The Crown of Fire

The Crown and The Flame

If you ever have to decide between love and power, choose power.  

Love is weak. Power will get you places. 

Yet the arrangement between Eros and I was friendly. We were allies. We both agreed that this marriage would do good for the kingdom, because, as a Flame Daughter, I have useful sources.

He loved his first wife. She was a commoner; the classic forbidden love. 

It was sweet. But I have no time for romance. 

And so, we were married. And I was crowned the new Queen. 

I don't think many people were enthusiastic about my crowning. Everyone loved their old queen, but I don't blame them. Annalise was wonderful. Even if I didn't know her personally, I could tell just by the way people talked about her that she was a bright young woman. 

They sang songs of her, of her golden blonde hair, her emerald green eyes, her beautiful singing voice, her sweeping gesture she used often to greet people in public. 

Everyone knew that one. She would swipe a hand through her silky hair, dipping her head a bit, and then wave her hand through her dress, smiling a coy smile and letting the long layers of skirt fan out behind her. People went crazy over that one. 

So, compared to their heavenly, gorgeous queen, I was kind of a disappointment to all of the country. No one dared to speak of it, of course, because I was a Flame child. But the look of understanding passed through every one of those commoners' faces when the crown was placed on my head. 

My name is Daphne, by the way. Daphne Flame. 

People still have hope in the crown, though. Because even when Queen Annalise died two summers ago, she still left a bit of her here. Her daughter. 

Her daughter, Sapphire, is the opposite of her gentle, delicate mother. It doesn't seem this way, of course. Everyone thinks Sapphire is a wonderful, sweet, kind girl, but I know better.

She only acts this way with me. Perhaps because I am her new stepmother. Perhaps because she misses her mother. I do not blame her for that. 

But her anger with me goes far deeper than family problems. She wants me gone from the throne. She wishes me dead, so she could take my place with Eros and rule. 

She makes out that I am the evil one. That I make her scrub the floors, I make her work with the servants. 

No.

No matter how angry I am, I would never go that low. 

But I am a mystery. The civilians do not know a lot about me. For all they know, I could be dropping Sapphire down a well. 

Annalise was a form of perfection, and her daughter is persistent in trying to keep her family that way, blood-related or not. 

Perhaps she thinks Eros and I are in love. 

No.

Love is weak. Love will twist you and turn you and break off your head. Power is useful. Power does not involve deep feelings, and power is something you can steadily handle and depend on. 

Queen Daphne. 

When I stood before my tall mirror in my chamber the day before I was crowned, I thought it had a nice ring to it. 

Sapphire was the one who told me my chamber was the one her mother used to live in. And that the mirror- was magical. 

Of course, magic is normalized in Camberdale. But a magical mirror was taking it too far with her tricks. 

It's not that I believed her, of course. But I was curious. Clearing my throat, I tapped on the mirror.

No response. 

I snorted. What was I even doing? A mirror, of all things! Sapphire really thought I was dumb. 

"Oh, mirror on the wall," I said in a mockingly high-pitched voice. "Who's the fairest of them all?"

"You, my queen," a voice said, and I jumped. 

"What the-" I stumbled, grabbing for the corner of a chair. I stared at the mirror, disbelieving. "Say something again."

"I said you, my quee- who are you?" 

The tone was rude and scorning. I crossed my arms.  "You are not Queen Annalise," the mirror said, and by the way it said it, I could tell that if it had a human face, it would be frowning. 

"You're behind the times, my friend," I replied, glaring. 

"Where is Queen Annalise? What are you doing in her chamber?" the mirror asked suspiciously. 

"Queen Annalise is dead. I am being crowned tomorrow," I said a bit harsher than I expected. 

"No, it can't be."

I stared at it pointedly. Finally, I turned around. "You know what? This is probably a dream. Forget I said anything, I'm going to bed."

I know that it was not a dream. 

But why had Sapphire told me about the mirror? Like she was helping me?

A little suspicious of her, I thought it out and turned off the lights. 

I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.