Inside the princess room, Sera lies on her bed while the queen rubs on her tummy. Arpina was pacing up and down in the room.

“Unbelievable. He hit you?!”

“Don’t be loud, Arpina.” she calmly spoke.

“My liege forgive me, but hitting her is uncalled for!”

“Ngh…mother tell me, I questioned this before and maybe you have the answers. Since I have been born, he has been seeing me differently, why?”

The queen looks at Arpina quietly. Arpina back was facing the queen, arms folded as she stopped pacing gazing at her wall.

“Your father is a complicated man, who views the ability of the phoenix differently. We’re to help others, fight and win many battles, not to destroy various lands and homes.” She stopped rubbing Sera stomach. “He has taken advantage of the power.”

“Why not have an annulment?” Arpina responded, turning in their direction.

“Even if I do, he will find multiple ways to return to the kingdom.”

“There’s no escaping him is it. How can you tolerate it?” Sera leans forward in her bed.

“That’s between your father and I, but when you become the age to find your king. I can only pray he’s not like him.” Agni looked at Sera tired.

“I agree.”

“Now, get some rest, and we’ll continue smiling, won’t we.”

The queen pinched Sera’s right cheek with a smile. Agni stepped out of the room followed by Arpina closing the door behind them. The two women walk in the hall side by side in awkward silence.

“Is there anything I can assist you with, my queen?” Arpina finally spoke.

“No, I do believe I will call it a night as well our trip may have exhausted me.”

“Right, rest easy.”

Arpina stands in place watching the queen walk down the hall as Cody is seen approaching behind her. He stops a few feet ahead of her.

“Ready?”

“Yes. Where are you meeting?” She turned around.

“The backwall near the garden.”

She nodded, walking away to be in position. The chief trails back to the counsel room door to speak to Brandon, the kingdom snitch. In front of the war planning room, the two guards carry on a conversation concerning the princess.

“I can’t believe you told on her.”

“What she won’t know won’t hurt her?” he rolled his eyes.

“But the king did hurt her?” he shifted his body towards Brandon.

“There’s been a lot of things the king has done by listening to them in this room.” He smirked.

“Uh oh, the chief.” He straightened his body quickly seeing him walk in their direction.

“Brandon, let’s go on a walk.” He gave a stern order.

“And what about my replacement?” his eyes traveled seeing another soldier with a bladed staff walking in.

“You were saying?” he turned looking at the two men. “We will be back soon.”

“Yes, sir.”

Brandon follows the head officer down the longest hall of the kingdom. He looks around as he notices it’s not the regular route he takes. The soldier looked at Cody back hearing only their footsteps in the hall. Brandon was becoming nervous and began to question.

“Is this about the king finding out?”

“…..”

The two men walked outside at night in the garden, only the moon illuminated in certain spots of the area. Cody walked Brandon towards the garden wall where the moon rays were not visible, stops and finally confronts him.

“Did you inform the king about me?”

“No, I didn’t only the princess.”

“Are you certain, that’s all you said?”

“Yes, yes, it’s true! You can ask Ryan!” he panicked.

“Next question, why did you snitch on the princess? Did you know, what you did cause the princess harm?” he grabbed the handle of his sword.

“I wouldn’t think the king would do such a thing.” Brandon stepped away to see Cody grab his sword ready to strike.

“Is that so? Brandon, out of the 170 soldiers here, you are the only one with lose lips.” He pulls his sword out slowly. “I gave you a direct order and it was to not tell the king we were present.”

Arpina appears above Brandon igniting her right hand in flames. Before she scorched him, Brandon looked up one last time before turning into ashes. The remaining flames on her hand dissipated slowly into the air along with a stream of smoke.

“I thought you were going to restrain from being too rough.” He irritably put the sword in the sheath.

“In a way, I did, I had to increase the temperature of my flame so there won’t be a body.” She stands there clapping her hands to get the remaining dust off.

“No, as in I didn’t want his life to be taken.”

“He got Seraphina hurt and if it hadn’t been for his big mouth, he would still be alive.” She barked back hands on her hips. “Besides, we can’t afford to risk someone like him in this kingdom.”

“Be that as of may, if we ever have a situation like this..don’t kill them.” He groaned.

A rustle occurred in the shrubs, Cody, and lady Arpina looked around to see where it was coming from. The shrubs rattled again. Cody hand is placed on his sword handle and Arpina hands are lit with flames. The two walked silently towards it and the noise ceased. Cody investigates one end as Arpina looks around the other.

“Clear on my end.” She stood making her flames disappear.

“Yes, I can say the same.” He removes his hand on his sword. “I’m heading in, I have paperwork to finish.”

“I’ll stay up for a bit and then head to sleep.”

While Cody and Arpina were several feet away from the shrubs, a black feather fell to the ground in front of it. Above were several crows in the distance watching them as their eyes glow red.