Ice

7

"It was her fault for telling me to be quiet in a communal space!" I argue.

"Well most people would not see it that way. Silence is pretty much the standard in academic buildings here."

"Academic? So they are scholars?"

"Scientists, historians, intellectuals, the list goes on. But they like silence and focus."

"It should not be that way! Everything here is so formal and quiet!"

"It has always been that way," he shrugs.

"No it has not. It feels so cold and lonely, the bad cold. This is not what it should be! Where are the families and children running about, and the warm bonfires? We are in the centre of the city! There should be a huge bonfire here!" My hands tremble as I begin to notice everything that the city is missing.

It feels horrible. It is big and beautiful but horrible! Is this peace? Is peace ruining everything I love about my home. The family and community.

"Well things change."

"They should not! Things were better exactly as they were!" I lash at him.

"Not everything was."

"Are you saying this peace is better. This peace is so lonely! I see no one just gathering around the streets. Where are the children playing in the snow and exploring their abilities and the land? Where are the people laughing and running about?" I ask.

"Well it is a city reserved for the elite."

"The elite. It should be for everyone in the empire. What is it with all these hierarchies? That council man acted so stuck up. Like he was better than everyone. The council serves the people, not their own interests. It is how it has always been. The war was for the people. The people agreed to right the injustices done to us. Do you think we were a violent nation? We never started that way," I laugh.

I laugh because it is all I can do instead of cry. The things we did to protect ourselves and make sure no one could hurt us anymore villainised us. The history books call us the villains. They would have done it if they were us, would they not? If people were being attacked and enslaved when hunting. They would have fought back too.

He suddenly grabs my hand and runs, dragging me along with him. I look at the side, buildings slowly passing by as he pulls me. I notice something peculiar on some buildings, water. Strange water formations that decorate the buildings or are inside them. He does not let me stay still long enough to investigate.

I notice that not all buildings are ice. Some are wooden or something else painted the colour of ice. It unsettles me, the painted buildings. They have no reflection or clear surface like the ice. They are out of place completely.

"Ah, here we are."

I spin around to see a building with ice like windows that are clearer and not ice. I have seen these windows a lot though. They must be extremely commonplace or seem so.

"This is one of the most recommended restaurants in the empire," he grins.

I follow him inside the building, curious as to what it is like. I heard of restaurants in the Terra during my time spent there. I never experienced one though, the idea seems exciting.

"Table for 2," he tells a woman.

She grins, "Right this way."

Soft couches are placed opposite each other with a table in between.

"So are you two a thing?" She whispers to me as we walk.

"A thing?"

"So no? Are you sure?" She asks, my words having probably not given her an answer she wanted. If she would just tell me what she meant to begin with then I would certainly answer.

"Hey Snow come look at the menu!" He yells from his newly found seat.

I walk to him and sit beside him, peering close at the paper with text and drawings. The writing looks familiar, but I have no idea what any of the words mean or the images. What am I looking at?

"You look confused," he tells me.

"Any idea what the couple wants to order yet?" The woman asks, intending to serve us. How interesting, they use servants in such places to do the work.

"If you want I can make the drink in a special glass so you can share," she whispers in my ear, winking at me. I feel confused by this woman. Why is she winking? Is she hinting at something? What is she hinting at?

The King glances at me seeming to be annoyed whilst I turn the menu around. There has to be some sort of trick to this. It is just writing. I can read. Why does it make absolutely no sense? It looks like nonsense drawn in the dirt by a child.

King Lucas sighs. "We will both have a cheese burger with chips and a chocolate milkshake."

The woman grins at me and leaves. I have no idea what is happening. Did I do something wrong or right? These people are weird, just like their writing.

Eventually after some time she does come back. With two plates with food and one giant glass with two things poking out of it. I touch the poking things; they are squishy tubes. What am I supposed to do with them though? They are hollow, so do I blow though them?

The King looks more amused than anything at my confusion. "Need some help he offers."

"No, I know exactly what to do. I do not need your help," I declare. My brain wants to fizzle and pop from confusion though. What on earth am I supposed to do? And that's just the squishy tube problem. She also gave me shiny objects. They look like miniature deformed swords or combs.

I cannot admit defeat to him. I cannot let him know he has superior skills. He is decent, but he could turn on me. If he knows I have such stupid weaknesses, he could exploit it. I do not know him. Besides he could use my confusion to say that this inferior time is better. Its confusing and absolutely horrible. So it will never be better.

"You drink through this straw. Think of the milkshake going up through the tube. And you can eat with your hands instead of the cutlery here."

"Do not assume that I do not know how to use a raw."

He laughs, "Its pronounced straw."

"Thank you, but I knew that."

.                                  .

A/N

Thank you for reading. This is all still being worked on so if things change, do not be surprised.