The frostbound oath

The morning sun had barely touched the horizon, casting long golden fingers across the sky when Flavia stepped into the divination room, her heartbeat a silent drum in her chest. The walls of the room were thick with age, their stone cold to the touch, yet carved with symbols that pulsed with ancient magic. The very air hummed with the echoes of generations past, those who had used this room to determine their fates, to discover the secrets hidden deep within the soul.

Flavia's breath hitched as she crossed the threshold. The room felt different today, as though the magic itself could sense the significance of what was about to unfold. The flicker of candles illuminated the space in a soft, amber glow, their flames wavering like the fragile pulse of a dying ember.

Iris, nestled in Klaus's arms, slept peacefully, unaware of the heavy weight that had descended upon them. The child's soft breathing was the only sound in the room, a delicate contrast to the tension that clung to the air.

Flavia's hand tightened around the fabric of her gown, her thoughts racing, heart thudding as she turned to Klaus. "Is it truly time? Are we ready for this?" Her voice, usually so composed, trembled with uncertainty.

Klaus, ever the steady presence beside her, met her gaze. "There is no choice, Flavia. She must know. We cannot shield her forever." His eyes softened as he looked down at the sleeping babe. "The world will change today. Her destiny will begin to unfold."

Flavia nodded, though the weight of those words sat heavily on her shoulders. It was one thing to be prepared for a child born into royalty, to a life of expectation. But it was another to know that the child in your arms would possess power unlike anything the world had ever seen. Flavia didn't know if she was ready for that truth.

She stepped forward, her breath shallow, as the fortune teller, a figure draped in midnight black robes, bowed in respect. His face, pale and worn, was like that of someone who had seen centuries pass, and yet, his sharp eyes glimmered with an unsettling clarity.

"Place her hand on the crystal," the fortune teller murmured, his voice soft, reverent. "It is the only way."

Flavia felt a sudden unease, a ripple of dread that coiled around her chest as she slowly approached the crystal. It was an ancient thing, its surface smooth as glass but pulsing with an energy older than the stars themselves. The moment Klaus gently placed Iris's tiny hand upon the cold stone, a shiver ran through the room, as though the very air had frozen.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened. The stillness stretched, suffocating, until Iris's fingers curled slightly, touching the crystal. Then, the room began to change.

The temperature dropped with a sudden, violent rush. Flavia gasped as she felt her breath fog in front of her face, her skin prickling with cold. The very walls seemed to exhale a chill, the temperature plummeting so rapidly that she could see her own breath swirl in the air.

The crystal, once dull, now glowed with an ethereal blue light, a shimmer like moonlight reflecting on frozen water. The glow spread slowly, like a tide washing over everything. Flavia's heart raced in her chest, her hands trembling as she reached for Klaus, who stood beside her, equally stunned.

The fortune teller's eyes widened as the blue light intensified, his lips parting in shock. His hands trembled at his sides, and for the first time, Flavia noticed a flicker of uncertainty in his otherwise calm demeanor.

"This… this isn't possible," he whispered, his voice tight. "It cannot be. This is not the prophecy. This is not what was foretold."

Flavia's heart skipped a beat, the words sinking deep into her bones. "What do you mean? What's happening?"

The fortune teller did not answer immediately. Instead, his eyes remained locked on the crystal, which pulsed with such intensity that the room seemed to throb in time with its light. It was as though the entire world was holding its breath.

And then, it happened.

A crack appeared in the crystal. A single, jagged line, small but unmistakable, cutting through the luminous surface like a lightning bolt. The crystal's glow deepened, and as it did, the temperature continued to plummet, until Flavia felt as if she was standing at the heart of an endless winter.

Iris's small fingers began to twitch, as though the child could feel the power awakening inside her. Flavia's heart thudded painfully against her ribs, the realization settling like a stone in her stomach.

"She is awakening," the fortune teller murmured, his voice hoarse. "But this... this is unlike anything I have seen. This is a power that has not been seen in millennia."

Flavia's voice caught in her throat. "What power?"

The fortune teller turned to her, his face a mask of awe and fear. "She is an Ice Phoenix."

The words shattered the silence like a glass breaking. The room seemed to reverberate with the weight of the revelation. Flavia stood frozen, her mind struggling to grasp the magnitude of what had just been spoken.

An Ice Phoenix. Impossible. The last one had died over 48,000 years ago. Legends had whispered of their power, but no one had seen one in living memory. To say it was rare was an understatement—it was a myth.

But here, standing before her, was the child that could change everything.

"No," Flavia breathed, her hands shaking as she looked down at Iris. The baby, blissfully unaware of the revelation unfolding around her, stirred slightly in Klaus's arms. "How? How can this be?"

The fortune teller's eyes were dark with ancient knowledge. "Her bloodline... it carries the power of the ancient ones, the ones that predate even the dragons. The power of the Ice Phoenix is tied to her heritage, though it has slumbered for centuries. But now, it has awoken. And with it, she will reshape the balance of the clans."

Flavia's knees nearly buckled beneath her, and she grasped Klaus's arm for support. "She is too young… She doesn't know how to control it. What if she—"

Klaus's voice was steady, a quiet anchor in the storm of emotions swirling within her. "She will learn. We will guide her, as we have always guided our people. But the path ahead is not easy, Flavia. This is the beginning. We must prepare her."

Flavia's gaze never left Iris, her heart filled with a terrifying love for the child in her arms. She was not just a daughter. She was the future. And that future would be shaped by powers far beyond anything she had ever imagined.

"The world will change because of her," the fortune teller said softly, his voice almost reverent. "But whether it will be for good or for ill… that, we will not know for many years to come."

As the light of the crystal began to dim, leaving only a faint glow that flickered like a dying star, Flavia realized with a shudder that this was only the beginning. The journey that awaited them was uncertain, filled with danger and wonder, and she could not predict where it would lead.

But one thing was clear: Iris was destined for greatness. And Flavia, for the first time in her life, felt both awe and fear in equal measure.

The soft light of dusk spilled into the chamber, painting the walls of the Phoenix Palace in shades of amber and gold. Outside, the sky stretched like an endless canvas, a dying fire where the last embers of sunlight flickered before fading into the twilight. Within the quiet sanctuary of their room, Klaus and Flavia stood close, their gazes locked in the silence that stretched long between them.

Iris slept, her small, fragile form nestled in the cradle, her breaths as soft as the wind, as delicate as the petals of the white phoenix flowers that bloomed outside. But the peace that surrounded her was fragile—so easily shattered by the weight of what Klaus was about to say.

"You want our daughter to be sent to the Frost bane Peak?" Flavia's voice trembled, though her features remained calm, the mask of a mother trying to shield her heart from the storm that raged within. "Klaus, that place... it's the coldest, most isolated wasteland in the heavens. No one—no one dares to tread there. It's a place of death and madness. You want her to face that?"

Her eyes, filled with the terror of a mother's heart, met his—searching, pleading for some sign that this was just a nightmare, some twisted dream. But Klaus stood resolute, his expression carved from stone, his gaze distant as if drawn to the very mountains she spoke of.

"I know," he said, his voice low, like the rumble of a storm on the horizon. "I know the dangers. But this—this is the only way."

Flavia took a step forward, her voice rising with a quiet intensity, the pulse of worry quickening in her chest. "Klaus, I will not let her go there. To be alone in the heart of a mountain so cold that even the winds refuse to touch it? It's madness. You know what I'm saying is true. She's just a child, Klaus. Just a child." Her voice cracked as the weight of the words fell from her lips.

Klaus turned toward her, the faintest flicker of regret crossing his face, but it was quickly masked by the weight of his purpose. He crossed the room in two long strides, kneeling before her, his hands reaching for hers, grounding her in the moment.

"I know you're scared, Flavia," he whispered, his voice a balm against the fierce storm of her emotions. "I am too. But this isn't just about us. It's about Iris—about her future." He paused, eyes darkening as he looked into her tear-filled gaze. "Iris was born with a power no one truly understands, not even I. The Frostbane Peak holds a gift... a gift left by my master, the ancient goddess Aeloria. In her death, she sealed her power in that mountain, leaving a trace of her magic that only Iris can awaken."

Flavia's heart stuttered in her chest, a chill creeping down her spine at the mention of Aeloria's name. The goddess who had shaped Klaus's past, the one whose presence still lingered in the cold whispers of the winds. "But why? Why Iris?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Why must she walk a path so filled with shadows? Why can't she have a peaceful life?"

Klaus's voice softened, but it carried an intensity that shook her to her core. "Because she is not like other children, Flavia. She was born an ice phoenix. A creature of unimaginable power. That mountain is the key to unlocking her potential. The magic there... it will make her invincible. She will be the force the world needs, and if she is to carry that burden, she must be strong. Stronger than anyone else."

His words hung in the air, heavy as the storm clouds that now gathered beyond the palace. Flavia's heart twisted, her mind a maelstrom of fear and love.

"But why didn't you tell me all of this earlier, Klaus?" She demanded, her voice raw. "Why did you hide it from me? From the moment she was born, you've kept this secret, kept her powers hidden. Why?"

Klaus's eyes flickered, a shadow passing over them. For a long moment, he did not speak, and Flavia's heartbeat quickened as the silence stretched.

"I didn't want you to suffer the same burden that I've carried," he said at last, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't want to see that fear in your eyes. I didn't want to see you carry that weight." His hand tightened around hers, as if to ground them both. "But now... Iris must face her destiny. We both know this."

Flavia stepped back, her breath shallow as she looked at their daughter, the precious life they had created, so small, so pure. "And what destiny is that?" she asked, the words tasting bitter on her tongue. "What fate are you asking her to embrace, Klaus?"

He looked at Iris, his eyes filled with an emotion Flavia couldn't quite read. "Iris was born for something greater than both of us. She will carry the legacy of the ice phoenix. The world may not understand it, but she will. And she must learn. She must face this challenge, or she will never be ready for the storm that is coming."

Flavia felt the cold truth of his words sink deep into her bones. There was no turning back now. The decision had been made. But still...

"I won't let her go alone," Flavia whispered, her voice thick with resolve. "I will go with her. I will be by her side every step of the way."

Klaus's gaze softened for the first time, and he reached for her, pulling her close. "You have always been her strength, Flavia. But she must face this on her own. She must become the woman she is meant to be but don't you worry she isn't going anywhere for now but we might have to seal her powers until then. "