Chapter Text
Deep in the northern parts of Fairyland, there is a place called the Kingdom of Icenest and it is ruled by a fearsome Ice Queen named Nettle Hailfrost, who lived in a massive castle of ice and stone within the mountains with her son, Prince Yamir Atem. Ice Queen Nettle had platinum hair, sapphire blue eyes, icy pale skin with ruby red lips, and dressed in blue gown adored with snowflakes and ice crystals with a diamond crown and icicle gossamer wings. Her son Yamir Atem, or Yami for short, has a completely look from his mother: his hair has five spikes that had a black base, dark magenta edges, and golden blond bangs and fringes with some of the blond fringes are pointing upwards and angular, purple eyes. His skin was pale cream, iridescent wings and would be dressed in blue suits with gold and red etchings. For many years, Nettle ruled the kingdom with her late husband, Aknamkanon Hailfrost. Aknamkanon was the opposite of what Nettle looks like with his hair like the night and his eyes were of crimson, tanned skin, flame-like gossamer wings, and would dress in scarlet royal robes. Together with their son, they were a happy family and good rulers of the kingdom. When their son was ten years old, Aknamkanon unexpectedly passed away after contracting a rare disease during one of his trips to a neighboring kingdom.
After her late husband's passing, Nettle had become cold and distant toward others, especially those from within her own kingdom and the other kingdoms. In regards to her son, Yami, she started to become protective of him to the point of being overbearing and not allow him to socialize with others, most specifically women, unless she approves of them or if woman is his cousin, her niece, Snowdrop Windfrost. How she does that has a lot to do with a mirror that she received from her older brother, Marsh Windfrost as a wedding gift. Marsh is a very mysterious fae, even to those who know of him, and traveled to many places, granting wishes to those whose wishes were judge worthy to grant. He has grayish blue skin with grayish scales on his bald head, piercing green eyes, long pointy ears, pale green gossamer wings and dressed in a worn brown and gray robes. His daughter, Snowdrop Windfrost, on the other hand, is unique, but very friendly towards others and is close with her cousin, Yami. Snowdrop is a crystal fairy with blue skin with green eyes, silver and pale blue hair with some crystals in her hair, and dresses in a blue iridescent dress.
When Nettle married Aknamkanon, Marsh had given them a enchanted mirror that could show anything or anyone they wish to see in any part of the world. Using that mirror, Nettle would see the different kingdoms that are surrounding her own and would originally use whatever knowledge she gains to understand that particular kingdom and find a way to earn their trust. However, after the tragic passing of her husband and her son growing up into a young man, Nettle began to use the mirror in a darker way.
Nettle coldness began to unnerve people within her own kingdom and other kingdoms as well, so there were times that some people would try to reason with the Ice Queen or when they were in their own homes, making certain remarks or comments about Nettle, but unknown to them, were overheard by her through her mirror. Those individuals that made comments about the Ice Queen that she felt were insulting or threatening, Nettle would use her mirror to create shards from within it and have them be embedded into their hearts, making them as emotionless or as cold as she is.
When Yamir Atem turned sixteen, Nettle would again look into her mirror and would look upon the various maidens within each of the neighboring kingdoms in search of a wife worthy of her son. However, she doesn't want her son to get married, because that would mean she would lose her crown and throne. To test these maidens, she would select a maiden who was at least sixteen years old from one of the neighboring kingdoms once a month, every year and would have the Northern winds bring that maiden directly to the her castle. Once there, the chosen maiden would appear before Nettle's presence and she would see if they freeze or not in her presence for since she had become frozen inside, her aura freezes nearly everything around her. If they freeze, Nettle would put a mirror shard into their heart, freezing their emotions and they would become her servants. If they don't freeze, they would be brought to a private room that they would be staying in during the time of their stay. She would then have Yamir Atem enter that room when they are sleeping to see if they would feel his presence or his touch if he takes an interest in that maiden. If they start reacting, Nettle would have him immediately leave the room, so they wouldn't see him yet, making them think that there was a ghost or a draft in the room. Those who slept through the night, Yamir Atem would leave before sunrise and Nettle would make them her servants and infuse their hearts with the mirror shard. Those who reacted during the night time he was there, they would meet Yamir Atem properly and they would start courting.
However, these courtships don't last for various reasons, sometimes it is because of Yamir Atem's strong personality would scare them. Other times, the maidens would either unintentionally insult him or his family. Many of the times though, it was because of Nettle, trying to intimidate the maidens again and would say their worst fears or secrets that she learned from her mirror. Regardless of the reason for the end of the courtships, Nettle would again use her mirror to create shards to infuse into their hearts and make them her servants.
When Marsh learned at what his sister had done using the mirror he gave her, he confronted her about it, but she was indifferent about his reaction. She merely stated that all she did to the mirror was to “improve” it, so it would help her protect her kingdom and her son. Despite Marsh's attempt to reason with Nettle that what she was doing to the maidens was creating more fear in the neighboring kingdom, Nettle said that she would prefer kingdoms to fear her, so they wouldn't dare think twice of trying to overthrow her. Seeing that Nettle would not change or even soften at his words, Marsh decided to leave the kingdom and continue to grant wishes for people in other parts of Fairyland. Before he left however, he asked his daughter, Snowdrop, to keep an eye on Nettle and Yami and do she can to help any maiden that she feels is the one for Yamir Atem and protect them from Nettle's mirror shards. After asking his daughter of his request, he said farewell to his sister and nephew and left the kingdom and hasn't been seen in a long time.
Over the next four years, Yami had turned twenty and was still single, no thanks to the kingdoms learning about what happened to the previously chosen maidens, every new chosen maiden is terrified the moment they meet the Ice Queen herself. Snowdrop continued to stay by her cousin's side and be his confidante when he needed the most. This December, Nettle learned from her mirror about a young fairy who had turned eighteen back in May and possessed very strong winter magic. Thinking that she may be a potential threat to her, Nettle decided that this maiden will be chosen one for this month and test her like she had done with the other maidens. This time with this maiden, however, Nettle will be even more determined to make sure that this maiden fails and have her become more than her frozen-hearted servant. She will try to find a way to take away the maiden's power and make herself even more powerful, so no one can ever challenge her again.