Smoke and Mirrors (7)

Seven

Fire and Water

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I had never slept so badly in my life, but honestly, what more could I have expected from a giant litter box?

Mom had rushed into my room with a beaming smile and a dress of lava that sparkled like a thousand crushed rubies the next morning. It looked stunning, which I was having a hard time growing accustomed to, since she used to wear such plain, boring clothes compared to these. I had never thought of her as especially stunning, but now, in her true element, she looked every part of a queen--especially paired with her raven hair and excited smile.

"Today is the day fate changes, Darling," she proclaimed happily. "Remember what I've taught you. Walk like a queen." I flinched as she placed her hands--hands alight with fire--on my shoulders. "You look down from no-one--especially not that no-good excuse for a betrothed."

Inhaling, I tried to shake my nerves--and the pain in my neck--away. I nodded.

With a flourish of her dress, she left the room, fire burning in her wake, and I followed.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my gaze roving the dark, gold-painted walls. "How can they stand the heat?" For that matter, how on Earth could we stand it? Supposing we still were on Earth, that was. I still needed to ask that question.

"We are going to my meeting halls," she explained, her shoes clacking against the stone. I was partially sure that her shoes were made of stone as well.

I wrapped my arms around myself as doubt and worry tugged at my thoughts.

I didn't want to marry, and until yesterday, the thought of marrying a specific person had never entered my mind--well, outside of shallow crushes and fictional characters. I wasn't sure what to think. I wasn't the marrying type--not that I didn’t want to eventually. . . just not yet.

As we walked, I noticed that my dress of fire from yesterday was changing. It now seemed sort of shapeless, like a giant bag of fire.

"What look are you going for today, Darling?"

I ran my hand over--and through--the flames of my dress and thought about it for a moment.

Unable to tell her that I really would appreciate my pajamas that I'd left at Yin Yue's castle last month, I said instead, "Surprise me," and truly was surprised as a long, flowing dress took shape around me. It was very pretty, but lacked any kind of true detailing. I didn't blame her, though. After all, what detail could you put on fire?

"This is beautiful, Mom. Thanks." My tone was full of fake excitement, but internally, I felt as if I were hyperventilating. I hugged myself a little tighter, my arms enveloped by the flames of my dress.

The meeting room turned out to be a relatively boring place, but it was also pretty cool--and not in the "aesthetic" sense of the word.

I didn't know how she managed to do it, but the meeting room was somehow built like a giant fridge to keep the guests comfortable. My arms wrapped tighter around myself. After the fire I'd been in, the air felt chilly.

"The tunnels down here are over a thousand degrees, and that just won't do for people that aren't like us."

"Are you serious?" I knew little about volcanoes. I knew they were hot of course, but for just these very tubes to be over a thousand degrees?!

"Completely serious, Darling." Then, turning from me and facing a table in the middle of the room, she greeted the two figures behind it, who had been conversing quietly until we came in. "Gentlemen! Welcome to my humble abode."

Sterling was the first person I noticed. My stomach squirmed when I saw him--and not positively. The next figure was a young man with dark, black hair on one side and pale, white hair on the other. His skin was the color of warm almonds, and his clothes were dark with white buttons and details.

Numbers flickered and moved on his suit, as if hundreds of tiny clock faces were moving on him. There was no doubt about it, this was the King of Time.

--And the King of Time happened to be dripping with sweat.

Sterling was in the same condition as they stood to greet us. Sweat glistened on his face and dampened his own jacket, which was noticeably discarded in a pile on the floor.

"Humble abode?" Sterling demanded. "Humble?! How could you--"

"Now, now. It will be worth it all when we have this whole--well, disaster straightened out, won't it, Love?" she chided.

But I was confused.

"Your Majesties," she addressed calmly, in her silvery voice. "Please, be seated."

They glanced at each other briefly before taking their seats.

"Your Highness," Sterling drawled, but his tone seemed to be insinuating something. "Did you not think it fit to let the rest of the kingdoms know?"

She tilted her head at him, examining. "You know, the thought used to cross my mind." She walked closer to him, and her fiery dress latched onto his silver jacket on the floor as she circled behind his chair. She allowed it to burn as she leaned over the back of his chair. "But I quickly realised that you have the upper hand when people do not know of your weapons." She patted his head--almost condescendingly--and stepped away, snapping her fingers at the jacket. The fire disappeared.

He stared hard at the wall behind me, his fists clenched firmly around the armrests of the chair.

She paced slowly behind the King of Time's chair as well. When she spoke, her tone was lighter. "Shi, it is good to see you again. Thank you for coming."

He seemed nervous, but I didn't blame him.

I had never seen my mother like this before, and it worried me.

"How could you do it?" the king--Shi--asked. His voice sounded as if it were filled with a mixture of shock, betrayal, and yet, somehow, awe.

She chuckled. "Oh, when you've been around as long as I have, Darling, you get good at things--at hiding things, too."

Sterling stood from the table sharply, his fists clenched on its surface. "What have you done, Eilidh?!"

Eilidh? Did my own mom have a different name, too? And what had she done? Or maybe he just meant kidnapping me.

"What many are too weak to be able to do, Sterling. Trust me, if the others were as strong as I am, they would have tried the same thing."

"Mom?" I asked softly. Sterling switched his gaze to me sharply, as if just remembering I was there. "Mom, what does he mean?" I nervously fidgeted with my hands.

She glanced back at me as a smile dimpled her cheek. She only had one dimple in her cheek, a trait shared. "You will understand, Love. Just wait."

"Oh, this just gets better!" Sterling tossed his hands in the air. "And you never told her?!"

"Told me what, Mom?"

Sterling let out a laugh--a bitter, defeated, laugh. "I suppose this is what we call irony."

"Enough!" mom exclaimed, thrusting a hand in his direction as a ring of fire blossomed and roared around him.

I could see him trying to contain his emotions, but there was still fear in his eyes, and you can't hide that. It must have already been so hot in here for him, the added flames would have been pure torture.

Even I was afraid for him in that moment, and I hated him.

"Mom! You'll kill him!"

She hesitated, and then dropped her hand, the flames vanishing with it. "I have not gathered you here to play games, Sterling, Shi. I brought you here to propose a deal." Sterling looked relieved, albeit afraid, and instantly sat down.

Through all of this, Shi had not said a word. He merely sat there, clenching and unclenching his fists as he struggled to keep his jacket on in the heat. If it had been me, and I didn't have the body of an oven, I would have taken it off long ago.

"Shi," mom began, "how do you feel about switching your betrothal?"

Sterling stiffened at that. "You don't mean. . ."

I was so confused. I didn't know most of what they were talking about, and I felt like there were a hundred important decisions being made for me, all because I was too ignorant to make them myself, or even understand what they were.

"Yes," mom replied. "I want Shi to change his betrothal to my daughter instead of Yin Yue."

I gasped at that as her words fully hit me. "Wait, he's already--"

"Quiet, Dear." She faced Sterling. "And in turn, you can marry Yin Yue. Then the whole dreaded curse won't be brought upon us, and the kingdoms will be saved."

His brows were furrowed and his gaze slid to Shi, mom, and then me. I shivered as it settled on me, remembering every time that gaze had brought his silver snakes with it.

"But. . . that is not possible," said Shi softly.

Mom turned on him sharply. "Why not, Shi? Who would stop us? Who would dare?"

Nervously tugging at his jacket collar, he replied, "Well, um, I would."

"And why would you do that?"

His head seemed to duck just the slightest bit as a deep, almost purplish-red blossomed out over his olive cheeks from embarrassment. "I, uh, love her. A lot."

She stayed quiet for a moment, and then slowly sauntered towards him. "You mean to tell me that you would pick a single woman over the rest of a kingdom?"

With that, he straightened a little, and although he was still blushing, his voice had more confidence in it as he replied, "I would. Every time."

She snorted--a habit I was now realising she must have picked up on Earth. "That is dumb. Think through my offer, Shi. Any person would be glad to have this chance." She leaned in and whispered something to his ear.

Whatever it was, he looked as if he'd seen absolute death. His face paled and his eyes shot wider as he stared off into the abyss of her words.

She leaned away from him. "Think my offer through a while longer. I'm sure you'll find an agreeable end."

My heart raced out of fear. "Mom, what is this? What did you tell him?"

She threw a side-glance at me. "Sit down, Tanwen."

I hesitated at my "true" name, but obeyed, glad for the reprieve. My legs felt unstable at that moment.

"Are you prepared to make a decision?" she asked them, walking back to the front of the room. She stood beside me, her hands clasped behind her back.

"This is ridiculous!" Sterling shouted from his chair.

She shrugged a shoulder. "It may be, but it is worth it."

Shi shook his head. "The only reason you're doing this is to take over the throne." His eyes widened in realisation. "You're doing this to--you're trying to follow her example!" He shook his head. "You will not get away with it. I won't let you."

"Who, Shi?" asked Sterling. "What example?"

Shi turned to him, wiping his palms against his pants. "Her husband's step-mother attempted--and succeeded--to do the same thing. She poisoned the king and forced herself into the position of 'king'."

She scoffed. "What kind of monster do you take me for?! I would never poison him. And no, I am not looking for a throne."

"First off," Sterling began in a dry tone, "personally, I see you as the monster who just tried to roast me alive a few seconds ago--but, you know, that might just be me. Secondly, you don't have to find a throne to rule. People can be controlled just as easily as power."

She clicked her tongue. "We are off topic. My goal is to save my kingdom--and my daughter's--lives by changing her betrothal. Is that such a dishonorable goal?"

He swept a quick gaze over her and replied, "It isn't--so long as that is your only goal. Which, from the choices you've already made, we can all clearly see that it isn't." He stood, tilting his chin up slightly. "Tell me, how exactly did you manage to pass your Testing?"

She shrugged. "I already told you. When you are as strong as I am, you can do an awful lot of things that people never would have guessed--especially when they think you are talentless."

He gave a breathy scoff and replied, "There's no way you managed to hide your talent through a Testing. No-one can do that."

"What's a 'Testing'?" I asked, but they didn't seem too concerned with answering me.

"Well I can, and I am not a no-one." She folded her arms.

"It is where all royals go to have their abilities scanned before marriage. It proves whether or not they are Talentless," Shi explained quietly.

"Why does that matter?"

He glanced at me, nervously fidgeting with his sleeve. "Because if they have powers, the betrothed royals are required to join their powers at half the potency that the individual royal would have had originally. It is a way of ensuring that their children aren't born with a hundred different powers that no one can combat."

Sterling looked at me. His eyes seemed to drown out the rest of the world as he replied, "But because your dear mother faked being talentless--even through a Testing!--you not only have your mother's power--"

"Sterling, shut your mouth. I will burn you again!" Mom held her hand out towards him threateningly, which I normally would have found comical if I weren't in such a serious situation.

He looked at her with raised brows. "What?! Don't you think she deserves the truth?!"

"Oh, don't talk to me about deserving things when you tried to strangle her only yesterday!"

He looked at me intensely, as if willing me to hear the words he was shouting in his head. But I was no mind-reader, and I was so flooded with information that I could barely think a straight, solid thought.

"I am done with this conversation! Make your decision, gentlemen."

Sterling and Shi looked at each other and seemed to nod in agreement.

Shi replied, "Never. I don't have to think about it. I will never change my betrothal. We love each other! I could never do that to either of us."

She sniffed. "Fine. Then I will make you think about it." From the ground, a swirling trail of fire began to seep out. It branched off into two sections, forming a cleared pathway in the center, and trapping Shi in the center. The pathway led out of the room and into a separate series of tunnels. "This pathway will lead you to your room for the night. Follow it. Should you decide to lag, my fire will follow you to keep you walking. Now go."

Sterling put his hands up and exclaimed, "I don't have to be told twice. Just point me to the room and I'll go--fire-free."

"I will lead you there myself then, if you're so afraid of a little warmth. I do not trust you alone."

Turning to me, she said, "Tessa, go to your room."

I bowed my head and began to walk away.

But when they were out of sight, I followed.