Page 55 of Prince of Blaze and Embers
“This, Garris, doesn’t know a bloomin’ thing what he’s talking about,” Rosa said, her voice quiet yet firm. “I’m sure your mother and father were good souls. Because you’re one.” She put her leathery, kind hand on mine, causing my eyes to water and my lips to quiver. “You may never get to hear stories about them, but they're a part of you. All the characteristics you possess—it was in their blood. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
“Thank you, Rosa.” My throat tightened. “I used to make up adventures for my parents, imagining they were out there flying on dragons and saving the world. It’s sad to know they’ll never come for me, just like I feared. And that every time Garris opened his mouth, he was betraying the truth of such a beautiful outcome. But at least I hope they died for someone worth fighting for, right?”
“That’s exactly it.” Rosa’s eyes softened, and there was a warmth in her gaze I hadn’t noticed before. “And you are worth fighting for, Ash. No matter what circumstances brought you here, you have magic and power that others envy. Each day you grow stronger. Don’t let anyone dim that spark.”
“Can you tell me more about Cade?” I leaned forward, my curiosity growing. “What was he like before… his father died?”
Rosa glanced away, her fingers tracing the rim of her pipe. “He was carefree. Lighthearted even. One might say he was like a breath of fresh air. The prince of the Emberveil Empire, adored by all.”
My heart sank again. “And then everything fell apart?”
“Exactly,” she said solemnly. “He became a shadow of himself; burden laden by the weight of the empire, and life pushed onto him at such a young age. His stepmother… Mortriana Vissex. I don’t know what kind of madness consumed her, but she’s driven Cade into a corner. The pressures of royal life are immense. He fights so hard against expectations, against the dark legacy of his stepmother. Everything became a performance to him. He had to be tough, ready to fight against everything and everyone at all times.”
“I don’t want to think of him as that kind of person.” I shifted nervously in my seat, wishing for the prince whom I had kissed, who had held me so close. “He isn’t that guy now.”
“No, he’s not. But it takes time fer’ someone like him to open up. And you may have to be the one that helps him break through those barriers.” Rosa suddenly leaned in close, watching me intently. “But I will say this, Ash. The obstacles in front of ya are monumental, and he may never be able to give you the life you dream of. You should focus on what's in front of you, and that's the Blaze Queen.”
“I want to fight for him.” My voice was stronger than I expected, though it surprised me still.
“That may be a fool’s errand.” She waved her hand at me dismissively, and I sensed she was blocking something in the back of her mind. “You have to keep your head together. You cannot let your feelings surmount the reality. Your feelings blind you to danger, but if you could break through to him, you might get a chance at something more than just survival.”
“I know he cares about me in a way. I know he does.” A warmth unfurled in my chest. It felt real, but the lingering doubts flipped back to the front of my mind.
“I know you’re scared. Scared of losing him. You can’t look at him without thinking about how much he means to you. I’ve watched you, you know. The way you look at him when you saythings in the room before. How you light up even just when he walks back in. It’s obvious to me you have feelings for him.” Rosa took a moment, dropping her eyes before she continued. “But you have to remember, as much as he may care about you, he has a surprise loyalty to his stepmother and his empire that runs far deeper than you can imagine. The stakes are high.”
The truth echoed in me, and as I lowered my chin, shame fueled my prior anger. “I’m just another burden to him, aren’t I?”
“With everything happening—oh child… even if you think he cares for ya back, he may need to see it. The truth is, no true feelings can come out of this at this time. This is war. Hard, dirty, terrible war.” She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, hardening her gaze. After a breath, she leaned in again, and she lowered her voice; her words were fierce yet soothing. “What you need right now is to be steadfast, Ash. Do what the prince needs. Not what you want. Let him see what you’re capable of, and you might break through.”
Inside, I felt myself trembling, but I pressed on. “Rosa, can you help me? Please. I want to know how to be with him, even if I can't like before. Even if I have to fight for it. Even if it will be a torturous path.” She was right; my feelings for Cade were consuming me. Every gesture, every word from him punched like knives, but I couldn’t let go.
Suddenly, Rosa caught me in a gaze so intense I nearly flinched. “You presume I can help you, but… child, I can only say what I know.” Deliberately slowly, she leaned back in her chair. Her gaze dropped slightly before she spoke again. “Even if I tell you how his heart can be won, you have to carry the responsibility.”
My pulse quickened. “I can handle it. I’ll do anything.”
Her eyes riveted on mine again, and her expression hardened. “The truth behind the Blaze Queen is a terrible one. It plagues Cade with a cruel fate, a fate where he believed love doesn’t belong. Ever since the king passed, I feel something has taken thequeen. A darkness in her heart, like a demon buried in her soul. Cade’s troubled, but not lost in darkness like his stepmother, but that darkness in her heart is spreading. I fear the prince thinks he is undeserving of love, and happiness will never find him.”
I gasped. “What?”
“He thinks that love is a luxury. If you can show him that love and care is strength,” she said, her voice laced with a bitter humor, “it might work. His life has been one tough mountain to climb since his father disappeared. The woman you have to win him over from isn’t easy. She is powerful, calculating, and she has everything else knotted around him. But in her quest for power, she often overlooks the power of what she can't comprehend.”
“The power of …?”
“Love. Love finds a way. Love conquers all,” Rosa said with a gentle nod. “All those ancient sayings we’ve heard time and time again… all those clichés about love. They're true. If destiny deems you two find a way, then it will. But until then..." she stood slowly, ashing her pipe. "...maybe you should stop sneaking out at night. You're digging yourself into a hole that's gonna be awfully hard to get out of." She walked off to build the fire in the ovens and prepare breakfast, leaving me with a knot tied tightly in my stomach.
CHAPTER 25
The soft glint of afternoon sunlight trickled through the dense canopy above, casting a dappled pattern of light and shadow on the forest floor. The Faewood was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant call of a bird I couldn't quite place. I needed this walk, needed this space.
After my conversation with Rosa, I couldn't sit within the confines of the house any longer, not with how heavy my heart weighed with thoughts of Cade, with the overwhelming confusion that clouded my mind. I had thought coming to the Faewood would offer me freedom, but all I had found was more chains—chains in my heart, chains in my mind, chains I couldn’t seem to break.
Rosa’s words replayed in my head. 'You have to show him that love and care is strength...' She had made it sound so easy, but nothing about Cade Phoenixfire was easy.
I kicked lightly at a fallen branch as I walked, half-contemplating the choices that seemed to spiral endlessly in front of me. Two paths lay at my feet, two impossible choices, neither of which led to the freedom or life I had dreamed of as a child.
If I stayed, I could fight for Cade. I could show him thattogether, we were stronger. My feelings for him were undeniable, but with every interaction, it became clearer how tangled his life was, how heavy the weight of his obligations crushed him day after day. Cade wasn’t free. He was a prisoner too, locked behind his stepmother’s iron expectations.
But stepping onto that path meant accepting that we could never truly be together. His magic, his Cinderyn fire, was the opposite of the Aquafae magic in my blood. No matter how much I yearned for him, there were some things not even love could overcome. I thought of the heat that had nearly consumed me when we were together, how it threatened to destroy me—destroy us—if we tried again.
