Winter Phoenix

It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark. "How do I know you’re not lying?" Millie asks. "Hah! So suspicious, just because I’m a shady person wearing forbidden colours in an alleyway doesn’t mean I’m a fraud.” Says the shadowy figure, draped in dark green cloth. “I just find it hard to believe that you have a real life Phoenix, they went extinct hundreds of years ago.” Says Millie, wishing she had put on more layers. The stranger smiles, “Take her, she’s near resurrection, and I don’t think I could look after a newborn.” Millie blows hot air on her numb hands, “Okay, but what if the knights find out? You know the queen loves winter, a resurrection would bring summer again.” The stranger nods, “Which is why you must take her, only you, with your ancient roots, can protect her.” After a quick glance in each direction, Millie steps forwards into the shadows, her white cloak vanishing in the deep snow. “Fine, I’ll do it, but how do you know about my ancestors?” The stranger lets out a short, raspy laugh, “I am older than time, wiser than an owl, and fiercer than a dragon child. I have seen oceans rise and empires fall, I have dined with gods and goddesses, and I have been touched by the summer sun. I know where you come from, child of the forest.”

Millie sits in her white marble kitchen, staring at the birdcage covered in red cloth, another forbidden colour. The stranger had handed her the cage, and then disappeared into the shadows. The clanking of armour grows nearer, and Millie leaps up to hide the cage. She shoves it in the ice box, praying that the Phoenix was ice proof. “Scribe Fox!” Shouts the guard at her door, “The queen requests your presence in the throne room immediately. She is joined by ambassadors from the further countries.” Millie nods, “Of course sir, I’ll be right there, let me change into my formal wear.” The guard salutes, and leaves the room. Millie counts to ten, and then rushes to the icebox. The phoenix makes a trilling noise as she pulls the cage out. “Shhh!” Millie whispers, and walks quickly into her sleeping quarters and away from prying eyes.

After getting changed into her crystal blue court gown, Millie replaces the red cloth on the cage with a less conspicuous white cloak. While doing so, she gets a glimpse of the Phoenix, it has intelligent eyes, and the most incredible red, orange and yellow feathers. Breaking eye contact, she drops the gown over the cage, and hides it with the growing pile of dirty dresses and gowns. “Please go to sleep, bird, I need to make sure the queen doesn’t find out about you.” Millie hopes that it will fall asleep while she is scribing for the queen. “Scribe Fox!” Yells the guard, “The queen is starting!” Millie grabs her scroll, quill and ink box, and hurries out the door. The guard salutes her, and marches quickly beside her. I can’t look after the Phoenix during the day, Millie realised, the guards will get suspicious if I keep on leaving their presence. “Everything alright?” The guard asked, “You seem a bit off today, do you have a fever?” Millie smiles, this was her favourite guard, he always seemed to know when she was upset. “I didn’t get much sleep last night,” she said. I was talking to a stranger who gave me an extremely forbidden creature that could ruin our lives. He nods and smiles, “I hope you feel better.” They stop in front of two large ice doors. “Be careful,” he says, “She’s in a bad mood today.”

“WHERE IS MY SCRIBE?! THE MEETING STARTED TWELVE SECONDS AGO!!” Millie sighed, put on a smile, and opened the doors. “I am here, your majesty,” she said, and took her place at the hard cold ice chair  and desk. After laying out her things, she nods at the queen. “As you all know, I have gathered you here today to talk about your loyalty,” the queen begins, “I have heard reports of green flags flying on some igloos in your towns, also, one of my spies saw a daisy you do know that is considered treason, and punishable by death.” Millie looks up from her scroll, this was new, no one had ever dared to break the queen’s rules. “Please, your majesty, our citizens are out of control, they are talking of a phoenix, and summer!” pleads one of the diplomats, her hands clasped in prayer. Millie drops her quill. “It is true!” says the other one, putting a reassuring hand on the first one’s shoulder, “We took down the flags and burnt the flowers!” she continues. The queen looks over at Millie, “Are you quite alright dear? You look very pale, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about these claims, would you?” She says icily. Millie bows her head and retrieves her quill, “I-I ran into a stranger before,” she replies, “She was wearing a green cloak, and talked about many forbidden things.” The queen stood up, “THIS CLOSE TO MY PALACE?! GUARDS! SEARCH THIS CITY FOR ANY SIGNS OF TREASON, WHETHER IT IS A SCRAP OF FABRIC, OR WORDS WHISPERED ON THE BREEZE! I WANT EVERY MENTION OF SUMMER GONE!!!!!” She storms out of the room with a flourish of her icy cape.

Slumped in her bedsheets, Millie lets out a groan. After the queen had swept out of the room, the diplomats were let off with no charge, and escorted safely to their towns. The only problem was that the queen was even more suspicious than before. It wouldn’t be long before she found out about the phoenix. The bird crowed quietly, almost as if it knew what Millie was thinking. “Got any ideas Bird?” she asks it, not expecting a reply. “Finally,” says a tinkling voice, “I thought you would never ask.” The phoenix disappears in a blaze of fire, and reappears next to Millie. She sits up, “You can talk?” The phoenix chuckles, “Only when you believe. Sounds really cliché, huh?” Millie nods, “I guess, but, can you get us out of here?” Guards footsteps sound in the hallway outside, their clanking armour resonating on the icy floor. “I can take us to my homeland, and yours too, I assume.” Millie gasps, “Hurry!” Bursting into flames once again, the phoenix reaches its head forwards, and bumps Millie’s hand. She transforms, in her place, a small snow fox stands. Just as guards filled her kitchen, both phoenix and fox burst into flames.

Flashes of red, and green. A sweet cooling breeze. Warmth. Millie’s coat changed, from pure white to a vivid shade of marmalade and bronze. The phoenix grew bigger, stronger, more vibrant. It was summer again.