When they had grown quieter Teddy bade them take him to the Ice-Queen, so all the dwarfs led him out, and up the mountain, on and on, until they came to a great castle built of ice, but ruddy with the cold light of the aurora borealis that shone behind it.
They went into the hall, past the rows of white spearsmen, and when the spearsmen would have stopped them the dwarfs told them that they were carrying the magic chain that binds all but one’s self to the Queen, and so they let the little men pass on, but all the while Teddy kept the ruby ring hidden under his cloak.
At last they came to the great chamber, where the Queen sat on a magnificent throne of ice, and when she saw the crowd she started to her feet. “Have you brought it? Have you brought it?” she cried eagerly. “Have you brought me the magic chain?”
“Yes,” shouted the dwarfs all together, “we have brought it.”
Then they stood still, and Teddy went on up the steps along.
“Where is it?” asked the Queen, and she stretched out her hands.
“It is here,” said Teddy. Very slowly he drew it out from under his cloak, and then suddenly he threw it over her. “And now take it!” he cried.
It was in vain that the Queen struggled and cried; the more she strove, the closer the chain drew about her, for it was a magic chain. At last she stood still, panting. “Who are you?” she asked.
Then Teddy raised his hand, holding it open so that she could see the ruby. “I am King Fireheart,” he cried; “and now take your own real shape, wicked enchantress that you are.”
At these words the black-browed Queen gave a cry that changed, even as she uttered it, to a croak, and a moment after she was nothing but a great black raven that spread its wings, and flew away over the heads of the dwarfs, out of the window and on out of sight.