Glory Braddock vs. Selena Frost

[SnowQueenSCW]

Project: Black Ice

”Storms and Pillows”

Frost ‘Forever Home’
Manhattan, New York
February 12th, 2022
9:12pm


“Why won’t you let me come with you?” 

The redhead whined as she sat against the windowsill, her hands finding purchase against the wood as her emerald eyes refocused from watching the loud storm that thundered and raged outside to the interior of the room she stood in. Even now, as she put her focus towards the woman in the maroon nightgown, the redhead could still hear the sounds of rainfall and thunder behind her. They almost seemed fitting for her own feelings at the moment.

“I do want you to go with me.” Selena countered as she sat on the large black and red bench that stood in front of her vanity counter and mirror, the Snow Queen having just finished drying her hair from the shower she and Deanna had shared together. “But Jean specifically asked that I go by myself. I don’t know why, but if Jean is the one asking, then there has to be a reason for it.”

“Or he doesn’t trust me enough…”

The grumble came from Deanna, who crossed her arms over her chest and the dark-green nightgown she wore, similar to Selena’s but less revealing of the tops of the shoulders. She had thought her words were quiet enough, but her emerald eyes spied Selena’s hands, which were combing platinum-blonde locks with a silver, thick comb, pause in their actions – making it clear that the older Frost had definitely heard her wife’s words. With a long sigh, Selena placed the comb back on the counter of her vanity before lifting her legs over the bench to turn and face her wife. 

“It’s not that.” She sighed. “Least I don’t think it should be. If he truly thinks that then I will talk to him about it.” Slowly, the Snow Queen pushed herself to her feet. “And I mean that. I will sit him down and put him in his place.” She promised, reaching out towards the shorter redhead to gently grasp her wife’s crossed elbows. “I hardly think he has a right to think that – he hasn’t gone to prison and survived. Or half of what you have done in SCW.” She smiled, leaning forward to playfully nuzzle her nose against Deanna’s, earning a restrained giggle from the redhead.

“Stop it.” Deanna whined playfully, though her head turned left and right to nuzzle the taller Selena back.
“Mmmm…” purred Selena teasingly. “My brave little knight.”
“Queen’s Guard.” The younger woman corrected, her eyes drifting up to stare deeply into Selena’s sapphire ones.

The nickname had come to Deanna some time ago, during the End of the Year Royale. Words like ‘protector’ and ‘equalizer’ – those had been used to describe Deanna long before, ever since she had tackled Christy Matthews during Selena’s match with Syren almost a year ago at the “Be Careful What You Wish For” pay-per-view. In truth, both women had lost track of how many times Deanna had appeared, ready to fight and protect her beloved wife, though only when the situation called for it (ambushes and the like), for neither woman wanted the Snow Queen to fall into the same ‘reputation’ as Holly Adams/The Brand and other such cowards of the past as Sienna Swann, Bree Lancaster, Ravyn Taylor and, until recently, Syren. Still, there was no denying the stronger and larger part Deanna now played in the career of Selena Frost. And none of that equated to the years of turmoil her beloved had suffered in Frankfurt Prison III. 

So for ANYONE to discredit her Deanna? To call her weak or incapable, Selena could only dismiss it as a blatant, ignorant lie and she refused to believe a dear friend like Jean Black would think so lowly and ill of Deanna. No, there must be a reason… she thought to herself.

“Oh, that reminds me!” Deanna’s eyes were suddenly bright as she scampered out of the bedroom.
“Quietly!” Selena hissed in a whisper after her, a chastising sound. “The children are sleeping.”

Immediately, she heard Deanna’s steps suddenly slow and soften as the redhead moved down the hall and down the winding staircase, to where Selena was not sure. What had they been talking about? Deanna’s strength? Yes, that’s right. Deanna had corrected her when Selena had called her a ‘knight’, opting for that name she had created at End of the Year Battle Royale, “The Queen’s Guard”.

Personally, Selena loved the name. It was unique and fitting for Deanna and worked in the same way Selena’s “Winter’s Knight” did, but at the same time it was different. It said something Deanna could call her own. Still, it also meant that Deanna was becoming more and more of a wrestler, an SCW superstar, if she wasn’t one already, and if her arguments with Kim Williams on Twitter were any indication, others were beginning to see her as that as well.

It was both exciting and terrifying at the same time. Because while Selena, as she had moments ago, believed in her wife and how strong the redhead was, there was no ignoring the worry and fear that filled her at the thought of her beloved fighting monsters and wrestlers like Selena had over the past eight years. 

The idea of Deanna fighting Kim Williams (and all the weapons that woman brought)
The idea of Deanna fighting Kandis or Tommy Valentine – or, Odin forbid, both of them
The idea of Deanna fighting Giovanni Aries or Cid Turner

The House of Frost had held its own against the Brand with Jordan Majors on their side last time, but a ‘no-contest’ was not a victory and things had not gone out of control with weapons like they could have in past matches associated with the Brand and Selena. Bad enough I have to deal with Holly a third time… Selena sighed, returning to her bench in front of her vanity mirror, her eyes taking in the tired expression of the woman before her.

The situation regarding the world title had been… well, she couldn’t say ‘resolved’ (though she wanted to)… the best word was ‘handled’ in this case. The situation regarding the World title had been handled. First, and perhaps the biggest news, was that Selena was set to fight in a double jeopardy match – first time she had ever been in such a match as far as she could remember. A match that involved practically every person that had so much as Tweeted an argument regarding the world title and their ‘deserving a title shot for it’. Kandis, Autumn, Glory, Holly, even Kim and Brittany Lohan. And while the numbers didn’t quite make sense (There were 7 but apparently it was to be two matches that were triple threat being determined…), Selena could not even allow herself to look that far ahead.

She had to deal with the next episode of Breakdown first…

With a sigh, Selena reached for the comb to continue combing her hair, but her hand didn’t make it to the counter until she heard her wife’s steps again, drawing closer to their room. She barely had enough time to turn her head before she spied her wife again, the red hair and emerald-green-dress flowing with Deanna’s movements.

“Scootch over!” Deanna ordered, holding up the box in her hands before shuffling across the carpeted floor to where Selena sat. Quickly, Selena shifted to the far side of the bench, allowing Deanna to plop-sit right next to her. “You gotta check this out!” she bit her lower lip, the excitement clear in her voice, almost enough to make Selena laugh at its purity.

“What is this?” she asked as she eyed the simple, cardboard box, noticing the logo on it. “And why is it from SCW Headquarters?”
“That’s who made it!” Deanna exclaimed as she opened the folds of the box, seeming already having opened it earlier that day, Selena reasoned, in order to pull out the fabric. “Ta-dah!” the redhead exclaimed, turning the shirt to reveal the logo in front!

The shirt was dark-green mostly, but had a black and silver helmet of a knight that stood in the middle staring to the side in a profile shot. What caught Selena’s attention, most of all, were two things. First, where a plumage should be, instead was a mane of radiant red hair, as if the knight was choosing their own hair as their decoration. The second thing she noticed were the words that spread across the top and bottom of the helmet.

“Deanna Frost…” Selena read, her pale fingers tracing over the words as she read them. “The Queen’s Guard.” She turned her head towards Deanna. “What is this?” She asked in pure curiosity. Before her eyes, she spied her beloved redhead nibbing on the nail of her thumb, seemingly captivated with Selena’s reaction.

“It’s…the first prototype…” Deanna replied. “Of my shirt.”
“Your shirt?” Deanna asked, turning again to admire the logo. It was simple, at least compared to the ones she had seen on superstars like Syren and Braddock. There weren’t any grand background designs or elegant catchphrases or whatever. It was, in many ways, as simple as some of her past, and current, “Believe It!” t-shirts. 

“Merchandise wanted to do something.” Deanna explained, shyly reaching up to scratch the back of her head. “After that six-person match against the Brand, they wanted to start making some stuff. They asked for my name, nickname, catchphrase-”

Selena’s head jerked her head to stare back at her wife. “You have a catchphrase?!” she asked, her voice full of delight and surprise. “Oh, please tell me it! Tell me what you have! I have to know this!” she was bouncing on her rump, her eyes wide as she gave Deanna her full attention.

“I… I don’t have one.” Deanna admitted shyly. “I could only give them ‘The Queen’s Guard’…that was the only thing I felt good about.”
“Oh.” Selena tried, backpedaling a little. “Well, that’s okay!” she offered quickly, holding up the shirt. “You don’t need to have one, especially this early in your career. It took me months and months to get ‘Believe it’ figured out.”

“I guess.” Deanna shrugged. “I just…nothing felt right.” She added in admittance, her eyes downcast to the carpet the lined the floor.

“And it needs to, Deanna.” Selena sighed, folding the shirt back up to place it on the counter in front of the mirror. “It’s like when I write a promo. I can’t just say what someone else will say. I need to be honest with myself and I have to believe what I say. I need to assess what is really happening in the match, what I see in the opponent, and what implications really exist – and it’s even more important when it’s personal to me. When it’s something I desperately want-“

“Are you talking about Retribution… or next week?”

The question from Deanna silenced Selena immediately, causing her jaw to flutter a little before closing shut, the Snow Queen taking a moment to stare down at her hands. Selena knew that it was foolish to be excited about next Breakdown – especially when it changed so little in the grand scheme of things. Win or lose, she was going to be in a Double Jeopardy match for the world title. Nothing either she or her opponent did would change that particular element for either of them. The only thing that was going to change, far as anyone knew, was who the champion would be going into the match, that was it…

And yet…

“Next week.” She heard herself whisper, her hands clutching one another tighter. The answer earned a light laugh from her wife. 

“It’s okay!” Deanna consoled the Snow Queen. “You can be excited about facing Glory Braddock! Least you know there won’t be half a dozen people trying to screw you out of it.”

Selena sighed as she tilted her head towards the redhead. It was a sobering thought, but there was so much weight behind that supposed light-hearted statement.

From the literal second she had regained the world championship from Cid Turner back in December of last year, her entire reign had been swamped with controversy. From the blind attack from Cid Turner following that match, to the entire Brand intervening en masse to try and cheat Selena out of the title at the End of the Year, resulting in Selena, somehow, being the one disqualified, to Retribution where Kim Williams, of all people, had, admittedly, interfered for the sole purpose of trying to get Selena to lose the title through DQ, and, lastly, to the world title match with Glory last week never happening because every possible ‘entitled’ contender for her title came out, throwing a fit the likes of which bordered on absurd…

The result was that there had not been a single moment – not one – in Selena’s current reign as SCW World Champion that hadn’t ended in some kind of controversy, to the point where even someone like Jonathan Knots and Adam Sharper were remarking on it. 

Hardly fitting for someone trying to bring integrity to the world title… she thought dejectedly.

What bothered Selena was that none of it had been her doing. None of it had been her choice or even for her benefit. The intent of every single act had been to try and hurt her or get the world title off her. And yet she was the one getting the bad name, the one whose reputation was constantly being scrutinized across the board, including social media. 

Now? Now she was going to face Glory Braddock in Tampa, with every person barred from ringside, meaning that, odds were, there was NO WAY the match was going to be controversial. No way the match could be tainted. She was going to face Glory Braddock one-on-one and…and if Selena could beat her…

Excited was not even the right word Selena regarding this match. She was yearning for it. She was dreading it. She was needing it. She was afraid of it. The myriad of emotions were beyond what anyone could genuinely understand, except maybe Deanna. 

She dreaded and feared it because – at the end of the day – Glory was a damn good wrestler. Good enough to beat Syren and anyone else that was in her path. Was she good enough to beat Selena? The Snow Queen couldn’t say for certain, but it was definitely possible, and that was enough for Selena to be excited and afraid. Afraid because, what if she lost the title? True, it changed very little for the match at Retribution, but what did that say about Selena’s fourth reign as world champion? If every title defense had ended in controversy and as soon as it wasn’t, she lost it? If she had only stayed champion as long as she had because of ‘champion’s advantage’ and ‘the grace of officials’ rather than her own ability, her own beliefs, her own will?

It was terrifying – that in one match, she could have everything she had fought for: the ‘new standard’ she believed in for SCW, the integrity of herself as World Champion, it could all be destroyed in a second and she, for all her hard work, be delegated to a ‘lucky champion’ rather than one that fought for all she had and earned every inch.

But it was also exciting! Because she COULD beat Glory Braddock. And if she could, like she beat Cid Turner, would that not be a step in the right direction? She wasn’t foolish enough to think it would solve all the problems the last few months had created for the world title picture and the title’s meaning in the eyes of the SCW Universe, but wouldn’t it be a step in the right direction? If she could beat a talent as amazing as Glory Braddock? If she entered the Double Jeopardy, not as a recent champion like Glory would be if she won, but one that had defied the standards that Holly and the Brand tried to force onto the World title? 

“I need to win.” Selena whispered. “Even if I get screwed at Retribution… I need to be there as the world champion.” 

Her spine suddenly went rigid as she suddenly felt something going through her hair. Her eyes jumping up towards the vanity mirror, she spied her wife, her Deanna, standing right behind her – when had she moved there?! – gently combing her wife’s hair.

“Keep going.” Deanna smiled. “I’m listening.”
“I can…” Selena started but stopped as she felt Deanna’s free hand run lazily around her crown and scalp, the sensation causing her eyes to flutter shut for a moment as she savoured her wife’s touch. 

“You were saying that you need to win…” Deanna hinted, leading on as she pushed the hard plastic and ‘teeth’ of the comb through Selena’s hair gently.
“But you were talking about your new shirt.” Selena sighed, reaching out to take the cloth off the counter and back into her arms. “I feel like I keep stealing the discussion to talk about me.”

“Well…” Deanna shrugged as she finished a stroke of the comb. “You’ve got a pretty big match. Defending your title and all that.”
“Yes, but you’ve got a t-shirt!” Selena smiled, holding it up. “And we can figure out a catchphrase – we can put it on the bus! OH! There’s an idea!” a smile brightened upon her features. “That’s something we should have talked about for awhile. What if we added your face to the ‘Believe It!’ bus!”

That was something that should have come up sooner, Selena thought, but now that Deanna was occasionally wrestling and always seen with Selena, it was worth a full discussion. For so many years, it had been Selena’s snowflakes, her catchphrase, and Selena herself on the bus. The idea of remodeling it’s ‘exterior’ into some kind of “Frost Family” or “House of Frost” decoration? Why not?!

“I think…” she felt Deanna’s hands still a little from their combing. “I think I should, at least, win a match before you waste any more money on me and my ‘wrestling’ career.”

The playfulness of the suggestion died in less than a second after such words were uttered, causing Selena to want to turn her head, but Deanna’s hands in her hair made that impossible. “Deanna…” she tried, her only recourse being to gaze up the mirror’s reflection to see her beloved’s emerald eyes.

“Sorry.” Smiled Deanna. “It’s just…” she sighed, casting her gaze away. “Do you want to know what I REALLY thought when I received that t-shirt today?” she pointed at the mirror, specifically towards the t-shirt reflected in the glass. Despite nodding her head, Selena found herself dreading the answer.

“At first, I just wanted to show you, which, of course, I forgot because we were in the middle of talking to Jean and then Gerda popped by to confirm the Superbowl party and then the kids got home and needed help with their homework and then we needed to get our workout in…”

“Deanna…”

“And then came the shower and we both know how I get when we shower together – another hour off the time and-“
“De!” Selena pressed, reaching up to grasp Deanna’s hand, which rested on the Snow Queen’s crown. “A little too rough with the pulling.”

“What?! Oh…” Deanna’s eyes widened as she saw how much she was pushing down on the comb into Selena’s scalp. “I’m so sorry.” She implored, returning her focus to gently combing her wife’s hair, more careful than before.

“That’s alright. And for the record, you’re not the only one that ‘gets that way’ when we shower together." Selena smiled, trying to quickly move past the agitation in her scalp. “But you were saying?”

“Right. Um….” Deanna tried.
“When you first got the shirt...” Selena filled her in.
“Yes! At first, I was excited to tell you and I still was all day, except when I forgot about it. But then I thought: ‘Who in the hell would buy a shirt about me?’.”
“Our fans?” Selena answered as if it was the easiest question. “You’ve met them.”

“No…” Deanna sighed. “I’ve met your fans, Selena.”
“What do you mean?” Selena asked, her gaze again confused. “They want to see-“
“To them…” Deanna interjected quickly. “Whether I was there or not, your fans would still be there. And the more I thought about it, the more I thought that the only reason SCW Merch was doing this was because you were you and I was just part of whatever that was.”

It was a confusing statement, but it actually made sense to Selena. Despite all the crap The Brand was peddling with their ‘nirvana’ and ‘coaching’ crap, it was actually the Snow Queen, herself, that had remained one of the top, if not top, ‘merchandise sellers’ in SCW – her product appealing to every age and demographic SCW went through – especially kids. It had been the reason Sasha, years ago, had changed Selena’s contract deals from per year to ‘multi-year’. Was that what was bothering Deanna? That SCW management was looking at her as some kind of extension of Selena? As something else to sell? It wouldn’t have surprised the Snow Queen, but she refused to let her wife feel like that.

“It’s not their bus.” She stated firmly. “We’ve paid for it. We upkeep it. It’s ours. So, if we want to put your face on it, then that’s what we’re going to do.” There was a finality in her voice. “I’ll bet I can get some really nice pictures of us…” she added, a coy smile forming as she stole a glance at her wife’s emerald eyes.

“Be that as it may…” Deanna sighed, continuing to comb Selena’s hair. “My point still stands. If I didn’t show up with you, there’d be little to no difference.” Our voice dropped a little. “Wait till next week, you’ll see what I mean.”

Again, Selena easily picked up on her wife’s statement. “I see…” she sighed. “You mean being barred from ringside-“

“Yes!” Declared Deanna with a huff. “How many times is that now?! Your third match with Cid, End of the Year, BHS, and now this? I just…”

“They have to be fair, Deanna.” Selena tried with a sigh. “If they bar-“
“But what did I do?” angrily, Deanna stepped away from Selena, running her free hand through her red mane of hair as she walked around the room. “Have I ever cost someone the match for you? Have I ever screwed someone out of a match? Have I distracted anyone unfairly? All I ever did was the right thing but I get lumped into the same category as Giovanni and Cid and Cookie and The Connection and-“

The younger Frost stopped, turning back towards the windows where the storm continued to rage outside. “Why can’t I just be with you?” she asked out loud. “Why can’t I just do what I’m supposed to do? This could be the one match that is free from all that…that…”

“Controversy-“
“Crap!” Deanna spat out. “And you’re excited, and you want this and I want this – I want to see you compete without any of it… and I can’t be there! I can’t cheer you on from ringside, or hit the mat to wake you up if you get hit hard or get the crowd pumped or rush into the ring soon as you win to wrap you in my arms…I…” she stopped to angrily wipe at her right eye with the palm of her hand. “I have to watch backstage because of what everyone else did!”

Watching her wife act like that, Selena released a quiet sigh from her nose. The merchandise, the bus, none of that truly mattered to Deanna – it was clear now, and Selena cursed herself for not noticing it earlier.

For so long, she had placed her own frustrations forward – the controversial matches, failing to meet the standard, the integrity of the title – she hadn’t realized how it was also affecting Deanna. It wasn’t Deanna’s fault for all the interferences and BS that had plagued Selena – with so many people wanting the Snow Queen’s head and not caring how they got it – but the redhead had been treated just like the rest, being barred from ringside even though she had done nothing wrong! It was more than just The Brand calling Selena a villain and witch and whatever – that was just noise. This was management treating Deanna like a villain…

No wonder she got upset over Jean’s request that I head to Nome by myself… Selena sighed. “I don’t… I don’t know what to say…” another sigh escaped the Snow Queen. “I wish I did, Deanna.” 

Shaking her head a little as she continued to gaze out the window, Deanna turned to her wife. “Just sit still.” She ordered, marching back towards the platinum-blonde. “I have to finish your hair.”

“It’s fine.” Selena remarked. “It’s combed-“ she stopped as she felt her wife’s hands resume their previous task, combing and massaging Selena’s scalp – and the young woman wouldn’t deny that it felt good, her eyes fluttering closed of their own accord.

“What do you think Jean wants?” came the voice breaking through the ministrations to her head.
“I’m not sure.” Selena answered honestly, her eyes staying closed. “All he said was that he needed me there in Nome, preferably alone.”
“Preferably?”

The question, coming from Deanna, was enough, causing Selena to turn on the spot, her eyes flashing up to stare down Deanna. “Do you want to come with me?” she asked pointedly.
“Do you want me to go with you?” the redhead shot back.
“Oh come on!” Selena huffed. “That’s just childish!”
“That isn’t a yes or-“

“Yes!” Selena huffed, her hands reaching out to grab Deanna’s. “I ALWAYS want you with me! It’s almost disturbing to others how much I want you with me! I’ve heard it backstage – that I’m too needy or we’re too clingy! I don’t give a damn. Do I want you with me?” her voice dropped to a mere whisper, her hands gripping Deanna’s tighter. “Yes. I want you everywhere I go – I want you every place I am needed. I want you so fucking much that I know it’s unfair and I don’t fucking care, okay?”

The two stood there in silence, the raw emotion between them as thick as the storm was loud and strong outside their ‘Forever Home’. The strong patter of rain and strong roar of thunder only intensified their feelings, Selena’s chest heaving a little while Deanna could only gaze down at their conjoined hands.

“Now answer.” Selena whispered directly. “Do you want to come with me?”
“Yes.” Deanna replied simply. “But Jean doesn’t want me to-“
“To hell with that! If you want to come with me, then you’re coming with me! Gerda can look after the kids, okay?”
“But…” Deanna’s head jerked up but was silenced as a pair of soft lips crashed against hers. It was a full kiss, short but direct, ending far too quickly for her.

“You come first.” Sapphire eyes bore into emerald ones. “You always will. Especially when it comes to being with me.”
“O…okay…” Deanna sighed. “I’m sorry.” She added. “I’m sorry this is upsetting me as much as it is.”

“We spent nearly two years apart, Deanna.” Selena reminded her. “And I’m sorry I didn’t realize this was bothering you so much. I think I was so obsessed with finally having a decent wrestling match that I wasn’t seeing what all these ‘barring from ringside’ matches were doing to you. Do you want me to talk to Shaun? Maybe I can get him to-”

“No…” sighed Deanna, reaching up to rub her eyes again. “Even if that happens and he allows me there, it’ll just add fuel to the fire for everyone else. And you’ll just be back in that controversy again.”

Despite not entirely caring what the world-title contenders thought about her, Selena knew her wife was right. A blanket barring all from ringside kept things even. If Deanna was allowed there, even if she didn’t do anything, then it would only incite The Brand and The Connection – who were still obsessed with the notion of Selena using politics, or ‘witchcraft’ in the case of Giovanni Aries’ opinion, to influence everyone. 

“Besides, if you win.” Deanna added. “It’ll make things better, right? Like all that talk about integrity and hard work and what you and Glory were saying…”

Selena nodded. “It will – but that’s why I need to win. So I-“ 

CRASH!

The thunder was so loud that it drowned out the Snow Queen’s words and made the windows rattle. Instinctively, Selena’s arms wrapped around Deanna protectively, though they immediately relaxed upon realizing the source of the noise-

Thought sound of feet running stunned her again, her head flying to the doorway just in time to see the young girl with hair as red as Deanna’s bolt into the room. She didn’t even stop to look around, instead throwing herself onto the bed, to cover her head with one of Selena’s pillows.

“What the-“ Selena spoke, immediately recognizing the three-year old as she shook from under the pillow. “Ami?” Selena asked, leaning down over the pillow. “Are you alright?”

No sound came but Selena saw the girl’s head shaking back and forth rapidly, causing a sad sigh to leave the Snow Queen. “Is it the storm?”

The young girl nodded her head. This had happened every so often when the storms were loud enough to wake the child. Another clasp of thunder had her trying to grow smaller, shuffling over to where she felt her mother’s body.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Selena whispered, reaching under the pillow to pick up the small girl, who immediately clung to her mother, wrapping her short arms around the wrestler’s neck. “Oh, it’s okay, baby. I know you’re scared. It’s okay to be scared.”

Standing up, Selena did her best to cradle little Amiliah in her arms as the thunder continued to rage outside. It was certainly one of the louder storms they had dealt with in awhile – neither Frost wanted to think about how it was soaking the floor of their balcony. 

“It’s not looking like it’s letting up any time soon.” Deanna stated from her new place at the window, looking out through the glass to the outside. “She’s never going to fall asleep until it does.” She sighed knowingly. David had gone through a similar phase in his life, a fear of storms, and, according to Elsianna, she had suffered similar problems in her years at the Pilgrim Springs Orphanage.

“Well…” Selena sighed. “What don’t we head to my office. It’s sound proof and-“ her eyes shifted to Amiliah, cradling her youngest close to her. “And it’s lightning and thunder proof!”

That seemed to get the child’s attention, the young redhead lifting her head to gaze at her mother. “Really?”
“Yep.” Selena nodded. “Wanna go see?”

Quickly, Ami nodded her head, to which Deanna immediately got to work, grabbing every pillow that was on her and Selena’s bed, even the ‘decorative ones’. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She stated before disappearing out of the room, awkwardly sliding out the door with the mass of pillows in her arms.

“Ready?” Selena asked, checking in on the daughter in her arms. When the child nodded her small head, Selena was on the move, carefully stepping towards the door. 

“Want to turn off the lights for mother?” she asked Amiliah, leaning her just enough so Ami could reach the switch and turn off the bedroom lights, leaving only the nightlights on in the hallway. It was those lights that allowed Selena to see the older daughter of hers bolt out of Amiliah’s and her room, eyes searching frantically up and down the hallway until they settled on Selena. 

“Mother…” Elsianna breathed.
“Hello, snowflake.” Selena smiled knowingly. “Did you lose this?” she asked, holding Amiliah up a little playfully. 

Despite herself, Elsianna breathed a sigh of relief before making her way closer to her mother and her sister, reaching to gently stroke Amiliah’s cheek, immediately getting the three-year old’s attention.

“Elsa?” Amiliah asked.
“I’m right here, Ami.” Elsianna replied, leaning down to kiss her sister’s forehead. 

“You want to hold her?” Selena asked, earning a quick nod from her eldest. Carefully, the parent guided little Ami into Elsa’s waiting arms, the nine-year old expertly cradling her little sister protectively. “We were going to go to my office to escape the storm. Do you-“

The door to the last room flew open and there stood David, looking around. “Why’s everyone up?” the five-year old asked. 
“It’s alright, David.” Selena smiled, moving over to kneel before her son. “Your sister just had a bad dream.”
“Was it the storms?” David asked.
“Yep. Just like you use to.”
“I use to?!” David asked.
“Yep. Couple of years ago, you were quite scared of them.”
“Nuh-uh…” David scoffed though he wasn’t fooling anyone. “Nothing scares me now.”
“I’m sure.” Selena smiled, ruffing the boy’s hair. “My brave prince.”
“Mom…” David whined before yawning. “Can I go back to bed?”

“Of course you can.” Selena smiled. “We’re just going to be in my office in case you need us, okay?”
“Doing what?” David asked, rubbing his eyes.
“Just to help your little sister through the storm.”
“Oh…okay.” David shrugged before turning back to go back to his room, flopping on his bed as he did so. “Night, mom.” He called out.

“Good night, dear.” Selena shook her head with a smile before making her way down the stairs, Elsianna and Amiliah in tow. The trio made the short trip through the house until they had reached Selena’s office, the nightlights in the walls guiding them until they could see the large room near the basement. The doors were opened wide, allowing the lights to spill out into the hallway, allowing Selena to see her wife darting around the room as they made their way towards it. 

Carefully, Selena opened the door to help Elsianna and Amiliah in just in time to see Deanna set up the last pillow on top of the mountain of…pillows. 

“Are those the pillows from the living room couch?” Selena asked, recognizing the pillows that sat on top of the rest.
“And cushions.” Deanna replied with a heavy exhale, tapping on the sides of the ‘mountain’. “Needed sturdier ones for the-“

“Pillowfort!” came the cry of Amiliah as she lifted her head to see the mass of pillows displayed before Selena’s desk. Immediately, the redheaded child was on the move, scampering out of Elsianna’s arms to run straight towards the puffy construct!

“Oh, Ami-“ Selena tried to call out. “Watch out for the-“

But she was too late as Amiliah slid into the fort, her small body colliding with the side cushion Deanna was not nearby. Immediately, the makeshift fort began to shift and fall apart! Quickly, Selena sprung to the other side to grab the top of the fort, holding it up while she used her other hand to grab the knocked over couch-cushion and hoist it back into place, restoring the fort to its previous ‘structure’ and allowing the Frost women to all breathe a sigh of relief.

“Sorry…” muttered Amliah as she huddled into the fort. 

On opposite sides of the fort, the Frost wives shared a gaze with one another, one of tiredness but also understanding. “Scoot over.” Deanna instructed to Amiliah to allow Elsianna to come in next, sitting next to her younger sister to hold her snugly. Deanna and Elsianna followed next, the Snow Queen remarking on the large length and width of the ‘fort’ Deanna had constructed so quickly. It stretched halfway across her office, with enough space to allow all of them to be under it. 

Inside, Selena could see a few more pillows strewn out on the floor, along with a few blankets. “Nice job, pet.” She remarked to Deanna. “Didn’t mom do a nice job, girls?”
“Yes.” Elsianna answered immediately.
“Uh-huh! I mean, yes.” Amiliah replied, copying her sister’s response.

“And listen… do you hear that?”  Selena asked, placing her fingers at her ear to listen, an action copied by her two daughters.
“I don’t hear anything.” Amiliah remarked.
“Exactly!” Selena smiled, holding her arms out. “Thunder-proof!”

In truth, the room merely had amazing sound-proofing, something she had ensured when they had moved in almost six years ago for whenever she did her promos in this room – not wishing to have her children hear her curse or call someone a B-I-T-C- you get the point.

Shaking her head, Selena watched Deanna as she set up some pillows for Elsianna and Amiliah to sleep on, helping them to get comfy before placing a blanket over their frames, their little heads one with hair like Selena’s and the other with hair like Deanna’s resting on the large pillow. 

“Can’t sleep with the lights so bright…” Whined Amiliah.
“It’s alright.” Selena smiled. “I’ll get the lights.”

Carefully, the platinum-blonde maneuvered herself out of the fort, careful not to touch any of the cushions before pulling herself up to her feet. Making her way across the room, she flicked the switch on the main lights but quickly adjusted the secondary set of lights that were on a dimmer switch, lowering the lights to the same dimness as the hallway nightlights. That done, she began making her way back to the fort but stopped when she spotted something out of the corner of her eye.

Before her was the sliver and black trim of the large mirror that stood on the wall between two bookshelves, but it was the sight of the woman within the reflection that surprised Selena, or rather, the sight of the woman’s hair.

Quickly, Selena’s hand flew up her head, immediately feeling the tied-ends of platinum-blonde that linked together over and over… the texture so familiar to her and yet, one she hadn’t felt in a year.

For there, before her eyes, stood the Snow Queen, with her hair tied in it iconic braid.

It was short, just reaching to the back of Selena’s neck and tops of her shoulder blades, but…but it was there… carefully, her eyes locked on the glass, Selena again reached up to touch it, her hands grazing it gently, afraid that if she were too rough, it would unravel and be no more. She lifted it a little, felt its weight and then gently shook her head to feel it whip a little around her neck.

Her braid… what she had given up for Deanna’s freedom from Frankfurt…

She felt hot tears of joy sting her eyes as she gazed at the braiding, so perfect and so like what she use to do. But when had-

Her eyes shot to the reflection of the Pillowfort she could see. Deanna… she thought in understanding. Her wife had done this for her while she had been combing the Snow Queen’s hair. Why? Selena wasn’t sure, but there was no mistaking the jolt of happiness that filled her heart at the sight of her hair growing back.

Yes, it was still a far-cry from what it once had been, but in another year? Two years? She had waited four years to have the world title reigns she had dreamed of, what was that time to regain her family’s hair – her braid… what made her a Frost in her mind…

Biting her lower lip, the Snow Queen blinked and wiped away the few tears that escaped her sapphire eyes just as she saw Deanna poke her head out from the fort ‘entrance’, emerald eyes on her beloved wife.

“Coming?” she asked knowingly, her eyes taking in her wife’s position, posture and expression as Selena turned to her. “Did I do good?” she asked with a smile.

“You always do.” Selena whispered, approaching Deanna and kneeling down before her, cupping her face with her hand. “You always do…” she repeated in a whisper before leaning down to capture her wife’s lips with her own, a grateful kiss that took the redhead’s breath away.

“Do me a favor.” Selena whispered as they broke the kiss and the pair made their way into the fort, crawling around their children to cuddle at the back against the front of Selena’s desk, Deanna grabbing a blanket to cover them both and their own pillows to rest their heads.

“What’s that?” Deanna asked as she snuggled against Selena’s front as the older Frost held her wife close to her as they lay on the soft carpet, their voices low in whisper to not disturb their daughters.
“When we head to Nome together.” Selena stressed the last word. “Can you make my hair like this again?”
“Sure…” Deanna smiled. “But only if you do my hair.”
“Oh, don’t worry.” Selena smiled, leaning down to kiss the nape of her wife’s neck, sending a shiver down the woman’s back. “I planned to. We’re in this together, after all.”

“We better be.” Deanna whispered as the two slowly fell asleep in each other’s arms. True, they would eventually be awakened several hours later by a very energetic David coming down the stairs, seeing the fort, and wanting to play “GODZILLA!” as he ripped through the cushions… but in that moment, holding one another as the storm raged on around them, neither Frost wanted to be without the other. 

And whatever was waiting in Nome could now deal with two Frost wives!

_______________________________________________________________

The Royal Letter

The camera fades in to reveal the SCW World Champion, Selena Frost, sitting in a leather recliner. She wears blue jeans and a maroon sweater, her medium-length hair is freely flowing down her shoulders, the platinum-blonde strands standing out amidst the dark colors of her top. The SCW World Championship rests over her lap as she sits within the study amidst the shelves of books.

Double Jeopardy… she speaks slowly, her breath weighing the words heavily.

The idea of danger happening twice. A match that I have never been apart of… In just a few weeks’ time at Retribution, the issues revolving around the SCW World title – about its integrity, about what it means – will be laid to rest. Seven superstars will compete and only one will become the world champion… Shifting the belt into both her hands, she stares down at the gold plates with the SCW letters etched into them.

Now, for most of the women in that match, that is where their focus is going to be. For those women, what happens in a couple of days at Breakdown will hold no bearing to them. But, as I said, this is literally double jeopardy for me – because before I can think about Retribution and all that it means, there’s a place in Florida called Tampa… and there’s a place in Tampa called the Amalie Arena. And there, before Retribution comes through, I will be defending this SCW World Championship against Glory Braddock.

The Snow Queen grows quiet at those words, her sapphire eyes tearing away from the title to gaze at the camera before her.

Now, there is a lot of history between Glory and myself. We both have fought for the notion of “The Best Wrestler in the World/The Best of the Best”. We have fought in singles matches, triple threat matches, tag matches, gauntlet matches. We’ve been rivals, enemies, even teammates - and just like that history, there is a myriad of emotions that comes to me when I think about fighting Glory Braddock.

A genuine smile breaks across her features. The most prominent, easily, is respect but I want to talk about that last, Glory, because it is so integral to everything that this match is. So let me build to that, Glory. Let me put things in perspective on where I stand regarding this overdue championship match between you and me, because that’s what it is. Overdue. I don’t care who’s whining about it on Twitter. I don’t care how many of the other women in Double Jeopardy are having a fit. I don’t care if Kennedy Street is throwing a tantrum – this is overdue. You and me for the SCW World Championship! she pats her a hand against the metal plates before sitting back in her seat.

But let me take you back a couple of years, Glory – about, three or so years. Three years ago, the year was 2019. I was starting the year in a damn war for the United States Championship. I was fighting in Roofed Caged matches, in basic handicap matches, every match I was in was a United States Championship match – I made sure of that – all because I wanted that belt to stand out. And in a world where everyone was gunning for me, at that same time, this woman came into SCW. She sauntered into SCW and, in a world where everyone else starts here either meek and timid – joining the big leagues and scared to death of it, like I was, or they come here with all the arrogance in the world and none of the credentials to back it up – for the first time in my then six years in SCW, I saw someone – this woman – that was neither of those things.

She shakes her head in amusement at her past self. In a world filled with those two kinds of entrants into SCW, in came a woman that stood head and shoulders above them all. A woman that, not only had the history and family name that the world knew of, but also the credentials to shove it in everyone’s face. Multiple time world champion across the world, across multiple different federations, a list of accolades that, without even having a match in SCW yet, eclipsed mine and countless other men and women that were considered ‘veterans’ and ‘legends’ in this business!

It was enough for me to take notice. It was enough for me to sit down and listen and see what this woman was all about. And I did listen, Glory. I listened to that woman’s ‘debut’ promo against Alistaire Allocco, where she talked about ‘legacy’. She talked about her father, Glenn, engraining a ‘respect for this sport’ into her head. She talked about how this world was full of two kinds of people – those that learn from their losses and those that make excuses for their losses.

Moving the title over her shoulder, Selena looks away from the camera. And while I was waging war with the likes of Giovanni Aries, Bree Lancaster, and Xander Valentine, I watched this woman tear through SCW like it was easy. I watched her, in her first year, become a Trios Tournament winner, headline the Rise to Greatness main-event, compete in the most brutal structure SCW has, the Chamber, and fight some of the biggest names SCW has ever had – things that took me to eight years just to do. 

Her eyes return to the camera. More than watch, Glory, I listened. I listened to you every single week – every single promo – every single message. And while things may have changed in terms of your perspectives and your morals, while you may have gone back and forth with the SCW Universe and such, one thing that never left you was that confidence and that focus on ‘legacy’. It was engrained into you, Glory. It was as much a part of you – part of your makeup – as I felt my name was. At being a “Frost”. Now, in wrestling, that will mean little, but in my world, it means so much and for many years, that pride was all I had. It was all I had to keep me going. To push me further. To make me remember that I was more than what my peers were seeing me as. More than a ripoff or a knockoff or a fraud – words that follow me to this day by uncreative minds like Holly Adams and the rest of the Brand. Words echoed over and over again by the mouths of Infamous.

The Snow Queen is quiet for a moment, her eyes still locked on the camera and her tone deadly serious. I learned really quick just what it meant to have pride in ‘legacies’, Glory. I learned, watching you, what it meant to be proud not just of who you are, but what you represent. What you believe in. Six years in the business, and I could still re-learn that lesson. I could still be reminded of it and able to keep the fight going. And while I wasn’t the biggest fan of your more ‘selfish’ times, the fact that you still maintained that belief – that this title is worth something more than just what we have seen from past champions like Cid and Bree and Syren… it’s commendable. That this championship deserves a proper legacy is commendable. a pale hand rests against the center-plate of the belt.

It is for people like you that believe in that, Glory, that I began this conquest almost a year ago. My tag-team days with my sister were at an end because of an unfortunate injury, and as I looked around at SCW and I saw what was happening around it, I realized just how much things had gone wrong. Just how much things had changed. While I was fighting in chamber matches and roofed cages, Sienna Swann was putting all of her Beauty Factory against one guy. While I was in a war with the most dangerous man in SCW history, Xander Valentine, people were hiring masked men to ensure someone won the world title inside a chamber, rather than have it be decided by skill and strategy. While I was winning a tournament just to regain the United States title, my competition was holding me up just so an interfering Chris Cannon could try and spear me and hand the title and tournament to that person on a silver platter.

Closing her eyes, Selena takes a deep breath in and out of her nose. Over and over again, Glory, all I saw was controversy. All I saw was tainted wins and backstage politics and nowhere was that greater than with the SCW World championship. A title that had been won by then champion, Cid Turner, not through skill but by Holly Adams smashing the champion with the title belt. I knew then what I had to do. I had to start from the bottom and work my way up to the top until I could replace that standard – that belief that such methods were the only way to win the SCW World Championship. To become the SCW World Champion.

And it has been a long, hard road for me. A road that has seen me lose this belt, regain it, and fight tooth and nail just to not only to protect this belt’s integrity, but my own in the same breath. And I won’t lie, in many respects, I have failed. I have had to settle for “the champion’s advantage”. I’ve had to count on the morals and ethics of our officials to keep this championship when The Brand and Kim Williams kept trying to screw me out of it. For the past few months, I have failed to have this title be associated with integrity. I hate that I have to say that but it’s the honest truth. her jaw clenches at the truth that has plagued her.

And I can’t just be happy with that. I can’t just settle for that. I can’t just shrug my shoulders and just ‘be happy that I’m still the world champion’ because that isn’t who I am. That isn’t what I believe in. You know it and I know it. You’ve seen it, Glory. You’ve seen it when I beat Cid Turner twice over. I saw it when you beat Syren just a few weeks ago. We have seen it so many times – glimpses of what SCW was and should be. What SCW deserves to be. What the SCW Universe deserves it to be.

Selena sits back a little. And this coming Breakdown, SCW will see it again. At long last, after months of competitors trying to take the shortcut with me, the SCW Universe will see not only what Glory Braddock is about but what Selena Frost is about – what SCW should be about.

And if it were to end for me in Tampa. If my fourth reign were to end against anyone here in SCW now? I would want it to be against you, Glory. That is how much I respect you. How much your words and your beliefs have had an effect on me throughout the years. If I had to pick one person and say “that’s who I want being SCW World Champion besides me”, “that’s the person with the skill and heart and belief to do what I have been trying to do for almost a year”, that person would be you, Glory.

And at any other time, I would shake your hand, I would wish you luck, and I would tell you that you and I were going to have a match that would take everything we had and ‘may the best wrestler win’.

A sad smile breaks across her face as Selena slowly shakes her head. But I can’t do that this time, Glory. I can’t do that because losing here and now to you? It isn’t an option. her eyes turn to glare at the camera.

For over 70 days, since regaining it, I have tried to defend this championship with integrity. I have tried to make my opponents give me all they have, whether it was for this title or in a match. And every single time, like I said, I have failed to do so. It’s gotten so bad that Shaun Cruze has had to get involved and bar everyone, including my wife, who has done nothing wrong, from ringside, just to be absolutely sure that we can have a decent match – something that should be the status quo around here, but isn’t. 

And I know you, Glory. I know you are a fighter. I know that if you lose here, to me, you will take it, you will deal with it, and you will come back better and harder than ever at Retribution – all the more dangerous, all the more capable of getting the job done and becoming SCW World Champion.

I cannot say the same. her hands tighten around the SCW title as she holds it.

To me – this isn’t a match that ‘changes little about Retribution’. This isn’t a match that is just ‘overdue’. This is do or die for me, Glory. If I fail against you, yes, I lose to one of the best in SCW, but it means that everything I worked for these last 70 plus days? It means nothing. It gives credit to the BS Holly has been spewing about me needing others to stay champion. It gives credit to the notion that I am a champion in name only. It gives credit that, while I talk about integrity, I can’t get it done in the ring – words uttered by so many people in the back that want what I have…

To me, Glory, this is a match I cannot afford to lose. This is a match where I need to retain the World Championship. This is a match where I need to fight, not just with all I have, but with all I can be. So, while I respect you and admire what you have done – I cannot wish you well at Breakdown.

Because things will not go well for either of us. I know you are desperate to hold the world title again. I know you are desperate to finally get your one-on-one shot. I know you are going to dig deep, Glory. Dig deeper than you ever have before against me. Draw up everything you have learned from your father - and I will have to bear it. The pain of your triangle choke? The brunt of your Glorification – I will need to face it all and all of your legacy and heritage… and I will have to overcome it. And, I promise you, Glory, that in return for that, I will be kicking you harder than I ever have before. The second I see a kill-shot? You better believe that I am going to take it, because I know, at most, there will only be one chance of that against someone like you. she holds up a finger to indicate the number, lowering it down to roll her shoulders a little as she sits back in her chair.

This match – this world championship main-event match, Glory, will be everything we want SCW to be. Everything that we believe SCW to be. But it will also be painful, brutal, and ugly. It will take something from both of us and, while you can possibly promise that you’ll be able to shrug it off and be ready for Retribution, I am not prepared to promise the same.

Until that last bell rings to end our match, there is NO Retribution for me.
There is NO Double Jeopardy in my mind.
There is NO Kandis, or Holly, or Lohan, or Autumn, or Williams.

There just you… she points at the camera.Me…she gestures towards herself…And this… she points two fingers to the title now resting on her shoulder.

And if you believe that I will let this reign of mine end without a shred of integrity… then it will be over my dead body!

Sapphire eyes narrow as a smirk grows on her features. Believe it, Glory! Over…my…dead…body.

The camera fades on the world champion as she holds her world championship before fading entirely to black.