happened during the time they didn’t see each other.

When the lunch ended, Ingrid said:

"It was delicious, as always. You have a chef who knows what he's doing."

"He is always very happy when he knows you liked his food."

"Well, there's no need for so much" Ingrid said. "I'm just telling the truth."

"Maybe, but a compliment coming from you is quite important for the ponies of Oldenmark" Freeze Burn said. "After all, you are our greatest hero."

“Freeze Burn, when you say that, I become quite embarrassed" Ingrid said, blushing, while smiling.

"But it's true" Freeze Burn said. "We owe it to you everything Oldenmark is today. It was your magic that made this kingdom one of the most beautiful in the Pony World."

Ingrid didn't even know what to say. Of course she already knew that the inhabitants of Oldenmark were quite grateful for the winter that she created for them, but she was still getting used to the idea that something she did as Snow Queen was very favoring to somepony.

Freeze Burn's heart raced more and more feeling the big time he was reserve for that lunch to arrive. He would finally confess his passion towards Ingrid. The king just expected her to accept it.

"Ingrid, I have something to tell you" he said, making Ingrid turning to him. "The truth is that I had another reason for inviting you to lunch in addition to spending quality time with a good friend."

"And what is that?" Ingrid asked.

"Well, you know ..." started Freeze Burn.

He then put his hoof over Ingrid’s and she, seeing this, began to understand his motive.

"For some time, I have begun to feel something for you, Ingrid" he said. "Something that has just been growing in such a way that I can't hide it anymore. Ingrid... I'm in love with you."

She was petrified to hear those words. It was then that his mind began to stray from reality, while the sound of his own heartbeat was the only thing she could hear.

"I know this confession of mine is quite bold, but I can't hide my feelings anymore" Freeze Burn said. "I just wish you to give me a chance, so you can also feel for me what I feel for you."

And, having said that, he took her hoof and kissed it gently.

Before that, Ingrid began to remember what triggered her fall and her transformation in the Snow Queen. She could still see the look of the stallion she once loved losing the light, while his body froze and broke into a million pieces.

"No!" she exclaimed, pulling away her hoof from Freeze Burn and rising up suddenly.

"Ingrid, what's wrong?" Freeze Burn asked, not understanding what was going on.

"Sorry, Freeze Burn, but this can't happen!" Ingrid exclaimed. "It just... can't!"

And, having said that, she flew away from the castle.

"No, Ingrid, wait!" Freeze Burn exclaimed, as they drove to the edge of the terrace.

But he couldn't convince her to stop, only to see her getting away with a sad look.

Ingrid flew through snow-covered mountains, stopping only at the top of the highest mountain she could find. After landing, she turned to where she came from and contemplated Oldenmark by far. Freeze Burn's words were still echoing in her head and the image of Day Glow dying because of her didn't seem to want to fade.

"I spy with my little eye somepony with love issues" a voice said.

Ingrid turned and faced with Heartbeat.

"Go away, Heartbeat" Ingrid said. "I don't feel like talking to anypony."

"It's understandable given your situation" Heartbeat said. "But allows me to give my opinion and say that venting will help you."

"Help me?" Ingrid asked. "With what? I don't have a problem. Well, maybe the fact that the great love of my life was killed by me in an act of rage against Celestia and this led me to seek revenge against her, although my sister didn't have any fault for what happened, instead of trying to heal my broken heart, which only caused me even more suffering that was only increased when you locked me in an urn!"

Once she had vented everything, Ingrid stopped to catch her breath and Heartbeat said:

"Wow, that's what I call venting. And by the way, in my defense about the urn thing, I had orders to do so. It was nothing personal."

After she caught her breath and was now calmer, Ingrid said:

"I know, sorry, Heartbeat."

"You don't have to apologize" she said. "After all, you were just saying what you feel. But now that you've vented everything, what about talking? How are things with Freeze Burn?"

"I think you know what happened between us right now, right?" Ingrid said.

"If you're talking about that beautiful love confession he made you, yes, I did" the General of Affection answered.

"It shouldn't have happened" Ingrid said. "We are friends, nothing more."

"Are you sure?" Heartbeat asked approaching. "Are you sure you don’t feel the same about him?"

"Of course I do" Ingrid replied. "Who else should I feel for him?"

"You tell me, after all it’s your feelings we are talking about."

"Yes, but you can feel what I feel."

"But I like to give chances to ponies find themselves" Heartbeat said. "Now tell me, what you should feel for him?"

Ingrid tried to answer that she should just feel friendship for him again, but it seemed that Heartbeat was compelling her to tell what she really felt, something that the alicorn princess tried to resist.

"Will you stop that?" Ingrid asked sharply to Heartbeat. "I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work."

And, having said that, Ingrid turned her back to Heartbeat who said:

"If you don't want to admit, so I say what you’re really feeling. The truth is you feel yourself attracted to Freeze Burn in the same way that he is attracted to you. A great love can be born between the two of you. But you repress your feelings because you're afraid that he ended just like Day Glow."

Hearing the unvarnished truth, tears began to flow through Ingrid's face.

"You're right" she admitted. "I don’t want to love again because I'm afraid of hurting Freeze Burn as I did with Day Glow. I'm afraid that makes me to be the Snow Queen again and to hurt innocent ponies again."

Heartbeat approached Ingrid and placed a hoof over her shoulder, saying then:

"It's okay, princess."

"No, it's not" Ingrid said. "How will I ever look at Freeze Burn after what happened?"

"I'm sure he will understand" Heartbeat said. "Princess, your powers are quite dependent on your emotions. But you can control them by using the most powerful weapon... love. And you've got the love of your sisters and the ponies of Oldenmark. But of course you can also have the love of the stallion who loves you... You just have to believe it's possible. Come on, princess, melt this heart of ice of yours and let love guide you."

Ingrid heard Heartbeat’s words, weighing in each of them.

In the castle of Oldenmark, Freeze Burn looked sadly to the table with the rest of the lunch that he was sharing with Ingrid. It seemed that he had striven to please her and win her love in vain. He could feel that something was bothering her, which prevented her from accepting his love. The king wanted to help her to overcome this problem, not only to win her heart, but also because he truly worried with Ingrid.

Freeze Burn prepared to leave the terrace when he heard the sound of wings beating. He turned and saw, to his great joy, Ingrid.

"Ingrid!" exclaimed he, while she landed.

The alicorn princess approached Freeze Burn and then gave him a kiss on the lips, catching him by surprise. When their lips parted, Freeze Burn was perplexed.

"What the..." he started saying, taking one of his hooves to the lips.

"Sorry for my reaction, Freeze Burn" Ingrid said. "I didn't mean to hurt you. But I wasn't able to overcome my feelings that I'd bring with me from the past. The truth is that I feel the same as you since a long time."

That made Freeze Burn smile and he said:

"I'm glad, because I'd be embarrassed if you didn't."

That made Ingrid drop a laugh and then the two kissed.

After the love confession that held them together, it took a few months to Freeze Burn and Ingrid to marry. Now that they were the King and Queen of Oldenmark, the two made vows of never to resist love, no matter how painful it was.