The Great Hall of Pyranthos simmered beneath its gilded ceiling, torches flickering with hues of crimson and gold. Rumors threaded through the air like invisible serpents, wrapping themselves around courtiers' throats. Mira stood at the edge of the flame mosaic—a massive symbol of her dynasty—watching the court dissolve into hushed speculation as a new announcement loomed.
It wasn't just another feast. It was the Ceremony of Oaths.
The Binding Plot.
A secret arrangement was about to unfold, cloaked in tradition and veiled threats. Mira could sense it—the weight of centuries hovering above her like an ancestral breath.
---
Moments Earlier...
In the private chambers of Queen Saphira, Mira's mother, advisors circled the great obsidian table like vultures.
"The elemental alliances are fragile," murmured Lord Verenth of the South Wind. "We need a fire heir paired with an equal. Preferably before the Festival of Lights."
Queen Saphira tilted her head slightly. Her ruby crown shimmered as if catching onto the thoughts hanging heavy in the room. "And Jaxon Thalor?" she asked, voice silken, laced with calculation.
"His lineage is water, but he's not a threat. Not yet," said Chancellor Orev, narrowing his sea-glass eyes. "But the rumors of his pact with the Shadow Court..."
Mira, standing quietly behind the velvet screen, stiffened.
Shadow Court?
---
In the Ballroom…
The ceremonial flames formed a ring around the binding dais. Mira stepped forward as the flame silk of her dress kissed the marbled floor. Her suitors stood in a line—Elric of the Skyborne Clan, Aelion from the Mountain of Echoes, and Jaxon Thalor.
Jaxon.
He stood slightly apart, wrapped in navy and silver, a glint of sapphire pinned at his collar. The stone pulsed faintly.
Mira caught his gaze. It was sharp, pleading. There was something he wasn't saying. Something urgent.
But before she could speak, the Queen's voice rang across the hall:
"Tonight, we begin the Elemental Binding. Those chosen shall declare allegiance and step into the Trials. Only one will rise as consort to the Flame Heir."
Gasps rippled. Mira felt her knees nearly buckle. Trials?
---
Later, in the Flamespire Corridor…
Jaxon pulled Mira into a shadowed alcove.
"They're watching us. Closely."
"Why didn't you warn me? Trials? This wasn't supposed to be a competition."
"Because they threatened my family. Mira, listen to me. There's something darker at play. The Shadow Court isn't just myth. They approached my brother last moon."
She stared, heart pounding. "Why are you even here then?"
He grabbed her wrist, gently. "Because if I don't win these trials… they'll use someone else. Someone who doesn't love you. Who would bind to you for power, not loyalty."
"You still love me?"
"Always."
---
Meanwhile… In the secret council of the Flamebound:
A figure cloaked in molten silk whispered into the ear of Lord Pyran, the royal fire strategist.
"Begin Phase Two. Ensure Elric's victory at any cost. If Jaxon survives the first trial, remove him. Quietly."
The room echoed with silent nods.
---
The Next Morning – Mira's Study
Parchments lay scattered across the obsidian table. Ancient laws of the Trials. Glyphs burned into the edge of the paper warned of magical interference.
Her cousin Liora, a mischief-maker with skyfire eyes, stormed in.
"You're really going through with this circus of flames?"
"I have no choice. If I run, I lose Pyranthos."
Liora leaned closer. "Or you gain your freedom. Do you really think this trial is about love or power? It's about control. Marry Jaxon now and break tradition. Blaze your own path."
Mira hesitated. Then turned toward the window.
In the distance, three pyres lit the ceremonial field.
The Trials had already begun.
---
In the Field of Cinders
Jaxon stood between two pillars of fire, facing Elric and Aelion. The wind howled with unseen voices. The first challenge was upon them: The Trial of Memory—a test to face your greatest regret.
Jaxon stepped into the flame-ring. Images swirled before him: Mira collapsing in the snow, the night he chose not to chase her. His father's disappointed eyes. The voices of dead soldiers from his past battles.
He screamed.
And walked forward.
---
Back at the Palace...
Mira watched through the scrying flame. Each trial mirrored in real time.
But suddenly, the flame flickered.
A shadow crept into the vision.
It wasn't part of the trial.
"What is that?" Mira whispered.
Liora stepped back. "That's not an illusion. That's someone tampering."
Mira stood. Her breath steamed in the air, though no cold existed.
Someone inside the court was summoning dark power.
The Binding Plot… was never about choosing.
It was about breaking her.