Two days have passed since Phoebe finished the treaty. Her brother informed her the mine sweep was nearly complete and that the troops were prepared for battle. It wouldn't be long for her to make her trip towards the Grasslands. She anticipated she would be engaging in long, stressful conversations with the Supreme General as well as Princess Bubblegum. As far as she knew, neither of them were easy to talk to when it came to disagreements, but Phoebe anticipated they would become reasonable in the end.
Aside from the daily concerns of war, Phoebe couldn't help but wonder about her long lost friend. It was ironic that it never crossed her mind until the moment Cinnamon Bun complimented her character as a leader recently. What was once dormant beneath her thoughts was now surfacing on her heart. No matter how hard she tried, her concerns for a certain human continued to grow stronger.
"Soon," Phoebe resolved in front of the mirror. "I'll find him after this is over... I need to know if he's still okay."
The fiery woman took on a look of determination moments later. She spotted her crown nearby the dresser and placed it upon her head. The hour was approaching as she heard her subjects rushing around the palace.
Phoebe took a deep breath as she opened the door. In the hallway were 8 honor guards assembled in a column formation with each half lining alongside the opposite walls. They saluted to their monarch upon greeting and rested their spears on their right shoulder. Phoebe returned the salute and placed them at ease and began making her exit. As she walked, several of her representatives followed along with her two cousins.
"Furnius, Torcho, you two are in charge during my leave," Phoebe instructed. "I'm going to do the best I can to see if I can end this war today."
Furnius bowed, "As you wish, your majesty."
"Take care, cousin. And good luck," Torcho said.
The monarch expressed a small smile. There was a time when she and her siblings were bitter among each other. The princes resented her initially because she was the daughter of the man who killed their father for the throne. Even after she set them free from their past imprisonment, the cousins plotted to overthrow her. They made thorough preparations to set everything in motion. However, right near the last minute, they were conflicted. They might have succeeded in regaining their power, but at what cost? Their father was a wise ruler who held the people in high regard. When they looked back at Phoebe's accomplishments, they realized she shared the same compassion for the kingdom too. From there, Furnius and Torcho decided to abandon their previous intentions and seek reconciliation with Phoebe. In time, the three worked out an understanding and the cousins accepted Phoebe's status as the new ruler.
The fiery monarch walked outside the palace to make her departure. Guards and citizens alike gathered around wearing looks of hope and desperation. They were all aware of her strong capabilities as a fighter, but they still worried for her well-being.
The young woman continued down in a straight line until she met her pastry guardian mounted on a fire wolf.
"Today's the day," Cinnamon Bun said. He held out a hand, "Ready to make history?"
Phoebe nodded as she accepted his hand and mounted on Jake 2. In seconds, the people cleared a path down the main street as the hound picked up speed and flew into the air. The crowd waved and wished them safe travels. Once they disappeared off into the distance, the crowd dispersed moments later.
"Major," the Supreme General said. "Think we'll be expecting trouble from him?"
Maddox placed his binoculars down, shaking his head, "No, sir. Intel reports that the Ice King was spotted flying away from the mountains with a lone vampire several days ago. I've sent a scout to keep tabs in case he returned but so far there's been no activity."
The superior straightened his posture, "He's gone. Tell Flambo that he's done a great job and that he could go home. In the meantime, I'll run another last minute inspection around the base before my sister arrives. It won't be long now."
Ten minutes later, the fire troops assembled in massive column formations. The base was utterly silent as they awaited their ruler to make an appearance. A cough or a sneeze were muffled at some moments, but overall no one made conversation.
Finally, Jake 2 arrived at the Grasslands. After he landed, Phoebe and Cinnamon Bun dismounted and greeted Maddox and the general.
"Welcome to the Grasslands, your majesty," her older brother said.
"It's good to see you," Phoebe replied as she gave him a quick hug.
"The armies are assembled to lay waste upon the Candy Kingdom once and for all," he said with a proud smile. "Soon we'll emerge victorious!"
Phoebe expressed a fake smile and started moving, "Yeah! Hey, let's talk more about this in private."
He nodded, "Of course, follow me."
Here it was. Phoebe had to express her next plan to her brother as they both went inside the command post tent. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the inevitable argument her brother would surely pose. He looked at her expectantly with his shoulders back and noticed she felt uncertain about something.
"What is troubling you, sister," he asked. For most of his life in the military, he always held a mild demeanor whether he was angry or not. It wasn't easy for his siblings especially his younger brothers to communicate with him, but he still cared for his family nonetheless.
"It's about the invasion," Phoebe answered carefully. "I want to establish communications with Bonnibel to issue a final warning."
He narrowed his eyes, "Wait a second... you're telling me that you want to try diplomacy after everything that's happened, am I right?"
She nodded in determination, "Yes."
His flames intensified and slammed the table nearby, "It's too late for that now! You've had your chance a week ago to stop this war from happening and you failed! I.. I can't believe I'm hearing this," he said shaking his head repeatedly in disbelief.
Phoebe yelled, "I'm trying to end this war without further bloodshed! We've already proven to the world we are the better people compared to Bubblegum's. I just want to see our troops return home and be safe with their families."
"We've put in a lot of time and effort to launch one of the biggest military campaigns in Fire Kingdom history," he seethed. "I feel like I can literally grasp the clutches of victory if you would just let me!"
"There is victory through peace," she countered. "We may be justified to declare war on the Candy Kingdom, but at what cost? Thousands if not millions of lives would perish when they could have done something more productive."
He remained upset, but silent.
Phoebe continued, "History has always depicted us as nothing but a savage force of nature. But that ended quickly when I usurped my father. Since my leadership, I've opened our borders to the neighboring kingdoms and have helped them understand we can be peaceful and mutual among them. Because of that, we've reached new levels of success than our people could ever imagine. I don't want to jeopardize our people's lives and reputation when I know there is a solution beforehand."
"With all due respect, sister. I believe you are making a foolish mistake. You are depriving not just me but the entire military their retaliation to avenge the fellow citizens we have lost from the catastrophe!"
"Our focus is to Bonnibel," Phoebe said firmly. "I will not send further generations of our sons and fathers into certain death, nor permit the annihilation of an entire civilization for her mistakes. She is the one to be held accountable for her actions, not her people. We can accomplish more for the benefit of our kingdom by using nonviolent means."
"Just a while ago, you ordered the attack without hesitation. So why the sudden change of plans," he asked critically.
She answered, "Because I didn't realize how grave this war could be for everybody until the last minute."
"And this is something that you're willing to back up?"
"Every fiber of my being," she replied with conviction.
He looked at her intently for a few moments until he nodded in acceptance, "Alright, I'll respect your decision despite having a strong disagreement on the matter. This IS what you honestly want for everyone's interests and you are my leader."
Phoebe nodded in affirmation.
Her brother continued, "I'm a soldier. I live and thrive for battle. But, in the end, I must follow your orders too." He let out a tender smile.
She relaxed her shoulders in relief, "Thanks, brother."
The two hugged briefly to settle their argument. Once they parted, the general said, "Well, let's hope your plan works. I have a feeling you'll need more persistence with Bonnibel if you are to.. 'cancel' this glorious conflict."
"Brother!" Phoebe chided.
He lifted an apologetic hand. "Sorry, you know how I am," he said cheekily.