The Fragile Ice Heart

The King stopped eating and continued to spend his days looking at the queen in her eternal casket. He had it opened to touch her and to put her favorite flowers beside her. He would tell her how beautiful she looked, how he missed her, and how he desperately wanted to be with her.

He would occasionally insult or play with the heads of his brother and his family, as well as the assistant that the doctor brought.

"I miss your gaze, love of my life," he whispered to her. "I miss your ever warm touch."

The King has been crying and drinking for days, and he lost so much weight. His clothes that used to fit him like a glove seemed loose now, and his complexion started to pale. The glimmer in his purple eyes was gone, and his beard was no longer shaved, his hair disheveled like it was never taken care of.

"You are so cold now, what I would give to see you breathing again."

His body was so used to the Queen and now that her life was gone, he couldn't find any reason to live.

"Father," a young voice said as he entered the room that used to smell nice, but now reeks of alcohol and human waste.

"Oh, Aaron, my son! Look how beautiful your mother is!" the King happily yelled.

Aaron was scared. He backed down a little, only to be held in his place because the door blocked his exit. It was his first time seeing the King after he beheaded the killers of his mother without any emotion in his face, in front of Aaron.

The ministers started training him to be the next king since they realized that the King is a lost cause and will probably die in the next few weeks.

"I have come to deliver your food, father," Aaron said, offering him the tray he held. The King immediately switched his attitude and looked at the poor, now thin boy shaking because of fear.

"Be silent, Aaron. Your mother might wake up," he shushed him. "Your mom doesn't like noise while she sleeps, and she likes it when I spoon her."

The King rushed to the casket, scaring Aaron. "Ah, my love, you are the most beauti-!"

"You haven't eaten for three days, father," Aaron cried, his tears falling to the portions of the food he held tightly. The King continued what he was saying.

"--beautiful, my lovely bride, I am going to marry you in all of the lives I'll get to live. You are my love, my life, my all. Please look at m-"

"Father please eat today!" Aaron shouted as tears streamed his rosy cheeks. "I am begging you! Pl-"

[baam--]

That was all it took for the hungry, stressed, and enraged king to approach him and throw the tray to the ground. The look on his face was pure rage, as if it never recognized his son.

Aaron couldn't believe that he was looking at the person who was father.

"I TOLD YOU TO KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN!" the King screamed. "I do not want your food!"

"Father, I-"

"Can't you see that I am spending my time with her right now? Can you not understand me?" The King whispered as he held the face of the child with his right hand. He let it go eventually as he saw the scared face of the child. He turned his back against him and started to walk towards the Queen.

"You are grieving, your majesty," Aaron said.

"Why would I grieve when I did not lose anyone?"

-

"She's dead father!"

A slap across the face, so hard and so pure of rage clanged into the room. Aaron spat, blood and teeth came with it, and before he could register what had happened, the King towered before him and pinned him against the wall as he lifted him with his collar, hurting his injured shoulder that was not fully healed yet. His back was slammed so hard against the wall, and his drool came out from his mouth.

"So what?" She's still here, look at her!" The King pointed at the casket with a maniac expression on his face. The child could only cry. "Look how peaceful she is as she is sleeping!"

[hic-]

[hic--]

The boy whimpered, stopped fighting, and stared straight to the king, torrential tears streaming his once lively face.

"I am grieving too, father," the child wet his pants as he cried, snot falling to his mouth. "And now I am losing not just my mother and sister, but also my father!"

The King stopped speaking, but his hold onto him was never loosened.

"I know you are hurting. I know you are." Aaron continued, "I know how much it hurts because I am hurting too. It hurts so much! Again, and again and again it makes it hard for me to live!"

The King's eyes, for the first time since the Queen died, filled itself with tears that came directly from his heart. He felt as if his life was shattering into pieces, and his loss started to sink in his senses.

He flinched at the sight of his son lifted and pinned against the wall.

"You are not the only one who loves her!"

He let go of him and the child fell into the ground.

"I-" the king said. "I-"

However, the child didn't seem mad. He crawled towards his father and hugged his legs tight.

"Please," Aaron cried and looked straight in his eyes. The King saw the Queen's eyes instead, which was the same color as his. "Do not leave me."

It registered to the King's mind, that there is still someone who needs him, and that he still had to make the best King out of the child who shared his blood and features, except his eyes.

The King hugged Aaron as he cried.

"I will not leave you, after all, you are a fragment of my beloved," he said, as he smiled manically.

_____________

After that moment, he trained Aaron to be the ice king who had no emotions,

And he started with his dog.

The King arranged him to marry the oldest Tuvera daughter, Eva.

For the queenly education, Eva was transferred to the nearby smaller castle but nevertheless grand, with Lorelei as her helper.

___________________________

On the thirteenth year of their stay in the castle, Lorelei, now fifteen, was hungry at night and was trying to find food in the pantry. Eva did not give her enough portion of food, so she had a midnight stroll to get some.

She would visit the library sometimes in the morning, but her most favorite spot to visit was the middle of the labyrinth garden where she would hear piano playing every night.

She walked there, barefoot, holding her basket of bread, and waited, and waited, and waited for the music to come, but it never did.

She sat in a bench in silence as she drenched herself in the pretty moonlight and closed her eyes. Her face was illuminated by streaks on moonlight escaping through the narrow gaps of the plants. She hummed the song of the eagles as her voice blended with the wind and enjoyed the sight of the flowers.

She wore her white night gown and she let her hair loose. Her strawberry red hair was so long it reached her waist, and her eyes sparkled of evergreen.

A strong gust of wind blew which sent shivers to her very skin. She stood up and left the bench, when she saw a person standing at the entrance of the garden.

It was a teenage boy in his pajamas with a platinum hair and enchanting deep blue eyes. His tears were falling down his face which remained emotionless.

He was holding a green handkerchief that looked old and faded, so tightly his hands shook.

Lorelei was speechless. The boy looked like a ghost, but then it hit her--it was the boy she met thirteen years ago.

"Eros"

"Lorelei"