The Zen teacher talked in soothing tones and eventually Diamond was able to block out all those feelings and focus on what she had come here to do.
After much searching, mumbling and reasoning, Diamond didn't seem any different.
"You're not even trying." The squeaky voice accused.
Diamond's eyes popped open and there stood one of Winter's most elusive troublemakers. A winter pixie.
Diamond dropped to the ground, leaning to the side, noticing Graupel was gone. Her gaze flew back to the pixie. "And what do you suggest I do," she asked with a raised brow.
The pixie giggled and it sounded like the high pitch of ringing sleigh bells. "To walk through the maze!" Then the pixie dashed away.
Remembering how pixies were, Diamond decided not to follow its suggestion and instead straightened her bag on her shoulder and headed towards the garden of snowflakes.
Diamond flew past the many ice statues in the hall that told the story of the first winter. The Ice Age was a fun time for them. They basically had free reign.
Diamond soared through another hallway until she came to the snowflake gardens. There were only a few fairies there resting and seeking out the jingle inside of them.
Snowflakes were positioned in mid-fall, designed to curve and twist into the most amazing ice flowers. Crystals glistened under the bright moon beams that shone through the glacier and snowflake leaf petals were staggered and were flat floating in mid-air in an offset pattern where one could sit and daydream.
Diamond flew up to the tippy-top where the Moon beams shone the brightest inside and she claimed the spot when she realized that no one had taken it.
Hardly anyone did. They like to be below or in the middle, but not her. Reaching into a bag she pulled out her favorite throw and laid it across the intricate design of the snowflake. Then she pulled out her parchment books and lay down on her stomach, situating her dress and dove into one of her favorite books.
It seemed like only a small amount of time passed before a shadow dropped over her. Diamond heard a familiar voice call out. She placed a finger in her reading spot and closed the parchment book as she glanced over to the prince.
“Why Prince Sleet,” she said slipping up to her knees. She gave him a careful smile. “What brings you here?”
His gaze slanted away from her as he pulled the collar of his almost-never-worn royal attire. “I was wondering if you have seen Crystly as of late? I haven't been able to find her.”
A slow grin crept up across her face and she couldn’t help the teasing manner the slipped into her tone. “Prince Sleet, have you lost my cousin once again?”
His cheeks lightened to the barest blue as his embarrassment showed. "It would seem so. If you see her, will you tell her I'm looking for her?”
Diamond nodded. “Of course I will but I'm not sure she will respond. You know how flighty and finicky my cousin is. That one needs to be on a leash.”
Sleet cleared his throat. “Oh yeah uh... A leash is not quite what I had in mind.”
There was a twinkle in his eye but Diamond just ignored it as she shook her head. “If you're done, will you let me get back to my book?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. There were times she didn't know when to be nice and when to be mean, and sometimes she wasn't even intentionally rude it just came out that way.
The prince gave a slight nod. “Of course. Get back to reading.” He gave a short bow and flew away.
Diamond chuckled, shaking her head once again before opening up her book and going to the last page that she had read. It seemed so silly what they would all do for a snowflake.
Trying to get back into her book, she was once again interrupted, but this time it was the brother Graupel. She didn’t mind him.
He fluttered just above her snowflake resting spot. “Diamond, may I join you?”
She glanced over to him and gave him a nod. “You may but it doesn't mean I will chat with you,” she told him promptly and then turned back to her book.
Graupel chuckled and sat down beside her, leaning over watching and her as she read.
This bothered Diamond.
She didn't know what he was thinking or what he wanted. She could only guess and then she remembered the conversation earlier on in the coffee shop. Of course. He wanted information on his brother. The one who had just shown up and asked about her cousin.
After a moment she finally put her parchment book down and turned to him. “Okay, what is it that you want to know?”
He grinned. “Were you always this testy? I don't remember it when you were younger.”
She took in his grin and her little purple heart thumped once again. “Perhaps it's because you weren't around me when I was younger.”
“Oh, I remember that scrawny little thing you used to be, flying around the castle walls. In fact, I think you still do that.” He challenged.
Diamond rolled her eyes and moved back to her book. “Not always. And I’m not scrawny.” she replied under her breath.
He chuckled. “Not always? You mean not always like today?” Without looking at him she reached up and pushed his shoulders so he fell off the snowflake only the fly back up with a pout. He resumed his position beside her and poked at her shoulder. “That wasn't very nice, Diamond.”
Her lips kicked up in a grin. “It wasn't meant to be. You see,” she said shifting her body more towards his. “I’m not a very nice person when I'm interrupted during a book.” she raised one eyebrow for emphasis and he leaned forward so his nose touched hers and warmth spread throughout her body. Both of them jerked back as Graupel threaded his fingers through his hair wondering what in the world he was doing.
“What was that?” she asked quietly. “That was the second time and this time there's no warmth of the mugs to say differently.”
His mouth tightened and Diamond wondered what he was thinking. He gestured to her books. “Read, but this time read aloud. I would like to hear what you are reading.”
Diamond’s whole face turned light blue and she closed up her parchment book and put it back in the satchel. “I think I'm done reading for today.”
“No-no-no, it's okay,” he said reaching to her bag to pull out the book. “It's just perfectly- ” he paused as he looked at the cover, two fairies twisted together in the fervent act of mating. But that wasn't what had his eyes widening. It was the fact that they weren't winter fairies but summer fairies.
“Is this…” he paused and then gave the book back to her. “I see,” he said uncomfortably. “so when you said you liked heat, you really like heat.”
“I like warmth.” she corrected him. “It is not unusual to read these books. Some of us fairies seem to have special fantasies.”
He snorted. “Fantasies that can get you killed.”
Diamonds eyes flashed to his. “Well then, I guess that's my problem.” she told him, taking her parchment book and sticking it back in her bag.
Graupel grabbed a hold of her arm and this time there was no denying the heat that spread between them. He drew his hand down her arm linking their palms together. Both of them stared at the light blue that their skin seemed to produce. Then instantly they both glanced up at each other in awe at what the two of them thought they might have discovered. He cleared his throat. “Would you like to walk with me through the winter maze?”
Having a desire to do anything he wanted just so she could hold on to this heat they seemed to produce together she nodded a quick agreement. “Yes, I would love to.”
Diamond gathered up her stuff as they both held onto each other and flew down through the center of all the other snowflakes and made their way to the great winter maze, neither of them realizing the pixies that followed in their wake.
Chapter Six
Holding hands with each other they walked the icy halls and talked about their worries with each other.