A TALE OF FIRE AND ICE

When Love and Duty Collide

[ Neither the picture nor the content belongs to me. All the rights belong to the respective author. It is only used for entertainment purposes not to offend anyone.]

***

"I ORDERED the replica to burn Her Royal Highness to ashes," Irene continued. "And because of me, Lahara died. I don't think His Majesty would forgive me for harming his beloved. I'm also certain that once Princess Tiffany wakes up, she'd be after my throat again. The war has already started. If I don't fight them, I'll die." He let go of his hands to put her hands on her tummy. "I won't let them kill me easily. I have a son to protect. You know the emperor more than I do, Lisa. So, tell me. Do you think he'd listen to me and my fellow Fire Mages?"

Pain crossed his eyes. Then, he gently shook his head. "For His Majesty, the Fire Mages are the royal family's enemies. And he'd never forgiven you for harming Her Royal Highness."

"I know, right?" she said with a bitter smile. "That's why I need to make you choose now, , Lisa. If you wouldn't take my side, then you'd have to kill me. Because no matter what you say, I won't change my mind. To make the royal family stop killing the Fire Mages, I need to fight them first to force them to listen. If you don't want me to die by the hands of His Majesty, then you'd have to kill me and Winter now."

"How can you say that easily, Irene?"

"The war has already started, Lisa. I have to act quickly or else, I'd lose everything," she said firmly. Then, she pulled out the dagger in the holster attached to his hip. Then, she put the dagger in his hand and made him point the sharp edge at her heart. He looked horrified by what she did but she held his hands tight. "My life is in your hands now, Lisa."

He didn't look happy with that.

The dagger was suddenly covered in ice and when he grasped it tighter, the frozen dagger broke into tiny pieces.

"If protecting you and our son would make me a traitor, so be it,", Lisa said firmly. Then, he held her hands and placed them on his chest– on the area where she could feel the beat of his heart. "My heart is in your hands, Irene."

And she finally broke into happy tears.

***

"NOW I understand why His Majesty went to my office this afternoon,", Lisa told Irene. Right now, they were riding on his horse that was walking leisurely. His wife was leaning against his chest, listening closely to what he was saying. They could talk freely now because they were already in his estate. Before he talked, he made sure that no one was spying on them. Ah, Captain Denver went home after their conversation because it would be dangerous if other people saw the three of them together. "I thought he was only joking when he made me choose between you and him."

"His Majesty did that? Irene "Who did you choose, Lisa?"

"You."

"Are you crazy?" she said, then turned to him with a knotted forehead. "Even if you think the emperor was only joking, you should have given him lip service."

"The emperor is perceptive. He'd know even if I lied," he reasoned. "Now I understand why he was so melancholic then. His Majesty knows that even if you expose your identity to me, I'd still choose you."

"I'm sorry, Lisa," she said in a sad voice. "I'm sorry for making you betray the person you vowed your loyalty to."

"I would lie if I said betraying His Majesty doesn't hurt me," he confessed. "He was the only father figure that I had when I was growing up. I witnessed how he grew from a carefree crown prince into a responsible emperor. He only acts immaturely as a coping mechanism. I know because I've seen his vulnerable side. But despite the bond that we have, I still can't let him kill you and our baby. Knowing his hatred towards the Fire Mages and the people who hurt Her Royal Highness, we cannot hope that he'd listen to our side. Fighting the royal family is the only choice that we have if we want to survive."