Frozen Flame

Chapter 12: Confrontation

Fire Prison

Svorn's mouth tightened. "Elena, I told you to go."

She just stood there, staring at him. "Why? How...? How could you?"

"Elena..."

"Your own brother?"

He turned to the soldiers. "Go." And they followed his order with rapid movement. 

"Svorn, look at me when I'm talking to you."

He turned back to her and crossed his arms, looking into her eyes. "I'm looking at you."

"And stop running away from me. Please. Let us talk this out."

"I'm not moving. I'm standing here with open ears. Speak." Cold, monotonous tone. 

She swallowed. "Please tell me why you have Thorn here."

"I can't tell you that."

"Then tell me what you intend to do with him."

"I can't tell you that either."

"Where was he? How did you take him? Why is he unconscious on the floor?"

"I can't-"

"Damn it, Svorn!" He flinched and she stepped forward coming closer and closer towards him. "I've had enough of this! Of all this! I know you think you're protecting people or whatever by doing this - I know you think you're saving people by closing yourself off from the world, and doing whatever your brain deems necessary - but it isn't working! Okay? 

"You're not helping anyone, you're not fixing anything, you're making it worse!" She took a deep breath, knowing her next words would tear into him. "Svorn. You are hurting me."

He flinched again and stepped back.

But she didn't move. "It may not seem like it, but I'm trying to help you. I've been trying to help you this entire time. I'm offering my hand, you just need to accept it." She tilted her head to the side. "I know you didn't originally want the job, but you're the Fire Lord now. It's been over five years. You need to move towards pulling everything together and ruling correctly. You need to stand up to the council. You need to take charge correctly. You need to show everyone that you can pull it together, so they will want to follow you - rather than being forced to."

He wet his lips and lifted his shoulders slightly. "I know. And I'm doing that."

A soft laugh. She turned her face to the side and then looked back. "Oh my goodness, Svorn, no you're not! The people hate you! They all hate you! And because they know I'm around you, they hate me too. They mock you, they mock me, they spit on me for visiting with you - they call you weak!"

"I am weak, okay?!"

"No, you're not." She stepped forward again. "No-one who went through what you did and remained sane can ever be called weak! Seriously, Svorn. I keep trying to tell you and you just won't listen!"

His hands unwound and came to his front, emphasizing his words. "I am listening! All the time, I'm listening! Always listening! You! You don't understand! You can't, and I'd never want you to! Can't you just trust me for once? Can't you just believe I'm doing the best I can do - the right thing?"

She clenched her fists together and slammed a finger into his chest, forcing him backwards. Then gestured towards Thorn. "I might be able to trust you if I didn't walk in to see your brother a bloody mess inside your castle locked in the bloody Fire Prison!"

He placed his hands in front to fend her off, still walking backwards. "I promise, there is a respectable reason-"

"It doesn't matter if you have a reason!" She slammed a hand into his chest as his back hit the wall. "This is bad. This is wrong. This is evil." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but her body betrayed her as her ability caused her skin to continue heating, steam rising from her. "You are not evil, heartless, vile, or anything else anyone says. You try to do right, you are gentle, you are loving, you are hurt and you are trying to recover, and you are the most beautiful person I've ever met. This is what I kept telling myself. Consistently. Even throughout the years as I slowly began to see you deteriorate more and more, I kept believing that. Always. But now... Now I'm starting to believe I was wrong.