Queen of Embers
430 Words
The sky over Raventhorn was still dark when Aria returned to the palace, her gown scorched at the hem, her fingers tingling with embers that refused to die out. The guards parted without a word, their eyes wide — not with respect, but fear.
She didn’t care.
She walked like a woman possessed, like a queen without a crown — yet made of fire.
Damien met her in the throne corridor, his expression unreadable at first… until he caught sight of her hands. Still glowing. Still smoking. His gaze locked on hers.
“You awakened it,” he murmured.
Aria stopped in front of him. “I didn’t mean to. She tried to kill me. Helena… she betrayed me.”
“I know,” he said, stepping closer. “I felt the shift in your bond. Your blood—it’s alive now.”
“Then tell me the truth, Damien,” Aria said fiercely. “No more half-answers. No more riddles. What am I to you?”
He looked at her for a long, breathless moment. “You’re the one who can end this world… or remake it.”
She blinked. “And which do you want?”
Damien’s voice lowered, a husky whisper. “I don’t know anymore.”
Behind them, Queen Malverra appeared like a phantom, cloaked in raven-black. Her gaze settled on Aria’s scorched fingers, then traveled slowly to her eyes — which still glowed faintly with gold light.
“So it’s true,” she said, tone cold as frost. “The Flameborn rises.”
“I didn’t rise,” Aria said, standing straighter. “I was forced.”
“Then take the throne,” the queen whispered, circling her like a vulture. “Claim what burns inside you, girl. The House of Shadows will not bow to a flicker… but we will kneel for fire.”
Damien stepped between them, eyes burning crimson. “She’s not your weapon.”
“Nor yours,” Malverra said smoothly. “But she is something.”
Aria clenched her fists. “I’m not here to be someone’s prophecy. I’ll find out the truth of my blood… and when I do, I’ll decide what this fire is meant for.”
Malverra smiled faintly. “Then burn carefully, my dear. The brighter the flame, the darker the shadow it casts.”
As the queen vanished down the corridor, Aria felt it — the shift.
She was no longer a pawn.
She was becoming something else entirely.
Not just the prince’s bride.
Not just a girl with fire.
But a queen of embers.
- Writer
