Cold Flame

by Susan Copperfield

  Only a fool—or a child—wanted to be a princess.

  I certainly didn’t want to become a queen, but I acknowledged the wisdom of those working against my desire to remain obscure. There’d be trips to Europe, but there wouldn’t be an escape to become a hermit. Ethan would go with me, but we wouldn’t be running away.

  If all went as he desired, he would have to accept a role he didn’t desire, either.

  We’d be strange among the kings and queens of the Royal States. With the name of New York burdening our shoulders, we’d have a lot of work ahead of us forging a new future for our kingdom. I thought it futile, but I’d been wrong before. Only time would tell if we could buck off the traditions of my ancestry.

  After a few soft words from Timothy, Endah and Amisha flanked me, staying close with no other command. The animal empath collared them, and while he handed me the leashes, he left them unclipped. “It’s more of a statement if you have the leashes visible but you choose not to use them. A leash implies control. The lack of a leash implies a great deal more.”

  “Like insanity,” I muttered.

  “I was more thinking of cooperation, but insanity is accurate enough. It’s bold. But most importantly, you can leash them should you feel it necessary. They know they will be staying with you from now on. They are hopeful but worried.”

  I stuffed the leashes into my bag and secured it on my shoulder before petting their heads. “You’ll be staying with us. I don’t abandon those put into my care.”

  I hadn’t abandoned baby rats, and I had no intentions of starting with abused tigers. Once New York’s crown landed on my head, I wouldn’t be able to abandon the people in my care, either.

  The tigers chuffed, and Amisha turned her head to nuzzle my hand.

  Ethan checked his phone. “It’s time. Are you ready, Rachel?”

  “I have to be. It seems my options for running are few and far between, as you’d rather join me ruling New York than running away to Europe to become hermits.”

  “I’m too spoiled to live as a hermit, Rachel. But I’ll work hard to make sure you don’t regret your choice.”

  “Since Terry told me I couldn’t kidnap any Californian princes, I’m afraid I’ll have to take you by force.”

  Ethan laughed. “Why did you tell her something like that, Terry?”

  “She wanted to interrogate a Californian prince for information. I told her it was not a wise idea. She was unaware of your identity then. She panicked when she discovered who you were. I found the whole situation ridiculous yet amusing. Had things progressed as she wanted, I fear I would’ve become an accomplice in your kidnapping. Her confidence in taking out multiple RPS teams concerns me, however.”

  “Well, she’s a New Yorker. With her talents? I would be interested in some scenarios to find out just how many teams she can take on at one time using non-lethal force.” Ethan chuckled, showered both tigers with his affection and kissed their noses before heading for the doors. “And in case you weren’t certain, I love cats of any size and shape. As far as I’m concerned, I have entered heaven today, and the only way this day could possibly get any better is if you agree to marry me, Rachel.”

  “Didn’t I just say I’m taking you by force?”

  “If my kidnapping leads to marriage, it wouldn’t be a kidnapping, and no force would be required.”

  “You’re a lunatic, and I should be evaluated again for my general willingness to kidnap and marry a lunatic. And yes, I’m aware that statement will result in more damned shopping, so just tell me how many weeks I owe sometime at the end of the day, Terry.”

  “Understood, Your Highness.”

  I sighed at the use of my unwanted title. “How do people even get married in this kingdom? It seems relevant now.”

  “We go to the congress, we inform them that they will have zero say in who the royals of California marry, you will use your bag and its contents however you wish, and then do whatever you feel necessary to make it clear I’m going to New York.”

  “Exactly nobody is going to like this. Especially not when I start dumping condoms out of my bag along with my other items.”

  “I’ll love it. I’ve wanted to get back at those assholes for years. I knew all along you were it for me, and they refused to leave me alone about it. The time wasn’t right then. The time is right now. I wasn’t expecting to be doing this today with a pair of troubled tigers and a crew of doctors and therapists on call, but you are who you are, and I’m marrying the whole package, not just one facet of you.”

  I had no idea what to think or say, so I turned to Dr. Stanton for help.

  “You can tell him thank you. That’s a safe answer. One day, he’ll tell you something like that, you’ll realize it’s the truth, and that you’ve accepted he truly does love everything about you, even your darkness. To him, you’re anything but a cold flame, no matter what the rumors might say. I expect you’ll begin receiving his emotions soon enough. Then you’ll need a therapist and a talent trainer to help you through that, but you’ll know the truth because you’ll feel it long before he says it.”

  “Empathy sounds complicated and difficult. I don’t feel anything from my rats. Wouldn’t this be a lot easier if I felt their emotions?”

  Dr. Stanton chuckled. “Empathy is such an individualistic talent, and that’s all right. In some, it’s an unconscious sensing of emotions and a determination to make the world a better place. In others, it can be an extreme sense of compassion, much like you, who couldn’t let some baby rats die because you could save them. But no matter what anyone says, no matter what you sense or don’t sense, you are anything but cold. In the days to come, I hope you remember that. You are warm, and you are beautiful. And when you take what is rightfully yours from California’s congress, burn brightly.”

  It wasn’t until Ethan dragged me into the audience chamber so I wouldn’t get cold feet and run away that I realized shit was about to hit the fan in the Royal States and we would be the cause of it. My pride would take some hard hits along with my dignity, but we would change the world.

  Or at least California and New York.

  I’d rather return to my closet of an apartment with my rats and eat macaroni and cheese, but some choices I made, and some were made for me.

  I couldn’t feed two hungry tigers in a closet of an apartment.

  I needed to make sure no one else learned the truth about my inability to abandon others to their fate. Becoming the floor mat of the Royal States wouldn’t help anyone, especially me. With some luck, perhaps Terry would view my realization of this critical fact as good behavior and remove a day from my shopping torture sessions.

  Old men and women filled the circular, tiered chamber with the rare younger face mixed in. Their attention was wisely focused on the tigers, who did their best to stay pressed against my legs.

  Amisha bared her teeth, and she hissed her opinion about the gathered politicians.

  I rested my hand on the top of her head, hoping the gesture would soothe her. She bumped me, and then she gave my fingers a lick. Someone gasped.

  I needed to hang a warning sign around Amisha’s neck. Her rough tongue needed a hazard rating.

  Ethan ignored my efforts to soothe the animal, dragged me down to the center of the room, and only let go of my hand when he seemed certain I wouldn’t run away on him.

  Per some protocol, our RPS agents stayed near the doors, leaving me to face California’s congress with Ethan as my only fallback.

  Being a queen would suck, and I was an idiot for agreeing to go with it. Some perks would make it worthwhile, including having Ethan all to myself, but the rest of the job would give me gray hairs young.

  Ethan’s parents sat at a desk behind the podium where everyone except the speaker could see them. If I hadn’t known better, they were less than impressed with our appearance.

  “What is the meaning of this, Ethan?” the king demanded, and his tone implied the prince’s days were numbered, and the
number existed as seconds, possibly a single minute.

  “I missed the congress’s presence so much I needed to come pay them a visit so they could cry about how I wasn’t married yet. Well, I’m getting married, I’m permitting them to have zero say in my decision, and I’m going to abdicate my claim to California’s throne to ensure I maintain my right to marry the woman I want without their interference. I’m willing to listen to proposals, but if it doesn’t involve marrying the woman I want without their interference, I will be rejecting their kind offers.”

  The queen refused to look her son in the eyes, and the corner of her mouth twitched. I would’ve bet everything I owned she struggled to keep from laughing. “So you brought a woman with a pair of tigers here as part of your declaration?”

  Damn, Ethan’s mother had backbone. She managed to speak without any emotion in her tone whatsoever.

  “Yes.”

  “Were you aware this session has visiting dignitaries?” the king asked.

  “In fact, His Royal Majesty of Montana is the reason I’m here. I would like him to oversee the signing of the paperwork required to be safely married to the woman of my choice without the interference of this congress. Enough is enough. I will not marry someone based on pedigree, magical talents, or any other criteria other than my personal opinion on her qualifications to be my queen. I also have zero prerequisites for my queen to be a mother.”

  I took that as my cue to make use of my precious pharmacy acquisitions. Taking a few steps closer to the king and queen, I overturned my tote bag. Box after box of condoms spilled out, along with multiple bottles of lotions and oils, a leash, a collar, a feather duster, and feather-based cat toys.

  I would have to ask Vince about the cat toys, how they played a role in my demonstration, and what the hell I’d been thinking having someone buy stuff for me with the intent of giving an entire congress a heart attack.

  “My uterus is currently closed for business, Your Majesty.”

  “That’s quite an impressive collection. What are you planning on doing, locking him in your bedroom for the next year or two?” The queen picked up one of the boxes of condoms. “I had no idea they came in raspberry flavor. Do I want to ask about the collar and leash?”

  I pointed at her son. “If he tries to escape, I will leash him.”

  “And the massage oil?”

  “If I have to wrangle him, I’m going to be quite tired afterwards, and I’ll need a back rub. I thought that one was the more obvious of the purchases.”

  The queen held up the feather duster and arched a brow.

  “That’s for cleaning, although I suppose I could smack him with it if he misbehaves. The cat toys are for my kittens. Their names are Doomsday and Armageddon. They’re actually his kittens, but they live with me. I figure it’ll make him easier to catch if his kittens live with me.”

  “And your tigers?”

  I pointed at Amisha. “This is Amisha, and she likes me best. The other one is Endah, and she likes him best. I’m not sure you really want to know the rest. It might make the entirety of your congress suffer from myocardial infarction. It’d be a challenge to replace so many politicians at one time. You might have young people guiding the kingdom for a change, and that’d go against the conservative traditional policies of the Royal States.”

  The queen set the feather duster down and coughed. “I see. And what are your intentions, young lady?”

  “He’s the one with the intentions. I’ve just evaluated my current options and decided his intentions fall in line with what I’d like, too. As such, I’m going to marry him, leash him, and take him to New York with me, where we will stage a not-so-hostile and immediate take over, I suppose. Honestly, I don’t really want New York, but I’m going to have to deal with it, so I may as well deal with it on my terms rather than someone else’s.”

  Someone behind me snorted and then laughed. “I absolutely love that she means every single word of that without even a hint of a lie. Some parts of your plan are easier than others, I hope you’re aware.”

  I’d heard His Royal Majesty of Montana speak often enough to recognize his voice.

  I turned to face Montana’s king, who was seated in the front row. “I’m not concerned about the marriage aspect of things. Ethan will follow me around and beg until I agree. I’m just going to spare myself from the endless whining and let him do what he wants for the rest of the day. I’d rather not fight with a bunch of old politicians. They might upset Amisha and Endah, and they’ve been upset enough for the moment. They need to come home with me for some tender loving care. And steak. A lot of steak. If New York had a grain of sense, they’d recruit Ian, but no. If they want me, they’re getting Ethan, and I’ll fight people over it. I’ll use fire if needed.”

  “I don’t think fighting anyone or lighting them on fire will be required. Frankly, California would be wise to accept an offer of a marriage alliance with New York, which you’re offering in a rather unique fashion. You should introduce yourself so the gathered politicians can adjust their opinions on the situation.”

  “I’d really rather not.”

  Ethan laughed, stepped as close as he could without stepping on the tigers, and took my hand. “Would you rather I introduce you?”

  “Absolutely not. I’d rather the assholes trying to force you into marriage squirm that some common girl came in, announced she wanted a prince, and is taking him off to New York, and she’s not taking no for an answer. You don’t want to know what I’m going to do if they try to tell me no. Dr. Stanton would get upset with me if I use my talent.”

  Ethan kissed the back of my hand. “There’s nothing common about you, but don’t you think it’s better that they know your authority?”

  “They’ll figure it out the first time we have to come here to visit. For some reason, I think your parents will want to see you.”

  “That is unfortunately true.”

  Ethan’s parents glared at him, and his father cleared his throat. “You’re not out of a mess yet, boy. If you two are done taunting my congress?”

  “I’m only going to get one chance in my life to so thoroughly taunt them, Dad. The next time I visit them, it’ll be with a much different authority.”

  “And I’ll still be your father, so you don’t get to be a little brat in my kingdom.”

  Ethan scowled. “That’s not how it works.”

  “It is how it works.”

  “It’s really not.”

  I sighed. “Ethan, you realize I’m the one who gets to do the heavy lifting, right? You can sit on the sidelines and make faces at your parents if you’d like, though.”

  “I plan to.”

  “Good.” I picked up the collar and leash, removed the packaging, and gave Ethan the collar portion. “You can just hold it, but you have to follow me around when I pull on it. If you run away, I’ll ask Endah to stop you. She’ll likely enjoy her job. Endah?”

  The tiger prowled to Ethan and wrapped herself around his legs. I held the end of the leash to Amisha. “Please hold this and don’t let him escape.”

  Amisha took the leash in her mouth. Rewarding her with a pet and a kiss on the top of her head, I strolled to His Royal Majesty of Montana and held out my hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.”

  He rose, shook hands with me, and replied, “The pleasure’s mine, Your Royal Highness. I rather liked how you left your future husband protected by two tigers. I was under the impression the tigers are supposed to be your protection.”

  “We’re all in therapy together. It’ll be interesting. Anyway, right now, protecting him is protecting my interests, and my talent is much more offensive than his. Ethan said you can handle the paperwork.”

  “I’ve brought all of the paperwork you need. Unfortunately, in the process of acquiring the paperwork, His and Her Majesties of New York wised up to the situation and are in California.”

  Shit. “I will light them on fire and toss their ashes into the Pacific.�
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  “That won’t be necessary. I’ve contacted them and have agreed to handle the transition. Right now, they are heading towards Sacramento to evaluate the current wildfire situation. It’s spread significantly in the past few hours.”

  My eyes widened. “But they’re terrible at large scale extinguishing. It’s too refined.”

  “I’m aware.”

  “And you didn’t try to stop those idiots? Have you ever met them?”

  “Unfortunately, I have. Multiple times.”

  “They don’t believe anything is too big for them to handle. How large is this wildfire?” I demanded.

  “It’s burning at the rate of a football field or two a minute over mostly uninhabited land. That will change soon, which is why they opted to attend to the situation themselves.”

  “Are we talking about the same people? They do not just do something like that out of the kindness of their hearts.”

  His Royal Majesty of Montana sighed. “Yes, I’m aware of that. They agreed to handle the issue after being made aware you, their best option for the succession, would handle the issue yourself. That would create significant upheaval in New York if they put you unnecessarily at risk. I attempted to suggest that they assist in a lesser fashion, but they did not agree with me.”

  “You damaged their pride and ego. You implied they couldn’t handle a mere wildfire. The fires in New York are nothing like the fires here.”

  “You have no experience with the fires here.”

  “No, but I’ve felt the heat in the air, and I’ve seen the dead grasses and parched trees. New York isn’t suffering from drought.”

  “No, it’s not,” he agreed. “That leads me to this question: what will you do?”

  “How long does it take to marry an obnoxious prince?”

  “Less than five minutes should both bride and groom agree to it. His and Her Royal Majesties can sign as witnesses, and I can oversee everything. You can opt to exchange vows if you wish. The paperwork is all that actually matters for this situation.”