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#5

I was on a hunt. For my father. It was enough of waiting. I needed to know exactly went through between the two Kingdom's behind my back. But that meant tormenting my father..and finding out what he tried to eagerly to hide from me. So I paused when I stood right before the dark brown wooden door. I kept my knock light, my hand clenched the doorknob and then I pried it open.

"Eira?" King Darren lifted the brown head glancing from the pile of crisp paper. There was surprise and consternation in his faded eyes.

"You're back so soon?" There were alarming bags under the two tired pupils but I didn't draw my attention to them. King Darren's front was wholly drained from emotion, although, there was a hint of anxiousness and dire in the air.

"What deal did have you made with the Water King?" It was hard to remain calm. I pressed my back against the head of the chair and waited.

At first there was silence, he didn't want to answer, that was clear. "What do you know?" Sucking in a dollop of oxygen, eyes strained on the Ice King who left all his work aside on the old wood.

"A decent amount." The King assessed me cautiously, wrinkles on the deadly pale skin tugged making him appear older than his true age. The neatly shaved chin was always raised when in thought.

"There are too many ears in this place, Eira. All I can tell you is that it was done in order to protect everyone, to protect us, possibly avoid failure which if happened could never be untied." I browsed the white room, one way to contain my anger.
My Father was very thoughtful of every command and law that became published. Citizens of the Ice would never defy Ice Royals, they respected us too much. My parents had respect from every corner of the Kingdom.
So what protection he was speaking of I couldn't name it? Who? When?

"Okay." Muttering vaguely under my breath was the only action I could take. Possibilities of an enemy were slim, considering everyone disliked Darkness Elementals the most and us the least, but there was a meager possibly of it being true. Frederick's group was enough to stand as proof of it.

A maid rushed into the office room, her eyes enlarged and frankly unsettled. "Yes, Melissa?" The Ice King called gesturing for the tiny female to talk.

"The crystal flowers.... They've been destroyed, dozens ripped to pieces. The Ice Garden completely torn apart-" The petite woman bursted, wide blanched eyes jogged over the snow walls like there was no tomorrow.

"Who's behind the damage?" King Darren gloomed, rising from the stool impatient and distressed. The crystal flowers were the central beauty of our Kingdom. No such miracle grew anywhere else on the face of the earth, in fact by some they weren't even thought to be plants. Others were not even aware of their existence altogether. They were highly endangered species that needed severely low temperatures to survive.

"Fire Elementals, your majesty. It were Fire Elementals." My Father blew a frustrated chunk of air, beyond enraged. Cracking fingers above the crook of his jaw, the Ice King scowled deeply.
"If Beatrice finds out-" I began, and my father brought up a palm fastly cutting me down.

"Go down there, explain how you want them to behave. I will later discuss this with the Fire King." I was in a vacuum with no air to breathe. With no parent around they would undoubtedly just go with the flow. Fire Elementals had a mechanism of emotions which they could not disciple at all. Angering one was a duplicate of setting the world on flames. Maybe even worse.

"Why me? They would listen to you!" I pointed to the obvious. Fire Elementals were insane, and I couldn't cope with a bunch of them. There was just something utterly underrated about them that had me instantly repelling.

"I have a lot to manage at the moment, and considering you're the future ruler you need your share of problems. Go ahead." King Darren stated, he wanted me out of the office, rescheduled my crucial questions until later.

Slowly and quietly my long legs brought me to the gates of Ice Gardens. Entering the area made me flinching in every direction. To my left, the crystal trees have been melted leaving only their stem. To my right the wooden swings children had the right to use were turned to black coal that pealed off with a gentle whisk of wind.

Once my vision swirled to the tarnished row of the crystal flowers my jaw dropped. Just like Melissa said, the Ice Garden had been truly mangled in the worst way imaginable. Ice blossoms that once stood straight and proud were crashed into a clear puree.

A fire ball flew right upon my head, I ducked in time, preventing the fate of mine being identical to the plantation beneath my feet.
Noticing a group of young men all standing in a circle and I stalked to them experiencing many unpleasant emotions. Anger at what coarse chaos they've caused. Annoyance because my father was not here. But not sorrow, never that. Ice Elementals were numb to the feeling of melancholy.

Boys about my age pulled away breaking their gang until I saw two Fire Elementals that wrestled on the cold ground. One of them I was not familiar with, however the other one struck recognition within me.

"PRINCE ASH! PRINCE ASH!" Their voice echoed into thick air when they noticed my presence next to them. The brown haired boy punched ruthlessly, and I had to swallow a pinch of dread that knotted in my stomach.

Ash lifted his head and the big bloody eyes which landed directly on my figure. There was a low chuckle that rang across the whole Garden giving me a slight shake.

"Well. Well. Well..."

No one twitched when the Fire Prince rose from the ground, and glided towards me.

"Would you look at that, the one to order me to back off is doing completely the opposite. Couldn't stop thinking about me? I do get that a lot from young girls." Dark humour in the jerk's tone spiked the loathing inside of me. Every thought, every will, it took me not to simply freeze the rapid heart of his. And I guess in a way he helped me. I realised that he should be afraid of me, not the other way round. His tantrum was predictible, even for a fire elemental.

"Are you done?" I snapped my voice filled with the coldest iciness existing. There was a pause before a few of the fire elementals sunk away. The Fire Prince stood emotionless waiting for my upcoming rant that was yet to be delivered.

"The Ice Garden holds some of the extremely endangered species and you...you completely destroyed the most precious, priceless plants. Crystal flowers were the jewel of the Ice Kingdom and look what you've done." I rotated my hand to signify the wreck that had come about. All fire elementals except one bowed down in shame.  A boy that had to be  slightly younger than me stepped forward.
"I'm very sorr-" But was not able to continue, the fire Prince thrusted his knuckle into the boy's stomach sending him away.

"Don't want to hear that again!" Prince Ash exclaimed his fingers bawling into fists. As if he felt my frown, Prince twisted his dark head staring intensively back at me.

"He has every right to apologise." I affirmed, narrowing my eyes at the feral creature in front of me.
The boy still slouched on the ground but had enough strength left to press a hand against the side of his bruised cheek.
"I did not say he could." The Fire Prince stated before stalking towards the exit as if he took no part in this.

"At least he had guts to do that. Unlike you." I called out which made the Prince hault to a stop. The defined biceps started to expand when he clenched his large fists. Then he turned towards his target. Me.

Prince Ash walked closer and closer until his mouth was at my ear. "You will not talk to me this way. Ever. Snowflake." There was a death grip on my wrist that at first hurt then started to burn my flesh. I slowly lowered the temperature of blood, numbing the wound forming.

I met his crimson eye that was zoomed on my face, about to curse his existence.
"Let go off her." Said a different voice and then Nathan appeared in my line of view, he crossed his arms over his broad chest. Sapphire eyes froze on the tight lock around my arm.

Ash transfered the anger to the Water Prince before showing an elegant smile. "Say another word and I'll evaporate you from existence." Although after saying that Ash released me. I scowled, my eyes trailinga the red mark left by the boiling touch.

"I want to see you try." Nathan dared to the Prince of Fire who had a flick of flames already brushing the ends of his fingertips.

"I've got this." I glowered at Nathan stepping between him and Ash. Ash inhaled sharply behind me. Nathan did not listen, his hands pushed me away.

"In fact why don't you go pack your bags. Clearly you want nothing to do with the Kingdom. Might as well leave now, why waste your time." Ash looked him up and down disgustedly then stepped forward to offer a counter reply.

"Leave the Ice Lands." Prince of Water ordered his eyes never sparing me a glance. All of his attention had the sneering machine. Suddenly, Ash grabbed a fistful of Nathan's shirt, a clear indication the two will break into a fight.

"Do not. And I repeat. Do not. Tell me what to do." Then he looked back at me, with eyes narrowing.

"And as for you. I will deal with you later, Snowflake."
Shoving Water Prince a foot away, he egressed the Ice Garden with his crew limping guiltily behind.

"You did not have to get involved!" I hissed to Nathan who flattened the fabric of the cobalt t-shirt that he wore. His eyes found mine for a brief second, then his calloused fingers gently grasped my palm.

"What are you doing?" I asked my voice faltering when a stroke of water rose from the ground. I watched as Nathan wounded it around my wrist. Sparks escaped blinding me slightly and strange itching in my palm startled me so much I jolted my hand back. But it didn't move an inch as water locked it to Nathan.

"How..." I hoarsed, my throat working it's way to stay calm. Nathan's careful fingers pushed the loose strands of hair away from my face, his smile was..magical.

"Magic." I knew Water Elementals were healers but I was not aware of their ability to heal plants also. Yes, it wasn't my wound that I was surprised at, it was the crystal flowers.
To see everything in the Ice Garden repaired made me grin so widely I thought my face was about to fall apart.

"Everything is back to normal." I admitted going around the beautiful rows of the Crystal flowers.
"Can all water elementals do that?" I quivered with a genuine curious smile that made Nathan laugh.

"No just me."

"Thank you." I croaked my hands touching the cold plants that leaned into my skin almost willingly.
Nathan stood very closely to me and only when I looked at him did I catch on how close exactly.
The pink lips millimeters away from mine, my eyes spilled into his, I was a second from tugging away but Nathan beat me to it.

"If I were you, I wouldn't trust a Fire Elemental, you wouldn't know what he meant by deal with you later." The Water Prince said retracing back to the gates. Gazing at him confused, I could have just ran after him but I had a feeling it would had be pointless. Nathan wouldn't tell me a single bit. Not if I look around for myself.

Tomorrow was going to be a brand new day with a different Prince, until eventually I was to spend a whole day alone with the despicable Fire Prince, who had nothing else on his mind but blowing up Gardens, dodging apologies and giving me moronic nicknames. What a great start of the week.

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