Dragons had gathered in huge numbers in the throne room upon the Queen's return. Everywhere Solstice looked, the glimmer of IceWing eyes shone out against the palace walls they blended into. Several were hammering messages into tablets of ice. Dragons flew in and out with deliveries.

The bustle was present, but orderly, as it had been his whole life. No dragons bumbled into one another as they flew. Their jobs were carried out dutifully.

Caribou must have sent the message ahead, as a dragon stopped Solstice in his tracks. Draped in delicate silver chains with teardrop shaped sapphire charms, she spread her wings to gesture to Solstice.

"Right this way. Her Majesty is waiting for you." She said with a bow of her head. Solstice obliged, and followed the dragoness through a large doorway to the throne room. Oyster grumbled behind him, her mouth bound closed with a new set of ropes.

Queen Glacier sat on a throne of ice in the center for the room, chandeliers hung from the ceiling in such a way that made it look like the room was a cave of ice flash-frozen in time.

"I've heard word that you've prepared an early hatching present for me?" Glacier said coolly.

Solstice quickly flattened himself into a respectful bow, his wings spread out over the floor. Oyster grunted.

"Your Majesty."

"You may speak."

Solstice stood up, "This morning I left the palace in search of animal bones and teeth for your present I had planned, but what I stumbled on seemed to me like a much better gift overall." He gestured to Oyster, who stood shivering. "May I present to you, Your Grace, Oyster of the SeaWings."

Glacier looked down her nose at the shaking blue-green dragon, her brow quirked in an interested manner, and she sat up a little straighter on her throne. "Unbind her mouth."

When Solstice did so, Oyster gnashed her teeth at him, and spat a glob of bloody snot at the feet of the queen.

Glacier looked unimpressed, "She seems like the hundreds of other SeaWings I've met and maimed."

"Oh you had time for formal introductions before you killed them?" Oyster asked. "Suddenly I feel less special."

"Usually I don't stop to learn their names. In all regards, you are the special one." She turned to Solstice. "You are aware of the.. environmental challenges that comes with keeping prisoners, aren't you Solstice?"

"Yes ma'am. A brilliant thought struck me earlier today. Perhaps we could make a prison in the caves under the hot springs?"

Queen Glacier did little to mask her look of disgust. Her frost-coated spikes clattered daintily as she shook her head. "Dreadfully humid place. But I suppose the stifling heat would be more bearable. Tell me Solstice, why is, Oyster here, more valuable to us alive than dead?"

"She's a spy, Your Majesty, loaded with information about our enemies. If she fares no use there, I'm sure she'd make for a diplomatic trade, perhaps to return one of our own loyal soldiers home to our kingdom?"

"You're both full of barnacles." Oyster said. "The tribe doesn't care about me. I'm expendable. Kill me now and save yourselves the effort."

"Usually dragons who ask me to kill them have a very good reason for being alive." Glacier said. She waved a hand at both dragons. "Very Well. I'll have a squadron go north with you and fit the hot caverns with some kind of jail cell. I expect good things from this, Solstice. You are dismissed."

Solstice and Oyster were escorted from the throne room by the ice dragon with the teardrops sapphires. They exchanged bows and she swept back into the throne room.

"Woo hoo. Prison." Oyster spat again.

"Better than death, you'll see." Solstice said with a smile. He wrapped Oyster's lead firmly around one talon, as three soldiers approached them.

"Solstice, sir." They said in unison, sweeping into a bow. "We're here to escort the prisoner to the Sapphire Caverns."

He swept his wings inward and lifted his chin. "You are more than welcome to lead me, but only I lay claws on this SeaWing."

The soldiers nodded their heads in unison, and spun away. Three pairs of white wings lifted off, followed by Solstice's pale blue-grey, and the deep turquoise of Oyster's scales. They winged east from the palace, on their way to the hot springs.