Chapter Text
Gentle yet audible steps echoed through the hallways of the ancient castle; pillars of marble and quartz blocked the entrance of the sunlight shining down from above. The figure of a captain cast shadows on the black obsidian floor below, as a cloak swayed behind their steps, leaving trails of ice and frost behind them which gleamed from the light.
The cold, winter wind blew into the hallway from the opened windows and doors, one of which the figure entered, and gazed down below from the towing balcony in which they stood. Now in the sunlight, their visage is clear: white puffy hair adorned the head of a pale yet tall man whose red and light blue eyes slightly frowned from the harsh sunlight above. A long tailored coat lined with the harvested white fur of animals hung from his shoulder, patterns of snowflakes and frost were sowed into the blue-white fabric which covered his body, preventing his body from showing.
He glanced down at the world below him, covered in white snow and frozen lake and rivers. Paths of which people traveled were blocked by mounds of ice, and the birds that once chirped remained silent forever more. The man sighed, his breath visible from the sheer cold.
“Winter is the same as always it seems,” he said, his voice gravelly echoing through the air. “Nothing changes, just as intended…”
He closed his eyes, before stepping back inside “Snowfall is sure to come...”
The pale figure walked down and down the stair, the marble of them gleamed like ice put through light, as the furry carpet that mapped the bath to the entrance blocked his footsteps from being heard. Maids and Housekeepers stopped in their tracks to kneel at the passing figure of their lord.
“Lord Lucio, good morning” A maid spoke out, a cup of tea in her hands. “Winter has not left, just as you intended.”
The lord sighed, gently taking the freshly made tea in his hands. “Good to know. Thank you for the tea.”
“I must warn you, my lord. “A housekeeper spoke out. “The Allfather sent a message, he wishes you to come and visit for a council meeting. His words speak that he’s worried about the long-lasting winter and wishes to talk to you”
The towering lord frowned upon hearing these words. The Allfather again? "I thought I made it clear that I do not wish to be bothered by anyone."
"Well, he seemed insistent-"
"Write to him I do not want to be bothered!!" the lord growled as his voice thundered across the main hall, the floor underneath him got covered in ice spikes which caused all around him to step back in fear and shock. The housekeeper trembled in fear, before bowing and scurrying away "Y-Yes my lord!-"
Lucio huffed, before glancing down at the spectacle of his outburst; with a tired sigh he made them disappear” Everyone... Forgive me for my outburst…” He spoke with a gentle and quiet voice. “I need to step outside to calm down…” he walked towards the entrance. On the walls, he passed hung giant banners, sewn with glittering cloth and fur, all in different hues of blue. Alongside there hung paintings of scenes and imagery depicting a trio, all who were pictured there look similar to Lucio: pale skin, blue eyes, pale white hair, and all were wearing regal clothes that marked their stature over all the rest.
He glanced at these old paintings with a somber look, almost as if the thought of remembering who these people were filled him with sorrow and sadness, despite his face appearing as expressionless as ever. He reached the giant barred door and opened it, letting the cold air of the exterior enter, causing the people within the castle to shiver and shake except the lord who stood directly in front of the entrance.
“I shall be back within the hour.”
Footprints on the snow quickly vanished as the wind blew them away. Lord Lucio’s trek brought him to the lands beyond his castle, and up to roads lined with trees coated with snow and ice. Through the coldness of the landscape, Lucio could feel life still leaving within the forest, making him slightly smile
Life always finds a way, they say, He thought, eyes closed, as he traveled down the roads marked with broken wooden fences and trees that lanterns hung from their branches, making a path leading up to a village almost submerged in snow. The decayed and broken look of the houses tells that all who once resided within this once lively vanished and fled to lands south.
Lucio couldn't help but sigh, looking down as his white hair and heavy cloak swayed from the cold wind blowing through the landscape. “It seems that they have left…” he exhaled, before walking back to the village’s entrance “So be it…”
“Lucio.”
The lord stopped in his tracks, staring at the distance with eyes wide.
That voice…
He slowly turned around, being met with the visage of a woman, her short pale white hair and pale skin were almost an exact copy of the towering snow lord. Or perhaps, it’s the other way around?... Her body was covered in a black gown, lined with a fluffy white coat on her shoulders, and a golden crown in the visage of sunrays laid on her head, and to top it all off, she wore white and gold glasses. She took some steps forward, causing the wind to die down enough that the path ahead of her was clear to look upon the lord of this land.
“...Sister.” he nodded in courtesy before going back to his trek back to his castle.
“Lucio, please- Dont leave, I merely wish to talk,” she spoke out, following him behind.
“I do not wish to talk to anyone, Maria” Lucio answered coldly, before turning around, glaring at his sibling with a cold gaze. “Much less the one you all call ‘allfather’ ”
“... Lucio, please.” Maria pleaded, “Everyone is worried… You’ve trapped yourself in Father’s castle, you’ve caused a 12-month-old winter- No one wants to live within your lands anymore!” she motioned at the ruined village around them. “Please… Your worship has diminished, and you know what happens to those who-”
“I know very well what happens.” Lucio hissed under his breath. “And if no one wants to remember me, then so be it. At least my time of mourning won't last long.”
“Brother, please-”
“I said what I said!!” Lucio yelled out, causing spikes of ice to rise out the ground around his feet. Maria took a step back in shock, before looking at her sibling with wide eyes. “I won't be attending that foolish meeting. I refuse to even look at the All-Father with my bare eyes, nevertheless stand within the same room as him. And that is final, goodbye.”
“Lucio-”
“I SAID THAT’S FINAL!!!”
Rows and rows of spikes of ice rose all around the lord of snow, their cracking sound echoed through the broken village, growing and growing along the floor, house sides and roads. Maria flinched, before floating up, watching the once calm lord fall to his knees, a bandaged hand holding his face- white tears cascaded down his cheek. “I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO ANYONE, I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANYONE!! I WANT YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE!!..... Let me grieve alone…”
The lord of wind looked on with sorrow and sadness at the state of her sibling’s emotions, and how far his grief has taken a toll on him. The cold winds picked up once more around them, causing her to be hit with a massive gust of freezing air. She quickly landed on the snowy ground, walking up to him. “. . . I’ll leave you alone… Just please… Take care.”
Lucio glanced up though the waves of tears falling down his face, his brows furrowed in a frown that caused his face to tense up. Alas, in a cold gust of wind, he vanished without a word, only leaving an imprint of a snowflake where he once stood.
“. . .He won't stop the winter, will he?....”
Maria sighed, before flying up to the highest of high, through clouds of snow and ice, up to the skies on high where the sun rays shined the brightest. She glanced down to the surface, only to discover that the hole of clouds where she came in through got already covered up with more and more clouds of ice and frost.
With a tired sigh, she flew away, floating close to the wall of clouds that covered the surface, before cutting through them, and being welcomed to the visage of a large mountain surrounded by towering trees and covered with powdered snow. Atop the large mountain stood a castle of whose imposing towers and polished materials show that the builders made this palace as an honor to those who ruled over them.
As she landed, he could tell that the meeting she tried to invite her sibling was going underway, and that she needed to announce the incoming news in front of everyone within the council. Not this again, Maria thought. Despite her status as a lord, she hates to speak in front of others, especially the council, and especially when she’s the bearer of bad news. Don't shoot the messenger, they say, yet they complain to her.
Hopefully, it's not the same this time…
She pushed through the large golden gates to the meeting room, the groans of it echoing and silencing the internal chatter within the hallowed room. As she stepped forth, she saw the ones that comprised this so-called council…
"Lord Anastasia, Lord Oris, Lord Rouge, Lord Alex, Allfather…" she said, bowing her head out of respect. "I come back bearing news…"
"Great! Will dear Lucio finally stop this temper tantrum of his?" The one called Lord Oris spoke out, crossing her arms, just like the rest; her hale skin and eyes shone and gleamed. Her pale hair, however, was strung with black streaks that flowed down. Her desk was littered and crowded with books and bottles containing mysterious liquids that none would dare touch unless they desired to find out the side effects themselves.
The words that came out of her mouth caused the messenger god to frown. "With all due respect, Lord of Alchemy, have more compassion. He's grieving a loss we all are affected by."
"Took the words right out of my mouth."
The lord known as Rouge spoke out, shooting a dangerous glare at her comrade. "This winter is nothing to sneeze at, however. The harvest is months late, and the people are struggling."
"Not only that-" Lord Anastasia spoke out. "But the worship of our little snowflake is diminishing by the moment, and I think we all do not wish him to disappear."
Disappear… those words caused Maria to shudder. Gods whose worship stops disappear out of existence. A concept all too familiar to the lone Sky goddess.
"By the fact that he's not here," the Allfather spoke out "I believe he does not wish to be present?"
"Y-You are correct, Allfather…" Maria nods "He… He's getting worse by the moment… And so will the winter if this continues."
"But then, what can we do?" Oris spoke out. "Lucio's influence over the seasons overrides ours."
"That is true… However, I believe something else can help in this predicament."
"And who might that be?" The Allfather spoke out.
Over the clouds, there is nothing but calm. Above it all the sun's rays shined down only to be blocked by the thick clouds that hugged the land close in a cold, frozen hug.
A place of everlasting change, battling with the cold stasis of the winter.
Coldness against warmth
Change against eternity
Spring is next to come, and so will it arrive, sooner or later.
A black streak dove down, piercing through the cold clouds. Large jet-back wings glittered in the air, reflecting what little light passed through the cracks.
The figure bearing these wings held behind them a long mane of slight curls, streaks of light chestnut hair were dotted about the dark chocolate ocean of hair, which was tied together in braids that resembled grains of wheat, and was knitted with vines of flowers like roses.
A red and white blouse adored their chest, and a black long dress hung down to their bare feet. Their chestnut skin blushed to redder tones as the cold wind hit them. It truly seemed that they were not prepared for the weather… Almost as if they were not from around here-
"What is this?-" the figure huffed out, their breath being visible from the cold. "It's supposed to be spring! Is this place just late?..."
The woman sighed before looking around. The landscape was coated with more and more snow, as the frost fell down from above in mass. Some of it started piling up on her head, which she shook off rather quickly, shivering from the sheer cold.
"This is definitely not normal…" she muttered under her breath, her wings flapping harder and harder to keep herself above the cold surface. Little did she realize that behind her, a raging snowstorm slowly galloped towards her, a quiet roar emanating from it as it advanced.
The winged lord did not notice, too busy with analyzing the situation she was in. But before long, after countless shivers wracked her body, she noticed the waging tempest.
It was too late to fly away
The cold gusts wracked her body, causing her to plummet to the cold snowy ground, the impact knocking her out cold as the storm flew overhead, covering her with layers of snow.
The flowers on her hair withered.
The coldness wrapped around her like a deadly blanket, frost and snow powdering her face and body.
It was not until a hand reached out into the snow, gently grabbing her out the blankets of snow.
"So that is what I felt…" The Lord of Snow whispered, holding the knocked-out Goddess close. The lord of flowers trembled and shook, her body becoming cold to the touch, and the flowers that adorned the sides of her head withered and shriveled up.
In a blink, he returned to his castle, running up the marble staircase, past the rows of servants that stepped aside for their lord.
"Lord Lucio! You're back-"
"Tell the kitchen to brew a Frozen Heart Tea!!" He yelled, kicking open the door to an extra room, laying down the trembling lord, before scrambling to cover her with blankets; opening the bedroom's closets, taking out all the covering he could find, laying them on her.
Once done, he glanced down at the Lord he saved.
The red of her cheeks has yet to die down, however, the frown on her face faded away, only being left with a calm expression which remained on as a sign of comfort that she will be fine. The withering flowers on her hair slowly regained color, and were coming back from shriveling up.
Lucio sighed out, before walking towards the fireplace, turning it on, and placing wood studs into it. The fire burned bright, bringing warmth to the once cold and empty room.
The Lord of Snow closed his eyes, letting the heat of the fire hit his face and body as he stood up, and glanced back at the bed-
"What the-"
Vines of roses and flowers grew on the stools of the bed, crawling up the railings and making beautiful flowers bloom about. Vines of berries grew down from the ceiling.
What a sight… he thought, eyes widening in awe.
" She is… The Lord of Spring…"