Xal had risen and fallen twenty times since Gabriella stepped foot into the wretched confines of the Crystal Empire. Yet she had not been allowed the displeasure of seeing her betrothed once. Not since their unfortunate initial meeting, at least. The longer Jacquees kept her locked away, the closer she was to letting her harmless mortal facade crumble so she could kick him straight to the Veil. To make matters worse Herra had since been absent as well, she dared to travel all that way to be with her love and had not even bothered to show.

“That Ruttish two-faced scunt-headed imbecile.” Gabriella huffed to herself in annoyance. “Her presence is not wanted anyhow.”

Even as the thought crossed Gabriella's mind, she knew it to be a lie, it was torture not being able to feel her warmth, or kiss her face. It had been so long since she had held Herra and seeing but a glimpse of her would never be enough. It was then that she decided that she was done with waiting around. Gabriella was the Princess of Embers, she was not to be trifled with and she was about to make that clear to those around.

Boredom mixed with desperation often made one commit foolish acts but she cared little about the harm she was about to do to her image. Rowen was startled at his ruler’s unexpected exit as the door he was standing beside flung open.

“Follow me.” Gabriella ordered, her tone colder than the highest spire of the keep.

He did as told, not that he would let her wander around by her lonesome, even if he wanted to. It was his duty to follow her around and be at her beck and call at all times. It was his responsibility to protect her, after all, he was her knight protector. The man walked a few paces behind her, not wanting to talk with her like they usually do. She had been snappy lately and he would like to stay in her good graces as long as he could.

Rowen silently wondered where it was they were going as they wandered the halls. It was not until they turned down the hall to the Prince’s study that he made the obvious connections. He let out a sigh, sending a silent prayer to the Gods, hoping that she would not do anything to anger the aloof man.

“Stay here.” She ordered him as they neared the door.

“With pleasure,” Rowen thought to himself, not wanting to be anywhere near the chaos that was about to transpire.

Her hand grasped the door handle and with no hesitation flung it open. There in the room was her betrothed and her lover, making her anger rise tenfold. Even though there were others in the room, she paid no attention to them as she stomped towards the two.

“Where have you been?” She growled, unsure which of them she was speaking to.

Jacquees slowly lowered the parchment he was reading and gazed at her with a bored expression. “You may all be excused, I have to talk to my betrothed.”

The others pour out of the room, giving off mummers, but she cared for none of them but one. Gabriella locked eyes with Herra as she exited, her blood boiling as Herra sent her a wink on the way out. Taking all of the anger she felt towards the two of them, she turned towards Jacquees as she prepared to unleash it all out on him at once.

“What do you want child,” He voiced in a no-nonsense tone. “You have disturbed my work and for what?”

“For what?” She is seething mad. “I have been here for twenty moons and have seen you for one.”

She stilled her anger, not wanting it to take control of her, and when aggravated her magic is known to become chaotic and blow things up. Since she has masked her essence as a Blessed and is pretending to be a powerless human, that was the very last thing that she needed to happen. Though she could not help her rage as her locks turned the colour of fury, flames blazed through the strands of her hair. Thankfully that was a known trait passed through her human side. The blood of the phoenix rushed through her veins making the air hot around her.

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“You have forced me into this marriage and have uprooted me from my home only to abandon me.” Her hands balled up and cut into her palms. “I will not stand for it, either entertain me or let me go back.”

“Entertain you, are you a princess or a pet?” He scoffed at the flaming woman, annoyed by her neediness. “Was it not you that agreed we were to avoid each other unless necessary?”

“That was before you confined me to my chambers like a glorified Golden Nex!” She fumed, her hair going from orange to blue in her rage.

“I do not see the problem, you are catered to by well-trained servants.” The prince's nose flared in annoyance at the spoiled girl in front of him. “You are gifted with the finest things in all the lands and want for nothing,”

“A cage made of moonstone and gold remains a cage.” She looked down at him, in annoyance, not sure why he was not getting the point. “It is not good enough that I am to be trapped into marriage with you, but you must lock me within the castle walls as well.”

“You think I wished to wed you, I have no choice in the matter, same as yourself,” He stood and walked towards her, she felt uncomfortable, being as tall as she was not many people towered over her. “If I did I would not have chosen someone as pitiful as you.”

Without thinking her hand swung out towards his face but to her surprise he caught it. She did not use the strength of her full Blessed powers but still, his reflexes were far above that of the average mortal.

“It is an honour to marry me,” Gabriella spit out looking him up and down in destain. “If you would prefer a man to warm your bed then say so.”

Jacquees slammed his lips down on hers, yanking her body flush against his. His tongue entered her mouth and they fought for dominance, she was not one that likes control to be taken from her. He grabbed hold of her hair as he won control, pulling her head back he drew away and looked into her eyes.

“Do you still think it is men that I am interested in?” He said as he took her hand and rested it over his hardened manhood. “Your looks are decent, for an Ember Region girl, but that does not make you worthy of my time.”

Jacquees let go of her and walked away leaving her flustered from being dominated for the first time. The door shut behind him and he walked past her guard not even bothering to acknowledge him. Being around her aggravated his very soul, he could not even bring himself to pretend to like her. Her kind disgusted him and the fact that he was being forced to marry her rubbed him the wrong way.

Deciding to fight against it, he went looking for his Queen Mother. She was the one to start the farce, surely his mother would see reason. She had taken what seemed to be an age to choose his Consort. At times he prayed she never would, but after years of deliberation, she chose to honour the pact of a dead woman.

Stepping before his mother’s chambers he knocked on the heavy door roughly, brushing aside the flustered maid who opened the way. He was greeted by the annoying sight of his brother, Tempest. He should not have been surprised, ever clutching their mother’s skirts, rather than learning how to rule. His father would normally be the one to set his brother straight but he was not here to reign in the boy. Off on business in the east, securing alliances with the clans there. Yet even if he was, and even though he stood by him with most things, he would never forgo their family tradition. The mother chose her son’s bride, it had been such since the first king and never had this custom been broken.

The woman herself sat there, quill in hand, writing away without pause at his entrance. You would not know they were related at a glance, blond locks framed her face in swirling curls, looking like rays of Xal’s light. Her large green eyes darted across the page as she jotted down her thoughts.

“Mother, I can not marry that infuriating woman.” He paced back and forth across the room, voice raising with each step until he was shouting. “She is a spoiled weak little princess whose only worry is what colour dress goes best with her shoes!”

“Do not judge her so harshly,” Vivian looked up at her son patiently, trying to soothe his anger. “The people of the South might not be raised like us but they are proud people still.”

He rolls his eyes at this, snorting at her placating words. Ever the calm and collected one, his mother. She often smoothed things over between the brothers. Keeping the two from tearing each other’s throats out in petty squabbles. Still, she was the Queen Regent and often flexed her power if need be.

“I need a strong dependable queen,” Jacquees breathed deeply to calm himself. “From what I have heard she has never even wielded a blade.”

“Would you not rather a kind and loving queen to a hard harpy?” Tempest finally spoke from his spot next to their mother at her desk. “No offence to our Knightly Dames, but I prefer a softer woman myself.”

“Kind and loving are not going to protect my people in the midst of battle.” He glared at his brother before turning back to address his mother. “Let me pick my own consort, no one has to know…”

“Foolishness!” Vivian harshly exclaimed, gasping at his words laced with treason, “How dare you even suggest a thing, you will marry who I pick and that is final.”

“But mother!” He tried, nearly begging now, the want to be away from Gabriella stronger than his need to uphold his image.

“No buts, you will marry her and you will do it tomorrow.” Jacqucee's heart sunk at the words, “You have avoided it long enough and war is on the horizon, lest you forget.”

His blood was boiling with his rage but he did not want to disrespect or upset his mother further. So with a heavy heart and defeated spirit he turned on his heel and left, not bothering to say his farewells.

“One day he will understand,” Vivian sighed, resting her quill into the inkwell for a moment.

“Is she really the best choice for him?” Tempest questioned his mother, “Her mother is no more, it would not matter if you drop the agreement.”

“It was not us that decided this path for them,” His mother nodded, picking up her quill once more. “It was the fates themselves.”