Ice Kingdom (present time) Summer '89:
Bluebirds chirp outside the castle; Liam can distinguish the birds by their high-pitched song. It permeates through the windows of the buildings nearby. Liam, the youngest son of the royals, eats breakfast in the dining hall. Heading inside the dining hall is the advisor in a hurry.
“Someone killed your parents on their trip, your highness, my condolences,” says the advisor to the crown Sir Kyiv. The fork clatters on the plate as Liam hears the words.
Liam leaves his platter half-eaten as he goes to the upper floors of his room to cry privately. After some minutes, Liam gets up down the hallway to enter his parent's room. He sits down. Liam can still smell his mother's perfume. Memories of when he was a child come to him: running into the garden and being chased by his mother, Queen Valeria. He needs his father now that he is in adulthood. How can he help his brother rule the Ice Kingdom? Jensen. He wonders how his older brother is feeling now. He must have heard about the news by now. For a moment, Liam feels frozen until he shakes himself awake by the image of his brother in his mind.
Liam walks around the castle to look for his brother. Peeking into the study room, he finds him sitting in a chair in the corner. Liam pulls a chair next to Jensen.
“Taking some minutes before preparing for the next step of mother’s and father’s funeral preparations,” says Jensen.
“It’s just us now,” says Liam.
Jensen places his hand on Liam’s shoulder, proceeding to hug him. Jensen is the taller of the brothers and is eight years older, at twenty-eight.
Dozens of black ribbon bows decorate the windows of Ice Kingdom; news of King Louis’s and Queen Valeria’s death reaches their subjects. People close their shops at midday to be respectful. People line the streets to watch as the carriage passes by with the wooden caskets of the King and queen. The subjects throw white flowers onto the stone roads, creating an asymmetrical floral pattern. The carriage passes toward the burial grounds. Jensen and Liam ride on horses behind their parents. Liam and Jensen dress in black suits with a blue and gold diamond emblem of their royal coat on their chests.
The procession of dukes and countesses reaches the iron gates surrounding a small, well-kept green area. They are the closest friends of the king and queen in life. A group of twenty people walk up the frosted hill of the grounds. Apart from the dukes and countesses come the servants at the end of the line near Liam and Jensen.
Liam watches next to his brother as his parents descend to the ground. He gets off his horse and reaches the front of the procession with Jensen beside him. People stop them from saying their condolences.
“May King Louis and Queen Valeria rest in peace, my most sincere condolences,” says Queen Valeria's servant, Ruth, holding Liam’s hand.
“Yes. Rest in peace, mother and father. Thank you,” says Liam.
The priest talks over the bodies to bury them in the ground. Finally, the finality of the whole thing settles upon Liam. Ruth brought a bouquet of icicle roses. The kingdom’s staple rose. It is of a hue, such as Liam's white hair. She hands one to Liam, who accepts one. Workers put the caskets inside the hard soil while everyone's prayers murmur like a stream of music. Liam steps forward and throws the icicle rose between the coffins. Tears stream down his cheeks. Liam feels a hand on his shoulder. He turns and sees his brother Jensen with a steady look apart from the teary eyes. Liam and Jensen are the last ones to remain in the cemetery for more minutes after everyone leaves. They head to the castle in silence, hearing only their horses’ steps on the streets.
A week after the funeral, Liam has an idea to commemorate their parents. Liam finds Jensen in the main halls.
“Jensen!”
“Liam. What is it?”
“I was thinking we could paint a portrait of mother and father to put in the grand hall,” says Liam, out of breath.
“That’s a great idea. I’ll meet you in the art room later this afternoon after lunch,” says Jensen, walking into the next room.
Liam waits in the art room, dipping his brush in the water and tapping it on the side of the container. Jensen walks into the room. They outline their parent's faces by working with graphite pencils. The memory of their parents' faces is fresh in their minds. Mixing colors, they paint brush strokes on the canvas; they paint from a young age and have practiced for years. The next day, they finish their work.
“Ruth, add some curtains around the frame with the royal colors,” says Jensen as he hands the painting to Ruth.
“Where will it sit, Prince Jensen?” says Ruth.
“In the grand hall, front and center,” says Jensen, motioning his hands in a square in front of him.
Passing the grand hall, Liam spots the painting of his parents made by Jensen and him. His parents comfort him. The gold and blue color curtains bordering match the clothes painted on Queen Valeria and King Louis.
Today, Liam heads into the stables to distract himself. He crosses the green gardens as his boots glide over the grass.
On the right side of the castle is a stable- a large wooden building. The stable workers mingle around, taking care of the animals and others carry buckets of water.
“Good evening, everyone,” says Liam to all the workers.
“Hello, Prince Liam,” several voices responded.
“Prince Liam, we got a Pegasus yesterday. You must see her,” says Nicholas, the stable master.
“Oh really? Nicholas, let me see,” says Liam, following Nicholas into the back of the stables.
Once at the end of the stable, Liam sees an animal taller than a pearly white horse. Behind its back are wings of soft pink color that puff up in the air at great width.
“She’s beautiful. Where does she come from?” asks Liam, staring in wonder.
“She roomed in the ice mountains nearby; one leg had a minor cut,” says Nicholas.
“Looks much better. Will we return her after she is better?” says Liam.
“Yes, these are majestic wild animals,” says Nicholas.
"I bet her family misses her," says Liam.