The Scarlet Phoenix and the Prince of Winter

Chapter Seventy Nine

"What is it?" Artholdt asked me excitedly. Perhaps he was expecting that I will tell him everything. But he was wrong. "What do you think was the reason that our mother kept her identity?"

I shook my head. "It's just a theory. I think she was trying not to get the attention of a certain person, who would have killed her the instant that she declared who she was, or what she was." Artholdt was confused by this, as he should, for I had no intention of telling him what I was thinking right now. 

"Or it could also be that he was protecting you and your brother," said the Crown Prince while looking at me earnestly. "I'm sure that whatever it was that made her stay silent, she was thinking of you and your whole family."

"Thank y-you..." I responded and it took me some strength not to cry from what he just said. How I wish that was true. How I wish that my mother indeed made those decisions for us, and not for some selfish reason just as what Aunt Milca used to imply. I want to believe that my mother somehow cared for us. Growing up with my Aunt forced the idea into my head that she decided to go back to where she came from because she could not take the 'oppression' from our neighbors anymore. And when you follow that kind of assumption, it opens another toxic thinking. I grew up resenting the fact that my mother had to go back, as my brother and I were left behind. But right now, I have started to see things differently. 

"So about the map," said the Crown Prince to Artholdt, "was that all the things that you found out? Can you not think of anything else that it might mean? Maybe after some time, can you not reflect on it and think of other ways to interpret it?"

"I'm afraid that that was all that I can do, Your Highness. That was the literal translation of what is written in there. But you are right. It is possible that it has other meanings. It could have been a code. Or it could have been written as vague as that so that only the right person will get it. Who knows? Maybe it isn't what we are thinking it is." Artholdt was right when he said that. Who could know what the map actually means? And even though I have a clue of what it is really about, I still don't know anything. It kind of frustrated me too, and somehow I wished that maybe 

"That would be it then," Prince Kao said. "Thank you for helping us, Artholdt. We are grateful for agreeing to help us decipher what the map was saying."

"Don't thank me too much Your Highness. I feel ashamed as I was not able to give you the exact information that you wanted. But if you want to I will try my best to research more on this matter."

"That would be great," said the Crown Prince to him. "And please, keep this as a secret between us."

"I will. Don't worry. I also personally want to know what the ancient text inscribed in this shield truly means, so I would do anything to find the answer and that includes keeping it a secret from your father. However, King Luander might not like the idea of you studying the history of the kingdom as that would give him the impression that you are already excited for him to vacate the throne. So make sure that he doesn't find out about it from you too."

That was it. Now that we have talked with Calyx's father about the ancient text on the shield we decided to go on and move with our plans. Artholdt had advised us to come to him just like this, disguised and we will only visit him during the night when there are no students outside. He also agreed that it was best for the Crown Prince to not tell even his family about his true identity. And we promised that we will be back and we will inform him of anything that we will find out. And speaking of his family, Calyx was waiting for us at their main hall. He was waiting for us because he wanted to invite us to stay longer and offer us food. I would have loved to, as I just realized that I was getting hungry too, but Prince Kao had other plans in his mind so we refused his invitation kindly and went ahead. 

On the way out, I could not help but talk to the Crown Prince about our meeting with Calyx's father. We were walking briskly in the covered pathway leading to the main gate of the Fire Academy when I talked to him in whispers. "Our meeting with him was less fruitful than I had expected," I said frankly. "I thought he would instantly understand what the ancient text would mean. But it was understandable. I don't think that there is a riddle that is easy enough for everyone to decipher. I guess we have to work harder for that."

"We may have not acquired the information that we needed, but to me, that was still worth it coming here."

"Why do you think that way?" I asked him because he was serious right now.

"We got to know your parents more because of Artholdt, especially your mother. For me, that was as good as solving the riddle of the ancient text."

I had to admit that almost got me. Almost. "I already know a lot of things that he said," I told the Crown Prince because that was the truth. "The only thing that was new to me was the part where my father asked for his help when my father wanted to stop my mother going back out of the kingdom."

"Yeah, I know... But I did not know a lot of things that I heard from Artholdt. And it made me feel better that somehow, even if it's just from another person I got to know your story better."

"W-Why would you want to know my past? I personally don't want to bring it back anymore."

The Crown Prince smiled at me and then he held my hands for the second time. "I like you. Of course, I want to know you better, and that includes knowing your past."

It felt as though time stood still. For a moment, I even thought that I was in another lucid dream. For this can't be real, right? Does the Crown Prince really want to know everything about me? Does that mean... does that mean that he is really serious when he confesses his feelings to me?

I know I was having a hard time believing all of this, but how can I not suspect everything that's happening to me right now? It's not common for a member of the Royal Family to fall in love with someone like me. And even though the Crown Prince was trying his best to show me that he walks the talk, there was still this part of me that doubts everything. What if he is just confused because we are together all the time? And what if his feelings towards me will fade away as soon as we come back to our daily lives? I have so much fear about the time when we will stop having these missions because by then I think that would be the time that would tell us if we really wanted each other for real or it was just a product of us being close.

But still, even though I feel all the negativities every time the Crown Prince shows me his affection, I also feel the genuine happiness that he brings me. I am so happy that this thing happened to me anyway, despite my inhibitions and doubts. For me, this was the best part of these missions. Not only because I found out that the person that I like so much likes me back, but because I got to have a deeper understanding of how Prince Kao lives his life. He is so kind, smart, and strong-willed that I envy him for his determination. He can also think of a way when something bad happens, and he always thinks ahead. You would never worry about most things when you are with him. He is a very reliable person.

"Uhm, Prince Kao, where are we going next?" I asked him when we were able to ride back to the snow carriage that he rented. His Royal Guards were already waiting for us there, also disguised while some of them were at a distance, just watching us do our thing. 

"We now need to go to Ralphus, your friend's finance. We have to ask him about the details that you thought about."

My eyes lit up at his answer. "Really? You mean to say that you are going to follow my suggestion?"

He nodded. "Because you were right. It is a good idea. We still don't know who this Jack Bloomfire is so asking if he knows a person by that name that had rented his private snow carriages is the best thing that we can do for now. And once we get the information from him, we can finally make our next move."

I nodded. The Crown Prince was right. Though we now have a name with us who is our primary suspect in my aunt's a*******n, we are still clueless about who this person is. We can't rely alone on the Royal Guard to obtain such information. It will be best if we go straight to the owner of the snow carriage business rentals, and that is Kaylie's fiance. I am also excited to see him again as he is already friendly to me due to Kaylie introducing me to him once. But it was still a long ride from the Fire Academy to their home, as he lives in Upper Dainty, an exclusive neighborhood of rich families located in the far east of Aurville. And since the Fire Academy is in the far west, going there will take a while. This is how I fell asleep and then I was sent back to the dreamland that I have been visiting for quite a few times already. 

***

I woke up with a start, as someone was beside me. I felt something in my face, and I realized that there was a person close enough to me, something that I don't permit to happen. So with a wave of my right hand, I created a blast of flames that caused this person to shout and stumble into the ground.

"Aww! Aww! It's so hot! My arms are burned!" said the struggling voice of a familiar person. I stood up and saw Nievo, the exuberant young man, wincing in pain as he just received burn marks from my attack. 

"You---!"

"You should have not done that!" he said to me and I was offended that he talks back like this. "What if you were able to kill me? I would never forgive you!"

"What did you say?" I was so shocked that this lowly human was talking to me like this. How insolent of him, when I can turn him into ashes whenever I want to! "You have some guts to talk back to me, a deity?"

"I saved you!" he replied with a snarl. "I was able to save you from that evil man and then I transferred you here! I did everything to keep you alive! At least give me that respect that I deserve, right?"

I was clueless as to what he was saying. "What are you talking about?"

He glared at me. "I am talking about the fact that I was just cleaning you with a clean piece of cloth when you suddenly woke up and decided to incinerate me! How unlucky of me to experience that after I managed to save you from that armored man who has powers!"

"I remember! The man that I think is Kentan! The god of the sea that was after me! Where is he now?"

"I don't know," said Nievo, who was deeply hurt that I attacked him after what he had done to me. "I have no idea where that bastard went. All I know is that he is still alive, and he will come for you again so that's why I had you here. You were no longer safe in that volcano home of yours. He can go inside there too, you know..."

"What? What happened when I was still asleep?" I asked. "And where am I right now? And where are my followers? Where is Ova?"

"Relax," said Nievo but I could no longer feel relaxed after all the questions that needed to be answered. First of all, was where was I? I looked around and saw that I was somewhere I don't know. This looked like in the wilderness, except that there was no one here other than us. We were like in a man-made tent of leaves and wood and I just noticed that we were up at the peak of a mountain. It was daybreak and I can see the sun rising in my east. "I will tell you everything. But first, can you heal my burnt marks? They are so painful! I think I am going to die!"

I know that he was not lying because what I did to him was actually more painful than just being burned in a common way. MMy flames are 'live flames' as they are a part of me. Which means that if I burn you with these flames, I am burning you with my body and that is both physical and magical. That doubles the pain that you will receive, and that is why Nievo is already wiping in pain right now. So I decided to help him. I changed myself into a bird of flames and flew out in the open. I searched the area using my exceptional vision, and luckily I found what I needed as soon as I flew into the sky. 

It was an herb that can cure extreme burns such as from my own flames, and I made a syrupy-like substance from these herbs and poured it gently into Nievo's burn marks. The skin was severely burned and even I was wincing when I already poured the herb substance into the wound. 

"You should be careful next time," he said to me. "Next tie you might burn my whole body. That would be a shame."

"It is not my fault that you have been that close to me when I woke up. Naturally, I will protect myself."

"Yeah, I know, but please be careful next time. I am not willing to die for you, you know. I am not like your servants." He then gasped the moment he finished saying that. "Oh no. I was going to tell you that later so that you would have enough time to prepare yourself. But I guess I have no choice but to tell you."

"Why? What happened to my Gypsies?"

"Ova and the others were killed. They were killed by that crazy man who has some creepy powers."

"What?" 

And it was then that Nievo explained the details of what had transpired while I was listening in shock. It turns out that when I slept, (as part of my hibernation) that armored guy whom I suspect as Kentan managed to find and enter my home. Inside the volcano, he was able to locate me. He was about to kill me using some unknown means when according to Nievo, Ova came to my rescue and fought the armored guy. A brutal fight ensues and Ova was killed. Some of the other Gypsies retaliated and that was when Nievo came inside the volcano. He was just going to ask Ova about the map in the shield when he saw what was happening. Naturally, he aided my Gypsies in the fight. 

But still, the attacker was more powerful than all of them combined, so they almost got killed too. The only reason that they were able to survive was that the volcano started to release sulfuric gas, and then lava was also starting to sip out of the ground. This scared the attacker and it fled. Fearing for his life, Nievo ran for his life. But he also remembered me who was sleeping on the altar bed that I made from crystals found in this volcano. Nievo decided to take me with him because he was not sure if I could really survive a volcanic eruption (fun fact, I can) and we were able to get out of the volcano before it spewed flames and hot ash into the air. We were able to escape but Ova and the others were not as lucky. 

"That was what happened. It has already been four days since that happened, but I am still afraid that you might get attacked by that person again. "He is crazy. I don't think that he fears for his own safety. That's why I hid you. I was cleaning your face because it rained ashes again this day and you got bits of the ashes when you woke up. That is why you ought to be careful. You might just accidentally kill the person that has saved you."

I frowned at him. "You became my servant before I hibernated so it was actually your obligation to save me, Nievo. Don't get carried away too much."

He laughed a little. "I'm just worried that you will get hurt. Anyway, now that you are awake, what are you planning to do? Are you going to hide?"

I laughed maniacally. "Me?" I said haughtily, pointing at myself. "Hide? A deity doesn't hide from their enemies, Nievo. I will do the opposite. I will hunt that person."