I won't fall for the queen who burned my world-Chapter 259: Clingy

The room had gone cold, despite the fire still crackling in the hearth.

Malvoria sat rigid at the long table, Kaelith bundled contentedly in Elysia’s lap beside her, still cooing over a spoon as though she hadn’t nearly ignited the curtains twenty minutes earlier.

The tension in the air wasn’t visible, but it was everywhere—tucked between each breath, every glance.

Saelira stood at the head of the table, her dark hands clasped loosely behind her back, her silver-threaded robes whispering against the floor.

"I had spies watching the palace," she said calmly, as if she were reporting on weather, not treason.

"The moment Lucindra arrived, the wards flared. She overpowered the central hall’s defenses and issued a decree claiming she was assuming command in the Queen’s ’prolonged absence.’"

Malvoria’s jaw clenched.

"She isn’t queen," she said.

"No," Saelira replied, tone cool and composed. "You are. Legally, magically, and by blood. Lucindra is not recognized by the Crown Seal. But... that hasn’t stopped the nobles from bending."

"Of course they’re bending," Veylira muttered. "Cowards always follow the loudest voice when they fear silence."

"She hasn’t called herself queen?" Malvoria asked.

Saelira shook her head. "Not directly. She speaks in titles without titles—’Her Command,’ ’The Return of the True Line,’ and other theatrical nonsense. But she’s occupying your throne, and no one’s challenging her."

"Because they’re afraid," Lara said grimly. "They saw her paralyze a room of war veterans like she was picking herbs."

Malvoria exhaled slowly. "So we don’t just need to remove her. We need to destroy her credibility. Publicly. Decisively."

"And her power," Saelira added. "You felt it. She’s not just strong. She’s changed. Her magic is old—older than what should be possible."

They all fell silent at that.

Kaelith burbled and dropped her spoon, which vanished in a tiny puff of purple flame.

Malvoria’s eyes flicked to her daughter—and paused.

Purple flame.

Protective. Intuitive.

Not taught. Born.

The fire of her bloodline. Triggered by danger. Reflexive.

And she’d burned Lucindra.

Which meant...

Elysia, as if sensing Malvoria’s thought, spoke softly: "If Kaelith’s fire could hurt her, maybe mine could too."

Malvoria snapped her gaze to her wife. "No."

Elysia met her eyes. "Mal—"

"No," she repeated, sharper this time. "You are not putting yourself in the line of fire."

"I wouldn’t jump into a battle untrained," Elysia replied, calm but firm. "But we need to be realistic. If her magic works like that—reactive, instinctual—mine might too."

"We’re not testing that theory on you," Malvoria snapped.

"I’m not saying we fight her tomorrow. I’m saying we train."

Malvoria stood, pushing back from the table hard enough that her chair groaned. "No. We find another way. I’ll rally loyal houses. I’ll challenge her under Old Law. Hell, I’ll summon the Flame Court if I have to, but I am not letting you—"

"Letting me?" Elysia said quietly, standing now too.

Malvoria’s mouth snapped shut.

The silence was sharp.

"I love you," Elysia said, stepping closer. "But I’m not something breakable you get to lock away. I’m your wife. I’m Kaelith’s mother. And I have power too."

Malvoria looked down. "I know."

"I’m not asking you to be okay with it. I’m asking you to stand beside me while I learn."

"You’ve already faced enough—"

"We have. Together." Elysia gently reached out and took her hand. "And you promised, Mal. You promised to help me understand my magic. To train me."

Malvoria’s shoulders dropped.

She remembered.

When they were hiking—Elysia’s fingers glowing crimson, her voice shaking. The way she looked at her then, unsure and unready. And Malvoria had promised, with her forehead against Elysia’s, to teach her. To guide her.

Not to protect her from herself.

She let out a long breath.

"Alright."

Elysia blinked. "Alright?"

"We train," Malvoria said, softer now. "But you follow my rules. We do this slowly. Controlled. No reckless burns."

Elysia smiled. "I can do that."

"Swear it."

"I swear."

"Good." Malvoria pulled her close, wrapping her arms tightly around her. "Because if anything happens to you, I will burn down every plane of existence until I find you."

"I know," Elysia murmured into her hair. "And I’ll be right beside you."

They stood there for a moment, breathing together again.

Kaelith squealed and launched a buttered biscuit across the room.

Lara ducked.

Veylira didn’t flinch.

Saelira raised an eyebrow. "She has excellent aim."

"She’s hungry for power," Elysia said, grinning. "Takes after her mothers."

Malvoria finally chuckled and ruffled Kaelith’s tiny curls. "Then it’s time we prepare her empire."

They had just finished breakfast, the last of the fruit being cleared from the table, when Elysia stood and stretched with a sigh.

"Alright, I need to change into something I can actually move in. This dress is beautiful but—if I try to lift a training blade in it, I’ll snap in half."

"Please don’t snap," Malvoria said, leaning back in her chair. "I’ve only just gotten used to your spine."

Elysia rolled her eyes and gently adjusted Kaelith in her lap. "You mind holding her while I change?"

"Of course not," Malvoria said smoothly, already reaching for their daughter.

It should have been simple.

Transfer child. Kiss cheek. Watch wife walk off to change.

Except the moment Elysia’s arms started to pull away, Kaelith’s tiny brows furrowed.

"Uh-oh," Lara said under her breath, sipping from her fifth cup of morning tea. freēnovelkiss.com

Kaelith made a soft whimper.

Elysia smiled reassuringly. "I’ll be back in five minutes, little star."

Malvoria got exactly one second of holding her before—

"WAAAAHHHHHHHHHH."

The kind of wail that suggested the world had ended.

Kaelith kicked, flailed, and smacked Malvoria squarely on the collarbone with one tiny fist. Violet sparks flared from her hands as her face scrunched into the very essence of betrayal.

"She’s dramatic," Malvoria muttered, bouncing her gently.

"She’s yours," Veylira commented.

"That’s slander."

Elysia paused, halfway out the door. "Kaelith, sweetheart—Mama’s just going to change clothes."

"AAHHHHHHHHH."

"She doesn’t believe you," Lara said, watching like it was theater.

Elysia tried stepping back toward the table. Immediately, Kaelith went quiet. Her tiny fingers reached toward her, sniffling but calm.

Elysia took one step back again.

Kaelith shrieked.

Malvoria, still holding the wriggling ball of baby rage, gave her wife a deadpan look. "You broke her."

"I’m not even gone yet!"

"She senses betrayal."

"She’s not even three months!"

"She’s a demon princess. She knows many things."

Elysia sighed and stepped forward again, brushing Kaelith’s forehead. "I’ll be right back."

"GAHHHHHH."

"This is impossible," Elysia muttered. "How am I supposed to change clothes?"

"She wants to be held by the fire goddess, apparently," Malvoria said.

Kaelith threw her head back and sobbed as though her soul had been divided.

"You’ll have to undress here," Veylira said dryly. "Or teach her teleportation."

Lara tried not to laugh and failed spectacularly.

"Fine," Elysia huffed, carefully scooping Kaelith back into her arms. "I’ll just take her with me."

"Victory," Malvoria said, raising a brow as Kaelith instantly calmed down, snuggled under Elysia’s chin with a hiccup and a satisfied sigh.

"She’s a manipulator," Elysia murmured.

"She’s your child."

Kaelith, secure once more in her chosen arms, let out a tiny puff of violet flame shaped like a smug little bunny.

"Great," Malvoria muttered. "Now she’s gloating."

"I’ll be back in ten," Elysia called as she left the room, daughter firmly in arms.

As the door closed behind them, Malvoria turned to the others.

"I swear I wasn’t that attached to my mother."

"No," Veylira replied. "But she didn’t breathe fire."

"She might’ve," Malvoria muttered. "Just emotionally."

As the door shut behind Elysia and her fiercely loyal bundle of fire and fury, the room fell into an amused silence.

It didn’t last.

"Well," Lara said, stretching her legs out and grinning over her teacup, "I’m just saying, Kaelith clearly gets it from somewhere."

Malvoria raised an eyebrow. "Get what?"

"That desperate, dramatic attachment. Crying when separated from her favorite person. You know—you."

Veylira didn’t even look up from her notes. "You did once threaten to burn down an entire town because Elysia left you a note saying she was going to the library."

"That was misinterpreted."

"She said, ’I’ll be back in an hour,’" Saelira added with faint amusement. "You mobilized the guard."

"I thought she was kidnapped!"

"She took a book."

"I was emotionally unbalanced," Malvoria muttered.

"She was gone for forty-five minutes," Lara whispered with mock gravity.

"Fine!" Malvoria snapped, but the corners of her mouth were twitching.

Veylira finally looked up. "Kaelith is just a miniature version of you. Fiery, dramatic, and completely obsessed with Elysia."

Malvoria leaned back with a sigh and smirked. "Well. At least she has excellent taste."