Page 41 of A Storm of Fire and Ice

My words hung heavily in the air, a stark reminder of what was at stake. If we couldn’t find our harmony here, how could we hope to face the darkness that threatened the realm beyond these walls?

Chapter Thirteen

Helena

Thewarmmorningsunlightfiltered through the atrium’s stained glass, scattering colorful prismatic patterns on the marble floor beneath our feet. The scent of fresh coffee mingled with lavender and jasmine as Aria and I sat across from each other at a delicate wrought-iron table, sipping from our steaming mugs.

“Do you like your coffee extra hot too?” Aria asked unexpectedly.

“Huh?” I asked, my mind still aching from staying up into the wee hours of the night, talking with Aria about everything and nothing at all. “Actually, yeah. Fannar hates it!”

“Yeah, it’s a Fire Enchanted thing.” Aria nodded and then smirked over her mug.

“What?” I eyed her suspiciously.

“Oh, nothing,” she said feigning innocence, but her violet eyes twinkled with mischief. “I just find it funny that a Fire Princess fell in love with—of all people—the Ice Prince!” She let out a loud laugh.

“It is funny, isn’t it?” I smiled knowingly and took another sip. “Well, I didn’t know he was the Ice Prince when I met him, and I definitely didn’t know I was a Fire Princess until this week! But I’m glad you find my love life amusing.” I winked.

Aria giggled. “I’m happy for you, little sis.”

“Enough about my love life,” I said, taking a sip of my coffee. The rich, bitter taste grounded me, and I let out a contented sigh. “There’s something important I need to talk to you about.”

Aria cocked her head in interest.

“Since the Fire Kingdom knows I’m not dead, they also know the ambassador of the Ice Kingdom didn’t kill me. Do you think the Fire Council can mend things with the Ice Kingdom? It’s important for our kingdoms to be on good terms . . . and, selfishly, it would also make things easier for my relationship with Fannar.”

“Of course! You said the Ice Kingdom is still picking up the pieces from Obsidia’s attack?”

“They are.” I nodded.

“Once things have settled down for Fannar’s parents, let me know, and I’ll be happy to talk to the Fire Council. We can set up a meeting between them and the Ice King and Queen.”

“That would be great.”

She reached across the table, grasping my hand firmly. “As future queen, I promise I’ll do everything I can to keep peace between all our kingdoms.”

I squeezed her hand gratefully.

Between Brontes, Gwyneira, Fannar, and me, we had the royals of three kingdoms in alliance. Not too shabby for the next generation of the Enchanted Realm, right? Now, if we could just survive Obsidia.

“Speaking of Obsidia,” I leaned back in my seat, setting my cup down with a soft clink, “how did you defeat the Iron Circle and their dark magic? Any tips you can give me on fighting dark magic?”

Aria’s face grew solemn, her eyes clouding over. “It wasn’t easy. They were so strong.” She paused, staring into her coffee mug as if reliving an unpleasant memory. After a moment, she met my gaze again, her voice steady and unwavering. “We were only able to beat them because of the Phoenix.”

The Phoenix. I had read about it in the Fire Kingdom history book. It was an ancient force passed down through royal bloodlines. Aria and Asher were the bearers of the Phoenix, divided between them in hopes of uniting their warring families against the Iron Circle.

“How does the Phoenix work?” I leaned forward, fascinated, wanting to know more about this incredible power.

Aria smiled softly, a faraway look in her eyes. “Asher and I both have the power of the Phoenix within us, but only half of it. We didn’t realize it at first, but the Phoenix is symbiotically tied to our relationship. It draws its strength from our connection. Our love and our trust in one each other, not just physically, but emotionally too.” Her eyes sparkled with awe and passion as she continued, “When those things are balanced between us, we can summon the Phoenix’s full power together.”

“Wow,” I breathed, taking it all in.

So their victory had come not just from the strength of their powers, but from the depth of their bond.

“Love, trust, and balance,” I repeated softly, allowing the words to sink further into me.

“Exactly.” Aria nodded, a small frown forming on her lips. “I wish I had more advice to give you, but I’m not sure what else could help.”

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