What Fire Chose

Enemy Territory

A sharp beam of sunlight spilled across the ceiling, forcing Elara's eyes open. The brightness stung immediately. Instinctively, she shut them again. A relentless ache pulsed inside her skull, refusing to let her gather her thoughts. It felt as though someone had spent days striking her mind with a hammer.

She tried to draw a deep breath. Even the air filling her lungs hurt. For several long moments, she remained perfectly still. Then, slowly, she opened her eyes again, allowing them to adjust to the light before looking around.

Where... Was she? What had happened? Her memories resembled a shattered mirror. Broken. Scattered. Incomplete. Every attempt to piece them together sent her thoughts drifting aimlessly through a thick fog. She tried to sit up.

A sharp pain exploded from her abdomen, stealing the breath from her lungs. "...Ah..." Instinctively, her hand flew to the source of the pain. The moment her fingertips brushed against the thick bandages wrapped around her waist, her breathing faltered. And then... Everything came rushing back.

The forest. The mist. The screams. The roots. The crystals. Blood. The color drained from Elara's face. Her heart slammed violently against her ribs. Then another thought surfaced from the darkest corner of her mind. Without realizing it, her hand slid lower. It rested gently against the bandages.

For days now... She hadn't been able to escape a single possibility. What if it was true? What if a new life had really begun growing inside her? Her throat tightened. The attack. The wound. The blood she had lost... What if... She squeezed her eyes shut. No.

She didn't know anything yet. Perhaps she had only allowed herself to hope for something that had never existed. Or perhaps... She couldn't bring herself to finish the thought. If she gave in to it now... She wouldn't be able to stand.

First, she needed answers. Where was she? Who had saved her? And what exactly had happened after the attack? Taking a slow, steady breath, she forced herself to remain calm. Then she began examining the room around her. It was far larger than she had expected.

Its walls were built from flawless white stone, polished until they almost shimmered beneath the sunlight. Elegant columns adorned with delicate carvings stretched toward the high ceiling, while daylight poured through enormous windows, bathing the chamber in a soft, tranquil glow.

Every piece of furniture had been crafted with extraordinary precision. The room wasn't ostentatious. But every detail whispered wealth. Blue. Silver. White. From the blankets covering the bed... To the flowing curtains... From the intricate carvings decorating the walls... To the porcelain vases standing in each corner...

Everything was painted in different shades of the same three colors. Elara's expression slowly hardened. She knew those colors. Far too well. Very slowly, she turned toward the window. The view beyond it stole her breath. Towering white spires reached toward the sky. Crystal-clear canals wound through the city below. Blue rooftops stretched endlessly toward the harbor. Beyond them...

Sunlight danced across the surface of the sea. Elara's jaw tightened. "Nerevia..." The word left her lips like poison. Her pulse quickened once more. She had survived. Only to awaken... Inside her enemy's palace.

Her eyes immediately dropped to the clothes she was wearing. Dark blue. The color of Nerevia. She clenched her jaw. "They even dressed me in their colors..." A surge of anger rose within her, fierce enough to drown out the pain of her wound. She threw the blanket aside and forced herself to stand.

Pain shot through her abdomen immediately. Her legs trembled. For a brief moment, she had to steady herself against the edge of the bed. She hadn't recovered. Not even close. But none of that mattered. She had no intention of spending another minute inside this room. She strode toward the door.

Grasping the handle, she pulled it open without hesitation. Then... She stopped. Silence. The long corridor beyond was completely empty. No guards. No servants. Not even a single pair of watchful eyes. Her brows furrowed.

That... Made no sense.

Slowly, Elara turned to her right. Every instinct told her to stay alert. She stepped into the corridor with measured caution. Each movement sent a sharp throb through the wound in her abdomen, a constant reminder that her body had yet to recover.

Still... She refused to stop. After a short walk, she reached a grand staircase. Resting one hand on the smooth stone railing, she descended carefully. The palace was unnervingly quiet. She passed through corridor after corridor. Not a single servant crossed her path.

Not a single guard challenged her. The silence no longer felt peaceful. It was unsettling. A prisoner this important... Would never be left unattended. Eventually, she found herself standing before a pair of tall glass doors leading onto a terrace. She pushed them open.

A cool breeze greeted her immediately. She drew in a slow breath. The scent of the sea. Salt carried on the wind. The distant cries of seagulls. She walked to the edge of the terrace. Below her, Nerevia stretched across the coastline in all its breathtaking splendor.

A city built entirely from brilliant white stone shimmered beneath the afternoon sun. Crystal-clear canals wound gracefully between elegant buildings. Merchant vessels drifted across the harbor while workers moved busily along the docks. It looked... As though war had never touched this place.

Elara frowned. If their positions had been reversed... If the wounded person had been Cassian... She would have saved him. She wouldn't have hesitated. But... She never would have left him unguarded. This silence... Had a purpose. She simply hadn't discovered it yet.

Her thoughts drifted back to the ambush. If Cassian had orchestrated the attack... Why save her? And if he hadn't... Then who had And... Why hadn't the crystals obeyed her? She had become so lost in thought that she never sensed the presence behind her. "You've finally awakened."

Her body reacted before her mind could. She spun around. Flames erupted instantly across her palm. Orange light illuminated the space between them. The man standing before her didn't move. Not even the slightest defensive gesture. He simply watched her.

Calmly. "Easy, Vaelor." His voice was quieter than she had expected. "It's true that we've never cared for one another." The faintest trace of a smile appeared at the corner of his lips. "But today..." "We are not enemies."

After a brief pause, he added, "Today, you're my guest." Elara didn't lower the flames. Her eyes never left him. Cassian Thaleryn. King of Nerevia. The man she had faced across countless battlefields. Neither of them truly knew the other. Not personally. But their names...

Had echoed through the Four Kingdoms for years. Silence settled between them. Finally, Elara extinguished the flames. Not because she trusted him. Because wasting her strength would accomplish nothing. "Thaleryn." Her voice was as cold as winter ice. "What is going on?"

Cassian walked toward her at an unhurried pace. He stopped a respectful distance away— Neither close enough to threaten... Nor far enough to seem distant. For several moments, he said nothing. Together, they looked out over the city below. Then he finally spoke.

"I was hoping you'd answer that question for me." Elara's brows drew together. "Don't insult my intelligence." She turned to face him completely. "Aestria." She raised one finger. "Valdern." A second. "Nerevia." A third. "The three of you joined forces..." "...and set a trap for me."

Cassian's expression never changed. Elara took another step closer. "The only thing I don't understand..." She locked eyes with him. "...is why you saved me." For the first time, genuine surprise flickered across Cassian's face.

"I did?" There wasn't the slightest trace of deception in his voice. "You truly believe I allied myself with the other kingdoms?"

"The wind came first." Elara took a step toward him. "Then the mist." Another step. "Then the roots." Only a few paces now separated them. "And finally..." Her voice hardened. "The crystals." Silence settled over the terrace. "Don't tell me that was a coincidence."

For the first time, Cassian's composure faltered. His expression grew solemn. "The crystals..." His voice dropped. "The crystals attacked you?" "Yes." "Are you certain?" Elara's patience was wearing thin. "The wound in my abdomen was caused by crystal." One hand instinctively rested against the bandages beneath her clothes.

"I tried to stop them." A brief silence followed. "But..." For the first time since waking, her voice lost some of its certainty. "They wouldn't obey me." Something changed in Cassian's eyes. That... Made no sense. For a ruler to be rejected by their own element... It was almost impossible.

"I could still feel them," Elara continued. "My element was still there." She met his gaze without hesitation. "But no matter how many times I commanded them..." "The crystals never moved." She paused. "For the first time in my life."

Cassian remained silent. Everything he had learned about the elements over the years raced through his mind. No. It wasn't possible. Yet... Elara Vaelor had absolutely no reason to lie. More importantly... She wasn't the kind of woman who would invent stories out of fear.

The Queen who had forced kings to retreat from battlefields... Now stood before him with the same unwavering pride. Expecting her to fabricate something like this... Simply didn't fit the woman he knew by reputation. "What you're describing..." Cassian finally spoke. "...goes against everything we know."

"I know." "But I don't believe you're lying either." For the first time, genuine surprise crossed Elara's face. She hadn't expected that answer. Cassian released a quiet breath. "Because as impossible as what you're describing may sound..." "...it's equally impossible for you to lie about it."

Silence returned. The sea breeze drifted across the terrace. Somewhere in the distance, gulls cried over the harbor. Finally, Cassian broke the silence. "We'll discuss everything." Elara's expression hardened again. "First..." "There's something else." "What?" Cassian studied her from head to toe.

"You've been unconscious for days." Her face remained expressionless. "I'm not hungry." The corner of Cassian's mouth lifted ever so slightly. "Interesting." She raised an eyebrow. "What's interesting?" "My guards..." "...aren't nearly as bad at lying." Despite everything that had happened...

Elara rolled her eyes. His calm demeanor was unbelievably irritating. Cassian turned toward the palace. "We can keep arguing." He started walking toward the corridor. "Or..." "We can eat first." Elara didn't move. After several steps, Cassian stopped and glanced back over his shoulder.

"The wound in your abdomen..." "...is trying very hard to heal." "It probably doesn't appreciate you starving yourself." Elara clenched her jaw. Damn him. He was right. She hated admitting it. But she was hungry. She had been for days. Cassian resumed walking.

"Come." "Where?" "The dining hall." A brief silence followed. Then he looked back once more. "After that..." "We'll discuss why the world seems to have gone mad." Elara remained where she was for several seconds. Finally... With obvious reluctance... She followed him.

Because right now... Before answers... Before revenge... Before anything else... She needed to regain her strength.

By the time they entered the dining hall, Elara's attention was immediately drawn to the table. It was nothing like the extravagant feasts she had grown accustomed to in Vareth. Most of the long table was covered with seafood. Grilled fish. Shellfish. Fresh vegetables.

Seasonal fruit. Even the aroma was unfamiliar. A delicate blend of herbs intertwined with the scent of sea salt. The unmistakable flavor of Nerevia. Cassian walked to the chair at the head of the table. One of the servants quietly stepped forward and pulled out a chair for Elara. She hesitated for only a moment.

Then she sat down. Her gaze swept across every dish before her. She still didn't trust these people. But... She couldn't deny one undeniable truth. They had saved her life. When a plate was gently placed before her, she inclined her head slightly. "Thank you."

The servant bowed silently before stepping away. Cassian's meal was served moments later. He, too, gave a slight nod. "Enjoy your meal." Without another word, he took his first bite. Elara watched him carefully. He had tasted his own food first. Then continued eating as though nothing were unusual.

There was no dramatic attempt to prove the meal wasn't poisoned. No performative display of trust. To him... It simply wasn't something worth thinking about. As though poisoning a guest would never even cross his mind. She waited a few more seconds.

Then, cautiously, she took a small bite herself. Neither of them spoke. The only sound filling the hall was the quiet rhythm of silverware against porcelain. It was a strange silence. Not uncomfortable. Just... Heavy.

As though both of them were considering the same questions— Playing a game of chess in which neither wished to make the first move. When the meal was finished, the servants silently cleared the table. The doors closed behind them. Once again, silence settled over the hall. Now...

Only two rulers remained. Cassian folded his hands atop the table. For a long moment, he simply looked at Elara. Finally, he spoke. "You've been unconscious for an entire week." Elara frowned. "A week?" For the first time since awakening, her expression genuinely changed.

A week. Seven days. Seven nights. Her thoughts raced. An entire week... What had happened in Vareth while she had been gone? She straightened abruptly. "No one came looking for me?" Her voice sharpened. "Why am I still here?" When Cassian didn't answer immediately, she continued.

"Why wasn't I taken back to Vareth?" Cassian's expression grew heavier. This... Was the part he had been dreading. He had never wanted to tell her this way. He had planned to explain it more carefully. More gently. But there was no longer another choice. Sooner or later...

The truth would find her. "Because..." He paused briefly. "...Vareth believes you're dead." The hall fell silent. For several long seconds, Elara didn't move. It was as though the words had lost all meaning before reaching her. "...What?" "They announced your death." Her chair scraped violently across the floor as she stood. "What did you do?"

Her voice trembled with anger. "How could you do something like that?" Cassian rose to his feet as well. For the first time... His own voice carried unmistakable steel. "I did?" His eyes locked onto hers. "We may have hated each other."

"Our armies may have crossed swords for years." He stepped closer. "But to accuse me of something so dishonorable..." His voice turned ice-cold. "...is an insult." Neither of them looked away. Not for a single moment.

Neither of them spoke for several long moments. Then, without another word, Cassian turned toward a small table standing beside the wall. A sealed envelope rested upon it. He reached for it. His fingers lingered over the seal for a brief moment. This wasn't how he had intended to tell her.

He had planned to explain everything slowly. Carefully. But that opportunity was gone. He picked up the envelope and held it out to her. "Read this." Elara didn't move. The anger in her eyes hadn't faded. Cassian quietly placed the envelope on the table between them. "Don't hear the truth from me..."

"...hear it from your own kingdom." Silence filled the hall once again. At last, Elara stepped forward. Slowly. Her hand reached for the envelope. The moment she saw the seal— Her breath caught. Vareth.

Her fingers began to tremble. No... The unease that had haunted her since waking tightened around her chest. She broke the seal. Unfolded the letter. Read the first line. Every trace of color vanished from her face. Her eyes froze on the page.

No. That couldn't be right. She read it again. Then a third time. The words never changed. The marriage of King Dorian Vossmere and Lady Isara, heir to the Duchy of Lavara... The letter shook violently in her hands. Her breathing became uneven. "...No." The word barely escaped her lips. "This..."

She slowly shook her head. "This can't be real." A single tear slipped from her eye, landing on the parchment. "Dorian wouldn't do this." She looked back at the letter. As though the words might suddenly change. As though someone would step into the room and tell her it had all been a cruel mistake.

Slowly, she lifted her head. Her unfocused gaze drifted into the distance. "Dorian would never betray me." The hall remained silent. No one answered. Cassian stood exactly where he was. Watching her. For the first time... He wasn't looking at the Queen of Fire.

He wasn't looking at the ruler who had stood against him on countless battlefields. He was looking at a woman whose entire world had been shattered by a single letter. Her voice broke the silence once more. This time... It was barely above a whisper. "Dorian loves me."

Her lips trembled. "He couldn't love someone else." Cassian closed his eyes for a brief moment. He hated saying what came next. But hiding the truth would only make the wound deeper. "The news of your death..." He opened his eyes again.

"...was announced the morning after we found you." Elara slowly raised her head. Cassian continued. "And yesterday..." A brief silence. "...the new marriage was announced." Elara's arms slowly fell to her sides. The letter slipped from her fingers. It fluttered to the floor.

Silence. Long. Suffocating. Unbearable. At last, Cassian delivered the final blow. His voice was scarcely louder than the wind outside. "And Fire..." He paused. "...didn't choose you." Another heartbeat passed. "...It chose him." Elara stopped breathing. "No..."

Cassian never looked away. "The new Fire Sovereign..." He spoke the words with quiet finality. "...has been declared." "Dorian Vossmere." Elara wasn't looking at anything anymore. Not Cassian. Not the letter lying at her feet. Not even the table before her.

Her gaze remained fixed on empty space. For the first time in her life... She could trust neither her eyes... Nor her heart... Nor the fate that had chosen her. Her greatest fear had never been death. It had always been betrayal.

And the deepest betrayal... Was the one dealt by the person you trusted most.