Falling For Fire

by Talia Jager

  “She’s not in charge here,” I said.

  “She’s good at persuading others, or maybe they’re just scared of her. Making her mad right now would not be good,” Father responded.

  “What happened to Tannon?” Mother asked, changing the subject.

  “He’s nice, but I’m not in love with him,” I told her truthfully.

  “Sometimes we can’t marry those we’re in love with.”

  “That’s just it. We should be able to. You’re leaders. You can change things.”

  “It’s not that easy.”

  My parents left. I heard voices in the hall, and then Lumi walked in. She wore a flowy celestial-blue dress that matched her hair, which hung down her back. Without saying a word, she climbed on my bed, sat next to me, and gathered my hand in hers. I leaned my head on her shoulder and let the tears fall.

  “It’s okay. It will all work out. You’ll see,” she said optimistically.

  “They’re not going to let us be together.”

  “You don’t know that. Have faith. It’s been a long time since that law was made. The royals will have to see that.”

  “Lumi, you know the law well. Is there a way around this?”

  She grew quiet, and I knew what the answer was.

  Lumi stayed with me for a while longer before excusing herself. I had a feeling she was going to try to talk to our parents.

  I paced the length of the room, thinking of a way out of this. Could I open the door and walk out? Birch was standing guard, and he liked me, but even if he wanted to let me go, he’d never betray my parents. I looked out the window. Could I somehow climb out and escape? No. It was too high.

  The law stated no two faeries from different lands shall be together. The only way out of this was to get the royals to get rid of that law. I needed to focus on making my plea to the royals.

  The door creaked open, and I spun to see who was there.

  “Eira.”

  “Rory.”

  We stared at each other for a moment. “Why did you do it, Eira?”

  “You broke the law.”

  “You didn’t have to tell.”

  “Didn’t I?”

  “Why?”

  “To get you out of the way. And then I realized this was the reason you wanted the kingdoms to get along—not for any other reason but pure selfishness. You just wanted to see your boyfriend,” Eira stated. “Wait until the royals find this out.”

  “How did you find out?” I asked Eira.

  “When the Summer prince’s engagement was announced, you disappeared. I knew something was up. I followed you to find out what it was. Imagine my shock when I saw you kissing the Summer faerie prince. Once I realized you met him every week, I knew I’d get the chance to prove you weren’t the perfect princess everyone thought you were.”

  “You are ruining two lives just because you want the throne.” I gritted my teeth.

  She turned to go. “See you tomorrow, sister.”

  The door closed behind her.

  Looking back out the window, I noticed many faeries were gathered outside the castle talking, some pointing up toward my room. Raina was amongst them. I placed my hand on the window and fought the tears threatening to come.

  Sitting back on the bed, I wondered how Sorin was holding up. Did they have him in his chambers too? Or had he been forced to a cell? Was he regretting falling in love with me? Tears slipped down my face.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Aurora

  “Time to get up, Rory.” My mother woke me. “We must go to the neutral land now.”

  My eyes fluttered open, and all of yesterday’s events came flooding back. I pushed myself up and looked at my mother. “What’s going to happen today?”

  Sadness dulled her eyes. “You’ll be given the truth stone to hold, so you will only be able to speak the truth. That doesn’t mean you have to be emotional. Don’t show them you’re scared. Stick to the facts. Expect questions from all of the royals. Once you’re finished, we will talk, and a punishment will be rendered.”

  Now was my chance.

  “You can change the law,” I said. “You’re the king and queen. Change it. Do something about it.”

  “Rory, these laws have been in place since the beginning of time. We can’t just say they don’t mean anything anymore. What kind of example would that set? We need to follow the laws too. If we let you get away with breaking one, nobody will follow any law. You have put us in an impossible situation.”

  “I’m sorry, Mother.”

  She sighed and gave a nod. “Let’s get you dressed appropriately.”

  She opened my closet doors and pulled out a fitted, white dress with long sleeves.

  Once I was ready and changed, my mother brushed my hair and put it up in a simple bun. Our eyes met in the mirror. “Leave the fancy makeup off.”

  “Rory, being royals, there are certain protocols we need to follow.”

  “I know, but this law is outdated. You and Father and the others can fix it—”

  “Old laws are our founding laws, Rory.” My mother came around in front of me, gave me a hug, and then said, “I don’t agree with what you did, but I do love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  She gave me a once-over and then opened the door. “Birch, please stay with her.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” He gently took my arm, more like he was leading me to the dance floor and not a trial.

  Just then, one of the guards said, “The carriage is ready out back.”

  “Good. Thank you.” My father turned around. “There’s a crowd in the front. We’re going to go out the back and hope to avoid some of that crowd.”

  I wasn’t looking forward to this part: everyone watching as I got hauled off to court, every faerie in the realm judging what I had done.

  Birch walked me out to the carriage first. My parents, Lumi, and Eira followed. I was annoyed that Eira was going. Lumi questioned it too, and Father answered with a hint of disgust in his voice that she had to go because she was the whistle-blower. With Eira sitting by herself on one side of the carriage and the rest of us on the other, we took off through the smaller crowd in the back and traveled the bumpy road to the neutral land.

  One large building stood in the middle of nowhere. On it were the four symbols for each type of faerie.

  A lot more fae were gathered than I imagined. I thought it was just going to be the royals, advisors, and us, but there were hundreds of fae. I saw my mother and father exchange glances, so I guessed they thought it was weird too.

  The Spring royals were already walking into the building. The Summer royal carriage pulled up just then, followed by the Autumn royals.

  When Sorin stepped out of the carriage, he gave me such a smile, I couldn’t help but smile back, even under the circumstances.

  Birch gently led me inside. The ceiling was made of windows, allowing the sun to shine in and light up the room.

  The eight royals sat down at one long table that faced the room. I stood on one side of the room and Sorin on the other. An advisor from Spring Land had been chosen so he’d remain unbiased. Standing in between Sorin and me, he faced the royals and said, “Good morning, royals. I am Vasant, the Spring advisor.” Then he held out his hands at us. “Prince Sorin of the Summer Fae and Princess Aurora of the Winter Fae have been accused of being in a relationship. We have been gathered here to hear the facts in this case.”

  Vasant walked over to Sorin and handed him a glowing blue stone the size of an orange melon. “This stone will ensure that you tell the truth.” Facing the royal table again, he said, “You may ask him your questions.”

  King Verano began the questioning. “Sorin, are you in a relationship with Aurora?”

  “Yes.”

  “How would you clarify that relationship?” the king asked.

  Sorin looked at me. “I’m in love with her.”

  Murmurs erupted from the royals and the audience.

  The king con
tinued, “You do realize that is against the law?”

  “Yes.”

  “And yet you still fell in love with her?”

  “Yes.”

  Sorin’s mother asked the next question. “Did she force you or sway you in any way?”

  “No.”

  “Did she make promises or put a spell on you?”

  “No, Mother, she did not.”

  “Can you tell us how this happened?”

  “I don’t know how. It just did. She’s beautiful inside and out.”

  I felt my cheeks warm up.

  His mother turned and glared at me.

  “Any other questions for the prince?” Vasant asked, facing the royal table.

  The royals shook their heads.

  Taking the stone from Sorin, Vasant handed it to me and then nodded to the royals. The stone hummed in my hands and sent a vibration through my body. A calm strength washed over me.

  My father asked the first question. “Aurora, do you agree that you are in a relationship with Sorin?”

  “I do.”

  “Can you tell us how you feel about him?”

  “I love him.”

  “Did you ever put a spell on Sorin or trick him in any way?” the Summer queen interrupted.

  A scoff came from someone at the table, and the royals looked at each other, trying to figure out who it was.

  “No,” I answered.

  “Did you promise him something?” Queen Nerida stared daggers at me.

  King Newland slammed down his hand. Everyone looked at him, shocked at his behavior.

  He looked at Queen Nerida and said, “I know this must be hard for you, having your son stand before the us, but there is no reason for you to attack the Winter princess the way you are. I think it’s pretty clear at this point she didn’t spell your son whether you like it or not. There are two faeries here who have created this problem. Not just Aurora. Just because your son is an Elemental doesn’t mean he can’t make mistakes, so if you’re done trying to turn this hearing into a personal witch hunt and place all the blame on her, could we please move on?”

  Queen Nerida cleared her throat. “Do either of you wish to say something?”

  “I would,” I said, still holding the stone. “Sorin and I love each other. We didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did. Why should love have boundaries? You have the power to change the law. You can set this right.”

  The royals looked surprised at my words and whispered to each other.

  “Let us hear from the witness,” King Newland said.

  Murmurs circulated through the crowd as Eira stood and walked forward. Vasant faced her. “Eira, is it?”

  “Yes. I thought maybe I could shed some insight.” Eira dripped sweetness.

  “Very well. You may continue. Vasant, give her the stone,” King Newland said.

  With the stone in Eira’s hand, she said, “It is my belief that my sister Aurora pushed for the lands to have these celebrations in order to see her lover. She wanted you all to be friends to satisfy her wants and needs, not for any other reason. She had no desire to open the gates before falling in love with a fae from another land.”

  “Thank you, Eira. This is very interesting,” Queen Nerida said as if it was proof I had done something wrong.

  “I’d like to speak,” Sorin proclaimed. Once the stone was back in his hands, he said, “Mother, this was my fault. Punish me how you see fit, but show leniency to Aurora.”

  I opened her mouth to interject, but Sorin sent me a look to keep my mouth shut.

  “I’ll show you leniency, Sorin, if you say this was all for fun, if you tell me you have no feelings for her, and if you say you regret falling in love with her now that you know the consequences.”

  Hurt flashed in his eyes as Sorin looked at his mother and said, “No. I love her more than I could possibly imagine. I don’t regret it. Not for anything.”

  “Very well then. Your fate is sealed.”

  “Is there anything else?” King Septimus asked. Nobody responded. “There are few laws in our realm that are punishable by banishment. This is one of them.”

  Murmurs and gasps filled the air.

  “The law is very clear that if two fae from different lands are to fall in love, they are to be banished,” the Autumn king continued.

  “But you can change that law!” I argued.

  “Silence!” Queen Nerida yelled. “You two are done speaking.”

  Tears burned my eyes, but I blinked them away.

  “You have broken the law. You must suffer the consequences.” Queen Nerida sat forward.

  King Newland responded, “These are your children! The heirs to the throne! You’re going to uphold this punishment?”

  Queen Bluma spoke. “I agree. This seems a little extreme. Maybe Aurora has a point. We should reevaluate the law.”

  The Autumn queen shook her head. “If we reexamine this law, we’ll have to take a look at all of our laws. They’re tradition. They have been this way since the beginning. Why should we change them? They’ve always worked.”

  “Until now,” my father said.

  “The only reason you’re questioning this is because it’s your child, Zohar,” Queen Nerida said.

  “Of course. Aren’t you, Nerida? Verano, he’s your son. What’s your take?”

  King Verano looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but here. “They broke the law. They need to be punished.” He looked at Sorin with love, but also betrayal.

  “The punishment for this is banishment,” Sorin’s mother repeated.

  “Banishment! Isn’t there an alternative?” Mother begged.

  “The laws are very clear. If two faeries from different lands are found to be together, they are to be banished,” Queen Nerida insisted.

  “Are we banishing them to the outer lands?” King Septimus asked.

  “No! The Iron Fae will kill them. They should not die for their feelings,” my mother yelled.

  Everyone was quiet for a moment, and I had hope that maybe they saw how ridiculous this was. They were talking about kicking us out for loving each other. I looked at Sorin. He smiled sadly.

  “Then the human realm. Wipe their memories and send them there,” Queen Crisanta suggested.

  The human realm?!

  “How will they live?” My father looked at me, sorrow in his eyes.

  “Set them up with a life and fake memories,” Queen Bluma proposed.

  “Ultimately, it’s your decision. The two who committed the crime are from your lands.”

  “Fine,” the Summer queen said. “But they will not know each other and will not be near each other. Their punishment is they will remember nothing of the faerie realm or each other. Never to see one another again. Never to remember their love. Send them to the human realm forever. All in favor?”

  Taking turns, each of the royals said, “Aye.” When it got to my parents, they hesitated.

  “There must be something else,” my mother pleaded.

  “No, Adair. There’s not. We’ve been through this. There is a punishment for the crime they committed. It’s been that way for years. You can agree or not, but either way it will happen, and if you don’t agree, trading might not go so smoothly,” Queen Nerida said.

  My parents mashed their lips together and glared at the Summer queen. For a minute, I thought they were going to stand up for me and tell her off, but then they nodded their heads in agreement.

  More murmurs filled the faeries standing behind us. I heard a lot of “I can’t believe it” and “not right” comments, but I stood still, in shock at what had just happened. I was trying to wrap my head around it. The human world? Not only were they sending us to a realm we had never been to but without our memories. I’d forget Sorin…my family…Raina…everyone. I’d forget I was a faerie. How could they do this?

  Vasant called for order. “It has been decided that Summer Prince Sorin and Winter Princess Aurora be sent into the human realm without their memories. This will
take place in two days. Until then, they are to be kept in separate cells with the bracelets remaining on their wrists.”

  On my way out, I noticed Sorin say something to Lumi, who nodded.

  Birch took my arm and led me back to the carriage. I kept my head high, and my emotions zipped up tight. Nobody spoke on the ride home, even though I could feel their emotions. Everyone’s were sad except one. Eira was pleased. I hoped my parents could feel it too. Not being the next queen wasn’t a huge loss for me, but knowing that Eira would be made me sick to my stomach.

  With the whole Winter Court watching, I was led to the dungeon. My father followed and stopped the guard. “Put her in the best cell we have. Keep her comfortable.”

  Father turned to me. The sadness in his eyes made my lip tremble, but I bit down, not wanting to be weak in front of him either.

  “I’ll always love you, no matter where you are, my little solas.”

  His nickname for me made my eyes fill with tears. He would sit with me when I was a child and tell me of these big lights in the northern sky, of the sunrise, and how they were such grand lights, telling me I was a piece of that, his own little light.

  He kissed my forehead and walked away.

  The dungeon was under the castle, but it wasn’t a horrible place. The cell was clean and white with a small window that let in a decent amount of light. There was a small bed with white sheets and blankets, a table and chair, and a small bathroom with a curtain for privacy.

  Birch stood with me and said, “Do you want me to walk in there with you?”

  “No. It’s okay.” I took a deep breath and walked into the cell. I didn’t turn back around. The metal door closed with a soft clang, and that’s when the tears fell, fast and hard, down my cheeks. I collapsed on the bed in sobs.

  My heart was breaking.

  I loved Sorin so much that I would do anything for him. I would take a punishment. I would be banished. But to be banished and lose my memories of him was too much. Not that I regretted anything. I didn’t. And I’d do it all again.

  I’d forget Sorin. Forget the way he looked at me. Forget his warm embrace. Forget the way his lips felt on mine. Forget how he said he loved me. How was I going to live? It wouldn’t matter. I wouldn’t remember. I wouldn’t remember loving him, being with him, talking to him. None of it. So I would live just fine, but I didn’t want to. Not without Sorin.