Ruler Of Ice

As she watched her husband's figure slowly shrink into the distance, she felt a sense of… disgust?! Why was she even interacting with that insect anyway?! Then she suddenly realized. Skadi immediately whipped out her phone, pulling up picture after picture of Sky, reminding herself of why she loved him. After feeling the familiar cracking sound, she knew that the curse had once again lost effect. As he disappeared into the horizon, her heart yearned for him. It felt as if a piece of her was missing. Skadi sighed.

Making it back home, she quickly locked my bedroom door before saying a word that felt strangely natural to her: "Appear." A crown formed of snow and ice, adorned with snowflakes glinting in the light appeared atop Skadi's head. The Crown of Everwinter. "Manifest garment." She muttered again. An almost translucent, silk-like fluttering blue robe materialized, shimmering with the light that was reflected off of it.

Decorated with snowflakes, and rimmed with gold, it was clear. It was the robe of a ruler. Her hair elongated, reaching all the way down to the floor, turning a slight blue near the ends, her lips becoming more full, more luscious, whereas she also grew taller, her chest and rear area expanding as well, from slightly "flat" to a more voluptuous figure, suitable for a "queen". Even her face changed slightly, her cheekbones situated slightly higher, her eyes slightly more narrow, giving off a regal, mature air.

Tying part of her extremely long hair into a braid that looped around her head before ending into a bun, leaving the rest to drop freely towards the ground, she muttered. "Interesting." She could feel mysterious power coursing through her, making her stronger but more importantly, also making her feel aloof. If before she was just cold towards others, now, she was with the bearings of a queen: aloof and unwilling to bow down to anyone.

Testing her powers, Skadi realized that even though she felt as if she had an ocean of … the only way to describe it was "mana", it was as if it had frozen over, leaving only very small amounts that could be used. "Hmmm…" Skadi furrowed her eyebrows slightly at the inconvenience. She figured that she would have to work hard in the future. For the sake of her husband!

When she sat down on the floor like she normally did, preparing to start "melting" her mana, she wrinkled her nose in disgust. How could a queen sit on the filthy ground?! It was unbefitting of her noble status! She snapped her fingers, condensing water to form two thrones made of ice, one engraved with lotuses, the other engraved with clouds. As she sat down, feeling much more comfortable, she glanced to her right, before frowning. Her husband wasn't there to take his place by her side. This wouldn't do! As she sat on her throne, slowly melting the locked mana, supporting her head with her hand, her eyes glinted cruelly. 'This queen will not allow for some harlot to seduce her king!' She smiled thinly, before blushing slightly and smiling happily while thinking about Sky. The duality of women…

Meanwhile, Mia seemed to have run into a problem. Coincidentally, the Assassination Organization she worked for had sent her on a long mission out in the wildlands of Siberia to smother the flames of a rebellion against the Tzar. And Mia was someone who didn't believe in that many "coincidences".

Someone had to be behind it! Her disguise melted a little, eyes dull, before she quickly realized and regained her original shape. Someone was trying to separate her from Sky. Mia knew it was going to happen eventually. She knew that she wouldn't be the only one to realize Sky's true value.

And she would be happy to put them in their place. She smiled psychotically. She would complete her mission, put those bitches in their place, and then live happily ever after with Sky. The end. As she read the mission outline, she morphed her shape out of that of Mia's. Only around Sky would she become "Mia", the cheerful, energetic girl.

Around others? She took on the form of a female outfitted in a skintight latex suit and a mask that covered her face. "Just wait for me Darling~. It won't be long…" She muttered, her shape shifting into her alias as the assassin of a "Thousand Faces". There were lives to reap, and humans to torment!

Opening his phone, Sky received a video from Mia. "Hi Darling~. I'm out with my friends on vacation right now, traveling the world! Sorry for not telling you beforehand! Right now, we're going to Siberia, and I'm so excited! I can't wait to try all the good food there~! I'm missing you already~!" She ended, kissing the screen before cutting the video. Sky smiled, immediately texting back "Have fun, and make sure to stay safe and warm! I heard Siberia's extremely cold this time of year and with the rebellion going on, I don't want you to get hurt!"

Mia, upon receiving the message, giggled happily, swaying her head side to side muttering "Darling went out of his way to tell me to stay safe, how cute~! Don't worry Darling~. I won't get hurt, promise~!"

After finishing breakfast, he quickly left the house and departed for school. But right in front of his house, was… Skadi?! "H-hi Sky! I thought to pick you up today and walk with you to school. Why're you so slow, I've been waiting outside your house for an hour now! Hmph!"

"My bad, my bad Skadi…" He chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head. "How's your condition? Tell me immediately if you start feeling uncomfortable around me, and I'll distance myself from you." Yesterday, they made an agreement to have Sky converse with Skadi to help practice "rehabilitating" by having her practice with a man she knew longest: Sky.

When Sky saw her in front of the door, he couldn't help but feel that something was different; off. But upon seeing Skadi's questioning face, tilted to one side as if asking what was wrong, he shrugged it off. 'For a second, I felt like she gave off the bearing of a queen. A cold queen. Guess it must've been nothing'

Skadi had long deactivated her "garment" provided by her Crown of Everwinter. After all, it would NOT be normal for her to essentially mature overnight, to the point that even her facial features would change.

Sky knew that it was a long path towards "curing" Skadi's condition and mending their relationship as friends, but this was definitely a start. And as he walked to school side by side with Skadi, who seemed to be gradually warming up, showing more and more facial expressions, he smiled optimistically.

It looks like things were looking up for him! Skadi, seeing her husband's smiling face, blushed slightly. 'Husband looks so handsome right now!' She couldn't help but exclaim. She was so immersed in her talks with Sky that she failed to realize that her mana pool seemed to be melting, and at a rapid pace too…

As they approached school, Sky had the decency of having her enter the classroom first, before entering some time later due to realizing the difference in their social status. He was a loner, while Skadi was essentially a school idol! It would obviously cause multiple rumors and stain her reputation! 'Tch! Husband shouldn't have to care about these peasants! B-but… i-it's not like I liked Husband's thoughtfulness of protecting this queen's reputation or anything!" Skadi thought to herself, sitting down.

Yet, the more she conversed with her so-called "classmates" the more she realized how much the Crown seemed to have influenced her thinking. Before, it was at least manageable, and she could still converse with her classmates while only feeling slight contempt towards those humans. But now? She felt appalled by them. How dare they not kneel while talking to this queen?! Yet, she had to keep up appearances. A wise ruler, whether they meant it or not, had to be kind to their subjects.

Class soon ended, with Sky finally realizing how screwed he was with all the homework he had to catch up on, and Skadi focused on Sky's serious face as he did said homework. Time for lunch. As Skadi packed her stuff up, texting Sky to ask if he wanted to eat lunch with her at the rooftop again, she was stopped by someone.