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Fire. The line was blessed, and cursed, with fire. Fire in their blood. Fire in their souls. Destructive fire, seizing everything it wanted and obliterating everything it touched. Warming fire, providing light to all who needed it. Duality, always. Though some would lean more to one side than the other. Such as the one who played a large part in the tragedy to come and unfolding. Vicious, cruel, pathetic… if he had been more warmth and less destruction, his wife wouldn't have found love elsewhere. Wouldn't have had two children raised apart. Wouldn't have provided the two 'perfect pieces' for the broken children trapped in shadows. But he had fathered three others (or more, but my fires and gaze focused on three). Three with their parts to play in the tragedy… and parent those who would be forced to create a happy ending from the mess.

The eldest represented the fires of ambition, how they burned and burned, carving new paths. But he also showed the dangers of that very same ambition, the dangers of believing you were in control. Fire might have no master, but if one was clever, they could guide the blaze. And as you burned new paths, you left things to ash, where things could fester… as he was slowly learning. He fathered three children, or so my flames said. His eldest was fire and fire alone, cringing from his own heat and hiding deep inside himself. The middle one… poor child was the fruit of the broken children's plan and had drowned in the darkness, though he still burned, a lone ember slowly boring a hole in the shadows to buy what time he could. The youngest was more light than flame, shining brightly even with no memories, though with so much light, she had to be careful, because shadows could overwhelm and consume her.

The middle child had been a healer, the warmth and protection of flames. However, unless you could spark her fury into an inferno, she also represented how helpless flames could be, confined to a single point and burning while everything fell apart. Incapable of inflicting pain, and trusting far too deeply… her life shattered and her spirit broke, though she still burned. Burned herself to ash, to continue giving warmth. She had two children, twins who also shared Tiamat's blood. The result were two wolves with all the fierceness and brightness of flames, but while the elder kept to her 'pack', the younger one seemed to walk his mother's path, burning himself out to provide a little bit of light.

The youngest… to me, he represented how a fire's strength could grow, if given the proper care. Weak at first, but growing in strength until he was an inferno in his own right. Even while dying, he burned and took his killers with him, saving his son. Because he did have a son, and a daughter too, both with the blood of Taranis. Those two were more than simple thunder. They were lightning itself, but both needed time to grow into that strength. The boy was too jagged for the power to flow, and the girl muted by the trials of her life. But the strength was there. It crackled underneath the surface, and…

"What are you doing?" At the voice, I quelled the fire back to its smallest state and turned to bow to my queen. Friend or not, I always made sure to give my respect. "Were you looking at Jugdral again?" she asked softly, smiling knowingly as she entered my Viewing room, a place in the basement of my home with amplification to allow me to 'see' beyond and a fire that always burned just for that purpose. "I swear that you have checked in fifty times today alone."

"All of us are worried," I replied, not bothering to hide. It was true. Every single one of us was beyond worried. Herja had to physically restrain Gaia from returning just a couple decades ago, and I knew that even she, with her ability to see the future, feared for those with her blessing. "Forseti has…"

"I know what Forseti did. I let him get away with it." She sighed and crossed her arms, before shaking her head. "I can only hope he doesn't cause more problems."

"We could go back." I was tempted. I was very tempted. To have so much go wrong in only a century… well, a hundred years was a long time for humans. I always forgot that. "If not physically, then as-"

"No." My queen's answer was quick and no-nonsense, and I could only sigh. That had been her answer when the suggestion was first brought up. "We will remain here."

"Why are you so against us helping again?"

"Because they don't need our help." She smiled warmly and proudly. "I do keep watch. Yes, things are dark. But I believe in them. The humans and their strength… they can save themselves. We already gave them what they need. Neit agrees with me."

"He does, yes." Neit was perhaps the only one who wasn't worried-worried like the rest of us. Something about 'that idiot man's descendents glow too much for me to fret'. "But we can-"

"If we solve it for them, then we will only stifle them." She closed her eyes. "It is difficult, yes, to watch them struggle. But…"

"Hard to believe you fought Duma."

"Duma fought me. And I disagree with both him and Mila." She opened her eyes again, now distinctly unamused. "If this was like before, we would go. But they have the tools they need. Now, we watch their strength craft a future brighter and more beautiful than anything we could even imagine."

"That's…" I could only sigh and chuckle. She had a way to convince people, a sincerity that made you want to trail behind, just to see what she'd do or say next. "You truly do love humans, don't you?"

"I do." She smiled again and skipped over to bump her shoulder against mine. Or, rather, my arm because she was shorter. "I do continue watching, and if things change, I will be the first one there. But we're not at that point. I'm sure Forseti will realize quickly how unneeded he really is."

"Is that so?" I raised an eyebrow, chuckling. Unneeded, huh? I worried, but… from what I had seen… "What did he do this time?"

"Are you saying I let him get away with it for a grudge?" She scoffed and headed out the door, pretending to be haughty. That alone told me I was right. "Ah, but the reason I'm here is because Xane is being annoying and saying I can't walk about outside without a guard. As if I can't take care of myself."

"It's improper for a queen, as you should know, considering how long you have ruled." I sighed and glanced at the quietly burning flame. Then I closed my eyes and caught up with her. Much as I worried… I supposed it was good to have faith. I knew the strength of flames better than anyone. And the family was fire. I would continue to watch, but I would believe in them, just as I had a century ago. "I will follow you, though."

"I know." She smiled brightly, and I knew she heard the other meanings in the words. "Let's go, then!"

Author's notes: So, yeah, this one kind of appeared out of nowhere. I think I gave enough hints to piece together the POV char and his queen? ...Like I said, it just sort of popped into my head and ran away from me.