Silent Flames {#Wattys2015 #JustWriteIt #FreshStart}

-Chapter Seven-

"You can't be-there's no way-" Emily stammered, shocked. The king smiled. "Oh there's a way, child." Your mother and I decided to send you to the human world, where your mother would raise you. After sixteen years she would bring you back. Of course, we never planned on her getting lost between dimensions...or Flame bringing you home."

"This isn't my home!" Emily snapped. "I want-I mean-MY MOTHER WAS NOT MARRIED TO YOU. THERE'S NO WAY."

The king smiled coolly. "There is a way, child." He repeated. "And I suppose I should explain it to you...won't you come chat with me?"

"OH LIKE HELL!" Emily screamed. "LET'S GO WALK INTO THIS ROOM WITH A STRANGER. BY THE WAY GUYS, I'LL BE DEAD NEXT TIME YOU SEE ME. BECAUSE I WALKED INTO A ROOM WITH A STRANGER AND NO ONE ELSE."

"Maple, you're overreacting." Tyler said quietly. "This is your king-"

"THIS IS NOT MY KING! HE MAY BE YOURS BUT-CRAP-I DON'T HAVE A KING! I HAVE A PRESIDENT!"

Tyler laughed bitterly. "We've gone over this. How about I come with you into this little room, and I'll save you if someone tries to murder you." He said.

Emily sneered. "Right, because you would protect me from 'ye royal highness'." She said, using air quotes. "If he's your king, you couldn't lift a finger to help me."

Suddenly, the king laughed. Emily, Tyler, and River all jumped, but Tyler and River had jumped for a different reason. Of course, Emily had been rather startled by the sudden noise, but as for Tyler and River...well they hadn't heard the king give such a laugh in quite some time. For he had been rather serious and hysterical lately.

"You, my daughter, are smarter than I gave you credit for." He announced. "But I barely know you, yes? I suppose I underestimated you. Either way, I won't be killing you. I swear a king's oath."

"A king's oath?" Emily asked coldly. "I suppose that means if I die you die?"
"Precisely."

"Oh, how comforting."

"I detect sarcasm in your words."
"Probably because I'm being sarcastic."
"And why might that be?"

"If I was dead why on earth would I care what happened to you?"

The king laughed again. "Good point, daughter, good point indeed. I suppose if I can't convince you, I will talk to you hear...though I might need to keep some things away from curious ears..."

He paused, thinking. "River, Tyler, would you be so kind as to stand outside the door and should Maple scream, come running and save her. I give you my complete permission for this."

Tyler and River glanced at each other, and then at Emily, but Emily refused to look at them. She stared determinedly around the room, taking in the appearance.

You couldn't quite tell the room was made of ice, beside the ice railing you could see through the windows of a pair of wooden doors that lead out to the balcony. The room itself was made of wood, with velvet read curtains over the windows and two paintings framed in gold.

Emily gasped as her eyes caught the paintings. One was of her, and one was...of another women. Emily had the strangest feeling that it was her mother, though she was alien to her now, with the appearance of those of the Kingdom of the Snow.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" A voice whispered in her ear. Emily jumped and stared into the eyes of River. "I drew them myself," he said quietly, "and I must say that I'm quite proud of them."

Emily choked for a moment on her words. "T-they look like...like photos!" She exclaimed, thoroughly amazed by their life-like appearance.

"Oh, yes." He agreed. "And they're what has kept the king going for the past sixteen years." He smiled wryly. "I suppose there's a lot to be said about family."

Emily sighed and looked away from him. "I have no family." She said determinedly. "My mother is gone and there is no way that...that he is my father."

River laughed. "You are a stubborn one, aren't you?" He asked. "You're not the only one that went through this, Maple. There are others that have your problems as well. No matter how alone you think you may be, there are people out there suffering from the same thing. It's just up to one of you to reach out and touch the other."

Emily scowled at him. "Why do you keep talking like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like a fricking fortune cookie."

River laughed again. "You, my dear, are one funny girl."

Emily rolled her eyes. "I'm not trying to be funny, I'm being serious." Why did everyone find her so humorous in this world?

~

"Have you ever heard of The League, my dear?" The king asked Emily. Emily lifted her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, I've been here for two hours tops and you're asking if I've ever heard of...The League?"

The king smiled. "Oh, well then I suppose you haven't...would you like me to explain it to you?"

Emily wrinkled her nose, annoyed by her father's attitude. She was sixteen, not six.

"Well, if that's what you'd like to do, but really I couldn't care less." She snapped. The king frowned slightly. "My dear daughter, The League is a group of people who are against me."

"Against you?" Emily asked, shocked. Why would anybody be against this king. Despite her dislike for his attitude with her, he didn't really seem like a bad guy.

"I've made some...mistakes." He said apprehensively, his eyes flicking from side to side. Emily narrowed her eyes. "Like what?"

"That's not important now!" The king snapped. "What's important is the fact that they're against me and I have so many to fight with me...so my question is...whose side are you on?"

Emily widened her eyes. What an odd question to ask your daughter! Suddenly, she wondered if her father was a little insecure. She looked more closely at the lines on his face and realized that they weren't just wrinkles. There were scars too.

She gazed at him for a moment, rather intrigued by his motive for asking such a question. "Well...you're my father," she began carefully, trying her best to ignore the hope that glowed in his eyes, "but...I barely know you. I can't make any promises yet. I...I need to see how this world is. But don't get upset!" She added hastily as his eyes glittered with fury and hurt.

"Like I said, I won't be making any decisions yet."

The king narrowed his eyes slightly. "Very well, daughter." He said rather coolly. "Take your time in making your decision." He swept around and walked out the door, all warmth toward his daughter had evaporated. Did loyalty mean nothing to his people?

Emily stayed in the room a while after the king had left, looking at the paintings. She heard the door creak as someone walked in and jumped.

Tyler winced a little. "Sorry, Maple." He said. "Just wanted a quick word with you."

"What?" Emily asked crossly. Tyler gave a little half smile. "Would you care to join me tomorrow to meet The League?" He questioned.

"You-how?" She whispered. Tyler put on a crooked grin.

"Because, child, I'm in The League."

~

"He's in The League." The king whispered, turning to River wearing a horror-stricken face. His closest worker was in The League.

"We will arrest him at once!" The King declared, beginning to open the door. River caught his arm. "We need proof first, sire, otherwise people will see you as a person who no longer thinks."

"Isn't what he has said proof enough?"

River shook his head. "He could be doing this for you, sire. Either way, we will follow him tomorrow. Then we can decide how-or if-he will die."