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For five hundred years, she has had a heart of ice. There is no love in her heart, no love for her people. Some say she was born that way, others say she isn't even an archon, just a mechanized puppet of Sandrone. She has always been cold and distant. The way she regards others is colder than the highest peak of the very country she governs. You had heard for so very long that she was ruthless. You heard all of this, and yet you still struggled to fall to your knees when she stood before you. You couldn't believe it. The Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya was standing in your tavern. Of course no one else knew who she was. She wasn't wearing anything regal or anything that signalled who she was. She wore a fancy cloak that covered her body and wore a hood that shielded her face, but you knew immediately who she was when she looked up at you to order. Why was she here? Why was she wearing a disguise? Should you bow?
You went to do just that but an ice cold wind snapped at you and she spoke.
“Unless you dropped something you had better not get on your knees.”
It was a whisper so quiet no one would hear it but you and the threat in such a quiet voice was enough to straighten you and you cleared your throat.
“Your mag-”
“I'll take a mug of tea please. I don't care what flavor so long as it isn't anything local.”
You stared at her. Her eyes were blue as the sea and hair as golden as the rays of sun that cut through the wooden cracks of your tavern. You were beyond confused. Why was she here? Had you done something wrong? You weren't a criminal, you had every permit for owning this little tavern but then again why would the archon personally come here in disguise if you had done something wrong? Perhaps she wanted you for a secret mission? So lost were you in your fantasies that the archon sighed and you felt ice against your cheek. A cold wake up call that brought you back to the present.
“Listen here girl, I want tea and I want it soon. Standing here dumbfounded will draw attention and I want one godforsaken moment of peace. Can you do that? Or should I go back out into the freezing cold to find some other idiot that will stumble to their knees after they see me?”
You frowned at that, did she get cold? You shook your head at such thoughts. She had called you an idiot! She complained about you being shocked to see THE archon. You don't know if the ice that struck your cheek invigorated you or if the fact the archon inspired you but you huffed and walked away without another word. You were looking at all the tea leaves you had. You were a tavern of course but your specialty was warm teas from all over Teyvat. You weren't popular or well known but those that did know of you spoke highly and were loyal. You were not rich but you made a good living for yourself in such a harsh environment.
You studied what you could make and felt a bit emboldened and selected a tea from Liyue. Was it perhaps cruel? Stupid? Moronic? Suicidal? Maybe, but she came into your tavern and treated you like that? Archon or no archon she wanted to be treated as a normal person. Well she would get what she wanted. Archons above this was the dumbest thing you've ever done. You put the ingredients in a metal container and set it in the boiling water and waited for it to finish. You looked at her from your window overlooking the tavern and found her with closed eyes as if she were thinking? You studied her and saw that she looked…tired. She wasn't thinking, she was sleeping.
The Archon of Snezhnaya was asleep at a table in your tavern. What was she thinking? Was she alright? Was she drugged? So many thoughts ran through your head and you frowned. Perhaps this tea wasn't the best idea. You should go for something softer from Inazuma or Sumeru. You could give it to her and explain what it was for but she might think it pity and who would pity an archon? Maybe she would have enough of you and just freeze you on the spot. You had heard rumors the cryo archon had a whole room of people frozen in place that displeased her. Surely that couldn't be true.
You stopped your imagination from running wild. An issue you'd had since childhood and turned to the now whistling tea. You poured the cup and could smell the spices from the tea and wiggled your nose at the exotic nature of spice.you set it on a small tray and looked over to check on the sleeping archon. Should you disturb her? She was a goddess but she did look a little tired. Do archons get dark circles under their eyes?
Before you knew it you were at her table and against your better judgment you cleared your throat. Her eyes didn't open. Oh archons above there's a dead god in your tavern.
“It is improper to stare at a sleeping woman.” a voice mumbled out
You nearly dropped the tray and yelped, causing someone to look over at you. You dismissed them with a smile and looked back to see the Tsaritsa smirking at you with half lidded eyes. You had to admit the sight was unbelievably beautiful. The woman was already gorgeous, the fairest woman in Snezhnaya but the tired look on the woman in front of you who held a smirk and pinned you down with fierce blue eyes seemed so much more perfect than what was imaginable.
You cleared your throat and set the tea down and smiled as best you could.
“Please let me know if you need anything else ma’am.”
You turned to walk away but your heart dropped when she spoke.
“Sit down girl.”
It wasn't a question. An order. Even if she wasnt an archon her tone commanded authority and you were powerless to disobey. You cleared your throat and slowly sat down and set the tray to the end of the table.
She smelled her tea and looked at you with a raised eyebrow. Oh she knew what you were doing. The color drained from your face and she smirked again. Damn her. She took a sip of the tea and held it with both hands after. She seemed to savour the taste in her mouth before swallowing and smiled softly. Not a smirk, not an evil heartless ruler's smile, but a genuine one. It was intoxicating.
“This is lovely. I haven't had tea from Liyue in so long. Most can't handle the spices mixed in and practically breathe fire as they spit it out. You added something though. Something I haven't had before, is that…cinnamon?”
She smacked her lips as if tasting it on her lips and you nodded softly. She hummed and took another sip.
“It blends perfectly. I see the praises of you were correct.”
Now instead of your face being drained of color it was as red as a chili used in the very tea she drank. You sat a little straighter and scoffed.
“Thank you. It's nothing really i just spent a lot of time adding things to see how they tasted and asked customers if they liked it and would write down their recommendations and-”
Laughter. Soft and short but laughter filled your ears. The tsaritsa was laughing at you. You didn't know you could get even more red faced but you looked down. She was laughing at you. It stopped and she sighed.
“Forgive me, I wasn't trying to embarrass you. I'm not used to people rambling when they are given a compliment.”
Your eyes snapped up to her.
“Well you shouldn't laugh at people in the first place. It's a good way to get kicked out.”
Defiance filled your voice and gave you the strength to talk to her in such a way. If she hadn't had a problem before this then surely she would now. She studied you as if you were a piece on a chessboard. Wondering how to get rid of you. It made you squirm in your seat. She hummed and leaned back, crossing her legs.
“Kicking out an archon? You would lose business in a week. No one would come here, seems like a poor choice.”
Her smirk was back in full force though there was no malice in her tone, she was playing. Two could play that game. You leaned back as well and crossed your arms. This was your tavern.
“Archons don't come here. All I see is a rude customer.”
Had you gone too far? You hoped not. Your question was answered when she let out a short laugh, more a bark than anything.
“Rude? I am a paying customer. You are the one trying to punish me with spicy tea. Do you serve spicy tea to all your rude customers? Must be a very ineffective business plan.”
You shrugged. “Just the ones that think they're better than me off assumption.”
“So you think we are equal? Surely you're not that foolish girl.”
“This is my tavern you walked into. You wanted to hide yourself. I wouldnt come into your palace and act like I own the place.”
“Yet one could argue I own the land your little tavern sits on. So wouldn't that make it mine as well?”
“Only a tyrant thinks they are entitled to the land that was here long before them.”
She stared you down with such intensity that you thought you would die on the spot. You went too far.
“Do you think I'm a tyrant?”
It was spoken softly almost in disbelief. In truth you didn't know anything about her. No one did. She made it very clear that she keeps to herself. You knew more about the harbingers than her.
“I don't know anything about you and I don't let stories and rumors dictate my thoughts about you.”
“That's not an answer.”
“I dont have one.”
“What rumors?”
You froze again. Feeling compelled to keep talking to her and answering questions. You should get back to work. You went to stand and grabbed your tray.
“I should get back to work. My customer must be getting annoyed that I'm not getting them drinks.”
“The last one left five minutes ago.”
You paused and looked around. Sure enough the older man who looked at her earlier was gone, mora placed next to an empty cup. Archons above, how did she even notice that? Her eyes had been on you the whole time and she- oh right. Goddess. You slinked back down to your seat and shifted to try and get comfortable.
“I don't know all of them but…the ones I hear the most are the most common ones. You hate your people and you may have a room full of people you've frozen to death who angered you.”
The laughter was a little louder than before and it was insanely difficult to not join her. Even saying that she had frozen people was funny by itself. You smiled and shook your head. She certainly didn't seem THAT evil.
“I have not heard that one. Pulcinella must do well to keep that from my ears. Frozen enemies in their own personal chamber? That's quite the story. Although it's an interesting idea perhaps I shall consider it. My first statue can be an unruly barkeep.”
The teasing smirk was back and you laughed at that.
“It would be an honor to be the first dissident to be frozen though you would miss out on my tea.”
The Tsaritsa nodded as if thinking hard about the decision and the stakes of it.
“It is good tea…but if im to be a tyrant i can just find tea elsewhere no? Freeze anyone who dares defy me”
You relaxed yourself and propped your shoulders on the top of the booth you were in. fake confidence coursing through your veins.
“No one serves tea like me besides I can give you something to help you sleep so you aren't passing out in random taverns.”
The smirk faded for a brief second before it was put back up. You barely noticed it but the archon's cheeks seemed the tiniest bit red. She was embarrassed. She sighed and made to stand.
“Well I must get back. Things require my attention. Thank you for the tea, how much?”
You felt shame and regret bubble up. Why did you have to bring it up? Although she mentioned it earlier but clearly you weren't supposed to speak about it again. So lost in your stupidity you missed her placing more mora than the tea was worth on the table and as she walked away you felt such a bad idea forming in your head and before you could stop yourself you called out to her.
She stopped and turned with surprise before her face went back to the same neutrality she had when she first spoke to you. She looked at you waiting for you to speak.
“You need to eat.”
“Beg your pardon?”
“Well you know, my tea is good and all but you need to have a meal with it.”
She looked confused for a moment and seemed to dismiss you.
“That's nice of you but I do have a kingdom to run so if you'll excuse me.”
“Everyone knows tyrants hardly eat!”
What?
She looked at you like you had just spoken a foreign language to her.
“Tyrants…don't…eat?” she said slowly as if she hadn't heard you right
You nodded slowly.
She studied you for a moment and sighed loudly before taking off a pair of gloves and setting them on the table and sitting back down. She looked up at you and shrugged expectantly.
You dashed away to the kitchens and then panicked. What did she want? You didn't take her order, you didn't ask what she was in the mood for. Archons, you were dumb. Why did you want to keep her here? She would forget about you the minute she walked out of here. She's been alive for at least five hundred years. She's probably known many fools over that time. As if she heard your thoughts you heard movement at the bar and saw her sit down.
“Since you ran away before taking my order I assume youre surprising me?”
The smirk was back and you thanked the heavens you got to see it again.
“Of course it's a surprise. I would be a terrible owner if i didn't take your order.”
You heard her hum in approval and you quickly set about making something. You wanted something full of flavor that wasn't usually found in your home country and decided on something from Mondstats cuisine. Fifteen minutes later you served her a plate of chicken with some rice and another serving of the tea she had earlier.
You watched with bated breath as she expertly and regally cut a piece and very gently put it in her mouth. Her eyes closed and she hummed in approval. She swallowed and looked at you.
“I suppose you're free from my statue chamber another day, barkeep.”
You smiled widely at that and noticed she hid a smile with her hand disguising it as covering her chewing. You bowed dramatically which earned a scoff from her.
“Happy to be of service your majesty.”
You saw her roll her eyes and made yourself tea of your own and engaged in conversation while she ate. At first you thought yourself overstepping but she quickly asked you questions about your upbringing which you answered truthfully. You had questions of your own but you found yourself unable to ask them as you loved the way she listened with full attention. It was as if she spoke about herself or was asked questions so much that she wanted to ask the questions instead.
Eventually there was a lull in the conversation and darkness crept into the tavern. You had served a few customers and some looked at the both of you curiously but they never knew it was the archon, just two friends catching up. Now it was empty and her hood was down after you had closed for the night. Her golden hair was longer than you thought, snaking all the way down her back and was more beautiful than you could imagine. Without the hood you could see her so clearly and you felt your heart skip a beat. You were shocked that someone, even a god could be so beautiful and elegant. It was like a dream. A very vivid and detailed dream.
As you took her plate to the back room you noticed your Inazuman tea you used for sleep and quickly put it in a wooden box. You came back out and she was putting her cloak back on and straightening her clothes.
“Thank you for the meal…and the company. I'll admit I wasn't sure what I was doing walking into here. I needed space from my court. There's lots of things coming that weigh heavily on me. Things that will shape the world. I needed a place to process and think if what I was doing was right. Thank you.”
You were speechless. What in the world could that mean? You shook your head and smiled.
“You're welcome anytime. So long as you dont add me to your statue collection.”
She laughed and you found it was freeing for her. Her shoulders dropped more and more the longer you talked. Like a mask was lifted and she could be herself.
“I'll do my best to keep my tyrannical nature from entering your tavern next time, but I make no promises.”
The promise of a next time sent thrills through you but you ignored them and as she turned to leave you remembered the box. You called out to her and handed the box to her. She raised an eyebrow and opened it and looked at you again.
“I use this when I'm tired but can't seem to fall asleep. It doesn't leave you groggy either. I made it myself.”
Her mouth opened and closed as if she were speechless now. She brought the box closer to her and breathed in the scent. She looked at you and smiled. Genuine and thankful. It was the most beautiful thing about her you had seen yet.
‘Thank you. Your kindness is unnecessary but I appreciate it all the same. I hope to see you soon my dear.”
You tried so hard to not blush but she clearly saw it and that god damned smirk appeared again.
“If only to see your adorable face when you're flustered.”
She said nothing else as she walked out into the night. You tried hard to forget the entire days events, but cleaning and preparing everything for tomorrow did nothing to sway you from thinking of soft golden hair and eyes hard as ice softening when the looked at you and as you fell asleep that night huddling into your blankets for warmth, you swore you could feel a presence watching over you and lessening the snow and cold winds attacking your house.