CORA
Hours crept on like a bad dream jumping from one horror to the next without ceasing. The only sign the of the passing day was the lazy sun, making its routine trek across the ever-changing blue. Something was eerie in the air, something that left the hair on my arms standing high on alert, as if at any moment, my peaceful day would take a turn for the worse.
I clenched the thin duvet laying across my hard bed, the nerves crawling through my body was currently taking a toll on my mental state. I was fully of worries and wonder, such as my curiostiy with what King Toro had done to Esmeralda. Had he taken care of her as he had promised? And what had he done to ensure she would never speak an ill word of me? Could I really trust King Toro to keep his word?
Surely if he had turned Esmeralda in, Titus would have had me locked away in a prison cell quicker than he had attacked the late Ice King. I certainly would not have had the luxury of watching the bright sun as it journied west in a lazy pursuit.
An unsatiable urge began to taunt me, and I found myself wanting to leave my room to do something, anything other than setting in a room all day. I was going crazy with nothing to do. But I knew that nothing good awaited me outside of this room.
Instead, I found myself practing the art of summoning fire, a newly acquired gift that took both me and King Toro by surprise. Neither of us understood why I could conjure an element that was contrary to my nature. It was as if the impossible was made possible, as if summer and winter could share the same season. It made absolutely no sense, and yet it was.
After a few minutes, I was able to ignite a red, sparkling flame in one hand, and a wintery white flame in the other. Ivory and vermilion, an anomoly and a blessing.
As I studied both flames, I concluded that the only difference between the two were simply the temperatures and colors. They both danced the same: silent shivers in the calm air. They both flickered as if to an unknown rhymth, moving in syncronized waves to a secret beat. They were sisters, it seemed, and far from enemies. The only thought that remained was this:
If fire and ice could coexist, why couldn't our nations? Why had the late Ice King created the war to begin with? Why had his greed turned everything so cold and desolate? And could such a gelid hate be reversed?
If King Toro and Prince Sebastian came to an agreement, could peace be achieved, or was the damage irreversible?
I refused to believe in the latter, as both of my flaming hands begged to differ. My newfound gift was a sign that harmony could be achieved for the greater good. I would make sure of it.
With a sigh, I clasped my hands together, both fire and ice colliding, which created a fog that rose in the air like a haze of untold secrets.
A new idea sprung to life, a birthed rose during the onset of spring. I jumped out of bed and went to the door, leaving behind my thoughts of harmony. I would save that for another day. Right now, I needed to see Mandy and find the queen.
I crept along the dark passageways where the light of day barely touched the iced flagstone walls. The once busy passageways were now haunted with the recent death toll. I could almost hear the whispered promises of venagance echoing off the walls, as if yesterday's ghosts still haunted these eeries halls. When Titus took the throne, he also took all peace and comfort that came with it. I was sure even the maids were afraid to walk the corridors in fear of running into a firelander or worse.
I, on the other hand, was done being afraid. Now that I have healed from my injuries, I would no longer be kept like a prisoner.
I headed straight for the maiden's quarters and was thankful that the double doors remained ungaurded. I quickly stepped inside, taking in the surprised feminine faces of women my age and younger.
There were a total of 5 maids inside of the large room, and behind them lay beds and various sized wardrobes. A few of them had been folding laundry, the others had been carrying along doing things I couldn't quite tell at first glance. Every last woman paused and stared at me, wide-mouthed and unsure.
"Cora?" an unfamiliar maid called, taking a step in my direction. "How did you-"
"Where is Mandy?" I asked, closing the door behind me. "I need to speak with her."
"She...she has been assigned to King Titus," one of the maids answered.
"Do not call him your king. He is nothing more than a traiter. And why has she been assigned to him?"
"He had suspicions that she may know of the Prince's whereabouts."
"Of course," I spat. "I can only imagine the threats he has churned up to make her talk." I walked further into the room, stopping in front of the maid who had dared to speak to me. The others stood silently nearby as if afraid to be punished for entertaining my conversation. "I need to know where the King's lair is. I am sure he no longer stays in the same room, now that he has taken the castle."
"Why would you go to his lair and risk being discovered?" the bold maid asked. "Surely we can help you with whatever you need. We are on the Prince's side. Let us be your eyes and ears."
I narrowed my gaze, studying the rest of the women whom she spoke for. None of them seemed as willing as her. I shook my head once. I recently trusted the wrong man, I would never make that mistake again...
"Only you," I told the willing maid. "I trust no one else in this room. What is your name?"
"Kirsta," she said, bowing her head. "It is my honor."
"Kirsta, please tell me where the queen is being kept."
"Better yet, I can take you to her."
I smiled, feeling all the more anxious and ready to see the royal highness. "Please do."
Moments later, Kirsta and I stood in a passageway as she peeked around the ice walls in silence. She turned to me, cheeks flushed with anxiety.
"The door is guarded," Kirsta whispered. "By two Fire landers."
I huffed. "Firgures, Titus wouldn't risk Icelander guards secretly siding with the queen. I can take care of them, you can leave now. Thank you Kirsta. Your kindess means a lot."
"For Iceland," Kirsta muttered. "Long live King Sebastian." And then she was gone.
I took a deep breath and peaked around the corner. Just as Kirsta had advised, two bronzened Firelanders stood shirtless, guarding the ice door, which seemed to be melting due to their body heat.
White fire ignited in my hand, my best weapon against the enemy. With a deep breath and fearless heart, I stepped into the clearing, hands outstretched and I allowed my fury to devour my enemies.
Two seconds later, both guards turned to ash before my eyes. Without losing a beat, I ran the distance to the room and opened the door.
The queen sat in a cold chair, quietly knitting a blanket from blue yarn. She looked peaceful and untouched, as if King Titus had taken mercy on her soul. Her bright blue eyes met mine and she instantly stood, placing the yarn and half-wooden blanket on her chair.
"Your Cora, one of the chosen four," the queen stated.
I quickly shut the door behind me and bowed in respect. "My condolences on the loss of our king, your highness. I wish I could have done more to protect our kingdom as one of the chosen four. I am sorry we have failed you."
"Battles are lost, it is the war I only care to win," the queen gracefully replied and her peaceful face became shoadowed with fear. "Have you word of my son?" I nodded, which seemed to appease her. With a soft sigh, she said, "Please sit."
I obeyed her order and came to where she stood, and I took the seat across from her and waited for her to bid me to speak. She sat as well, seemingly relaxed, but I could see the tension in her eyes. The new creases in her forehead revealed that although her demeanor was peaceful, she was dealing with a lot of internal turmoil. She had every right to, she lost her husband, son, and her kingdom. She derseved the peace of knowing Prince Sebastian was safe.
"The Prince headed north to find more winter stone. He plans to return soon to take back the throne."
"Heaven sings!" the queen praised, her wrinkles disappearing by the second. "My son is well. And what of Lady Anya?"
"She is with him, safe and sound. They will return together," I assured her. "In due time, all will be righted." I paused, thinking of why I had really come.
"Your highness, it is true that I came to give word about the prince, but also, to inquire about..." I choked up, not knowing how to continue. I glanced out of the window at the darkening, everchanging blue. It seemed as if things were always changing.
"I have learned of a new gift that I possess and thought you may be able to shed some light on the matter..." I lowered my eyes to my hands and willed it to become a torch of scorching flames. The room was alight with wonder as well as the queen's hiccupped gasp.
"You're an Amicus," the queen whispered.
"A what?"
"An amicus, meaning harmony, goodwill, peace. You have the rare ability to wield all elements. It is believed that the Amicus can act as the middle man between Iceland and Fireland to restore peace and harmony to the lands."
"But why?"
"Because nature wills it. Times are changing, my husband sensed this long ago. Our land is melting as the world rights itself. Long ago, our ancestors shared one world where four seasons existed and took turns reigning the earth: Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring.
"No human possessed the power of fire or ice, and wars were fought with machines and weapons, not powers. But the earth changed due to mankind's inatentivness and this shift was disastrous. It wasn't a quick shift, but overtime, the four seasons became two season...the extreme versions of winter and summer, and each season reight half of the earth.
"Fires swept over the dry western lands, as ice storms cloaked the east in white. Over the course of a thousand years, we became who we are in our established territories, and we became natural opposites. But even with our differences, we were never enemies.
"The Amicus existed as ambassadors, connecting our two lands. They could withstand the heat of Fireland as well as the cold of Iceland. They met with King's, and aided in trades, and provoked peace for as long as they existed.
"However, the Amicus died out many years ago, well before my time. And recently, the knowledge of them has been locked up in the royal library for those who knew were to look.
"The Amicus were thought to be their own people, neither fully fire nor ice, and resembled the ancient humans in many ways. It was rumored that the Amicus would be the answer to restoring balance in the world, and that the sight of one meant good luck. My husband never believed the legends, but he still sought after them. He wanted them dead. He did not want harmony among the people. He wanted to destroy Fireland and aid in spreading winter over all of the earth.
"But you exist," the queen said, reaching out to cup my face. "And if you exist, then there are others...possibly the chosen four...my son."
"I am not aware of anyone else with this power," I explained, allowing the flames to die.
"Please, tell me no one else knows of this gift."
I met the queens eyes, all too aware of my pounding heart. I had told one person. Toro.
"No one knows," I exclaimed, forcing a smile to my face.
"Good, you cannot trust a single soul in this palace, lest you burn up in flames. You may be able to ignite a fire in your palm, but you have not learned how to withstand fire. It almost killed you the night of the attack. Practice in silence, strengthen your resistance to heat, become a living torch...and share this knowledge with no one, especially firelanders...especially the Fire King."
She said it as if she somehow knew my involvement with him...but she couldn't..could she? My curiosity got the best of me, and I had to know why. Thankfully, she began to explain before I had the chance to ask.
"I overheard King Toro two nights ago, just outside of my doors talking to his guards. He has no intentions of having peace with us, even now that his enemy is dead. He wants to watch us burn, every last Icelander. Pray, Cora, that the God of Ice shows mercy on us all."
"No," I assure her. Toro and I had experienced a feeling beyond war...we shared a true connection that could break his wrath. I believed in it, I believed in our future peace. "You don't know Toro."
"Toro..." The queen cocked her head to the side as she studied me. "You speak of him so informally...if I didn't know better, I would say you have some involvement with him."
"If I do, it will be my burden to bare, but I assure you, his heart is good. He will not hurt us. He only wants the prince."
"The death of the prince is just the beginning. His wrath burns just under the surface, and if you think you have penetrated that surface, think again. A man with many faces also has many layers of skin. They do not easily break...and definitely not for a woman."
I thought back to Lady Esmeralda's words...
Everything is a scandal in the castle of doom, my darling. Trust no one, not even yourself.
Was it true, then? Was King Toro really my enemy? The thought made my breaking heart swell with fury. If the love story I thought was surely unfolding had been a lie, I would make sure he paid the highest price. But first, I would play his game.
A game in which only the strongest survived.
I left the queen's quarters with an all consuming fire blazing within. No one toys with my heart and gets away with it. Hell hath no fury like my scorn.
Next stop, the Fire King's lair...