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Part 4 of Forging a Different Ending
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2023-05-25
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2024-12-19
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The Two Queens

Summary:

Snowfox and Snowflake make a life of their own, making changes to the icewing kingdom.

Notes:

The previous work to this ‘Shattered’ where Snowfox challenges her aunt to the throne (and wins) is recommended to be read prior to this, but it’s not necessary to enjoy this series or this work.

As well this work, unlike the more plot driven stories in this series, was not originally planned. However due to readers seeming interested in seeing more of this pair and their relationship, I’ve decided to write this.

With this being said, requests (exempting anything of a sexual nature or having one of the two die) are appreciated and encouraged. I do have a few chapter ideas, but would love to hear what you all would like to see in this work in particular.

Thank you again for reading not only this work but this series!

Chapter 1: My Dear, My Light

Summary:

Little moments with Snowflake and Snowfox as Fox heals from the Royal challenge

Chapter Text

Snowfox couldn’t help but stare, chin rested on an open palmed talon as she sat along a series of blankets and pillows, curled up slightly with her wings eased by her sides.

The new icewing queen found her eyes drifting. Tracing across glistening scales outlined with hanging chains of harsh sapphires, running along sharp horns intertwined with dark bands, and observing deadly claws equipped in graceful silks and shimmering rings.

To most, she would looked as though displeased or deep in thought, but truth of the matter was she was awestruck.

For while many dragons had the opinion that Snowflake was a blank slate of a dragon, dull and glassy in the fumbled mess of a cheap mirror, the other was infact, as Fox would put it, like an iced over lake.

At first glance, it seems simple enough, sleek, cold. But then you notice the thin spots, edging along the slippery slyness of its nature, observing the hidden dark waters below through a pretty little shell.

It was fascainting. Delightful.

Deadly.

“You enjoying the view or you got something stuck in between your teeth?” 

Snowfox blinked, looking up at Snowflake’s face, “Huh?”

The other rolled her eyes, striding over to flop down next to her, “Fox, you’re staring again.”

A scoff, “Well, of course. You’re gorgeous.”

“Aw, you admiring my pretty little face?” Snowflake draped herself against the other, careful to not actually press too much of her weight against the other, keeping in mind the new queen’s still healing injuries. 

“You look like you could slay armies,” Fox mused, smiling jewel-embedded teeth. “I’m simply basking in your presence.”

Snowflake couldn’t help a harsh snort, playfully slapping at her partner’s shoulder as she moved to slide away, “Okay, shut up.”

“Aw what?” Fox dragged her back, cuddling Snowflake in an embrace. “My wittle, wuvely kiwwing daggwer?”

“Shut up!” Snowflake laughed, a flush coloring her gray-white scales in faint blues, “You make me sick!”

Fox snuggled against the playfully struggling Snowflake, the icewing queen soon enough pressing sloppy kisses to the other’s forehead. “Awwwwww, look at my pretty, pretty queen!”

The noble was snorting hard now, hiccuping sounds as she squealed and tried to push the other away, “You’re abusing the fact that I can’t hit you!”

“Ha! Softie!” 

“I’m going to smother you with a pillow when you sleep!!!” Snowflake had stopped her half-attempted struggling, trying to hide her face in her claws as her face flushed deeper. “Drown you in—oh! You— you nightmare of a dragon!”

Fox was giggling harshly, faint wispy hisses, “I love you, too!”

Snowflake shook her head, “I AM GOING TO STAB YOU!”

“Promise!?”

The two burst into hissing giggles and snorting sputters.

~

“I… haven’t really danced before. Never interested me, I suppose. No one really asks to dance with the heir afterall, Diamond threatened the ones that got too close…”

“Well,” Snowflake adjusted the fur-scarf around the other’s shoulders, pausing to briefly check on the cuts hidden under it, “She’s not here anymore, now is she?”

Fox chuckled, a shy thing, “It… it feels like she might be.”

“What do you mean?” Snowflake moved to adjust Fox’s crown so it sat more comfortably on her head. Her claws lingered with a gentle touch, carefully stroking along the developing scars on the other’s snout, “Because I’m quite certain I saw you tear out her heart for me, snow cat.”

Fox leaned in, sighing heavily, eyes drifting closed. “I do not know… her image haunts me, lingers like a hungry beast. Sometimes I get these stupid dreams… and…”

“And…?”

The queen opened her dark eyes and stared into her partner’s. “And I… I feel like I’m walking on thin ice. The adrenaline carried me, I think, and, and now what? What if I fall or, or something happens? And, what do I do?”

“Well. I will be walking with you. And I will pull you back up. Simple as that.” Snowflake’s voice grew lighter, “I mean, someone’s got to call out your dumb tail when you get over zealous.”

Fox relaxed, “You better…”

“Now.” A claw raised that dipping crowned head. “How about a dance?”

“You better not let me slip or I will have your head.”

Snowflake snorted, eyes bright.

~

“Are you certain, my queen?” The healer ducked their head as Fox tried to shoo them away before Snowflake arrived.

“Yes, yes! I am perfectly fine, wounds are healing wonderfully, so on and so forth! Now—“

“But your majesty, you haven’t allowed any of us to check u—“

“I shall be fine, just g—“

“Fox?” Said dragon froze, spines raising with the startle of being caught.

“Oh, Great Wall of Ice—“ The icewing queen quickly glanced from the healer to her partner, “Snowflake, wonderous of you to arrive, I was just attending to matt—“

“She has not allowed us to tend to her wounds in several days,” the healer spoke up, snout dipping towards the noble. Their gaze was smug, the icewings around the palace having adjusted quite well to their new queen and her ‘advisor.’   

Snowflake’s gaze narrowed and turned slowly to Snowfox, “Fox.”

The queen swallowed, wincing. “Oh, orca spit.” 

~

Fox was bored. Insanely bored. A claw moving to pick at her newly bandaged injuries, the healer finally having left her to her lonesome (Snowflake was taking care of speaking with some of the outer ring icewings, helping to bring the news of Fox’s rise to the throne.) 

Apparently, with all the things she’d wanted to get done, Fox had either reopened a wound or had mis-treated it when trying to deal with it herself or something else she couldn’t care less about. What it meant in the long run was that she was to not move about, lay in bed, and recover.

The queen rolled her eyes, drooping against a polar bear plush, the absurdly massive thing (as large as her head) having been an old thing her mother had gifted her in her youth. Fox had hidden the thing away until recently, not wanting Diamond to get rid of the keepsake or to think she weak for keeping such a sentimental item.

But it was comforting, and Fox, despite her busy mind, found herself relaxing. Snowflake had even helped to stitch up some old tears on it, refilling the worn stuffing with fresh new feathers and furs.

The queen sighed, closing her eyes. She never really got close to many through her life, but those she had had, she wanted to keep them close. Even if they weren’t alive to be there with her.

“Wish you could have seen me out there,” she muttered into the old toy, “Would have made you proud, I’d say.”

For a moment, as her mind slipped into unconsciousness, she could have sworn she felt a gentle wing wrap around her. 

~

Snowflake couldn’t wait to go back home, her wings sore from all the traveling she’d been doing as of late. With Fox’s desire to be present in the kingdom affairs, she’d incidentally prolonged her healing. Which was infuriating when Snowflake had warned her as the days passed about being careful NOT to do that exact thing.

But well. With Fox on strict orders to rest by the Royal healers, Snowflake had taken a step up to make sure this moment of weakness didn’t give anyone any bright ideas.

It was espically easy to do when Snowflake wore a most shocking crown. Twisting white horns long and stark rising above her own, a clear sight to all, a message to those that knew who said horns had belonged to.

It was a subtle pride, something she’d catch others staring at in either realization, wonder, disgust, or unease. But it served well.

It had been her own idea, and she was going to surprise Fox with it when she returned. But for now, the noble finally got a moment of peace.

She settled in the guest chamber she’d be staying in for the couple of nights she was there and then the noble would be back to visiting lower circle icewing villages and communities. There certainly was a lot to be done, making notes of things to work on, ideas for changes and betterment, etc.

With a tired yawn, Snowflake settled on her bed, a simple yet curiously comfortable thing. She began to carve a message into a stone tablet, the noble figured it would be best to send news to their lost prince as well.

Chapter 2: All I ask, is for you, by my side

Summary:

Fox and Snowflake simply exist

Chapter Text

Snowflake was having a most difficult time getting work done, not because she didn’t want to, but because of the dragon currently sprawled against her dramatically.

After the noble had returned to the palace, almost immediately she’d been summoned to the queen chamber’s, Fox having been sprawled out across her bed before perking up eagerly at Snowflake’s entrance.

Snowflake wouldn’t be lying when she said she’d missed just laying around with the other, but she also knew that things had to get done. 

She had even explicitly stated ‘Hey, dummy, we’ve got work to do like writing messages and checking corespondents with other tribes’ and Fox had nodded along politely ‘oh yeah, of course, whatever you say.’

Fox was a liar and a shameful one at that. Sneaking kisses and just being a nuisance.

Snowflake sighed, pinching her brow as she set down the latest slab she’d been reading over. “Fox.”

“Yes, my fierce little snowstorm?”

The noble rolled her eyes skyward, trying to ignore the fierce flush this brought to her face. “Be serious—“

She was startled when claws directed her face down towards Fox’s, blinking a moment before Fox kissed her sweetly, a smile on the others face. “Come on, we’re allowed some time to breath.”

“Fox…” She couldn’t quite think as the other pulled away with a twinkle in those sharp, sharp eyes.

“Yes, beautiful?”

Her face flushed a deeper blue as her spines rattled in her flustered state, “Oh knock that off you— you—!” Snowflake turned away, trying hard to squish the dragonet-like smile that had clawed its way stubbornly onto her face. Unfortanely, her queen had different ideas.

Fox had redirected her lover to look back to her, jewel-embedded teeth flashing  brightly. “Come on, indulge me a little? Then… then we can work.” The queen sighed, rolling her eyes playfully. “Fun-consuming walrus.”

“Oh?” 

A smirk, “Did I say that outloud?”

“You brat!” noble tackled her into the bed with a fierce, yet harmless, snarl. It was all she could to hold back her own laughter, though she doubted the utter amusement and fondness she felt didn’t leak through her gaze.

Fox smirked up at her, “Love you, too.”

Snowflake flopped on top of her, the queen sputtering with new laughter, “Get off, Orca-butt!”

The noble ignored her, giggling as Fox eventually managed to wiggle just slightly out of her grasp in order to drag Snowflake closer to herself. She simply relaxed into the hold, maybe she had been working a bit too hard lately… 

They could afford to have a small break.

Chapter 3: A Letter and a Crown

Summary:

The lost prince sends a letter and Snowflake surprises Fox with some gifts

Chapter Text

It was early in the morning, a few weeks now since the challenge. Fox had been getting around more, working to catch up with the work Snowflake had been doing in her steed. Said noble was currently fast asleep next to Fox, a perfect mess. However, her admiration of her love was cut short when a messenger arrived to her chambers.

She allowed them in, after a long moment of simply laying there next to her partner with a tired huff. She knew that being the queen of a tribe was busy, but sometimes she just wanted to lay about. Seriously, was that too much to ask?

When they entered, their wings ruffled out in an awkward sort of bow as their second circle chain thumped against their chest. She smiled a touch, eyeing the younger dragon, who still looked to be a dragonet by the shortness of their horns and the slight pitch to their words.

“Go ahead and tell me what it is,” She mused.

The messenger kept their eyes lowered, “A-a letter— letter ha-h-has been sent to, to you, ah, my, my queen.”

Aw, how cute. It looked like they were scared of her. Snowfox lazily motioned them closer, baring her teeth so the jewels in her teeth glinted just right, “Wonderful, leave it with me then, be on your way.”

The messenger moved closer, taking a moment to struggle with their satchel before folding in another shaky bow. The rolled up letter trembled like a leaf in the wind before she took it from the other icewing’s grasp.

She could hear them give a little squeak before they hurriedly fell into another bow. Fox had to try her hardest not to laugh. “Good, good, you’re dismissed.”

And with another stammer and half a bow, they all but ran out the room, wings folded up tightly to no doubt hide how they shivered.

Fox waited a moment, then another, and finally fell into laughter. Snowflake grumbled from besides her, the queen snickering out an apology as she tried to muffle her amusement behind a talon. Her love huffed and buried against her side, Fox getting comfortable before beginning to read.

She raised her brows with interest. Well, well, well~! So the lost Prince had decided to respond afterall. How interesting!

Fox would have to discuss this with Snowflake later, but for now, she’d let the other sleep.

~

Fox was chewing on a bone toothpick as she read over some correspondents from some of the other tribes, having risen from the bed to get something to eat as Snowflake slept away. The queen had noticed that her partner was beginning to relax quite a bit now that their plans had succeeded and they were left to their own devices without worry about that old animus lunatic hovering.

Truthfully, Fox was loving every moment in which Snowflake smiled a bit more openly, slept more soundly, and spoke more sharply. It was delightful. 

She pulled her bonepick from her mouth with a short yawn, one ear flicking as a knock sounding at the doorway. She didn’t even have to look over to know who it was, though the other’s identity was soon enough further confirmed when they slipped over to kiss her temple. “I see you’re actually getting some work done, hm?”

“Oh, shut up, for someone that just got up, your tongue is extra cutting this morning, isn’t it?” Her tone was sugary sweet as she glanced at her love.

Snowflake just chuckled, nudging Fox’s head with a soft whisper, “But dear, who said I was sleeping all this time?”

“That so? Now what were you doing then?” Fox’s interest was piqued as she realized that the other was holding something. “Oh, come now, you torture me!”

The noble raised her chin, “Close your eyes~”

The queen rolled her eyes before obeying, humming questioningly as something was settled upon her brow. Even more so when something was slipped over her horns and secured there.

“Beautiful,” the other breathed, those deadly claws stroking along Fox’s cheek, “Just beautiful.”

Fox felt the flush forming, opening her eyes to find herself gazing deeply at Snowflake’s own, raising her brows slightly. 

The noble stole another kiss before letting her go, a new giddiness rising to her voice, “Well? Why do you hesitate? Go look at yourself in a mirror, love.”

Snowfox didn’t have to be told twice, moving to do just that. Her eyes widened when she saw what her partner had crafted for her, moving her head from side to side as her jaw dropped in awe.

It was a crown. A carved bone crown. Vertebra dipped in silver, the core where the spinal column would have gone being replaced with some kind of metal chain implants to make it sturdy yet somewhat flexible. Teeth and shards of ribs were affixed then to these vertebra to make the points and arches, jewels embedded into the teeth while the ribs were carved in designs and patterns.

She looked at her horns next, seeing that Snowflake had indeed made her horn caps… of sorts. More like… the noble hard carved out the interior of a familiar dragon’s horns to make them hollow before attaching silver attachments to the ends so they could be fitted over her own horns and adjusted to stay there.

A crown built from the legacy of Diamond. She saw her love settle besides her in the reflection, turning to draw the other close, “I love it.” Her words were fierce and the kiss she bestowed upon Snowflake was fiercer.

They parted with breathy giggles, Snowflake smiling proudly, “I love you.”

Fox responded with another kiss.

Chapter 4: You were loved

Summary:

And you will be loved

Chapter Text

To be aknowledged is simple, to be understood demands something just a touch more visceral and exposed. Clutching at another’s heart and mind and saying, ‘I know you,’ and saying it with pride and admiration.

That is how Snowflake felt about Snowfox, eyeing the other from the side as her queen sharpened her claws with that quick precision of hers. It made the icewing smile, something much too soft and mushy and vulnerable for anyone else but her love.

“You know…”

That attention turned so easily to her, ears pricking with interest.

“…I don’t think I have ever admitted loving another dragon as I have loved you.”

Fox’s face softened, eyes crinkling and her teeth glinting as she gave that goofy grin of hers, “Is that so, love?”

Snowflake chuckled, reaching out to hold the other’s chin in her talons, stroking her thumbs along those smooth cheeks. Her queen didn’t even flinch or worry about the sharpness of her claws, eyes full of trust and interest. “Indeed.”

“Well, I suppose that makes me a very lucky dragon at that, doesn’t it?”

The noble pressed a kiss to her queen’s temple, tracing the other icewing’s jawline and trailing down to one of those new scars. “Mhmm. As I am lucky to have you.”

Fox hummed, moving to curl against her, exhaling with a content sigh. “I love you.”

Snowflake already knew that, had known that, would always know that. “And I love you.”

For a moment, this moment, they were the only two dragons in the world. It was far from lonely.

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