Flanella
Act II: Determined Absolution
With every step they made, Finn felt getting closer and closer to the answers he desired. Flame Princess walked before him, not really rushing things up. The human guessed she was either being careful with the baby in her arms or just too exhausted to run all the way upstairs. Their steps echoed in the lonely hallways as they marched across the many paintings on the walls. With a sudden turn, Flame Princess walked through a giant tapestry and disappeared behind it. Finn, although a little confused, followed her inside it.
The human was surprised about the new area he was now visiting. It seemed the walls were built of a different type of rock that made the environment fresher. In fact, the air was cool enough for him to take off his fireproof suit. Finn could only wonder what was the reason behind the construction of such place in the Fire Kingdom. Was this a place where Cinnamon Bun could wander when his flame shield wore off?
"Flame Princess…" he whispered shyly, "What is this place?"
The fire elemental, who was about to open a new door, stopped in her steps and sighed. She softly caressed the cold surface of the rocky wall with her hand as she closed her eyes.
"I built this area for it to serve a special purpose in the future…" Flame Princess eyed him, smiling disillusioned. "But I don't know if that dream will ever come true… For now, it's just a secret chamber to everyone but us, Finn."
Not quite satisfied with that answer, the young man continued to move forward, only to be stopped by the young king before he could step inside the next room. He briefly peeked inside to discover it was just a simple bedroom.
"Uhm… Sorry, but I was going to feed her, you see?"
For the first time, Finn took a better glance of the baby in her arms. There wasn't anything strange or uncanny about her. Actually, she seemed no different from any normal fire elemental infant, except that her flames seemed weaker than her mother's. It was only a newborn child, fragile and small, vulnerable and tender.
Although she shared no resemblance whatsoever with Flame Princess, which surprised Finn a bit, it wasn't a proof that the baby wasn't hers. Choosing to ignore that for now, the young man smiled softly, reaching out to touch the girl.
The mother allowed him to do so and he felt how warm her skin was. So, not only her flames were weak but also her body heat. It made Finn wonder if every fire elemental baby felt like that.
"Finn?" he heard her call, "I was telling you that I still need to feed her. Would it bother you if I asked you for a little help?"
The young man snapped out of it and replied immediately, "O-of course I'd help you!"
With that, she let him enter with her. The room was quite empty except for the humble bed and some drawers. Finn stood behind, watching Flame Princess as she looked around for something. The silence fell flat on them once more, as awkward as ever. Now that he thought about it, what did he know about feeding newborns?
When Flame Princess turned back to him she was holding a small blanket, which she then offered to him. "Would you hold her for a second?"
The hero took the blanket and then nervously asked, "You mean, the baby?"
"Don't you know how to hold a baby?" the elemental chuckled, "Let me show you."
He felt Flame Princess lean close to him, as she laid her daughter in his arms. A light blush covered his face. Finn understood that he had to cover the girl with the blanket, wrapping her delicately in it while the mother held the baby's head.
"S-so tiny!" Finn exclaimed, drawing a sweet smile on Flame Princess' lips.
She took his mechanical arm, instructing him to support the girl's head. The young man couldn't hide his own joyful grin as he did this. The scene was comparable to that of a young couple, interacting with their child for the first time. It made him wish he actually were the baby's father. Though he wasn't sure if he was ready to assume such a big responsibility, yet.
"Good, just like that." Flame Princess whispered, "Wait here until I return with her bottle, okay? I'll be back soon and I'll explain everything, I promise. "
"No prob, FP!" Finn looked down at the child, "Hey… I think she likes me!"
The young king rushed to the door, but before heading out, she glanced back at the human and spoke with a wishful voice. "You know, Finn? I think… maybe… you could become a great dad one day…"
Finn watched her leave in silence as he considered those words. How hard could it be? He pondered. It wasn't easy to deal with the fact that the little bundle of joy in his arms —Flanella— gave off a soft cinnamon scent, which seemed to confirm his suspicions. But even if she was CB's daughter or not, the brave knight was gone, leaving both Flame Princess and her baby alone.
Again, that urge to be there for FP appeared in his heart. Could it be that maybe, she would accept him as that missing fatherly figure? It didn't mean that they would have to get back together at all, but if Flame Princess let him, he would be happy to take care of that great responsibility, and be the knight and champion that he once failed to be.
The young woman walked through the door, this time followed by her fire wolf. The beast lay its body down by the entrance, moaning quietly. Flame Princess patted its head and continued forward. Meeting Finn's determined stare, she tilted her head in wonder.
"Is there something you wanna tell me, Finn?"
"Actually, yes." The hero answered firmly, "There is something I've been meaning to tell you."
With a sigh, the curious king made her way to the bed and took a seat on it. Her hand motioned for Finn to do the same, patting a place next to her. None of them spoke a word after that. They simply assumed each other's role on the task ahead, with Finn holding the baby for Flame Princess as she gave the bottle to her. Little by little, its nutritious content began to disappear. The young mother was careful, watching that the child would drink slowly so that she wouldn't choke with the liquid. She hummed softly as to lull her daughter, absorbed in the moment.
Once again Finn fell spellbound by the fire elemental before him, as a feeling of deep admiration grew within him. Flame Princess wasn't only a dedicated ruler, but also a devoted and tender mother, and realizing this made him love her even more than he thought he could. His choice was made, he would propose himself as her new protector.
"W-what… What I wanted to tell you…" the young man whispered, noticing how the little girl fell asleep. "What I mean is…"
Flame Princess stared at him attentively. It was then that the human discerned the exhaustion and the sorrow in her expression. For a moment he had forgotten about the funeral and everything Flame Princess had lost that day. How stupid of him. If he wasn't careful it would look like as if all he wanted was to take over the vacant space that Cinnamon Bun left after his death, in expense of FP's pain.
Finn quickly changed his mind and said, "You don't have to do this if you don't want to, FP. You don't owe me any explanations…"
"No… Of course I have to!" she uttered, "None of this is what it seems. I want you to know the truth, Finn."
Flanella was deep asleep by now. The young man took her up and placed her gently on the other side of the bed.
"Alright…" he said, "But before that, it looks like you need some rest too. I can feel your fire weakening… You haven't slept well these days, have you?"
"It's been three days since the last time I saw a bed…" Flame Princess confessed. "All because of that damned invasion… The battle lasted four days, and it seems it hasn't ended yet… I barely made it alive, thanks to CB's sacrifice… Since then I haven't been given time to rest, not even to cry his death…"
"And yet you're here, dealing with me…" Finn uttered, ashamed. "Forget about it, FP… Just for a minute, you deserve to rest a little."
As if he had been granted permission by the king herself, the human knelt at her feet and freed them from the uncomfortable armor that covered them. He slowly lifted her legs and laid them to rest on the bed, forcing Flame Princess to lie on her back. In the same way, ever so gently, he proceeded to strip her of the rest of the heavy armor, until only her white dress was left to conceal her skin.
"Now that's much better, right?" the young man asked.
Feeling more comfortable, Flame Princess laid her head on a pillow and sighed in relief. "It is… Thank you."
He gave her a nod and a satisfied smile. It would be better to leave the room and let both child and mother sleep in peace. Finn quietly walked to the entrance, resolved to leave that discussion for another day.
"Wait, Finn…" Flame Princess' voice traveled across the room, reaching his ears before he could abandon her. "Stay for a while, please… I haven't felt this lonely ever since I was locked in the lantern…"
The young man returned to her side, unsure of continuing with this unusual situation. What did she expect him to do? There wasn't a place where he could sit other than that bed. It wouldn't be appropriated to just lie next to her, the King of the Fire Kingdom, on bed like that.
"How come we've grown to treat each other like strangers, Finn?"
At this he flinched, realizing that Flame Princess was aware of his internal struggle. She moved closer to her baby, making space for him to accompany her. Now he had no excuse to deny her request. Finn sat close to the edge, still somewhat intimidated and embarrassed by her presence.
More silence came crashing down, and Finn didn't know what to do with his hands or where to rest them. The same happened with his eyes, as the young man felt it would be awkward to just watch Flame Princess sleep. He stared at a distant wall for ten minutes, until a quiet whimper drove his attention to Flanella.
"S-she's…" the human stuttered, "You've got a cute baby, FP…"
"You mean, you like her?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
Flame Princess turned to look at him with a concerned glance. "I don't know… I was afraid you wouldn't take this whole situation as calmly as you've done it until now…"
Finn tensed his features, "Do you miss him?"
The fire elemental sat up, staring at the human severely, "Of course I do. He was everything to me… He was always there for me, watching over me, ready to defend me from the whole world if he had to…"
Tears began to swell up in her eyes and she turned her sight away from the human. Finn sighed, gripping his fists tightly. It was hard to listen to the girl he loved talking like that about another man. Flame Princess was in pain, he could listen to her, fighting back the tears. How could he keep her from suffering?
Finn moved closer then, surrounding her with his arms. Even though her body was weakened because of her exhaustion, he could still feel his skin sizzling against hers. But he wouldn't let go. He would never let her go again. Flame Princess couldn't take it anymore; her tears began to flow onto the human's chest. Desperate tears, sobs, and moans that she couldn't contain any longer.
The hero held her until she released all of her hurtful emotions, until her catharsis was finally achieved. Finn couldn't tell how or when his hands began roam up and down her back and naked shoulders, granting solace to the woman they held, even when he felt like an intruder in that intimate territory. Even when she wasn't his to hold…
"Cinnamon Bun… he… he was like a father to me…"
The human froze in the middle of his actions, a look of infinite astonishment seizing his face.
"He always…" Flame Princess sobbed, more relieved now. "Looked after me like if I were his little girl… He used to make up stories and guide me with his wise advice; things my real father never cared to do for me… No matter what, CB was always making sure I got enough food and sleep before my royal duties… And I loved him so, like a devoted daughter…"
Finn stared at her, full of confusion. "B-but… I thought!"
"If only you'd let me explain, Finn…" she whispered, caressing his cheek with the back of her hand. "It's complicated, but I trust you'll understand…"
"Then, I'll listen to whatever you have to say, FP…"
The fire elemental smiled, pleased by his answer.
"It all began a year ago, before the invasion… My cousin, Furnius, was the son of the original Flame King, and ever since my father took over the throne he never ceased to search for a way to get it back. Some months ago, however, Furnius returned to discover that I had done the very thing he was never able to achieve, to overthrow my father…
He insisted in that even though I had proved to be the King our people wanted with my power, I lacked the royal right to possess it. He, on the other hand, was supposed to be the true heir of the crown. I denied his words, ready to charge at him when Cinnamon Bun interfered and managed to drive him off. At least until he came back with a new excuse to grasp the crown…"
Flame Princess shifted, feeling how her nerves grew tense.
"What's wrong, FP?" the young man whispered, taking her hand in his.
"You must understand," she breathed sorrowfully, "I would do anything for my kingdom and my people, Finn…"
"I do. Don't worry about that." He assured with a gentle smile.
"The ancient laws of the Fire Kingdom are not mine to change. Furnius took advantage of that and used them against me. Since there were two eligible heirs to the throne, the only way for me to remain as the king was to marry a suitor in order to ensure that I would provide future descendants to the royal bloodline.
Only that would grant me advantage over Furnius, and of course, he expected me to refuse—and of course, I was about to do it, until Cinnamon Bun stepped in again and convinced Furnius that I would fulfill my duty as ruler of the Fire Kingdom, no matter what. I thought he was crazy. CB knew perfectly how I felt about unwanted royal engagements, and yet he was expecting me to cope with something like that.
That night Cinnamon Bun explained what he meant… To keep me from marrying just any other jerk that might wish to seize my crown, CB and I would have to fake a secret engagement that only Furnius knew of. Of course, we understood that it wouldn't be enough to convince him… so…"
Finn grew uncomfortable. "I guess I now understand why Cinnamon Bun insisted on keeping me away from you…" he sighed, averting his eyes from hers. "I would have ruined everything like I always do."
"Perhaps…" Flame Princess admitted, "After all, CB knew better than anyone how I feel for you…"
"But eight years ago he told me that—! Well, he didn't really explain himself… But he told me that you weren't interested in me anymore!"
"Finn, how would it ever be easy to just forget what we had back then? I've always cherished both our good and bad times together, but the fate of my people will always come in first, and that's something you must understand."
The human let go of Flame Princess' hand, nodding in silence.
"But… that doesn't mean I wasn't waiting for the day we could—…" she trailed off, "I never wanted to drag you into this…"
"So… About Flanella… Did CB and you? You know…"
Flame Princess forced Finn to stare back at her, their hearts racing in anticipation.
"Finn… the truth is…"
Suddenly, Jake 2 leapt up, snarling frantically. Finn and Flame Princess left the bed and headed towards the entrance as soon as the wolf began to bark and howl, worried that it might awake the baby with all of that noise.
"What's wrong, buddy?" the king asked, scratching the back of the fire wolf's ears to calm him down.
Jake 2 eyed the secret passage to the hallway anxiously.
"Someone must be looking for me…" FP explained.
"Then go, it might be something important." The human sighed in resignation.
"B-but…" Flame Princess insisted, concerned.
Finn dragged her outside before she could keep protesting. A fire elemental dressed with worn travel clothes gasped in surprise and ran towards the two as fast as its skinny legs let him.
"Y-your Highness! My King!" the messenger shouted, "You must return to the west plains immediately! I-I brought an urgent message from your brother in the battlefield; he needs your presence at the front lines! Now! C'mon, you can't waste another minute in here, your Majesty!"
"Front lines?" Finn repeated, glancing back at Flame Princess in confusion. "Battlefield?"
"As you can see, we couldn't stop Furnius' plans to seize the throne, not even by doing what the law said… He's responsible for the invasion and Cinnamon Bun's death. And he won't stop at anything until he puts my flames out, so that he can take the crown by force!"
"Then I'll go with you!" the hero claimed with determination. "This time I'll fight by your side, like I should have eight years ago!"
"No!" Flame Princess said firmly, pushing him back. "It's too dangerous for you, Finn! Even that special suit you wear, won't be enough to protect you from the fires of war!"
Finn tried to protest but soon he found the young king standing right in front of him. Her blazing eyes caught his in a tender glance that displayed care and worry.
"I can't afford to keep losing the few people I truly care about in battle once again, especially not the only man I've ever loved…"
The hero couldn't utter a single word except for the strong blush, growing across his face.
"We'll meet again soon, Finn… Then you'll understand everything, I promise."
She leaned in and kissed his cheek, captivating Finn with the soft touch of her burning lips, a feeling long ago missed by him.
"This isn't over yet!" Flame Princess assured as she drew herself back. "Please take care of Flanella for me…"
And she jumped onto her fire wolf's back and departed to war, persuading him of her prompt return.
"Be careful, FP…" the human sighed.