The feeling of hot air on her ear woke Saffron. She yelped and leapt out of bed like a frightened cat. Whirling around angrily, she glared menacingly at Prince Ash, who looked endlessly amused.
"Jumpy this morning, aren't we?" Ash asked.
Ignoring him, Saffron turned sharply and ducked behind the screen to change. She had still been angry from last night and was now furious. The crown prince was about to leave the room by the time she had dressed.
"Where are you going?" Saffron asked, folding her arms.
"To get food?" Ash replied, cocking an eyebrow, "Do I need your permission now?"
Saffron huffed, pushing past him and marching down the corridor. She stopped abruptly when she realised that Blossom would be at breakfast. A smile creased her lips as she imagined her sister's face to see her perfectly unharmed. She looked down at her wrist for a moment. If they saw her mark, what would they think? Saffron took the ribbon from her hair and wrapped it around her wrist instead. That would do for now.
The princes met up with Saffron outside the dining room.
"You look rough. Not much sleep?" Conley asked, clearly amused.
"Conley!" Blaze scolded, shooting a warning look at his brother.
"Don't make me sick," Saffron commented quietly.
Hearing her remark, the three princes gave off a collective burst of laughter.
"You're that bad, brother?" Uri asked.
Saffron turned to look over her shoulder, seeing Prince Ash looming behind her. His expression was far from pleased. His brothers would no doubt use her comment to tease him in future. Based on the look on his face, Saffron was sure he'd plot to get revenge on her. She needed to stay one step ahead. She turned her attention back to Blaze as he grabbed her hand and lifted it, examining her covered wrist.
"Good call. Until we know what's going on, we shouldn't reveal anything. There could be trouble ahead," Blaze remarked with a nod.
"Are we going in to eat, or are we just going to sit here and chew the fat instead?" Ash asked grumpily.
"Sorry, sorry. Let's go," Blaze said, holding his hands up, "Saff, you go last. I don't want to miss the look on your sister's face."
"Saff? Since when were you so close to my wife?" Ash asked, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement.
"Well, you're not. Someone's got to fill that gap," Blaze retorted, smirking at his brother.
"Shut up and get in there," Saffron hissed, shoving the two men forwards.
She waited for each of them to enter and take their seats.
"Where is sister?" She heard Blossom ask.
That was her queue to enter.
"I'm here. Sorry, I'm late, Father, Sister," Saffron said quickly, pushing the door open and stepping inside.
The look on Blossom's face cycled quickly through several emotions. Confusion, fear, anger and finally it returned to its usual smug look.
"Feeling unwell today, sister?"
"On the contrary, I feel better than I have in years," Saffron replied, a smile on her face.
She sat beside Ash, smiling at her sister with a slight wave. She could see the fury burning in Blossom's eyes, despite the calm smile on her face. The sound of the King's voice drew both of his daughters' eyes to him.
"Do you have anything planned today, my dear?"
Saffron glanced at Prince Ash for a moment, quickly trying to come up with an excuse for spending the day in the library. Ash cleared his throat and offered a sickeningly charming smile.
"I was hoping to see some more of the castle today, so I've asked my wife to show us around."
The King let out a chuckle, nodding his head in approval.
"Of course! I know our castle is not quite so grand as the Phoenix Palace, but I hope you're enjoying your stay here nonetheless."
"I find it very charming, Your Majesty," Ash answered.
Silence fell over the table as the food was ferried in by servants. Saffron could feel Blossom's eyes burning into her as they filled their plates. As the sound of cutlery clinking against plates filled the air, Saffron raised her head and cleared her throat. She had an idea.
"Father, may I request something?"
Oleander looked up at his daughter, surprised to hear the determination in her voice over a simple question.
"Go on, my child."
"I would like to take my husband and his brothers to visit Mother's grave. May I?" Saffron asked.
"Absolutely not!" The King bellowed, his face creased angrily.
Saffron stood abruptly, slamming her hands on the table as she opened her mouth to yell back. Prince Ash reached a hand up and placed it lightly on her chest, signalling her to stop.
"Your Majesty, my father specifically requested that I pay my respects to my mother-in-law too."
"In that case, you should be paying respect to my consort Magenta!" Snapped Oleander.
Ash got to his feet quickly, looping an arm around Saffron's waist.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, that woman is not my wife's mother, as you are fully aware. If we are not allowed to pay respects to her mother, I will be sure to let my father know just how the Fae Kingdom treats their Queens."
The expression on Oleander's face changed rapidly as he processed the Prince's threat. The Fae Kingdom was strong, but it was still no match for the Phoenix Kingdom. If it came to war, they would surely lose. Despite his objections, he could not afford to offend King Ignis. He slammed his fist angrily down on the table.
"You may go." He snapped.
"If you'll excuse us, my wife and I have lost our appetites."
With his arm still snaked around her waist, the crown prince escorted Saffron out of the room, closing the door behind them with a slam.
"You look like you're going to be sick."
Saffron looked up at Ash as she drew deep breaths, leaning against the wall behind her.
"That was... I've never..."
"You've never stood up to your father before, I take it?" Ash asked.
"I do not have the power to argue with the King and win," Saffron replied.
An irritated expression crossed the prince's face. Gritting his teeth, he lifted Saffron's chin with his finger, forcing her to look into his eyes.
"As much as I dislike it, the fact of the matter is my father has chosen you to be the Queen of my kingdom one day. You have my kingdom behind you now."
Saffron could feel the heat in her cheeks. He was far too close, especially after the stunt he had pulled the previous night.
The sound of the door beside them slamming made the two jump apart like frightened cats.
"Well, that's not suspicious at all," Prince Conley commented, snickering quietly.
"Did you not enjoy the food?" Ash asked sourly.
"You can cut the tension in there with a knife. We wanted out," Blaze replied, shaking his head.
"Come. We should visit Mother," Saffron said, turning quickly away from the men.
She could hear the quiet murmuring of the boys behind her as they walked, but she was unable to make out what they were discussing. She gritted her teeth. Did they not know it was rude to whisper?
They soon reached a door at the end of the corridor. Saffron drew a deep breath and turned the knob, pushing the door open. It squealed loudly on unoiled hinges. Saffron visibly shook as her eyes scanned the room. She blew softly on the sconce beside the door, watching it burst into flame, casting light across the room.
The coffin lay in the centre of the room on a stone plinth. There were two old, rickety chairs to the side. Saffron approached the coffin gingerly. She had not been allowed in this room since she was six years old.
"This is... Morbid." Prince Uri commented quietly, earning a glare from Prince Blaze.
Prince Ash took a seat on one of the chairs, folding his hands together. Saffron gave him a quizzical look.
"I'm paying my respects to my mother-in-law," Ash said, answering her unspoken question, before closing his eyes.
Saffron turned back to the coffin and swiped her hand lightly across the lid. A thick layer of dust was wiped off, revealing that the lid was made of glass. Inside lay Saffron's mother. She looked as if she were merely sleeping. So fresh that she could have died that day. The Fae had a great many traditions for their dead. They cast a spell on every royal body. The remains would remain in a perfect state for 100 years. Enough time for their children and grandchildren to pay their proper respects.
"She's beautiful," Prince Blaze commented softly as he helped to wipe the dust from the lid, "Saffron... This may sound rude, but... May we open it? I'd like to examine the Queen."
Saffron looked up sharply, concern filling her eyes.
"My father would surely kill me if we disturb her!"
"He'll never find out," Ash said, "If you don't wish to be here, you can wait outside,"
"No. It's okay. I need to be here," Saffron replied, meeting his eyes determinedly.
The four men gently lifted the lid from the coffin, leaning it against the wall to their left. Blaze reached a hand gently down, grazing his fingers over the silvery wings.
"They're real," he commented quietly, a puzzled look on his face.
Ash gently lifted the Queen's left hand, pushing her sleeve back and turning her wrist over. Nothing. Ash cursed softly.
"Wait."
All eyes turned to Saffron as she spoke, staring at her mother.
"They put makeup on my mother after she died, it is a custom here for royal funerals," Saffron said softly.
She brought a finger to her lips for a moment, wetting it lightly with her tongue. She rubbed the skin of her mother's wrist gently. Slowly, a reddish-brown tinge began to reveal itself. A phoenix mark... As she worked away the makeup, three prominent feathers sat upon her skin, along with a very faded fourth.
"Just... Who were you, Mother?" Saffron asked quietly, her eyes lingering on her mother's peaceful face.
As Saffron retracted her hand, a rush of gold light left the Queen's body, dancing like sparks through the air, and engulfed her fingertips. The sensation was like a thousand tiny shocks running up her arm. She staggered backwards, clutching her hand to her chest.
"We should get out of here," Prince Blaze said quickly, glancing worriedly at Saffron.
The Princes hurriedly set everything back where it belonged, remaining silent as they moved. Nobody spoke until they had left the room.
"That's one answer, but it leaves a whole lot more questions." Prince Uri commented, finally breaking the silence.
Saffron barely heard him over the sound of blood pounding in her ears. She felt positively dreadful. As if she had been hit with a large mallet.
"Saffron, are you alright?"
She wasn't sure who had spoken that time, the pounding had become deafening. Her knees felt weak. She collapsed backwards, feeling someone catch her before she hit the ground.
"This is too much for her, let's get her to the library," she heard Prince Blaze say.
Everything was blurry as she lifted up. She tried to struggle for a moment, but she felt too weak. Taking a deep breath she could smell the familiar soft scent of the crown prince. He must be carrying her. She settled then, a soft calmness settling inside her as they moved. She felt like kicking herself. She had never been so weak before. Surely this feeling wasn't from shock alone? The closest thing she had ever felt to this before was when Silver had accidentally hit her with a spell during her training.
Her mind only began to clear once they had entered the library. It was a small and very familiar place to Saffron, with some small seats and a few dozen tall bookshelves. The familiarity helped to ease the anxious feeling in her chest. The Crown Prince set Saffron down on one of the small wooden loveseats.
"Are you feeling alright?" Prince Conley asked Saffron, peering worriedly down at her.
Saffron drew a deep breath and nodded slowly, easing herself into a sitting position. She brought her hands up to touch her forehead for a moment as she gathered her thoughts.
"This is all so confusing," She said, her eyes flickering between the four princes.
"Well, let's discuss what we know right now," Prince Blaze said, gesturing to his brothers.
The Princes bustled about the room for a moment, dragging one of the round desks into the middle and surrounding it with five chairs. Blaze placed a roll of parchment on the table along with a quill and inkwell. Each of them took a seat around the table.
"Alright. Let's start with you," Prince Ash began, nodding at Saffron, "Saffron possesses at least some of the abilities of a phoenix, with rebirth being the main one. Have you noticed anything else?"
Saffron paused for a moment. She had always kept her magical abilities a secret. And for all she knew, it was completely unrelated. A little white lie wouldn't hurt, would it?
"I've always had an affinity for fire magic," Saffron said carefully.
It wasn't technically a lie. It just wasn't the whole truth.
"Alright, fire magic affinity," Blaze murmured with a nod as he scribbled it down.
"Next, we've ascertained that the Queen also had phoenix markings on her skin, meaning she must also be at least part phoenix. Given that her wings seem real, our best guess is that she was half-fae half-phoenix," Ash dictated, watching as Blaze struggled to keep up.
"So we have a few things we can explore next. Where did the Queen come from? Was the King aware of her identity? How did she die? What does all of this mean for Saffron?" Prince Uri said, his eyes fixing on Saffron as he spoke the last question.
He was right. What did all of this mean for her? Did she really need to know about her mother's past? Would it make a difference?
"Hey, don't worry. If you're not ready for this, we can wait," Prince Blaze said softly, reaching over the table to give her hand a squeeze.
"Little brother, I'd like to once again remind you that this is my wife, not yours," Ash said, staring at his brother with a smirk on his face.
"She's your wife and she's my friend," Blaze replied, an icy edge to his voice.
The Crown Prince scoffed for a moment before turning to look at Saffron. They were waiting for her to decide.
"I..."
Saffron paused, looking between them, was she ready to learn all of this? A question burned in the back of her mind. One that she had never given any real thought to until Uri had said it aloud. How did her mother die?
"I want to find out what happened to my mother."