CHAPTER 30: GRATITUDE.

Caelen’s eyes finally turned to me. They burned.

"That you were the fire. That every cry, every corpse dragged from ash is your doing. That the people who whisper you are cursed are not liars, but witnesses."

The chamber shifted. A few heads lowered, others stared openly.

"And what would that achieve?" I asked coolly. "Would my confession rebuild the market? Feed the merchants? Bring back the dead?"

He leaned forward, knuckles white against the table. "It would tell them their queen is not so cruel as to pretend ignorance."

I smiled faintly, though nothing in me was amused. "Pretend? I do not deny the flames came from me."

Gasps rippled, sharp intakes of breath cutting the silence. I let them have their moment before continuing.

"But neither will I stand here to weep like some penitent child. What is done is done. My task is not to wallow in blame but to restore order. That is the duty of a ruler."

"You speak of duty," Caelen spat, "but your fire turns duty into ruin. How long before your flames consume more than markets? How long before the palace itself is ash?"

The council stiffened. His words carried weight, the kind that planted seeds. Dangerous seeds.

"Do you suggest," I asked, keeping my tone low, "that I cannot govern what I have governed for years? That the kingdom still standing beneath your feet is a mirage?"

"You governed with fear," he shot back. "With blood. And last night proves you cannot even govern yourself."

The words struck, sharp and deliberate. For a moment the silence was so complete I heard only the quills stop scratching. The room watched me, weighed me, waited for me to falter.

But I did not. I folded my hands neatly before me.

"And yet here I sit. Queen still. Crown still on my head. Flame or no flame, not one of you can move me without my consent."

My words landed like iron. The dukes and marquises stirred uneasily. Some nodded, almost against their will.

Caelen’s jaw clenched. His eyes, so full of righteous fury, locked on mine. "You make yourself untouchable. But you are not invincible. One day even fire meets its end."

I could tell he was already seething, so I leaned into it. Mostly out of spite of course.

"You speak as if you alone care for the kingdom," I said. "But the truth is, your concern begins and ends with appearances. So long as the people see you beside your darling Ophelia... hands clasped, eyes shining... they believe in your virtue. They do not see the truth, only the picture you paint for them."

A stir ran through the council. Ophelia’s name in my mouth was enough to make them uneasy. Caelen’s face darkened, his composure slipping.

"You dare bring her into this?" His voice was low, dangerous.

"I dare," I replied softly. "Because I wonder, Caelen... if a fire were to touch her, would you be so quick to rush at me with sword drawn? Or would you remember that I am the only one in this kingdom who can snuff flames before they spread too far?"

The subtle weight of the words landed, heavy and deliberate. I had not threatened her outright, but the air thickened as if I had.

He rose half from his chair, fists trembling, before the Marquis of Aros cleared his throat nervously. "Perhaps... enough for today."

The meeting ended in fractured silence, councilors bowing to me as they left, their eyes darting between Caelen and myself. He did not look at me again.

I turned toward my chambers, my steps steady though my mind churned. They had read the lists of the missing. So many names swallowed by the flames. Among them... Sir Caldus. The man who had looked me in the eye with that smile as he burned. His name lingered with me like ash on the tongue.

I took a sharp turn, thoughts heavy, and collided into someone tall, cold, and solid. My breath caught.

Soren.

His hand steadied me before I could step back, his pale eyes studying me with that unreadable calm, though something darker flickered beneath.

We stood there in silence. Neither of us moved, neither of us spoke. His eyes stayed on me, and I hated that I couldn’t read what was behind them.

"It seems we can’t stop running into each other your majesty." Finally, Soren said.

"I’m glad to see you still kicking." His voice was light, almost careless, but something in it felt heavier than the words themselves.

Without a word, I walked past him, my steps quick. I was still burning with half-embarrassment from the council, half-irritation at him, at myself. "You don’t need to concern yourself with me, Emperor."

He said nothing. Still, I felt it... his stare, sharp and unrelenting on my back. It pressed into me until I stopped walking. I didn’t turn. I didn’t let him see my face. Not while I was about to do something that I’d never done in a long time.

"Thank you," I said, my voice low. "For stopping me. For saving them."

I didn’t give him the chance to answer or even enjoy the look on his face. I moved on.

And thankfully he didn’t follow.

I made my way to the second place I had in mind to visit.

The royal stables stood at the far end of the east courtyard. The stone walls were high, the air thick with the smell of hay and warm animals. The guards and stablehands bowed quickly when they saw me, but I ignored them and went straight inside.

She was waiting for me.

A pure white mare, taller and fiercer than the rest. Her mane fell long, streaked with fire-gold, the same shade as my own hair when the sun caught it. Her eyes, deep and amber, held too much intelligence to belong to a beast. She was restless, pawing at the ground like she’d been caged too long.

Her name was Solestra.

She tossed her head when I came near, but the sharpness eased when I reached for her. She pressed her nose into my palm, warm breath spilling over my skin. I pulled dried fruit from my pouch and fed it to her, her teeth snapping quick, eager.

"You’re restless," I murmured, brushing through her mane with my fingers. "I know. I am too."

I leaned close, resting my forehead against hers. She stilled, as if listening.

"We’re leaving soon," I whispered into her ear. "You and me. An adventure. Away from all of this."

Her ears twitched. She snorted sharply, as though in answer.