The next morning I awoke in the tower room in Bubblegum's castle. I raised myself on my elbow so I could look at the Flame Princess, lying there as naked as I was, on the fireproof bed.

I was feeling a little thirsty so I leaned down towards her chest and drank again of her steamy milk.

She moved her hand down to play with my hair. "Careful, my prince. Save some for Ray."

"Sorry. Did I wake you, Flame Princess?" I moved up to face her.

"In the most pleasant way." She raised her head up to kiss me, then lay down and ran her hands over my chest. "Sholeh."

"What?"

"Flame Princess is a title. Sholeh is my name."

"Should I use that from now on?"

"You have certainly earned the right to that, my prince. At least for informal occasions."

"Sholeh. It's a beautiful name for a beautiful princess."

"Finn... Did I hurt you last night?"

"No."

"Yes, just a little bit every day, and you can build up full flame resistance. It's a good thing I was already lactating."

"What are you lacking? I'll go get it for you."

"Ah, my silly prince. Let me see for myself." She gently rolled me onto my back, then moved down to grasp my rapidly hardening member. "This seems unharmed. Can you share some more of your resistances with me, as I share mine with you?"

"Uh sure, whatever that means."

She smiled again then knelt down and wrapped her lips around my member. This was a different sensation than what we had done the previous night, but also nice. I put my hands on her head then watched as her red hair turned into flames as I felt my release. I watched the flames dance around my fingers. Why didn't they hurt?

She ran her tongue around my softening member, then she swallowed and moved up again to snuggle.

I looked up at Ray's cries. "Looks like he's hungry too."

"Yes, yes. I'd best see to our baby." She rose from the bed, went over to Ray's crib and held him to her chest. His fuzz of hair turned into a low flame as he drank.

"Our?"

"Don't you accept him as yours?" She looked up at me, with hurt in her eyes.

"Yes, we are one family." What had I done to hurt her this time?

"Good." She held Ray close and transformed into a pillar of fire.

"What are you doing?"

"Cleaning him."

"Yeah, you can't wash up with water."

She returned to her human form, put the sleeping Ray back into his crib. She walked over to the wash basin and touched the tip of one finger to the surface of the water, then withdrew it in a cloud of steam.

"Does it hurt..., Sholeh?"

"Not as much as before, but I wouldn't want to get caught out in the rain."

"Don't worry. I will always protect you, and Ray too."

"And we will have plenty of babies of our own."

"How does that work?"

"Like this." She walked over to the bed and looked down at me. "I see you've already recovered. Ready for some more?"

"Sure, whatever you want."

She straddled me, and grabbed my hardening member. With a few strokes of her hands it was at full hardness again. She lifted up and impaled herself on it. I reached up to touch her breasts, then shifted my grip down to her behind to support her rhythm.

Afterwards she cleaned herself with flames as I bathed. We dressed and she carried Ray, as we walked downstairs.

Peppermint Butler was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. "Her royal highness is waiting for you in her quarters."

"We thank you." Sholeh bowed to him, and then we went in the direction he indicated.

I saw Princess Bubblegum in her private dinning room, along with somebody I hadn't expected to see.

"Marceline? Why didn't you leave before dawn?"

In contrast to Princess Bubblegum's comfortable robe, Marceline wore only a long t-shirt that reached down to her thighs. "I hadn't noticed the hour. I was busy with interesting things, as were you, Finn. It looks like I'll need to be your guest another night, Bonnibel." The vampire queen grabbed Princess Bubblegum's hand, who blushed.

Sholeh put Ray in the highchair next to the table then turned to the other princess and queen. "I saw, but I think the things we were doing were more interesting. And yes Bonnibel, you were correct that you were within my range when Marceline lit that torch in your room last night."

Princess Bubblegum blushed even more and jerked her hand back from Marceline's. "Finn, you must not tell anyone about this."

"Tell anybody what, P.B.? What's going on?"

"You do not know about these two?" Sholeh turned to me. "I thought that was why you were so broken hearted when you come to the Fire Kingdom. That you had found that Bonnibel loved another?"

"Princess Bubblegum has a boyfriend?"

"Just call me Bonnibel, when we are among friends. You have earned that right, Prince Finn. As you are now royalty. We all have secrets. Hopefully we will remain friends and allies."

"Yes, secrets about Ray here, for example." Marceline patted Ray's head and he cooed at her.

"How long have you known?" Sholeh turned to Marceline, with a hint of fire in her eyes. "Did you know during my captivity?"

"No, just recently. I stay far away from that old freak. I didn't become queen of the vampires just to get caught up in his princess hunts. That's why I stay west of princess sweet-cheeks here."

"And now he's undead." Bonnibel frowned at Marceline, then turned back to me. "We can expect him to be even more vicious now. Finn, was the Ice King stronger as the Ice Lich than before?"

"A bit, I think."

"Ah, I'm being a bad hostess. Please, both of you eat."

"And you too, my dear princess." Marceline pushed Bonnibel's hair aside and stroked her cheek. "You need to keep your color up, when I'm around."

Bonnibel grabbed Marceline's hand with both of hers and closed her eyes.

There was something uncomfortable about watching my two friends act this way, so I turned to our breakfast.

I saw that Sholeh ate dry food as usual, nuts, bread, hard candy and dried meats and fruits, along with a cup of hot vegetable oil. She excused herself when Ray was hungry again.

I turned to follow her, but Bonnibel reached over and grabbed my hand.

"Finn, a moment please?"

"Uh, sure. Say, where's Jake?"

"He and Lady went to keep an eye on the northeast."

"The Ice Kingdom?"

"The Magic Dogs have always been legendary protectors. Jake's father built your treehouse to guard the bridge over the Sweetwater River, but wood isn't such a good house for a fire elemental."

"What have you been whispering to my Finn about?" Sholeh walked back into the room while still nursing Ray.

"I'd like to offer the assistance of the Candy Kingdom to upgrade your residence."

"Yes, only a mighty castle is a suitable abode for the family of my prince."

"Sholeh, how would your father respond if a castle suddenly appeared next to his kingdom overnight, that wasn't the property of a relative of his?"

"Why he would melt it down into slag the very next day of course."

"An all too common option in Ooo. Finn's house is located at a critical spot near the center of the island. Many have discounted the presence of a treehouse inhabited by dogs, at their dear cost. Finn has been even more formidable, but now that he has assumed the title of Prince of the Grasslands, that old dodge is less useful."

Sholeh put Ray back in his chair, then sat in her chair as she refastened her top. "So build a mighty castle. Surely my prince Finn deserves no less."

Marceline turned away from Sholeh and smiled at Bonnibel.

Bonnibel frowned just a tiny bit, then reached out to grab Sholeh's hands. "What if I could give you that castle in a way that did not cause a reaction?"

"That would be even better."

"Let's build it slowly, piece by piece."

"Why?" Sholeh sat back.

Marceline leaned forwards. "It's like my mother once said. If you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water then it will just hop out, but if you gently place it in a pot of cold water it will sit there as you raise the heat until it cooks."

"You cook with water?" Sholeh's expression reminded me that the common substance was poison to her. "But yes, we have a similar expression about a certain slow witted beast that would just sit there as steam condensed on it until it's flame was extinguished. If I understand your reasoning, then any kingdom that complained about the construction would be lodging an obviously unreasonable complaint about the latest small part of the construction and would gather no support from the other powers."

"Yes, exactly." Bonnibel nodded.

"So, I will still have my grand castle that reigns over all of Ooo, someday."

"Is waiting too much to ask of your Highness?" Marceline grinned at her.

"A year ago, even a day's delay would have been intolerable. But, after months lying there in agony, with only dreams of my prince to sustain me..." Sholeh leaned down until her face was almost to the table and continued very softly, "And the worst part was that I knew it was all because of my own haughtiness and that I was too damaged to deserve him."

"You are damaged?" I reached for her arm. "Then let us go without delay. I will chop off the head of the Cyclops again and his tears will... Oh yeah, water."

She turned to me, grabbed my hands and stopped me with a look of fierce intensity. "Your embrace sustains me, my prince. It heals my soul."

"Wow, so I do have a power? What do you say, Bonnibel, can I try it on you?"

"No!" Bonnibel raised both of her palms towards me. "This only works for Sholeh. Please Finn, promise that you will not try it with any other."

"Aw, but isn't Ray cute?" Marceline tickled his chin, then turned back to Bonnibel. "Are you sure you don't want to take Finn up on his offer?"

"My creations are my children, as I am my father's daughter. I will complete his alchemy and then, my dear Marceline, I could ask if you would be embraced by Finn."

"No way. I've heard what your potions have done. Life was hard enough for me, the first time around. I'm not going back there.

"My prince."

Something in Sholeh's voice brought my attention back to her.

"If you ever embrace another, then I promise you that your only punishment will be to watch and listen, as she burns."

"I think we've had enough fun at your expense, Sholeh." Marceline stood and yawned. "I'm going back to Bonnibel's bed, to await nightfall. And, Bonnibel. Please keep me waiting tonight, for I so love the hunt."

"Just remember our three night rule, Marceline. If you stay one more night after tonight, then you will be mine to use as I see fit. I will have you drink that potion, I will oil you as you get an even all-over tan, and I will dress you as my princess, with pink ribbons in your hair."

"No, no." Marceline bent down to kiss Bonnibel's cheek. "Eventually it will be you who will accept my hospitality for three nights in a row. I shall suck all the red from your face and hair and you will become my eternal sweet silver princess of the night, forever more."

Bonnibel watched as Marceline floated away, then turned back to us. "Sorry about that, Sholeh. Do you accept that while we are good friends with Finn, we are not your rivals?"

"Perhaps, but why are you showing me all this?"

"Why let down my defenses? Well it is a relief to just be ourselves, every so often. But Finn is my main defense, and for most of the past year he's been mostly useless."

"Why would you say such a thing about my Finn?" Sholeh grabbed my arm.

"It's because he sat around his house sighing all the time, instead of keeping my trade routes open. He was heartbroken because you rejected him."

"Are you... Are you blaming all of this, my abduction and everything, on me?"

"Yes, but that's not the important lesson here."

"What's more important than the way I was treated?"

"It was that you are so very important to Finn that your turning away from him destroyed him. He had just barely met you and suddenly he was nothing without you. I can promise you that there will be hard times ahead, but you must never forget how very important you are, to Finn."

Sholeh turned to me. "Is that true, my love?"

"Yes." I tried to think of the right words to comfort her, but I couldn't think of any. I put my other hand on top of her hand and shifted her grip until I held her hand in both of mine.

"When my father dismissed the tales of a great warrior of the grasslands I was intrigued. When you walked into his court and asked for me I was astonished. Then when I was set free from my prison of glass to be with you and you made that cruel joke... Well, I ran wild. It was my first chance to see the world. When I fought you I found those stories to be very true indeed. Looking back on it I can see that you were protecting me. My feelings were all mixed up and I ran from you, from myself. When the Ice King asked me who I was, I told him. I didn't know. How could I know? Nobody had warned me."

"I will protect you, Sholeh. He will not hurt you or Ray ever again."

"I will send Starchy with you today."

"What?" I kept my right hand holding Sholeh's left, as I turned back to Bonnibel.

"To start the survey work for the construction. Unless you two wish to stay here another night?"

"No, it would be best to start as quickly as possible, now that my Prince has been announced to the kingdoms of Ooo."

-HJC