by Jade Royal
“Whatever do you mean?” Ashbel asked.
“Your orange hair. Our clan is known wildly for such traits but lately, that trait has seemingly died out. But the truth about our clan is the Phoenix blood we carry. We’re not only dragon blooded. No one knows of this secret. Until now of course. Your body burst into flames and you were brought back to life. But only those of us with orange hair carries the blood of the Phoenix. We’d never thought you would have to find out this way,” Ashton said.
“The fetus of your babe was stabbed through the wall above the doorframe. It was ripped from your body as if the killer was trying to tell us that no one from Kapono’s bloodline would rule the kingdom,” Marigold whispered. Ashbel slowly laid back down. What kind of monster would do such a thing?
“I just want Kapono,” Ashbel’s bottom lip trembled. In the entire time she’d been asking for Kapono, no one had given her a straight answer.
“He’s gone, Ashbel,” Marigold whispered. Ashbel wrapped her arms around her flattened stomach.
“When he found you Ashbel, he lost it. Anger consumed him so deeply that he destroyed everything and everyone in his path. The people who invaded the castle, he caught them all and killed them. But in his path of vengeance, he didn’t think about anything else. If anyone stood in his way, he disposed of them. He set everywhere on fire. He killed innocent people because of his blind rage.” Ashbel put her hand over her mouth, hiding her gasp. She couldn’t believe her kind and just man had become so wild and aggressive. Tears clouded her vision.
“No one could stop him. Until Vuur showed up.”
“Vuur?!” Ashbel gasped. The fire elemental wasn’t any folklore. It was the deity the Fireland dwellers believed in heavily for it was Vuur who used his fire to forge their land, giving fire blood beings a place to settle. To call upon an elemental was unheard of however. No one could ever do such a feat. The elementals came and went as they pleased, watching over the lands they created. It weighed on her heavily that Kapono’s actions were enough to call forth their mystical deity.
“Vuur put a stop to it all. And he helped to repair the damage that Kapono caused, breathing new life back into Emberdom. Without him, our people would have been sad and vulnerable for quite some time.”
“What did he do to Kapono?” Ashbel whispered.
“He was punished,” Marigold sighed. “Possessed by the sin of wrath. People claim they heard Vuur chanting to spell and they heard Kapono’s screams as he was branded with the mark of the sin.”
“Oh no.”
“Once it was over, no one really knows where Kapono went. No one’s seen him, and no one’s heard from him since. He’s just vanished. But we know he didn’t die. He’s just out there somewhere,” Ashton said. Ashbel couldn’t even think of what her husband had done. All she could think about was that he was out there somewhere, all alone.
“Does he know I’m alive?” she asked softly.
“No. You didn’t come back to life until he was already gone,” her mother answered. Ashbel squeezed her eyes closed as tears still leaked from them.
“I have to find him,” she said, her eyes still closed.
“You can’t Ashbel. He’s a criminal. He’s caused Emberdom pain. And with a sin attached to him? He wouldn’t be welcomed back as the prince,” Ashton stated.
“You think I care about the politics? Or him being the prince and future king? Right now, I can only care that my husband is out there alone! And yes! He caused pain, and he will have to deal with paying his dues to Emberdom but for blazes sake his entire family was murdered! If everyone in the castle was killed, then the king and queen was also amongst those people. Imagine losing your family in one night?! Both his parents. Me. And our babe. Wouldn’t you be blind with rage too?!” Ashbel exclaimed. None of her parents said anything for a little while. She realized that she was on her own. Her parents wouldn’t go against the entire town. Especially if they too deemed Kapono too far gone.
“I don’t care what anyone has to say about Kapono. He is my husband! He’s my mate! MINE!” Ashbel held up her left hand and at the same time, yanked down the collar of her nightgown. Around the ring finger of her left hand was Kapono’s fire brand. It made a pattern around her finger, shaping itself like a tiara. Around her neck was Kapono’s second fire brand. It loped around her neck like a permanent necklace, shaped with dips and sharp angles like a beautifully designed piece of jewelry. On her honey skin, the richness of the violet fire brand was highly noticeable and Ashbel wore her fire brands with pride. It was the sign that she was a married woman, that she was sharing her life with another member of a fire dragon clan. Every fire being had their own fire brand, and Kapono’s violet fire made his the most unique.
“When we branded each other, we promised each other forever. It may have just been a farce at first but we became friends, and then we became lovers. I will never just accept that my husband is out there alone. Even if I’m to be cast off just as he is, I don’t care. I just want to be with him. As long as his brands live on my body, my heart belongs to him. Do not ask me to forget about my husband!” Ashbel was so heated, she felt like roaring fire just to relieve herself.
“Things are different now Ashbel. We can’t do whatever we please,” Ashton said gruffly. Ashbel shook her head. She didn’t understand why her parents resisted the idea of her finding Kapono.
“We have jobs that we must do daily or else punishment will reign down. And when you’re healthy, you’ll be required to work in the same way Ashbel. Life for us had changed. I’m afraid you’ll soon realize that you won’t have time to worry about Kapono because you will have to worry about your own wellbeing. We all have to,” Marigold explained.
“Mage Bourbon has changed Emberdom.”
“Wait. Who is this Mage person?!” Ashbel asked.
“He’s from the Golden Fire Clan. He’s the new king,” Ashton revealed.
“The new king? Already? But—but last night everything just happened how can we have a new king and—” Ashbel went silent went both of her parents’ faces drained of blood.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ashbel questioned.
“The attack on the castle happened two months ago Ashbel. The power of your Phoenix revived you but because of your mixed blood, the Phoenix power is not dominant. It took a long time for you to wake. You still have scarring that probably won’t go away but at least you’ve finally awakened. Bea has taken care of you daily. Mage understood that you were to be the new Queen and for good faith he allowed you to stay here for your recovery. Because you were married to Kapono and he caused damage and his parents died and you were out of commission, we were the only living family members left that wanted to be allied with the Red Dragon clan. The townspeople felt we should pay for what Kapono did. We lost our home, everything we worked for. Mage has employed us to work at the castle now. We owe it to him that we are not completely homeless,” Ashton said. Ashbel hugged herself. Wow. Two months.
“See, honey. Time has gone by. We’re all trying to heal. Our status as a powerful clan has been disbanded. We chose the wrong allies and now we are paying for it, but we must go on with our lives. Kapono made a severe mistake. It’s nothing he can come back from. Trust us. Leave him wherever he is and try to find new happiness in your life. Bea told us that even though you were mutilated you will still be able to carry children. That’s good news!” Ashbel knew her mother only said that because she was trying to look on the bright side herself. It didn’t work for either of them.
Instead of answering, Ashbel laid down and turned her back to her parents. She clutched at her ring finger and the brand mark around her neck. She didn’t care about the new king, or how hard her life would be when she finally returned to it. Kapono was her life. And he was out there, alone. If she was living in pain without him knowing he was alive, she could only imagine the pain he was living in because he thought her to be dead. No one should suffer that way. Ashbel was going to find her husband and she
was going to bring happiness back to their life.
“Well, well, well. I see you have recovered quite nicely!” Ashbel felt her brows furrow at the greeting from the male in the throne room she was brought to. He had his arms spread out as if he assumed, she would come running to embrace him. Ashbel had no damn clue who this man was.
“Yes. I suppose so,” Ashbel replied, clasping her hands behind her back. In the short white skirt and matching midriff top that Bea gave to her, Ashbel felt pride in still being able to show off Kapono’s fire brand around her neck.
“Please. Sit. I have a cool drink and some finger foods here.” He motioned towards the table in the corner of the throne room with two cushioned chairs around it.
“The king invited lowly me to sit with him?” Ashbel asked.
“Oh no! I’m not the king!” he laughed. “I’m the king’s attendant. But still, he did request that you come see him. For the past two months, the royal court has been working vigorously to get the kingdom back into proper sorts. Jobs have been handed out and a new hierarchy has been molded into place. I’m sure the king wants to talk with you to try and help you find your place amongst us.” Ashbel didn’t bother to comment. In truth, she really didn’t care. The only thing on her mind was Kapono but meeting the king was not something she could get out of. There was no way she could leave the mansion without seeing the man.
Keeping quiet, she took a seat around the table and crossed her legs. The attendant bustled around the room, straightening things and organizing the pile of papers on the desk in the room. There was silence between them until he broke it.
“My name is Nolan,” he said. And I didn’t ask you. Ashbel grumbled in her own mind.
“And I believe you know my name.”
“Yes. I do,” he nodded. He came over to her and stood in front of her. He was shirtless as most men in Emberdom were but he was wearing a vest and dark pants.
“I’ve been curious, I know I most likely won’t ever get the chance to speak to you like this again so I figure I might ask you now,” he said.
“Ask away,” Ashbel sighed.
“Do you remember? Do you remember everything that happened that night?” he questioned. Ashbel just blinked up at him.
“Do you mean when someone broke into my suite and killed my attendants? Or do you mean when my trusted servant told me of the plot, he and some jealous people concocted to rid the royal court of the red dragon clan? Or do you mean when some dark figure in a cloak entered the room and stabbed me through the heart? Actually wait, I think you may mean when that same dark figure plunged a knife into a stomach repeatedly, killing my babe, and then ripping him from my body and then piercing him to the wall like some sick show of victory. Wait, I think you mean when my husband ravaged the town to seek vengeance for his dead family. Or was it when he was possessed by the sin of wrath because he’d ruined the land Vuur himself created. I hear that Vuur had to have the other three elementals help him stop the fire that Kapono had caused. If you’re talking about all of that then yes. I remember it well,” Ashbel said tartly. Nolan was frozen in his spot. He found it hard to say anything after that. She’d laid it out to him in a way that told him his line of questioning was not very considerate.
“My apologies,” he whispered. “I just thought you would have remembered your attacker.”
“Even if I did, what of it?” Ashbel asked.
“Don’t know. Maybe you’d want to get justice? Go on a rampage? Just like Kapono did.” Ashbel clasped her hands together.
“I was told that all of the invaders of the castle were killed by Kapono. He found them all by scent and didn’t stop until they were all dead. How do you know the person who attacked me wasn’t also killed? Unless you know my attacker and you know for a fact that he’s alive?” Sweat began to bead on Nolan’s temple. Ashbel had him caught. Something fishy was going on. She had assumed herself that her attacker was caught by Kapono too. If Nolan had the mind to ask her if she was going to exact revenge then he knew exactly who attacked her and he knew that the person somehow escaped Kapono’s wrath.
“That will be enough questioning!” the booming voice erupted from the doorway of the throne room.
“King Bourbon! Welcome!” Nolan rushed over to the king, bowing hard.
“Step aside Nolan. Give us privacy.” The king didn’t even acknowledge his attendant any more than that. Nolan was quick to leave the room. Ashbel stood, deciding to show respect to the new king.
He was tall and broad, the cape around his shoulders deep red and velvet in texture. Clean shaven to show off his strong jaw and skin glistening the color of rich caramel. With eyes of yellow fire, he was naturally handsome, but no man could top her Kapono.
“Miss Ashbel,” he greeted. Ashbel bowed.
“King Bourbon,” she said. He strode by her, his bare chest adorned with a scribed tattoo but Ashbel didn’t pay attention to what the words said.
“I apologize for my attendant’s questioning. What you been through is surely traumatizing,” Mage said. When he sat in the chair next to her, his scent settled between them. Ashbel caught goosebumps as a chill ran down her spine. She stayed standing, looking down at the new king of Fireland.
“Please. Have a seat. You must know proper etiquette, seen as you were going to become the queen,” he stated. Ashbel was frozen for a moment but she shook her head and finally sat down.
“Is it hard? To not fall back into being royalty?” he asked her, clasping his hands in his lap. He gazed at her in the smuggest of ways, as if he loved the fact that she was kicked off the throne.
“And yes, you’re a beautiful woman Ashbel, and even though you may want the throne, I am not interested in arranging a marriage between us.”
“Maybe you have been told something differently Mage, but I’m not interested in the least in marrying you. I am already married, as you can clearly see by the fire brand around my neck. And honestly, I see it quite differently. In fact, it makes me happy to not be the queen of anything,” Ashbel shrugged.
“Mind your manners Miss Ashbel,” Mage warned her. Ashbel only smiled smugly right back at him. Who the hell does this man thinks he is?
“Your marriage is seen as null and void by the royal court anyways. Your husband is a criminal after all. But if you insist on claiming him then you too will have to atone for his crimes as well. Is that what you want?” Ashbel saw that he was threatening to treat her as a criminal but she wasn’t swayed. None of that frightened her. Especially not after what she’d been through.
“I’m a very fair king, Miss Ashbel but I won’t tolerate any kind of criminal ventures here. The Golden Fire clan always showed restraint but we are not a clan to be underestimated. So, think well about the path you want to take Ashbel.” Mage stood. He hovered over her with his hands on his hips, trying to dominate her. Ashbel’s eyes went to his hip where he was carrying a sword in a sheathe and a small knife in another smaller leather sheathe. She saw the glint of the gold handle.
An image flashed behind her eyes. A knife plunging through her chest. In the shock of it all, Ashbel had grabbed onto the hilt of the knife, trying to withdraw it from her body. A hilt that was gold. Ashbel couldn’t stop looking at the gold hilt. The knife that stabbed her was basically identical to the knife on his hip. Ashbel inhaled deeply. His scent. She didn’t recognize it, yet it gave her chills.
“Are you taking my words in consideration?” Mage asked her, raising a brow. Ashbel looked up at him. Her attacker didn’t speak so she couldn’t recognize his voice, and he had covered his face with a dragon mask and he was wearing a dark long cloak. But that knife, Ashbel wasn’t mistaken.
“You’re a swordsman?” Ashbel asked him. He looked down at his sheathes.
“I am in fact. Best of the Golden fire clan. These here are one of a kind. No one can wield these kind of weapons besides me.” Ashbel drew in a sharp breath. She backed away from him. Mage realized his mistake. She knew.
“You—it was you!”
she gasped out. Ashbel tried to dart away from him and lunge towards the door but Mage stepped in front of her, his broad body blocking her path. Ashbel backed away, stumbling. What was he planning to do?
“I guess you’re smarter than I gave you credit for,” he grunted.
“You’re a sick, sad, sad, man,” she glowered at him. “Pointless killings and for what?!”
“Pointless?!” Mage threw his head back and laughed. “There was nothing pointless about anything I did. I am the new king after all. Let’s just say some clans were tired of being put on the back burner by the Red breath and Red dragon clan because they thought they were high and mighty. But guess what? Now they’re all dead and the ones who are alive work for me. I monitor their every movement and they wallow at my feet.” He cackled. Ashbel looked just at the man in front of her. He was completely deranged.
“You’re insane,” she breathed.
“Insane enough to rule this kingdom. Insane enough to have everyone eating out of my hands. We’ve embarked on a new era Ashbel, and I’m the ultimate ruler.” Ashbel separated her feet in a defensive stance. She flicked her wrists, making orange fire erupt from her hands.
“I don’t care what the hell you are. I just know you’re a monster who deserves nothing but death.” He laughed at her again.
“And what? Do you think your little orange flames are going to kill me? Do you truly believe that?!” He spread his arms as his entire body erupted in yellow fire. They raged far harder than Ashbel’s fire, his dominance palpable. She realized her power would never be enough if she wanted to kill the monster that took everything away from her.
“Now do you understand?” he asked. “I meant it when I said I am the ultimate ruler. I wanted Kapono to be in such grief that he would go insane. But I got better than that. His anger consumed him in a way that gave him a lifelong punishment given to him directly by Vuur himself. Kapono’s never coming back. He’s never going to rule the kingdom. He’s never going to face me. And truthfully, Kapono is the only man strong enough to defeat me. Do you see why it’s impossible to kill me?” Ashbel’s fire died out. The extinguish only made Mage laugh harder and recklessly.