In some distant recess of her mind, Clarion felt hunger pains and her mouth parched, but she sat on the stone for hours waiting for any word. Her head hurt from weeping so much. The guards tried to convince her to go home and sleep, promising to stand watch for her; she didn't even blink, her mind lost in a nightmare of her own doing.

Gliss returned when the sun was at its highest. Clarion scrambled to her feet.

Gliss's eyes were red as if she had been crying. "It's done. His body seems to be doing better, and he appears to be comfortable now. He had to be sedated for the amputation, and now he won't speak to any of us," she wept. "We moved him into the South Woods. The only thing he has said is he'll throw me off his council if I bring you to him."

"Is he angry with me?" she sniffled.

"I think he's ashamed."

"Please, take me to him. I'll see to him if he gets angry with you."

Clarion took Thomas's cape and left before the guards could say anything.

Gliss led her down the secret tunnel and got Sled to carry Clarion over the ice.

"He heard that you're here and is powerfully angry," Sled told her. "He is weak from the sugar loss, and he has trouble balancing. Dewey says our wings help us balance for walking, so he needs to relearn how to walk to compensate."

She brushed away her tears. "Is he angry with me? I won't go if he is."

Sled shook his head. "I think it's shame making him angry." He set her down outside the door and went in. "Lord Milori, Queen Clarion is here to see you. She's terribly worried and wants to help," she heard Sled explain gently.

"She can attend to Mountain," Milori snapped.

That barb landed straight in her heart.

"She has sat at the border for nearly a day crying out her heart. You need to be with each other."

She stepped carefully around the corner into the room.

Milori was sitting up in bed with a frost blanket around his shoulders that he pulled closer. He turned his head slightly away from her.

Her heart bled to see the shame and anger on his beautiful face. "I love you, Milori, no matter what," she said tearfully. "I do not blame you for hating me. I-"

His jaw clenched and he swallowed hard, fighting tears. "I don't hate you," he whispered and wiped away a tear, still keeping him head turned away. "But I don't want you here."

Sled slipped out.

She slowly sat on the edge of the bed and took his freezing cold hand. "I want to help you."

He pulled his hand away and his head whipped around to her, his eyes piercing. "So you can have a life with a winter fairy who is trapped in winter?! Whose touch is colder than ever before and will frostbite you in an instant?! Who can't fly?! Who is so hopelessly dependent on everyone else now?!" he spat.

"We will figure it out. You are not dependent on everyone," she wept.

His eyes met hers and angry tears fell from his lashes. "I am so cold now that I will be the death of you," he said, his voice shaking.

"You will warm up a little just like last time."

He shook his head, his entire body trembling from being so upset. "I was in ice water in the Northern Woods for an hour when I was unconscious. There is no going back," he growled.

Her eyes searched his eyes. "Stop. I'm not your enemy." She touched his cheek, which was so cold it made her hand hurt.

He turned his head away.

"Please," she begged, her voice breaking.

"Mary said the cottage would be mostly ready in two days. I was going to ask you to mate tonight," he whispered, staring down at the ice blanket. "Tell Mary to tear it down."

"What?"

He looked at her with angry tears shimmering in his eyes. "You need a warm fairy who can give you everything."

She stopped breathing. It was strange to still be alive and not feel your own heart beating. "No," she whimpered and reached for him.

He grabbed her arm through her cape to stop her, his touch freezing even through the material. His eyes cut straight through her. "What don't you understand?!" he shouted. "I am so cold that if I touch your wing, it will break instantly and you will die!" he roared.

She stared at him, not even knowing this creature who was so full of anger and pain.

Sled slipped in and gently scooped up Clarion. "I think maybe you need to finish talking later," he said softly and walked her out.

"Don't come back," Milori snapped without looking at her.

Sled carried her outside and she felt her heart starting to beat again. And it was painful. She burst into great sobs when he set her to her feet.

He wrapped his arms around her. "Give him time. He's terrified of hurting you and is trying to figure everything out. He just needs to be angry for a bit."

"Is he really going to remain so cold?" she sniffled.

Sled looked at her sadly. "He hasn't gotten warmer for twelve hours. Usually the body temp starts rising within an hour. Give him some time to adjust to everything. Dewey says that some fairies want to cope with trauma on their own and figure out how to compensate themselves without loved ones watching. Perhaps when he's out of bed and able to walk in a day or two he won't feel so helpless. You need to go home and get some rest. We'll send word to the border if he gets worse."

"I don't know what to do," she wept. "I caused this-"

"He would give up his wings and legs if it meant saving you. I have no doubts, Queen Clarion."

She pulled back and took a deep breath, so exhausted she could barely think straight. "You are a good friend to him, Sled. And so are Gliss and Dewey. He can't stand me right now, but he seems to tolerate you. Take care of him for me."

He set a hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eye. "It's because he loves you so much that he can't stand having you around. For a male, it's incredibly hard being weak and unable to protect a mate. It's nothing about you," he promised.

She went home with a heavy heart.

It had been two days since she had seen him. Gliss and Sled reported to her daily that he was alright but suffering from backaches from the different weights of his wings and trouble keeping his balance when walking. She visited Mountain daily, who was healing well with the animal and healer fairies attending to him. She spent her time weaving a harness for Mountain out of beanstalk and silk so it would be gentle but strong enough to keep Milori from falling off. She would train Mountain so he could be Milori's wings. But mostly, she had too much time to think.

It was nearly a week later, and she was going mad with guilt and worry when Sled crossed the border over to spring where she was weaving a better harness, the previous one having weak spots that Mary had discovered.

"Queen Clarion?"

She looked up from her seat near Mountain, who was his chirpy self again, although a bit cranky from his wings being tied down so his back could heal.

"Lord Milori is able to walk now and asked to meet you at the border. He's unable to be in the south for long because his temp requires him to remain in the North Woods for most of the time. He asked if you're able to meet now."

"Of course."

"I'll go tell him."

She hurried to the border, her hands shaking both from anticipation of seeing him again and from fear that he blamed her. Not that she didn't blame herself.

He approached a short while later and Gliss and Sled stayed far back, talking together. Milori didn't smile, and she felt her heart fall. He wore the cape made of Mountain's feathers. She wanted to ask if she could see his wing, perhaps infuse some pixie dust into it to help with any numbness or pain or anything, but she knew he wouldn't want her to see it.

He stopped at the border and didn't reach out for her hand or smile or bow or do anything at all. His face was hard and portrayed no emotion. She was suddenly afraid. Not of what would happen but what was happening to him. Gone was the twinkle in his eye, the look of love. He was void. As void as she used to be. She knew what it was like to be caught in the hopelessness and reached out to touch his hand.

He stepped back out of reach.

Tears built in her eyes. "Milori?"

"I must move to the North Woods," he said, his voice hard without any emotion. "You deserve to hear it to your face, not in a letter. I'll have my fairies take care of tearing down the cabin," he said without meeting her eyes.

"What?" she gasped, her chest heaving. "No! I know we can't live together, but I love you. We will figure something out." she begged. "We can be together for parts of the day."

"Where?" he demanded and his brow furrowed in anger. "When I have to be where even winter fairies can hardly tolerate the incredible cold, where is it we can be that won't kill you?" he hissed.

"Please, you need to give yourself time. Give us time. We will come up with something," she wept. She turned to drag over the heavy harness for Mountain and reached into winter to give it to him. "Mountain can be your wings. We can train him-"

"Enough!" he snapped with tears in his eyes. "Do you think I want to leave you behind?!" he boomed, his emotions finally breaking free. He pointed at his chest angrily. "I will be the death of you!" His face crumpled. "I would die for you, but I will not be the death of you." He turned and started walking away.

"No! Milori! Don't do this!" she cried and ran into winter without a cape.

He spun around and threw out his hand to create an ice wall in front of her suddenly. Sled grabbed her and dragged her back into spring.

"No!" she cried, throwing herself forward to break free and go after him.

"Queen, you will break your wings going into winter uncovered," Sled told her, working to keep her back.

Milori climbed on an owl and headed for the North Woods.

"Noooo!" Clarion screamed, tears cursing down her face.

He disappeared without a backward glance.

The fight finally drained out of her, and she sank down onto her knees and sobbed.

She tried to cross the border several times over the next weeks, but Milori had winter fairies standing guard.

Sled caught her crossing one time.

"Please," she begged as he held her about the waist to keep her from going further. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"He must live in the temperatures that are too cold even for me. You would die before we even reached him. He stays there alone all of the time. Queen Clarion, he is lost without you too, but he's trying to protect you. He actually asked me to give you this." He handed her an ice tablet.

She stilled and took it to read the letter.

Clarion,

I would tell you in person, but I don't trust myself to be able to resist your tears. Or my heart. Forgive me for being so harsh when you came to visit. I was ashamed and so devastated knowing we can no longer be together. I unleashed my anger on you, wanting to push you away to protect you from the pain. If I was a stronger fairy, I would have given you a gentle goodbye at the border. But I felt myself die with every cry you uttered. I will love you forever, and I know that means letting you go to do what is best for you.

My fairies tell me that you keep trying to cross. Stop. I beg you for your safety to cease, and I beg you to let me keep what little is left of my heart. To see you and have to walk away again would break me past redemption. You come to me nightly in my dreams, and it will have to be enough. I want you to find love and happiness with a good fairy who can give you warm babies who can run through summer and look up at you with rosey cheeks. If you find happiness, I will be content.

I never thanked you for healing and training Mountain and making the harness. He serves faithfully as my wings, and sometimes I pretend you are riding him again with me. You've given me wings again, for which I will forever be greatful.

Stop blaming yourself, sweetheart. Sled told me what you said, and none of this is your fault. No price on your life is too high for me. Please, do not let this all be in vain. Do not harden yourself and return to isolation. Go out and live. Announce the games and be happy-I will watch for you to make the stars fly at night. And it will give me so much joy.

Goodbye, Clarion. I will always love you.

Milori

Tears fell down her face, and she quickly wrote a note for Milori. While Sled went to deliver it, she took his letter of ice to their incompleted cabin that she had banned anyone from touching. Slowly wandering through the beautiful home that would never hear joy or the pitter patter of little feet, she went to the bedroom. The frame of the bed had been constructed, and she tucked his letter under his side of the bed. She looked around this room that would never know love, and she quietly wept.

Sled brought him a letter from Clarion. Milori sent it directly back. Her scent was on the letter. It was still slightly warm from her touch. It was too much of her. His life was so hopelessly void now without her that he had to remember every second of every day to breathe through the pain. Dewey promised the pain would fade in time. But Dewey had never been in love. Sometimes even the most knowledgable fairy suffered ignorance. In this, Milori knew that Dewey was wrong, and pain would forever be his constant companion.

He went into his new bedchamber, the room void of anything but a bed and a few books. He wanted no rugs or pictures or detail that would remind him of the home Clarion would have made with him. It was his sanctuary now-the only decoration in the room was the rose she had given him, encased in ice in the wall. The pain was suddenly unbearable and tears filled his eyes. He let out a cry as he swung his fist, smashing the wall. Then he carefully pulled out the large bloom, preserved as perfect as the night she had given it to him. Weeping tiny drop of frozen ice that sparkled like crystals from his frigid body, the crystals bathed the rosy red petals. A mournful scream released from his lips as he fell to his knees, cradling the rose in his arms.

Sled brought it back only minutes later when she was back at the border, his eyes sad. "He asked that you not write to him. He looked at your letter and left quickly before he started to weep." He blinked hard. "He said you need to let go." Sled held out her letter.

Clarion took it, her heart in so much pain she couldn't feel it anymore. "Thomas and Sled," she whispered and stared at the ground.

They both stepped forward.

No fairy shall get hurt again, she promised herself. Then she looked up to meet their eyes. Once again, she had failed as a queen, but it would never happen again. She would not be distracted by love again. She was a queen, and even if it killed her, she would force herself to not hole up but continue living only because it was Milori's wish. She knew she could never love again because after a love as strong as theirs, nothing could even flicker in comparison. She would hate every minute living without him, but she would do it for him so his sacrifice would not be in vain. The last tear fell from her lashes and her voice grew strong. Her wings rose as she stood tall and calm. "Tell the fairies there is a new law. Tell them that no fairy may cross to or from the winter border from this day forward."

The End

Author's Note: Readers, I know that some of you may not be happy with the ending of this story, but hold on a moment. I had originally planned for this story to end when they parted. Half way through writing it, I started to consider writing a sequel that picks up slightly before Secret of the Wings movie and resumes Clarion's and Milori's story (we know that one has a happy ending!). When Winter Melted a Heart morphed into something much longer and more intricate than I had planned when starting out (but then again, what good story doesn't take on a life of it's own! :)).

Obviously, we'd have Tinkerbelle and other fairies joining in the sequel. Let me know if you want a sequel. If a sequel is in demand, I'll post the first chapter by this weekend. I don't know yet what I would call it, but you'll see it on my profile. (Demand was high, so the sequel is To Have Been Loved by Winter.)

Please let me know if this chapter pulled you in-it was intense trying to flow the extreme emotions out onto paper. Thanks for reading and for all of your great reviews! :)