Truce of Flames

"Lord Verdan, please be reasonable?" Princess Regent asked.

Lord Verdan's piece of steak was almost to his lips. The salty gristle called his name, but turned to char in an instant. His fork glowed red with his anger.

"Reasonable? You made a fire station right outside my Kingdom!" Lord Verdan said, pointing his fork, flinging the burnt meat into his cobblestone castle wall. 

"Your fires were getting out of control. I had to protect our forest."

"Those trees could use a good pruning."

"TipTap Forest is a sacred place for my people. Nowhere else can you find such strong and beautiful hardwoods."

"And that fire station is an insult to mine. In my father's time, it would have been a declaration of war."

"You know my intentions."

He cocked his head and raised his eyebrows. "Do I?"

"Come on, Vernny.”

"No!" He pounded the dark oak table, leaving scorch marks in his fist's wake. "You don't get to call me that anymore."

Princess Regent pushed away from the table and got up. Her red and black dress contrasted with her blonde hair. She walked around the table toward him. Her hand ran along the oak table, feeling every imperfection against her soft hand. Lord Verdan got up as well to meet her. Their footsteps echoed in harmony within the chamber until they stopped inches from each other. His eyes flickered like a wood fire roaring from a dose of gasoline. She stared back at him, determined to find the truth.

"Why don't you tell me why you're really mad?"

"Because you don't trust my people."

"You know that's not true."

He scoffed and walked away from her. She followed him, unwilling to let him get away.

"Come on. I'm trying to stop a war here. But we can't do that if you won't be reasonable."

He spun around, stopping her dead in her tracks.

"I am being reasonable. You remove the fire station. It is simple as that."

"But I have no guarantee that you will protect the forest."

"And you won't get one."

"Do you not see the problem?"

"I don't see a problem with that forest burning down. Brought enough pain to my family."

"You weren't the only one who lost a mother that day."

"I didn't just lose my mother that day," he said, unable to look at her anymore. 

"I didn't know you had more family in the forest that day."

"I didn't," he said quietly.

"Then who did you lose that meant so much to you?"

"You."

Her mouth opened like she was going to say something, but nothing came out. She froze there while the crackling of the fire lit lanterns above claimed the brief silence. 

"When our mothers died. You were whisked off to the castle to rule your kingdom and I was left with my father. He was bitter after she died and took it out on me. You were the only light in my life and just like my mother you were taken from me. That forest only reminds me of that day."

She reached her hand out to him. "I never knew. You never wrote.”

"Oh I did. Every night. I found out later my father's manservant would burn them. By the time I took the throne, I figured whatever relationship we had sizzled out."

She put her hands on his shoulders and smiled. "Well a sizzled out fire just needs to be stirred up a bit.”

She grabbed his hand and pulled him past his seat to the balcony. The moon shined like the sun upon the land as people below danced and music rose up to them.

"How about a dance, Vernny?"

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist. They swayed back and forth with the music, holding each other like long lost lovers. Nothing was spoken for two songs, but each minute they danced together it was like getting back a year they lost. When the last song stopped, they just looked into each other's eyes, playing a game of chicken on who would speak first.

"I had a wonderful evening," she said.

"As did I. And I was thinking...about that fire station..."

"Consider it gone."

"No. I was hoping it would stay."

"Really?"

"If you don't mind some of my people working there. I'm sure they would appreciate the new job opportunities."

"I would like that."

"And besides. How could I take away your dream job as a ballerina-princess-firefighter? That would be cruel."

She laughed and hugged him tight. "I'm glad I came tonight."

"Me too."