Chapter 2 : Princess of Fire

"Fire!" shouted a lady hysterical, finger pointed to one of the palace's balconies. "Princess room is on fire!"

From the yard's view, the fire soared as if it was ready to burn the whole palace into dust. The guards were hot on their trail, running to all direction to collect all the water they can get to extending the fire. Even the drink which supposed to be served for the guest was taken.

The King and Queen was in panicked when they heard the fire came from their princess's room. Both was quick to run from the hall, leaving the honorary guest who also began to panick and run to save themselves.

The guards tried to hold them, but the queen escaped. She pulled her gown higher so she wouldn't trip as she ran to her daughter's door. She knocked hard on the wood, calling Alex's name in despair.

"Alex! Open the door!"

After some struggle, the guards finally bust the door. But they were forced to take a step back as the fire blazed to the roof, leaving no path to get in without suffering from the heat. As far as the eye can see were red and burned. But in the middle of the room, princess Alex stood with eyes closed and face calm, unbothered with how the fire wrapped around her body.

The Queen screamed, her eyes bright with despair searching for her daughter in the mist of chaos. She fought in the guard's grip like a mad person, care no less with everything else. She just wants to get their daughter out of there! "Let go of me! Alex!"

There's more than a dozen guards but none can stopped the number one woman in the country from stepped in to the room, breaking through the layers of fire ignoring how the flame soon licked her exposed skin, leaving a trace of reddish burn wound.

"Alex!" the Queen called few times. In her head linger every pray she knows, pleaded to every god exist to didn't take the precious real in her life.

A gasp left her mouth when she found Alex. She didn't recognize such an expression on her daughter's face. From both of Alex's palm came the fire that flow like branches circling the room. Yet, not even a spark landed on Alex's small body. As the Queen walked closer, the air around started to felt bearable warm, not suffocating like before.

"Alex, are you okay?" asked the Queen hesitatedly touched the princess's face. "Alex, my baby?"

Alex opened her eyes with an empty stare. She could heard mother's voice calling for her, so she tried to snapped from the trance, but another voice came.

"Princess, where are you going? This is your home, the place where yu supposed to be."

Alex fell silent. She found it hard to follow the voice when her mother's worried face seeped from the corner her sight. The princess murmured, "Mother?"

The Queen brought Alex to her arms, hugging her tight for a while before clasped their hands together and pulling her to way out. The fire made it hard to see where the door was. Yet, as soon as Alex stretched her hand, the fire split as if giving them a safe path to cross. The Queen shook her head, there's no time to waste just to think about this now.

The guards was quick to take over the princess from the queen's arms who as soon as they out of the door, passe out cold.

***

Alex sat anxiously on her mother's bed side, staring at the paleness which didn't look right on her face. Her heart clenched in pain at the redness burn on the queen's left arm up to neck. Fear and worried mixing in her heart. She stayed for some minutes before the focus shifted to her father, the king, who sat at the corner of the room. Still as a stone on his gold-platted mahogany and diamonds chair, face calm with a worried frown.

"Father," called Alex as she walked closer and touch her father's arm.

The King turned to face her. "Princess, you don't know just how afraid I was when I saw you and your mother in there. I can't imagine how to live without both of you, honey."

He caressed Alex's face with his fingers with love. For this time, he put away the ego in his heart. Watching how the fire engulfing his daughter made him realized that nothing in this world matter more than his princess's well being. He tent to trained Alex the way a prince should had. But the thought of losing her almost made his heart stopped beating.

"Father, forgive me. I'm the reason for mother to get hurt," whispered Alex, head hunging low.

"What do you mean, Alex?"

"I made the fire. I didn't mean to burn the entire room and hurt mother, I swear. I lost control of it and the next second, everything already burned!" Alex's explained in the verge of tears.

The King raised his eyebrows, uncertain of what nonsense his daughter spout. "Alex, what do you mean you made the fire? Where did the fire came from?"

"From here, Father," Alex opened her palm, shoving it to her father's lap, "the fire came from my hand."

The man about to open his mouth and scold Alex for joking at such a bad time when a rustle could be heard from the queen's side. Both Alex and her father focused their attention to the weak queen who tried to sat.

"My love, you're awake. How do you feel?" asked the King as he helped the queen and held her hand.

The queen gave out a smile small and nodded. "I'm fine, just sore." She held out her hand to asked Alex closer. "How's our daughter?"

Alex hesitated, too afraid to hurt her mother more than already done.

"Baby, come here. I want to hug you," the queen opened her arms wide, but Alex's didn't bugged.

Seeing that, the queen turned to her husband and asked him with a light tone. "What's wrong? Did you scold her?"

The King was wide-eyed at his wife's accusation. "I'm not!"

Alex watched her parent's bickers from afar. Her face only showing fear. Fear for hurting anyone again.

The King sighed. "She's self-blaming herself and saying strange things."

"What strange?"

"Something about the fire was came out from her hands."

The Queen once again only let out a smile. She reached again for Alex. "Let's talk about it tomorrow, hm? You should rest, baby."

"I'm not lying!"

A burst of warm wind rushed out from Alex's hands as the princess snapped at her parents. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine the fire again, just like how she did in the room before. Both king and queen's eyes blown wide when flame seeping from Alex's hand and for a second time that night wrapped her body.

Guards and maids rushing in when they heard the shriek from the room. All of them halt on the doorstep from the sight of their princess was again in fire.

"Alex," called the queen, voice wavering.

But Alex was deaf for any sound. Her eyes showed no emotion, it was empty just like before. The queen felt like dejavu seeing her daughter in this state.

"Alex!"

It was the king's voice who woke Alex. As if her strength was sucked up by a black hole, Alex dropped cold to the floor. The Queen was fast to climb down from her bed and took Alex into her arms, searching for wound but found none. She screamed for the healer which everyone hot on their trails scrambled to call.

"What happen to her?"

The queen met her husband's eyes which showed the same despair as hers.

*****