Nightshade: A SimLit | Chapter 114: Fire and Ice

The Kingdom of Elphame.

Home to the other, less common species of spellcaster, the fairy world was well-hidden from the human eye, much like the magic realm. The fae people and their society were complex, from their social to political structures: ruled by a monarchy, the kingdom was reminiscent of medievalism; there were no modern, human advances in technology, and the kingdom was instead powered by fairy magic. 

Fairy magic itself was another intricacy. There were distinct types of fae, separated by their magical abilities: elements. Some controlled fire, others water, earth, or electricity. The reigning family was of the powerful bloodline Frost, having power over ice. Today, their crown prince, Glacier Frost, was to be wed, sealing a secure future for the kingdom and, if all was according to plan, another future heir. 

Of course, an event as important as a royal wedding was sure to have important guests. In particular, three of the most important figures in the supernatural world — the Sages. The trio approached the stone steps leading into the cathedral, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. 

"We're a bit early. Is that considered improper here?" Simeon pondered aloud, grasping the stair rail.

"What isn't considered improper here?" Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. I don't know if they have clocks here, anyway."

Morgyn sighed. "Of course they have clocks."

"Aren't those a modern invention?" she asked.

"They tell time somehow. We aren't here to be concerned over clocks, at least try to act appropriately, El."

Elphaba waved her hand dismissively. "Sorry, but you know I don't do that."

As they stepped through the double doors, Morgyn fell silent, unable to continue their banter through the looming feeling that somehow, this was not going to end well.

---

Steady, practiced hands adjusted the suffocating layers that adorned Glacier's figure. In a sharp contrast against the calm of his favored servant, his knees were weak and trembling beneath him. He was certain he wouldn't even make it to the altar like this. The prince took a deep, shaky breath, concentrating on the smoothness of the silk against his throat as the servant straightened his jabot. The silence between them was nearly audible, but just as he'd always been taught, Glacier was not the one to break it. 

"You are absolutely breathtaking, your highness," the servant — Inferno, a fire fairy — spoke, glancing up to meet his gaze with a smile. "Your bride will be the luckiest fairy in the kingdom today."

Glacier's throat tightened. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe. "Thank you," he responded, in an icy calm he wasn't even sure he could muster.

Inferno's smile faded. "You have been shaking the entire time I dressed you. I know you're trying to disguise how you truly feel, but you cannot hide your feelings from me. I know you too well." 

You cannot hide your feelings from me? Glacier could have laughed. He didn't.

"It's okay to be nervous, your highness," he continued, a bit more softly. "I understand. If I were entering an arranged marriage, I would be terrified."

Glacier's gaze lowered. "...I hardly know her. It's just that I always imagined marrying for love."

"Everyone does," Inferno sighed. "I wish life was more fair. If there was anything I could do to get you out of this, I would..."

"I know."

"As unfortunate as it is, all that you can do is make the most of it. Your fiancée is a desirable maiden, from a respectable family... perhaps she will be easy to learn to love. Kind and caring. I have no doubts she was raised to be so."

The words offered Glacier no comfort, only a churning sickness in his stomach. He swallowed thickly, then nodded once in response, the words dying in his throat. 

"I know this is not easy." Inferno's hands found his, and his heart skipped a beat. "But I will always be here for you, my prince. You will get through this. Everything will be okay."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, Glacier might have believed him. 

"We still have a little time. Come and sit," Inferno said, leading him to a bench in the cramped dressing room. "Would some tea calm your nerves? Perhaps an herbal blend, with a spoonful of honey, just the way you like it? I'm sure I could get you some."

Glacier's mind was absent as he was made to sit beside of him. The question fell on deaf ears. "My parents expect me to produce an heir as soon as possible," he said quietly, as though only now realizing the reality in its entirety. "My father prefers a son to honor the family, since only Frost kings have ruled..."

Inferno's hand wrapped around him and went to his shoulder. "You needn't worry about that at the present time. Truthfully, that may be the easiest part of the challenges ahead."

"The easiest part?" Glacier felt the bile rising in his throat. "But..."

"But?"

"The... consummation," he continued, lowering his strained voice as though he couldn't stand to say it.

"Oh," Inferno said. "Is that what's bothering you?"

Glacier nodded, his hands fidgeting in his lap. "I-I'm... I'm not ready."

"Perhaps it could be put off for a short time, until you get to know each other better. No one has to know." 

"What if I'm not ever ready?" Glacier's icy gaze pierced into his. "What if..."

"Prince Glacier," Inferno interrupted, and the sound of his name spilling from the man's lips made him shiver, "I'm sure she is worried about all the same things as you. You are both being forced to do something no one should have to... if she is as decent of a woman as your family has been told, she will be understanding. Just breathe. Your life will not end at this altar, I will make sure of it."

Glacier finally forced a smile. "Perhaps you're right. As long as I have you by my side... I will find a way through this," he said. Maybe he meant it. Maybe he could find a way to cope with harsh reality. Maybe, when the time came, he could dim the lights and close his eyes tightly, until the skin against his burned hot like a flame and the locks beneath his fingers were short and curled.

---

The most important part of the prince's wedding attire was the fake smile he wore; another shallow formality among many others that were ingrained in him at an early age. Outwardly, he may have appeared calm, but he was only distant. The ceremony music was garbled in his ears, he did not notice the beauty of the woman walking down the aisle to meet him on the altar. He only noticed her smile and silently wondered if it was the same as his; empty, a learned behavior to mask the pain. 

"Welcome, lords and ladies," the officiant began, "we gather here today to witness the joining of the fair Prince Glacier Frost and the noble Lady Terra Quagmire together in sacred matrimony. Lady Terra, are thou here of thine own free will and choice?"

 

"Yes," Terra replied, managing to sound far more cheerful about the situation than Glacier could imagine pulling off.

"Prince Glacier, art thou also here of thy own free will and choice?"

He forced the word out like he was retching to vomit. "Yes."

"Before the proceedings, if any man in attendance can provide just cause why they should not be joined together, by the laws of the realm; let him speak now or hereafter hold his silence."

The silence that followed was deafening.

"There being no objection to his marriage, let us continue. Will you, Lady Terra Quagmire, take unto thyself as thy husband Prince Glacier Frost, and make an oath unto him before the Kingdom of Elphame and the witnesses in attendance to honor and obey him, and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"

"I will," she quietly replied.

"And will you, Prince Glacier Frost, take unto thyself as thy wife Lady Terra Quagmire, and make an oath unto her before the Kingdom of Elphame and the witnesses in attendance to love and keep her, and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?"

Glacier's throat tightened. There were no words left in his lungs, no air, only the suffocation of the dread that coursed through his veins. From this moment forward, there would be no going back. He would not be okay. He would not find a way through this. His life was ending, here and now, sacrificed to his kingdom on the altar of a matrimony that never should have came to be. It was his duty, but it was not what he wanted. The eyes of the officiant, his parents, the wedding guests, and what felt like the entire world bore into his skin like knives, his lungs becoming more desperate for oxygen with each passing second they went without it and his heart becoming more desperate for its deepest desires with each passing second he spent trying to bury them.

He had to do this.

He couldn't do this.

He was going to do this.

"I..."

His eyes searched the cathedral's pews, and when they locked with Inferno's, the last of his resolve crumbled. "...I can't," he whispered. 

Hushed utterances and gasps broke out among the guests. The officiant, stunned, blinked once, then twice before speaking. "I beg your pardon?"

This time, Glacier turned to face his parents in the front row, brows furrowed in anger. "I can't and I won't! I object to this marriage!"

"Glacier Frost," his father began, rising from his seat, "you can and you will! What you will not continue to do is to publicly shame our family in this manner!"

Conflicted, the officiant glanced between both parties. "Do you have just reason to object to your matrimony?"

"He does not. Continue with the ceremony."

"I cannot fulfill my vows. I do not love her," Glacier insisted.

"Your Highness, if we all wed for love, most of us would not be married," the officiant said gently. "It is not uncommon to experience cold feet at one's wedding--"

Glacier shook his head. "There is sin in my heart. It belongs to someone else. To wed her would be to commit adultery within, would it not?"

"You are not to say such ridiculous and improper things," Glacier's father coldly stated. "I command you to continue and put an end to this insolent behavior. You will not make a fool of our kingdom in front of our respected guests."

"You are right, father," he replied through gritted teeth. "I must watch my manners in public. Allow me to excuse myself." 

The man gawked as his son walked down the steps and through the aisle, weaving between the crowd of now standing, shocked guests. "Return yourself to the altar at once!"

"Glacier!" Inferno called, reaching out as he stumbled after him to no avail. Caught up in the forming crowd, he could do nothing but watch him disappear through the cathedral's grand doorway.

Amongst the chaos, the sages remained seated, taking it all in like a horrible episode of reality television. An exasperated Morgyn turned to face their friends. "Remind me to never come to another royal wedding."

---

As the other guests cleared, Inferno wasted no time returning to the castle at the earliest opportunity. It wasn't far from the cathedral, and he knew that Glacier really had nowhere else to retreat to aside from his quarters; to simply walk out into town in the midst of this scandal would only create a bigger spectacle than he'd already caused. 

Inferno's feather-light footsteps echoed through the halls as he reached the top of stone staircase leading to the wing of the castle Glacier's room was in. He stopped short of the doorway, flapping his wings to silently rise off of his toes at the sound of low voices from the other side. Once he was sure they hadn't heard his approach, he darted to the corner in a short burst of flight, leaning in as close as he could to eavesdrop -- and praying he went undetected if he wanted to keep his head attached to his shoulders.

"...and you will explain the meaning of this nonsense at once, if you know what is good for you..."

He strained harder to focus on their voices, struggling to hear them over the heartbeat pounding in his ears.

"I already did," Glacier said, trying his best to sound unintimidated by his mother's threat. "I cannot marry someone I don't love."

His mother scoffed. "How do you know you have no love for her if you haven't even given her a chance?" 

"That isn't the point!" His patience was wearing thin. "It is not fair to expect me to force myself to love someone!"

The king took a turn to speak. "Well, if you are so certain you cannot love the woman we have chosen for you, why not reveal the identity of the one you so boldly declared your heart already belongs to?"

Every muscle in the prince's body tensed. He could no longer hold their gaze, instead shamefully averting his eyes to the floor. "...I..."

"It's a commoner, isn't it? One of the servants?" The queen sighed. "You rarely leave the castle grounds. When you do, you are chauffeured. There is not a moment you spend outside of the gaze of the staff, and even then, it is improper to leave you alone with women for very long. How do you have time to develop these sorts of feelings for..." She paused. 

Glacier's eyes shot back up to scan her features for even the slightest hint of realization. When he found it, he was sure she could sense the fear that shot through his body like a bolt of lightning. 

"It's him," the disgust dripped from her voice like venom, "your manservant, is it not?"

"I-Inferno?" Glacier stammered. "Why... why would you make that sort of assumption?"

"You spend all of your free time with him, and you have never treated him as less than a companion." Her eyes narrowed. "Of course, we thought it beneficial for you to grow up together and develop a relationship beyond mere master and servant, considering that his family has offered their service to ours for several generations, and seeing as you had no siblings to confide in... perhaps that was a grave mistake."

"T-This is absurd," he forced a laugh. "I would never... I'm not... like that..."

"Prove to us, then," the king began, "that we have not raised a sodomite. You will marry Terra on the morrow, or your servant will be escorted to the guillotine at sunset."

"You can't do that! He hasn't committed a crime!"

The queen turned away, the heavy clicks of her boot heels following her to the door. "To tempt our son into such gravely sinful feelings is the highest form of treason. Now you are both beyond redemption."

"No, this is-- this is simply a misunderstanding!" Glacier's voice trembled. "I-I'll do it! I will marry her... but please, don't harm him; he is innocent, I swear it!"

The king calmly turned to follow the queen, a smug smile spreading across his lips. "You insist on his innocence, but what of yours, Glacier?" He paused at the doorway, taking one last glance at his son over his shoulder. "You have lost it to your heart's wickedness. Think of the wedding as your one chance at redemption. If you do not accept this opportunity... perhaps we will allow you to be with the one you "love" after all -- in eternal damnation."

Never in his life had Glacier felt an unpleasant chill. But his blood ran painfully cold as they left him standing there, alone, tears beginning to run down his cheeks and freezing into icy crystal before they fell from them.

---

The night was sleepless. Glacier lost count of the hours he spent tossing and turning, crying into his pillow one moment and numbly gazing at the ceiling the next. He would find the strength to go through with the wedding tomorrow; he was more than willing to exchange his happiness for Inferno's life -- but would that sacrifice be enough to satisfy his parents?

He didn't know.

The soft creak of the aging door was not enough to snap him out of his thoughts. He sat silently on the edge of his bed, staring down at nothing, oblivious to the person entering the room until they spoke. " Prince Glacier?"

He lifted his gaze, trailing his eyes along the outline of the body he so deeply wished to admire yet would never touch. "What are you doing in my chambers at this hour?"

"...I could not sleep," Inferno replied quietly.

Glacier's eyes lowered again. "Neither could I," he whispered.

The other fairy silently moved to his bedside, kneeling until they were eye-to-eye and grasping his hands in his. Glacier's breath hitched in his throat, but he said nothing, waiting on Inferno to speak. There was a warmth in his eyes, like the gentle crackling of a flame in a fireplace that one might enjoy if they were not vulnerable to it. "I overheard your conversation with the King and Queen earlier," he softly began, "and I wanted to tell you that I am fully prepared to face the consequences of tomorrow, should you choose not go through with the wedding."

The prince's eyes widened. "Inferno--"

"I also wanted to encourage you," he continued, "not to go through with the wedding. You deserve happiness, my prince. This marriage will not bring it to you."

"Even so, they would never allow me to get away with it... they threatened me, they said--"

"They cannot punish you without proof of a crime."

"Of course they can, they're the king and queen."

"And you are the prince. The entire country would riot." Inferno smiled. "Do not allow them to take away what little agency you have for my sake. I'm begging you to do this for yourself. For me."

"Inferno," Glacier choked out, more insistently this time, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. His trembling hand reached out to rest on Inferno's cheek, stroking it softly with his thumb. "If I don't do this, they-- they're going to execute you tomorrow at sunset..."

Inferno's eyes fluttered closed beneath his touch and he only smiled wider. "I know."

"My happiness is not worth your life," he continued.

"It is to me."

"I will never be happy again if you die because of me."

"It doesn't matter if I live or die," Inferno said, opening his eyes to meet the prince's gaze. "One way or another, my life ends tomorrow. If I watch you marry her, if I watch you throw away the rest of your life for mine... it will be the end of my world. But if you don't do it, if you choose your happiness over my life, I will gladly give it up for you. I promise that I will die contented. Your happiness is my happiness."

He could no longer bite back the tears. "But what if your death is the end of my world? What if you are my happiness?"

"Then," Inferno's voice was barely above a whisper, "regardless of tomorrow's fate, I am here tonight, my love."

Their lips met like waves to the shore, gracefully crashing against each other in a desperate kiss; a union of icy breath and wet heat as the moment consumed them whole. Cold hands entangled into soft ginger curls, the curls that Glacier had imagined running his fingers through so many nights before this one; that felt like silk beneath his fingertips as he grasped them tighter, guiding him closer to deepen the kiss. Unsure of what to do with his hands, Inferno settled for resting them on the prince's arms, trailing them further up until they found his shoulders and grasped as though he was afraid to let go of him. When the kiss finally ended, leaving them breathless and yearning for another, Glacier was the first to speak. "I love you," he panted, "I have for so long, and I was so afraid to tell you -- afraid that you wouldn't feel the same way, or worse, you would hate me for it..."

"I felt the same way," Inferno confessed. "I know that it's forbidden. I-It's supposed to feel wrong, but the way I feel about you... it has only ever felt right."

"Even if it were wrong, I wouldn't care," He shifted back further onto the bed, making room for Inferno to join him on it. "I will gladly be damned for all eternity just to have this one night with you..."

They kissed once more, starving this time, seeking to devour each other whole. It was only when Inferno's back hit the silk sheets beneath them that they parted again, the deep-down hesitance surfacing in his amber eyes. "There's no going back once this line has been crossed... are you truly certain you want to cross it?"

"I have never been more certain of anything," Glacier answered, his fingers trailing down Inferno's wrist to briefly lace together with his. "There is no going back for me. There never has been."

Inferno smiled, squeezing his hand once before releasing it. "In what way am I so worthy of your admiration? Truthfully, I don't understand... I have nothing to offer you. I'm only a servant."

"All I have ever wanted is you, so long as you're offering me yourself, I require nothing else."

"Then make me yours, my prince," he pleaded. "I want to be. Need to be."

Glacier's cheeks were growing uncomfortably hot. He smiled back at him regardless, moving to fumble with the other man's corset. Maneuvering his hands behind him to do so proved to be a challenge, but the lacing was relatively simple to unravel. He tossed the unneeded garment aside. The undershirt was quickly discarded thereafter, and the pleasure-laced burn of his ice-cold hands trailing Inferno's torso was a mutually shared glimpse of heaven. When his lips followed the same path as his fingertips, Inferno gasped beneath him, hands quickly finding their way to grasp at his silver strands. 

"Burns," Inferno whined.

The prince couldn't suppress a chuckle at his choice of wording, but he stilled. "That's a rich complaint coming from you."

His grip tightened. "N-No, I'm not complaining, please don't stop..."

Glacier's hands found the waistband of his trousers when a hand abruptly latched onto his wrist, stilling him. "I thought you didn't want me to stop?"

"I don't," Inferno said, "but is this not a bit... unfair? You're still fully dressed."

"Oh." He blushed. "I suppose you're right..."

The fire fairy's lips curled into a smirk as he began to shed of him his endless layers. "Your bride was supposed to take these off of you tonight. I never imagined I would get to instead," he pondered aloud. "I much prefer this to helping you put them on... they're rather ridiculous. You look better without them."

Inferno had never seen the prince so flustered before. At a loss for words, he simply began to assist him in discarding the various articles of clothing, eventually leaving them both in nothing but their undergarments. Their wordless admiration seemed to last ages, as though they were absorbing every detail of each other, knowing they'd never have the opportunity to do so again. 

"You're so beautiful," Glacier spoke softly, removing a leg wrapped around his waist to instead press feather-light kisses to the bare calf. "I could admire you for hours..."

"I would much rather admire you..."

"Allow me this much, Inferno," he insisted. "You have admired me every day for as long as I can remember."

The beginning of an objection was silenced with another kiss; languid, an attempt to convince themselves they had all the time in the world. In the haze of their passion, Inferno wasn't sure when the rest of their clothes were lost, or when he ended up on his stomach, pressed into the mattress and shivering beneath tender kisses to his shoulder and fingers ghosting over his skin. There was no more fear or hesitation, only a smoldering fire within his heart that blazed hotter with every passing moment, like the fire that melted Glacier as he buried himself in the searing heat of his lover's body, walking the line of ecstasy and misery, silently wishing the night would never end and fighting back the tears in his eyes.

---

Inferno was restless long after the prince was slumbering peacefully next to him as though the coming of the morrow was of no consequence. He couldn't help admiring the sleeping figure, tracing patterns into his bare skin and breathing in his scent -- sharp, like a gust of icy air flooding his nose. As much as he hated being cold, he welcomed the cool sting of Glacier's skin against his, even if it made him shiver. He could wake up this way every morning for the rest of his life. He wanted to.

Glacier shifted, pressing back further against his body. There was the slightest curve of a smile on his lips, a genuine smile rather than the practiced one he wore as a mask. Warm fingers gently massaged his shoulder, melting away what little tension remained even in his sleep. Inferno couldn't bear the thought of his lover living another day the way he had before, knowing now that he could be happy, if only...

Inferno lingered on the thought that crossed his mind for far too long. He still wouldn't allow Glacier to throw his life away for his sake. Therefore, if he was going to die tomorrow, he stood to gain everything and lose nothing. Tonight, there were no laws to obey, no monarchs to fear.

No conscience to heed.

He pressed one last kiss to the prince's shoulderblade and eased himself out of bed, careful not to wake him. His feet led him, controlled not by a sound mind but by the uncontrollable darkness that was unraveling inside of him. A servant like him was powerless. He'd been powerless all of his life, and tomorrow it would be the same once more; but tonight, for the first and last time, he would have a taste of power.

A taste was all he needed.

Inferno was silent as he slipped inside the monarchs' quarters. His feet barely touched the ground, instead hovering just above it so as not to let the click of his heels alert the sleeping figures to his presence. He landed a few feet from the bed with a moment's hesitation. Once he acted, there would be no going back. A deep breath took the edge off of his nerves enough to focus on the extended hand in front of him; the heat that began to spread through his fingers as flaming eyes squeezed shut. He could be brave. He would show no fear nor remorse to the judge, jury, and executioner tomorrow.

And he would show no mercy tonight.

Fire poured from his palm, combusting the room into an inferno comparable only to the depths of hell he intended to send them to. The flames danced in his stone cold eyes, contrasted sharply to the heat surrounding him. He knew the fire would quickly be discovered and the castle evacuated, and when it was, he couldn't be here; yet he lingered behind for a few more moments to relish the screams, lips curling into a satisfied smile as he uttered:

"The king is dead, long live the king."

---

As the sun set on the reigns of the king and queen, it rose to shine on Elphame's new rightful ruler; though the official coronation was an event that would require time to organize, set for in a few days' time, Glacier had fallen asleep a mere prince and awoken in the middle of the night as an honored king. No one could be prepared for such a sudden ascension to the throne, but the timing was even worse than usual. Just yesterday, he made a disgrace of himself at the altar in the eyes of his subjects. Today, he would have to begin to earn their respect as a monarch. He hadn't the slightest clue where to begin. It wasn't as though he had time to mourn the loss of his mother and father, either. Perhaps he was thankful for that, because he wasn't sure there was anything to mourn. Had he really lost anything at all? It didn't feel like it to him, though the guilt of the relief their untimely demise provided consumed him in wake of it all. Between all of the formalities proceeding their deaths and being the only one to oversee the organization of repairs to the charred royal wing of the castle, he hadn't had a quiet moment to reflect in hours. It was near noon by now, and he'd finally made his way to the throne room, the only place left in the castle that wasn't buzzing with panicked activity. As he gazed thoughtfully at the throne, both the threat of the coming weight of the crown and yesterday evening's events weighed heavily on his mind. Not the fire or the death -- his parents' threats, the passionate exchange with Inferno...

It was then that the realization dawned on him.

No one knew of his parents' plans to execute Inferno, nor to go through with forcing the marriage arrangement. Those announcements would have been made in the morning -- the morning they never lived to see. Even if they had, as of now, he was the king. His lifetime of powerlessness was over. Starting today, he had the agency and control of his life. It was like the burden of the entire world fell from his shoulders the moment he realized he was free. Whatever weight he would have to endure carrying as king was more than worth knowing that Inferno was endangered no longer. Nothing else mattered.

"Y-Your Highness?"

The familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts. He looked over his shoulder, doing his best at forcing an expression befitting of someone who just lost their parents, as his servant -- soon to be a free man, Glacier mentally added -- hurried to his side.

"Your Highness," Inferno repeated, a bit frantic this time as he took hold of his hands, "I-I... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay," he responded with a frown, "Everything is going to be okay--"

"No," Inferno interrupted, "you don't understand, I..."

Glacier's brows knit in concern as tears began to well in the redhead's eyes. "Darling," he said softly, "listen to me--"

"I set the fire," he quickly finished.

Silence. Slowly, Glacier's mouth fell open again as though he was preparing to speak, but the words lagged. "...I... I beg your pardon?"

"I-I set the fire," Inferno stammered out a second time, his legs trembling, threatening to give beneath him. He didn't fight it, allowing himself to fall to his knees at the king's feet -- not that groveling would get him anywhere. He knew that. "I killed them. I-I did it for your sake. I didn't want you to have to endure the fate they assigned you. You should be able to choose your own, freely... that is what you deserve."

Glacier's chest tightened.

"I-I am well aware of the consequences of high treason," Inferno continued, his head hung and gaze fixed on the floor below. "I was going to die either way. I wanted to do it on my own conditions... t-to die for you. To have meaning makes the prospect of my death more bearable... I only hope that you can forgive me. I beg that much of you... I can die in peace if you do."

"Inferno..."

At the sound of his name, he finally lifted his head to meet the other's gaze, reaching up to take his hand. "I will always love you, my prince. Even if I am to die by your own decree... or by your own sword."

"I cannot forgive you," he began, lacing their fingers together, "because there is nothing to forgive. You could burn this whole kingdom to the ground and I would find you faultless still," he said softly. "My heart is forever yours, Inferno Blaze. No treason or crime will change that."

"But--"

"After all, you are innocent until proven guilty in our courts," he continued with a smile, leaning down until their faces were inches apart, lips nearly brushing together.

"Yes, but you know of my guilt and therefore can prove it," Inferno quietly insisted.

"I can keep a secret," Glacier began in a whisper. Inferno's eyes widened, but he said nothing as the king's finger hooked under his chin, tilting his head up to meet his gaze. "So, perhaps," he continued, eyes fluttering closed as he sealed the gap between them, "it is I who is the traitor..."