Chapter 4: When a Passion Burns

5 Hours before Sunrise, Inside Flame King's Mountain Palace: Location inside Palace is unknown

Fiona shifted uncomfortably in her sleep. She was moaning and crying out in pain.

"Do you think we should give her a sedative?" One of the nurses whispered to the other in the conjoining room to Fiona's

"No, The Lord specifically told us to only address her outward symptoms. I personally care very little if she is comfortable."

The younger one nodded with feigned understanding and agreement.

"Is she really the 'one'?" The younger one continued.

"The one what?" The old one snapped back.

"The one that made our Lord return to us... The one that broke his heart."

The older one leaned forward in her chair to make sure there was no one else around. She took a deep breath, then continued.

"Yes, she is 'that one'. If you ask me personally, I would have left her where she dropped, let that odd one she came with... What was his name? Vampire King... was that it? Anyways, I would have let him take her, then she would have been off on her merry way, and not in the inner sanctum of our kingdom..."

The older nurse paused once more to make sure no one was around before she continued in a hurried whisper. The younger nurse leaned in.

"To be honest, I think The Lord is still in love with her..."

"But what does that..." Before the younger nurse could finish her question they were interrupted by a loud commotion, followed by yelling coming from down the hallway. A royal guard ran in, two of the cadets at his heels.

"Pardon me ladies, but have you seen that boy that showed up with the young girl around here?"

The nurses both looked at each other, then looked at the guards.

"No sir, we have not seen anyone. Our watch has been very quite."

The royal guard nodded and replied. "Okay ladies. Thank you for your cooperation. We will have this ruffian behind bars lickety-split. For the meantime, please stay at your post, and do not wander from it. I would hate it if he were to take one of you hostage."

The older one smiled and thanked the guards for their kindness and concern, after which they promptly stomped out of the room.

30 Minutes before sunset, Inside Flame King's Mountain Palace: Location inside Palace unknown

Fiona awoke with a massive headache. The world swirled around her as she tried to sit up. The two nurses who tended to her insisted that she sit down and rest. She refused.

"Where is Marshall?" She asked them.

The two looked at each other, then back at her. The larger of the two, obviously the more experienced one replied.

"My dear, we don't know who you are talking about."

"Marshall Lee... The Vampire King? He's about this high." Fiona stood up on her tip toes and gestured with her hand. Making herself dizzy in the process. "He has fangs, and dark..."

The larger nurse interrupted her. "Oh yes, that one. Well, he.. uh... he..."

"He what?" Fiona snapped.

"He is no longer with us. He has been... uh... released. Yes, that's it he was released a while ago. He said he had important things to do so we let him go."

Fiona looked sheepishly at her friendly captors. "I don't believe you. Now tell me where Marshall is, or I will kill both of you."

The smaller of the two flames took a few steps back from Fiona's bed. Well at least one of them understands that it was not an empty threat. Fiona thought to herself.

"You listen here you little..." The nurse began. Suddenly there was a a loud bang of the door hitting the wall, as someone thew it open with all their force. Leaving a dent in the wall where the nob had come into contact with it.

The room suddenly became very, very quite. The two nurses looked up with fear and alarm. Too angry about what the nurse was going to say, Fiona continued to glare at her for another few moments before turning her attention to the door. Fiona gasped. It was the Flame King. He looked so stoic and distant. Not all like the Flame Prince Fiona fallen in love with. The two nurses curtsied as he surveyed the room. Seeming to look at everything, but in reality looking at nothing. He looked directly at Fiona, and seemed to look right through her instead. He nodded to the nurses.

"You are dismissed."

They curtsied once more, then quickly exited from the room. He closed the door behind them, and the light out with it. Now the only source of light in the room, was the enormous fireplace which made up an entire wall of he room, but its embers were slowly dying. So it provided little light.

"Fiona." He whispered as he slowly walked towards her. His boot heels clicking.

"Don't come near me!"

She stood up, then immediately fell down on the floor, overwhelmed with exhaustion and dizziness. She attempted to get up, but found that she couldn't. The sound of his boot heels quickened as he ran to her. He tried to help her up, but she swatted his hand away.

"Stay away from me." She said through gritted teeth. "I don't want your help."

He took a step back from her. She took a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"You may not want my help..." He paused for a moment, and moved closer to her. "But you need it." He said as he delicately picked her up, and put her on the bed. She winced, expecting the searing pain of his touch, but felt nothing but light pressure.

"What the..."

"I know. I know. I was surprised as well." He began.

"But how?" She looked up at him with wide, questioning eyes.

"You see, unbeknownst to me, when a member of the royal flame assumes the position of King or Queen, he/she is granted special powers. Such as the ability to move through different elemental plains without being extinguished, or burning others. It makes diplomacy a lot easier if you can shake hands with someone without burning them. Or sit on someone's couch without turning it to cinders. So when I was coronated, I was bestowed with these gifts."

She nodded. Still trying to take it all in.

"Oh yes. Also, before I forget, drink this." He pulled a small vial from his sleeve and placed it in her hands.

"What is it?"

"It's a potion that will restore your strength you lost during battle in a matter of minutes."

She looked questioningly at the strange vial. "I don't know if I should trust you."

"If it would really make you feel all that better, I will drink some too." He offered.

"But it might be poison, and you might have already built up an immunity to it. You might just be trying to kill me."

He glowed for a moment in frustration, before cooling his temper back down.

"Do you really think I would have saved you earlier, and brought you here if I had wanted to kill you? If I HAD wanted to kill you, I would have had plenty of opportunities before this one. While you were sleeping for instance."

She looked sheepishly at the vial, then popped off the cork. Sniffing it then handing it to the King to take the first swig.

"Alright then, if you insist." He took about a quarter of the liquid down in one gulp. His face grew extremely bright, then dull.

"That's disgusting." He spat as he ran his hand down his face. "Now it's your turn."

He handed it back to Fiona. She smelled it once more. It smelled like burnt pancakes, and cough syrup. She eyed the Flame King once more, then threw back her head, and chugged the whole vial. Oh what a taste it was. Fiona doubled over with the weird sensations growing inside of her. She felt as if her organs were being pulled from her body, and then being snapped back into place with the sting of 4,000 rubber bands.

"What have you done to me?" She whined.

"Oh shush you, it will all be over soon." He patted her back, and hummed to her as the next flood of pain lapped the insides of her body.

Sunset, Inside The Flame King's Mountain Palace: Inside the Royal Apartments

Fiona awoke with a start. Where was she? She remembered fighting the Steam Beast, and she remembered chanting the ancient spells, but everything after that was fuzzy. She fell back down and closed her eyes. She remembered pain, and she remembered someone singing to her...

"Flame Prin... I mean, er... King!"

"You called?"

She opened one eye, and turned to her left. He was lying next to her. Propping his head up with his arm. He looked at her mischievously. She leapt out of bed, and ran to the farthest wall of the room.

"Were you watching me sleep you weirdo?" She yelled at him, blushing.

"Well that potion worked nicely now, didn't it?" He sat up criss cross apple sauce on the bed and cocked his head to one side.

"Don't change the subject right now you big pervert!"

He sighed confessing. "Yes, I was watching you, but in my defense you are just so cute!" He winked at her, and stuck his tongue out at her.

"What the glob man? We break up, you ignore me, you kidnap me, and then creep on me while I am sleeping?"

She glared at him, and he avoided her gaze.

"Fiona, you don't understand..." He began.

"Then tell me! How am I suppose to understand if you just cut me out. You act so stoic around everyone else, but you are so gentle and flirty to me. I am just so confused."

He was silent for a moment while she fumed.

"I knew that one day, I would have to overthrow my mother, and reclaim the throne."

"Okay..." She began.

"But!" He continued. "I never counted on falling in love with anyone. Fi, I was raised being told that my soul mission in life was to do this. I was angry. I was angry that everyone had planned my life, and my destiny out, and I didn't even have a say in the whole matter. Then you come along..." As he said this he got up off the bed, and began to walk towards Fiona.

"And you taught me that there is so much more to life than ruling my kingdom, and overthrowing my mother. You taught me how to love, and how to be loved." By now he is standing in front of her.

"Could you imagine leaving all of it behind, to then go, and live a life of pomp and circumstance? Because I couldn't..." He reached up, and caressed her face. She did not pull away from his touch this time.

"Fi, I was planning on running away with you. Leaving the Flame Kingdom it its fate, but then I came back one day, just to say goodbye...

Fi, I saw the citizens of my kingdom starving in the street, while my family gorged themselves on delectables, safe inside these palace walls. I knew that something had to change, and I knew that the easiest thing was for me to give up my own happiness to ensure it for that of my citizens. So I overthrew my mother, and I sent my entire family into exile."

"But I still don't understand why you are so cold to the public."

"That's simple. You see, if I become stoic in nature around my citizens, they will believe that I do not have emotions. That I run on pure logic. They will follow my decrees and my laws because they will assume they are well thought out. That I do not follow my pleasures like my family did."

"I think I understand now." Fiona mumbled.

"Fi, leaving you behind was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. Please don't ever think that I made that choice lightly."

She looked away from him. Her cheeks burning with shame from her past accusations. "I won't."

"No Fi, say it to my face. Say it to me while you look into my eyes. This is the only thing that will keep me sane for the rest of my life. Knowing that you understand me." He pleaded.

She looked into his eyes once more. "I won't. I give you my word as an Adventuress of Aaaa that I will not hold anything against the Flame King."

"One more thing..." He added.

"What now?" She pouted and pretended to be annoyed.

"This."

He pressed her up against the wall that she had initially relied on for refuge. As he pressed his lips against hers...

During their entire relationship, they had never shared a proper kiss, because the fear of burns always kept physical contact to a bear minimum. Now that he could touch her as much as he wanted to, he did not hold back. She kissed him back with as much passion. When they finally did break the kiss, they were both out of breath. His spark had dulled from going without oxygen for such a long period of time. His kisses were different from Marshall's for Marshall's were soft and long. With the Flame King, his kisses were hot and passionate. They signaled his longing. His inability to properly kiss her before this point. He had to make up for lost time. He dove back in, this time, his hands began to wander curiously over her form, but she stopped him.

"I... I think we are moving too quickly."

He let go of her.

"I don't understand. Isn't this what you wanted?" His eyes searched hers for answers.

"I don't know anymore. I... I think I am in love with someone else now." She whispered.

His heart began to splinter into a million pieces, like a hot glass vase dunked in ice water.

"You what?" He grabbed her by the wrist. She yelped in pain as her skin began to redden and blister from his touch.

He immediately dropped her hand.

"What the.." He looked at his hands, horified. Fiona dropped to the ground, holding her injured wrist. He could see tears form in the corners of her eyes.

"Fiona, I... I... thought I could control it now, when when I am around you I... I just..." He took a step towards her.

"No. Please!" She said in panic. "Don't come any closer." She whimpered, still nursing her stinging wrist as large welts began to rise where his fingers had been.

"What have I done? What have I done?" He screamed.

"Flame..." Fiona turned her attention away from her burn, and held out her burnt hand towards him, trying to comfort him.

"No! Don't come near me! I might do it again! I can't put you through that. I thought I was better. I thought I could control myself, and with anyone else I probably could... But..." He ran from the room, and slammed the door behind him.

I can fix this. I can make this better. He thought to himself as he ran blindly down the hallway. I have to. I must. I can't leave her again.

Fiona tried to follow him, concerned more for his wellbeing than hers, but when she came to the door, she found that she could not open it.

"Fine then."

The blond adventuress blew the bangs from her face, and hurled herself at the door, but nothing happened. She pulled her small crystal sword from inside its safe keeping place, but try as she might, it would not budge. She screamed for help, but no one came to her aid, for no one but the King was allowed in the room she currently resided in, and the door was heavily enchanted, nothing could break it. She began to throw pieces of furniture at the door, and only after she had used up every bit of her energy, and all of the furniture was nothing more than splinters, did she collapse from exhaustion.

"This is all my falt." She cried.


All the while, the same onlooker sat quietly. Silently waiting. Silently smiling.

Oh dear, this is all just going according to plan. The voice sang, the smile just as presenting his lips as the joy in his voice.

"More tea sir?" a squeaky voice called.

Oh no dear, I think I am perfectly fine for the time being. Why don't you come again when we have reached the Second Act.

"As you wish sir."

Atta girl.

Oh what a tangled web of lies we weave. The speaker clucked.

"What was that?"

Oh it was nothing. You are dissmissed.

"Thank you sir."

Once alone, the voice turned his attention to the two other players.

Oh what will you do now? Two young men, no more ready to rule than a fish is to fly... But you will risk it all for something so small... So fleeting. Very romantic, don't you think?

The darkness did not provide a response. Nor did it want to. It cowered at his feet.

The onlooker began to chuckle and sipped his tea.

Few! Finally I am done with this silly chapter!

Well, I am thinking that the next chapter is going to focus on what is happening to Marshall Lee and Flame King! Thank you so much for reading! Be sure to drop me some comments to tell me what you think, or if you have any predictions of what is going to happen next!

Thank you again for reading!

XOXOXOXOXO ^.^