Solar Song, Frozen Fate ✓ | lion girl, frenemies, frost curse

Chapter 4: Uprising (Part 2)

"Tell where the crown is and beg," Fira sneered, "then maybe we free you."

Rokki came to give her a bottle with some sparkling white liquid in it. It glowed, casting a white-blue light on Fira's paw.

"Know what this is? It's the blood from an iceblood death. It makes new iceblood." Then Fira opened the cap. Sovanna shook her head in desperation. No more being queenly, no queen would want this.

But she couldn't beg again. She had to be calm and confident like her sister. Composing herself, she tried hard to make herself sound confident, deepening her tone.

"Stop, Fira," she said careful that her voice wouldn't falter, "must talk with Ogalutha. He can help."

Fira snarled and straightened her back to face the crowd. "Has Ogalutha helped us at all? Has he over the years ever thought about us? Has he ever taken Oolid to help us? Has he ever," She snarled, "care about what happens to lower Kaunlutha?"

The Kaunlutha roared and the fire rose as if answering their voices. Sovanna shook her head again. She didn't believe it. No way was her father careless and heartless.

"You lie!" she shouted, "Papa said he sends Oolid every week to check and he gives food and shares the one from Humans all the time. I saw it. I seen boxes carried to you."

Fira was up in her face again and hissed, spittle flying from her mouth. "You savat," she said through clenched teeth, "We never get enough because they take half back. Does it look like we eat enough?"

She opened her arms wide and Sovanna saw the ribs in her chest. Rokki's backbones were prominent and many other Kaunlutha were more bones than fat. But Sovanna looked down at herself, always scrawny no matter what she ate. Her father was born with big muscles and meda was always eating sugary sweets, so she was fat.

"But, I don't see—"

"That's problem. You don't see. You don't care. Play time is over. Rathana?"

Rathana came forward. Briefly, Tomiki grabbed her paw and shook his head, but then she whispered something in his ear and he let go.

"Rathana, what's going on?" Sovanna whispered, trying to see the sister behind those sunken, furious eyes.

"Bedside water. Ogalutha will drink," she said and Fira gave a nod. She barked an order and two males came forward. She returned the cap and gave them the bottle which was small enough they could put in a pouch. They ran off with it.

"You're not taking that anywhere, not to Ogalutha." Sovanna struggled to stand but was forced back down as the rope went taut. Her heart hammered and she didn't know what to do. She couldn't move, couldn't transform, and her mind couldn't catch up with what was going on. Rathana caressed her cheek.

"I will miss you, but not that much."

Fear rushed to Sovanna's head. She snapped her head forward as hard as she could, headbutting into Rathana's face. Rathana yowled and fell over. Blood seeped form her nose. Her mane flared golden with magick and she lashed out her tail. The fire in the chair blew up around Sovanna.

Sovanna screamed as the fire licked the fur on her arms and burned.

"Where's the crown?" Rathana snarled. "Tell me, savat," she spat, "Where is it?"

I can't give it up, it's mine. She gritted her teeth and tried hard not to cry out. She couldn't let them see her pain too much. The fire climbed up to her shoulders and kissed her cheek. Sovanna could see Fira and Rathana through the wall of flames.

"Rathana, stop, you know he loves you still," she said, but it didn't seem like Rathana heard. Sovanna's head reeled and she couldn't think anymore as the fire closed in on her face. She would die in the fire, the sun princess.