Fire's Reflections It was a sunny day in Ember. No physical 'sun' shone in the sky, but the sky was still bright, the wispy clouds doing nothing to bar the light that permeated the kingdom at all times, bestowing warmth and security to all who lived there. The metal and stone roofs of the City of Ember glittered at at the base of Mt. Vesuvius like the gold and gems of a dragon's hoard. The castle itself stood tall and proud; the domes of its turrets gleamed like solidified torch flames, and the tall narrow prominence of the Silver Spire stretched for the sky, its plated exterior a solid shaft of silver, the light reflecting off it like a beacon. From its observation balcony, set beneath the giant gold embossed pyricorn on the front face of the Silver Spire, one could regard the surrounding countryside without interruption. Today, a figure stood there at the edge of the viewing platform, her tanned hands resting against the warm metal railing that circumscribed its perimiter. Her red skirts and silvery shoulder tassels were stirred by the slight breeze that caressed Mt. Vesuvius at this altitiude, but its refreshing cooling effect did little to lighten the mood of Corrine, Queen of Ember and Princess of Amber, her expression bleak. It was a sunny day in Ember, but the sun did not shine on the Queen of the realm that day. "Corrine?" "Mmm?" The Queen of Ember did not turn from where she stood at the balcony railing. Not that she needed to; she recognized the deep, warm voice that had spoken behind her all too well. That selfsame voice made its approach, the sound of armor-clad feet hitting against the flagstones remarkably muted. "Corrine?" it asked again, "You've been up here ever since dinner ended... are you all right?" Corrine made another noncomittal sound, still watching over the kingdom spread out below her, lost in thought. The sounds of the newcomer continued to draw closer, until finally she felt armor-clad hands wrap around her waist. She didn't draw back; instead she shifted and allowed the owner of those hands to pull closer, gently pulling her into an embrace. "It's about Prince Ota and the Leather Knight, isn't it," the voice of the newcomer said, and Corrine nodded, finally turning her head to direct her blue eyes towards her friend, husband, and soulmate, the Red Knight of Ember. "I heard the news from Yuriko and Hiko before dinner," the Queen of the Kingdom in the Sun finally replied. "Amber's in shock over his death; Moriya and Motoko are going to investigate some leads in Shadow that might lead to the killers. I barely could keep my mind on the meal..." The Knight nodded. "So I noticed. It's not like you to turn away Chef Makoto's meals... especially her teriyaki peppercorn steak. She was wondering if the meat had gone bad somehow between the kitchens and the Dining Hall." Corrine managed a half-hearted smile. "Well, she can rest assured that the Queen's Mood today was not due to any fault of hers." Her smile faltered, and her expression became more serious with concern. "How did you find out, Carl?" "The Fire Pattern felt the destruction of Shamber's Pattern, Corrine... even Flawed, it was still a part of Fire, and as such connected to the True Fire Pattern. The Leather Knight may have been brash, uncouth, and headstrong, but she was still a Pattern Defender, same as I am." He closed his eyes. "Of all the ways for one of our number to be killed..." Corrine shuddered, in sympathy to her husband's worries. "... a Shattered Pattern. The nastiest and most brutal way to kill a person tied to one. Whoever did this knew what they were doing." Corrine shifted her left hand, removing it from the railing to rest it against Carl's right. "At least Kasumi survived. I'm not clear on the details, but I believe Tylor used the Metal Jewel to sever the link she had with the Leather Knight while she was plugged into the Heat Diffusion Tower to keep her from overheating during the damage." This time, it was the Red Knight's turn to make a noncommittal sound. Corrine sighed inwardly, and rubbed her fingers against her husband's red armored own. She knew, all too well, what fears lurked within the Red Knight's heart, the constant awareness of the prices that could be paid and the risks inherent to being so intimiately tied to an icon of Power as potent as a Pattern. "At least she lived," she repeated quietly, in an attempt to reassure him. "At least Jaqueline still has her mother around, thank the Unicorn. I know all too well what lengths a person can be driven to when they lose a parent due to assassination, and if she had lost -both-..." Her voice trailed off, and she looked out towards the horizon. "This is true," Carl quietly replied, opening his eyes again. He too knew of the secret fears and shames that dwelled within his wife's soul, of the deeds to which a person could be driven to in the heat of rage and grief. Corrine was not proud of them, but she at least acknowledged what she had done, and recognized the depths of which she was capable of. That didn't make things any easier, for either of them, but if there was one thing that both Corrine and the Red Knight shared, it was bullheadedness in the face of adversity. With that in mind, he took his own turn in reassuring his Queen: "I admit I don't know Jaqueline all that well, Corrine, but if she has even a fraction of her father's strength, and her mother's kindness, she'll pull through this crisis. It may take a while, but Ember wasn't built in a day, you know." This provoked the desired reaction, and Corrine let out a dry laugh, which he joined in. Corrine allowed herself a smile, her husband's words having reminded her of previous discussions. It prompted her to travel down memory lane as she remembered the deeds of her brash, pink-haired nephew. "He was the first, remember? Shaft, that is. First in so many ways... first of our family besides grandfather to learn of our reborn kingdom, first besides myself to walk our Pattern..." Carl nodded. "I know, love..." He smiled a bit. "... Gabrielle's first crush..." Corrine chuckled, despite herself. "Poor dear. I wonder if Shaft ever fully realized just how much he affected her." She shook her head, and sighed. "The man was a letcher, no doubt about it, but he meant well, and cared, that much was certain. He -did- have his own moral code, as... oddball as it might have been at times, and he did have his limits as to what he would and wouldn't do. Pity Gabrielle didn't realize it at the time, but so it goes." She shrugged, looking rueful. The Knight nodded once more, looking out over Ember City, watching the plasma tides of the Gulf of Ember over his wife's shoulder. "I'll miss him," the Queen continued. "He may have needed the occasional clue rammed through his head, but he was a breath of fresh air in the family." She quirked another fond smile, as she recited in a sing- song tone, "'A cat that won't cop out when there's danger all about. Shaft? You've got -that- right'. He never did, as far as I know." Carl Harold chuckled softly. "Quite the influence on both our daughters, to tell the truth. Kanna has the same drives... if not the same levels of 'Macking', thank the Pyricorn. Is it any wonder she modeled her career after Prince Ota's, given how much she trained under his friend, Prince Ramon?" Corrine shook her head, bemusement on her features. "None here, Carl. None at -all-... her time in Arden with the 'Funk Elves' probably didn't help matters." She rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Not that this is a bad thing. Shaft certainly knew how to live life to the fullest, and it spread to all those who met him." "True, true," the Knight admitted, ruefully. "I do admit his offer to provide me marital tips before you and I got married was an experience that I doubt I'll ever forget." The Queen raised one slim chestnut eyebrow. "Wait a second... He gave you a -bachelor's party-? And you never told me?" "Well, I doubt you'd have been pleased at the thought of the Leather Knight jumping out of a cake wearing nothing but icing... erm... ahem." The Red Knight coughed, and a slight blush crossed his tanned cheeks. Corrine laughed, the first full laugh she had made all day, and she turned around in his arms to give him a loving kiss. "It's all right, love, you're forgiven. It couldn't have been worse than the stag party Kozue gave me with exotic dancers who looked like Roderick and Gideon... erm. Nevermind. You didn't hear that." "Of course I didn't," the Red Knight archly replied, in a playful tone. "And you of course didn't hear about your husband pondering the proper way to exact an appropriate retribution against his wife's half- sister for trying to lead her astray..." Corrine laughed again, and playfully punched the Red Knight in the armored shoulder. "Don't you even -dare-, Carl Harold. Kanna'd never forgive us if we started beating up on one of her more favored aunts. Nevermind she'd worry about how Captain Ruka felt about it all..." "Very well, Corrine," he said without rebuke, a slight smile on his lips. "In this matter, to preserve our daughter's happiness, I will aquiesce to your desires." "Good." She nodded in satisfaction, and then pursed her lips as a thought occurred to her. "Has... Has Kanna heard the news, yet?" The Red Knight shook his head. "Not so far as I know. She's still out in Shadow, travelling with that... 'Kuonji' person." He frowned, slightly. "I don't know what story he fed our daughter, but I'm not convinced that his goals are quite what Kanna believes. Not that she's told us, which is suspect, anyway." Corrine sighed. "I know, I know... we've discussed this before." She turned in his embrace and leaned her head against the Knight's chest armor, looking up at him from within his arms. "Kanna has a good heart and soul, and a stalwart mind, but she's just as human as the rest of us. She wouldn't be the first of the family to be tricked like that." The Queen's lips breifly turned upwards in a smile. "At least she took her Gabrielle Manifestation with her. Our eldest will look after her, I'm sure." "If he can stand up against the temperments of -both- our daughters, I will be amazed, Corrine." Carl chuckled softly, and squeezed his wife gently against him, the two of them joined together for mutual protection and security. Corrine let out a loving sigh, and just stood there with her eyes half-slitted, basking in her husband's warmth. They stood there on the observation balcony for some time, letting the minutes pass with no words spoken between them. Finally, the Red Knight drew breath, and looked down at his wife's questioning expression. "We should be heading to bed, Corrine. Or you should, at least. It will likely be a long day tomorrow." Corrine's blue eyes looked back up into the amber eyes of the Red Knight. "Yes. I have a feeling this is only the tip of the iceberg," she replied. "I can't put my finger on it, but things going on... they're probably going to get a lot worse before they get better." She concentrated slightly, and a rainbow-bordered Trump Gate opened up next to them, connecting the observation platform to the royal bedrooms. "So, we'd better get all the sleep we can." "So, shall we?" The Red Knight bowed towards his wife, one arm across his chest while the other gestured towards the opened Trump Gate. Corrine nodded back, taking his hand with a smile and slight blush on her cheeks. "Yes, let's." And so they did. FIN ----- Fire's Reflections A Story of _Unicorn No Seishi_ Written by Philip J. Moyer on 8/13/2001 Corrine, Queen of Ember, created by Philip Moyer. The Red Knight, Protector of the Fire Pattern, created by Philip Moyer and John Biles. Disclaimer: This story was inspired by the events on 5/30/2001 in the "Unicorn No Seishi" Amber DRPG campaign conceptualized, designed, and Game Mastered by John Biles, 2001. No money is being made from this story. It is copyrighted to Philip J. Moyer, 2001.