As soon as the gates part, Baekhyun hurtles headlong out of the palace grounds singing at the top of his lungs.

Yifan runs after him, laughing as Baekhyun nearly plunges into a man with two children at his feet.

 

The man stares before exclaiming: “It’s the prince!”

 

The people around them take up the call, spinning around to look, to see the prince they had not seen since he was ten.

 

Yifan watches fondly as Baekhyun greets the townsfolk with a beaming smile and allows them to shake his hand. The children dance around him cheering.

 

Catching Yifan’s eye, Baekhyun manages to convince two of the kids around him to drag Yifan into his little circle.

Together, they dance in the middle of the town square with people cheering all around them.

 

Night falls too quickly as Baekhyun drags Yifan excitedly though the town. Yifan shows him the places he and Yixing used to love. He contemplates bringing a mug of hot chocolate back to Yixing for old time’s sake even though it is currently summer in the kingdom.

 

He buys a flask of hot chocolate off the seller that Yixing had loved in their childhood. The shop owner winks at him as he ladles the creamy liquid into a thermos and puts plenty of marshmallows, the tiny ones that Yixing likes into it.

 

Yifan drags Baekhyun out of the shop as he hopes to get back to the palace before the coronation begins.

 

As soon as they arrive at the palace, Yifan goes off in search of Yixing.

 

He wanders up to Yixing’s room, heart full of trepidation and hope as he knocks on the door.

 

“Yixing?”

 

The door slowly opens and Yifan cannot help the grin that pulls at his lips.

 

“Hey.”

 

He in a breath when he sees Yixing in his coronation outfit.

 

He looks absolutely stunning in the dark blue shirt, tight black pants and black cloak fastened at his throat.

 

Yixing flushes at the stunned look on Yifan’s face and wraps the cloak tightly around himself.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I… Uh…” Yifan stutters, holding out the thermos.

 

Yixing flashes him a look of confusion as he takes the thermos.

 

“You look beautiful.” Yifan finally breathes.

 

Yixing smiles, albeit a little coldly.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Yifan is caught off guard by the sudden chilliness that radiates off his best friend.

As it turns out, Yixing’s eyes are trained on a point past his shoulder and he turns to look, starting a little when he sees Baekhyun standing open mouthed in the doorway.

 

“You look amazing!”  Baekhyun breaks the awkward silence, striding towards his brother with a huge smile on his face.

 

Yixing flinches when Baekhyun reaches out for a hug and ducks out of range.

He ignores the hurt look on Baekhyun’s face and focuses on the flask that Yifan has given him.

 

“Oh.” He inhales when the heavenly scent reaches his nostrils. “Chocolate.”

He grins, a genuine smile in Yifan’s direction before taking a sip, savouring the taste of chocolate on his tongue.

 

“Your Majesty.”

A steward pokes his head around the doorway and gestures towards the hall.

Yixing shoots Yifan an apologetic look as he presses the flask back into Yifan’s hands and sweeps past him to prepare for his coronation.

 

--------------------------------------- Frozen ---------------------------------------------

“Long live the king!”

 

The chant echoes throughout the throne room as Yixing stands at the dais. He bends his head for the bishop to place the crown upon his brow and turns to face the crowd.

A steward brings up a cushion and Yixing freezes a little.

The dreaded orb and sceptre.

He reaches for them, biting his lip when the bishop clears his throat quietly.

 

“Your gloves. Your Majesty.”
 

Yixing gulps and slowly, he pulls off one glove, then the other, revealing his pale hands.

He reaches out and holding his breath, grasps the objects, the metal feeling so so cold in his bare hands.

 

He breathes a sigh of relief when nothing happens.

 

The crowd cheers and he smiles.

His smile freezes when he feels the all too familiar feeling of frost creeping over metal and turns around quickly, placing the objects back down onto the cushion, ending the ceremony.

 

At the ball, Yifan seeks Yixing out, who stands in the corner of the room looking out of place at his own party.

“Hey. We didn’t get to talk just now.”

 

Yixing avoids Yifan’s gaze.

 

He weakly allows Yifan to pull him to a spot near the door.

 

“What’s wrong?” Yifan rests a large hand gently on Yixing’s cheek.

 

Yixing stiffens. “Nothing.”

 

Yifan feels frustration build up in him.

 

“You’ve been hiding out in your room for three years Yixing. I’d like to think that nothing has changed in those years but I’d be lying to myself. Tell me what’s wrong. I’m your best friend Yixing. I know when you’re not okay. You are not yourself anymore.”

 

As he speaks, Yifan presses Yixing up against the wall, his gaze so intense that Yixing flushes.

 

“I…” Yixing hates himself for sounding so weak in front of his best friend. “You wouldn’t understand.”

 

Yifan snorts.

 

“Try me Yixing. Please.”

 

Yixing suddenly feels rage bubble within him.

 

Who does he think he is, to question him like this?

 

With a snarl, he pushes Yifan hard, all the bitterness and frustration of three years boiling over.

 

“I said that it’s nothing!”

 

Yifan steps back, stunned and angry that he was pushing him away again.

 

“I’ve done everything I can to help you. I’ve lived my whole life protecting you, loving you. Yet you can’t even trust me?!” 

He yells, fury blazing through him.

 

His voice is loud enough that he attracts the attention of everyone in the Great Hall.

Yixing screams in fury.

“A thousand curses upon you, Wu Yifan!  I just want you to back off!!”

He flings his hand outwards, his glove flying off in the momentum, exposing his hand.

 

The Great Hall trembles and a large spike of ice spreads itself out around Yixing.

 

Yifan jumps back in shock.

 

“The prophecy!!!” He hears horrified whispers start as he stares at his best friend. At least what that is left off him.

 

Yixing levels his glare around the room, icy winds blowing through the Great Hall making everyone shiver at the sudden drop in temperature.

 

“An eternal winter.” He whispers, a sadistic smile spreading across his face.

 

Yifan cries out when he realizes what Yixing has done.

 

“Wait!!!” He screams when the doors blow open, Yixing silhouetted against a dark sky full of storm clouds.

 

The winds are beginning to blow hard, the fountains in the courtyard starting to ice over, the ground becoming slippery with ice.

 

Yixing casts a gleeful smile at Yifan and flees, his boots striking against the ivy floor of the courtyard. He doesn’t slip, the ice not seeming to affect him at all.

 

Yifan finds a space between an ice spike and squeezes through, breaking into a sprint, chasing after Yixing.

It is hard work, the ice slick beneath his feet, causing him to slip and slide about.

Baekhyun sees Yifan slip out after Yixing and forces his way through the crowd, trying to get to the door.

 

“Yifan hyung!!’ He cries as he runs out of the Great Hall and through the courtyard.

 

Yifan is a panting, wheezing mess when he reaches the edge of the fjord, thinking that Yixing would be trapped there.

Yixing is indeed standing a little further down the edge, a frown etched onto his face.

 

“Yi...Yixing…” Yifan wheezes, struggling to catch his breath in the icy air.

 

Yixing whips around, hair flying as the winds sweep around them.

 

Yifan’s breath catches. He looks so beautiful like this, well in his element.

 

Yixing hesitantly approaches Yifan, looking unsure and a little lost.

 

Yifan stands where he is, afraid that should he make a move, he would scare him away.

 

Yixing reaches out a hand and rests it against Yifan’s cheek.

 

His hand feels like ice against his warm skin.

 

His voice is oddly hollow when he says, “Go home Yifan. The blizzards are about to begin.”

 

Yifan’s eyes widen when Yixing pulls away from him and breaks into a run, straight across the fjord!

 

He screams and lunges out, sure that Yixing would be pulled beneath the waves.

 

To his amazement, he sees the fjord freeze over directly beneath Yixing’s feet as he runs, something the fjord has never done before, not even in the dead of the winter seasons.

 

He feels something cold whip at his cheek and looks up.

 

Snow is descending thick and fast from the heavens, covering everything in sight.

 

So Yixing knew what he was talking about when he mentioned the blizzards.

Yifan thinks dimly as white swirls around, blinding him.

 

“Yifan hyung!”

Yifan hears someone cry out before everything goes black.