White Force

A Fox's Grin

Cora

As the Fire King promised, I was moved to a new room, but what he failed to mention was how this room happened to be directly across from his. With my new found freedom, I'd surveyed any possible hidden doors or treasures within. It was always a hobby of mine, finding valuables discarded like trash or tucked away for safe-keeping. Hunger made the teenage version of me very crafty when it came to finding valuables. But in this hallow, lifeless room of mine, I only found dust. 

Titus didn't bother to knock. My heavy, snow covered doors swung open as if he'd sent a blast of white fire through them. He was armed with his usual, cocky grin, clad in a maroon and golden embroidered tunic. His silver-splashed hair was gently combed to the back, shining like his glistening crown. The sight of him caused my heart to ache and threatened to rip open the pieces I'd just stitched together. My love. My traitor.

My enemy.

"You look horrible," he frowned, strutting toward me to study my face. I'd lost nearly ten pounds, the color to my cheeks, as well as my good manners - whatever manners I had, anyway. 

"So do you," I blandly retorted. "That crown doesn't suit you well. I'm sure it would look better on Prince Sebastian's head."

I was met with furious eyes. "I see confinement hasn't tamed that mouth of yours."

I leaned against my headboard, crossing my arms as if his presence hadn't affected me. "How's the 'Prince Hunt' been fairing you?"

Titus ignored my question as he said, "How do you like your new room?"

"Only curious to know why I'm directly across from the Fire King."

Titus' eyes narrowed. "How do you know which room he's in?"

Crap. I panicked.

"I-I heard him talking just outside of my room. I can also feel his heat creeping in from the crack under the door. It's ten degrees hotter in here, by the way. The snow is practically melting off of my door."

Titus sneered. "I'll tell him to turn the heat up, then."

"Does it please you to torture me?" I asked him. "Did you ever really love me?" I waited for his response, but he said nothing as his eyes bore into mine. "Not only did you break my heart, you're also trying to break my mind."

"Oh, Cora," Titus said, resting his hand on my outstretched leg. It was hard not to flinch from his touch. "Things would be a lot easier if you'd tell me where the prince is. Instead, you choose to play games. If you think you've felt anything close to torture, you are mistaken.

"Soon, I'll tire of your games. And when I do, I'll take you down to the torturing chambers and have my way with that mind of yours - a mind that is still intact."

"I told you what I know," I told him, and it took every bit of strength in me not to attach a smart comment. I watched his lowered eyes graze over my body until they settled on my face. His cold eyes were full of venom.

He casually sat on the edge of my bed as if he were an old friend, simply visiting me. It was unnerving, and I did my best not to scoot away.

"You're bruises have healed over, nicely, though you are a bit pale and malnourished. Have you been eating?" Was that...concern I heard in his voice? No. Not Titus.

"Yes, I've been eating," I barked.

"Such a shame that the Queen hasn't. She's almost as thin as a wall. Though, I suppose losing your husband, your kingdom, and your son all in one night has a way of defeating you. She isn't as hot-blooded as you. She has no bark or bite. The weak are always the first to kill themselves off.

"I wonder what the prince would think if he came back and found his mother dead? I'll give her two weeks, three at most." Titus slowly raised innocent eyes to my heavy gaze. "I couldn't imagine losing my mother...could you?"

His words stung, and the impact of that sting caused old memories to stir in an old caldron full of despair. I could still see my mother's face, smell the scent of her perfume, hear the hiccup in her laugh. Though she had abandoned me long ago, her promises of coming back still lingered.

"What is your point?" I said through clenched teeth.

"I just simply came with a message, one you'd be wise to pass along to your little friends. The Prince has two weeks, and if his mother hasn't rotted away by then, I'll cut her head off and hang it in the courtyard for all to see. You tell the Prince, if he wants to keep one of his parent's alive, he better hurry back. My patience is running thin."

Titus didn't wait for my response before exiting my room. And once I was alone, I allowed my bravado to break. My shoulders hung in a painful way. A tear escaped from my eye. What would be the cost of gaining a kingdom back, if it meant losing those you loved most? I wouldn't allow the prince to return to ruin.

I was going to find a way to break his mother out of the castle one way or another. I was willing to risk my life on the task...

I stood from my bed and took to the chair that accompanied a desk. I drew parchment and a quill from the small, wooden drawer and began drawing the entire castle, including its exits. My plan would require pure luck, but it was better than sitting around, doing nothing.

As I focused on the queen's exit plan, smoke began to spill in from the crack of my door, causing the temperate to rise. The whitish gray pockets of air danced around my ankles, luring me to stand, pulling me toward my door. I looked at the clock, noting the time.

Thankful for the Fire King's call to meet, I quickly stood from my chair. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but I was beginning to enjoy his company. It was the only form of peace I'd been gifted with in the last weeks.

I followed the smoke to my door and opened it, expecting to see guards, but they were both sprawled out across the flagstone floor, certainly in a smoke induced coma. I ignored them as I raised a hand to the Fire King's door.

It cracked open, as if he knew I had been standing there, and my galloping heart was all I heard as I entered into his scorching lair.

A bare, muscled back faced me. Hair like ember glowed in the fire light. The muscles in his back flexed as he took in a deep breath. I couldn't help but to noticed every rip and curve, every indent and marking.

He turned toward me, his eyes lazily devouring me from head to toe. I was thankful I wore a thin, loose-fitting dress that exposed most of my upper chest and hung off of my shoulders. And although Titus had said I looked hideous, the Fire King's eyes said otherwise as he took me in.

To flirt with him, to make him fall in love with me, to make him agree to side with Sebastian was impossible. And yet, I was willing to become like Esmeralda to accomplish my goals. I was playing a dangerous game. A very dangerous game indeed.

I allowed my dress to slip from my shoulders and fall to the ground, exposing my nudity. My mouth dropped open, as if embarrassed, but I made no move to recover myself.

The room grew hotter by the second. The Fire King's head tilted as his eyes dined on my body. There was something deep inside of me that called to him. I was in over my head. So, desperately in over my head. But I had to play my role. 

And so I allowed my cheeks to flush as my mouth gaped open. "Oops," I whispered, taking in his hungry eyes.

On the outside, I shuttered, smiling shyly. On the inside, I wore a fox's grin.