Hankyung shivered, wrapping his thick coat closer about him. The days were getting colder.

He desperately breathed onto his hands, tiny flames joining the hot air, warming his skin.

He blinked the snow from his eyes and hurried on towards the Palace.

The great gates of faded and frozen gold and bronze, a great sun carved into the metal, shone in the sun, reflecting off the ice as they opened at his command.

"You're late," Sungmin commented, appearing from the shadows and walking beside him.

"Aren't I always?" Hankyung joked. 

"Yes," Sungmin smirked. "It's a trait ill-befitting a prince wouldn't you say?"

"Oh Min that's why I have you," Hankyung replied.

"Of course, your time-keeping servant," Sungmin nodded.

"You're the one who invented time keeping," Hankyung said. "Who better to have as a time keeper than you? And you're more than my servant, you're my friend."

"Always a pleasure, although you are a bit thick. My father invented keeping time, I just came up with the device to read it. Though the sundial has proved less useful than I'd hoped. The sun has dimmed since the time before the Ice Over, making time more difficult to keep, and our sand timers keep freezing." Sungmin said.

As he spoke he pulled out an pencil, scribbling on his half-damp notebook. He was always thinking, always inventing.

He was the Royal Time Keeper and spent most of his days researching in order to invent objects to help with the bitter coldness.

He had recently invented a device to hold in hot water, so that one may warm a bed with burning themselves. 
Although there hadn't been warm water in centuries, with the Prince's talent for fire they now had great vats of water he would heat with his flames to dispatch to the people.

The sun could no longer be relied on to heat the Earth, it was fading more with each year that passed.

Hankyung had read of a time where the sun shone bright and hot in the sky, his people harnessing its power for energy, power, it had been the core of their existence. 

Now their way of life was dying out along with its people, the Kingdom of Sun was covered in ice as it had been for a thousand years. Hankyung knew no other kind of existence.

"You know my father used to tell me stories, of a time when the snow only covered the North," Sungmin murmured as they entered the Palace. "I believe somehow, things can be changed even now."

"How? We've both heard the tales, every child of our Kingdom knows the story. The Ice King froze the South out of jealousy for our Kingdom's radiant thriving in the sun. A thousand years ago he sent the snow to cover the land so that his Kingdom would be superior, and we forced to serve him or perish. I doubt anything could change that now,"

"That's the story, but there are always two sides to a story. I'm not saying I don't believe the tale, I just sometimes wonder, if he could be pursuaded to unfreeze it. Although it has been so long, you're right I doubt anything could change his mind now," Sungmin said.

"That's even if he's still alive. It was a thousand years ago, most men only live for three hundred years, and even that number has dwindled since the days have grown colder and the sun lost its radiance," Hankyung said.

"The King of the North posses the gift of magic. The ice inside him preserves him, there's no telling how long he will live for. You posses the same magic hyung. The fire inside you will preserve you for many years to come." Sungmin pointed out. "If you can learn to control it,"

"My father says I have to respect my powers," Hankyung said. "They were a gift from the Sun Gods may they rest in eternal flames, and I should be grateful. He said I have to learn to respect the gift, not fear it, not think myself above it. I do not control the fire, that is arrogance and vanity, the fire is a tool I can use to help me. I must be humble, and never abuse my power."

"Our King is wise and learned." Sungmin nodded.  "It is best ot trust his judgement."

"You said he wanted to see me?"

"Yes, that's why I sent for you. He says it has something to do with the fire," 

Hankyung hummed thoughtfully.

They stepped into the drawing room, where the Queen was sitting by a roaring fire trying to keep warm, and the King was pacing behind her.

"Hankyung, good you're here. Sit down, the both of you," the King said.

Sungmin and Hankyung took a seat and waited for the King to continue.

"Son I think it's time we told you the truth about your power,"

"The truth?"

"This is the ancient prophecy set by the old rulers since before the days of the Ice Over," the king handed Hankyung a scroll, but it was torn like it had been ripped in half by something.

It read 'Fire is the enemy of Snow, fear consumes and bites down' before the tear.

"What does this have to do with my powers?" Hankyung asked.

"In the days bevore the Ice Over, many of our people had the talent for fire magic. Since the Ice King froze over the world, the power died out along with the sun. Without the sun and the heat our people have been lost. But then the power showed itself in you. You are the only one who possess the will of fire, you are our kingdom's only hope. If the power exists in you, there is a hope that this winter can be stopped," the King said.

Hankyung looked down at the scroll. Fire is the enemy of Snow...

"Fire...Snow..." he murmured. He looked up, "I'm the only one who can stop the winter."

"Yes." the Queen nodded. "You have the power we feared lost forever. Only you have the power to defeat the Ice King and bring back the summer to our Kingdom,"

"I have to kill him?" Hankyung asked looking horrified.

"Don't you want to save your people?" the King demanded. "Don't you want to stop the winter?"

"I - I do but...I don't think I can kill - "

"The King of the North will kill you in an instant without mercy if you give him the chance. Don't give him the chance, strike first. I do not want to lose my son. I don't want to send you into such danger but it is the only way."

"Isn't there any other way?" Hankyung pleaded. "I'm not a killer Father. Even if the King is ruthless and cruel, I don't think I can kill him."

"He is beyond listening to reason my son, many have tried to speak with him in the past and all have perished. Only his death will end this cursed winter. You have to make a choice. You don't have to go, your mother and I will think no less of you if you choose to stay." the King said.

"I...I need a moment to think about it," Hankyung stammered.

"Take all the time you need sweetheart," the Queen said. "It's your decision,"

That night Hankyung didn't sleep, he stood on the balcony, looking out into the distance.

"Standing in the cold won't help you make your decision," Sungmin said.

"It might. What do you think I should do?"

"Hey I'm not in this, don't look at me I'm horrible at advice," Sungmin held up his hands.

Hankyung sighed. "I just don't think I have it in me to kill someone."

"It's a difficult decision, but you're the only that can make it hyung, no one else can decide it for you." 
Hankyung was quiet for a long time. 

Would he risk the fate of his people for the sake of his conscience? If the Ice King killed him, the last hope for his people would be gone. If he attempted peace and the King didn't listen all would be lost.

If he killed him though, could he live with himself, knowing he'd taken a life in cold blood to secure the lives of others?
The many many lives of others. But what if the King had loved ones too?

A family, subjects that would mourn him. But was him and his people more important than Hankyung's?

Who was he to decide the fate of an entire Kingdom?

His people would die without the sun, their life dwindling already, but would the North suffer from the loss of their King too? 

Did they depend on the winter like the South depended on the sun?

Was Hankyung really going to decide whose lives were more worth saving? There had to be another way.

"I'm going." Hankyung said finally.

"You are?"

"I'm leaving right now. Will you come with me Min? I need someone I can trust,"

"I...yes of course. I'll follow you anywhere hyung," Sungmin followed Hankyung back inside and they began packing supplies for the journey.

"I'm going to ask you something," Hankyung said.

"What?" Sungmin asked.

"I want you to promise me something. If something happens to me, if I fail, you have to survive and return home, I will leave you as my heir to rule after my father has gone."

"I will do everything I can for the people." Sungmin promised. 

"Good. Let's go,"

The two got their reindeer and rode them out of the Palace gates, flying through the frosty night as they pelted through the snow of the city, to the outskirts of the town, and out into the wilderness.

From the Palace, the King and Queen watched the lanterns slowly flicker into the distance, until they were gone completely.

"Be safe, and good luck my son,"